A report released by the state last week show that the Rowan-Salisbury School System’s performance during the 2013-14 school year remained consistent, but still lags behind the state in test scores and other accountability measures.
“We are a district undergoing transformation,” Dr. Chaunte’ Garrett, director of accountability, told the school board at its meeting Monday night. “Throughout all these transformations, we have maintained our progress.”
At first glance, scores seem to have drastically improved, but that’s because the state changed the way it measures student achievement levels. Last year, student achievement was measured in four tiers. This year, there are five.
“We can’t really compare this year to last year because of the changes in the achievement level,” Garrett said.
Proficiency levels, although different, still tend to be roughly 10 points below the state average in nearly every category.
The performance composite scores for the Rowan-Salisbury School System and the state during the 2013-14 school year were 45.9 and 56.3, respectively ¬– a difference of 10.4 percentage points. The year before, the difference was 9.8 percentage points. The performance composite scores measure the overall proficiency of all students in all classes.
Math scores were 48.8, 40.1 and 44.4 for third, fourth and fifth grades in Rowan Salisbury elementary Schools. The state’s scores were 60.8, 54.3 and 56.4 for the same grades.
Reading proficiency rates for third fourth and fifth grades were 52.1, 47 and 44.8 in the district and 60.2, 55.6 and 53.8 in the state.
Math proficiency rates were 31.8, 33.5 and 32 percent for sixth, seventh and eighth grades in the district and 46.8, 46 and 42.2 percent in the state.
Reading scores were 49, 50.6 and 47.3 for the same grades in Rowan-Salisbury middle schools and 56.8, 57.3 and 54.2 in the state.
High school proficiency in biology, English and math were 45.7, 54.5 and 46.8 percent in the district, and 53.9, 61.2 and 60 percent in the state.
ACT scores dropped .4 percentage points in the district, while state scores rose .8 percentage points.
Growth status, which measures the impact of instruction, is broken into three categories: exceeds, meets and does not meet expectations.
The district’s percentage of schools that do not meet expectations is slightly lower than the state average – 22.9 percent compared to the state’s 25.4 percent.
Only 11.4 percent of the district’s schools exceed growth expectations – a 20-percentage point gap behind the state.
Granite Quarry, Isenberg, Landis and North Rowan elementary schools, Southeast Middle and North Rowan, South Rowan and West Rowan high schools did not meet growth rate expectations.
Millbridge and Rockwell elementary schools, North Rowan Middle and East Rowan High School exceeded growth expectations.
Superintendent Dr. Lynn Moody said she wasn’t surprised that the district’s scores didn’t improve.
“We didn’t change anything,” she said. “You wouldn’t expect anything different.”
Moody added that the district could see a dip in scores before it saw an improvement.
“We may see an implementation dip this year because of new strategies,” she said, citing the district’s new technology plan and problem-based approach to learning.
But Moody said to expect a “spike” in scores the following year.
“If you stay the course long enough, you will see gains,” she said.
“That’s not only important for our board to understand. That’s something important for the county to understand,” said Board Member Chuck Hughes. “We’ve made changes that will project us forward.”
Garrett said the accountability report made 2013-14 “a very informative year,” adding that the scores validated the district’s plan to implement its new strategic plan.
“We can take all this information and move from maintenance to growth.”