With end-of-grade test results from the 2012-13 year about to be released, scores may be down, but there are strong indicators of academic growth in Lenoir County Public Schools.
LCPS Testing Director Becky Whittington said 64 percent of schools met or exceeded academic growth for the 2012-2013 school year, which is almost on par with the state average of 71 percent.
“It’s something we are really celebrating,” she said.
Whittington said school growth is calculated using all end-of-grade and end-of-course
test scores, by an Educator Value-Added Assessment System. The system looks at where a child was on the previous year’s test and compares that result to the current test. They determine where they fall in the range of all the children across the state. It is then calculated on a normal curve.
She said if a student maintains their position, even if it is below the state average, then the student has met growth.
She said a new test was given at the end of last school year and as a result of some of the changes, test scores were down in some areas.
“This year there was a new test, with new curriculum and the standards were raised, with more rigors and there was no retest,” she said.
The new standards and curriculum are part of the N.C. READY initiative, which is shifting the focus from only grade-level readiness to career and college readiness, too.
She said due to the new standards, the N.C. State School Board decided to make the 2012-13 test scores a baseline and not compare them to the 2011-12 year.
“All of our charts will start with 2012-13 results and move from there. Because there is no way to say well last year you were 70 percent proficient and this year you are only 45 percent proficient. That doesn’t even say the same thing, because it’s a totally different curriculum, a totally different test.”
When the EOG and EOC scores are released to parents in the coming weeks, Whittington said they will notice lower scores, but there is no cause for concern.
“Know that the children are being challenged and are under much more rigorous standards to have them college and career ready. Because of that, the scores don’t show it, but the growth is there,” she said.
Also she said there is no penalty on students and if a child did not pass or reach level 3 or 4 on an EOG test. The student will not be dropped down to their previous grade.
Whittington said she is confident about scores going forward.
“We fully anticipate, that things are going to move positively everywhere, because teachers and children rise to the challenge. So we expect that our results will be better this year.”
Noah Clark can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Noah.Clark@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @nclark763.
Expected Growth Categories
Exceded expected growth
Banks Elementary School
La Grange Elementary School
Pink Hill Elementary School
Met expected growth
Contentnea-Savannah K-8 School
Lenoir County Early College
Northeast Elementary School
Rochelle Middle School
South Lenoir High School
Southeast Elementary School
Southwood Elementary School
Did not meet expected growth
E.B. Frink Middle School
Kinston High School
Moss Hill Elementary School
North Lenoir High School
Northwest Elementary School
Woodington Middle School