Bardstown board of education reviews district’s 2013-14 K-PREP scores
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Superintendent Brent Holsclaw narrates a Powerpoint slide show about the district’s 2013-14 K-PREP scores.
Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014, 9 p.m. — The Bardstown Independent Schools board of education reviewed the district’s 2013-14 K-Prep scores and found plenty of reasons to celebrate.
Though the district’s overall score narrowly missed the “proficient” mark, Superintendent Brent Holsclaw pointed out that the scores still showed significant improvement from the previous year.
“Maybe we didn’t make the Fortune 50, but we still made tremendous progress,” Holsclaw told the board.
The district moved from the 28th percentile statewide to the 57 percentile in a single year, and fell short of its achieving a district proficient rating by 1.6 points.
The 2013-14 district score was 5 points higher than last year’s scores — which were adjusted in order to make the comparable to this year’s scores.
Holsclaw pointed to aspects of the test scores that demonstrate students’ academic success districtwide.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Bardstown Elementary School’s test results showed improvement in five of the six content areas, and this was the first year its students scored above the state average in the distinguished category in math. The school moved from a 23rd percentile ranking last year to 42 percentile this year.
MIDDLE SCHOOL. Bardstown Middle School saw big gains in science, with the school moving from the 37th percentile last year to the 50th percentile this year.
HIGH SCHOOL. The College and Career Readiness scores for Bardstown High School improved 16.3 percentage points from last year. In the same time frame, the school’s graduation rate improved from 83.9 to 92.3 percent, which moved the school’s statewide ranking from 83.9 to 92.3 percentile.
Holsclaw said the district’s will update its comprehensive school and district improvement plans with the goal of closing the gap. According to Hosclaw, if the district’s rate of improvement continues, the district will reach proficient status next year.
In other business, the board of education:
— voted to accept a $20,400 in funds from the Kentucky Educational Technology System. The money will go for technology upgrades, particularly an upgrade for wi-fi in the primary school.
— approved the purchase of a new 72-passenger school bus that will be delivered next year and put into service next fall. The board approved also approved financing the purchase through a low-interest loan through the Kentucky Interlocal School Transportation Association.
-30-
