Typically it’s pretty easy to analyze state assessment scores, by comparing them to years past. But last spring the state issued new shorter tests based on different standards or expectations.

I’m going to take my time analyzing the data and talking to people before drawing any hard conclusions, but I wanted to make the data available. Below are some graphs and comparisons.

If you want to see how you’re student’s school did, check out the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s thorough Web site.

Middle and elementary school students took what’s now called the Measurement of Student Progress (MSP) while 10th-graders took the High School Proficiency Exams (HSPE). They’re both essentially shorter versions of the WASL.

I will point out as of now, all incoming 10th-grade students for the class of 2013 must pass all four sections of the HSPE to earn a diploma. State Superintendent Randy Dorn asked for that to change, but it hasn’t happened yet.

While I don’t want to reach any hard conclusions right now, I will point out that Renton appears to have followed state trends overall. However, many of its scores fall below the state average.

Overall, middle school students improved their scores with the new tests while high school students and fifth-graders (the last year students are in Renton elementary schools) saw declines.

Though still below state average, Renton eighth-graders made significant progress in closing the gap with the state average this year.

I’ll have information about government sanctions and how they could affect the schools when I get back from vacation.

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This data represents percentages of students who passed the exams.

HIGH SCHOOL DATA (2008-2009; 2009-2010)

WA STATE 10th-GRADERS
Reading 81.2, 78.8 (-2.4)
Writing 86.7, 85.9 (-0.8)
Math 45.4, 41.6 (-3.8)
Science 38.8, 44.7 (-5.9)

RENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT
Reading 81.1, 73.7 (-7.4)
Writing 85.3, 77.7 (-7.6)
Math 40.4, 34.0 (-6.4)
Science 41.1, 38.9 (-2.2)

RENTON HIGH SCHOOL
Reading 74.6, 69.1 (-5.5)
Writing 76.9, 70.1 (-6.8)
Math 28.0, 22.1 (-5.9)
Science 25.1, 28.1 (+3.0)

HAZEN HIGH SCHOOL
Reading 87.0, 80.1 (-6.9)
Writing 87.1, 83.0 (-4.1)
Math 50.1, 50.5 (+0.4)
Science 47.5, 48.7 (+1.2)

LINDBERGH HIGH SCHOOL
Reading 82.1, 76.3 (-5.8)
Writing 91.8, 84.3 (-7.5)
Math 45.0, 36.8 (-8.2)
Science 59.0, 46.3 (-12.7)

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WA STATE EIGHTH-GRADERS (2008-2009; 2009-2010)
Reading 67.5, 69.2 (+1.7)
Math 50.8, 51.5 (+0.7)

RENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT EIGHTH-GRADERS
Reading 59.7, 66.6  (+6.9)
Math 38.9, 47.4 (+8.5)

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WA STATE FIFTH-GRADERS (2008-2009; 2009-2010)
Reading 74.0, 69.5 (-4.5)
Math 61.9, 53.6 (-8.3)

RENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT FIFTH-GRADERS
Reading 69.6, 65.3 (-4.3)
Math 50.1, 43.8 (-6.3)

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The below charts represent percentage of pass rates for the Renton School District for the past three years.

Two recent stories I wrote about science programs show two sides of a coin, and I want to draw that connection for readers.

A month ago I wrote about the horticulture program getting a timely axe with Black River High School. I want to juxtapose that story with a new one I wrote about an exciting new environmental science class at Hazen High School. (Though the horticulture program wasn’t at Hazen, it has several Hazen students.)

One program is closing, while another one is opening. It’s all under the same vision, increasing rigor. When you read them together, it shows more clearly what the district is changing in the science program.

An unanswered question I had after the horticulture program closed is what the district plans to replace it with. By several standards it was a successful class.

Teresa Coda, the Hazen science chair, mentioned that teachers looked at several courses including astronomy. (Hazen chose environmental science because the new solar panels fit well into the class.) The class, which both sparks the interest of students and maybe even federal grants, is a probably good picture of what’s going to be coming.

Questions are arising about proper legal procedure for closing a public school in Washington, after the district announced the closure of Black River High School.
There are a lot of questions I plan to ask on this issue, but I thought for now that I’d give readers a look at the Revised Code of Washington.
If this code applies, the Board of Directors will have to host public hearings over a 90-day time period, before voting. Public hearing notices will need to be published in a newspaper, which in their case is the Seattle Times and the Renton Reporter.
The Renton School District hasn’t run a public hearing notice in our paper in regards to Black River.

RCW 28A.335.020
School closures — Policy of citizen involvement required — Summary of effects — Hearings — Notice.

