Monday night, some Newberry schools got gold, and some got goals, as a result of statewide school report cards for the 2008-2009 school year that were handed out last month.
GOLD Five Newberry Schools were honored with Gold or Silver Palmetto honors for report card grades, specifically for elementary and middle school students’ Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test performance, and high school student’s exit exam results, graduation rates and percentage of students passing end-of-course tests for high schools.
Then, for closing achievement gaps between groups of students, three Newberry schools were additionally honored with Gold or Silver Palmetto honors.
“A school that wins one of these awards is focused on kids and dedicated to their success,“ said State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex. “It shows what can happen when educators have high expectations for students, and when parents and community members support those educators and students.“
Newberry’s Palmetto winners
Newberry High School: general performance—Silver Closing the Achievement Gap—Silver
Mid Carolina High School: general performance—Gold; closing the achievement gap—Silver
Whitmire Community High School: general performance—Gold
Pomaria-Garmany Elementary School: general performance—Silver; closing the achievement gap—Silver
Newberry Career Center: general performance—-Gold
Schools awarded for general performance receive an award flag, a certificate, a congratulatory letter from Rex and a portion of state earmarked funds.
A total of 311 schools received awards for general performance, with 162 schools receiving Gold and 149 Silver.
The amount of money schools receive is determined by factors including the type of award, student enrollment, student attendance and teacher attendance.
This year’s awards are being reduced because of state budget cuts. Schools will receive notice of awards totals in the near future.
Schools honored for closing achievement gaps show gains by students who fall into four subgroups: black students, Hispanic students, students receiving federal free- or reduced-price lunch and students with non-speech disabilities.
Elementary or middle schools qualify for a Gold award if at least one of these subgroups meets or exceeds high-achieving student scores in both English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. Schools get a Silver award if at least one subgroup meets end-of-year high performance in English language arts or mathematics or shows exceptional achievement growth.
High schools may receive a Gold closing-the-gap award if the graduation rate of at least one subgroup meets or exceeds the statewide graduation rate of historically high-achieving students. A Silver award means at least one subgroup’s graduation rate meets or exceeds the rate needed to meet the state’s graduation goal of 88.3 percent by 2014.
A total of 242 schools received closing-the-achievement-gap awards, with 78 schools receiving Gold and 164 Silver.
Schools recognized for closing achievement gaps receive an award certificate, a congratulatory letter from Rex and $1,200 for Gold and $1,000 for a Silver.
“This is very exciting,” said Cynthia Downs, assistant superintendent for instruction.
“We are really making progress,” said Board Chairman Don Saylor.
GOALS
But, if schools score poorly on overall school report cards, the school’s administration is required to draw up a plan for improvement.
Seven of Newberry public schools received “Below Average“ or “At-Risk“ grades within one or both of the report cards’ two grading areas: absolute rating, which pulls from scores on state tests like PACT (now PASS), on-time graduation rate and end-of-course test results and growth rating, which comes from a school and students’ improvement from the prior year.
Here is a look at the scores and some of the solutions principals are using, or will soon put in place, to improve:
Boundary Street Elementary:
Scored “Below Average“ for absolute and “At-Risk“ for growth
Aid: after school programs, academic clubs, more teacher instruction.
-presented by Principal Timothy Hunter
Gallman Elementary:
Scored “Below Average“ for absolute and “At-Risk“ for growth
Aid: more overall reading time, hired an intervention teacher to help with reading issues, have a parenting coordinator to help parents get involved
-presented by Principal Cathie Hartzog
Mid-Carolina Middle:
Scored “Below Average“ for growth
Aid: met with all teachers at once to discuss issues, extended gender single classes into sixth grade, has “walk through“ where administration views teachers while they instruct
-presented by Principal Deedee Westwood
Newberry Elementary:
Scored “Below Average“ for absolute and “Below Average“ for growth
Aid: workshops for families, literacy nights, teacher opportunity to observe other teachers
-presented by Parenting Coordinator Reggie Wicker in Principal Leila Caldwell’s absence.
Newberry Middle:
Scored “At-Risk“ for absolute and “At-Risk“ for growth
Aid: newly-implemented school-wide discipline plan, school-wide teacher reading/encouragement, a revisit of strategies
-presented by Principal Katrina Singletary
Reuben Elementary:
Scored “Below Average“ for absolute and “At-Risk“ for growth
Aid: a remediation schedule block for grades 3-5, literacy night and science fair, and “smart boards“ or classroom chalkboards that use the Internet and are interactive
-presented by Principal Gloria Owens
Whitmire Community School, elementary and middle grades
Scored “Below Average“ for absolute
Aid: teacher requirements to complete peer observations, a Read Across Whitmire program in conjunction with the Read Across America to promote reading, smart boards
-presented by Principal Joey Haney
Superintendent Bennie Bennett agreed with many principals who said certain student groups had concerning achievement scores. The mentioned groups were disabled students, minorities, students who receive free and reduced-price meals and “ESL“ students or students who speak English as a second language.
Bennett said the improvement plans were easy to approve, but difficult to put in place.
“We’re not there yet, but we are getting better,“ said Bennett.
The district scored “Below Average“ for absolute and “Average“ for its growth report card score.
The district was 0.1 point away from an average absolute rating. It scored 3.0 and needed a 3.1 to cross the bar, said Downs.
An average score translates to the district being, in general, on track to meet the achievement goals set by the S.C. State Legislature by the Education Accountability Act.
Post a Comment
