Creston kindergarten through fifth-grade students fell short of the benchmark for fluency during a Formative Assessment System for Teachers (FAST) screening, Creston second- through fifth-grade Principal Scott Driskell reported at Monday’s Creston Community Schools Board of Education meeting.
FAST is the system used by many schools in Iowa to meet the Department of Education’s Early Literacy Legislation.
FAST assessments are given three times each year – in the fall, winter and spring – so educators can track children’s growth and progression with fluency.
“Each time you take it, the benchmark changes,” Driskell said. “Starting in the fall, they’ll have a certain words-per-minute expectation and it increases in the winter and the spring. The thought is as kids go through the year, their learning is going to improve and so should their fluency.”
In the last screening period for the 2015-16 school year, 56.46 percent of Creston students who took the assessment met the benchmark for fluency.
That fell short of the cutoff for the targeted area, which was 60 to 79 percent, leaving CCSD in the intensive category.
Because CCSD is in the intensive category, a site visit has been scheduled to help educators identify ways in which they can help students improve in this area.
“The way I understand it now is it’s really going to be a collaborative process to sit down with us and see if there’s anything we need to add or change in an effort to improve our student results,” Driskell said. “This new system seems like it’s going to be working with us and the state to better improve who we are as a school.”
Some concerns were raised among board members because the FAST system places so much emphasis on fluency and so little emphasis on reading comprehension.
“Are teachers doing another step along with that in terms of making sure (students) are understanding what they’re reading?” Board Member Sharon Snodgrass asked. “I saw a lot of kids who could call words wonderfully but did not understand what they read.”
But, Driskell said there are positives to the FAST system.
“I think the plus with it is we’re trying to get to the core of what our kids are struggling with and that’s the automaticity and fluency and accuracy with which they read,” he said. “If we can improve that, then the thought is comprehension should follow along.”
The FAST system will also affect summer school this year. As part of the Early Literacy Legislation, any third-grader who is not proficient or meeting the benchmarks of the FAST assessment will be required to attend summer school during summer 2017.
“It’s just third-graders who are required to attend summer school,” Driskell said. “If they turn it down or decline it, they’re automatically retained. If they agree and miss a bunch, they’re also retained. They have to attend summer school 85 percent of the dates.”
Superintendent’s report
Also during Monday’s board meeting, CCSD Superintendent Steve McDermott updated the board on both bus inspections and the ongoing security upgrades.
According to McDermott, the security upgrades are moving quickly and are ahead of schedule.
Parts have been ordered for the exterior doors and key fobs, with installation planned for October. Camera servers have been ordered and constructed. The new phone system is in already and is awaiting installation.
“All of these items are moving much quicker than we anticipated,” McDermott said. “We’re very pleased with that. All along we’ve said we should have this complete by the end of the school year. I think we could have it completed by Thanksgiving.”
McDermott reported during a bus inspection last week, six buses received 30-day citings for various issues such as a cracked tailpipe, broken dash light or low tire-pressure sensor.
Three buses were pulled out of service – one for plywood back on a seat that was broken, one needing a new brake shoe and one needing a new fuse.
“All of those things have been repaired already,” he said. “So we have a clean fleet at this point. That’s a much better report than what we had received last year.”
New president
During the board’s organizational meeting for the 2016-17 school year, Brad James was elected president of the school board.
Board Member Galen Zumbach moved to nominate James for the position, with Snodgrass seconding the motion. James was appointed president by a 4-0 vote, abstaining from the vote himself.
Don Gee was elected vice president of the board by a 4-0 vote, with Gee abstaining from the vote.