Before any school closure, a school district board of directors shall adopt a policy regarding school closures which provides for citizen involvement before the school district board of directors considers the closure of any school for instructional purposes. The policy adopted shall include provisions for the development of a written summary containing an analysis as to the effects of the proposed school closure. The policy shall also include a requirement that during the ninety days before a school district’s final decision upon any school closure, the school board of directors shall conduct hearings to receive testimony from the public on any issues related to the closure of any school for instructional purposes. The policy shall require separate hearings for each school which is proposed to be closed.
The policy adopted shall provide for reasonable notice to the residents affected by the proposed school closure. At a minimum, the notice of any hearing pertaining to a proposed school closure shall contain the date, time, place, and purpose of the hearing. Notice of each hearing shall be published once each week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the area where the school, subject to closure, is located. The last notice of hearing shall be published not later than seven days immediately before the final hearing.

New Horizon School will host its public open house 7-8:30 p.m., Feb. 24.
The private school, whose mission is to provide a successful learning environment for students with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders.
The evening will feature performances by the dance team along with presentations by faculty and service providers. Students will lead the tours and refreshments will be provided.
They’re located at 1111 S. Carr Road, Renton, new-horizon-school.org.

City University plans to offer an online program for school principals seeking to earn their Washington certification.
It’s the first online principal program in the state.
“The new model also allows us to serve professional educators in search of a certificate program but who cannot attend classes in person because they live in smaller, rural communities or have conflicting family and career responsibilities,” said Judy Hinrichs, dean of the Albright School of Education.
The hope is to establish another community of students who live outside the Seattle area.
The university has a Renton location, and will be available to Renton students.
Founded in 1973 in Seattle, CityU is a private university that has awarded over 45,000 degrees and certificates worldwide.

I’m going to do a profile story on Barbara Madsen, a former Hazen graduate recently elected the state’s Chief Justice. She graduated in 1970, and has been pretty busy.
She lives in Olympia now, but it’s worth a story.

Barbara Madsen

Here is the press release:
Hazen High School alum Barbara Madsen has been elected as the state’s newest Chief Justice to Washington’s Supreme Court. Justice Madsen, who graduated from Hazen in 1970, was first elected in to the Supreme Court in 1992, and re-elected for a third term in 2004. She has served as a public defender in King and Snohomish Counties, and a Seattle City attorney. The chief justice presides over the court’s public hearings, serves as the administrative head of the state’s judicial branch, and is the court’s main spokesperson.

Lindbergh High School is hosting its first annual fashion show Thursday, called “Get Your Fash’On.”
Students in the DECA club hope to raise $5,000 this year for Global Partnerships, which provides micro loans in Latin America. The Renton Rotary Club plans to match their effort by $5,000.
“We are going to feature many different types of clothing such as winter wear, college prep, blast to the past, cultural and more,” said student spokesperson Cynthia Pham in an e-mail.
The show is open to the public. Students are selling tickets during lunch and at the door.

Where: Lindbergh High School, 16426 128th Ave. S.E., Renton
When: 6-8 p.m., Dec. 17
Cost: $5, $7 for VIP seating

Below is Pham’s press release.

Press Release

Students throughout the district will have an opportunity to attend the third annual Lindbergh High School Apprenticeship and Trades Fair Dec. 3.

The fair gives Renton School District students ideas for job training and apprenticeships. Several of the fair participants will have hands-on activities for students.

“They are our future workforce, and providing information to help them prepare and train them in this very competitive job market is key,” according to a press release.

The fair is open to all high school students and buses will be transporting students from different schools.

The fair is from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with a complimentary lunch from the Lindbergh culinary arts students.

Governor Christine Gregoire visited Dimmitt Middle School as part of a public relations tour to promote Washington in a federal grant competition.

The visit was a few minutes behind schedule. After a classroom visit, we left the classroom to be surprised by a bell that flooded the hallway with students, all eager to shake her hand.

Below are a few images I got from the event. I set me ISO at 800 to accommodate low lights and a lens with a 4.0 aperture, which is why the photos are so grainy.

Governor Christine Gregoire at Dimmitt Middle School

Governor Christine Gregoire at Dimmitt Middle School

Briarwood Elementary, which is in Renton but a part of the Issaquah School District, has a program this year that gives kids the chance to try acting in just one week.

Auditions are planned for Monday, Nov. 30. Students then rehearse during the week, and Friday, Dev. 4, they put on a performance for the school and parents.

The plays are updated versions of fairy tales. This year they’re planning on “Pinocchio.”

The second one comes straight from spokesperson Randy Matheson:

Kennydale Elementary School students in Norm Brecke’s Story Club will bring literature to life in two upcoming performances. Nearly 25 students in third- through fifth-grades read folktales, and then are trained in various memorization skills and dramatic movement techniques to perform the stories for audiences. This is the second year for the dramatic performances, which will be offered first to students and again for families on Dec. 10 in the school’s commons.