Liberal in the Land of Conservative

Most area high schools scored near or above the state average in state writing tests.

Results were released this morning for the 2007 Basic Skills Tests and the new Graduation-Required Assessment for Diploma test, which students must pass to graduate.

The state average for the BST writing test for 10th-graders was 92 percent of students passing. In the GRAD test, for ninth-graders, 91 percent of students who took the test passed.

In Upsala and Eden Valley-Watkins secondary schools, every student who took the Basic Skills Test passed. All 10 of the St. Cloud Area Learning Center students who took the GRAD test pass.

St. Cloud Technical and Apollo, the area's largest and most diverse high schools, finished below the state average in both tests, with more than 82 percent passing.

The tests assess how well students' writing demonstrates the skills needed to graduate, and results show schools how students in some specific categories are performing. Those categories include gender, ethnicity, low income, special education and English language learners.

This year, Minnesota tested both ninth- and 10th-graders as the state moves the writing test from grade 10 to grade 9.

The state's 2007 overall passing rate of 92 percent for the 10th-grade writing test was similar to the overall rate from 2006.

The St. Cloud ALC was the only school in the region to have all students who took the GRAD test pass.

"I'm so proud of the work they did on their writing," said Julia Espe, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment.

Most districts topped the state average of 91 percent. Kimball topped 98 percent, with one student out of 60 not passing the test. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa had one student of 64 not pass, coming in at 98.4 percent. Melrose and Sauk Centre hit 97 percent.

In Kimball, two ninth-graders got the highest possible score.

"I think at the secondary level, we've got some instructors that are very good at teaching writing and work with the students very well, giving them good background on how to write," Superintendent John Tritabaugh said. "I attribute a lot to the secondary staff."

Sartell-St. Stephen, Sauk Centre, Rocori, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Sauk Rapids-Rice, Little Falls, Swanville, Becker, Big Lake, Holdingford, Kimball and Melrose all topped the state average.

In the BSTs, Sartell-St. Stephen hit 99 percent, with two out of 209 not passing. Sauk Centre and Becker topped 97 percent. Rocori had more than 96 percent of its students pass.

Apollo had 83 percent pass and Tech had 86 percent pass.

Compared with other area high schools, Tech and Apollo have relatively high ratios of students who don't speak English as a primary language and who are low-income, which studies have shown can be a factor in academic performance.

The ALC, which serves students who have trouble fitting into traditional school settings, had 75 percent of its test-takers pass.

Espe said she is pleased with the results in St. Cloud's high schools. She said plans call for more work and program development for students who are still learning English.

"It is a process we believe where continuous improvement is key. We will do more work. We will be focusing efforts to improve these as we do other scores," Espe said.

Milaca, Foley and Pierz all finished slightly below 90 percent in the BSTs.

The Legislature repealed the state's math and reading basic skills tests in 2005. State graduation requirements are being phased into Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment-II tests in 10th-grade reading and 11th-grade mathematics.

Beginning next year for reading and 2009 for mathematics, selected questions on each test will be included in requirements for student graduation.

*While I will not divulge which of these is my school, I do want to say excellent job!

*Now for the politics of the whole thing! I found it remarkable how quiet the story chat was on this particular story. The naysayers seem quick to point out failure but hard pressed to offer praise for our public schools.