By Kevin Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – St. Louis school officials are celebrating and bemoaning the results of the 2005 Missouri Assessment Program test.
In third grade reading and fourth grade math, 55 percent of all elementary schools made gains in the top two testing levels; Advanced and Proficient.
However, middle and high school scores remained well below proficiency.
Teachers union president Mary Armstrong says she's pleased with plans for improvement - but says the district is still not dealing with distractions.
"We can talk about all the subject areas that the district has in place," Armstrong said. "But if they don't get control of attendance and they don't do anything about discipline, you'll see us here next year and you'll hear me saying the same thing again."
Preliminary results of the Missouri Assessment Program test also show 35 percent of third graders scored at the two highest levels in communication arts.
That effectively closes the achievement gap between black and white students.
But school board president Darnetta Clinckscale notes achievement in all subjects was much worse at the higher grades.
"I must tell you that our scores in middle and high schools are deplorable and we must do something about them," Clinckscale said.
The district will implement new curriculum models at all grade levels this year. The new school year begins on Monday.