WINDSOR – The elementary schools in Bertie County outperformed the academic achievement targets set for them last year.

Aulander Elementary School, Colerain Elementary School, West Bertie Elementary School and Windsor Elementary School each had test score composites that surpassed the 60 percent mark.

Tuesday night, Bertie County Schools Testing Coordinator Eva White reported the test scores to members of the Bertie County Board of Education and the public.

She began by explaining the test scores from a year ago. Those scores indicated that while all of the elementary schools had more than a 50 percent composite, , none of them reached the 60 percent threshold.

White then provided the good news for the district: improvement in the composite scores of each of the four elementary schools.

Colerain Elementary

Leading the way among the elementary schools was Colerain Elementary where the composite score jumped 12.2 percentage points to 65.6 percent.

At the third grade level, Colerain saw reading scores increase from 47.2 percent in 2008-09 to 53.2 percent last year. Reading scored grew dramatically in the fourth grade for the school, reaching 79.1 percent proficient students compared to just 42.3 percent last year.

In fifth grade reading, Colerain saw roughly a five percent gain as they increased from 50.9 percent to 56 percent.

In mathematics, Colerain made significant gains in the fourth grade where scores increased from 61.5 percent proficient to 95.3 percent. In fifth grade, scores increased from 64.2 percent in mathematics to 66 percent. Third grade math dipped slightly from 69.8 percent to 69.4 percent.

Fifth graders are also tested in science and in that area, Colerain increased from 37.7 percent to 50 percent.

In certain areas, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction predicts testing scores based on the last two years of performance. Last year, the Bertie County Board of Education set a target goal that would drop the amount of non-proficient students by 20 percent from those predicted targets.

Colerain had predictions and targets for grades four and five in both reading and math.

In grade four reading, the state projected 46 percent, while the school district set a target of 57 percent. The students, however, outperformed both by reaching 79.1 percent.

In mathematics, the fourth grade at Colerain surpassed both the predicted (48 percent) and targeted (58) goals away by scoring 95.3 percent.

The fifth grade reading score of 56 percent also was higher than the predicted (30) and targeted (58) goals. Fifth grade math showed the same results by scoring 66 percent which exceeded the predicted score of 46 percent and the targeted score of 57 percent.

West Bertie Elementary School

The second-highest overall composite score came from West Bertie where students scored at a 62.6 percent clip.

In third grade, the school exceeded scores from 2008-09 in both reading and math. Reading scores improved from 45.9 percent to 46.1 while math scores jumped to 71.1 percent, up from 60.7.

Grade four, again both scores were higher at West Bertie. Reading scores increased from 54.1 percent to 64.9 percent while math scores jumped all the way to 87.7 percent from 67.2 percent.

In grade five, West Bertie saw an increase in all three tested areas.

Reading scores increased from 43.1 percent to 60.3 percent while math scores edged up from 69.2 to 71.4 percent. Science scores saw dramatic improvement as West Bertie climbed from 24.6 percent proficient to 54 percent.

Just as with Colerain, West Bertie scores exceeded both the predicted and targeted scores set in grades four and five.

In fourth grade reading, scores were predicted at 36 percent and the school board set a target of 49 percent. West Bertie students, however, scored 64.9 percent proficient on the end of grade test.

Fourth grade math scores followed the same pattern with a result of 87.7 percent, easily surpassing both the predicted (43) and targeted (54) scores.

In fifth grade reading, West Bertie had a predicted goal of 43 and target of 54 but scored at a 60.3 percent clip. Fifth grade math was the same as the students scored proficient at a 71.4 percent mark compared to a predicted score of 43 percent and a targeted mark of 54 percent.

Aulander Elementary School

Aulander Elementary School’s overall testing composite inched up 1.9 percent to 60.9 for the 2009-10 academic year.

At the third grade level, Aulander saw an improvement in math scores (from 60.7 to 64 percent), but saw a dip in reading scores. Those scores dropped from 67.9 percent to 48 percent.

Fourth grade saw increases in both math and reading scores. Math scores rose from 72.2 to 76.5 percent while reading scores jumped to 64.7 percent, up from 47.2.

In fifth grade, reading scores at Aulander remained unchanged at 50 percent. Math scores dipped from 89.3 percent in 2008-09 to 79.4 percent last year. Science scores, however, increased dramatically from 25 percent to 56 percent.

Both fourth and fifth grade scores from Aulander students, however, exceeded the score predicted by the state department while two of them also surpassed local targets.

In grade four reading, students scored 64.7 percent proficient which was higher than the 62 percent prediction, but came in under the target of 69 percent. The same was true of fourth grade math where students scored 76.5 percent, above the 76 percent predicted, but below the 81 percent target.

In fifth grade reading, students easily surpassed both the predicted (30 percent) and targeted (44) with a score of 50 percent. Math scores came in at 79.4 percent proficient which was easily above both the predicted score of 63 percent and the target of 71 percent.

Windsor Elementary School

Despite having the lowest composite score (60.3 percent), Windsor did have a significant increase in that number, jumping 9.1 percent from 2008-09.

Grade three scores saw Windsor Elementary lose ground slightly in both reading and math.

Reading scores dipped from 54.4 to 50 percent and math scores dropped from 83.8 to 71.8 percent.

Fourth grade students, however, had a successful year with scores increasing in both subject areas.

Reading scores increased more than 10 percent from 41.3 to 54.4. Math scores gained even more, moving from 58.7 percent to 83.8.

In the fifth grade area, Windsor Elementary saw increases in reading and science, but a decrease in math.

Reading scores increased from 47.9 percent to 48.5 percent proficient. Science scores also rose, moving from 22.5 percent to 45.6.

Math scores, however, dipped from 76.1 percent to 69.1.

Windsor students exceeded the state’s prediction in all four categories and scored higher than the target in three areas.

In fourth grade reading, students scored 54.4 percent proficient which was higher than the predicted score (52 percent) but lower than the target (61).

Fourth grade math scores were predicted at 64 percent with a target of 72, but students scored proficient at an 83.8 percent level.

In grade five reading, students scored 48.5 percent, which was higher than both the predicted (30) and the target (44). The same was true in fifth grade math where students scored 69.1 percent proficient, which was higher than the predicted score of 45 percent and the target of 56 percent.

Next: an in-depth look at middle school scores.