West Central Confident ISTEP Scores Will Improve

West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon

The three West Central school principals addressed the school board about the ISTEP scores and Superintendent Charles Mellon indicated that they are confident new strategies will turn around those scores.

“We’re presently analyzing our data that has come back to us so we can see different trends that are taking place,” said Mellon. “We’ll get that information together before we give off-the-cuff answers for our lower scores this year. We will be addressing the board each month this year as to our progress in working our way back to more positive scores next year.”

Mellon explains that the ISTEP test is important for the whole school corporation.

“If you have so many years where you’re not showing improvement and you’re below state average, then the state comes in and you become a ‘turn-around school.’ The state comes in and kinda tells you this is what you need to be doing so it kinda takes away some of your own flexibility, although I’m sure that working with the state they are going to suggest that we continue to do some of the things we’re doing,” Mellon explained.

He said that the corporation and the board members are pretty disappointed with the low ISTEP scores, but improvements will be made.

“We’re certainly disappointed,” Mellon expressed. “We’ve always been above state average. Just a few years ago we were an exemplary school because we were above state average. We showed a high percent of growth. Hopefully, we can get back to that very quickly.”