By Sarah Nagem
snagem@salisburypost.com
About 82 percent of Rowan-Salisbury schools met or exceeded state academic standards last school year.
The numbers, which the state released Thursday, show progress within the school system. Twenty-eight of Rowan-Salisburyís 34 schools achieved expected or high academic growth in the state ABCs of Accountability program.
Nineteen schools met high academic growth, while another nine met expected academic growth.
(See accompanying lists of schools that met or exceeded state growth standards.)
The state gauges academic growth in part by comparing student test scores to prior years.
The newest test results are based on math scores in elementary and middle schools.
In the past, results have been calculated using math and reading scores. But the scores released Thursday canít be compared to last yearís numbers, state officials say, because the results of a revamped reading test wonít be released until this fall.
Even so, the overall picture shows progress. Numbers released by the school system show that 12 schools failed to meet state academic progress standards during the 2006-2007 school year. Only six did not meet standards during the latest school year.
ěWeíre getting better,î said Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education President Jim Emerson. ěThatís what we want to do.î
Only two of the school systemís 20 elementary schools did not meet growth standards ó Isenberg and Hanford Dole.
Knox Middle was the only middle school that did not meet requirements.
High schools fared the worst. Their growth was measured in part by end-of-course test results and dropout rates.
Three out of seven high schools did not make the grade ó Salisbury, South Rowan and West Rowan.
Teachers and teacher assistants at the 28 schools that met state requirements will get bonuses ó but the checks wonít be as hefty as they have been.
Teachers at the schools that earned high growth marks will get $1,053. Teacher assistants at those schools will get $351.
At schools that met expected growth, teachers will receive $527. Teacher assistants will receive $263.
This yearís state budget capped the amount that could be spent on teacher incentives.
In the past, the state has doled out bonuses of up to $1,500 for teachers at high-growth schools and $750 for teachers at expected-growth schools. The amounts used to be up to $750 and $375 for teacher assistants.
At each of the six Rowan-Salisbury schools that did not reach their targets, at least 60 percent of students tested proficient.
Among Kannapolis City Schools, five of the systemís eight schools exceeded state academic standards.
Shady Brook Elementary, Kannapolis Intermediate and A.L. Brown High School did not make the grade. The systemís other five schools reached their goals of high academic growth.
Statewide, about 55 percent of schools earned high academic growth status this past school year. Almost 27 percent of schools reached expected academic growth.
In the Rowan-Salisbury system, the latest state accountability numbers bring sunnier news than the federal No Child Left Behind results, which were released last month.
Only 10 Rowan-Salisbury schools met the federal standards, which were based on math scores in elementary and middle schools. Results were based on math, writing and English scores in high schools.
Tougher testing standards made it harder for schools to meet federal Adequate Yearly Progress in math.

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High growth

Nineteen Rowan-Salisbury schools that met high academic growth during the 2007-2008 school year:

Bostian Elementary
China Grove Elementary
China Grove Middle
Cleveland Elementary
Corriher-Lipe Middle
East Rowan High
Erwin Middle
Faith Elementary
Henderson Independent School
Hurley Elementary
Knollwood Elementary
Koontz Elementary
Morgan Elementary
Mount Ulla Elementary
North Rowan Elementary
North Rowan Middle
Shive Elementary
West Rowan Middle
Woodleaf Elementary

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Expected growth

Nine Rowan-Salisbury schools met expected academic growth during the 2007-2008 school year:

Carson High
Enochville Elementary
Granite Quarry Elementary
Landis Elementary
Millbridge Elementary
North Rowan High
Overton Elementary
Rockwell Elementary
Southeast Middle