9/8/05
School year off to good start with good news from NCLB results
The school year is off to a good start with the news that most schools districts have received improved report cards, based on No Child Left Behind law results, just released by the Minnesota Department of Education,
While some school administrators may give a neutral response to this news, the public, which is hungry for good school ratings, welcomes this latest report card from the state.
School people should welcome these better report cards if for no other reason, than they will impress the Minnesota Legislature, which keeps asking what they are getting for the increase in state educational dollars.
In a sampling of suburban schools served by ECM newspapers, all received a better grade than a year ago.
Statewide the results are impressive. A total of 247 schools did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) compared to 464 last year.
Students also scored better than last year in math and reading tests with 79 percent passing in reading and 76 percent passing in math. (Third, fifth and seventh and 10th grades took the reading tests and students in third, fifth, seventh and 11th grades took the math tests.)
Most of the school districts in the Twin Cities suburban area that didnít make AYP didnít score well in a subgroup, mostly in special education. The law expects disabled students to do as well as the able students in the tests. In one case, the test results of just one disabled learner, put the school off the AYP list.
The AYP list is based on 37 different categories, and testing 95 percent of their students and meeting, attendance and high school graduation targets.
Teachers and administrators in some suburban schools are rejoicing because they are off the not-enough-progress list. While administrators wonít admit it, special attention in teaching special education students to read better was a factor in the improved results.
The State Department of Education also has a report card using stars. Suburban school districts have more four-star schools than they had a year ago. The stars are based on annual yearly progress plus a proficient score in either reading and math tests.
There should be rejoicing in the Anoka-Hennepin School District, because 11 schools that needed to do better, did so and are off the needs improvement list.
In Elk River, one of 14 schools, Elk River High School, didnít make adequate progress. Not enough special education students passed the reading test at Elk River High School, even though that same school led the all-student reading test results in the district.
Another example is the Forest Lake school system where two schools are back on the AYP list and two arenít. Of the 12 schools, one has been warned it could face penalties next year if more improvement isnít made.
Burnsville-Eagan-Savage districtís elementary schools all made adequate yearly progress in all subgroups. The district as a whole went from four subgroups not making AYP to just one this year. Two of five schools earned their way on to the AYP list.
The bottom line is better test scores, better ratings and more Star Schools are good news for parents and students, who obviously have good staff, sound administrators and understanding school boards. -- Don Heinzman
HometownSource.com
ECM Publishers, Inc.
4095 Coon Rapids Blvd.
Coon Rapids, MN 55433
