City schools rated ‘high priority’ for second year on The Murfreesboro Post

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City schools rated ‘high priority’ for second year

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By: MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer

Posted: Sunday, August 10, 2008 7:35 am

For the second year in a row, Murfreesboro City Schools fell below benchmarks mandated by No Child Left Behind, labeling it as a “high priority” system, according to the Adequate Yearly Progress report released by Tennessee’s Department of Education Monday.

The AYP is part of the sweeping No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and tracks whether schools are making adequate progress toward federally required benchmarks.

Although MCS outperformed No Child Left Behind goals as a whole, low scores in two subgroups – Hispanic students for reading/language arts and English as a second language students in math in third through sixth grades – required the system be assigned “high priority” status.

“These students have shown growth; however did not meet the No Child Left Behind benchmark. …” explained Nancy Duggin, MCS school board member. “These subgroups represent real children – children with abilities and the potential to be productive citizens. Schools and parents must continue to come alongside these students to encourage and increase expectations for academic achievement.”

Hispanic students only achieved an 82-percent proficiency rate in reading, and limited English proficient students only achieved a 78-percent proficiency rate in math.

These scores fell below NCLB benchmarks that require 86 percent of students test proficient or above in math and 89 percent in reading, including students in special education and students with limited English skills.

But overall MCS students outperformed NCLB benchmarks with proficiency scores of 93.6 percent in reading/language arts and 92.5 percent in math.

“Our students continue to make exceptional gains and as a group have exceeded the NCLB benchmarks every year since federal guidelines have been in existence,” Director of Schools Marilyn Mathis said.

NCLB requires schools meet the goals of 100 percent of students testing proficient in reading/language arts and math and a 100 percent graduation rate by 2014.

According to Tennessee Department of Education, schools that miss any benchmark in one year are given “target status.”

Last year, Murfreesboro City Schools was assigned “target status” because of low scores in students with disabilities in math and limited English proficient students in language arts.

Even though the system met benchmarks overall for students with disabilities this year, it was still assigned “high priority” status because it missed benchmarks in the same subgroups.

The system must meet or exceed benchmarks in these subgroups two years in a row before removal from “high priority” status.

High priority schools receive additional support and intervention strategies from the state to help in the recovery effort.

Mathis and other school officials will meet with the state Department of Education this week to develop improvement strategies, which is required by state law.

According to NCLB, “high priority” systems must plan with an outside expert and develop a plan for addressing problem areas.

“We must receive approval from our district improvement team (TCSPP team), state department officials, and the Board of Education prior to sharing the revised plan,” said Danielle Kaminsky MCS coordinator of instruction.

Mathis said city schools have redirected resources to underperforming schools. The system also uses periodic online assessments to gauge student progress that allows teachers to adjust to needs.

“However, a more intense review will be given to our two subgroups who did not meet the benchmarks as set by NCLB,” Mathis said.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.

Tagged under MCS

Member Opinions:

By: GrumpaEd on 8/12/08
Time for the city school board to give the city school director another "deserved" raise for a "job well done!!"