NORTH CAROLINA EDUCATION NEWS

September 2006
Copyright © 2006 • Queue, Inc.

Education News

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Secretary Spellings Approves Tennessee and North Carolina Growth Model Pilots for 2005-2006

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings has announced approval of two high-quality growth model pilots, which follow the bright-line principles of No Child Left Behind. The first two states approved and implementing their growth model pilots for the 2005-2006 school year are Tennessee and North Carolina. Early consideration will be given to the six states (Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Oregon), which applied this year, but did not receive approval.

Tennessee has received full approval to implement their growth model for this year. North Carolina is approved to implement its growth model, provided that its assessment system is fully approved by July 1, 2006.

"A growth model is a way for states that are already raising achievement and following the bright-line principles of the law to strengthen accountability," Secretary Spellings said. "North Carolina and Tennessee were recognized by our impressive group of peer reviewers to have written strong growth models that adhere to the core principles of No Child Left Behind."

"There are many different routes for states to take, but they all must begin with a commitment to annual assessment and disaggregation of data. And, they all must lead to closing the achievement gap and every student reaching grade level by 2014. We are open to new ideas, but when it comes to accountability, we are not taking our eye off the ball."

The Department plans to approve no more than 10 high-quality growth models for the pilot program.

A rigorous peer review process was used by the Department to ensure that the selection process was fair and transparent for all participating states. A panel of nationally recognized experts reviewed and made recommendations on states' proposals, choosing Tennessee and North Carolina for approval.

The Department intends to gather data to test the idea that growth models can be fair, reliable and innovative methods to measure student improvement and to hold schools accountable for results. Growth models track individual student achievement from one year to the next, giving schools credit for student improvement over time. The pilot program enables the Department to rigorously evaluate growth models and ensure their alignment with NCLB, and to share these results with other States.

The bright-line principles for high-quality growth models are:

• Ensure that all students are proficient by 2014 and set annual state goals to ensure that the achievement gap is closing for all groups of students
  
  
• Set expectations for annual achievement based upon meeting grade-level proficiency and not upon student background or school characteristics
  
  
• Hold schools accountable for student achievement in reading/language arts and mathematics
  
  
• Ensure that all students in tested grades are included in the assessment and accountability system, hold schools and districts accountable for the performance of each student subgroup, and include all schools and districts
  
  
• Include assessments, in each of grades 3 through 8 and high school, in both reading/language arts and mathematics that have been operational for more than one year and have received approval through the NCLB standards and assessment review process for the 2005-06 school year. The assessment system must also produce comparable results from grade to grade and year to year
  
  
• Track student progress as part of the state data system
  
  
• Include student participation rates and student achievement as separate academic indicators in the state accountability system

The peer reviewers, who represent academia, private organizations and state and local education agencies, reviewed each proposal based on the Peer Review Guidance http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/growthmodelguidance.doc issued by the U.S. Department of Education as a road map for developing the models.

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NC Is One of Five States Approved for NCLB Pilot Program

North Carolina is one of five states approved to participate in a national pilot to switch the order of the first two years of sanctions that the No Child Left Behind federal law applies to schools in Title I School Improvement

The pilot allows seven districts in North Carolina to offer supplemental educational services, or free tutoring, to economically disadvantaged students in the first year a school is in Title I School Improvement instead of public school choice options, the usual first-year sanction. The seven districts in the pilot are: Burke, Cumberland, Durham, Guilford, Northampton, Pitt and Robeson.

"We welcome the opportunity to pilot this change," said State Superintendent June Atkinson. "By offering supplemental educational services in the first year of Title I School Improvement, schools may boost their performance enough to make AYP and avoid further levels of sanction. More importantly, students who need additional academic help will have the opportunity to receive it sooner"

Title I schools enter Title I School Improvement when they do not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in the same subject (reading/language arts or mathematics) for two years in a row. Under No Child Left Behind, Title I School Improvement schools begin a sequence of sanctions that includes offering public school choice to all students in the school followed by the requirement of providing supplemental educational services to economically disadvantaged students and continuing public school choice, if the school continues to not make AYP.

