14 more Wichita Schools fall short of State Test Targets

Reposted from the Wichita Eagle
By: Lori Yount

The number of Wichita schools meeting both math and reading test targets dropped by 14 this year to 46, according to data released today by the Kansas State Department of Education.

This means Wichita schools, the state's largest district, lost some gains it boasted last year when 13 more of the district's then-84 schools met both math and reading goals than in 2007.

Statewide, the number of schools achieving targets dropped slightly in 2009, from 90 percent last year to 87.6 percent this year.

State educators said each year it's more difficult for schools to meet goals because the percentage of students who need to pass math and reading tests increases.

"The good news is that Kansas schools are achieving their goals in reading and mathematics even though these same goals have increased substantially over last year," Kansas Commissioner of Education Alexa Posny said in a written statement.

Schools in other area districts continued to not meet targets this year after first doing so last year. But some high schools that didn't reach goals last year — Campus High School in Haysville and Maize High School — did meet them this year, according to state data.