Report cards with 2009 scores released this week show the Newberry school district got a "C" in its "absolute" rating for student achievement and a "D" in "growth," measuring student improvement from 2008, if you use typical alphabet grade language.
Absolute scores calculate how elementary and middle schools fared on Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) test and how high schools did in three areas: graduation rates, High School Assessment Program (HSAP) and end-of-course tests.
"Grades" within the district fell in five of 32 areas and improved in 14.
Only one drop was under the "absolute" category. That decline was from the Career Center's "excellent" scoring last year to "good" this year.
The other four drops are in the "growth" section, which compares student growth in an apples-to-apples type way against previous year's scores. For example, "growth" measures whether last year's third grade progressed at a better pace during its fourth grade learning year.
The 14 areas of improvement out of the district's total 32 grades were:
• Boundary Street Elementary's absolute and growth scores
• Gallman Elementary's absolute and growth scores
• Little Mountain Elementary's absolute and growth scores
• Pomaria/Garmany Elementary's growth score
• Reuben Elementary's absolute and growth scores
• Mid Carolina Middle's growth score
• Newberry Middle's absolute score
• Newberry High's absolute and growth scores
• Newberry district's absolute score
Educators are listing a main reason for higher report card grades statewide as a less exacting measuring rod.
"The ratings are better because the scale is different," says Dana Yow, Education Oversight Committee communications director.
The ratings may look good this time, but Yow says that the average index for each school level fell from 2008 to 2009.
Blame-or thank-PASS.
PACT's replacement test made the Eduction Oversight Committee "recenter" what is considered "excellent," "good," "average," "below average" and "at-risk."
"It's easier this year for middle and elementary schools to make an average score," she says.
For example, Yow's son's school made a 3.4, which last year meant average, but this year equals excellent.
So with all of the improvements within Newberry's district, is there reason to celebrate?
Newberry High, which improved in both absolute and growth, can do a determined celebratory dance because the measuring rod only shortened for elementary and middle schools.
"The high schools are not affected at all by the recentering," says Yow.
Newberry High's success caps off five years of continuous improvement, says Principal Barry Rosenberg.
Students who fall behind use computer lab programs to catch up on course work and the school opens time during the day and after-school for enrichment and tutoring, plus allows time to redo schoolwork.
In four years, Newberry High School graduation rates rose from 62 to 85 percent, Rosenberg says.
"Our motto is 'Failure is Not an Option,' and we back that up with support to make that happen," says Rosenberg.
But "outstanding teachers and staff who have high expectations for all students" are the biggest reason for Newberry High's success, he says.
"Every day, they send our students the message that 'what we're doing here is important, you can do it, and we are not going to give up on you.'"
But perhaps Newberry High isn't the only school allowed at the report card party.
When you consider "districts like ours," a phrase used by the state to show an apples-to-apples comparison of districts like Newberry that have similar poverty rates, Newberry School District-even at the elementary and middle school levels-is still sitting pretty.
With an average absolute score, Newberry County is at the top of the pack as one of four "districts like ours" to make average.
Sitting plumply beneath Newberry are 20 "districts like ours" with a below average score.
Under those sit another three "districts like ours" at the lowest "at-risk" level.
"As we analyze the district performance, we look at the absolute performance of our district to that of all districts in South Carolina, and also to districts like ours-those districts with a poverty index level within 5 percent of Newberry County," says Superintendent Bennie Bennett. "We are pleased with how Newberry County School District did relative to the state of South Carolina as we were ranked 19th out of 85 school districts on our absolute performance index (3.14) which measures the overall performance for school districts."
Bennett points out that statewide, only one district had a "good" growth rating, five had average growth ratings and 59 districts were rated with unsatisfactory growth among all districts.
Newberry was just over half a point from achieving an "average" growth rating, he said.
"When we look at how Newberry County School District did compared to the other 27 districts similar to ours in terms of poverty and demographics, we were second only to Horry County on the absolute performance index ... " Bennett adds.
The district's biggest boast may be its 85.7 percent high school graduation rate-the highest in the state.
"We are pleased, but not satisfied, with our overall performance and will continue to work hard to improve the achievement for all students in Newberry County," said Bennett.
Why school and district report cards?
School and district report cards are part of the state's education accountability system set up by the legislature.
For more information, Yow advises parents to "dig a little deeper" and look at the sent home report cards.
"I think you can find the improvement or lack of improvement," she says.
Also, find report card info at www.ed.sc.gov/topics/researchandstats/schoolreportcard/2009.
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