10/07/13  Administrators at Plymouth High School are predicting that the school will be named an “A” school by the Indiana Department of Education.   PHS Assistant Principal, Kyle Coffman, made a presentation on the A-F Accountability Report Card to the Plymouth School Board on October 1.

Coffman said the overall school grade is based on four areas including the number of students passing the ECA (End of Course Assessment test) in Algebra I and English 10. Also factoring into the formulas used to determine the grade are the graduation rate and college and career readiness, according to Coffman.

Coffman showed the progress being made by the 2015 cohort (class at PHS that would graduate in 2015). Algebra I is now offered at the LJH (Lincoln Junior High) as well as at PHS. Of the 18 students enrolled in Algebra I in the 7th grade, 18 passed the ECA test. Of the 70 taking the course in 8th grade, 68 or 97 percent passed the test. The combined total reflects approximately one-third of the total enrollment for the 2015 cohort.

Students taking the course at PHS in the 9th grade passed at an approximately 65 percent rate or 118 of the 182 passing. For those taking the class in 10th grade, 37 of 64 passed at this point, 89 percent of the 2015 cohort have passed the test that is a requirement for graduation. The 2014 cohort passed at a 92 percent rate, according to Coffman.

The 2015 cohort has now passed at an 82 percent rate on English 10 testing. Of the 270 taking the test, 221 have already passed. That figure is 5 percent higher than the total of the 2013 cohort.

Coffman said they are projecting an 86.4 percent graduation rate for the 2013 cohort. That would be a 5.7 percent decline from the 2012 cohort.

Coffman said they continue to offer more help for those who still need to pass, such as math labs and tutoring.

Many of the 2013 cohort earned a 3, 4 or 5 on at least one AP (Advanced Placemat) exam and several earned dual credit in at least one course.

Coffman said having students take Algebra I at LJH has enabled them to offer some more advanced classes at PHS.

Carol Anders Correspondent