Almost 50-50 on No Child Left Behind
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on November 7, 2008 1:46 PM
News-Argus/GREG SOUSA
Eastern Wayne High School students, from left, Vickie Kiefer, Emmett Strickland, Kelly Gregorcyk and Brianna Savery determine the sex of a fly during Pam Brantley's AP biology class this morning. The school was named a "School of Distinction" Thursday when the state released its AYP and ABC test score results for 2007-08.
Nearly half of the public schools tested in Wayne County -- 15 out of 31 -- did not make Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, under federal No Child Left Behind, but officials had anticipated it being much worse because of increasingly tougher standards.
The report, released Thursday by the state Department of Public Instruction, also contained the final 2007-08 ABCs results, including this year's revised reading test data. In that model, 23 out of 32 schools achieved both "Expected Growth" and "High Growth." Broken down further, 14 schools were named Schools of Progress and 13 were named Priority schools.
For more information about each school, please visit the Wayne County Public Schools website.
Two schools in the district excelled. Wayne Early/Middle College High School was one of four in the state named a "School of Excellence," while Eastern Wayne High School was one of 204 in the state recognized as a "School of Distinction."
Under the No Child Left Behind model, test standards have grown more stringent each year. This past year, the state implemented more rigorous end-of-grade reading tests for grades 3-8, changing some of the measurements.
When the state changed its math and writing tests in 2005-06, a drop in ABC results occurred.
The opposite held true in the case of NCLB this year, officials said, particularly when compared with other districts. According to the report, Wayne County ranked 25th out of 115 in the state, for percentage of schools making AYP.
Sixteen of the 31 schools measured made AYP -- Brogden Primary, Carver Elementary, Carver Heights Elementary, Dillard Middle, Eastern Wayne Elementary, Eastern Wayne High, Edgewood, Fremont Elementary, Grantham, Meadow Lane Elementary, North Drive Elementary, Northeast Elementary, Rosewood Elementary, Rosewood High, School Street Elementary and Tommy's Road Elementary.
All remaining schools except the district's two newest ones -- Wayne Early/Middle and Wayne School of Engineering, which will have their status determined later -- did not make AYP.
While there are many positives in the report, the latest figures reflect a drop in the previous year's measure, a trend reflected across the state, said Dr. Craig McFadden, assistant superintendent for accountability and student services. Some of that had been anticipated because of the rigorous changes, he said.
The state's model -- ABCs Accountability Program -- is designed to determine how students stack up with their counterparts around the state.
Overall, Wayne County did well, McFadden said, with 88 percent of its schools making expected growth, while the state had 82 percent. Expected growth equates to all students in the school testing at or above the previous year's growth.
For high growth -- where a school makes expected growth and 60 percent of the students score at or above the previous year -- 72 percent of the schools in Wayne County accomplished that, while only 55 percent did in the state.
The district was below the state average, however, on reading test scores for grades 3-8 -- 51.3 percent compared to the state's ranking of 56.7 percent; and in math tests for grades 3-8 -- 67.1 percent compared to the state's 71 percent. In the 10 high school end-of-course core classes, however, Wayne County topped the state, 70.8 percent compared to 68.4 percent.
As for AYP comparisons, despite the raised standards, this year reflected the highest number of schools in Wayne County making AYP, officials said, with nearly every school showing an increase in NCLB goals met. Districtwide, 51.6 percent made AYP, while North Carolina schools came in at 30.8 percent.
In the region, Wayne County remained in second place, right behind Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools, which had 58.8 percent of schools making AYP. Jones County came in third with 50 percent.
Neighboring districts were also below Wayne County -- Johnston County had 34.2 percent, Wilson 21.7 percent, Lenoir County, 16.7 percent and Duplin, 6.7 percent.
ABC status of each school was also released. The breakdown and description of criteria follows:
*School of Excellence, making at least expected growth and having at least 90 percent of students' scores at or above achievement level but did not make AYP: Wayne Early/Middle College
*School of Distiction, making at least expected growth and having at least 80 percent of students' scores at or above achievement level but did not earn one of the top two designations: Eastern Wayne High
*Schools of Progress, making at least expected growth and having at least 60 percent of scores at or above achievement level, but did not qualify for the top three designations: Charles B. Aycock High, Eastern Wayne Elementary, Eastern Wayne Middle, Fremont Elementary, Grantham, Greenwood Middle, Meadow Lane Elementary, Northeast Elementary, Northwest Elementary, Norwayne Middle, Rosewood Elementary, Rosewood Middle, Spring Creek High and Tommy's Road Elementary
*Priority Schools, at least 60 percent of scores at or above achievement level and are not low-performing schools: Belfast Academy, Brogden Middle, Brogden Primary, Carver Elementary, Carver Heights Elementary, Dillard Middle, Goldsboro High, Mount Olive Middle, North Drive Elementary, School Street Elementary, Southern Academy, Southern Wayne High and Spring Creek Elementary
*Low-performing Schools, failed to meet their expected growth standards and have less than 50 percent of their students' scores at or above achievement level: Goldsboro Intermediate.
*No Recognition, did not meet expected growth goals and had at least 60 percent of student scores at or above achievement level: Rosewood High and Wayne School of Engineering.