Photo by Douglass Huxley Director of Curriculum and Instruction Ashlee Beatty gives the Wood County Board of Education the results of the West Virginia General Summative Assessment. The WVGSA is for students in grades 3-8 and is an online summative test given toward the end of the school year to measure student performance on the state’s content standards.

PARKERSBURG – Concerns over the SAT test being used as a state assessment were voiced by Wood County Board of Education members during their regular meeting Tuesday night.

“We’re forcing 100% of our students, whether they’re special ed or vo tech path already oriented, that we’re forcing them all down a college readiness test,” Boardmember Rick Olcott said. “And that’s something maybe we need to be talking with the West Virginia Department of Education about … because I don’t like it personally. I don’t think it’s right.”

All West Virginia high school juniors began taking the SAT as the statewide summative assessment in spring 2018.

“It is a part of our accountability system. The state has chosen it to be our general summative assessment for grade 11 kids,” Cathy Grewe, coordinator of student services, said.

She said the 2023-2024 SAT school day results showed the district’s mean score was 931, 31 points above the state average and close to the national average. However, Grewe also addressed challenges with the SAT’s use as the state’s 11th grade accountability assessment. She said while 52% of students met the college readiness benchmark in reading and writing, only 17% did so in math – 10 percentage points below the national average.

“When you look at things in perspective, 27% for the whole country in math, whereas there was 53% in the country for reading language arts. That tells us that the math issue is not a state issue, it’s a country issue,” Grewe said.

She said another key issue is the 95% student participation rate required by the state. Parkersburg South and Williamstown High Schools achieved 94% and 93% participation respectively, but Parkersburg High School only reached 88% – though still higher than the prior year.

“We’re getting there,” Grewe said about reaching the 95% participation.

“We just have to understand the nature of the test and how, because it’s not just our college ready students, it’s all students.”

Board President Justin Raber asked Superintendent Christie Willis to make getting to that 95% participation rate a priority.

“We are aware of this and it is being addressed,” Willis said.

Olcott said what he would like to see if the test is being compartmentalized.

That way the district, and the board, could see the separate results for special education students, students who have chosen a vocational, technical or military path, and those that are truly college preparatory.

“Because right now, when you throw everyone into the same pool, I think it distorts the data and doesn’t help our school system the right way and help us to know where we can help them,” Olcott said.

Willis said the results from the SAT scores were used for the overall West Virginia General Summative Assessment (WVSA) of the county and Directors of Curriculum and Instruction, Ashlee Beatty and Candace Lewis, gave the board the results of assessment.

Beatty and Lewis said multiple schools ranked in the top 10% statewide. Those schools were recognized during the meeting. A full list can be found in the online version of this story.

“This is a true testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, students, families, and the entire community,” Beatty said. “Everyone involved has played a role in this remarkable accomplishment.”

In English Language Arts, Beatty said the district’s elementary students shone, with third graders scoring 8% higher than the state, fourth graders 18% higher, and fifth graders 14% higher. Middle school students also exceeded state proficiency levels.

In mathematics, Lewis said Wood County bested the state at every grade level, with fourth graders scoring nearly 20% more proficient than the state average. The district also saw growth in math proficiency, particularly among last year’s eighth graders who improved by over 4% from sixth to eighth grade.

Lewis said last year an i-Ready Classroom Mathematics pilot was implemented into math classes across the county.

“The students that participated in the pilot were 49% proficient (in math). The students that did not were 31% proficient,” Lewis said. “In seventh grade, the students that participated in the pilot were 51% proficient, and the students that were not were 37.2% proficient. And in eighth grade, the students in the pilot were 48% proficient, and the students not in the pilot were 32.2% proficient.”

The district plans to build on the momentum of the pilot, with continued professional development and embedded coaching support for teachers as they implement iReady in all K-8 math classrooms.

“Our teachers worked hard to make the pilot a success, and we’re excited to see the impact iReady will have across the district,” added Lewis. “This is just the beginning of what we know will be a transformative math initiative for Wood County students.”

Blennerhassett Middle School’s Broadcasting Program was recognized for winning the top honor in the WV Manufacturing Association’s Explore the New Manufacturing Student Video Contest.

Out of 23 middle schools across the state, Blennerhassett Middle School took home the award for Best Overall and Best Manufacturing Message.

“These kids did an amazing job,” Christina Haney, Middle School Coordinator for Explore the New Manufacturing, said. “They were up against 22 other teams, and we want to thank you guys for participating.”

The winning video, titled “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing,” provided an inside look at the potato chip production facility, Mr. Bee. The video highlighted the technology, teamwork, and quality that make Mr. Bee Potato Chips a successful West Virginia manufacturer.

“They were very well prepared, and I think they did an excellent job, and I appreciate them coming into the plant and taking the time and picking us,” Rob Graham, Mr. Bee general manager, said.

The next meeting of the board of education is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 24. The meeting will be held at the board offices at Plum and 13th streets in Parkersburg. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed online.

Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.com

Blennerhassett Middle School’s Broadcasting Program competed in the WV Manufacturing Association/Explore the New Manufacturing Student Video Contest at the regional and state levels. They finished as follows:

* 1st Place out of six Middle Schools in the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional for Best Overall Video/Best Manufacturing Message

* 1st Place out of six Middle Schools in the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Viewer’s Choice Award

At the State Competition they finished as follows:

* 1st Place out of 23 Middle Schools for the West Virginia Best Overall/Best Manufacturing Message (the top honor given each year)

Blennerhassett Middle School Team:

* Alice Abbott

* Jude Barre

* Lillian Bryant

* Hayla Delancey

* Jalyn Eddy

* Karissa Epperly

* Ihla Freshour

* Jayden Kelley

* Caysen Litton

* Evan Mace

* Paisley Maone

* Madison May

* Raylen Reeder

* Izabella Robinson

* Payton Sellers

* Julia Sharpe

* Alexis Siders

* Alexandra Smith

* Sophia Williams

* Easton Wolfe

Education leader:

* Holmes Marty

Mister Bee Potato Chips Company Support Team:

* Rob Graham

* Machael Rolston

* Cassidie Sayger

WCS FY2024 retirees:

Professional:

* David Alfred

* Kathleen Allen

* Robbin Alton

* Scott Ash

* Donald Brown

* Richard Dobson

* Lynette Graeber

* Donna Haer

* Pamela Hornbeck

* Diana Huxley

* Ronda Lemon

* Tena Martin

* Tammy McKnight

* Donald Reeves

* Yvonne Santin

* David Snider

* Joseph D. Stephens

* Rebecca Tanner

* Dawn Urchasko

Service Personnel:

* Connie Carpenter

* Sharon Battin

* John Carpenter

* Joyce Cunningham

* Tony Daggett

* Janet Francis

* Liesa Gates

* Tammy Hupp

* Jeffrey Kelley

* Brenda Mummert

* Troy Owens

* Linda Province

* Ronald Rinehart

* Deirdre Sall

* Carl Sizemore

* Sandra K. Snyder

* Victor Keith Tennant

* Cheryl West

* April Whited

* Amy Young

Schools scoring in the top 10% of West Virginia Schools – General Summative Assessment Reading Proficiency:

* Greenmont Elementary School

* Gihon Elementary School

* Criss Elementary School

* Lubeck Elementary School

* Williamstown Elementary School

* Neale Elementary School

* Blennerhassett Elementary School

Schools scoring in the top 10% of West Virginia Schools – General Summative Assessment Mathematics Proficiency:

* Greenmont Elementary School

* Lubeck Elementary School

* Gihon Elementary School

* Criss Elementary School

* Kanawha Elementary School

* Neale Elementary School

* Williamstown Elementary School

Schools scoring in the top 10% of West Virginia Schools – General Summative Assessment Science Proficiency:

* Greenmont Elementary School

* Criss Elementary School

* Kanawha Elementary School

* Madison Elementary School

* Neale Elementary School

* Blennerhassett Elementary School

* Gihon Elementary School

Items approved during the consent agenda:

* Major improvement project to the School Building Authority for a bus loop at Greenmont Elementary.

* Grae Con BMS Secure Entrance Change Order 4 at no cost to extend the substantial completion date due to material delivery delays.

* Gihon Elementary Secure Entrance Change Order 4 at no cost to extend the substantial completion date due to material delivery delays.

* WES ADA Playground Pay App 1 in the amount of $119,500.

* WES ADA Playground Substantial Completion.

* MOU with Williamstown Police Department to provide a Prevention Resource Officer during the 2024-2025 academic year for Williamstown Middle High School at a cost of $13,500.

* MOU with Parkersburg Police Department to provide a School Resource Officer during the 2024-2025 academic year for the secondary schools located within city limits at a cost of $20,000 per school; schools include Parkersburg High School, Parkersburg South High School, Edison Middle School, Hamilton Middle School and VanDevender Middle School.

* MOU with Vienna Police Department to provide a Prevention Resource Officer during the FY2024-2025 academic year for Jackson Middle School at a cost of $13,500.

* MOU between Wood County Schools and the M3T Project related to Sara Klesel’s participation as an M3T Fellow August 2024 through July 2025.

* A contract with Matheny Motors for the purchase of three Driver Ed Vehicles at $31,000.00 for a total of $93,000.

* The contract with TriState for the PSHS Plaza Deck Repairs in the amount of $7,800.

* A contract between WCS and PepsiCo for the PHS Athletic Department beverage bid for athletic concessions.

* A contract with TriState for Gihon HVAC in the amount of $138,650.

* AFL-CIO Appalachian Head Start contract for collaborative Pre-K Services which includes sharing of costs for classrooms for the 2024-2025 school year.

* Mineral Wells Football Lease Agreement.

* Mineral Wells Baseball and Softball Lease Agreement.

* Articles of Agreement between Wood County Schools and Grand Canyon University for student teaching placements.

* The lease of WMHS Soccer Field with Lewis D. Huggins and Sharon Huggins for property to be used by the tenant (WCS) as an athletic field and for other purposes consistent with athletic fields including but not limited to the sales of concessions, dressing facilities, and placement of bleachers with rent to be due from the tenant to the landlord the cost of $1.