  |
|
The Voice of
Business, Industry & the Professions Since 1942 |
|
|
|
|
Student Test Scores Rise 9.1 Percent
It was the third year the State Board of Education (SBE) has released school-by-school performance results of all elementary schools and the second round of year-end test results from high school students. The number of schools recognized as Schools of Excellence, where 90 percent or more of students tested at or above grade level, rose from 24 in 1997-98 to 50 in 1998-99. Schools of Distinction — 80 percent or better resting at or above grade level — increased from 290 to 408. Results showed that 1,167 or 58.4 percent of elementary schools exceeded expected student achievement growth/gain. Overall, 81.2 percent of the schools met or surpassed expected academic achievement standards. In 1997-98, 83.9 percent of the K-8 schools and 83 percent of high schools did that well. For K-12 schools, 22.9 percent or 457 schools made expected growth/gain in 1998-99. Another 354 schools received no recognition. The number of low-performing schools dropped from 30 to 13, 6 of which are charter schools. Gov. Jim Hunt said “I am so proud of the teachers and students here in North Carolina. For the third straight year, they have continued to rise to the challenge. Although there is still much work to be done, I am confident we are well on our way to being `First in America in Education.'” State Superintendent Mike Ward said. “teachers and principals have been under a lot of pressure to continue the academic improvements of the past few years. Results such as these make the effort worthwhile. I believe that as the new Student Accountability Standards are fully implemented, the pace of improvement will be even more rapid.” School performance in The ABCs model is reported in a number of ways for K-12 schools: expected growth/gain in student achievement, exemplary growth/gain for schools that exceed expected growth/gain by an amount specified by the SBE, and no recognition for schools with more than 50 percent of their students at Achievement Level III but who do not achieve expected growth/gain. State Board of Education Chairman Phil Kirk said “the ABCs and Excellent Schools Act have provided a solid foundation for continued student achievement. Nationally, the state is recognized as only one of two states having all the components for a complete accountability system. The key to continued success is to maintain our momentum, focus, and bipartisan support in the General Assembly. It definitely is an exciting time for North Carolina public schools; we're on the right track to excellence.” Teachers and other certified personnel at schools that meet expected growth/gain will receive $750 bonuses, $375 for teacher assistants. At exemplary growth/gain schools, the bonuses are $1,500 for teachers and other certified personnel; $500 for teacher assistants. That adds up to $117 million in bonuses. This year, 13 schools were identified as low performing, meaning test results there showed less than 50 percent of students performing at Achievement Level III and didn't achieve expected growth/gain. Last year, assistance teams of 3-5 educators each worked in 11 low-performing schools helping staff align the school's instructional program with the Standard Course of Study, modeling and demonstrating effective instructional practices, coaching and mentoring teachers, evaluating staff, finding new resources for the schools. Of those 11, nine met or exceeded their growth/gain goals when tested this year. The ABCs of Public Education, a reform effort begun in 1995, emphasizes local accountability at the school level; instruction in the basics of reading, writing and math and core courses in high school; and local control. The year-end testing program began in the 1996-97 school year at K-8 schools. The model uses end-of-grade tests, already in place for several years at grades 3-8, and the state writing test at grades 4 and 7 to measure student academic growth from year-to-year. High schools were included in the 1997-98 school year with end-of-course tests focusing on five core courses required of all high school graduates: Algebra I; English I; Biology; Economic, Legal and Political Systems; and U.S History. Student growth/gain is measured through end-of-course test results, results from the English II writing test, the N.C. Comprehensive Test of Reading and Mathematics (where the same students are compared from the end of eighth grade to the end of tenth grade), a current year-to-baseline comparison of the percentage of students who graduate completing College Prep or College Tech Prep courses of study, and the change in passing rates on the high school competency tests from the end of eighth grade to the end of tenth grade. Critics of the model voice concerns that the ABCs program encourages educators to teach to the test, and that standardized tests are not a fair measure of some students' intelligence. “If the tests are based on a
standard course of study,” Kirk has countered, “what's
wrong with students being taught `to the test'? And I've said
many times that while I'm not a strong proponent of standardized
tests, no one has shown me a more valid way of proving how our
students are doing. There is no absolutely perfect system, but
I'm really pleased with the improvements that have been made
under this program.” |
|
Visit us at 225
Hillsborough Street, Suite 460, Raleigh, N.C. Co_pyright ©
1998-2001, All Rights Reserved |
The percentage
of elementary school students performing at grade level or better
in reading and math continues to increase, moving from 66.3
percent in 