By Lori Ehde
The story behind this year's round of eighth-grade standard testing is that most area schools improved math and reading scores slightly over last year's results.
In Luverne, 85 percent passed the math portion of the test, and 86 percent passed the reading exam. That compares to the state average of 72 and 79 percent, respectively.
As far as educators are concerned, this slow, steady improvement is exactly the result they're looking for, according to Luverne Curriculum Coordinator Jan Olson.
"I'm very pleased with these scores. We can be very proud of our students and staff," Olson said. "We've improved in both areas. In reading, our scores have gone up consistently each year."
Since eighth grade basic standards tests were implemented in 1996, Luverne has improved from 56 percent of its students passing the reading test to 86 percent this year.
Math results have been up and down through the years, but overall, Olson said the trend points to improvement. In 1996, 74 percent of Luverne students passed the math test, and 85 percent passed this year.
A passing score in each category is 75.
Almost every public school eighth-grader takes the test, in addition to high school students who haven't passed yet.
This year 121 eighth-graders took the test in Luverne. Of those, five students received perfect scores in reading, and two had perfect marks in math.
Eight percent of those who took the reading test were special needs students, and 9 percent of the math students were special needs students.
To receive a Minnesota high school diploma, students are required to pass the basic standards test. They have until their senior year to pass it.
This year, 22 ninth-graders, six 10th-graders and seven 11th-graders also took the test in Luverne.
According to Olson, all of this year's Luverne seniors have passed the test and are on course for graduation.
She said there is only one 11th-grader and two 10th-graders who still need to pass the test to qualify for graduation.
"It's comforting to me that most of our students are on track," Olson said.
She credited the school's remediation program and classroom teachers for testing success. Remediation is offered before and after school for students in grades 8 through 11 who have not yet passed the test.
This year, 35 students enrolled in the program to prepare for the tests.
Olson also credited Luverne's teachers for positive test results. "Our standards for reading are non-fiction, and the whole test is non-fiction reading," Olson said.
"I just think our teachers are more aware of the test requirements, and they're accountable to that to some extent."
In math, she said an independent consultant who read the state results commented on the success of Luverne's math program.
"This woman said a lot of districts in the state would like to know how we're consistently keeping our math scores up," she said.
Olson said she uses results from the Minnesota eighth-grade basic standards tests to gauge curriculum direction.
"I look at these scores as an indicator of whether we're concentrating on the right areas," she said.