ABC scores are in: Five schools show expected growth

By Lynn Hotaling

With the final results in, five of seven Jackson County schools achieved expected growth, three earned the state's School of Distinction designation and one was designated a high (formerly exemplary) growth school.

"We're tickled pink," said Superintendent Mack McCary, who said Jackson County's performance improved during a year when state standards were made tougher.

For the first time, McCary said, schools had to achieve certain levels in both proficiency and growth in order to earn the School of Distinction designation. Fairview, Cullowhee Valley and Scotts Creek all had 80 percent of students who performed at or above grade level on state-mandated tests in reading and math and achieved expected or high growth. Until this year the designation was based solely on proficiency.

This marks Fairview's fourth year as a School of Distinction, Cullowhee Valley's sixth and Scotts Creek's first.

High growth means a school's students have demonstrated at least 110 percent of growth over the preceding year. It also means cash bonuses in the amount of $1,500 for certified personnel and $500 for non-certified personnel at Fairview Elementary, Jackson's only school to achieve that status this year.

Cullowhee Valley, Scotts Creek and the School of Alternatives all met expected levels of growth, and teachers there will receive $750 bonuses. Teacher assistants will receive $375.

Though the alternative school did not receive the School of Distinction designation, its staff will receive cash bonuses because the school met the proficiency standards built into its model, which is different from that of other county schools, McCary said.

Blue Ridge was designated a School of Progress, which means its students achieved expected growth and demonstrated at least 60 percent proficiency.

Two other local schools - Smokey Mountain Elementary and Smoky Mountain High - did not fare so well. Both were "not rated," which means they failed to reach the growth standards established for them by the state's formula and had at least 60 percent of students scoring at or above grade level.

Last year's scores placed one school - the School of Alternatives - in the exemplary (high) growth category and three - Blue Ridge, Cullowhee Valley and Scotts Creek - in the expected growth group. Fairview, SMES and SMHS received a not rated designation.

Elementary and high school performance is measured in different ways, said McCary. Elementary rankings depend on test scores only, with individual students being measured against their own previous scores.

High school ratings are determined on the basis of end-of-course tests in 10 subject areas: English I (freshman), Algebra I and II, geometry, physical science, biology, ELPS (civics), U.S. history, chemistry and physics. A growth component was introduced last year with the addition of comparison data based on students' eighth-grade test scores, McCary said.

Blue Ridge's performance composite increased to 76.6 from 71.2 last year, and SMHS saw a slight increase to 70.7 from last year's 68.3. The School of Alternatives' composite was 31.7 as compared to 21.2 a year ago.

Cullowhee Valley led in the performance composite among county schools with a 87.4, up slightly from last year's 86.1; Fairview scored 85.4, up from 82.7 percent; SMES came in at 73.4, down from last year's 77; and Scotts Creek was 83, up almost 10 points from last year's 74.1.

Jackson County's other public school, Summit, a K-8 charter school located in Cashiers, achieved high growth and was named a School of Excellence, according to results published by state education officials. Summit's performance composite was 93.7 percent. Though a public school, Summit is governed by a non-profit corporation and is not part of the Jackson County school system.

The ABCs of Public Education, a reform effort begun in 1995, emphasize accountability at the school level; instruction in the basics of reading, writing and mathematics and core courses; and control at the local level. Grades were given for the first time during the 1996-97 school year for grades K-8. High schools were included with the 1997-98 school year.

Countywide, reading and math proficiency in grades 3-8 was up almost 10 points, from 76.26 percent last year to 85.9 this year.

High school scores are harder to quantify because they are based on 10 separate courses, McCary said, but local schools showed improvement in all except ELPS (civics) and physical science. Jackson County high school students have demonstrated continuous improvement in geometry, Algebra II, chemistry, biology and U.S. history, McCary said.

Local results were similar to those across the region and state as scores rose throughout North Carolina.

Statewide, the number of Schools of Excellence increased to 299 (13.6 percent) of all schools as compared to 171 (7.9 percent) in that category last year. This shows the state's accountability model, which is entering its seventh year, is working as planned and increasing the number of students performing at grade level, said Mike Ward, state superintendent of schools.

Across the state some 74.7 percent of third- through eighth-graders were proficient in reading and math, up from 61.7 percent in 1996-97.

"The goal of the ABCs accountability model is to reward growth in student achievement," said Phil Kirk, chairman of the state board of education. "In the first year of the ABCs, only 12 schools qualified as Schools of Excellence, and only 158 were Schools of Distinction. Today we have 227 schools of Excellence and 336 Schools of Distinction. And we achieved this improvement even after tightening the requirements for Schools of Distinction."

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