> SOUTHERN INDIANA — Almost across the board, school districts in Clark and Floyd counties made gains — though modest — on their ISTEP+ scores for 2012.

Though the gains aren’t as big as last year’s 5 or 8 percentage point gains, most districts are meeting or exceeding the mark of 80 percent of their students passing — which is where district officials say gains begin to slow down.



New Albany-Floyd County

Posting some of the highest gains and exceeding all-time best scores for this year is New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated Schools. In English/Language Arts, 82.4 percent of students passed and 88.9 percent of students passed math. Students passing both subjects raised up to 78.9 percent.

Sally Jensen, director of assessment and student information for the district, said the gains are largely because of the work of teachers in classrooms.

“We have the highest scores in our district’s history,” Jensen said. “I think it’s confirming the job that all of our teachers are doing in the classroom. They’ve spent enormous hours in these last three years in teaching and learning, it’s a laser-light focus on those things.”

Bruce Hibbard, superintendent of NA-FC schools, said in a written statement the district continues to stay on top of its competition.

“The New Albany Floyd County Schools [district] continues to be the best school district in Southern Indiana,” Hibbard said. “I am proud of our students and their accomplishments. These positive results continue to show the power of being a professional learning community. I am pleased to say that we are truly preparing the students of Floyd County for their future.”

The district’s scores were higher above the state average than any other in Clark or Floyd counties, as well as the only ones to exceed the state averages in those three categories.



Greater Clark

Greater Clark’s one-year gains were modest, but made in ELA, math and students passing both.

While their scores in those three areas are lagging behind the state average, they’re still headed in an upward trend.

Though their increases in math and ELA were the most modest of the four districts this year, their jump in students passing both subjects was tied for the highest at 2.1 percentage points alongside NA-FC schools.



Clarksville Community Schools

In Clarksville Community Schools, a push to increase ELA scores seems to have worked, with the district’s scores increasing by 3.6 percentage points — the highest gain in four districts — to 73.5 percent.

But the district’s scores fell short of the state averages in all three of those areas. While the percentage ELA and students passing both subjects increased, Clarksville’s math scores fell backward by 1.8 percentage points from last year — the biggest drop in that subject of the four districts.

Kim Knott, superintendent for CCSC, said the focus on ELA may have partially caused a drop in math scores, which leads her to believe the district will have more of a balancing act for those two subjects next time around.

“I’m concerned about math as well and I think the scores just reflect our concern,” Knott said. “We were down at the elementary in math, which we’re usually very consistent in elementary math. There was a huge push in elementary in ELA  and it paid off, but we still have to remember we get measured on math, so we have to find a balance.”

She said the elementary students made great strides in their ELA scores and middle schoolers either held steady or showed growth in their math scores.

But in spite of the drop, she said there’s a little reason celebrate the district’s gains in ELA scores.

“Our teachers need to be excited about it, our principals need to be real excited about it, and with the exception of a couple of areas, we did really well,” Knott said.

Clarksville’s scores were the lowest overall below the state averages and have the longest way to go to get students passing both subjects on par with the state, sitting at 63.7 percent in spite of a .9 percentage point gain from 2011.

“I’m starting to look at that more closely,” Knott said. “These are the same kids who are taking math and English, so that’s something else we’re going to have to look at.”



West Clark Community Schools

Either riding or meeting the state averages, West Clark Community Schools showed gains in ELA and students passing ELA and math, but their math scores fell by half a percentage point from 2011.

While their scores ride the state averages, this year’s results don’t include any of Henryville’s schools. Henryville Elementary and High schools were devastated by tornadoes on March 2, just before ISTEP+ testing began.

John Reed, assistant superintendent at West Clark, said the scores give him a better idea of where efforts need concentration, with younger students in need of more work while older students tended to show growth.

“I think looking at our scores, we’ll find ourselves concentrating on our lower grades,” Reed said. “But our scores, comparatively speaking about other schools, probably weren’t as strong as I’d like to see in the lower levels. But as you go higher, they were pretty good. In 5th and 6th, we held our own.”

West Clark’s ELA and math scores approached the state averages at 78.3 percent and 80.2 percent, respectively. But they were the only district aside from NA-FC to exceed the state average of students passing both subjects at 71.2 percent.

Reed said the change in their math scores wasn’t enough to cause him a lot of concern, but he’ll look to see what area of math students struggled with the most.

“You get fluctuation from year to year,” Reed said. “If the decrease continues, then I’d be concerned with that..., I don’t know if that’s going to lead us to look for a new program or textbook or that kind of thing. What it warrants is a more specific look at the content areas we didn’t do so well.”



State averages, percentage passing

English/Language Arts: 79

Math: 81



Districts passing percentage with percentage point change from 2011

New Albany-Floyd County Schools

• ELA: 82.4 percent, +1.1

• Math: 88.9 percent, +2.2

• Both: 78.9 percent, +2.1



Greater Clark County Schools

• ELA: 77.6 percent, +.2

• Math: 79.2 percent, + 1.3

• Both: 78.9 percent, +2.1



West Clark Community Schools

• ELA: 78.3 percent,  +1.1

• Math: 80.2 percent, -.5

• Both: 71.2 percent, +1.7



Clarksville Community Schools

• ELA: 73.5 percent, +3.6

• Math: 75.2 percent, -1.8

• Both: 63.7, +.9