GILMAN — The East Marshall Community School District has made strides in the last 12 months in improving the academic experience and performance of the students. The recent Iowa Department of Education performance report is a reflection of the hard work.

Superintendent Tony Ryan said overall, he is happy with the report but added there is still work to be done.

“We’re paying attention as we go, because the data changes,” he said. “Planning is fluid. Energies and focuses change to place the resources where it is necessary to move forward to the future.”

The report broke down each school building and their performances in certain categories. Each school building was given overall ratings, as well.

The elementary and high schools are considered Commendable (overall scores of 55 to 61) and the middle school earned a Needs Improvement (overall score of 44 to 49) rating. However, Ryan said the Needs Improvement rating is on a three-year cycle, and East Marshall Middle School is on the last year of the cycle. Given the performance improvements made in the last two years, Ryan is confident the school will not have that rating next year.

“This year the school saw growth and did meet the targeted criteria,” he said. “I can see improvement since last year. We are heading in the right direction. I have faith in the teaching staff. They come to work wanting to do a good job. I see it every day. The commitment is there and they put in the time and resources where they are needed.”

Ryan is particularly proud of the graduation percent rate of East Marshall. The district almost has a perfect four-year graduation rate with 98 percent of students obtaining their diplomas. Throughout the state, an average of 90 percent of students graduate. For the five-year graduation rate, East Marshall earned a score of 96, and the state average is 92.

The East Marshall Growth Mathematics percentile, which determines student growth in the subject, is equal to the state average of 50. However, Ryan is proud they brought it up from 41, especially under the circumstances.

“Something I want to point out is we were short a math teacher in the high school and the principal stepped up,” he said. “The principal taught math half of the day and the math scores increased. I want to continue to focus on math and I want to see additional growth. We are heading in the right direction.”

Another category which received a high rating was Science Proficiency. The state average is 62, and East Marshall earned a 67. Ryan said the number one reason East Marshall students are excelling in science are the teachers and the district’s collaboration with Central Rivers Area Education Agency.

“Our overall marks are commendable and the credit goes to the staff for teaching the material and how they approach things,” he said. “Our teachers are professionals and want to do the best they can. They want each kid to excel in every aspect of their education. There is room for improvement all the time in the world of education. This is more about the journey than the destination.”

Ryan said the spotlight should also be placed on students from all three schools increasing English Language Arts proficiency and growth percentages, particularly the East Marshall Middle School students. Even though the middle school students averaged lower scores for English and math, Ryan said those subjects are a focus.

One area in which work is needed is the Conditions for Learning Composite. The rating is determined from an anonymous survey given to students in third grade through 12. The questions on the survey pertain to how students perceive the school environment. East Marshall received a rating of 42, and the state average is 49.

Ryan said the rating is on their radar, but stressed it is important to understand how the Conditions for Learning numbers are determined. He said it is not based on traditional percentages, such as high scores of 90 or 100 percent.

“So, 42.93 is low, but 49.4 is the mark we want,” Ryan said.

The district has a contract with Teach to Heal which will provide professional development based around social emotional health. He said the training will help forward momentum in raising the Conditions for Learning rating.

“I believe moving in the right direction, and we are benefiting the kids and staff in our district,” Ryan said.

EAST MARSHALL PERFORMANCE SUMMARY:

Category School rating State average

English Language

Arts (ELA) Assessment

Participation 99.38 98.97

Math Assessment Participation 99.38 99.05

ELA School Achievement 49.76 50

Math School Achievement 47.97 50

Conditions for Learning 42.93 49.4

Four-Year Graduation Rate 98.51 89.86

Five-Year Graduation Rate 96 92.51

ELA Growth 51 50

Math Growth 51 50

ELA Proficiency 76.06 71.4

Math Proficiency 64.83 69.5

College Readiness 79.69 75.82

ACT or SAT Participation 37.5 47.4

Career and Technical

Education Readiness 50 67.49

ACT or SAT Success 54.17 46.06

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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.