Mount Ayr schools ‘High Performing’
[The latest Scjool Performance Profiles were released last week by the Iowa Department of Education (DOE), and Mount Ayr Middle/High School and Mount Ayr Elementary both performed above state averages.
The School Performance Profiles assesses how public schools perform on a series of required measures.
This week we will focus on the results for MAC high school students. Next week’s article will detail results for MAC elementary.]
For the first time in the six-year history of the Iowa School Performance Profiles, Mount Ayr Community Middle/High School has attained status as “High Performing,” the second-highest performance designation.
With a composite score of 640.2 out of a possible 900 (71.13 percent), Mount Ayr students outdistanced the state average of 60.95 percent.
In fact, Mount Ayr students performed above state averages in all performance areas measured by the state to arrive at a final score:
MAC StateEnglish/LA proficiency 86.36 72.72
English/LA growth 52.00 50.00
Math proficiency 80.00 69.81
Math growth 52.00 50.00
Science proficiency 68.42 61.55
Chronic absenteeism 17.24 21.63
Attendance growth 4.07 2.18
Graduation rate (4 years) 98.08 87.45
Graduation rate (5 years) 100.00 89.65
College readiness 70.59 68.99
Work-based readiness 64.71 25.47
Since the DOE began reporting school performance in 2018, Mount Ayr High School students had steadily increased their percentages, rising from 52.71 percent in 2018 to 57.87 percent last year. The jump this year to 71.3 percent marks a significant improvement.
“Our staff constantly explores ways to improve everything in our building from test scores to student relationships to student voice/choice and beyond,” said high school principal Josh Vanderflught. “It would be easy to be satisfied with where we are, but our staff keeps evaluating everything we do to ensure we stay on top. The students and staff set a goal my first year to be the top-scoring school in the POI, and we achieved it this year! In 2022 we were 6th in the POI, and now we are number one! We will celebrate this accomplishment with the students soon. They put in a lot of hard work each day to be the best, now we have to stay there!”
Mount Ayr superintendent Jason Shaffer echoed Vanderflught’s remarks.
“We are proud of the results and excited to continue making gains,” he said. “We pride ourselves in making days count and not counting days!”
In an email to the district staff following the release of the profile scores, Shaffer wrote: “This report goes well beyond just the academic progress, it includes attendance which really supports all areas… A clean school, good food, supportive culture, approachable staff, and a great working environment… We are making great strides in all of these areas… Keep up the good work…”
Shaffer also serves as superintendent at the Bedford Community Schools, which boasts the highest performing high school in the area. This year Bedford has joined the Corner Conference and ranks as the highest performing high school there.
For this year, the DOE revamped the scoring matrix for the assessments For example, instead of a 100-point scale, the new assessments use a 900-point scale.
Gone are scores for assessment participation and conditions for learning, which was a subjective survey of students’ opinions of their school climate.
Added this year were assessments of science proficiency and rates of attendance.
The post-secondary readiness indicators were split out between college readiness and work-related readiness.
Performance ratings for area high schools
Listed are performance comparisons for area high schools.
