Commitment to student achievement pays off
from the Gronstal Report 12/3/2008
Iowa students are doing better now than five years ago in several academic categories, according to the latest “Condition on Education in Iowa” report.
The annual report looks at our state’s progress in student achievement and other measures of school success.
In reading, Iowa students have made great strides. Iowa’s fourth-, eighth- and 11th-graders have all improved their reading scores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development.
Here are some other highlights from the report:
* Iowa’s public school graduation rate for 2007 was 90.5 percent.
* Iowa's average ACT score in 2008 increased to 22.4.
* The percentage of Iowa school districts offering preschool increased to 76.6 percent last year.
* 80.5 percent of Iowa students enrolled in foreign language courses, 59.4 percent studied chemistry, and 37.1 percent took higher level math.
We are making progress, but there is still much to be done. For example, fourth- and eighth-grade proficiency in math has increased over the last five years, but 11th-grade scores have declined slightly.
To prepare our students for the jobs of tomorrow, we must maintain a world-class education system here in Iowa. I’m proud of the Legislature’s bipartisan record of investing in our schools, and I plan to keep the focus on improving student achievement, increasing teacher quality, reducing class sizes, and making higher education affordable.
To review the full report on the “Condition on Education in Iowa,” go to www.iowa.gov/educate.
Opportunity to teach in Taiwan
Iowa elementary teachers looking to challenge themselves through a cross-cultural experience can now teach in Taiwan for a year, thanks to a new program through the Iowa Department of Education. Participants will work with local Taiwanese teachers to develop curriculum and teach English to elementary students.
For more information and an application, call Brianne Munoz at 515-725-2067, e-mail her at brianne.munoz@iowa.gov, or go to www.iowa.gov/educate and search for “Teaching in Taiwan.”
Iowa students are doing better now than five years ago in several academic categories, according to the latest “Condition on Education in Iowa” report.
The annual report looks at our state’s progress in student achievement and other measures of school success.
In reading, Iowa students have made great strides. Iowa’s fourth-, eighth- and 11th-graders have all improved their reading scores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development.
Here are some other highlights from the report:
* Iowa’s public school graduation rate for 2007 was 90.5 percent.
* Iowa's average ACT score in 2008 increased to 22.4.
* The percentage of Iowa school districts offering preschool increased to 76.6 percent last year.
* 80.5 percent of Iowa students enrolled in foreign language courses, 59.4 percent studied chemistry, and 37.1 percent took higher level math.
We are making progress, but there is still much to be done. For example, fourth- and eighth-grade proficiency in math has increased over the last five years, but 11th-grade scores have declined slightly.
To prepare our students for the jobs of tomorrow, we must maintain a world-class education system here in Iowa. I’m proud of the Legislature’s bipartisan record of investing in our schools, and I plan to keep the focus on improving student achievement, increasing teacher quality, reducing class sizes, and making higher education affordable.
To review the full report on the “Condition on Education in Iowa,” go to www.iowa.gov/educate.
Opportunity to teach in Taiwan
Iowa elementary teachers looking to challenge themselves through a cross-cultural experience can now teach in Taiwan for a year, thanks to a new program through the Iowa Department of Education. Participants will work with local Taiwanese teachers to develop curriculum and teach English to elementary students.
For more information and an application, call Brianne Munoz at 515-725-2067, e-mail her at brianne.munoz@iowa.gov, or go to www.iowa.gov/educate and search for “Teaching in Taiwan.”
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