Area schools score above state averages on many assessments

Nebraska State Accountability (NeSA) statewide assessment results show that in many grades and subject areas Thayer Central, Deshler and Bruning-Davenport schools rank above the state average for the percentage of  students who met or exceeded the standards.

The assessments were administered across the state in the winter and spring of 2013. The state lists an average percentage of all the students who took the assessment and met or exceeded the standards. A percentage is also given for each grade in each district that took the test. Four subject areas are tested including reading, mathematics, science and writing. Not all grades are tested in every subject area.

Some grades at Deshler and Bruning-Davenport are not available, because the state masks data if there are not more than five students in the category to protect the identity of those students.

Reading

The test for reading is given to third through eighth and eleventh grade students. For Thayer Central, all except three grades were above the state average percentage of students who met or exceeded the standards. The fifth grade at Thayer Central did especially well with 95 percent of students meeting or exceeding the standards. The eleventh grade class was close behind with 92 percent of students reaching the same point. For Deshler, test results weren’t available for the fifth grade class. For the remaining grades, all but two grades were above the state average for percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards. Both third and seventh grades had 87 percent of the students meet this mark. Out of the four grades with data available, Bruning-Davenport’s seventh grade class did the best with 74 percent of students meeting or exceeding the standards on their test.

Mathematics

The mathematics test is also given to third through eighth and eleventh grade students. Thayer Central  was above the state average for percentage of students meeting or exceeding the standards in five out of seven of the grades tested. The fourth and fifth grade students had over 90 percent of students above the standard level. With the missing data in the fifth grade at Deshler, two of the grades tested were above the state average of percentage of students that met or exceeded the standards. The third grade class had 93 percent of its students meet or exceed the standards. Bruning-Davenport’s best scores out of the four classes with data was the seventh grade who had 90 percent of students who met or exceeded the standards.

Science

Science tests are given to fifth, eighth and eleventh grade students. In this subject area, Thayer Central was above the state average for percentage of students meeting or exceeding the standards for all grades tested. The fifth grade had all of the students in the class meet or exceed the standards. Deshler schools were missing data for the fifth and eighth grades for the science test. The eleventh grade had 62 percent of the students meeting or exceeding the standards. The fifth, eighth and eleventh graders at Bruning-Davenport all had over 70 percent of their students reach the same mark.

Writing

Fourth, eighth and eleventh graders take the writing test. Once again, all grades at Thayer Central were able to rank above the state average for percentage of students meeting or exceeding the standards. Ninety percent of the eleventh grade class managed to meet or exceed the standards.

For Deshler, the eleventh grade class had 77 percent of the class reach the same point. Seventy-nine percent of eleventh graders at Bruning-Davenport  were also able to meet or exceed the standards.

Individual student results will be given out by the districts soon.