Friday, Aug. 29, 2008

60 Mid-Columbia schools not making the grade

By Sara Schilling, Herald staff writer

More than 60 Mid-Columbia schools didn't make "adequate yearly progress" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act and are designated as in need of improvement.

But there are flaws in the law and being on the improvement list doesn't mean that schools aren't making progress in reading and math, the state's top education official said.

"Please don't think a school is failing because it didn't meet the requirements," said state Superintendent Terry Bergeson, who's calling for changes in No Child Left Behind.

Her office Thursday released a preliminary list of 628 schools in the state that didn't meet federal goals and therefore are categorized as needing improvement.

There were 280 schools on the list last year. The dramatic increase is because the test-score targets that students need to meet jumped between 15 percent and 35 percent depending on the grade and subject.

The intent of the federal law is that all students be proficient in reading and math by 2014.

In this state, adequate yearly progress is measured by student participation in and scores from the Washington Assessment of Student Learning in reading and math. Unexcused absence and on-time graduation rates also are factored in.

Schools have to hit targets in up to 37 categories, including the performance of subsets of students like those who are learning English or are from low income families. If schools don't make the grade in one category for two years in a row, they're on the list.

Schools in improvement status that receive federal aid face sanctions ranging from allowing parents to transfer their child to replacing staff.

The Kennewick district has five schools on the list this year. Officials take the designation seriously and examine the data to improve instruction and reach more kids, said Superintendent Dave Bond.

But they also know it doesn't offer a complete picture of what's going on at each school, he said.

"Do (the schools) have areas in which they need to do some work and try to get better? Sure. But it's one indicator of how a school is doing among many, many indicators," Bond said.

For example, Kennewick High is on the list but also is known in the state for having a strong International Baccalaureate program, he said.

And Amistad Elementary -- which is designated as needing improvement -- had the most growth of any K-5 school in Kennewick in third grade reading last year, Bond said.

School districts as a whole also can be labeled as needing improvement under the federal law. This year, the Richland district made that list.

District officials have looked at the data and think it could have been a mistake in calculations that landed them there, said Mike Kirby, assistant superintendent.

They've contacted the state to verify the numbers.

But whether or not the district remains in improvement status, teachers and administrators are working hard to provide kids the best education, he said.

"We're continually trying to improve our instruction and teaching," Kirby said.

Richland -- which like Kennewick beat the state average in most grades and subjects on the spring WASL -- also had five individual schools on the schools list.

The Kennewick and Pasco school districts also are on the district list this year.

In Pasco, 13 individual schools are in improvement status. The district has different demographics than the rest in the Tri-Cities, with about 40 percent of students in bilingual programs and nearly 70 percent from low income families.

The district has put literacy and math instructional coaches in elementary, middle and high schools and focused on professional development for teachers, said Dennis Maguire, associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction.

Pasco's spring WASL scores were below the state average but showed some significant gains over last year.

For example, students in third, fifth, sixth and 10th grades did better in every subject than in 2007.

"As a district we're fully aware we have a lot of work to do to make kids more successful in school," Maguire said. "The other piece is that this is one measure. There are other measures showing these kids are beating the odds."

Districts and schools get off the improvement list when they meet all the targets twice in a row. Compass High School in Grandview was one of four schools in the state to do that this year.

Bergeson on Thursday also released a proposal for changing No Child Left Behind. It calls for an accountability system with realistic goals and more flexibility that recognizes not all kids start in the same place.

She also wants more money from the federal government for training and programs required to meet the provisions of the law, and a way to recognize when progress is made, she said.

The school and district lists aren't final because scores from the high school WASL given in August haven't yet been factored in. Officials also still have time to look over their scores and appeal their status.

SCHOOLS UNDER SCRUTINY

More than 60 Mid-Columbia schools and 11 districts didn't make "adequate yearly progress" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act and are designated as "in need of improvement."

The results aren't final because some test scores still need to be factored in and districts have time to check their data and appeal the status.

Schools showing improvement

Pasco

* Pasco High; New Horizons High School.

* Ellen Ochoa Middle School; McLoughlin Middle School; Stevens Middle School.

* Emerson Elementary School; Longfellow Elementary; Mark Twain Elementary; Robert Frost Elementary; Rowena Chess Elementary; Ruth Livingston Elementary; Virgie Robinson Elementary; Whittier Elementary.

Kennewick

* Kennewick High School; Southridge High.

* Park Middle School; Highlands Middle School.

* Amistad Elementary School.

Richland/West Richland

* Richland High School; Rivers Edge High School.

* Carmichael Middle School; Chief Joseph Middle School; Enterprise Middle School, West Richland.

Benton City

* Kiona-Benton City High School; Kiona-Benton City Middle School; Kiona-Benton City Elementary School.

Prosser

* Prosser High School; Housel Middle School; Whitstran Elementary.

Connell/Basin City

* Connell High School; Robert L. Olds Junior High School; Basin City Elementary School; Connell Elementary School.

Othello

* Othello High School; McFarland Junior High School; Hiawatha Elementary School; Lutacaga Elementary; Scootney Springs Elementary.

Royal City/Wahluke

* Royal Middle School; Red Rock Elementary School.

* Wahluke High School; Morris Schott Middle School; Saddle Mountain Intermediate School.

Sunnyside

* Sunnyside High School.

* Harrison Middle School; Sierra Vista Middle School.

* Chief Kamiakin Elementary School; Outlook Elementary; Pioneer Elementary; Washington Elementary.

Grandview

* Grandview High School; Grandview Middle School; McClure Elementary School; Smith Elementary School; Thompson Elementary School.

Mabton

* Mabton High School; Artz Fox Elementary School.

Moses Lake

* Moses Lake High School; Chief Moses Middle School; Frontier Middle School; Columbia Basin Secondary School; Peninsula Elementary School.

Walla Walla

* Walla Walla High School; Lincoln Alternative High School.

* Garrison Middle School; Pioneer Middle School.

* Green Park Elementary School; Prospect Point Elementary.

Schools needing improvement

Kennewick School District; Pasco School District; Richland School District; Kiona-Benton City School District; Grandview School District; Moses Lake School District; North Franklin School District; Othello School District; Sunnyside School District; Wahluke School District; Walla Walla School District.