State science and social studies scores from the Delaware Student Testing Program released last month were presented to Indian River School District officials at Tuesday’s board of education meeting, and the news was mostly pessimistic.
Percentages of district students who met or exceeded the standard fell in all four groups of test scores. Students took the tests in May.
While Indian River eighth graders outperformed the state average by 5 percentage points on the science test, the percentage of students who met or exceeded the standard dropped 2 points, from 61 percent to 59 percent, in a year, according to scores presented by district officials and available at the state department of education Web site at www.doe.k12.de.us. The state average was up from 53 percent last year.
Only 53 percent of district 11th graders met or exceeded the standard on the science test, down 4 points from last year, as compared to the 61 percent state average. The state average was up 2 percentage points.
Some 57 percent of the district’s eighth-graders met or exceeded the standards on the social studies test, outperforming the state average by 6 percentage points but dropping 6 points from last year. The state average fell from 54 to 51 percent in one year.
Only 45 percent of Indian River’s 11th grade social studies students met or exceeded the standard, down 7 percentage points in a year, as compared to the state’s 51 percent. The state average also fell 2 percent from 53 percent last year.
“Obviously, statewide and district wide we are down in science and social studies, so we’re not very happy,” said Sandy Smith, Indian River’s director of instruction. “It just shows us areas where we have to work.”
Eighth-grade science and social studies scores — while not the same kind of main indicators as reading, writing and math — are used toward the school’s state accountability rating, Smith said. Students who are attempting to graduate with a distinguished diploma from high school are judged in all five subject areas, she added.
Smith said that district officials are currently studying achievements in all grade and subject levels to determine future action. Visit the state Web site for a full report on the scores.