14 I The Lovell Chronicle I November 18, 2010 www.LovellChronicle.com
BY BRAD DEVEREAUX
PAWS data is finally
available to school districts
and the general public af-
ter Wyoming Dept. of Edu-
cation delays kept everyone
waiting longer than usual
for results of the statewide
assessment.
"I'm knee-deep in data
right now," Curriculum Di-
rector Patrice Riley told
members of the Big Horn
County School District No.
1 Board or Trustees at their
meeting Thursday, Nov. 11,
in Cowley. She said she was
still working on organizing
the data and would make it
available to the board in the
coming days.
PAWS writing testing
in 2011 will be done with
pencil and paper instead
of on computer word pro-
cessors, Riley said, which
should add another degree
of change when looking at
comparative data from year
to year. Riley said students
aren't used to crafting their
responses with pencil and
paper, and noted that some
kids could be marked down
for bad handwriting, even
though their entries are
supposed to be judged solely
on content.
Riley noted that Burl-
ington and Rocky Mountain
students were fairly con-
sistent with PAWS scores,
though in some cases two
different populations of stu-
dents were being tested,
which was a factor.
"We had some problems,
but we didn't have as many
problems as other districts,"
said technology director
Mick Esquival. "Did it affect
the scores? I don't know."
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For complete PAWS data
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Riley said the district
performed well compared to
the state, though districts
across Wyoming are unsure
what will come of the test-
ing scores.
"We're all kind of left
scratching our heads about
what to do with PAWS data
this year, and if it is valid,"
Riley said.
LOVELL SCHOOLS
Big Horn County School
District No. 2 Curiculum
Director Nancy Cerroni re-
ported to the school board
Monday, Nov. 8, about re-
sults of PAWS testing com-
pleted last spring. Despite
numerous bugs with elec-
tronic testing on the state
level, Lovell students did
well on the tests and "beat
the state" in nearly every
testing category.
"Almost every phase of
PAWS was difficult," Cer-
roni said, pointing to tech-
nical glitches like students
being booted from the test-
ing server after trying to log
in. Students sometimes had
to return to
regular class-
room instruc-
tion and try to
take the test
again later.
"When I got
the results I felt
a huge sense
of accomplish-
ment for our
district because
our kids did really well,"
Cerroni said. Students from
every district in Wyoming
were tested in the areas of
reading, writing, math and
science for the annual state-
assessment PAWS tests.
Dillon also pointed out
large growth in individu-
al grade levels, as groups
of students made the jump
from one grade to the next.
Test scores for writing
this year were "phenom-
enal," Cerroni said, which
was not the same message
the district was getting a
few years ago. She point-
ed out that 100 percent of
eighth-graders were profi-
cient or advanced in writ-
ing.
Cerroni said the dis-
trict has implemented a lot
of good changes to writing
instruction, but also point-
ed out that the cut-off score
to determine which catego-
ries students fall into was
changed since last year, and
also the writing grading ru-
bric was changed.
Fair
for mana
BY STEVA DOOLEY
In an executive Session
during its regular meeting
Monday, Nov. 9, the Big Horn
County Fair Board reviewed
the applications received for
the fairgrounds manager po-
sition. They then voted to in-
terview six candidates. They
also voted to keep the posi-
tion open at this time.
"We still have some
time," said Alfred Anderson,
chairman of the board, dur-
ing a later interview. "We
are looking for a very spe-
cial person. We are needing
someone that is very adapt-
able and has a wide range of
capabilities."
Extension Educator Dal-
len Smith asked the board
how the plans for the new
pavillion were coming along.
Board member Willie Bridg-
es reported that the plan-
ning grant was turned down.
Miteh Shelhamer expressed
the need to get the plan mov-
ing forward and Bridges and
the rest of the board agreed.
"We need to have a plan
of action," Bridges said, "a
plan of how to get the funds
started, and a plan of how
we are going to proceed with
construction. We can stage
it to be just a covered arena
first and then enclose it lat-
er."
They all agreed that
probably the best option is
to try and obtain corporate
ule interviews
oLpOsltlon still open
es and charge more for those
Vangi Hackney reported spots," said Bridges. "At any
on how neighboring counties
handle their livestock su-
perintendents. Her findings
showed that both Park and
Washakie counties do not
pay their superintendents.
They do either give meal
tickets or free gate admis-
sion, but she said Fremont
County does pay their super-
intendents. Anderson said
that by offering a stipend a
higher quality of superin-
tendent might be obtained.
Bridges said Big Horn Coun-
ty already has a very high
quality group of superinten-
dents.
"We have high qual-
ity superintendents now,"
Bridges said. "We do need to
show them some apprecia-
tion -- maybe a gift of some
kind. In business I know that
a jacket with their name em-
broidered on it can foster as
much loyalty as a cash bo-
nus."
Shelhamer suggested
they look into some gift ideas
such as jackets or chairs.
SUGGESTIONS
In continuing the dis-
• cussion of Myriah Sylves-
ter's suggestions that began
last month the camping area
and camping fees were ad-
dressed.
"It would be nice to put
in water, sewer and electric
to at least some of the spac-
rate we should be charging
more for even the regular
spots."
Hackney reported that
at the last fair there was no
real way to control who had
paid and who had not. Bridg-
es suggested a higher camp-
ing fee and that all camping
money would go into an ac-
count for the maintenance of
the camping area.
Anderson agreed,• say-
ing, "There is no doubt that
we are going to have to raise
our rates. This is something
we need to revisit in a couple
of months."
In other business the
board discussed:
• The sale committee
report. The sale will be on
Friday evening again next
•year.
• The shortage of pens
for hogs and' sheep. Karen
Sylvester and Matty Moody
will count the pens and re-
port back.
• The peewee sheep
show. Last year it was
opened to other livestock, in-
cluding pigs. The board said
it will be limited to sheep
and goats.
• The posting of liability
signs.
• Personnel, accepting
the resignation of Len Sher-
win as floriculture superin-
tendent.
TheWPH Women's Health Pavilion i
