Southwest Journal : stories

News

Schools notebook

By Dylan Thomas

MPS science students score below average

Results from the state’s first-ever standardized science assessment showed Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) performance lagging behind the state average.

At every grade level tested — 5th grade, 8th grade and high school — Minneapolis students as a whole performed below state averages.

Unlike the state’s standardized reading and math tests, however, the new science test does not have any impact on school status under the federal No Child Left Behind law. The math and science test results, released several weeks earlier, showed Minneapolis students lagging in those areas, as well.

More than 180,000 students took the inaugural Science MCA-II. Statewide, about 39 percent of 5th graders, 38 percent of 8th graders and 43 percent of high school students scored “proficient” or better on the test, the Minnesota Department of Education reported.

In MPS schools, about 23 percent of 5th graders, 20 percent of 8th graders and 24 percent of high school students demonstrated the same level of science proficiency.

MPS Chief Academic Officer Bernadeia Johnson said, on average, the district’s white students out-performed students statewide on the science assessment, while students of color, English-language learners and students eligible for free- and reduced-price lunch — an indicator of low-income status — fell short.

There were some exceptions to that trend. As an example, Johnson pointed out that African American students at several Southwest-area schools scored better than their peers statewide.

In 5th grade, African American students at Jefferson and Armatage community school scored several points higher than their peers around the state. The same could be said for 8th-graders at Lake Harriet Upper School and Anthony Middle School, as well as high school students at South and Southwest.

Johnson shared several concerns about the new test, which was administered on a computer and included interactive experiments. Students performed the experiments and then answered questions about the results.

“It calls for a little more technical savvy than most tests,” she said, noting that while most students are comfortable with computers, some have less experience than others.

Johnson said there were “limited accommodations” for English-language learners, who make up a larger portion of the MPS population than they do in most districts. Students with limited English skills may not have fully understood scenarios read in English, she said.

Johnson added that some students are exposed to science concepts through visits to science museums and other experiences that their lower-income peers may not share.

“I think there are a couple of things that we need to consider when we look at the data,”
she said.

Still, she acknowledged science education across the district may have “suffered” in recent years because of the emphasis placed on reading and math, a consequence of No Child Left Behind. Schools that do not show yearly improvement in reading and math face escalating consequences under the law.

District administrators anticipate the new science test may also be used to measure school progress under No Child Left Behind someday. The Minnesota Department of Education devised a set of science education standards in 2003 and is currently revising those standards.

Some Southwest schools appear ready to face tougher science standards. Lake Harriet Upper School, Burroughs and Armatage community schools, Barton Open School and Kenwood Performing Arts Magnet all posted student scores well above the state average.

MPS to request proposals for new headquarters

District leaders planned to issue a request for proposals for a new MPS headquarters in September as they weighed their options for moving to a new space.

Chief of Operations Steve Liss presented a timeline for the process that set a Nov. 18 deadline for all proposals. District administrators planned to narrow the list of proposals in January and bring the best to the school board in February, Liss said.

Plans to either remodel the current district headquarters at 807 Broadway Ave. NE, redevelop another district property or move the headquarters to a new location had been openly discussed for several months before Liss presented the request for proposals process at the Aug. 26 school board meeting. The current headquarters, a former factory building known simply as “807,” is widely considered to be substandard, energy inefficient office space by those who work there.

The ongoing administrative office space study aims to find the most cost-efficient space for district operations. CB Richard Ellis Consulting and RSP Architects were hired to carry out the study.

Liss discussed the possibility of pursuing LEED certification for the new headquarters. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a nationally recognized set of standards for environmentally friendly construction.

District leaders are not just looking to energy efficiency for cost savings. They want a headquarters with more and bigger conference rooms to reduce the need to rent group meeting spaces. They also are seeking a centralized location in the city, generally south of Broadway Avenue and north of Lake Street.