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Education News
North Carolina Education News
April
2008
Copyright
© 2008 Queue, Inc.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Kannapolis City SchoolsÕ
Principal Named, Wachovia Principal of The Year
North Carolina Youth Risk
Behavior Survey
North
Carolina 8th graders' writing scores were on par with the national average, and
87 percent of the students performed at the Basic level or better on the 2007
National Assessment of Educational Progress, according to results released
today by the U.S. Department of Education and presented at the April State
Board of Education meeting. At the same time, students' writing scores
decreased when compared with results from 2002, the last time the national test
was given.
NAEP
is often referred to as "The Nation's Report Card" because it is the
only common assessment used by all states.
The
most recent administration of the test is the third time that NAEP has measured
writing, in 1998, 2002 and 2007. In 1998 and 2002, fourth and eighth graders
were tested; in 2007, NAEP tested only eighth graders. Twelfth grade results
are available at the national level only for each of the three years.
North
Carolina's performance in 2002 placed it among the top performing states in the
nation. While the 2007 performance is lower than five years earlier, it
demonstrates an improvement over the state's 1998 performance.
In
2007, North Carolina's overall average scale score of 153 was not significantly
different from that of students across the nation, 154. North Carolina's scale
score did drop from 157 in 2002. Of the 39 states and jurisdictions that
participated in the writing assessment in both 2007 and 2002, average writing
scores increased for 19 states.
In
1998, North Carolina's average scale score was 150.
In
general, North Carolina students performing at the 50th percentile or below
maintained their performance level from 2002 to 2007, while students at the 75th
or 90th percentile lost ground. Students at the 50th percentile decreased four
points during this period, but this change was not statistically significant,
according to the NAEP report.
Students
taking the NAEP writing assessment are given two, 25-minute writing tasks, and
students' essays are evaluated as first drafts in recognition of the short
timeframe involved. A sample of students in each participating state takes the
assessment. Because it is given to a sample of students, district or school-level
results are not available, with the exception of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Schools participate in the NAEP Trial Urban District Assessment, which in 2007
included 11 major urban school districts in the nation. For this reason,
Charlotte-Mecklenburg is the only North Carolina school district for which
there is a district average NAEP score. Charlotte-Mecklenburg, with a scale
score of 155, outperformed all of the TUDA districts and performed
statistically the same as the nation and as North Carolina.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg did not participate in the 2002 TUDA, so there is not a
comparison score. In addition to Charlotte, TUDA districts include Atlanta,
Austin, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, District of Columbia, Houston, Los Angeles,
New York and San Diego.
Details:
The National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assesses writing for three purposes
identified in the NAEP framework: narrative, informative,
and
persuasive. The NAEP writing scale ranges from 0 to 300.
¥ In 2007, the
average scale score for eighth-grade students in North Carolina was 153. This
was lower than their average score in 2002 (157) and was not significantly
different from their average score in 1998 (150).1
¥ North
Carolina's average score (153) in 2007 was not significantly different from
that of the nation's public schools (154).
¥Of the 45
states and one other jurisdiction that participated in the 2007 eighth-grade
assessment, students' average scale score in North Carolina was higher than
those in 10 jurisdictions, not significantly different from those in 17
jurisdictions, and lower than those in 18 jurisdictions.2
¥ The
percentage of students in North Carolina who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient
level was 29 percent in
2007. This percentage was smaller than that in 2002 (34 percent) and was not
significantly different from that in 1998 (27 percent).
¥ The
percentage of students in North Carolina who performed at or above the NAEP Basic
level was 87 percent in
2007. This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2002 (87
percent) and was not significantly different from that in 1998 (85 percent).
¥ In 2007,
male students in North Carolina had an average score that was lower than that
of female students by 22 points. This performance gap was not significantly
different from that of 1998 (21 points).
¥ In 2007,
Black students had an average score that was lower than that of White students
by 24 points. This performance gap was not significantly different from that of
1998 (25 points).
¥ In 2007,
Hispanic students had an average score that was lower than that of White
students by 24 points. Data are not reported for Hispanic students in 1998,
because reporting standards were not met.
¥ In 2007,
students who were eligible for free/reduced-price school lunch, an indicator of
poverty, had an average score that was lower than that of students who were not
eligible for free/reduced-price school lunch by 22 points. This performance gap
was narrower than that of 1998 (28 points).