In public school choice, parents are given the option to transfer their children to another school designated by the district that is not in Title I School Improvement. When both the public school choice and tutoring options are available to a family, parents may choose the transfer option or tutoring services, but not both. Public school choice is offered to all students in a Title I school. Extra tutoring services, or supplemental educational services, are offered only to economically disadvantaged students, regardless of the level of their academic performance. In North Carolina, economically disadvantaged is defined as qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Title I School Improvement schools must make AYP for two years in a row in order to no longer face sanctions.

With the pilot project announced today, schools entering their first year of Title I School Improvement in these seven districts must offer supplemental educational services to eligible students. If these schools continue to not make AYP, they must offer public school choice next year, while continuing to offer supplemental educational services.

The piloting districts were selected based on geographic diversity, unique district characteristics and demographics, interest shown by the district, and the projected numbers of Title I schools in the district that might be entering year one of Title I School Improvement in 2006-07. Reading Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and high school AYP data for all districts, based on 2005-06 student performance, was presented to the State Board of Education on Aug. 2. Districts must inform parents of their options before school starts, based on reading AYP results. Mathematics AYP results will be presented to the State Board on Oct. 5.

In the piloting districts, there are 67 Title I schools, representing about 35,000 students, that could move into their first year of Title I School Improvement in 2006-07. Data from previous years indicate that students and their parents in North Carolina are more likely to take advantage of supplemental educational services than public school choice. In the piloting districts, fewer than 2 percent of their eligible students participated in public school choice in previous years.

Statewide, in 2005-06, there were 76,089 students in North Carolina who were offered the option of public school choice. Of those students, fewer than 4 percent (2,826) transferred to other schools. According to North Carolina's Consolidated State Performance Report, in 2004-05 there were 5,539 students eligible for supplemental educational services across the state, and more than 12 percent of those students received services. The U.S. Department of Education aims for a greater percentage of eligible students to take advantage of the free tutoring opportunity and is offering this pilot as a way to address that goal.

Supplemental educational services are extra academic services, such as tutoring, offered outside of regular school hours free of cost to eligible students. Services are designed to increase the academic achievement of low-income students, particularly in the areas of reading, language arts and mathematics. Service providers are approved by the N.C. State Board of Education. Service providers can be public, private, non-profit or for-profit organizations as long as they have a demonstrated record of effectiveness in increasing student academic achievement and are financially stable.

The major goal of the federal No Child Left Behind law is for all public school children to perform at grade level in reading and mathematics by the end of the 2013-14 school year. AYP measures the yearly progress of different groups of students against yearly targets in reading and mathematics toward meeting the 2013-14 goal.

No Child Left Behind was approved in 2002, and its most significant impact is on public schools that receive federal Title I funds. Title I provides federal funding for schools to help students who are behind academically or at risk of falling behind. Services can include: hiring teachers to reduce class size, tutoring, computer labs, parental involvement activities, professional development, purchase of materials and supplies, pre-kindergarten programs, and hiring teacher assistants or others.

About half the schools in North Carolina receive Title I funding as do all 115 of the state's school districts. Non-Title I schools that do not make AYP for two consecutive years in the same subject area are required to amend their School Improvement Plans to address the situation. The purpose of the School Improvement Plan is to establish annual, measurable goals and overall improvement objectives (related especially to achievement of AYP), analyze why the school has not yet achieved its goals, and describe strategies the school will use to improve performance.

A listing of the supplemental educational service providers for 2006-07 and the pilot proposal are posted on the Web at www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/ses/providers.

More information about NCLB, Title I, SES and other related topics is available at www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb.

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Preliminary Writing Test Results Released

North Carolina students in fourth and 10th grades improved their performance on the state's writing assessment in 2005-06. Performance for seventh graders decreased slightly.

Public school students in North Carolina are assessed in writing at grades four, seven and 10. In order to be considered proficient, students must earn a minimum score of 12 on a scale that ranges from a minimum of 4 to a maximum of 20. Scores on the writing assessment are reported according to the following achievement levels: Level I, 4-7; Level II, 8-11; Level III, 12-16; and Level IV, 17-20.

