Email
Print
Schools' achievement gap widens
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: January 30, 2009
Iredell-Statesville Schools has made some great strides toward becoming one of the state's elite school districts in the past five years.
But there's still plenty of work to do when it comes to closing the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and their more well-off counterparts, according to the 2008 North Carolina School Report Cards released by the state Department of Public Instruction.
Only 37 percent of the district's economically disadvantaged students passed end-of-grade tests in both reading and math, while nearly 72 percent of those in more affluent homes reached that mark. Black and Hispanic students also fared considerably worse than white students.
In most measures, I-SS outperformed the state average. For example, 79 percent of I-SS students scored at or above grade level in end-of-grade math tests and 63 percent achieved that feat on reading tests, beating the state averages by 9 and 7 percent, respectively.
The report cards, available online at www.ncreportcards.org, offer detailed district-by-district, school-by-school results based on student performance, district funding, school and teacher quality, teacher and principal turnover rates and more.
Superintendent Terry Holliday said the district had a very good year last year and cautioned parents that reading scores will be lower than what they've been in the past.
"Report cards don't tell the whole story," he said. "Parents need to visit schools to see what's going on."
He encouraged parents to visit schools to learn about the clubs, bands, athletics and other opportunities schools offer.
- According to the report cards, the average number of students in second- and third-grade classes in I-SS is higher than the state average. Most other grades had smaller classes or were at the state average.
- I-SS receives nearly $700 less per student in local, state and federal funding than the state average.
- Of students in the testing grades — third through eighth — grade-level reading percentages for seventh- and eighth-graders were the lowest at 58 percent.
- Turnover among I-SS principals was twice the state average.
After looking at the reading scores, Holliday said the district will refocus its efforts in that area.
During the second semester, the top priorities will be Algebra I, U.S. history and reading.
"We had closed achievement gaps with the old (reading) test, but now it's popped back up again because the test got harder," Holliday said.
Prior to reformatting the test, the district had narrowed its achievement gap to below 10 percent.
"We'll have to pull a team together and go to work on that," he said.
While 17 percent of the district's high schools met expected growth as outlined in ABCs accountability report, none made high growth and none was recognized as an honor school of excellence, school of excellence, or school. Conversely, none was classified as a low-performing school.
Seventy-nine percent of the elementary schools made high growth and 57 percent of the middle made high growth, both being above state average figures.
In other measures:
- The number of acts of crime and violence reported per 100 students mirrors the state average.
- Sixty percent of I-SS principals have less than three years of experience while the state average is 49 percent.
- The teacher turnover rate (15 percent) is 3 percent higher than the state average in elementary; in middle schools it is 11 percent, which is 4 percent lower than the state average; and in high schools it is 15 percent, 1 percent higher than the state average.
The schools with 50 percent or less students who passed the reading EOG tests include: East Elementary, Ebenezer, NB Mills, Statesville Middle School and Third Creek Elementary.
Schools above 80 percent in reading include: Brawley Middle, Lake Norman Elementary, Lakeshore Elementary, and Woodland Heights.
Schools that made 80 percent and above in math include Brawley, Central, Cool Spring, Harmony, Lake Norman Elementary, Lakeshore Elementary, Lakeshore Middle, Mt. Mourne, Sharon, Shepherd, Union Grove and Woodland Heights.
Email
Print
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
