By Lynn Hotaling
Preliminary test scores are in for local schools, and a system
that excels according to one measure is tagged failing by another.
From all appearances, students in Jackson County's seven schools
achieved their best scores ever on North Carolina's state-mandated
tests, with 79.4 percent of students in grades 3-8 scoring at
grade level in both reading and math.
That countywide percentage represents an increase of more than
5 percent over last year's scores, said Superintendent Mack
McCary.
Uncertified results indicate that six of seven schools achieved
the standards for state recognition and teacher bonuses with
the seventh falling only one-half of 1 percent short, McCary
said.
Yet according to new federal standards contained in 2001 legislation
titled "No Child Left Behind," all seven of Jackson
County's schools are failing because they did not achieve a
new standard the law terms "adequate yearly progress,"
McCary said.
"If NCLB had not kicked in this year, we would be ‘popping
corks' and celebrating in a big way," McCary said. "These
are the best results Jackson County has ever had on the ABCs."
McCary said local school officials were aware that the beginning
status of the county's exceptional students (very few at grade
level) would make it difficult to meet NCLB goals. While some
states have developed alternative assessments for exceptional
children, North Carolina has not, he said.
"Our biggest struggle is getting our exceptional kids to
the standard, especially in reading," McCary said.
Terming NCLB "flawed legislation with a noble intent,"
McCary said North Carolina's accountability model is superior
to the federal plan because it concentrates on all students.
"You cannot focus on one group at the expense of another
group and get this kind of (ABC) results," McCary said.
"(The ABCs) mandate growth for all kids."
North Carolina's rating system is more comprehensive and is
based on a certain amount of growth for every child, said Steve
Jones, Jackson County's school improvement director.
NCLB is not as concerned with every child but focuses more on
overcoming the effects of poverty by raising every subgroup
to designated standards, McCary said.
The same grade-level standards are used in both the ABC and
NCLB evaluations, the superintendent said. The NCLB legislation
does not define grade levels; instead, it requires each state
to establish and meet certain goals.
When asked how local schools could perform so well under the
state model while at the same time failing to meet standards
under the federal plan, McCary pointed to the "all-or-nothing"
approach taken by NCLB.
For example, Blue Ridge achieved 14 of 15 goals but didn't achieve
adequate yearly progress because the K-12 school didn't realize
all 15, he said.
Even though Blue Ridge achieved 93 percent of its goals, under
the NCLB's evaluating system, it failed, Jones said.
McCary said he couldn't comment on which goal Blue Ridge did
not meet because school officials aren't allowed to release
such information until all test results are certified in September.
The number of goals varies from school to school because goals
are based on the number of subgroups with at least 40 members
in each school's population, Jones said.
NCLB recognizes 10 subgroups: all students; American Indian;
Asian-Pacific Islander; black; white; Hispanic; multiracial;
free and reduced lunch; limited English proficient; and students
with disabilities. Each subgroup present at a school generates
four goals for elementary students, McCary said.
For example, if a school had four subgroups - all, white, free
and reduced and students with disabilities - that school would
have 16 goals. Those goals would be: meets standard in reading
for each subgroup (4); test 95 percent in reading in each subgroup
(4); meet standards in math for each subgroup (4); and test
95 percent in math for each subgroup (4).
"I really believe we can meet these standards," McCary
said. "I just wish we had had another year to prepare."
While NCLB imposes no sanctions this year, the federal legislation
comes with specific consequences for schools that don't measure
up.
If a school fails for a second year, parents of children at
that school will receive a letter informing them of the school's
status and giving them the choice of transferring their child
to another school, with the school system picking up the tab
for transportation. Failing schools would also be required to
provide private tutoring to any children whose parents request
it.
A third low-performing year would result in school reorganization.
School districts face similar penalties, McCary said. Officials'
dilemma is compounded by the fact that it is conceivable that
each local school could meet standards and the district could
still fail, he said.
That's because several additional subgroups are counted when
Jackson County students are evaluated as a single population.
Current projections indicate that 80 percent of North Carolina
school districts could be in district improvement (for failing
to meet standards) by 2004-05, McCary said.
NCLB is the latest version of Title I, and through it federal
legislators have mounted a massive push for school accountability.
Federal Title I funding has been the main source of money for
at-risk students for more than 20 years.
Jackson County received $583,385 in Title I funding during the
2001-02 school year, and some $693,000 last year, said school
system finance officer David Steinbicker. Title I funds generally
make up about 10 percent of Jackson County schools' total budget,
McCary said.
