Published: August 05, 2008 02:05 am            

WISD looks to up TEA ratings

PALESTINE — Even before they had the final word about the Texas Education Agency’s 2008 accountability ratings, Westwood Independent School District administrators had already taken a few pre-emptive strikes to bring up next year’s TAKS scores.

Not that things were all bad — the district and its high school campus maintained their 2007 ratings of “Academically Acceptable,” while the elementary campus held on to its “Recognized” rating for another year.

It was the junior high campus that took a somewhat surprising and definitely disappointing drop from “Academically Acceptable,” in 2007 to “Academically Unacceptable” this year.

That rating, according to WISD Superintendent Dr. Ed Lyman, was due to a “barely miss” on the science portion of the TAKS test — the campus slipped from earning the “Academically Acceptable” rating by two students in one category.

Things already have are been put into place on the junior high campus to improve science scores as well as those in math, another area in which Lyman reported administration was “not pleased” with the results.

“We have a couple of new teachers and a new principal, Jennifer Williams, who came to us from Pasadena,” Lyman said. “Williams has 10 years experience as a math teacher in Lufkin and we are confident scores will improve under her leadership.

“And to help bring in strong math and science teachers, we budgeted a $1,000 stipend for secondary teachers in those areas.”

Due to the poor rating, the Texas Education Agency requires the district to bring in a consultant, James Wall, that will “do some restructuring” on the junior high campus and make sure improvements are made, Lyman explained.

“Wall is required to work with the campus teachers and administration for the next two years,” the superintendent said. “Scores (and accountability ratings) must improve during that time to end the consultation.

“But if we earn a ‘Recognized’ rating in 2009, Wall will only have to stay with us one year,” Lyman said. “I am confident we will have that rating at this time next year.”

A two-year stint under a consultant has just concluded at the high school campus, which received an “Academically Unacceptable” 2006 rating. The campus was able to maintain their “Academically Acceptable” rating in 2007 and this year.

Lyman explained that an “Academically Unacceptable” rating doesn’t always mean there are major problems on a campus, but as in the junior high’s case — with the ratings received by a matter of a few students — it is a wake up call.

“It could mean there is some area that, for some reason or another, has been allowed to fall through,” Lyman said. “But we should never get that close, and we are not going to let it happen again.

“In the end, it is all about the students,” he added. “We want them to have the best education possible and will do whatever it takes to give it to them.”

About Accountability Ratings

The TEA determines accountability ratings — from highest to lowest, Exemplary, Recognized, Academically Acceptable and Academically Unacceptable — based on a district’s TAKS results as well as completion and dropout rates.

For example, to achieve Westwood ISD’s district “Academically Acceptable” ratings, at least 70 percent of the tested students passed the Reading/ELA portion of the TAKS, at least 65 percent passed Writing and Social Studies portions, at least 50 percent passed the Math portion and at least 45 percent passed the Science portion.

To be designated as Recognized, at least 75 percent of the tested students must pass every portion of the TAKS test. An Exemplary rating is achieved when at least 90 percent of the tested students pass all portions of the TAKS.

Completion rate measures the percent of students who first attended ninth grade in the 2003-04 school year and have completed or are continuing their education four years later.

These students were tracked over the four years using data provided to TEA by districts and data available in the statewide General Educational Development (GED) database.

To receive an academically acceptable rating, a district must have a completion rate of 75 percent or higher, with a 85 percent rate or more for a recognized rating and 95 percent or more for an exemplary rating.

The dropout rate is used to evaluate campuses and districts with students in seventh and eighth grades. This is a one-year measure, calculated by summing the number of dropouts across the two grades.

The standard for the Annual Dropout Rate is 2 percent or less for all rating categories.

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Mary Rainwater may be reached via e-mail at mrainwater@palestineherald.com

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On the Net:

Texas Education Agency 2008 Accountability Ratings, http://www.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2008/index.html

        

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