Newburg School Board members received a detailed report concerning the district’s performance on the Missouri Assessment Program scores Tuesday night.
Rose Blair, elementary counselor, presented a report on the district’s scores from last year. This was the first discussion the board held on the scores since they were released in August.
As reported in the Rolla Daily News on Tuesday, students in the district did not meet the state standard for proficient or advanced scores.
However, on a grade-by-grade analysis, the majority of students in the district scored in the basic-level category.
“Would you describe someone who scores in the basic level as failing?” Board President Ron Smith asked Blair, to which she replied, “No.”
Smith took exception to the same RDN article, which he felt characterized Newburg students as failing.
“To judge a student and their school on a student’s performance on the three days of testing is unfair and inaccurate,” Smith said, adding the test is only a snapshot of students and does not take into account other skills and lessons students learn at school.
Despite the district’s failure to meet the state standards, there were positive signs. High school students met state standards in Communication Arts and were fourth in the state on their end-of-course biology exam.
