Over Half of Schools Fail at Reading, Math Goals in 7 N.C. Counties
By Catherine Kozak, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.
Aug. 24–More than half of the schools in seven northeastern North Carolina counties were unable to meet target goals in annual reading and math tests mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Preliminary results released by North Carolina Public Schools reflect the difficulty most northeastern North Carolina counties have had in attaining the performance standards measured by the state.
Final approval of the results by the state Board of Education is expected Sept. 6. School systems were required to make their results available online by Aug. 17.
Math, writing and reading skills are assessed based on end-of-grade tests in grades three to eight, and in grade 10. Of seven local counties — Camden, Currituck, Dare, Chowan, Gates, Pasquotank and Perquimans — none had all of their schools meet the target goals established in the annual Adequate Yearly Progress report.
In Camden and Edenton-Chowan school districts, no schools attained adequate performance.
“It is a valid thing to look at, but it doesn’t discount all the good stuff that’s happening,” said Kerri Albertson, public information officer at Edenton-Chowan Schools. “What it says is that we have to work harder.”
In the complex formula used to measure progress, students are divided into subgroups. Each one must have at least 40 students across the tested grades to be included in the calculations.
The number of goals that must be met varies with the number of subgroups in the school. If one subgroup doesn’t meet the goal, the entire school doesn’t. At least 95 percent of the students must be tested in each subgroup.
“It doesn’t mean that if you didn’t meet the AYP that your school failed,” said Brenda Lassiter, public information officer for Perquimans County Schools. “It means that these are areas we are weak in.”
Every target the district did not meet this year was math-related, she said. “So we know now that we need to focus on math.”
Even Dare County, which had all of its schools meet their goals in 100 percent in 2006, had three of its 10 schools fall short of the targets this year.
If schools receiving federal Title 1 funds fail to meet the standard in the same subject for two years, parents have the option to transfer their children to another school designated by the district.
Pasquotank County, for instance, already has held informational meetings this month on school choice for parents of students in Central, Northside and Sheep-Harney elementary schools.
Also, if Title I schools do not make progress in the same subject for three years in a row, they must offer free tutoring to low-income students.
Parents of students in Perquimans Central and Hertford Grammar schools were sent letters earlier this month informing them that their child may be eligible for free tutoring.
Requirements for the percentage of students showing proficiency in reading and math increases every three years in North Carolina. The goal of the federal act is for 100 percent of the students to perform at or above grade level by 2014. This year, in grades three to eight, the targets were 76.7 percent for reading and 65.8 percent for math, according to the state public schools Web site.
Lassiter said she thinks it is difficult to compare counties because each county’s score is a reflection of its individual features.
“That’s what people need to look at it as — a measurement tool,” she said. “You build on your strengths and focus on your weaknesses and bring them up.”
Catherine Kozak, (252) 441-1711, cate.kozak@pilotonline.com
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