Fourth grade results showed that 50 percent of students scored proficient in 2005-06, an improvement from 2004-05 when 49.3 percent scored at this level. In the 2002-03 school year, the first year the revised scoring model, scale, and writing standards were implemented, 38.6 percent of the students scored proficient.For seventh graders, a total of 46.2 percent scored proficient in writing, down slightly from 2004-05 when the proficient rate was 46.7 percent. In 2002-03, 40.9 percent of the students scored proficient.At the 10th grade level, 53.2 percent of students scored proficient, an increase from the 2004-05 year when 47.8 percent scored at this level. In 2002-03, 39.9 percent of the students scored proficient.

Writing results are included in the state's ABCs accountability model's performance composite for schools. The performance composite shows the percentage of student test scores that are at proficient or better. Writing scores have not been included in the performance composite for several years, but are included again for the 2005-06 year.

State Superintendent June Atkinson said that she was encouraged by the trendline of writing performance, but that more work is needed in this area.

"North Carolina students are improving, but we still have a long way to go in terms of producing strong writers. Writing is a fundamental skill that all students need," she said. Fourth graders were asked to write an imaginative narrative response to finding an egg under their beds. A total of 101,192 fourth graders wrote a narrative response. Of these responses, 7.8 percent received scores at Achievement Level I, 42.2 percent at Level II, 48.6 percent at Level III and fewer than 5 percent scored at Level IV.

Seventh graders were asked to respond with an argumentative evaluation response to the following prompt: A school committee is creating a mural (wall painting) that will feature students' favorite book or movie characters. Only a limited number of characters can be included. Each student has been asked to nominate a character from a book or a movie. Select a character to be featured as part of the mural and write a letter to the school committee justifying your selection. A total of 104,716 responded to the prompt. Of these responses, 9.2 percent received scores at Achievement Level I, 44.6 percent at Level II, 46 percent at Level III and fewer than 5 percent scored at Level IV.

Tenth graders were asked to write an informational (cause and effect) response to the following prompt:

Write a letter to your local school board explaining the effects of a "no-pass, no-play" policy on the students in your school. You may use the following information, your own experience, observations and/or readings.

"No-pass, no-play," of course, is the popular slogan for a policy that requires students to maintain passing grades in their core academic subjects to be eligible to participate in a school's extracurricular activities. The slogan lumps together student athletes and all other students who represent the school in interschool competitions, from members of the drill team and pep squad to contestants in drama and chess…

Recent public debate about the "no-pass, no-play" policy, especially in the legislature and the media, proceeded without the reliable evidence about the effect of the policy on individual students, in individual schools, and in schools across the state…

Source: O.L. Davis Jr., Editor, Journal of Curriculum and Supervision.

In 1984, "Texas became the first state to impose academic eligibility requirements to participate in athletics. Since then nearly thirty states have established similar academic minimums, with many expanding the scope to include student participation in all extracurricular activities."

Source: National Association of State Boards of Education

"Educational decision makers must look at the consequences of denying students the right to participate to get them to work harder in the classroom… These kinds of exclusionary policies may well damage overall achievement and work against those students who could benefit most directly from involvement."

Source: John Holloway, "extracurricular Activities: The Path to Academic Success?"

A total of 96,918 students participated in the 10th grade assessment. Of these responses, 13.1 percent received scores at Achievement Level I, 33.7 percent at Level II and 51.9 percent at Level III; Level IV fewer than 5 percent.

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North Carolina's Act Scores Increase Slightly in 2006

The average composite ACT assessment scores of North Carolina students increased slightly as did the scores for students in the nation in 2006.

North Carolina is considered to be an SAT state because the majority of students in this state take the SAT for college entrance. The state's university system accepts either for admission. A total of 10,359 (public and non-public) students took the ACT this year. Last year, 53,314 North Carolina students (public and non-public) took the SAT.

The ACT is a curriculum-based achievement test made up of four separate exams in English, reading, mathematics and science, in addition to an optional writing test.

North Carolina's average composite score of 20.5 increased by three tenths of a point while the national average composite score increased by two tenths of a point to 21.1. The ACT is scored on a scale of 1 to 36, with 36 being the highest possible score.

Fifty-two percent of the North Carolina students who took the ACT completed at least the minimum core coursework that ACT recommends for students who plan to attend college. Nationally, 54 percent of students tested completed at least the minimum core coursework. Students who complete at least the minimum core coursework generally score higher on the ACT and earn better grades in college.

