TRAFFIC

Idaho schools show academic improvement

But scores for Hispanic students and children with disabilities or limited English skills remain a problem for many districts

BY JOE ESTRELLA - jestrella@idahostatesman.com

Copyright: © 2009 Idaho Statesman

Published: 08/13/09

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Idaho Statesman file

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

ELSEWHERE

Read the Adequate Yearly Progress report for Idaho schools

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

When do students go back to school?

AUG. 19: Vallivue School District

AUG. 24: Boise State University and College of Western Idaho

AUG. 25: Nampa School District

AUG. 26: Kuna School District

AUG. 27: Caldwell School District

AUG. 31: Boise and Meridian school districts

Of the five biggest districts in the Treasure Valley, only one - Vallivue - met the state's benchmarks. A district meets the standards when it meets its goals districtwide in all the categories. Here's how the schools did in each district:

Number of schools that met goals • Number of schools that didn’t meet goals

Boise: 22 • 23

Caldwell: 6 • 4

Nampa: 14 • 8

Vallivue: 8 • 2

Meridian: 21 • 26

Two out of three Idaho public schools met their goals for reading, math, language and graduation rates last year, up from 56 percent a year ago and much better than two years ago when only 27 percent made their goals, the state Department of Education reported Wednesday.

"We're seeing these improvements across the state," said state schools Superintendent Tom Luna.

In the Treasure Valley, schools struggled the most to improve their scores for Hispanic students, as well as for students with limited English skills, and those with disabilities. Depending on how many consecutive years a school fails to meet its improvement goals, the state can impose sanctions ranging from mandating that parents be given the option of sending their child to another school - even if it's in another district - to restrictions on how the school can spend federal money, said department of education spokeswoman Melissa McGrath.

Luna applauded progress even in districts that didn't meet the benchmark of "adequate" improvement. He singled out the Caldwell and Nampa districts, noting that no school in either district met its goals two years ago. More than half of the schools in both districts met their goals this time, he said.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires that Idaho calculate the Adequate Yearly Progress of all public schools. The results are based on the Idaho Standards Achievement Test, which measures a student's performance in reading, math and language skills in grades 3-8 and 10.

Joe Estrella: 377-6465

Statesman reporter Kristin Rodine contributed to this story.

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