Cedar Rapids students returning to pre-pandemic learning levels

CEDAR RAPIDS — Cedar Rapids students are showing a return to pre-pandemic learning levels on the Iowa School Report Card, with three schools categorized as “high performing” — the second highest rating schools can achieve.

Historically underserved groups of students also are also showing improvement, with Black students, students learning English as a second language and students with Individualized Education Plans (special education) increasing by 5 or more percentage points in math proficiency and 2 percentage points in English and language arts.

Also, the students in Cedar Rapids schools’ learning English as a second language also outperformed their peers in the state by 8 percentage points.

There are six categories in Iowa school performance ratings. Highest to lowest, the categories are exceptional, high performing, commendable, acceptable, needs improvement, and priority.

Schools are scored based on state assessment tests, academic achievement, student growth, progress in achieving English Language Learning proficiency, conditions for learning survey — which gathers information about how students feel about the culture and climate of their school — graduation rate, and how prepared students are for life after high school.

Three schools — Harding Middle School and Maple Grove and Viola Gibson elementaries — were categorized as “high performing” on the Iowa School Performance Profile, an annual report card that reflects how each public school performed on a set of core accountability measures, such as proficiency, growth, school climate and graduation rate.

Viola Gibson was the highest-scoring school in the district, with more than 80 percent of students demonstrating “remarkable proficiency” in English language arts and math, with a proficiency level of either “advanced” or “proficient.”

About 19 percent of the students enrolled at Viola Gibson are economically disadvantaged compared to two of the lowest performing elementary schools in the district — Cleveland Elementary School (65 percent) and Cedar River Academy (85 percent), which were both listed as “priority” schools.

The Cedar Rapids Virtual Academy and Metro High School — the district’s alternative high school — also were listed as “priority” schools.

Improvements

Seventy-five percent of the district’s schools have improved their scores from last year.

Jefferson High School and Wright and Grant Wood elementary schools raised their performance ratings by two steps. Jefferson has moved up from a “priority” rating to “acceptable,” and Wright and Grant Wood improved from “needs improvement” to “commendable.”

Both Kennedy and Washington high schools have “acceptable” performance ratings.

The district’s four-year graduation rate rose to 80.3 percent.

This is a “significant milestone,” and the district has made “remarkable progress” on the report card, according to a news release from the district. Elementary and middle schools’ math proficiency rates have returned to pre-pandemic levels, with English language arts only a few percentage points away.

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Even so, the proficiency rate of students in English language arts is about 63 percent, below the state average of 70.8 percent. Students’ proficiency in math is at 53 percent, also below the stage average of 65 percent. The district’s goal in English and language arts and math is reaching 80 percent proficiency by 2027.

“The academic achievement growth within (Cedar Rapids schools) is a true testament to the dedication and hard work of our students, teachers and staff,” Superintendent Tawana Grover said in a news release Thursday.

“There is always room for improvement. We are confident that our top focus areas to advance academics — guaranteed and viable curriculum, college and career readiness and safe and secure learning environments — will continue to drive our success.”

The district is exploring new English language arts curriculum for third through fifth grade and is in the process of implementing a new K-8 math curriculum, which “has already yielded positive outcomes,” Grover said.

The district uses the results “to help guide our work, so that our district remains a place where every student can succeed and reach their full potential,” according to a news release from the district.

Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com

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