Village schools ranked excellent

By Diane Chiddister

The Yellow Springs schools achieved an excellent ranking, the highest ranking possible, for the 2006–2007 school year based on state achievement tests, school board members learned at their Aug. 9 meeting.

“Congratulations to Dr. Armocida, to teachers, staff, parents, students and board members,” said the district’s new superintendent, Norm Glismann, referring to former superintendent Tony Armocida, whose 10-year tenure with local schools ended with his July retirement.

The Yellow Springs schools met 27 out of 30 indicators in the Ohio state achievement tests, thus achieving an “excellent” ranking. Excellent is the highest of five possible school rankings based on test results; the others are effective, continuous improvement, academic watch and academic emergency.

The three indicators which the local schools did not meet were in fifth grade math and social studies and the high school’s graduation rate. The fifth grade math scores just missed the state standard of 75 percent of students passing the test; in Yellow Springs, 31 out of 42 students, or 73.8 percent, passed the math test. Likewise with social studies, 29 out of 41 students, or 70.7 percent, passed the social studies section of the test.

Fifty-one out of 57 YSHS seniors, or 89.5 percent, graduated last year, just missing the state standard of 90 percent.

Yellow Springs students met the state standards in all other subjects and grades. In third grade, 31 out of 37 students, or 83.8 percent, met the state standard of 75 percent in the reading test, and 35 out of 37, or 94.6 percent, met the math standards. In fourth grade, 48 out of 50 students, or 96 percent, passed reading, 48 out of 50, or 96 percent, passed writing, and 47 out of 50, or 94 percent, passed math.

In fifth grade, 36 out of 42 students, or 85.7 percent, met the reading standards and 34 out of 42, or 81 percent, met science standards.

In sixth grade, 38 out of 40 students, or 95 percent, met the reading test standards and 36 out of 40, or 90 percent, met the math standards.

In McKinney School, 45 out of 51 seventh graders, or 88.2 percent, passed reading, 44 out of 51, or 86.3 percent, passed writing and 41 out of 51, or 80.4 percent, passed math. In eighth grade, 61 out of 65, or 93.8 percent, passed reading, 50 out of 65, or 76.9 percent, passed math, 50 out of 65, or 76.9 percent, passed social studies, and the same number and percentage passed science.

At Yellow Springs High School, 58 out of 63 tenth graders, or 92.1 percent, met reading standards, 60 out of 63, or 95.2 percent, met the writing standards, 51 out of 63, or 81 percent, met the math standards, 53 out of 63, or 84.1 percent, met the social studies standards and 49 out of 63, or 77.8 percent, met the science standards.

In 11th grade, 54 out of 59 students, or 91.5 percent, met the reading standards, 53 out of 59, or 89.8 percent, met the writing standards, 54 out of 59, or 91.5 percent, met the math standards, 53 out of 59, or 89.8 percent, met social studies and 52 out of 59, or 88.1 percent, met the science standards.

“It’s great news,” Glismann said of the “excellent” ranking. “Now we’re going to work hard to increase our scores. Our task is to keep doing better.”

In other school board business:
• The board approved bus schedules for the 2007–2008 school year.

• The board approved $5,000 bonds for the YSHS secretary, the Mills Lawn secretary, the assistant to the district treasurer and the clerical assistant.

• The board approved three days of kindergarten screening, Aug. 29 to 31.

• Sierra Kai Cooley was approved as supervisor of the community fitness center at $11 per hour, for six hours per week, for the school year.

• Dee Ann Holly was approved as a summer math intervention teacher for eighth and ninth grade students at $25 per hour for 2.5 hours a day from Aug. 13 through Aug. 24.

• Ellen Guest, Ben Trumbull, Donna Haller and Sue Hawkey were approved as summer school teachers for the summer math facts camp for fourth through six graders, from Aug. 20 through Aug. 24, at $25 per hour for two hours a day.

• The board approved the following as substitutes for the coming school year: Kathy Gardner and Charles Odell as substitute teachers at $80 a day; Patricia Maxie as an aide at $10 per hour; John Clark as custodian at $10 per hour; and Tammie Wilson as secretary and aide, both at $10 per hour.

• The board approved Donna Haller, Johanna Smith and Jacqueline Waggoner as homebound tutors, at $25 per hour, as needed.

• The board approved co-curricular contracts for the following district employees: for Mills Lawn School, Ellen Guest as team leader for first and second grades at $3,092; Linda Kalter as team leader for third and fourth grade at $2,698 and Ben Trumbull as team leader for fifth and sixth grades at $2,698; Jack Hatert as safety patrol advisor at $1,243; Becky O’Brien for TV/media broadcasting at $1,576; and Linda Sikes and Pat Spracklen for intervention assistance team at $1,243. For the school district, Shanna Winks was approved as literacy team advisor at $800 and Title I coordinator at $3,000.

• The board approved contracts for the following non-district employees: Crystal Hanna as seventh grade volleyball coach at $1,164 and Jake Fulton as YSHS assistant football coach at $2,038.

• The board approved the second reading on its open enrollment policy and the first reading of its school day policy.

• Aida Merhemic was approved as the delegate to the Ohio State Board of Education conference in November, with Anne Erickson as alternate.

• Richard Lapedes was approved as the board representative to the Antioch University Board of Trustees special meeting Aug. 25.

• In his report, Glismann stated that an eight-week waterline installation project will begin this month on Walnut Street in front of the school, and that measures will be taken to ensure students’ safety during the roadwork.

• Board President Angela Wright stated that she is working on assembling an open enrollment and development committee.

• The board approved a letter to be written in support of a promotional DVD on Yellow Springs to be created by Patti Dallas, Joanne Caputo and Sandy Love.

“This is another tool to present the village to outsiders and illustrate the strengths of the village,” said Lapedes. “I think it’s all good.”

Contact: dchiddister@ysnews.com