School report evaluates district performance

The Jefferson County School District 509-J in December released an evaluation report of the district Title VII Indian Education Program.

The report evaluates some of the district goals regarding the 975 Native American students in the district schools.

The goal of reducing the absentee rate has not been met during the 2013-14 school year, according to the report.

The overall absenteeism rate for Native American students in grades 7-12 increased from 12.4 percent to 14.4 percent in 2013-14. The rate refers to the percentage of school days missed.

Absenteeism increased most for seniors, from 14.2 percent in 2012-13 to 19.6 percent in 2013-14.

Grade 9 absenteeism decreased from 16.9 percent to 12.6 percent. Grade 11 absenteeism decreased slightly, from 15.5 to 15.3 percent. Other grades saw increases in absenteeism.

The goal of reducing the drop-out rate among Native American students showed progress in 2013-14.

The annual drop-out rate for the Native American in 2013 for grades 9-12 was 8 percent, lower than the prior year rate of 17 percent. However, the drop-out rate for juniors increased from 12 to 16 percent during this time.

The long-term trend is toward a lower drop-out rate among the Native American students.

The report looks at how Native American students in the school district are doing in areas of reading and mathematics.

There are mixed results with this goal. For instance, “Over the past five years, district data indicate a declining percentage of Native American students in grades 3 and 5 meeting reading and math proficiency standards.”

On the other hand, “district data also indicate an increasing percentage of Native American students in grades 8 and 11 meeting reading and math proficiency stands.”

The evaluation looks at the proficiency of students in grades 3, 5, 8 and 11. “Proficiency rates at the elementary level showed improvement across reading and math assessments, while proficiency rates at the middle and high school levels all decreased.”

A draft of the report was presented at the 590-J Impact Aid hearing in Warm Springs earlier this month.