WHS, PHS Rock State Tests

WAITSBURG - Preliminary scores for the 2011-12 High School Proficiency Exam are in for Waitsburg and Prescott and the students and staff members have a lot to be proud of.

Waitsburg earned 100 percent in meeting both reading and writing standards. Prescott earned 84.6 percent in reading and 100 percent in writing.

The annual proficiency exam measures how much students are learning and serves as the state's exit exam in reading and writing. Students must pass this assessment or a state-approved alternative in reading and writing in order to be eligible to graduate.

The preliminary Dayton school district reading and writing scores have not been released to the public. The scores are currently still in the reconciliation stage, but will be released as pre- liminary on Thursday, said Dayton Superintendent Doug Johnson.

Waitsburg's scores this year are higher than in 2010- 11. According to the state's data, the previous school year showed 86.8 percent of stu- dents were proficient in read- ing in 2011 and 94.7 percent were proficient in writing.

"We believe our excellent test scores and academic awards at the high school level are a reflection of the team effort put forth from our entire district staff beginning at the kindergarten level and throughout elementary, con- tinuing through junior high, and in to the high school," said Waitsburg Secondary Principal Stephanie Wood- erchak.

Prescott dropped a bit in readingin 2012 from 2011. Ninety-five percent of Prescott students were proficient in reading in 2011. But, this year they surpassed the 85.7 percent that were proficient in writing in 2011.