State report card scores are on the rise, curriculum specialists Shelley Beumer and Alicia Sellins told the Hillsboro City Schools Board of Education during its monthly meeting Monday.
After updating the board on what students are required to take what tests currently, the curriculum specialists noted the following highlights for the school district’s 2017-18 report card:
* The performance index increased to 86.7, the highest it has been since the advent of online testing.
* The district achieved report card indicators in fifth grade science, fifth grade English and language arts, and end of course improvement. Fourth grade English and language arts and American government had 79.9 percent proficiency rates.
* The progress grade remained a B, but for the first time the district’s overall population earned an A, an average of two standard errors above expected growth.
* Sixteen assessments are included in the progress score. For nine of the assessments, Hillsboro exceeded growth expectations, and for another three it met growth expectations.
* The Gap-Closing grade increased from a F for the three previous years to a B.
* The K-3 Literacy Grade of B placed Hillsboro in the top 13 percent of Ohio districts.
* The Gifted Performance Index increased to 112.375, the highest it has been since the measure has been on the report card.
* The Hillsboro Early Childhood Center and Hillsboro Intermediate School earned overall grades of A; while the Hillsboro Primary School earned an overall grade of B.
In a separate matter, the board approved the following supplemental contracts: Kordell Ford, elementary wrestling coordinator; Scott Haines, middle school girls basketball; Nathan Hey, high school assistant wrestling; Joe Jacky, high school assistant marching band director; Phil Loudin, middle school boys basketball; Teresa Marion, high school varsity swimming; Amanda Miller, high school assistant girls soccer; Jeff Miller, high school varsity bowling; Ben Pence, middle school wrestling.
All those positions were approved by a 5-0, except for Haines. His position was approved by a 4-0 vote since board member Larry Lyons, Haines’ father-in-law, abstained.
Brett Prince, a former head varsity basketball coach at Hillsboro, was approved as a high school assistant boys varsity basketball coach by a 3-2 vote. Lyons, Tom Milbery and Jerry Walker voted in favor on Prince, while Bill Myers and Beverly Rhoads voted against him.
Ashley Taylor, the student representative to the board, said the student council plans to bring back the tradition of a bonfire before the final home football game of the regular season when Hillsboro will host rival McClain on Oct. 26. The bonfire will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 24, and Taylor said more details would be forthcoming.
“Congratulations to student council for reviving an old tradition, and I like the idea of a pep bus,” Milbery said.
Taylor had earlier noted that the school provided a pep bus for students who wanted to make the long trip to Jackson for last Friday’s football game, which the Indians won in overtime to improve to 7-1 on the season.
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522.