¥ In 2007, the
score gap between students at the 75th percentile and students at the 25th
percentile was 46 points. This performance gap was not significantly different
from that of 1998 (48 points).
Technology Counts is a joint project of Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education Research
Center. As in previous years, the EPE Research Center surveyed the states to
assess the status of K-12 educational technology across the nation in the areas
of access, use, and capacity. The report assigns grades to the states for their
technology performance overall and in those three categories. The state report
assembles key findings from the survey and other sources.
North
CarolinaÕs scores:
Access to
technology C
Use of technology
A
Capacity to
use technology D
Overall grade
B-
Complete North
Carolina report:
http://www.edweek.org/media/ew/tc/2008/30NC_STR2008.h27.pdf
A.L.
Brown High School Principal Debra Morris was named the 2008 Wachovia North
Carolina Principal of the Year during a luncheon ceremony held in Raleigh. The
Kannapolis City Schools' principal succeeds Craig Hill, who is currently an
assistant superintendent with Wilson County Public Schools.
As
A.L. Brown High's principal, Morris has implemented a number of special
projects/programs that have had a positive effect on student character and
academics. These include a school dress code that embraces uniforms, a Freshman
Academy that helps ninth graders acclimate to high school by working with a
group of core teachers and making connections with upperclassmen who mentor the
students, an afterschool computer class called NovaNet that enables students to
work toward credits or credit recovery in order to graduate, and a book study
with football players that has shown the school community that football players
are more than just "about football."
Morris
attributes her success as a principal to her experiences as an athlete and high
school coach. "When you're a coach, you're a motivator. My staff, who are
my team, must all be committed to reaching common goals through hard work and
dedication," Morris said.
Morris
received her Bachelor of Arts in English with a Minor in Political Science from
Appalachian State University, a Master of Arts in English from the University
of North Carolina at Charlotte, a Master of Arts in School Administration from
the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and her Doctorate from the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is a member of the Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the National Association of
Secondary School Principals, the North Carolina Association of School
Administrators, the North Carolina Principals' and Assistant Principals'
Association, the Greater Cabarrus Reading Association, and Phi Delta Kappa.
Morris
has received a number of honors including being named the National Association
of Secondary School Principals' and Met Life's Principal of the Year for North
Carolina for 2007, Kannapolis City Schools' Principal of the Year for 2007, a
regional and state winner in the adult poetry division of the North Carolina
Reading Association 2007, and was one of 10 American educators selected to
represent the United States as a delegate to study civics education in Saratov,
Russia by the Partners in Education Program in 2000.
The
other regional finalists were: North Central Region: Cathy Moore, Sanderson
High (Wake County Schools); Northeast Region: Arty Tillett, First Flight High
(Dare County Schools); Northwest Region: Danny Cartner, South Davie Middle
(Davie County Schools); Southeast Region: Lori Howard, Clyde Erwin Elementary
(Onslow County Schools); Sandhills/South Central Region: Vicky Kirby, Pate
Gardner Elementary (Scotland County Schools); Piedmont-Triad/Central Region:
Nakia Hardy, Broadview Middle (Alamance-Burlington Schools); and West Region:
Thomas Keever, Valley Springs Middle (Buncombe County Schools). Each regional
finalist received $1,500 for their school and $1,500 for personal use.
Morris
will receive an additional $3,000 for her school and $3,000 for personal use.
She also will serve a one-year term as advisor to the State Board of Education.
Survey Shows 12 States Offer No Programs, Others Falter; Gains are Threatened by Possible Recession
State-funded preschools
served over one million children last year, yet public pre-K was unavailable
for most 3- and 4-year-olds, according to the annual survey released by the
National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER).
Funded by The Pew
Charitable Trusts, The State of Preschool 2007
(http://nieer.org/yearbook/) ranks all 50 states on the percentage of children
served and spending per child. It also compares the number of quality
benchmarks each state meets for the 2006-2007 school year. The survey found
that enrollment, quality and state spending per child increased.
Yet, 12 states offered no
state-funded preschool education and others faltered in their commitment to the
quality of their early education programs. The report showed that nationally
less than half of all 4-year-olds were enrolled in government-supported
preschool education programs and one quarter received no preschool. For
3-year-olds the situation was worse, with only 15 percent enrolled in public
programs and 50 percent receiving no early education.
Children from wealthy
families can attend expensive private preschools while the federal Head Start
program and most state-funded preschool education is targeted at lower income
families.
