Go to the homepage for the Sylva Herald and Ruralite

ABC scores are in; two are 'exemplary'

By Lynn Hotaling
Local school officials received their "report card" last week and found their grades lower than last year.

With the final results in, two Jackson County Schools received "exemplary" status and two earned the state's School of Distinction designation.

Exemplary status means a school has 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 $750 for non-certified personnel at Fairview and Smoky Mountain High, Jackson County's schools that achieved exemplary growth.

Cullowhee Valley met expected levels of growth, and teachers there will receive $750 bonuses. Teacher assistants will receive $375.

Fairview and Cullowhee Valley have been designated Schools of Distinction, which indicates that at least 80 percent of its students performed at or above grade level on state-mandated tests in reading, writing and math. This marks Fairview's second year for the designation and Cullowhee Valley's fourth.

Last year's scores placed five of six schools in the exemplary category (Blue Ridge was not). "I'm proud of all our schools, and I'm especially proud of Fairview and Smoky Mountain High meeting exemplary growth standards," said Nancy Sherrill, Jackson County's assistant superintendent. "The high school's performance, even with all the issues they faced last year, shows teachers and administrators worked hard on academics and were able to show success. We're very proud of Smoky Mountain's students and teachers."

Three other Jackson County schools - Blue Ridge, Scotts Creek and Smokey Mountain Elementary - did not fare so well. The three were not rated, which means that they failed to reach the growth standards established for them by the state's formula and had 50 percent of the students at grade level (K-8) or at Achievement Level III proficiency for high school.

"Right now we're a little disappointed that half our schools failed to meet expected growth. We felt we used our remediation money wisely. We brought in extra assistance for students not meeting competency levels," Sherrill said. "I'm disappointed that we didn't reach the goals we set. We need to look at the data, analyze the results and work harder and smarter next year."

The county's seventh and newest school, the Comprehensive School of Alternatives, met four of six goals, Sherrill said, in addition to meeting expected growth. Instructional personnel there will not receive bonuses, however, because the school was established less than six months ago.

"My hope is for seven Schools of Distinction next year," said Superintendent Frank Burrell. "I feel it's a goal we can reach and that to expect anything less is unacceptable."

Elementary and high school performance is measured in different ways, said Sherrill. 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; ELP (government/economics), U.S. history, chemistry and physics.

Because these are subject-based tests rather than grade-based tests, a comprehensive test for 10th-graders was added last year. That test provides a "true" growth score, Sherrill said, in that it measures individual students' scores against their own eighth-grade scores.

Subject area tests, on the other hand, compare current students' performance with the performance of other students who took the course in previous years, she said.

Another factor considered in high school rankings is the number of students enrolled in college prep or tech prep courses. Their number must increase each year for a high school to be in the top tier.

Blue Ridge's performance composite increased to 62.2 from 60.7 last year. SMHS saw almost a three-point increase to 68.6 from last year's 65.9 to repeat exemplary status.

Cullowhee Valley led in the performance composite among county schools with a 83.9, up slightly from last year's 83.7; Fairview scored 83.2, up from 80.7 percent; SMES came in at 77.1, down from last year's 78.3; and Scotts Creek was 74.7, up slightly from last year's 74.4.

Jackson County's other public school, Summit, a K-8 charter school located in Cashiers, achieved exemplary growth and was named a School of Distinction for the second year in a row, according to results published by state education officials. Summit's performance composite was 80 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.

Local results were similar to those across the state as scores rose slightly throughout North Carolina. Overall, statewide results this year showed that virtually the same proportion, seven out of 10, of the students in grades 3-8 were able to read and compute math at the level expected for their grade.

Statewide, 27.6 percent of schools met expected or exemplary standards, and about 70 percent were not rated. Only 2.1 percent of state schools were identified as low performing.

"These test results give us a good sense of the continued progress our schools are making and where we need to roll up our sleeves to step up our efforts even more," said Gov. Jim Hunt.

"The ABCs have been an important part of the upward trend our schools have made in recent years by setting high standards, and holding schools accountable, to reach North Carolina's goal of First in America by 2010," Hunt said.

Back to Local ABC average falls below region story

Back to Archive: 08/10/00.