By Courtney McEachern

Dr. Warren Mata, assistant superintendent of Exeter Township School District, announced at the school board meeting, on Oct. 20, that the students’ test scores continue to increase.

Mata examined the students’ SATs, Advance Placement (AP) exams and PSSAs.

“Without a doubt, our kids are doing very well,” he said.

When looking at the numbers over time, Mata said, he is seeing a steady increase in test scores.

SATs

Reading, Math and Writing test scores are increasing.

“Looking at the Reading average scores, Math average scores and the Writing average scores from 2006 - 2009, you can see that those average scores continue to increase,” said Mata.

But students’ writing seems to have improved dramatically.

“What I think is really wonderful is the Writing scores. We were below the state average slightly over the past years and this year we exceeded the state average.”

The Writing scores also backed up the PSSA Writing scores particularly in 11th grade.

“There is typically a gap between the performance that boys and girls do. It is documented nationally over a long period of time,” said Mata.

Boys typically score 10 - 12 Exeter students’ scores soarpoints lower than girls, he said.

“As I look at our district, I see similar things to that but what is noteworthy is that not only were 93 percent of the 11th grade proficient in the writing test at the state level, but the gap between the boys and girls was 2.8 percent,” the assistant superintendent added.

AP exams

The number of kids who take AP courses or AP exams is increasing.

“The number of kids who continue to get 3s, 4s and 5s, which is defined as passing, have increased. The number of 5s, the kids that are doing the highest level of performance on the AP exam, has beautifully increased over the years,” said Mata.

The assistant superintendent said that this past year, the district had almost 80 percent that passed the exams. “Check any district around, it is really a high quality performance of our kids,” said Mata.

PSSA

“If you look at the 11th grade scores, your stomachs will probably groan ‘aw,’ what is going on here. I can help us understand,” Mata said to the board members and those in attendance.

He said the reason for such low PSSA scores was because of lack of motivation.

Mata talked to some seniors at a student forum and he asked them to tell him about the PSSAs. The 12th graders said that, “AP is important to me, it’s part of what I need to be successful for placement in college. SATs are important to me. PSSA doesn’t do anything for me. It is kind-of an annoyance.”

“They are looking beyond the school walls by 11th grade,” said Mata.

The assistant superintendent said that by looking at the SAT scores and AP scores, the 11th graders are bright.

“They are just not applying themselves to the PSSA,” said Mata.

But when looking at school district’s PSSAs overall, “they are sure and steady.”

“There is a general trend of increasing scores of students until they hit 11th grade,” said Mata.

In other business:

Two of schools in the Exeter Township School District received distinguished honors by the state, said superintendent Beverly Martin. Reiffton School and the Exeter Township Junior High School both received $5,000 for their academic achievements. Last year Reiffton School also won this distinction.

“The state began to recognize certain schools as being distinguished by virtue of performance of a particular group of students or students as a whole on the state test and their improvement from the previous year,” said Martin.

“When looking at the spreadsheet of how many schools won the award, out of 500 school districts in Pennsylvania, I think about 85 of those schools districts, only four of these in Berks County have schools that won those awards and we have two schools,” added Martin.

In the case of the junior high, it was the IEP students who were recognized for their improvement in Reading. They went up approximately from 32 percent to 67 percent being proficient from one year to the next, said Martin

The Hispanic students at Reiffton went up by a similar amount and were recognized for their achievement as well