By Sam Parsons
The Iowa Department of Education announced new state school performance ratings and federal designations yesterday for the 2023-24 school year. It marked the first time new state school performance ratings and federal designations have been determined using an updated state plan for school accountability and support.
This is the first year of designations and ratings using Iowa’s new accountability system, which includes a streamlined set of core indicators including proficiency results in English language arts, mathematics, and science, student academic growth, chronic absenteeism, graduation rates and postsecondary readiness.
The Oskaloosa Community School District scored above average in the percentage of students to graduate in 4 or 5 years as well as the percentage of students participating in a work-based learning experience while in high school; however, the district also scored slightly below the state average in English language arts and science proficiency, as well as attendance growth. In terms of overall scores, Oskaloosa Elementary and Oskaloosa High School fell under the “Needs Improvement” category, while Oskaloosa Middle School and Oskaloosa Virtual Academy fell under the “Acceptable” category.
The Sigourney Community School District scored above average in most measures, including 4- and 5-year graduation rates; proficiency in math, English language arts, and science; percentage of students earning college credit while in high school; and percentage of students participating in a work-based learning experience while in high school. By overall score, Sigourney Jr-Sr High was rated as “High Performing,” while Sigourney Elementary was rated as “Needs Improvement.”
The North Mahaska Community School District also received above average scores in most areas, including 4- and 5-year graduation rates, proficiency in math, English language arts, and science, percentage of students earning college credit while in high school, and percentage of students participating in a work-based learning experience while in high school. North Mahaska Jr-Sr High School received a “Commendable” overall rating, while North Mahaska Elementary School received an “Acceptable” overall rating.
The Montezuma Community School District received above average scores for proficiency in math, English language arts, and science, but below average marks in 4- and 5-year graduation rates and in the percentage of students either earning college credit or participating in a work-based learning program in high school. However, Montezuma High School, Montezuma Junior High, and Montezuma Elementary all received “Commendable” overall ratings.
Complete school performance profiles for all districts across the state are available online at iaschoolperformance.gov.
