Few schools make grade
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on February 6, 2015 1:46 PM
The latest version of the state's school report cards was announced Thursday, and results for Wayne County Public Schools were less than stellar -- two A's, one B, 12 C's, nine D's and five F's.
The district's two A's went to its newest schools, Wayne Early/Middle College High and Wayne School of Engineering, with the district's largest school, Charles B. Aycock High, earning the only B. Those meriting a C included Eastern Wayne High, Grantham, Greenwood Middle, Meadow Lane Elementary, Northeast Elementary, Northwest Elementary, Norwayne Middle, Rosewood elementary, middle and high schools, and Spring Creek elementary and high schools.
D's were doled out to Carver Elementary, Eastern Wayne elementary and middle, Fremont, Goldsboro High, Mount Olive Middle, North Drive Elementary, Southern Wayne and Tommy's Road Elementary. Schools receiving an F were Brogden middle and primary, Carver Heights Elementary, Dillard Middle and School Street Elementary.
The state Board of Education released the School Performance Grades, calculated using data from the 2013-2014 READY Accountability results from this past September. The grading system was based 80 percent on the individual school's achievement score and 20 percent on students' academic growth.
Elementary and middle schools' scores are determined solely by test scores, including end-of-grade math and reading tests at the grades 3-8 level, end-of-grade science tests for grades 5 and 6, and where applicable, end-of-course tests in Math I.
The high school achievement score is determined by student performance on Math I, English II and Biology end-of-course tests. Other variables include the percentage of students scoring 17 or above on the ACT, the percentage achieving a silver certificate or better on the ACT WorkKeys test, the percentage successfully completing Math III and the school's four-year cohort graduation rate.
The School Performance Grade measure was established by the General Assembly, introduced for the first time for the 2013-14 school year.
In 2014, the General Assembly passed another law directing that the first set of letter grades be reported in January 2015.
The state Department of Public Instruction, or DPI, is responsible for calculating and reporting grades. DPI redesigned the school report cards, suggesting it allowed for easier school-by-school comparisons.
In addition to letters sent home to parents on their child's school scores, the findings can be accessed on the DPI website, www.ncpublicschools.org/src
The highly anticipated A-F School Performance Grade program has evoked much discussion since the proposal was announced.
Local school officials remained optimistic Thursday afternoon, saying they are hopeful that state legislators will revisit the formula and place more value on student growth.
"The state currently uses student growth as one evaluative measure of teacher and principal effectiveness," said Dr. David Lewis, assistant superintendent for accountability/information technology services/transportation. "By placing a greater emphasis on student growth, School Performance Grades would better align the expectations set for schools with those already set for educators within the schools."
Academic growth has been touted by the State Superintendent Dr. June Atkinson as the "most important indicator of a school's impact on students' learning."
A student's academic growth is calculated using his achievement scores from the end-of-grade test.
"Each day, our job is to receive students where they are and move them forward," Lewis said. "Academic growth measures our ability to do just that.
"This year, roughly two-thirds of our schools, 19 of 29, met or exceeded state growth expectations, compared with just half of schools (15 of 29) the year before. Our district also saw improved high school graduation rates and continued success no the ACT WorkKeys assessments."
Lewis agreed there is still much work to be done to advance students in areas of growth and achievement, maintaining that there is solid evidence to suggest that the district is moving in the right direction.
While the report card grades are bound to evoke concern from parents, officials encourage them to educate themselves on the subject -- by talking with teachers and principals -- to better understand where the school stands in comparison to others in the district and around the state.
District officials also pointed out that the School Performance Grade does not pertain to every area of a school, with many program areas not included at all. Career and technical education, or CTE, assessments, for example, are not part of the latest calculation. State-mandated reading assessments in grades K-2 are also excluded from this model.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Sandra McCullen said the school system has long emphasized the importance of teaching the whole child, recognizing the need for strong programs in not only the core academic areas but also the arts and CTE. Unfortunately, though, some of those programs are not factored into the report card grades.
She said administrators are committed to effectively meet the more rigorous standards adopted by the state.
"Our schools work diligently to personalize education for all students, utilizing a wide range of teaching techniques and lesson adaptations in the classroom that build upon each student's identified strengths while addressing their weaknesses," she said. "By doing this, we can ensure that our students are better able to make the academic growth that is expected of them each year."
She added that district principals had also been afforded other data indicators by the state that could be used to assess strengths and weaknesses in the school settings.
"Since this past summer, schools have been using the accountability data to develop and implement targeted strategies as part of their School Improvement Plans," she said. "In addition, the district administration has been working diligently to ensure schools have the necessary supports to help students improve both in growth and proficiency."