The Arapahoe School is seeing continued improvements

Credit Alan Rogers / Casper Star-TribuneFourth-grader Alex Behan, right, raises his hand to answer a question during a reading exercise Thursday in Connie Vincent's class at Arapahoe School.Edit | Remove

After the Arapahoe School on the Wind River Reservation saw an uptick in math and reading scores in the state PAWS results this summer, the school has continued to see improvements.

This fall, the school met No Child Left Behind’s requirement for Annual Yearly Progress, and now frequent local assessments are showing steady improvement in math and reading.

From August to November, kindergarten through fifth grade saw an increase of at least 33-percent of students reaching proficient reading levels. A different test shows that second through eighth graders have improved in math as well, with at least 45-percent of students in each class exceeding expected growth between August and October.

Fremont School District 38 Superintendent Jonathan Braack says when he took the helm in January, the Arapahoe School had been using several incompatible curricula. Braack says aligning the curriculum has made a difference.

“I attribute it directly to the curriculum and the programs being taught with fidelity, and they’re being taught the same way from classroom to classroom and grade to grade.”

Braack says teachers are now encouraged to collaborate on how to approach lessons so students can continue building math and reading proficiency from grade to grade.