Published: May 05, 2009 09:16 pm      

BC students set to meet and excede 2008 TAKS scores

BRIDGE CITY — Once again the students of Bridge City Independent School District have managed to score well on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills.

Fifth-graders and eighth-grade students across the state recently participated in the first administration of the TAKS math test, and many area school districts showed various degress of improvement.

Students in third, fifth, and eighth grades are required to meet standard on their specific test subjects of the TAKS in order to move on to the next grade. Students in eleventh and twelfth grades have five opportunities to meet standard on the exit level TAKS test in order to graduate.

A campus must have at least 55 percent of its fifth or eighth grade students meet standard in math in the 2008-2009 school year to be an “Academically Acceptable” campus. To be “Recognized” a campus must have 75 percent of its students meet standard in each subject, and 90 percent must meet standard in each test subject to be considered “Exemplary.”

Fifth grade students at Bridge City Intermediate School did extremely well in the math subject area as 94 percent met standard after the first administration, including 51 percent achieving commended status. In 2008, after both administrations of TAKS math, 95 percent of fifth-graders met standard.

The Bridge City fifth grade results of 94 percent easily surpass the state average of 84 percent.

Eighth-grade students at Bridge City Middle School are on pace to match the 2008 figure of 86 percent. After the first administration, 81 percent of eighth graders met standard, including 22 percent achieving commended status.

The 81 percent meeting standard is also two percentage points more than the state average of 79 percent of eighth grade students meeting standard on the TAKS math test.

“Our students did very well in math,” said Gina Mannino, director of curriculum and instruction. “The students have worked very hard, followed directions and committed to making up the time lost to Hurricane Ike. Our teachers are so dedicated to the students and their mastery of the curriculum. They identify student strengths and weaknesses and work hard to address the weakness with out losing ground in the strength areas.”

Mannino said she expects the percentage of students meeting standard to increase after the second administration of TAKS math test on May 19. Students must meet standard in order to move on to sixth or ninth grades.

“Our campus principals, Tara Fountain at the intermediate school, and Kelly McBride, at the middle school, have done a great job keeping the students and staff motivated and focused this year,” Mannino added.