RENVILLE -- Renville County West Schools is making plans to address the results of last spring's standardized tests.
The School Board discussed the matter at its meeting Monday night at the district office in Renville.
Some groups of students did not meet state goals on math tests. When those groups do not meet goals, an entire school building or school district can be labeled as not making adequate yearly progress.
At RCW, Hispanic students and students with limited English proficiency did not meet goals at the elementary school. Special education students did not meet goals on math tests at the secondary school.
"We are struggling in math," Superintendent Lance Bagstad said. "We've worked really hard, and we have excellent reading scores in elementary reading."
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The elementary school will adapt its successful reading program to math instruction, Bagstad said. The program adjusts schedules so that each grade studies a subject at a different time of day, allowing the Title I program -- a federal aid program to help students who struggle with reading or math -- and other specialists to concentrate on students in each grade.
The reading program will continue in classrooms with some modifications, while the major emphasis is shifted to math, Bagstad said.
In addition, the district's 21st Century Learning Grant will be used to develop a homework club for struggling students. Other plans include using a computer program designed to help students prepare for the state tests and simulating the stress of the timed tests for students who become anxious.
Enrollment is down a bit from last spring, Bagstad said. As of Monday, the district had 578 students in its buildings, he said.
Some of the enrollment drop is related to some families moving away. The district also has fewer migrant students than in the past. "Some of the families that we've seen for years are not here this year," Bagstad said.
In other business, the board discussed a recent state fire marshal inspection. The inspection called for sprinklers in the school buildings in Renville and Sacred Heart. When state officials were told of the district's ongoing facility study, they agreed to hold off on the sprinkler requirement, pending the outcome of the discussions.
Other maintenance issues, such as fire-rated doors, exit lights and fire lanes outside the buildings, will be addressed, Bagstad said.
