News release from Fort Wayne Community Schools:
FWCS Posts ISTEP+ Gains for Third Consecutive Year
Fort Wayne Community Schools posted gains in nearly every category on the 2012 ISTEP+, according to results released by the state today. This is the third consecutive year FWCS has seen across-the-board improvement on the state standardized test, which assesses students in language arts, math, science and social studies. This year’s growth came on top of significant gains last year, showing solid continuous improvement throughout the district.
“These results show what our parents have known for a long time – there is no better place for the children of this city to receive an education than Fort Wayne Community Schools,” Superintendent Dr. Wendy Robinson said. “For those who haven’t been in one of our schools in a while, stop by and visit. Our data-driven curriculum and highly skilled staff are unmatched not only in how they deliver instruction, but how they reach out to each child as an individual, tailoring instruction for the specific needs of each student. We know that educating a child is more than just academics; it also means helping each child to become a productive, responsible citizen.”
Students passing both the math and language arts portion of the ISTEP+ increased at 31 of the 42 schools tested and stayed even at four. Irwin Elementary School, the District’s math and science magnet school saw the greatest increase with 89 percent of students passing both portions of the exam, up 16 percentage points from last year. For this accomplishment, Irwin staff members were invited to participate in the state press conference announcing ISTEP+ results.
“After seeing growth the last two years, we knew we had to keep pushing forward, challenging our students and making sure our staff had the training and support they needed to provide the highest degree of quality instruction each and every day,” Dr. Robinson said. “While the work is intense, our teachers and families are dedicated to ensuring all students are educated to high standards. Their dedication is paying off. We have more work to do, but continuous improvement is our goal, and I am proud of the work that has been done so far.”