While Gering students enjoyed an extended Thanksgiving break, the GPS staff took some time out of their professional learning on Monday to celebrate district and school academic growth reflected in the Nebraska Department of Education annual "report card."
We understand that the district profile does not capture all of the ways education and support professionals contribute to an individual student's success, but it is a yardstick to reflect the progress we are making at GPS.
We're excited to celebrate this growth with you and share additional details about our improved proficiency rates in each and EVERY school!
How is Progress Measured and Reported?
Student academic progress is measured through the NSCAS assessment tool (Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System) which is administered to students each fall and spring. Students are assessed in the areas of English Language Arts, Math and Science.
This information is then reported to school community and the general public through the AQuESTT tool (Accountability for a Quality Education System, Today and Tomorrow). Our full district snapshot can viewed here.
What Does Growth Look Like in Gering?
Geil Elementary
- ELA - +7%
- Math - +8%
- Science - +9%
Geil is a high-performing elementary with proficiency rates that are consistently among the top 5 in the geographic region.
Lincoln Elementary
- ELA - +9%
- Math - +9%
- Science - +2%
Lincoln marked the highest percentage of growth in math across the three Gering elementary schools.
Northfield Elementary
- ELA - +16%
- Math - +6%
- Science - +9%
Northfield demonstrated remarkable growth in ELA and is among the top 5 in proficiency in the geographic region.
Gering Middle School
- ELA - +12%
- Math - +19%
GMS showed the most proficiency growth (avg 15.5%) across all 5 GPS schools.
Gering High School (ACT)
- ELA - +22%
- Math -+6%
- Science-+6%
GHS marked incredible growth in ELA and increased their average ACT composite score by 1.2 points.
What's Next?
- Celebrate this growth with our students, staff and community! This academic forward momentum should be a source of pride for our Bulldog community. Our students are demonstrating great growth and we know our talented educators are investing in student success in and out of the classroom each day and their commitment shows!
- Continued focus on academic processes, development, training and time. Things like Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and Teacher Clarity for Tier 1 instruction further develop the skill and professional connections for our educators.
- Enhance our culture of academic excellence and continually evaluate meaningful student incentives. Ever wonder if a "pie the principal" event is effective? Just visit an elementary on an incentive celebration day and it is clear! We continue to explore meaningful ways to keep students engaged in academics and want to offer purposeful celebrations for their success!
We are determined to build on this growth and maintain the high expectations for academic excellence at Gering Public Schools.