Fort Worth-area schools’ progress mixed, ratings show <\/p>\n
By DIANE SMITH and EVA-MARIE AYALAdianesmith@star-telegram.com<\/p>\n
Coffee chats with parents, partnerships with businesses and churches
\nand programs to attract Hispanic role models are some of the small
\nthings that aided Arlington Thornton Elementary School\u2019s two-year
\nclimb from “academically unacceptable” to “recognized.” <\/p>\n
“Before you can get a kid to listen to you, you\u2019ve got to prove you
\ncare about them,” Principal David Gutierrez said Friday. “Then, when
\nit\u2019s time to sit down and learn, they\u2019ll focus on the material
\neasier.” <\/p>\n
Thornton was among at least 80 Tarrant County schools that saw marked
\nimprovements in their campus accountability ratings, the Texas
\nEducation Agency said Friday. <\/p>\n
For others, the ratings point to areas in need of improvement. Ten
\nFort Worth schools and two Arlington junior high schools are rated
\n“academically unacceptable” this year, the lowest rating on the
\nstate\u2019s four-tier scale. This is the fourth consecutive year that
\nPolytechnic High School in southeast Fort Worth has been rated
\n“academically unacceptable.” <\/p>\n
The ratings are based on schools\u2019 performance on the Texas
\nAssessment of Knowledge and Skills. On Friday, the state also released
\ndropout and completion rates for districts and schools with students
\nin grades 7 through 12. <\/p>\n
The graduation rate for the Class of 2007 was 78 percent. Between
\nninth and 12th grades, 11.4 percent of the class dropped out,
\naccording to the TEA. <\/p>\n
Fort Worth district <\/p>\n
Overall results were mixed for Fort Worth schools, which are working
\nto make academic gains even as the state\u2019s minimum passing standards
\nfor “acceptable” ratings increased. <\/p>\n
Tanglewood and Waverly Park elementary schools were rated
\n“exemplary.” The number of “recognized” campuses increased to 32 from
\n16 last year. I.M. Terrell Elementary School made a dramatic
\nimprovement from “academically unacceptable” to “recognized.” Two
\nyears ago the school was “exemplary.” <\/p>\n
Michael Sorum, chief academic officer for Fort Worth schools, said
\nTerrell had a very focused instructional agenda aimed at improving the
\nschool. Teachers worked one-on-one with students and developed
\nindividualized plans. <\/p>\n
Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School went from “unacceptable” last year to
\n“academically acceptable.” <\/p>\n
“We know the schools worked very, very hard, and it paid off,” Sorum
\nsaid of Diamond Hill and Terrell. <\/p>\n
At Poly and four other “unacceptable” Fort Worth high schools,
\nperformance on the math TAKS fell below the state passing rate. The
\nother “unacceptable” high schools are South Hills, Dunbar, Eastern
\nHills and O.D. Wyatt. Dunbar, South Hills and Eastern Hills were
\n“unacceptable” for a second year. <\/p>\n
Meadowbrook and Morningside middle schools also received the
\nstate\u2019s lowest rating. Neither school met the passing standard for
\nscience, which is tested in the eighth grade. This was the first year
\neighth-grade science passing rates were included in the accountability
\nratings. <\/p>\n
Mitchell Boulevard, Sunrise-McMillian and Briscoe elementary schools
\nin Fort Worth were “academically unacceptable.” <\/p>\n
Arlington and Mansfield districts <\/p>\n
Arlington had two “academically unacceptable” schools \u2014 Carter and
\nHutcheson junior highs. Both dropped in ratings because of the science
\ntest. <\/p>\n
The district went from one “exemplary” campus in 2007 to three \u2014
\nAshworth, Ditto and Little elementaries. Overall, Arlington now has 15
\nrecognized campuses, up from 14. <\/p>\n
East Arlington campuses made a good showing in the ratings. Five of
\nArlington\u2019s 15 “recognized” elementaries are in east Arlington or
\nwest Grand Prairie: Blanton, Hale, Knox, Farrell and Thornton. One
\nother elementary in a low-income area, Webb, was also “recognized.” <\/p>\n
Arlington\u2019s Newcomer Center for students new to the country dropped
\nfrom acceptable to unacceptable. It was the first time the campus had
\nenough students taking the TAKS to affect its rating, a district
\nspokeswoman said. Only 10 percent of those who took the test at the
\ncampus passed, TEA reports show. <\/p>\n
Eight Mansfield school district elementary campuses were “exemplary.”
