August 6, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Dr. Terri Mozingo, Chief Academic Officer Instructional Services, 560-2027
DURHAM—Four schools in the Durham Public Schools system earned School of Distinction recognition for the 2008-09 school year under the ABCs of Accountability testing program. School of Distinction is the second highest rating a school can earn under the ABCs.
In 2007-08, no schools achieved the School of Distinction honor.
Five schools met High Growth and a total of 35 of 51 schools measured, or two-thirds, met their overall expected growth target.
The results were approved today by the State Board of Education. They were based on mathematics and reading scores on tests taken at the end of the school year. For the first time the state included students’ first retest results in grades 3 through 8 in the ABCs performance composites and for AYP.
A total of 43 of 48 Durham schools had higher composite scores than the previous year. (City of Medicine Academy and Spring Valley did not report composites last year as they were new schools; Lakeview and Hospital Schools’ composites were not included by the Department of Public Instruction last year.)
For high schools, three reported High Growth. They are Durham School of the Arts, Jordan High School and Middle College High School at Durham Technical Community College. Only one (DSA) recorded High Growth last year.
The ABCs ratings are based on end-of-grade and end-of-course test scores. Those scores are applied to a formula that ultimately indicates relative achievement levels over the course of the year, taking a number of student performance factors into account. A school that makes expected growth has shown growth that would be reasonably expected over one year’s time, based on previous performance. A high growth school must have at least 60 percent of their students achieving the expected growth standard.
Highlights among the 2008-09 ABCs results include:
- Four Schools of Distinction – Little River, Mangum and Pearsontown Elementary Schools and Middle College High School at Durham Technical Community College. There were none in 2007-08.
- Thirteen elementary schools increased their overall composite by greater than 10 percentage points; one, Y.E. Smith Elementary, increased its overall composite by greater than 20 percentage points.
- Twenty-seven of 28 elementary schools increased their overall composite.
- Elementary schools making the High Growth standard were Mangum and R.N. Harris.
- Elementary schools making expected growth were Bethesda, Burton, Club Boulevard, Creekside, Easley, Eastway, Eno Valley, Glenn, Hillandale, Hope Valley, Lakewood, Little River, Parkwood, Powe, Pearsontown, C.C. Spaulding, W.G. Pearson, Y.E. Smith, and George Watts Elementary Schools.
- All middle schools increased their overall composite. Neal’s overall composite increased by greater than 10 percentage points and W.G. Pearson Middle’s overall composite increased by greater than 20.
- Half of middle schools (five of 10) reported either Expected or High Growth.
- Durham School of the Arts grades 6-8 reported High Growth. Middle schools making Expected Growth were Brogden, Carrington, Neal, and Rogers-Herr.
- Durham School of the Arts, Jordan High and Middle College High made High Growth.
- City of Medicine Academy, Clement Early College High, Hillside, Northern, Riverside and Southern made Expected Growth.
- Five schools were designated Low Performing, down from nine last year.
“More than two-thirds of our schools reported increases in overall achievement levels. This is the result of the hard work of our students, teachers, principals, Central Services professionals, parents and community partners,” said Superintendent Carl Harris. “These outcomes indicate that our efforts are working, but that we also need to bolster support to those schools and students who have specific areas of need.”
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