Earlier this fall, the Iowa Department of Education released ratings showing that Perry Elementary School qualified as a high-performing school. The scores came from the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP), a standardized test that is federally required.
The ISAP assesses student knowledge in the core subjects of literature, reading, math and science.
After two years of learning amid the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, Iowa had fewer high-ranking schools, but Perry elementary saw increased student achievement. Perry Community School District Superintendent Clark Wicks announced the data at the November meeting of the Perry School Board.
“Kudos to Perry Elementary staff and our students and our community for that tremendous growth that they have made,” Wicks said. “We’ve gone from a ‘target school,’ and now we’re at a ‘high-performing school.’ I know it was difficult for everyone, but kudos to our staff, families and especially to our great students.”
School board President Linda Andorf shared Wocks’ enthusiasm and recognized the staff members who helped lead the student to high achievement scores.
“Congratulations to all of the staff at Perry Elementary on receiving a ‘high-performing’ school recognition,” Andorf said. “It takes all staff working together to promote academic and personal growth. Thank you for all you do for our students.”
The school board also learned that ISASP recognized the Perry High School and Perry Middle School as “commendable,” meaning their assessment scores are in the top half of all the schools in the state.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant negative impact on student learning nationwide, with test scores dropping to the lowest levels in decades. Across the country, math scores saw the biggest drops ever recorded. Not one U.S. state recorded an increase in mathematics scores during the pandemic, which upended every facet of Americans’ lives, including education, but thanks to the efforts of educators, Perry schools persevered.
