Local schools are making a final push to help seniors who have failed one or more state tests stay on track to graduate in May.
At Columbus High, 42 of 272 seniors have one or more state tests to retake before they can graduate.
In Lowndes County schools, at Caledonia High, all 109 seniors have passed subject area tests, at New Hope High, 24 of 153 seniors have tests to retake, and at West Lowndes High, nine of 54 seniors have tests to retake.
Across the state, more than 11 percent of the state”s high school seniors could be in danger of not graduating because they have not passed one or more subject area tests.
Columbus High School is offering remediation Monday-Thursday in each of the subject areas tested on state-mandated standardized tests — Algebra I, U.S. history, biology and English II.
Lowndes County schools similarly are tutoring students who need to retake tests.
“We do after-school; we do before school,” Lowndes County Superintendent of Education Mike Halford said of tutoring.
In preparation for the next round of makeup tests, April 5-8, county schools also plan to offer Saturday tutoring.
Halford noted practice tests and answer keys are available at the Mississippi Department of Education website. (Practice state tests for elementary grades also area available at the website.)
County schools sent letters and e-mails to parents whose children need to retake tests.
Parents of Columbus High students who need to retake standardized tests were notified by telephone, school principal Craig Shannon said.
“And we send a letter (home) for the ones that are not coming to remediation,” Shannon added.
Of almost 28,000 12th-graders in Mississippi, The Clarion-Ledger reported Monday that 3,295 still need to pass one or more subject-area tests to graduate. Of those, 446 are second-year seniors, and about a third of them are in special education.
In April, students get their last shot at the state tests, before graduation lists are finalized. The tests are offered three times a year, and Columbus High has offered remediation for three weeks prior to each testing cycle.
“Through that process, they are given objectives and students are tested several times to make sure they meet those objectives,” Shannon said.
The state Department of Education also is stepping up efforts to help high school students pass the tests.
Superintendent Tom Burnham said letters are being sent to principals that include a list of students who have yet to pass the tests at their schools.
Department officials also will use federal dollars to develop online remediation programs for students who need to pass the tests. Biannual regional programs for certain tests had been offered with limited participation.
The department also will have a three-day boot camp for teachers.
Statewide, at the end of last school year, about 80 percent of 36,113 students who took the Algebra I subject area test passed; 93 percent of the 30,200 students who took the U.S. history test passed, 86 percent of the 34,179 students who took the biology test passed, and 68 percent of the 33,137 people who took the English II test passed, according to the Mississippi Assessment and Accountability Reporting System website.
State education officials have said students” failure to pass one or more of the state tests is the most common reason for not meeting graduation requirements.
This story contains reporting from The Associated Press.
GOLDEN TRIANGLE TEST RESULTS
How local high school students have done on subject tests:
· Columbus High School: 65 percent passed the algebra test, 87 percent passed the history test, 77 percent passed the biology test and 52 percent passed the English test.
· Caledonia High School: 71 percent passed the algebra test, 97 percent passed the U.S. history test, 75 percent passed the biology test, and 78 percent passed the English II test.
· New Hope High School: 66 percent passed the algebra test, 95 percent passed the U.S. history test, 84 percent passed the biology test, and 69 percent passed the English test.
· West Lowndes High School: 57 percent passed the algebra test, 98 percent passed the U.S. history test, 80 percent passed the biology test, and 44 percent passed the English test.
· Starkville High School: 63 percent passed the algebra test, 94 percent passed the U.S. history test, 81 percent passed the biology test, and 66 percent passed the English test.
· East Oktibbeha High School: 66 percent passed the algebra test, 79 percent passed the U.S. history test, 70 percent passed the biology test, and 41 percent passed the English test.
· West Oktibbeha High School: 40 percent passed the algebra test, 96 percent passed the U.S. history test, 60 percent passed the biology test, and 30 percent passed the English test.
· West Point High School: 71 percent of students passed the algebra test; 81 percent passed the U.S. history test, 72 percent passed the biology test, and 62 percent passed the English test.
District, school test results
· Mississippi Assessment and Accountability Reporting System: http://orsap.mde.k12.ms.us/MAARS/index.jsp
· Subject Area Test Program practice tests: http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/acad/osa/satpprac.html
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