Most Guilford high schools grow on ABCs
The state released its annual ABCs report today - although it's only half a report. High school results can be found here; elementary and middle schools won't be ready until Nov. 1. The new math test delayed those results.
Read our story in tomorrow's N&R.
In the meantime, here are some tidbits to tide you over ...
Guilford's press release states 91 percent of high schools met or exceeded their goals compared to 57 percent in the state. But they counted the high growth schools twice (once for meeting growth and again for exceeding growth).
I counted those schools only once, and calculated the rate at 73 percent - 16 of 22 high schools met or exceeded growth.
It breaks down like this: Twelve schools met growth. Four schools not only met growth, they exceeded it. Total: 16.
The state public relations folks said they don't count the high growth schools twice, so the 57 percent state rate is comparable to the 73 percent we used for Guilford.
A word of caution: the state made major changes to the ABCs, both in the tests that are included in the performance composite and how they calculate student academic growth. The measures are tougher now. (If you really want to delve into the formulas, check out the state's Web site.)
In light of the changes, the folks from the state board and Department of Public Instruction said that comparing to previous years is pretty useless. However, you can still look at the performance composite to see where your school stands and you can compare to other schools or districts.
Here are some high/low lights:
*Andrews and the Middle College at A&T made the low-performing list again and the GTCC Middle College East is on it this year, too.
*Guilford had the most low-performing schools (3 of the 14) of any district in the state.
*Six of Guilford's 22 high schools fell below the 55 percent passing rate (If you recall, that's Judge Manning's benchmark. He says schools that continuously fall below that mark must improve or make major changes.)
*Smith and Dudley met expected growth.
*Central, Page, Greensboro College Middle College and GTCC Middle College made high growth.
*Early College at Guilford was one of only three Honor Schools of Excellence in the state. These schools met or exceeded growth, had a composite of 90 percent or higher, and met their federal Adequate Yearly Progress goals. The Early College had the highest high school composite in the state - 97.7 percent.
The bonuses, which go to teachers, assistants and other certified staff members at schools that meet or exceed growth, won't go out until December. Probably before the holidays, according to Lou Fabrizio, who oversees the state's testing program.
Comments (10)
To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.
Smith and Dudley improved with NO bussing.
Andrews still bad with bussing!
Posted on October 6, 2006 7:40 AM
Meeting Growth is good, but get real.... when 40% still fail, there are problems. Again, you can take information like this and put a positive spin on things if you stretch it. I hope that no one takes this on face value, and digs deeper!
Posted on October 6, 2006 8:10 AM
What about the students who were bused out of help from tutoring? How did busing help these students? Are they getting help on the long bus rides to SWM and SWH? Children bused from Welborn say they want to go back. Parents still want neighborhood schools. Dudley has them.
But, Truth, remember it's all about just about race for SW parents. You are a racist if you do not want your child to attend the lowest performing school in the state.
Busing does not work. People who can afford private school or can afford to move, will. People who want an education for their child will provide it for them one way or anther.
Today's results are proof that the students at Andrews are still being failed despite all the MONEY, time, energy, heartaches, chaos and bitterness over the past few years. Was all this turmoil worth it? Now the distrust and incentives to not support school bonds for children who deserve a brick school building is higher than ever. After all these efforts put into one school, all the "spinning wheels", it is back to the same problem.
Posted on October 6, 2006 8:14 AM
Debora,
You have said it best. If you start from a low point, even a little improvement isn't much to brag about. 18% passing at a middle college means 82% are failing. Does it matter whether 82% drops out at the regular high school or 82% fail at middle college just for the sake of 18% contributing to a low drop out rate. These students still aren't receiving an education.
Posted on October 6, 2006 8:18 AM
Jennifer,
Thanks for the article and thanks for re-doing the math as reported by GCS.
Time after time they manage to boast some achievement, but real analysis later shows failure.
It appears that the folks at GCS who counted wrong must be graduates themselves of this school system.
Also, you MUST post the article embedded in today's print edition regarding the comments about testing from Mr. Fabrizio, the state's testing director.
He says that kids can 100% guess the answers on the tests and still pass because the passing bar is so terribly low.
If you answer correctly less than 50% of the questions, you pass.
What a joke! And, the article goes on to say that the state may raise the bar for the ABC's, but still keep it low for NCLB.
If you don't like what the numbers tell you, just change them.
More children are failing, but the numbers keep looking better!
Posted on October 6, 2006 8:35 AM
For years I have been saying that a child receiving a 3 on the state test was (at least could be) still in trouble. We have created an atmosphere of acceptance within the parental community that since the school is passing ABC's say 80% that everything is great. IT IS NOT! getting a 3 where you only answered 35% of the questions correctly is not passing with a 3... it is failing with a 3. I hope that they raise the bar to a more realistic level, however with the level of bureaucratic crap that we would have to wade through, NCDPE will not allow the true story to get out. The state is afraid of the bad news that will result. What they are saying is the preception of passing outways the truth of whether the children are proficent in the subject. We want people to think we are passing, so again the children lose!
Sorry, guys this is one of my hot buttons.
Posted on October 6, 2006 11:56 AM
Below is a portion of a summary statement on findings comparing U.S. students with international students per the Department of Education. This study shows how the problem develops, at least in math and science. Our inept testing is giving a false sense of achievement. Now, the question is why do U.S. students lose so much ground to the rest of the world from 4th grade to 12th grade? This trend paints a very dark future for us competing in a global economy.
"At the fourth grade, U.S. students were near the first in the world in science, and were above the international average in mathematics. In the eighth grade, U.S. students scored slightly above the international average in science and below the international average in mathematics. By the twelfth grade, U.S. performance was significantly lower relative to the international average in both science and mathematics, even among our most advanced students."
Posted on October 6, 2006 4:51 PM
Debora,
Go right ahead. Sometimes the truth hurts. I see this in elementary school. There are a few students, in particular, who have struggled since earlier years, year after year. Yet they continue to pass each grade level. Sometimes it is because the parents fail to believe their child needs help and won't cooperate. There could be other reasons. But regardless, the same child struggles to keep up.
The sad part about all this is when children grow older and are embarrassed because they can't keep up, they drop out or act out first (disrupting others in class), then drop out. If there were truer indicators in earlier grades, perhaps these children could get the help they need. Not everyone will be high achievers but we could streamline certain curriculums or career path opportunites at an earlier age. No matter what, each child should be able to read, write and do basic math.
Posted on October 6, 2006 5:21 PM
Copied from Off The Record:
I think congratulations are also in order for the students, teachers and administration of Central High in light of their improvement in their ABC scores. It just goes to show what hard work, dedication (and just a little cherry picking of top students from another school whom you threatened with banishment to Andrews if they didn't enter your IB program)can do.
Here we all thought Dot was just an arrogant, half-crazy, bull in a china shop, who's obsession with racial make-up at schools instead of educational emphasis had driven public education in High Point back to the Stone Age. Here we now have some evidence that she may be right (at least for certain select institutions)-kidnapping kids might work.
Posted by: Skeet Club Savage at October 6, 2006 09:08 AM
Posted on October 6, 2006 10:26 PM
My son's high scores at Central last year certainly helped Dot reach her goal and get this improvement. People wont put up with having their kids abducted across town.
Central ain't gettin him this year though.
We are now safely in a neinoring county at our neighborhood school!
Posted on October 6, 2006 11:03 PM