Sterling High improves test scores

BY JOSEPH BUSTOS SVN REPORTER jbustos@svnmail.com STERLING - Sterling High School has made adequate yearly progress under the requirements of the federal "No Child Left Behind" Act for the second year, and therefore is off the state's academic early warning list. Adequate yearly progress means students scores' on state exams have met the standards set by the law. High schools are judged on students' performance on the Prairie State Achievement Exam, which juniors take in April. Sterling High was placed on the academic early warning list when it failed to meet standards on the 2004 and 2005 exams. Had the failure continued, the state could have taken over
the school. "It's good news we're off the list, but it doesn't end here," Principal Jerry Binder said Tuesday. At least 55 percent of last year's test-takers needed to meet standards in reading and math: 54.2 percent of students met reading standards, and 56.1 percent met math standards. The state gave the school "a statistical bump," called "a 95 percent confidence interval," on the reading portion, so the school made the cut. The percentage of students who met reading standards dropped, but Binder said he isn't sure why, although the students were from two different classes. "Some of the scores didn't go where we wanted them to go," he said. The task now only gets harder. This year, 62.5 percent of students must meet state standards. Sterling High teachers will continue to ask more questions in class that are similar to those on the Prairie State Achievement Exam, Binder said. Teachers are continuing to emphasize reading in all curriculums, and he school's literacy coach, Jill Hamilton, will work with teachers to help implement strategies with students who struggle with reading. Those who need it will be placed into a reading and math intensive courses. "We're doing whatever we can to increase reading comprehension," Binder said. Many teachers are giving pretests, to test the strengths and weaknesses of their students so they can tweak their curriculum. The school already eliminated all lower level math courses, and every freshman is starting off in at least Algebra I. Those who need extra help are in a two-hour math class. The goal is have as many students taking or to have completed Algebra II before the taking the Prairie State Achievement Exam. That's because there is an ACT component to the exam, and to do well, ACT recommends students take Algebra II first.