Fewer Fort Wayne Community Schools students passed the ISTEP+ test this year, with a significant drop in third- and fourth-grade math.

“In general, we're down a (percentage) point or two in most grade levels,” said John Kline, FWCS director of school improvement, adding nearly 190 third-graders and another 200 fourth-graders failed the math section.

Specific school data are set to be released today from the state, but Kline said of the seven tested grades in the three subject areas - English/language arts, math and science - the district saw only two sections improve, including students at Blackhawk Middle School, who reportedly did exceptionally well this year and will be spotlighted at FWCS' news conference today announcing the districtwide ISTEP+ results.

The Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus standardized test measures how well students in Grades 3-8 and 10 know the material taught in their classes. Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act and Public Law 221, a state accountability law, schools face penalties if their performance fails to meet standards.

Kline was especially concerned with the unusual drop in third- and fourth-grades districtwide. Last year, 67 percent of the third-graders and 74 percent of the fourth-graders passed the math section of the test, which was an increase for the fourth-graders from 2006. This year, only 59 percent of third-graders and 65 percent of fourth-graders passed.

“There's got to be a reason. We're still looking,” Kline said, citing perhaps a harder test this year or tougher vocabulary used.

“We're going to look at this and make it better,” Kline added.

The school-by-school results were expected to be released at 10 a.m. today.