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RENTON
FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015
Most Renton students choose to not ‘opt out’ of state tests BY TRACEY COMPTON tcompton@rentonreporter.com
Testing for the Common Core State Standards is under way in the Renton School District and officials report that so far the number of students that have opted out of taking the tests is low. Students in grades 3 to 8 and 11 are taking the Smarter Balanced Assessments this spring. More than 90 percent of elementary
students took or are scheduled to take the tests, according to Randy Matheson, district spokesperson. “Some high school parents signed refusal forms citing their student’s need to focus on other testing such as Advanced Placement tests, which will be administered soon,” Matheson said, via email. The Renton School District continues to identify parents who signed refusal forms to not allow
their student to test, he said. Principals had conversations with parents about how the assessments would be used by classroom teachers and to ensure they had facts about the state’s Common Core Learning Standards and Smarter Balanced Assessments, prior to providing the refusal forms, Matheson said. Currently, all third-graders have completed the English Language Arts portion of the tests
and all 11th-graders have taken the math portions. In the district, every school has developed their own schedule to meet each building’s needs. Testing will be complete by the end of May. So far, testing in classrooms has been going well, Matheson said. The district was able to detect and rectify computer-related issues in the weeks leading up to the start of testing. That work involved making sure there were the cor-
rect amount of computers, Wi-Fi and routing capacity to allow large numbers of students to simultaneously take the tests online. The district is tracking any software glitches related to the tests, either initiated within the district or from the state’s online testing contractor. The spokesperson said any issues will be reported to the state’s education office. “We will review scheduling of [ more TESTS page 9 ]
Cost of cleaning up donated house tops $25,000 BY BRIAN BECKLEY bbeckley@rentonreporter.com
Dancers of all ages from the Haida Heritage Foundation perform the “Bow & Arrow” song at the school district’s Indian Education Program’s Culture Night at Renton High School, April 30. As the hunters advance, a bear hides behind the two young performers. TRACEY COMPTON, Renton Reporter
Renton celebrates Indian Education Program R
enton High School hosted the Indian Education Program’s Culture Night April 30, complete with songs, dancing, storytelling, information booths and fry bread. The evening was an opportunity for students and families to get in touch with their Native American roots and to meet the new program liaison, Tommy Segundo.
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Segundo is a 2001 graduate of Renton High and the Indian Education Program, which has existed in the district since 1974. The federal program provides supplemental assistance to Native American students through Title VII funding, with one-on-one counseling, home visits, culture nights, college and scholarship application assistance and in-court assistance regarding juvenile issues. The Indian Education Program supports students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade and this year’s popula[ more CELEBRATION page 19 ]
[ more HOUSE page 12 ]
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BY TRACEY COMPTON tcompton@rentonreporter.com
So far the city has spent more than $25,000 cleaning the house that was donated to the city as part of the Kenyon-Dobson property, but city officials are excited that it appears to be in good condition and will not have to be demolished. “If we can save this house … we get a whole interpretive center,” Community Services Department Administrator Terry Higashiyama said Monday during a meeting of the City Council’s Finance Committee. “It’s going to be such a wonderful asset for our community.” But before it can be opened to the public, the house - which became the city’s as part of the gift left to the city in the will of Arthur Kenyon - has to be fully cleaned and the roof will have to be replaced. So far the city has spent about $26,000 in two rounds of cleaning, according to Higashiyama, including the removal of tons of garbage and cleaning and disinfecting of the entire house, as well as the removal of mold. The basement, for example, was apparently filled nearly to the top of the steps