2018-19 SBPS Annual Report

6 | Scottsbluff Public Schools
Test Scores
Scottsbluff Public Schools Spring
2018 NSCAS and ACT Results
The State of Nebraska has created a new accountability
system, AQUESTT, incorporating revised
academic standards along with a new rating scale
and criteria. While this new system is “under construction,”
many of the measures are yet to be determined and may
still be two or more years away from implementation.
Combined Results for All Grades Tested
Percent Proficient
Science
68%
70%
In the meantime, our teachers and students are doing
their best to align our practices with the State’s expecta-
Mathematics
51%
48%
tions and ensure that Scottsbluff Public Schools’ students
are performing at least as well as their counterparts
around Nebraska.
English Language Arts
44%
51%
State
SBPS
The results you see here are truly a “work in progress.”
In some areas, like Mathematics, we have been ahead of
the new standards for several years at our elementary
schools. This puts our students in a very good place and
we anticipate that middle and high school (ACT) results will
continue to increase as these students move up and the
new curricula is in place at Bluffs Middle School this year
and into the high school starting next year. In English-Language
Arts, however, we’ve waited to find just the right materials
and have introduced new books this year (in grades
3-8) and in high school next year. We are still making decisions
about K-2. Publishers are way behind with producing
quality Science materials that are aligned with National
Science Standards and some are frantically putting out
materials of questionable quality hoping to attract school
districts who are in a hurry. We are taking our time and
watching the marketplace. Based on what we are seeing,
the best materials are yet to be finalized so we are sticking
with what we currently have had in place and anticipate we
may be two years away from adoption of new texts. With
academic standards, corresponding testing and ultimately
State ratings all in transition, public schools are cautiously
moving forward. This is truly one of those situations where
patience may be a virtue and our students will benefit in
the long run from this thoughtful, measured approach.
Included in this annual report are our most recent results.
School rankings are not all finalized at the State level as of
the date we went to press. Additionally, since the system is
new, there is little comparative year-to-year data. Nonetheless,
these scores should provide us a meaningful baseline
from which to grow.
English Language Arts Percent Proficient By Grade
48%
53%
50%
42%
35%
38%
Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8
Mathematics Percent Proficient By Grade
56%
59% 60%
44%
37% 35%
Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8
Science Percent Proficient By Grade
75%
64%
Grade 5 Grade 8
ACT % Meeting Expectations - Includes
Grade 11 Math, ELA and Science
State SBPS
Science
54%
45%
Mathematics
50%
36%
English Language Arts
36%
50%
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