Student scores on the Stanford Achievement Test prove that Jordan School District teachers are doing more for kids with less resources than any district in the nation, contends Barry Newbold, district administrator.
With less money for textbooks and computers - combined with overcrowded classrooms - Jordan District teachers compensate for the less-than-ideal environment with resourceful teaching skills, Newbold said.District leaders are "cautiously optimistic" about the overall positive results on the SAT. Scores are moving in the right direction, he said.
Utah has the lowest pupil expenditure in the nation. Teachers have to invest a tremendous effort to help students overcome obstacles and learn at an outstanding level, he said.
All schools scored about the state and national average. With a few exceptions, schools showed improvement from 1992.
The national average is 50. The tests are administered each fall to all children in grades five, eight and 11. Each year a different group of children takes the test.
Language skills improved probably because the curriculum now focuses on grammar and the mechanics of language. Social-science scores in some schools dropped, so the district will be evaluating the curriculum to determine if changes need to be made, he said.
Newbold said the SAT is just one measurement of student achievement, giving a snapshot of the total learning picture. Many variables influence learning, including:
- Family structure (parent support)
- Socioeconomic level
- Learning readiness level
- Quality of instruction
- Student effort
"If all variables remained the same from 1992 to 1993, then we could say with reassurance that the improvements are attributed to teacher instructions," said Newbold. "It will be difficult to predict what will happen next year because we don't control everything that happens."
Mobility deters learning. As families move in and out of some areas - such as Midvale Elementary School - it's challenging to maintain continuity in class instruction. While the scores are not outstanding at Midvale Elementary, "the teachers at this school work very, very hard." Some teachers get frustrated when they've worked their heads off but the results drop, Newbold said.
Alta View showed an incredible improvement of 36 points in its scores from last year. When asked about what contributed to the school's scores, Newbold said one factor is that the school now houses one of the district's gifted and talented programs.
"Each principal and staff member needs to look at the results and the areas of strength and weakness and then reflect on how teaching can be improved. But we're happy that our efforts are translating into successful test results," Newbold said.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
SAT results: JORDAN SCHOOL DISTRICT
SCHOOL TOTAL BATTERY
1991 1992 1993 CHANGE 1993 EXPECTED RANGE
FIFTH GRADE
Altara 58 68 54 -14 50-75
Alta View 55 33 69 +36 37-60*
Bell View 43 52 41 -9 44-69**
Bella Vista 66 66 72 +6 51-76
Brookwood 56 67 68 +1 54-79
Butler 50 63 64 +1 51-76
Canyon View 68 73 69 -4 52-77
Columbia 53 44 41 -3 40-64
Copperview 35 26 41 +15 33-55
Cottonwood Heights 55 66 51 -15 51-76
Crescent 56 46 59 +13 47-72
Draper 59 64 47 -17 47-72
East Midvale 58 50 44 -6 40-64
East Sandy 55 50 53 +3 48-73
Edgemont 48 47 48 +1 43-67
Granite 62 69 58 -11 50-75
Heartland 35 37 26 -11 36-59**
Jordan Ridge 74 66 69 +3 52-77
Lone Peak 66 60 68 +8 53-79
Majestic 29 54 53 -1 40-64
Midvale 23 19 19 0 24-44**
Midvalley 33 55 48 -7 43-67
Mountain Shadows 48 53 48 -5 45-69
Mountview 59 52 53 +1 45-70
Monte Vista 47 59 48 -11 48-73
Oakdale 55 59 50 -9 51-76**
Oquirrh 54 58 45 -13 43-67
Park Lane 61 61 55 -6 52-78
Peruvian Park 75 83 84 +1 50-74*
Quail Hollow 69 64 58 -6 52-78
Ridgecrest 62 64 60 -4 50-74
Riverside 51 40 46 +6 43-67
Riverton 53 50 40 -10 46-71**
Rosamond 52 51 50 -1 50-74
Sandy 46 37 38 +1 33-56
Silver Mesa 66 59 67 +8 51-76
South Jordan 71 63 69 +6 50-75
Southland 51 52 60 +8 47-72
Sprucewood 56 66 66 0 51-76
Sunrise 56 62 66 +4 51-76
Terra Linda 41 47 29 -18 40-64**
Welby 53 56 56 0 48-73
West Jordan 55 47 58 +11 48-73
Westvale 59 54 51 -3 47-72
Westland 50 53 62 +9 46-71
Willow Canyon 68 67 67 0 51-76
Total Fifth Grade 55 56 56 0 51-67
EIGHTH GRADE
Albion 60 65 68 +3 49-70
Bingham 56 53 51 -2 44-64
Butler 61 67 67 0 48-70
Crescent View 53 53 56 +3 44-65
Eastmont 55 55 60 +5 47-67
Indian Hills 64 61 57 -5 48-70
Joel P. Jensen 45 44 48 +4 40-60
Midvale 47 62 60 -1 34-55*
Mt. Jordan 45 56 48 -8 40-60
Oquirrh Hills 45 50 50 0 44-64
South Jordan 59 62 61 -1 48-69
Union 50 56 57 +1 45-65
West Jordan 53 55 53 +2 42-62
Total Eighth Grade 55 57 57 0 48-62
ELEVENTH GRADE
Alta 64 66 67 +1 50-68
Bingham 55 61 61 0 48-66
Brighton 67 65 63 -2 51-69
Hillcrest 55 57 58 +1 47-65
Jordan 47 55 51 -4 47-65
Valley*** 30 20 20 0 NA
West Jordan 50 48 51 +3 46-64
Total Eleventh Grade 57 58 58 0 51-64
*Above expected range **Below expected range ***Alternative school