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Better scores on state tests land Heyworth schools an award
By Troy Semple
heyworthstar@verizon.net
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HEYWORTH -- The Heyworth School District started a districtwide push earlier this year aimed at helping kids who struggle and improving students’ scores on state-mandated standardized tests. Administrators at the elementary school have learned, however, that previous years’ efforts already have made an impact.

The school was honored by the Illinois State Board of Education with an Academic Improvement Award. The award, part of the ISBE’s Illinois Honor Roll program, recognizes schools whose students have made significant progress in state test scores in both reading and math. Heyworth received the award based on an increase of at least 15 points in the test scores between 2005 and 2007.

In 2005, 68.4 percent of Heyworth students met or exceeded state standards on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). Results from the 2007 test show 86.1 percent of students met those standards. ISATs are given annually statewide to children in third- through sixth grades.

“A lot of things were done as a staff to better prepare the students for the ISATs over the past two years,” said elementary Principal Brian Bradshaw. In addition to emphasizing the importance of the tests and reminding parents to make sure their children get rest and eat a good breakfast on the days of the testing, school officials also teamed up younger students with a “buddy” in the higher grades to help motivate them to do well on the tests.

Kindergarten through second-grade students handed out pencils and stickers for motivation and collected healthy snacks as “fuel” for the older children taking the tests.

Bradshaw hoped getting younger students involved would help when they began taking the ISAT. It appears to have paid off.

“That’s how you motivate kids to do well on these tests,” said Bradshaw. “You have to build excitement.”

The federal No Child Left Behind Act has meant the state puts more emphasis on the tests. Schools who do not achieve state-defined Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards face losing federal funds and other sanctions. Heyworth officials recognized the need to stay on top of AYP and revamped their approach to identifying students who struggle.

Bradshaw said more attention is also being paid to aligning curriculum across all grades to ensure a smooth transition from one year to the next.

“I mostly attribute the gains to our teachers,” said Bradshaw. “We have a wonderful staff and I want them all to feel good about the work they’ve done.”

In all, the ISBE recognized 166 schools with Academic Excellence Awards. Another 508 “high poverty, high performing” schools were designated Spotlight Schools, and 607 received Academic Improvement Awards for showing substantial gains over three years.

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