BURNSVILLE -EAGAN-SAVAGE

Schools noted for high achievementThree schools in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District were among those recognized for their academic achievement under the state's new measurement of school performance, the district announced.

The Multiple Measurements Rating (MMR) shows the proficiency of students in meeting adequate yearly progress targets based on scores from the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) tests. The rating also shows the growth in annual academic achievement of students on the MCAs, the reduction of the achievement gap and the graduation rates for high schools.

The new rankings break down the schools as Reward, Celebration Eligible, Continuous Improvement, Focus, or Priority schools.

Marion W. Savage Elementary in Savage and Gideon Pond Elementary in Burnsville earned designations as Reward Schools (top 15 percent), while Edward Neill Elementary in Burnsville is eligible to apply for a selection process to become a Celebration School (top 25 percent). Only 124 schools across the state were identified as Reward Schools and only 211 were invited to apply for Celebration School status.

Nepsund is interim principal at SavageJeff Nepsund is the interim principal at Marion W. Savage Elementary School for the coming school year.

Nepsund began on Aug. 23, so the school had a leader in place for the weeks leading up to the start of the school year on Sept. 4. His appointment was confirmed on Sept. 6 by the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191 school board.

Nepsund has been a part of District 191 since 1990. He taught at both Harriet Bishop and Hidden Valley elementary schools at nearly all grade levels. He has served as a summer school administrator, an elementary assistant administrator and a professional learning community facilitator, among other jobs.

ROSEMOUNT

Students fare well on ACT testsHigh school students in the Rosemount School District continued to score above state and national average composite scores on the ACT college-entrance exam in 2012, according to data released last month.

The ACT average composite score for Rosemount district students in 2012 was 24.1, an increase of 0.1 over 2011. It is the sixth year in a row that the district average has increased or stayed the same.

The district average is 1.3 points higher than the state average of 22.8, which went down 0.1 compared to last year. Even with the slight drop, the Minnesota average is once again highest in the nation among states where more than half of all graduates took the test.

Among those 27 states, Iowa and Wisconsin tied for second at 22.1. The national ACT average composite score is 21.1, which is the same as last year. ACT scores range from 1 to 36.

HERÓN MÁRQUEZ