PICKENS COUNTY—The School District of Pickens County released the results of the PASS assessment tests from the 2009-2010 school year, emphasizing gains in four of the five subjects tested for grades three and eight.

But Alex Saitta, a trustee on the district’s board, felt that the release made too much of an effort to react positively to test score that were disappointing overall.

“This is one of the most misleading press releases coming out of the curriculum and communications departments I think I have ever seen,” Saitta said. “They just cherry-picked one third of the data which was positive and ignored most of the results which were quite negative.”

The district’s release noted that state and federal laws require end-of-the-year accountability tests for graded three through eight that are based on state academic standards. PASS results include scores in five subject areas: writing, English language arts (reading and research), mathematics, science and social studies.

Each PASS assessment has three scoring levels: Exemplary, meaning that the student demonstrated exemplary performance in meeting the grade level standard; Met, meaning the student met the grade-level standard; and Not Met, meaning the student did not meet the grade-level standard.

The release noted that in 22 of the 30 grade-subject combinations, district percentages scoring exemplary increased.

However Saitta noted that the percentage of students not meeting standards increased in 19 of the 30 categories.

“It was also misleading how the district only touted the improvement in the third and eighth grades, and ignored the performance of the other four grades,” Saitta said. “In fact, in 2010, results were down in fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh grades. For example, in the fifth grade, the percentage of students testing at or above grade level fell in all five subjects. Ditto for the sixth grade. In the fourth grade, results got worse in four of five subjects. In the seventh grade, the percentage of students testing at or above grade level fell in three of five subjects.

“It is shameful how they chose not to tell the public all this.”

Brenda Turner, assistant superintendent of instructional services, said that having the test results before the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year should help teachers as the work to improve scores for next year.

“For the first time ever, our teachers will begin the year with our PASS data,” Turner said. “This will be a great advantage in the planning process. We are eager to celebrate where we have areas of strength and develop plans to address our areas of need. Our focus remains on instruction and success for our students.’

Saitta called upon SCPC Superintendent Dr. Henry Hunt to make major changes.

“While Dr. Hunt is doing a good job overall, he has two major problems that he needs to address,” Saitta said. “When Dr (Lee) D’Andrea took over in 2006, she replaced the leadership in the curriculum department and a new direction was taken. After beefing up staff and spending loads of money on new initiatives, it is clear they are not working. The test scores that measure system-wide performance and graduation rates have gotten worse.

“Second, the communications department doesn’t communicate with the public, but rater promotes itself, electing to broadcast the good news and usually stifles the bad news. This is another of a long list of examples.