NCLB tags schools for performance

NEW ULM - The New Ulm public school district as a whole, and, separately, each of Washington and Jefferson Elementary Schools, are among those deemed not making adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

More specifically, the district as a whole failed to meet targets in reading and math for special education and Hispanic students, and also math targets for low-income students.

Washington Elementary School failed to meet reading and math targets for students in special education, while Jefferson did not meet the reading targets for that same subgroup. (The high school met its goals.)

District 88 Superintendent Harold Remme, however, took a positive approach to interpreting the results Monday.

To start with, Remme pointed out, the district met targets in terms of "attendance, graduation rates and that kind of thing."

As to academic results, the reporting in question extends to eight student subgroups in three different buildings who each take two tests. That amounts to 48 test score options to be judged by. The district only "failed" in three subgroups - "which is actually pretty good," Remme said.

He also stressed that "we are talking about moving targets" - the requirements increase progressively from year to year, with the goal of universal proficiency by 2014. Many educators doubt that this is a realistic goal.

However, he also adds, "we will continue to examine what the problems are - and what steps we need to take to correct them." For example, programming for English language learners (primarily students speaking Spanish as their first language) may indeed need adjustments.

Washington Elementary School Principal Bill Sprung, who in addition to leading that school analyzes test scores districtwide, pointed out that while educators will by no means abandon efforts to meet the needs of all students, "realistically speaking, as the target increases each year, it will inevitably be harder and harder to meet."

"I see this (more schools missing more goals) as a by-product of yearly increasing the bar, and expecting everyone to jump over it," Sprung said.

"If we are realistic about it, Minnesota is setting some very aggressive targets," he adds.

Washington's special education students have missed reading targets for three years in a row, which technically would have placed the school in a category of schools in need of supplemental services in 2010.

However, as part of what appears to be a statewide trend, the school will avoid the more punitive consequences of the federal law by choosing not to receive Title I (literacy improvement) funds in 2010. A Journal look at statewide results shows that this appears to be the case at quite a few schools. (Locally, Title I funds will be focused into Jefferson school.)

Washington's test results actually improved from the previous year, overall, missing the goal by about four points, Remme and Sprung note.

As to math, it's the first time the school has missed the goals, so no penalties would take effect.

Schools that miss a goal for the first time would have to notify parent of the "miss" and talk internally about improvement plans, clarifies Sprung.

Jefferson has met goals until now, so it, likewise, it would not be penalized. (The school last year did operate under "safe harbor" provisions. These allow a site posting lower than desired results to report a three-year average, cushioning against specific class variation.)

Jefferson Principal Pam Kirsch cautioned against making too much of Jefferson's miss of targets at this stage.

"Overall, I am quite pleased with our improvements across the board," said Kirsch.

"I realize that a small group of students in special education did not do as well as we hoped. But I doubt that this is a trend. I think it's a situation with a small group of kids."

"I think our RTi probes (a program at the school to improve individual students' reading in a targeted manner) are working, and students are improving at a faster rate."

Ironically, officials pointed out, individual school sites in the district either did not have large enough samples, or else did meet, proficiency test targets for both Hispanic or low-income students. But when the numbers of these students were added up across the board, the district as a whole missed the goals. A Journal review suggests that this may also be a statewide trend.

Statewide, more schools than last year were required to report results, and, also, a larger share missed the goals.

Penalties for "failing" schools increase in severity with each year goals are missed, and range from offering students school choice with transportation, to supplemental services and school restructuring.

It is enough to miss a single goal to make the "not making AYP" list.

Some districts (or individual sites) missed just one, and others missed as many as six.

Member Comments

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vang99
08-11-09 6:05 PM »Report Abuse	ISD 88 fails to meet targets again? This is inexcusable. The administration, all of them, need to be held accountable. Parents, stand up and be heard. Don't except this annual failure.

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