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. |
No |
Yes |
No |
Ephesus Elem. |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Estes Hills Elem. |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
FPG Elem. |
No |
No |
No |
Glenwood Elem. |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
McDougle Elem. |
No |
No |
No |
Rashkis Elem. |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Scroggs Elem. |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Seawell Elem. |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Culbreth MS |
No |
Yes |
No |
McDougle MS |
No |
No |
No |
Phillips MS |
No |
Yes |
No |
Smith MS |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Carrboro HS |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Chapel Hill HS |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
East Chapel Hill HS |
No |
No |
No |
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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