Schools' grades show little change
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on September 2, 2016 1:46 PM
Wayne County Public Schools' report card remained consistent with last year's outcomes, with the graduation rate dipping slightly and more students earning certifications in such areas as career and technical concentrations.
The Performance and Growth of North Carolina Public Schools report was released Thursday after being approved by the State Board of Education.
"Everything was very steady," said Dr. David Lewis, assistant superintendent for technology, accountability and testing. "We didn't have anything that jumped out at us that was alarming or unexpected.
"Basically what I'm seeing as I sift through the data, I'm seeing that where the state saw improvements, so did we. Where the state had some little speed bumps, so did we."
The state adopted the READY school accountability model four years ago, replacing the ABCs model that had been in place since the mid-1990s. READY uses more rigorous standards and tests, officials said, designed to better determine how prepared students are for college or the workforce.
School Performance Grades, as required by state legislation, base 80 percent on the school's achievement score and 20 percent on students' academic growth. Elementary and middle schools' scores are based only on test scores, which include end-of-grade reading and math, tests in grades 3-8, and end-of-grade science tests given in grades five and eight, and in some cases, end-of-grade tests in Math 1.
The high school achievement score is derived from student performance on Math I, English II and biology end-of-course tests, and the percentage of students scoring 17 or above on the ACT test, the UNC system's minimum composite score required. Other criteria includes the percentage of students who earn a silver certificate or better on the ACT WorkKeys, those who complete Math III, and factor in the school's four-year cohort graduation rate.
The report essentially provides a "snapshot" of the school district, officials said, including the following:
*The district's four-year Cohort Graduation Rate is 83.8 percent, a 1.3 percent drop from 85.1 percent last year. It is the second highest rate produced by WCPS. The state's graduation rate came in at 85.8 percent, or .4 percent higher than the previous year.
*Twenty-three of the district's 32 schools, or 71.9 percent, met or exceeded expected growth, up from 24 schools in 2015.
*Based on a 15-point scale, and using an A-F grading scale, the following school performance letter grades were handed down: one A (85-100), two B's (70-84), 13 C's (55-69), 13 D's (40-54) and two F's (less than 40). Last year the breakdown was one A's, two B's, 13 C's, nine D's and four F's.
*More than 95 percent of WCPS graduates earned math course rigor by successfully completing a Math III course, the same as the previous year.
*Of 11th grade students who took the ACT course, 49.8 percent earned at least a 17, slightly below the 51.3 percent the year before.
*85.5 percent of students in career and technical education concentration programs earned a silver certificate or higher on the ACT WorkKeys assessments, up from 83.3 percent last year. The state rate was at 73.5 percent. WCPS is ranked 8th out of 115 school districts across the state.
*Twenty schools, or 60.6 percent, increased their percentage of students performing at the College and Career Ready level, up from 19 schools the previous year.
Academic Growth is a valuable indicator of the school's impact on students learning, Lewis said. It is calculated using achievement scores from the end-of-grade tests. While a single test score reflects performance for a single event, academic growth charts performance over multiple points in time.
"The whole concept of growth is that the kids make a year's worth of progress for a year in school," he said. "Schools kind of bounce back and forth on that list. It's not unusual for a school to come off that list and then go back on."
The school-level accountability results had seven schools exceeding growth, 16 meeting growth and nine that did not meet growth.
Those exceeding growth were Grantham Elementary, Greenwood Middle, Mount Olive Middle, Norwayne Middle, Spring Creek middle and high schools, and Wayne Early/Middle College High.
Schools which met growth were Brogden Middle and Primary, Carver Elementary, Carver Heights Elementary, Eastern Wayne Elementary and Middle schools, Fremont STARS Elementary, Meadow Lane Elementary, North Drive Elementary, Northwest Elementary, Rosewood Elementary and high schools, School Street Elementary, Spring Creek Elementary, Tommy's Road Elementary and Wayne School of Engineering.
Those not making growth included Charles B. Aycock High, Dillard Middle, Eastern Wayne High, Goldsboro High, Grantham Middle, Northeast Elementary, Rosewood Middle, Southern Wayne High and Wayne Academy.
A breakdown of the school performance score had Wayne Early/Middle College earning the sole "A" in the county. B's went to Grantham Elementary and Wayne School of Engineering.
Receiving C's were CBA, Eastern Wayne High, Fremont, Greenwood, Meadow Lane, Northeast, Northwest, Norwayne, Rosewood Elementary and High Schools, Spring Creek High and Middle schools and Tommy's Road. Schools receiving D's were Brogden Middle and Primary, Carver, Eastern Wayne Elementary and Middle, Goldsboro High, Grantham Middle, Mount Olive Middle, North Drive, Rosewood Middle, School Street, Southern Wayne High and Spring Creek Elementary.
The two F's were at Carver Heights and Dillard.
One letter grade, though, does not capture everything that is happening at a school, officials said, encouraging parents to speak with principals and teachers to look at all of the measures which determine how the school fares in comparison to others in the district and across the state.
To read the latest report, visit www.ncpublicschools.org.