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Schools' Yearly Progress Reports Released: FWCS Falls Short of State Targets: 80 Percent Missed Goals in English and Math.

Posted on: Saturday, 20 May 2006, 18:02 CDT

By Sheena Dooley, The News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind.

May 20--Almost 80 percent of Fort Wayne Community Schools missed state achievement targets in English and math, ranking lower than other Allen County school districts.

Eight of the district's 10 Title I schools receiving federal dollars for low-income students face consequences for underperforming on the state's standardized assessment taken last fall. Those schools and Meadowbrook Elementary in East Allen County Schools are among 51 Title I schools statewide tagged by the Indiana Department of Education, according to yearly progress report numbers released Friday afternoon.

About half of Indiana's schools failed to make required improvements.

FWCS schools on the state's list included Fairfield, Abbett, Adams, Bloomingdale, Scott, South Wayne and Washington elementary schools and Geyer Middle School.

"As a district, the numbers that are released today are not a surprise," said John Kline, FWCS director of school improvement. "If we have to wait for (state results) to examine what we are doing, we shouldn't be in our job. We are constantly re-examining what we do and making adjustments."

East Allen, Southwest Allen and Northwest Allen county schools each had 33 percent or less of their schools underperform on the Indianafall state assessment. SACS does not have Title I schools, while Huntertown and Arcola elementaries in NACS receive the additional funds. Huntertown Elementary special-education students did not meet targets in English.

Schools were measured on how 37 categories of students fared in English and mathematics on the ISTEP+ test. If students in one category fail to meet achievement targets set by the state, the school is labeled as needing improvement.

Title I schools identified for two consecutive years are placed on "School Improvement Status." Those schools face interventions that vary depending on how many years they are on improvement status. Those range from allowing parents to transfer their children to another school in the district, to providing tutors, to restructuring the school.

The state raised the bar for schools this year and will continue to do so until the 2013-14 school year, when all students must prove they have mastered English and math. That made it more difficult for FWCS schools, as many teeter on the edge of failing.

This year Abbett, Scott and South Wayne were put on school improvement, joining Geyer, Fairfield and Bloomingdale. Geyer is in its fourth year on the state's list, meaning it has to provide the state with a restructuring plan. District officials, however, decided to close the school after this year and reopen it next fall as a Montessori magnet school. Under the plan, the school loses its Title I status and is no longer subject to state sanctions.

Washington and Adams missed targets for the first year and received a warning from the state. Study Elementary met achievement goals for the second consecutive year, taking it off school-improvement status.

"That teaching staff has worked really hard to get better at what they do," Kline said. "The principal has brought a real clear focus on student achievement at the school."

In East Allen County Schools, Village Elementary met targets for the first time in two years. The school is in Year 3 of school improvement, under which it has changed its curriculum, offered free after-school tutoring and bolstered parent involvement, among other things. To get off the state's list, it must meet goals for two consecutive years.

Meadowbrook Elementary was the only school in EACS to miss its goals, bringing a warning from the state. The school got off school improvement last year after being in Year 3 of sanctions.

"It was only a slight margin that didn't make it," said Kay Novotny, EACS superintendent. "It happened to be where the kids fell on this particular day."

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Local Title I schools and their school improvement status

Southwest Allen County Schools

No Title I schools

Fort Wayne Community Schools

Schools meeting state targets:

Nebraska Elementary

Study Elementary

Schools flagged by the state:

Adams Elementary

Washington Elementary

Schools in Year 1 of school improvement:

Abbett Elementary

Scott Academy

South Wayne Elementary

Schools in Year 2 of school improvement:

Fairfield Elementary

Bloomingdale Elementary

Schools in Year 4 of school improvement:

Geyer Middle School

East Allen County Schools

Schools meeting state targets:

Southwick Elementary

Schools flagged by the state:

Meadowbrook Elementary

Schools in Year 3 of school improvement:

Village Elementary

Northwest Allen County Schools

Schools meeting state targets:

Arcola Elementary

Schools flagged by the state:

Huntertown Elementary

Legal requirements

The No Child Left Behind law requires students to take state tests in reading and math and meet achievement targets set each year by the state. Title I schools that receive federal dollars because of large low-income student populations must meet those targets each year. If they fail to reach those goals, the first year they are flagged by the state and warned to improve. If they miss their goals for two consecutive years, they are placed on School Improvement Status, which carries sanctions. Those include:

--Year 1: School must allow students to transfer to a better-performing school in the district. No less than 10 percent of Title I funds must go toward professional development.

--Year 2: School must provide students from low-income families with supplemental services such as tutoring.

--Year 3: School must take at least one corrective action that can include replacing staff, changing curriculum, extending the school day or school year, reorganizing the school internally or appointing outside experts to advise the school.

--Year 4: The school must develop a restructuring plan to reopen as a charter school, replace principal and staff, or contract with a private management company, or the state takes over.

--Year 5: The school must implement the restructuring plan.

To have sanctions removed, it must meet achievement targets for two consecutive years.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.)

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