Frazier officials expect scores to rise
PERRYOPOLIS – Frazier officials maintain that in-place programs will allow for the district to be removed from the federal academically troubled list released this week. “We already have a program in place aimed at improving our reading program,” said Tom Shetterly, district business manager. “I don’t foresee the district staying on this (federal) list.”
The addition to the federal list came as a result of 1998-99 fifth grade reading test scores for Perry Elementary dipping to 1380 – 50 points lower than the prior year and to 1370 in the 1999-2000 school year.
“Even so, they were still ranked the third highest in the county,” said Shetterly of the latest released scores for the school program.
Shortly after receiving the test scores in 1999, Shetterly said, the district implemented a plan, in conjunction with the state education department, to improve the overall reading program.
In addition to staff training, the district further supported the program with related materials, added testing and a system to track student progress.
“We also widened the program to include a Saturday and summer reading program,” said Shetterly.
Under federal guidelines, schools that fail to show academic improvements after two consecutive years must allow students to attend other schools in the district or other neighboring school districts if there aren’t other schools in their district. A downward trend of test scores for three years would require school districts to additionally offer tutoring programs and other services.
Frazier school board President John Lowery said he expects the test scores for 2000-2001 to reflect a positive outcome from the revised reading program.
“Central Elementary has won awards because of their reading scores,” he said. “Perry’s scores will be turned around due to the strength of the program.”
Last year, Central school was one of nine schools in the state to receive $25,000 from the state education department for continuing to improve on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) reading tests for three consecutive years.
The elementary school also received a $9,618 school performance award for a 100-point overall gain in the combined reading and mathematics baseline score in the fifth grade.
“(When the 2000-2001) test scores are released in August, we are confident that the school will be taken off the list because the school addressed the problems so quickly,” said Lowery.