As the new Charlottesville schools superintendent, Rosa Atkins may face a school system that’s slightly less troublesome than that her predecessors confronted. Recently released Standards of Learning (SOL) test scores show a picture of a school system improving in some areas, while stagnating in others. Sanctions have been lifted from Clark Elementary, part of an upward trend of improving SOL pass rates and good Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). But, pass rates in math are hovering around 65 percent, and three schools did not make AYP standards last year.
On the positive side, Clark Elementary, under sanctions since 2004, passed AYP standards the past two years and, starting next year, will no longer have to give students the option to attend other schools. Adequate Yearly Progress takes into account 29 factors designed to ensure each student population is being served. If schools fail AYP standards for two consecutive years, many schools must implement Choice. (Membership in Choice has been considered a condemnation of a school’s quality since the federal program was instituted as part of “No Child Left Behind” in 2002.)
English pass rates for all students have increased to 72 percent, up from 68 percent in 2003-2004. African-American students had the biggest increase in scores, to 59 percent passing from only 50 percent two years ago. The district still has a ways to go in serving African-American students, who have some of the lowest pass rates in English and math.
Math scores have remained fairly static for students across the board, with African-American students having pass rates of under 50 percent.
Three schools did not meet AYP requirements: Walker Upper Elementary, Johnson Elementary and Buford Middle. 2005-2006 was the third consecutive year that Walker and Buford have failed AYP requirements; it was Johnson’s first failing year. Buford and Walker aren’t eligible for federal sanctions, since they’re not Title I schools, which means they don’t receive federal funds for serving at-risk student populations.
That leaves the school division on its own to combat the issues. “Typically we review the school’s improvement plan and see what kind of efforts the school can make—see what kind of support that the division can provide to that school,” says Harley Miles, coordinator of testing and staff development for City schools. Let’s hope Atkins and her staff are up to the task.
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