Proficiency Report Shows Below Average Scores in SCSD No. 1

Proficiency Report Shows Below Average Scores in SCSD No. 1

Chief Academic Officer Jodie Garner says the most recent WY-TOPP scores gives SCSD No. 1 the chance to reset.

ROCK SPRINGS — An interruption in learning in the spring of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to lower assessment scores in Sweetwater County School District No. 1.

That was the assessment of SCSD No. 1 Chief Academic Office Jodie Garner as she presented the latest Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress (WY-TOPP) results to the Board of Trustees tonight.

“The (Wyoming Department of Education) Assessment and Accountable Department held a meeting last week and they referred to this as disrupted data,” Gardner said. “They told us to use multiple data sources before making complete judgments about overall student learning.”

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But Garner also said there are notable concerns with the scores.

She mentioned 3rd grade reading as a point of concern, but did say math scores are above the state average in the same grade level while 6th-grade reading is very near the state average.

“When I look over the last three years, I’m concerned, but I’m determined. What will we do in Sweetwater One.”

SCSD No. 1 Chief Academic Officer Jodie Garner

Garner told the board that the district’s main goal is to keep teachers in the classroom, and a key to that success is the continued support and development of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).

Unlike years past, these scores won’t be used for accountability purposes. Wyoming received a waiver from federal accountability requirements which means the scores essentially won’t count to the district’s overall assessment.

But Garner said this gives the district an opportunity for “a reset” and “a reminder of all the things that schools provide every day….as well as keeping our kids safe and out of crisis mode.”

Garner concluded by saying the district plans to improve student success by establishing the Parent Involvement for Student Achievement (PISA) task force, school improvement planning, PLC time, dedicated intervention time, and improved professional development among other measures.