COLUMBIA - Field Elementary School didn't improve its Missouri Assessment Program test scores for the second straight year, so it became the first Columbia school put on a statewide list.
Wayland said a new program is raising reading and writing test scores at Field.
"The kids get 90 minutes of core reading instruction, and it's very structured and sequential and research-based, and it builds on previous taught skills," she explained.
Part of Field's plan, called "intervention," puts students, based on their reading level, in reading groups where they receive special attention from a teacher for 45 minutes, four times a week.
Field administrators said higher test scores prove the program works.
"Our African-American population went from 0 in the 'proficient' and 'advanced' category to almost 23% and that's over one year's time," noted Principal Carol Garman, who said only one parent so far has approached her about transferring their child to another school.
If Field Elementary fails to improve its MAP test scores for two more years, it could face more state sanctions, including a longer school day or a longer school year.
Share on Newsvine
