3 replies to this topic

[RD Milhollin]

This is a major problem for a city that would like to attract corporate offices. Failure to pass Math classes seems to be the common thread in the districts' problems. Questions: do the state's (and federal) performance measures accurately and fairly measure "Adequate Yearly Performance?" What place does inadequate discipline and security at the campus level play in student's failure to perform? Would smaller classes in math or smaller campuses for schools with overall poor performance help students learn? Dress code?

Posted on Thu, Aug. 06, 2009 Fort Worth district falls short on federal standards for 2nd year
Three Arlington schools missed the standards

http://www.star-tele...ry/1524543.html

By EVA-MARIE AYALAeayala@star-telegram.com

The Fort Worth school district missed the federal adequate yearly progress standards the second year in a row, moving it into the first level of sanctions, according to preliminary results released today.

Fort Worth missed the standards because of the low passing rates of special education students in reading and math. Last year was the first year special education students’ performance on a modified Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test rather than a separate state test were included in AYP results. District officials now must develop a district improvement plan to address those areas as part of its stage 1 sanction.

There were 34 Tarrant County area schools that missed the federal standards at the campus level, down from 81 that missed last year.

Fort Worth had 23 of its 144 campuses miss the federal standards, down from 33 that missed last year. Polytechnic High School moved up to the highest federal sanction level of stage 5. Six schools -- South Hills, Dunbar, Eastern Hills and O.D. Wyatt high schools and Daggett and Handley middle schools -- moved up to the stage 4 level. North Side High moved up to the stage 3 level. Most missed the mark because of math performance on state tests.

Schools that continually miss federal academic standards face increasing sanctions that range from transfer options for students and free tutoring to replacing principals and staff if they receive Title 1 funds, which is money aimed at helping to educate low-income students. The AYP standards are tied to the federal No Child Left Behind law, which aims to have 100 percent proficiency in reading and math by 2014.

Castleberry also missed the AYP standards as a district because it graduated 67.1 percent of its students in 2008 rather than the targeted 70 percent, a drop of 3.7 percent from the previous year.

The Arlington school district had three schools miss the federal standards. Barnett Junior High missed because of poor reading and math performance. Nichols Junior High, which moved up to stage 2, missed because of a low performance in math, and the Venture High School alternative campus missed because of its low graduation rate of 29.6 percent. Last year, nine junior high schools missed the standards.

The Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district had one school miss, the Keys Center, an alternative school.

Smithfield Middle School in the Birdville school district was the only campus not to meet AYP. District officials said they will appeal the designation for the middle school, which missed because of math performance.

Mansfield’s Coble Middle school missed because of its mathematics performance.

Statewide, 80 percent of schools and districts met the federal standards.



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Federal adequate yearly progress

Schools that continually miss federal academic standards face increasing sanctions if they receive Title 1 funds, which is money aimed at helping to educate poor students.

Stage 1 (missed AYP 2 years)

■ Allow student to transfer to other selected schools and provide transportation.

■ Develop a two-year improvement plan.

■ Notify parents of school status and sanctions.

■ Establish a peer-review process.

Stage 2 (missed AYP 3 years)

■ Continue Stage 1 sanctions.

■ Offer free tutoring to students -- private and during school.

Stage 3 (missed AYP 4 years)

■ Continue Stage 2 sanctions.

■ Implement at least one corrective action -- replace staff, implement new curriculum, decrease campus-level authority, appoint an outside expert to advise the campus, extend school year or day, restructure internal organization of campus.

Stage 4 (missed AYP 5 years)

■ Continue Stage 3 sanctions.

■ Implement one of these actions: Reopen school as a charter school; replace principal and staff; contract with private management company; have the state take over the school; restructure the school’s administration.

Stage 5 (missed AYP 6 years)

■ Continue to offer transfers and tutoring.

■ Implement one of these options: Replace principal and staff; contract with private management company; have the state take over the school; restructure the school’s administration.

EVA-MARIE AYALA, 817-390-7700

[renamerusk]

"asssumption that suburbs=good schools and cities=bad schools and, importantly, that this equation is an irrepressible force of nature."

 

zero assumption. and i too wish this wasn't true but it is. im not talking about assumptions or false choices im talking about how families in texas in particular make decisions and that how they make them is ok. collin county is one big sprawling suburb.

 

I would disagree with your assumptions and those of many families for there are academic ratings that do not bare out the decisions that are being made about the locations of the best schools. 

 

Of the top ten public high schools in Texas, three are schools in Dallas ISD, two or schools in Houston ISD and one is in Rio Grand Valley.  These central city schools are also highly ranked nationally.  Many, if not the majority, of the private academies and magnet schools are situated in the central city. 

 

We agree that Fort Worth is a central city and that R.L. Paschal and South Hill are schools in the Fort Worth ISD.   Paschal is ranked #85 in the state and 882 nationally*; and that it also ranks higher than Richland High (NRH) Celina (Collin Co.) Keller, Rockwall, Frisco and Trophy Club.  Also, I recall that Paschal in the past has drawn students as far away as Aledo who want to attend it for its nationally ranked merit programs.

 

Education is a comprehensive process and even though elementary education is important, it is not the start that is so important but the finish which is the critical to advancing to higher education and a more successful life in an increasingly diversity country.  It is very easy for a family to assume that grammar school will solidify the end results, but that is more fiction than it is reality.

 

*US News

 

Listing of Texas High Schools:

 

http://www.usnews.co...oltypecharter=y

[mmiller2002]

RD, just curious, do you have kids in FWISD or experience with them?

[RD Milhollin]

Former educator in public schools.