EVSC ILEARN scores suggest link between poverty, student performance

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Results from Indiana's new online assessment suggest a correlation between poverty levels and student performance in Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. schools.

The data from the Indiana Board of Education, released Sept. 4, showed a large disparity between low and high poverty schools and their online assessment scores.

Among the 29 elementary and middle schools in the district administering the statewide exam — when looking at the average scores of schools with fewer students receiving free and reduced lunch versus the average scores at schools where a greater percentage of students required assistance — there was a near 40 percent difference in math and English scores.

"We really need to work to close that gap," Stockwell Elementary principal Tijuanna Tolliver said. "I'm very concerned about that discrepancy."

Stockwell's proficiency rating in English Language Arts (ELA) was 52.6 percent and 58.5 percent in math. The school's free and reduced lunch rate is 75.4 percent. The district average was 45.2 percent for ELA and 44.4 percent for math. District-wide, 58 percent of students qualify for free and reduced lunch.

The top three performing schools all had free and reduced lunch rates under 23 percent, while the three schools with the worst performance had free and reduced lunch rates of at least 90.5 percent.

The average proficiency of the three highest-performing schools — Oak Hill, McCutchanville and Scott — was 71.8 percent in ELA and 64.9 percent in math. Their free and reduced lunch rates were 22.5, 16.5 and 15.7 percent respectively.

The average proficiency of the three lowest-performing schools — Glenwood, Cedar Hall and Lodge — was 33.2 percent in ELA and 21.4 percent in math. Their free and reduced lunch rates were 91.5, 94.4 and 90.5 percent.

But the direct cause of the disparity isn't clear, Tolliver said. It may come from experiences students from low poverty schools face that stunt their academic growth, she said. As a result, teachers are often working harder to meet their needs.

"Our teachers meet them where they are, and they build up on that," Tolliver said. "I just think we have a not-give-up mentality. We're going to keep pushing; we want to see kids succeed."

Though EVSC superintendent David Smith acknowledges the disparity, he said it's "disheartening" when analysts strictly focus on test scores and blame teachers. Instead, he said, they should take into account how "diverse" EVSC schools and students are compared to others in the region. 

The district is filled with students with varying learning abilities and barriers, something the EVSC has continuously embraced, Smith said. There's an extended list of schools that need more time and direction to develop their students, a challenge he and other administrators in the EVSC have worked to accommodate. 

"We want, as much as we possibly can, to provide more equitable education so you can't predict a student's test scores based on their zip code," Smith said. "We feel blessed to serve those that are needy and have barriers. We don't turn them away."

To resolve the disparity between low and high poverty schools, EVSC spokesman Jason Woebkenberg said other metrics should be considered when addressing students' achievement and needs.

"A test like ILEARN is one data point," Woebkenberg said. "That's why other data points and metrics are beneficial, especially with students of high poverty backgrounds, because we can really dig in and monitor their progress throughout the year. Then from that, we can make adjustments and provide additional support."

In addition to establishing more data points to measure students' academic advancement, Smith said the district has worked to add more educational programs and after school activities as a source for students' support and development.

These strides, Smith said, will continue to encourage the district's growth and shorten the academic disparity among high poverty level schools. 

"I think four or five years down the road, you might see EVSC continue to make huge strides," Smith said. "We continue to advance our understanding of what we need to do to educate kids and continue to see that gap close."

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