Eden Prairie’s multitude of strategies in tackling student achievement appear to be making a difference, at least when it comes to this year’s batch of test scores.

The results of this year’s MCA II scores show increases in proficiency for almost all grades and a striking jump in scores on the 11th-grade math test.

In that case, the number of students meeting or exceeding proficiency standards jumped from 42 percent in 2008 to 62 percent in 2009.

“We’ve grown and we’ve made progress,” noted Superintendent Melissa Krull.

***As was the case in previous years, Eden Prairie’s results in all grades and subjects were above state averages. With the exception of fifth-grade math, seventh-grade math and reading and eighth-grade math, Eden Prairie either maintained or increased its proficiency levels.

As the district continues to analyze the data, it will further narrow down gains or decreases from sub groups such as students of color and students with limited English proficiency (LEP) – groups that have struggled in the past to keep up with the achievement levels.

Krull said it’s fair to say, “We still have a lot of work with regard to our subgroup progress.”

She added that the district is continually looking at how to make sure “the bar stays high,” while doing its work on behalf of all kids.

The idea is to respond to those students who are struggling while holding the bar high for everyone else.

“That’s held true this year.”

Jeff Aamot, the district assessment coordinator, noted that, based on the preliminary data, the district will be improving its AYP (adequate yearly progress) status.

In the previous year, the district was listed as not making Adequate Yearly Progress.

To make AYP, certain subgroups must all reach proficiency levels. Aamot noted that the goal is that every subgroup in the district reaches 100 percent proficiency by 2014. Thus, the bar is raised every year.

He noted that the greatest proficiency gains occurred at Forest Hills and Eden Lake Elementary –schools that also have the highest percentage of students of color and LEP students.

Students in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eight, 10th and 11th grades take the MCA’s or Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments II every spring. The tests are used to determine Adequate Yearly Progress as set forth by No Child Left Behind standards.

Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard, the executive director of educational services, noted that, if a school doesn’t make AYP for more than two years in a row, a district goes through a variety of school improvement processes.

In the fourth or fifth year of not making AYP, the state could take over, but because of the financial capacity of the state, “the likelihood of that occurring is almost slim to none,” she added.
There are financial implications about how federal dollars are used, when it comes to schools not making AYP.

As part of the penalty phase, parents can transfer kids to other school districts.

Aamot noted that the penalty phase of not making AYP kicks in after 3 years and “our district isn’t quite close to that yet.”
Krull added, “In fact we just moved farther away from that.”
The district is one of the top gainers in the state when it comes to its 11th grade math scores, she noted.

According to Vanden Wyngaard, the EPHS math department looked at curriculum alignment; how concepts are introduced, and even worked on scheduling classes so kids had the most potential to be more alert while receiving math instruction. Staff is also setting out to determine a correlation related to how students earn grades in a series of courses and success in the MCA’s.

Aamot noted that, in response to last year’s scores, the EPHS math department immediately convened last summer and “began some real intentional revisiting of their course content and test preparation.”

Statewide, many districts were more effective this year at conveying to students the importance of the assessment, he added.
Statewide, 42 percent of 11th-graders reached proficiency while in Eden Prairie, the number shot up to 62 percent.

The district has made multiple efforts on different fronts to address student achievement, but it goes beyond just throwing ideas on the wall and seeing what sticks.

“We’re not guessing about this. We’re actually hand-picking strategies that are research-based, that we know will make a difference for learning,” said Krull.

Some examples could include getting more than one teacher in a classroom; bringing experts to the classroom instead of pulling students out; limiting transitions through looping and multi-age classrooms, and extending the amount of learning time in the elementary grades by using 60- to 90-minute blocks of study for reading and math.

“Those things make a difference long term for kids,” she said. “We’re not guessing, we’re clear.”

***Note: this section of the text has been corrected. The initial story implied that levels went down in two grades when in fact, levels went down in four grades:

Levels went down from 76 percent to 73 percent for fifth grade math, from 79 percent to 77 percent in seventh grade math; from 73 percent to 70 percent in eighth grade math and from 78 percent to 72 percent in seventh grade reading.