Kokomo's TZ schools kickoff another school year

Jul. 28—Though the calendar has yet to turn to August, students at three Kokomo schools headed back to class Thursday morning.

Bon Air Elementary and Middle schools along with Pettit Park Elementary officially kicked off the 2022-23 school year. It's the fifth year that the three schools — which comprise Kokomo School Corporation's transformation zone — have started earlier than the rest of the district.

Once flagged for low accountability grades, the neighborhood schools start this school year with another data point that suggests what teachers are doing is working — ILEARN scores.

Results of the standardized test for third through eighth graders were released earlier this month.

Less than 19% of students at the Bon Air Middle School scored proficient or better on the English/language arts portion of ILEARN in 2021. This year, more than 24% of students passed.

There were similar year-over-year improvements in math. Proficiency climbed to 13.5% after 9% of students passed the exam last year.

"We were expecting to grow and were super excited when the scores came in," said Amanda Landrum, principal at Bon Air Middle School. "The systems we have here are doing exactly what we expected them to do."

Those systems include assessments throughout the year that track student progress. These tests show where a student excels and where they need improvement. It helps teachers in real time address student needs.

The uptick in test scores is consistent with statewide results, which also saw an increase in proficiency in English and math. Passing rates are still behind what they were prior to the pandemic.

Landrum said a focus for this year will be further fine tuning the intervention system to meet kids' academic needs.

"When something's working, you don't stop," she said.

The transformation zone is a multi-year improvement plan for the three schools.

This is the fifth year of the transformation zone configuration. It's also the final year of earlier start times. Next year, all Kokomo schools will start on the same day.

However, the extended school days at Bon Air and Pettit schools will remain. It's become a staple at the schools and has been paramount in helping students, according to school officials.

Superintendent Mike Sargent was at Bon Air Thursday morning to cheer on students as they arrived for their first day. He reiterated Landrum's sentiments that the strategies at the transformation zone schools are working.

"All the credit goes back to the teachers," he said.

Teacher buy-in is considered to be an important piece in the ongoing turnaround at the transformation zone schools.

Collaboration is how teachers refine their methods and figure out what works. Sargent said it's a lot of the reason students are improving academically.

"It's everyone together, moving toward the same goal," he said.

Landrum said the investment from teachers has rubbed off on students, who take ownership in their learning.

While the ILEARN results are positive, the standardized test remains one data point among many.

Sargent said what he's looking more forward to are student growth scores, which will come out later this year. These scores go beyond measuring proficiency and will show where and how students improved and what work remains.

It will give a clearer picture of student progress and in turn show teachers what areas they need to focus a little more on.

"Join the party" a couple women holding "welcome back" signs said as the first students stepped off the bus Thursday morning.

A cheering section of Kokomo schools staff and members of Second Missionary Baptist Church lined the sidewalk leading up to the school. The church held a school supply drive for the three schools earlier this week.

"It feels like, finally, after two years, it feels a little more normal," Sargent said. "Doesn't feel as uncertain."

Spencer Durham can be reached at 765-454-8598, by email at spencer.durham@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter at @Durham_KT.