Albert Lea schools fail to hit mark, again
Published 9:31 am Thursday, August 7, 2008
The Albert Lea School District did not meet Adequate Yearly Progress standards put forth by the No Child Left Behind Act for the third year in a row. Within the district, four out of seven schools did not meet AYP for various categories — two for the second year in a row.
However, the margin of meeting or not meeting standards for many areas was very slim. And some schools met AYP in previously failing areas but then did not meet in a different area.
“We had gains, but it wasn’t enough in some cases,” said Director of Curriculum Judy Knudtson, adding the AYP status wasn’t because students weren’t trying and weren’t learning.
Adequate yearly progress is determined by general education assessments, the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment Series II, the Students with Disabilities Alternate Assessment, the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills and the Mathematics Test of English Language Learners. AYP is the minimum standard of proficiency in these tests as determined by the No Child Left Behind Act.
The act aims to have 100 percent proficiency by 2014. To be determined proficient, students must meet or exceed standards on the tests. The U.S. Congress has yet to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act, and many options for restructuring are being discussed.
As a district, Albert Lea did not meet nationwide standards in reading by the Hispanic subgroup nor in math by the Hispanic, English-language learner or special education subgroups. In 2007, the district did not meet AYP in math for the Hispanic subgroup.
Halverson Elementary School, which receives federal Title 1 funding to help with students from lower-income families, did not meet AYP for the second year in a row. In 2007, Halverson failed to meet requirements in reading for special education students and math for special education and Hispanic students.
This year, Halverson met standards in the three previously failing areas but did not make AYP in reading for Hispanic students.
Knudtson said the school has a short time to celebrate the successes it made before it has to work on the area it fell short.
Because Halverson receives Title 1 funding and did not meet AYP two years in a row, it will have to write a building plan to improve math and reading scores, according to Knudtson.
Lakeview Elementary School did not make adequate progress for the second year in a row — in both years it missed marks in reading for special education students and this year in reading for Hispanic students — but will not have to write a building plan because it no longer receives Title 1 funding.
Hawthorne Elementary School and Southwest Middle School both failed to meet AYP standards for the first time — and neither receive Title 1 funds — so they do not need to write plans. Hawthorne did not meet AYP in math for special education students. Southwest did not meet standards in math for Hispanic students.
Albert Lea High School failed to meet AYP standards in the Hispanic and special education math subcategories but passed this year. Sibley Elementary School and the Area Learning Center has met AYP standards for the past two years.
To help improvement next year, Knudtson said the district will look closely at the data and see what it can do. For the 2008-09 school year, the district will install a new elementary math program with math standards based report cards for parents and introduce new math text books for the seventh- and eight-graders that align with high school math and state standards.
“In every way it’s possible that we have thought of so far, we have been focusing more intensely on reading and math achievement,” Knudtson said. “All we will do is go back at it, look at it, fine tune and carry on. Sometimes it just takes time.”
Across the state, 200 more schools failed to meet standards than last year. Such a widespread issue draws attention to the testing standards themselves. This year the bar was raised requiring schools to have a higher percentage of students meet or exceed standards than last year.
“No Child Left Behind needs to be significantly changed, but increased funding would certainly help kids who are in need of additional support to do better on these tests,” said Superintendent David Prescott.
Funding could go to extra instruction before or after school, more teachers to provide smaller class sizes or specialized curriculum, he said.
“I think it’s fundamentally flawed because it was politically put together, not child-learning-research put together,” Prescott said.
It is projected, he said, that every school in Minnesota will eventually be on the list for not making AYP if the bar keeps getting raised. If a school district had all the funds it wanted there would still be one student that would have difficulty learning and not be able to perform on the tests, Knudtson added.
According to a Minnesota Department of Education press release, the increase statewide in schools not making AYP is the result of “slight improvements in proficiency” and increases in AYP targets for both subjects.
Schools are required to test 95 percent of all students in grades three through eight and 10 in reading and three through eight and 11 in math. The results are reported for all students and eight subgroups narrowed by demographics.
Participation rate is factored into a school’s or district’s AYP result, but for schools in the Albert Lea School District, participation wasn’t a problem.
Title 1 schools not meeting AYP for two or more consecutive years, according to the Department of Education, must provide parents with a choice of attendance at another school within the district. Transportation must also be provided as well as supplemental education services, such as tutoring. Schools could begin restructuring, too.
with students from lower-income families, did not meet AYP for the second year in a row. In 2007, Halverson failed to meet requirements in reading for special education students and math for special education and Hispanic students.
This year, Halverson met standards in the three previously failing areas but did not make AYP in reading for Hispanic students.
Knudtson said the school has a short time to celebrate the successes it made before it has to work on the area it fell short.
Because Halverson receives Title 1 funding and did not meet AYP two years in a row, it will have to write a building plan to improve math and reading scores, according to Knudtson.
Lakeview Elementary School did not make adequate progress for the second year in a row — in both years it missed marks in reading for special education students and this year in reading for Hispanic students — but will not have to write a building plan because it no longer receives Title 1 funding.
Hawthorne Elementary School and Southwest Middle School both failed to meet AYP standards for the first time — and neither receive Title 1 funds — so they do not need to write plans. Hawthorne did not meet AYP in math for special education students. Southwest did not meet standards in math for Hispanic students.
Last year, Albert Lea High School failed to meet AYP standards in the Hispanic and special education math subcategories but passed this year. Sibley Elementary School and the Area Learning Center has met AYP standards for the past two years.
To help improvement next year, Knudtson said the district will look closely at the data and see what it can do. For the 2008-09 school year, the district will install a new elementary math program with math standards based report cards for parents and introduce new math text books for the seventh- and eight-graders that align with high school math and state standards.
“In every way it’s possible that we have thought of so far, we have been focusing more intensely on reading and math achievement,” Knudtson said. “All we will do is go back at it, look at it, fine tune and carry on. Sometimes it just takes time.”
Across the state, 200 more schools failed to meet standards than last year. Such a widespread issue draws attention to the testing standards themselves. This year the bar was raised requiring schools to have a higher percentage of students meet or exceed standards than last year.
“No Child Left Behind needs to be significantly changed, but increased funding would certainly help kids who are in need of additional support to do better on these tests,” said Superintendent David Prescott.
Funding could go to extra instruction before or after school, more teachers to provide smaller class sizes or specialized curriculum, he said.
“I think it’s fundamentally flawed because it was politically put together, not child-learning-research put together,” Prescott said.
It is projected, he said, that every school in Minnesota will eventually be on the list for not making AYP if the bar keeps getting raised. If a school district had all the funds it wanted there would still be one student that would have difficulty learning and not be able to perform on the tests, Knudtson added.
According to a Minnesota Department of Education press release, the increase statewide in schools not making AYP is the result of “slight improvements in proficiency” and increases in AYP targets for both subjects.
Schools are required to test 95 percent of all students in grades three through eight and 10 in reading and three through eight and 11 in math. The results are reported for all students and eight subgroups narrowed by demographics.
Participation rate is factored into a school’s or district’s AYP result, but for schools in the Albert Lea School District, participation wasn’t a problem.
Title 1 schools not meeting AYP for two or more consecutive years, according to the Department of Education, must provide parents with a choice of attendance at another school within the district. Transportation must also be provided as well as supplemental education services, such as tutoring. Schools could begin restructuring, too.