Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools NC Releases Reading Results
Students in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools continued to outperform their counterparts across North Carolina in reading, despite large drops in student performance statewide following the administration of new reading tests for students in grades three through eight and the setting of higher standards for attaining proficiency on those tests. This year, 78.5 percent of CHCCS students posted proficient scores in reading. Last year, that number was 93.4 percent at the elementary level and 94.2 at the middle school level. A conference call with educators statewide last week prepared them to expect drops of approximately 30 percent. The former range on reading tests in grades three through eight was 83-92 percent. The new range is 52-61 percent. The CHCCS drop is approximately one-half of the statewide decline. “It’s difficult to help educators and parents understand that our students improved their reading skills last year when the percent proficient looks so dramatically lower,” said Executive Director for Testing and Program Evaluation Diane Villwock. “The changes make us ask ourselves what’s good enough? In raising standards, we may make students better readers in the end, but the presentation of the results the first year with new standards can be demoralizing to students and staff.” Indeed, critics of the rigor ofNorth Carolina’s End-of-Grade Tests have long pointed to comparisons made to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP’s analysis showed that North Carolina’s fourth grade reading test ranked 45th in the nation in rigor and that the eighth grade reading test ranked 50th in the nation. “Although the there is a decline in the percentage of students who are proficient in reading this year, there is typically a rebound in the year following the changes in the test. We have continued to experience growth in our math scores after similar revisions were made to that test two years ago,” said Superintendent Neil Pedersen. “The challenge, then, is for us to make the necessary instructional improvements that help our students meet these higher levels of performance.”
The downward trend in reading scores brought changes in school recognition as well. Last year, CHCCS had four Schools of Excellence (90 percent or more of students at or above grade level), 10 Schools of Distinction (80 percent or more of students at or above grade level) and one School of Progress (70 percent or more of students at or above grade level). This year, the district, which has an additional school to report with the opening of Carrboro High School, has no Schools of Excellence, 12 Schools of Distinction and four Schools of Progress. Growth, the academic measure on which teacher bonuses is based, was calculated this year using only math results. The changes in school recognition, therefore, do not impact teacher compensation. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) was released for the reading results. Last year, the annual measurable objective for each subgroup was 84 percent. The US Department of Education adjusted the reading objective for North Carolina schools to reflect the change in test rigor. The new objective for North Carolina is 43.2 percent. Under this new measure, 12 of the district’s 16 schools made AYP. All schools made AYP in reading except for Frank Porter Graham, McDougle Elementary, McDougle Middle and East Chapel Hill High School. These schools are not facing any sanctions under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation as a result of not making AYP because this is the first year that they haven’t met the AYP standard in reading. This is the second consecutive year that Carrboro Elementary made AYP in reading. As a result of this year’s performance, the school is removed from School Improvement status under No Child Left Behind in the area of reading. The school will continue in School Improvement status in mathematics.
2007-2008 AYP Results
School
Met Math Standard
Met Reading Standard
Made AYP
Carrboro Elem.
Yes
Ephesus Elem.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Estes Hills Elem.
Yes
Yes
Yes
FPG Elem.
Glenwood Elem.
Yes
Yes
Yes
McDougle Elem.
Rashkis Elem.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Scroggs Elem.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Seawell Elem.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Culbreth MS
Yes
McDougle MS
Phillips MS
Yes
Smith MS
Yes
Yes
Yes
Carrboro HS
Yes
Yes
Yes
Chapel Hill HS
Yes
Yes
Yes
East Chapel Hill HS
2007-2008 ABCs Results
School
Growth Status
Recognition
Performance Composite
Carrboro Elem.
High
School of Progress
78.0 percent
Ephesus Elem.
High
School of Progress
79.9 pecent
Estes Hills Elem.
High
School of Distinction
80.8 percent
FPG Elem.
Expected
School of Progress
70.5 percent
Glenwood Elem.
High
School of Distinction
89.3 percent
McDougle Elem.
Expected
School of Progress
78.4 percent
Rashkis Elem.
High
School of Distinction
87.6 percent
Scroggs Elem.
High
School of Distinction
84.5 percent
Seawell Elem.
High
School of Distinction
88.0 percent
Culbreth MS
High
School of Distinction
83.5 percent
McDougle MS
High
School of Distinction
82.2 percent
Phillips MS
High
School of Distinction
86.5 percent
Smith MS
High
School of Distinction
84.8 percent
Carrboro HS
High
School of Distinction
85.0 percent
Chapel Hill HS
High
School of Distinction
86.9 percent
East Chapel Hill HS
Expected
School of Distinction
87.1 percent
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