By Joanna Miller, Staff Writer 

The hypothesis that Minnesota students meet or exceed standards in science was put to the test this spring, and the results are in.

About 184,570 Minnesota students in grades 5, 8 and high school took the first-ever Science Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment – Series II (MCA-II) in 2008.

The conclusion for Prior Lake-Savage Area students was positive – the district topped statewide proficiency levels with 47 percent of fifth-graders, 49 percent of eighth-graders, and 73 percent of 10th-graders meeting or exceeding standards.

By Savage Pacer, Staff Reports

None of the three school districts that draw students from Savage made the grade this year in terms of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) towards the goals set by the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act.

For Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191 this is the fifth year the district has not made AYP. For Prior Lake-Savage Area School District 719 and Shakopee School District 720, the districts have missed AYP four of the five years statistics have been kept.

By Joanna Miller, Correspondent

Prior Lake High School and Twin Oaks Middle School missed the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) goal in the 2008 analysis of school data by the Minnesota Department of Education.

Does your child's school meet the requirements for Adequate Yearly Progress according to federal guidelines established under the No Child Left Behind Act?

Find out how each school, as well as the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage, Prior Lake-Savage and Shakopee school districts, rate when results are released at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday (Aug. 5). Full coverage will appear in the Aug. 9 print edition.

By Joanna Miller, Correspondent

New Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools Superintendent Sue Ann Gruver is a self-described “techie.”

Which is lucky for her family, as her technical skills keeps them networked across the country and the globe.

Gruver and her husband, Jim, have four children, two of whom live with their families in Australia.

Another one of her children lives in Dallas, Texas, and another is closer by, in the Minnetonka area.

By Joanna Miller, Correspondent

Two pictures were painted for the Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board of what the future may hold for SS-9, a protected forest on the grounds of Prior Lake High School on Monday night (July 28).

By Nancy Huddleston, Editor

If you have been wondering what happened regarding a decision about removing or keeping SS-9, a rare woodland up above Prior Lake High School, make some time on Monday, July 28 to find out.

That’s when the Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board will be meeting to hear a presentation from the city of Savage and discuss the fate of SS-9. The workshop begins at 5 p.m. in the large conference room of the District Services Center, 4540 Tower St., S.E., Prior Lake.

Seniors age 55 and older may receive a free activity pass to Prior Lake-Savage Area School events.

The School District will offer passes for the 2008-09 school year. Passes can be picked up at the District Services Center, 4540 Tower St., Prior Lake, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The annual pass admits one senior citizen to any school function, and it includes home sporting events , school plays, and other special events that typically charge admission fees.

By Shawn Hogendorf, Correspondent 

Brian Harms knew he would make his mark in the science field when he graduated as the valedictorian of the 1994 Prior Lake High School class. He just wasn’t sure how.

By Ruth Anne Maddox, Joanna Miller and Keighla Schmidt, Staff Writers 

The ups and downs of education can be seen in state test results on the math and reading Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA-II) for the three school districts that serve Savage. While some students pushed proficiency levels past state averages, some rankings fall below state standards.