Research shows that
high-quality preschool education for disadvantaged children improves later high
school graduation rates and college attendance, employment opportunities and
earnings, even marriage rates. It lessens future crime, delinquency and teenage
pregnancy. In economic terms, high-quality preschool education returns to the
individual and the public up to $17 for each $1 invested. New studies find
educational benefits for middle-income children as well.
Alaska, Hawaii,
Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, New
Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming have no state-funded programs. Serious problems also exist in four
states Ð California, Texas, Florida,
and Ohio Ð that are home to
one-third of all American preschoolers."
On a more positive note,
the yearbook reported that in 2006-2007:
¥ Average state spending
per child was $3,642, halting a trend of declining per-child commitments that
had persisted since at least the 2002-2003 school year.
¥ More than one million 3-
and 4-year-old children attended state-funded preschool education programs.
¥ Thirty states increased
enrollment. Nationally, enrollment was up by 80,000.
¥ Eight states met higher
quality standards. Yet, some states still require preschool education teachers
to have little more than a high school diploma.
¥ Of the 26 states that
served 3-year-olds, enrollment increased in all but five states. Overall
enrollment of 3-year-olds was up 10 percent, mostly due to increases in Illinois, which became the first state to commit to serving
all 3-year-olds.
Pre-K funding could be
attached to state funding formulas for K-12 education to ensure that funds
increase proportionally with enrollment as it expands and that funding per
child is more dependable the authors say. They also said the federal government
could play a vital role by providing an inducement to states to expand
enrollment, particularly at age 3, by offering matching funds.
The 2007 Yearbook pointed out that one-quarter of all 4-year-olds and
half of all 3s had no access to preschool education. State and federal regular
preschool education, special education and Head Start combined served 39
percent of the country's 4-year-olds, and some attend private programs, leaving
one-quarter of 4-year-olds with no preschool program at all. At age 3, state
and federal programs combined to serve only 15 percent. Even with some others
attending private programs, 50 percent of 3-year-olds had no access to a
preschool education.
Other key findings in the
yearbook include:
Access:
¥ Enrollment increases in
most states tended to be modest, but some states made large gains. Enrollment
increased by 52 percent in Tennessee, 33 percent in Pennsylvania,
and 17 percent in Illinois, Florida, and New York.
¥ State pre-K programs
served 22 percent of 4-year-olds and 3 percent of 3-year-olds nationwide.
¥ Three states with
"Pre-K for All" served more than half of their 4-year-olds: Oklahoma (68 percent), Florida (58 percent), and Georgia (53 percent). When Head Start and preschool special
education enrollments are taken into account, Oklahoma served 90 percent of all 4-year-olds; Florida, 71 percent; and Georgia, 65 percent.
The State of Preschool
2007 is available at
http://nieer.org/yearbook/pdf/yearbook.pdf
State Profiles are
available at:
http://nieer.org/yearbook/states/
North
Carolina's profile:
http://nieer.org/yearbook/pdf/yearbook.pdf#page=110
North
Carolina high school students have improved their health habits in some areas,
but still need to focus on others, such as maintaining a healthy weight,
according to the recently released 2007 North Carolina Youth Risk Behavior
Survey (YRBS).
Since
1993, fewer students have tried alcohol for the first time before age 13, have
drunk alcohol and have driven or ridden in a car with a driver who had been
drinking. In addition, fewer students say they've used tobacco, marijuana and
other types of drugs, or carried a weapon, such as a gun, knife or club, or
were threatened with one. There also has been a significant decline in the
number of students who attempted suicide, were involved in a physical fight, or
who had their first experience with sexual intercourse before age 13.
The
prevalence of some health risk behaviors measured by the YRBS, however, remains
high. Since 2005, an increased percentage of high school students appear to be
at-risk for becoming overweight as measured by body mass index calculations.
Use of cocaine and injected illegal drugs increased, as did the percentage of
students who say they have avoided school due to safety concerns. There also
was an increase in the percentage of students who say they feel alone in their
life.
The
2007 YRBS was produced by the National Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention to assess health risk behaviors that contribute to some of the
leading causes of death and injury among children and adolescents. The NC
Department of Public Instruction and the NC Department of Health and Human
Services have administered the voluntary survey at the state level since 1993.
Data is reported statewide and regionally in the aggregate and cannot be traced
back to the school district or student. In 2007, the YRBS was completed by
3,506 high school students in 71 public high schools in North Carolina.
The
2007 YRBS data are available at www.nchealthyschools.org/data/yrbs