LINN —  At the May 15 Osage County R-2 Board of Education meeting, Elementary School Principal Cammie Higgenbotham discussed the data from iReady.

“(We’re) still not quite where we want to be,” Higgenbotham said. “But over the course of this year we’ve shown tremendous growth, so I’ve included both where we were at as a building at the beginning and at the end of the year cycle, as well as for each individual grade level.”

Higgenbotham said many students met their stretch goal (a more ambitious goal than their standard goal) and were honored at the elementary awards ceremony for that.

READING

Overall data for the whole school showed the 2024-2025 school year beginning with 24 students mid or above grade level, 46 students early on grade level, 117 students one grade level below, 49 students two grade levels below, and 20 students three or more grade levels below.

At the end of the year, there were 96 students mid or above-grade level, 67 students early on grade level, 61 students one grade level below, 27 students two grade levels below, and 15 students three or more grade levels below.

Kindergarten began the year with no students mid or above grade level and only seven ranked early on grade level, but ended the year with 15 mid or above and 15 early on. They began the year with 30 students one grade level below, but ended the year with only six one grade level below. No students were ranked two or more grade levels below at the beginning or end of the year.

First grade began the year with three students mid or above grade level, four students early on grade level, 25 one grade level below, and three two grade levels below. They ended the year with 14 students mid or above, seven early on, 12 one grade level below, and two students two grade levels below.

Second grade began the year with five students mid or above grade level, three students early on grade level, 21 one grade level below, and 19 two grade levels below. They ended the year with 16 students mid or above, 13 early on, 12 one grade level below, and 10 two grade levels below.

Third grade began the year with five students mid or above grade level, 19 students early on grade level, nine students one grade level below, nine students two grade levels below, and four student three or more grade levels below. They ended the year with 23 students mid or above, 15 students early on grade level, four students one grade level below, six students two grade levels below, and one student three or more grade levels below.

Fourth grade began the year with seven students mid or above grade level, four students early on grade level, 24 one grade level below, four students two grade levels below, and eight student three or more grade levels below. They ended the year with 18 students mid or above, seven students early on grade level, 15 one grade level below, two students two grade levels below, and seven students three or more grade levels below.

Fifth grade began the year with four students mid or above grade level, nine students early on grade level, eight students one grade level below, 14 two grade levels below, and eight students three or more grade levels below. They ended the year with 10 students mid or above, 10 early on grade level, 11 one grade level below, seven students two grade levels below, and six student three or more grade levels below.

“As you’ll see in iReady,” Higgenbotham said. “Reading’s a little bit higher overall for us, as ability, than math, and that’s to be expected as we’ve really been working on reading thas past couple of years.”

MATH

Overall data for the whole school showed the school year beginning with 11 students mid or above grade level, 28 students early on grade level, 150 students one grade level below, 52 students two grade levels below, and 15 students three or more grade levels below.

At the end of the year, there were 73 students mid or above grade level, 64 students early on grade level, 97 students one grade level below, 21 students two grade levels below, and 10 students three or more grade levels below.

Kindergarten began the year with four students mid or above grade level and seven ranked early on grade level, but ended the year with 20 mid or above and seven students early on. They began the year with 26 students one grade level below, but ended the year with only nine one grade level below. No students were ranked two or more grade levels below at the beginning or end of the year.

First grade began the year with one student mid or above grade level, six students early on grade level, 23 one grade level below, and five two grade levels below. They ended the year with 11 students mid or above, six early on, 16 one grade level below, and two students two grade levels below.

Second grade began the year with one student mid or above grade level, one student early on grade level, 30 one grade level below, and 16 two grade levels below. They ended the year with 12 students mid or above, 12 early on, 20 one grade level below, and seven students two grade levels below.

Third grade began the year with no students mid or above grade level, seven students early on grade level, 25 one grade level below, 11 students two grade levels below, and three students three or more grade levels below. They ended the year with 12 students mid or above, 10 early on grade level, 22 one grade level below, four students two grade levels below, and one student three or more grade levels below.

Fourth grade began the year with three students mid or above grade level, four students early on grade level, 30 one grade level below, five students two grade levels below, and five students three or more grade levels below. They ended the year with 11 students mid or above, 15 early on grade level, 15 one grade level below, four students two grade levels below, and four students three or more grade levels below.

Fifth grade began the year with two students mid or above grade level, three students early on grade level, 16 students one grade level below, 15 two grade levels below, and seven students three or more grade levels below. They ended the year with seven students mid or above, 14 early on grade level, 14 one grade level below, four students two grade levels below, and five student three or more grade levels below.

“It is important to note that while we still have students below grade level, we are seeing growth and see them move up a level,” Higgenbotham said. “Over the course of this year, we have seen tremendous growth.”

Higgenbotham told the board the elementary school plans to adopt Eureka Math2, a comprehensive math curriculum designed for PreK through Algebra 1, to help with student achievement in math. She said it will help foster common vocabulary and shared language, as well.

They also intend to implement badge books, which Higgenbotham learned about at an administrative conference.

“Essentially, students are trying to each a badge, or a sticker,” Higgenbotham said. “And to do that, for each standard they would have to three dates of mastery for each check box.”

She said the school district she learned it from focused on the top five standards in reading and math for the badge books.

“Just a way to really get our students owning their data, tracking their data, and also giving them specific ways of how they can show mastery in different ways,” she said. “Because there are a lot of parts to each standard, so breaking it down for them and giving them more achievable chunks at a time, I think, could really help. And then, it also gives them, exactly laid out for them, for the whole year, what they need to be working on.”

Higgenbotham went on to say the kids really enjoy iReady and are excited to tell her how many levels they’ve moved up, and that teachers have done a great job instilling love of learning in them.

“Thank you to all of our teachers because they have really, really owned the data this year and really made changes to progress us in a positive way,” Higgenbotham concluded. ”So, I’m very thankful for all their hard work and dedication to our kids.”