Friday, July 30, 1999
Fairfield happy with scores on advanced exams
BY SUE KIESEWETTER
Enquirer Contributor
FAIRFIELD — Slightly more than three-fourths of the students at Fairfield Senior High School who took national tests for college credit in May passed them.
And several of the students scored a four or five on a five-point grading scale.
“These tests are accepted as a measure of a school's progress,” said Maurice Godsey, president of the Fairfield Board of Education. "We've done quite well. This is a great achievement we can be proud of.”
Seventy-five juniors and seniors took a total of 123 tests, according to information provided by high school principal Monica Mitter. Students achieved some of their top scores in higher-level math courses.
For example, all 15 students who took the calculus test passed, Mrs. Mitter said. Five of those scored a five and six students scored a four.
All 10 of the juniors who took the biology test passed with four scoring a five. On the English exam, 90 percent of the 29 students taking the test passed. Of those, seven scored a five and eight scored four.
Fairfield's 1999 valedictorian, Ashley Baker, was the first student in Fairfield's history to earn a four on the portfolio she submitted to earn college art credit.
Mrs. Mitter said she was particularly pleased to see the good scores because it is another confirmation that changing from a traditional six period day to block scheduling two years ago is helping students achieve at higher levels.
""The first year of the block we saw a marked improvement,” Mrs. Mitter said. ""Students are taking more tests. They're more confident of their abilities. This year, a number of students tested out of a full year of college calculus.”
In studying the scores Mrs. Mitter said analysis showed it didn't matter if students took advanced placement courses first semester or second semester — near the time the college credit tests were given. Scores were comparable.
""It didn't make a difference,” Mrs. Mitter said. ""They just learned the material. I think taking just three or four classes instead of six or seven gives students a better opportunity to focus in on the subject matter.”
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