The Iowa Department of Education today released new spring 2023 assessment results from the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress for students in grades 3-11. The overall results show little improvement over last year with significant proficiency gaps between certain groups of students.

“Iowa prioritized keeping schools open and students in the classroom throughout the pandemic, and our students experienced minimal COVID-related learning loss compared to the nation. At the same time, statewide assessment results show that overall student proficiency is not significantly different from last year and concerning achievement gaps persist, especially among students who are English learners, students with disabilities and students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “Together with educators and families, we will work to better serve students most in need of support and to accelerate learning so all students can succeed. This crucial data will guide the Department’s development of targeted solutions to improve student achievement statewide.”

State-level results from the 2022-23 Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) show relatively little to no growth across most grades in English language arts with some grade levels up a percentage point and other grades down a percentage point. Sixth grade results increased the most from last year, going up four percentage points.

Mathematics scores showed some small improvement across all grade levels. Grades 3, 6, 7 and 9 had a three-percentage point increase and grade 4 had a four-percentage point increase in the percent of students scoring proficient or above when compared to last year. Grades 8 and 10 increased five percentage points and grade 5 increased six percentage points. Eleventh grade results increased the most, at 7 percentage points.

The data also show significant proficiency gaps between overall student results and those of certain student subgroups. Students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities and students who are English learners performed much lower than their classmates with differences of 15, 41 and 45 percentage points, respectively.

The ISASP is administered each spring and is the general summative accountability assessment in Iowa that meets the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The assessment reflects what’s being taught in Iowa classrooms and how students are progressing toward grade-level expectations outlined in Iowa’s academic standards. Importantly, the ISASP helps teachers understand where students are succeeding and where they may need more help. Iowa’s state summative assessment participation rate was 99 percent in 2022-23, 98 percent in 2021-22 and 98 percent in 2020-21, ensuring that the results yielded a true picture of student performance.

The spring 2022-23 ISASP results and fact sheet with additional graphs and charts can be found on the Iowa Department of Education website at: https://educateiowa.gov/data-reporting/education-statistics-pk-12#Student_Performance

With the Harvest Day Parade kicking off at 3:30pm today, Mt. Pleasant Courthouse County Offices will be closing at 2:00pm on Wednesday, August 30^th, and will reopen at 8:00am on Thursday.

City offices will be closed Monday, September 4, 2023, in observance of Labor Day. Garbage collection will be one day later that week as well.

The Harvest Day Parade begins at 3:30pm today and will serve to remind residents of the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion. If you are not aware by now, Old Threshers truly encapsulates the brilliance of small-town celebration. Expected to bring in tens of thousands of visitors from all over the country, this 5-day celebration is the perfect opportunity to show others how great our community is. Please be extra careful while behind the wheel, as some visitors are unfamiliar with the streets. Ensure that you are parking in a public parking space or a lawn that is open for parking if you want to stay away from tickets.

KILJ will be on air for the Harvest Day Parade preview show at 3:00pm! We will be getting interviews, speaking with reunion goers, and transporting excitement from the street into your homes through radio.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Department reports the arrest of a Keokuk man on Felony and Misdemeanor charges on Monday August 28^th.

Mathew Wayne Sly, age 30, of Keokuk, is charged with: Enticement of a Minor Under 16 for Sexual Purposes, Class D Felony, and Dissemination of Obscene Material to a Minor, Aggravated Misdemeanor.

The arrest was the result of an investigation where Mathew Sly is alleged to have arranged a meeting with a minor at a local park in Keokuk with the intent to commit a sex act.

Departments involved in the investigation included the Lee County Sheriff’s Department, Des Moines County Sheriff’s Department, the Keokuk Police Department, the Fort Madison Police Department, and the Lee County Attorney’s Office.

The defendant in this case is presumed innocent unless, or until proven guilty.

The Henry County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday against the 1^st Reading of an ordinance to Rezone a Part of SE of SE Section 7 Township from A-1 Agricultural to I-1 Industrial in a 2-1 vote. The first reading did not pass, meaning it is “dead in the water” according to city legislation 380-3. There will be no more readings for this issue.

The public did bring a conversation to the table, with the supervisors allowing that to happen as this was not a public hearing. A concerned citizen believed that it was a “muddied up messy process” and called for the Planning and Zoning commission to have direction. Another citizen, who owns property near the proposed concrete plant, stated that their property taxes will increase, but the value of their house will decrease.

William John, an attorney for Chad Ebling who planned to build a plant in this area, wanted the public to be aware that the Planning and Zoning commission is made up of volunteers, and was quoted as saying “if you have concerns (about Planning and Zoning), volunteer.”

The Board of Supervisors will meet again on Thursday, August 31^st with an update from Sarah Berndt with the CDS.

Derek Mullin announced today that he will be taking out papers to run for the Mt. Pleasant Community School District Board Director District 2 position for a two-year term.  He will begin gathering signatures on August 29th.

Director District 2 encompasses the areas of the school district outside of the city of Mt. Pleasant.  However, all residents of the Mt. Pleasant Community School District vote for the entire slate of candidates.

Mullin is currently serving on the school board and has served since 2021. He has served on the Ag Task Force which started the current Ag Education program and FFA at the high school.  He and his wife, Tina, have three children that attend MPCSD: Caden, a Freshman in High School; Charlize, a 7th grader at the Middle School and Cuyler, a 4th grader at Harlan Elementary.

“As a parent with three children in the district, I have focused on making the best decisions for all students.  I am supportive of our teachers and staff, so that they can give our students the best education.  I also want to ensure that we make strong financial decisions for our district taxpayers.”

“As a former Industrial Technology teacher at the Mt. Pleasant Community High School, I am also committed to helping expand the Career and Technical Education offerings in our District.”

School board elections will be held on Tuesday, November 7th.

With the upcoming Mt. Pleasant Community School Board election on Tuesday, November 7^th, all seats will be available. This is due to the redistricting which now includes 2 seats in district 1 and two in district 2, and 3 at large seats.

Sarah Donnolly has announced her campaign for the School Board, and as a mother of three kids in elementary school in our community, she “understands the importance of education and the value of teachers and staff.” She and her husband own a local small business, and they are “deeply invested” in the community.

There are a few critical issues facing the district that she believes she can tackle. “I’m running for school board to ensure we have a high level of accountability and transparency from administration.”

She is committed to fostering a “thriving environment” for every child in the district and plans to discuss her ability to make an impact over the coming months.