Published: May 06, 2009 07:57 pm      

D’ville students get mixed results on TAKS math

DEWEYVILLE — The math section of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills is arguably the most difficult portion of the test subject areas. It proved to be the case for many students in Deweyville.

Students across the state recently participated in the first administration of the TAKS math test, including students in the Deweyville Independent School District. The eighth grade students at DISD did well, while fifth grade students have left room for 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.”

According to information provided by Darrell Dans, Deweyville ISD director of curriculum, 74 percent of fifth grade students at Deweyville Elementary met standard on the TAKS math test.

This is nine percentage points below the 2008 result of 83 percent, and 10 percentage points below the state average of 84 percent for fifth grade students.

“Fifth grade math scores have left room for improvement,” Dans said. “But we are confident we will get those scores up after the second administration.”

Dans said the district has implemented an “intense remediation” program allowing for extra instruction for fifth graders in areas where improvement is needed.

For those unable to participate in the schedule adjustments for the remediation, Dans said students are able to participate in an after school tutorial program aimed at helping students improve TAKS scores.

Eighth grade students at Deweyville Middle School excelled on the TAKS math test, as a whole, as 91 percent of the students met standard.

This results from the first administration is a 9 percentage point increase over the 2008 score of 82 percent, and 12 percentage points above the state average of 79 percent for eighth-graders.

Students still needing to meet standard on the TAKS math test will have another opportunity when the second administration is given on May 19.