Fewer Catawba schools make yearly progress under higher standards

The state released the annual adequate yearly progress (AYP) scores Thursday for the 2010-11 school year. The tests are part of the federal No Child Left Behind program, now in its 10th year, to measure proficiency in reading and math.

Only nine of 44 schools in Catawba County’s school districts made AYP, in part because of the sharp increase in the proficiency goals, the superintendents said. In 2009-10, for North Carolina public schools to make AYP in third through eighth grade, 43 were to be proficient in reading and 77 percent in math. For sophomores, 39 percent were to be proficient in reading and 68 proficient in math.

This year, the target was increased to 72 percent of third- through eighth-graders being proficient in reading and 89 percent being proficient in math, while for sophomores, 69 percent must be proficient in reading and 84 percent must be proficient in math.

All school districts nationwide are expected to be 100 percent proficient by 2014.

Catawba County’s three superintendents said none of their schools regressed, although the AYP scores may not reflect progress as favorably as they might like.

Catawba County Schools
Schools that made AYP: 5
Schools in the system: 28
Percent that made AYP: 18 percent
Superintendent Glenn Barger said he is proud of the five schools that did make AYP: Banoak, Tuttle, Clyde Campbell and Sherrills Ford elementaries and Challenger Early College High. Another 10 schools missed making AYP by only one or two target goals.

“I don’t agree with that approach,” Barger said of the federal ‘all or nothing’ policy. “There are a number of factors that could contribute to one group not making their target.”

To make AYP, schools must meet all of their AYP goals for each subgroup. A subgroup includes genders, ethnicities, students with disabilities, students who are economically disadvantaged and others. There must be at least 40 students for there to be a subgroup. The subgroup is considered a “target goal.”

Barger said there are also a number of students that continue to grow from third to fourth grade, and from fourth to fifth grade. The AYP scores don’t show that.

“That’s what I’m interested in,” Barger said.

Of the 23 schools that did not make AYP, 15 had 17 or more target goals to make. Four had 29 goals. With more goals, it is more difficult to make AYP, Barger said.

“We’re gaining in a number of subgroups,” he said. “As long as I see substantial growth from a grade level, that’s success. You have to be realistic.”

Barger admitted that one school did not make as much progress as the rest of the schools, although he would not say which school it was because that information is embargoed until next month.

“We’re looking at more instructional coaches and other support staff so (that school) can continue to grow,” he said.

The school is not St. Stephens Elementary, who missed the most target goals, making only 16 of 29, or 55 percent of them. Barger said the school still scored well.

“St. Stephens Elementary had phenomenal growth,” he said, although he said he could not elaborate on the embargoed test scores. “The first test is in third grade. By the time they leave in sixth grade the progress they’ve made is in leaps and bounds.”

Barger said many of the students at St. Stephens Elementary are non-English speakers and the parents cannot help them. The school system is working to help those students.

“We’re redirecting ESL teachers from other schools where the ESL populations have gone down,” he said.

Hickory Public Schools
Schools that made AYP: 2
Schools in the system: 9
Percent that made AYP: 22 percent
The two schools that made AYP this year were the new Hickory Career and Arts Magnet High (HCAM), in its first year, and Viewmont Elementary, which did not make AYP the previous year. Not only were the proficiency goals increased, but Viewmont also had 21 subgroups this year, as opposed to the 17 it had during the 2009-10 school year.

“They have a focus on test-taking and the curriculum,” said interim Superintendent James Causby of Viewmont’s success. “Literacy First was also a positive. But it boils down to good teachers.”

Jenkins and Oakwood elementaries missed making AYP by only two target goals.

He said the test scores for every school in the district improved over 2009-10, but not enough to make AYP.

“By 2014, we’re supposed to have 100 percent proficiency,” Causby said. “We have students that have improved but have not made the target. If we did not have the higher requirements, the schools would have all been fine.”

Causby said schools all across the nation are having difficulty meeting the targets set by their individual states to meet the ultimate goal of 100 percent proficiency by 2014.

“One hundred percent isn’t realistic. I think it’s a wonderful idea, no other nation has attempted it,” he said. “But it’s an all-or-nothing idea.”

As the interim superintendent of Hickory Public Schools, Causby will likely be with Hickory Public Schools until November, when the board is expected to name a permanent superintendent. Until then, Causby said he does have few ideas for how to keep the system on the correct path for improvement.

“There will be high expectations, hands-on learning and application-based learning,” he said. “I think Literacy First is excellent. We need to have good student management. My main roll is maintenance.”

Newton-Conover City Schools
Schools that made AYP: 2
Schools in the system: 7
Percent that made AYP: 29 percent
South Newton Elementary and Newton-Conover Health Science High were the two schools that made AYP for the 2010-11 year. Newton-Conover High and Shuford Elementary were two goals shy of making AYP.

“It doesn’t tell the whole story,” said Superintendent Barry Redmond of the AYP scores. “As standards go up, it gets harder and harder to meet it. We had high growth at several schools. We’re very proud of our success and I think we’ve done well.”

Newton-Conover Middle has the most subgroups of any school in the county, with 31. It met 23 of its target goals.

Redmond said district’s black population struggled in testing, and it’s an area he hopes to address.

“On Aug. 2 we have a principal’s meeting, and that’s a big part of our discussion — what we’ll do and what needs to be looked at,” he said.