\nThey include Elizabeth Smith, which was “acceptable” last year <\/p>\n
Mansfield\u2019s Brooks Wester Middle School dropped from “recognized”
\nto “acceptable.” <\/p>\n
Northeast Tarrant County districts <\/p>\n
The Grapevine-Colleyville, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Keller and Northwest
\nschool districts each gained “recognized” status. Superintendents
\ncredited hard work from teachers and students, and curriculum changes.<\/p>\n
“We have had an instructional improvement plan for the last five
\nyears that has a very specific curriculum, and everyone at the campus
\nand central office levels has worked hard to execute the plan,” said
\nGene Buinger, H-E-B superintendent. <\/p>\n
Eight H-E-B schools were “exemplary,” up from two last year, and 15
\nwere “recognized.” Its two senior highs, L.D. Bell and Trinity,
\nimproved from “acceptable” to “recognized.” <\/p>\n
Nine Grapevine-Colleyville schools are “exemplary.” The Keller school
\ndistrict now has 13 top-rated campuses. Keller High School improved
\nfrom “acceptable” to “recognized.” <\/p>\n
In the Birdville school district, Green Valley Elementary earned the
\ntop rating for the 14th consecutive year. The district had six
\n“exemplary” schools, twice as many as last year. <\/p>\n
Eagle Ridge Elementary in the Keller district and Granger Elementary
\nin the Northwest district \u2014 new campuses being evaluated for the
\nfirst time \u2014 were “exemplary.” <\/p>\n
No Northeast Tarrant County area schools were “academically
\nunacceptable.” <\/p>\n
The Carroll school district remained “exemplary,” and 10 campuses
\nearned the top rating. But the state did not rate Old Union Elementary
\nSchool because of “data integrity issues.” The campus was the subject
\nof a state investigation into problems involving special education. <\/p>\n
Other area districts <\/p>\n
Five Eagle Mountain-Saginaw schools improved: Highland and Creekview
\nmiddle schools moved up to “recognized,” while Gilliland and Elkins
\nelementaries were also “recognized.” Greenfield Elementary School
\nmoved up to “exemplary” from “recognized.” <\/p>\n
Crowley\u2019s H.F. Stevens Middle School dropped from “acceptable” to
\n“academically unacceptable.” Dallas Park Elementary and Sidney H.
\nPoynter dropped to “academically acceptable” from “recognized.” <\/p>\n
Everman set a record, with three “recognized” campuses. <\/p>\n
Charter schools <\/p>\n
Richard Milburn and Theresa B. Lee academies went to “acceptable”
\nafter two consecutive years of “unacceptable.” <\/p>\n
Armard Anderson, director of Milburn\u2019s Fort Worth school, said his
\nteachers worked hard to provide extra help to students through efforts
\nlike Saturday tutoring and mandated TAKS study classes for some
\njuniors and seniors. The school had been under a state-appointed
\nmonitor because of low ratings. <\/p>\n
“We had a really good staff,” Anderson said. “They really honed in on
\nwhere the students needed help and where they were weak at,
\nparticularly in math and science. Next year, we\u2019ll move that forward
\nwhen we open our science lab so they can get a real hands-on
\nexperience.” <\/p>\n
Jean Massieu Academy in Arlington was “unacceptable” for the third
\nyear in a row. The school, which caters to deaf students and those
\nwith deaf relatives, posted improvements in math. But students
\nstruggled in other areas. <\/p>\n
Westlake Academy, the state\u2019s only municipally operated charter
\nschool, was “exemplary,” up from “recognized” last year. <\/p>\n
Staff writers Jessamy Brown, Mark Agee, Shirley Jinkins and John
\nMoritz contributed to this report.<\/p>\n
——————————————————————————–<\/p>\n
About the ratings What are they used for? <\/p>\n
They are designed to help parents and educators measure school
\ndistricts\u2019 and campuses\u2019 performance. The ratings are based on
\ncomplicated formulas that take into account TAKS passing rates for
\nstudent subgroups, such as low-income and special education students,
\nand graduation rates. <\/p>\n
Do the TEA ratings differ from the federal Adequate Yearly Progress
\nratings? <\/p>\n
Yes. Those ratings are part of the No Child Left Behind Act, which
\nintends for all students to be proficient in English and math by the
\n2013-14 school year. AYP evaluations are based largely on TAKS scores
\nin reading and math, graduation rates in high schools and attendance
\nrates in elementary and middle schools. <\/p>\n
Are there sanctions for poorly performing schools? <\/p>\n
Schools that are “academically unacceptable” for three years in a row
\nmust replace their staff. A new principal may be sent in, teachers may
\nhave to reapply for their positions and new teaching techniques may be
\nimplemented. The state education commissioner may also appoint a
\nmonitor, conservator, management team or board of managers to oversee
\nimprovement plans. In the fourth year, the education commissioner
\nreviews the progress and can order a school closed if it hasn\u2019t
\nimproved. If the school still hasn\u2019t improved by year five, it must,
\nby law, be closed. <\/p>\n
\u2014 Diane Smith and Jessamy Brown <\/p>\n
Source: Texas Education Agency <\/p>\n
DIANE SMITH, 817-390-7675 EVA-MARIE AYALA, 817-548-5534<\/p>\n
Sources: http:\/\/www.star-telegram.com\/northeast\/story\/802716.html<\/p>\n
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Fort Worth-area schools’ progress mixed, ratings show By DIANE SMITH and EVA-MARIE AYALAdianesmith@star-telegram.com Coffee chats with parents, partnerships with businesses and churches and programs to attract Hispanic role models are some of the small things that aided Arlington Thornton Elementary…<\/p>\n