District MAP results were made available last week and we have been busy evaluating our own scores and doing comparisons with other schools in the COC.  Last year, Willard R-II was 4th in Communication Arts in the COC and this year we have moved into 3rd place!  Last year , Willard R-II was 5th in Math in the COC and this year we have moved into 4th place!   A big congratulations for that improvement overall!

 Congratulations also to HS Communication Arts for scoring the highest in the COC!  Grade 3 in both Communication Arts and Math were 2nd in the COC! 

Our composite ACT scores went from 21.9 last year to 22.3 this year.  The state composite for the past two years has been 21.6.  Willard R-II continues to exceed the state composite score and showed a larger increase last year than has been shown for several years. 

A full report of achievement scores will be given at the September board meeting.  Have a great weekend!

Districts teachers in Grades K-5  met this week to update and align the Social Studies curriculum.  With each GLE (grade level expectation) teachers developed an assessment and determined a DOK (depth of knowledge) level.  Lots of hard work was done and the Social Studies curriculum will soon be ready to be added to our district curriculum.

On Wednesday, March 28 Dr. Medlin, Dr. Royal and myself had the honor of going to the Distinction in Performance Banquet held at MSU.  The picture shows Dr. Medlin with Stan Johnson, Assistant Commissioner of School Improvement, DESE; Sybl Slaughter, Member, State Board of Education; and Peter Herschend, President of the State Board of Education.  The award recognized our accreditation of Distinction in Improvement.  This is an honor that goes to each and every administrator, teacher, support person, and community member, that has helped us to raise the quality of education in our district to this level.

I would also like to announce that a committee of teachers and administrators interviewed candidates for the Teaching Specialist for Grades 7-12 yesterday and I am pleased to announce that our recommendation is Carolyn Nixon who is currently a teacher at our middle school.  The Teaching Specialist for K-6, Angela Stevens, has really been an asset to instruction for our teachers.  We look forward to providing that same assistance to Middle School and High School teachers.

Have a great Easter weekend.

 Susan Marcum, Director of Curriculum and Instruction

DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) sent notice this week that since winter weather conditions across many parts of the state resulted in many students missing a substantial number of school days they are going to extend the 2007 MAP testing window by one week. Willard R-II will move all MAP testing back a week.  Math MAP testing will now take place on April 18 and 19.  Communication Arts MAP testing will now take place on April 24-26. 

The Missouri State Board of Education announced this week that they are going to replace the current MAP tests for high school students with end-of-course exams that will be required in all public schools starting in 2008-09.  The board approved a recommendation by the Commissioner of Education to move forward with replacing the current Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests which have been mandatory for high school students (grades 10 and 11) for nearly a decade.  The board gave the go-ahead to develop statewide “final exams” for algebra I, English II and biology.   Grades 3-8 will continue to take the current MAP tests. 

Susan Marcum, Director of Curriculum