ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, August 7, 1996 TAG: 9608070030
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
THE ROANOKE elementary school won $5,000 as the most improved in the city.
Wasena Elementary School received a $5,000 award Tuesday for meeting Superintendent Wayne Harris' goals for improving student test scores, attendance and physical fitness.
Wasena, which has an enrollment of 265 in Southwest Roanoke, was the only school that reached the goal in every category that was applicable to it, Harris said.
Principal Roger Magerkurth said the school's teachers deserve much of the credit for Wasena's improvement in all categories during the past year.
"When we received the goals, we accepted them and we spent zero time in rationalizing why we couldn't meet them," Magerkurth said. "We worked from a positive viewpoint that we could do it."
Wasena recorded a 38 percent increase in the number of fourth-graders scoring above the 50th percentile on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Harris' goal was 4 percent.
Wasena had a 14 percent increase in the number of pupils missing 10 days or fewer. The goal was 10 percent.
The number of fifth-graders at Wasena passing the Literacy Passport Predictor Test increased by 21 percent - five times more than the 4 percent goal.
Wasena also showed a 23 percent increase in the number of children passing all four parts of the state-mandated fitness test. The goal was 7 percent.
Magerkurth said the teachers worked on improving the children's fitness as well as their studies.
"On the second day of the school year, the teachers had them doing pull-ups," he said. "I was blessed to work with a good staff and competitive-minded teachers."
Magerkurth said the money probably will be used to buy bulletin boards or other equipment for the school.
Harris' annual goals are part of a three-year plan, announced a year ago, to improve test scores and attendance. He said then he would give $5,000 to any school meeting all goals.
He gave a $1,000 award to the school showing the most improvement in each category. In those categories where Wasena had the largest gain, Harris gave the check to the second-place finisher.
Hurt Park Elementary showed the greatest improvement in attendance and received $1,000. It had a 15 percent increase in the number of pupils missing 10 or fewer days.
Highland Park Learning Center got $1,000 for the second-largest increase behind Wasena in fourth-graders scoring above the 50th percentile on the Iowa test.
Morningside Elementary placed second in improvement in the Literacy Passport Predictor Test and received $1,000. Again, Wasena was first.
Breckinridge Middle School was awarded $1,000 for showing the biggest increase in sixth-graders passing the Literacy Passport Test. Madison Middle was second.
Forest Park Elementary School placed second in the number of pupils passing all four parts of the fitness test and received $1,000. Wasena was first.
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