ACT defines the core college-preparatory curriculum as four or more years of English and three or more years each of math (algebra and above), social studies, and natural sciences. Nationally, seniors in the class of 2006 who took the core curriculum earned an average composite score of 22.0, slightly higher than the previous year's score of 21.9.

For North Carolina, the average was 21.5, slightly higher than the previous year's score of 21.4.

Students who took less than the core courses nationally earned an average score of 19.7 in 2005, over two points lower than those who took the suggested core courses. North Carolina's corresponding average was 18.8, almost three points lower than those who took the core college-preparatory curriculum.

North Carolina's black students had a composite average score of 18.0 (17.8 nationally) for students who have taken at least the core curriculum and 15.8 (16.2 nationally) for those who have not. American Indians in North Carolina who took at least the core curriculum scored 19.3 (20.2 nationally) while American Indians who did not take the core curriculum scored 17.1 (17.5 nationally). White students in North Carolina who took at least the core curriculum scored 22.8 (22.9 nationally) while white students who did not take the core curriculum scored 20.7 (20.6 nationally).

Hispanic students in North Carolina who took at least the core curriculum scored 21.4 (19.5 nationally) while Hispanic students who did not take the core curriculum scored 18.9 (17.6 nationally). Asian American students in North Carolina who took at least the core curriculum scored 22.9 (22.9 nationally) while Asian American students who did not take the core curriculum scored 22.7 (21.1 nationally).

Results from the optional ACT Writing Test, launched in February 2005 and released for the first time this year, showed 53 percent of North Carolina students chose to take the exam and earned an average score of 7.5 (on a scale of 2-12). Nationally, 36 percent of students chose to take the exam and earned an average score of 7.7. On the combined English Test/Writing Test score, North Carolina's average score was 20.2 (on a scale of 1-36). Nationally, students scored 22.0. The ACT writing test requires students to write an essay response to a given prompt. Students have 30 minutes to complete their essay. The writing scores are not included in the ACT composite score.

Students choose to take the ACT and/or other college entrance exams. The scores do not represent the entire student population. Many factors, including coursework, student motivation, parental support and socioeconomic status, contribute to a student's achievement.

"The growth in the average ACT composite score is encouraging, particularly given the increase in the number of students taking the test," said Richard L. Ferguson, ACT's chief executive officer. "More students are preparing themselves better for college-level coursework. However, we still have a lot of work ahead of us to ensure that all students graduate from high school with the skills they need to succeed at the next level."

Local and district scores are not available.

National and state ACT results can be accessed by going to the ACT's Web site at: http://www.act.org and clicking on the appropriate link.

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2005 NAEP Science Results Released; Fourth Graders on Par With Nation and Eighth Graders Perform Slightly Below

North Carolina fourth graders are on par with their national peers in science, according to the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress in science, but eighth grade students performed slightly lower than the national average.

"Today's news verifies that science needs more emphasis at every level of schooling, and especially at the middle grades level," State Superintendent June Atkinson said. "Science is a foundational skill, just as key to students' preparation as reading and mathematics. Schools need encouragement, support and resources to ensure that students are receiving the instruction they need."

For fourth graders, North Carolina's average scale score was 149. The fourth grade score was the same as the nation (149) and not significantly different from the state's average score for 2000 (147). Fourth grade science has been measured twice at the state level, in 2000 and in 2005. Sixty-five percent of North Carolina fourth graders scored at or above the Basic level of performance in 2005, and 25 percent were at or above the Proficient level. Nationally, 66 percent of fourth graders scored at or above the Basic level of performance, and 27 percent scored at or above Proficient.

For eighth graders, North Carolina's average scale score was 144, which is not significantly different from the average score in 2000 (145) or in 1996 (147). The nation's 2005 average scale score was 147. Eighth grade science has been measured three times at the state level, in 1996, 2000 and in 2005. The percentage of students in North Carolina who scored at or above the Basic level was 53 percent in 2005, as compared to 57 percent for the nation. The percentage of students at the Proficient level was 22 percent in North Carolina and 27 percent in the nation. North Carolina's indicators were not significantly different from those reported in prior assessments.

Male students scored significantly higher than female students at the fourth grade, but there was no significant difference in the performance of eighth grade males and females. Achievement gaps were evident among other groups and remained similar to gaps in prior years. Black eighth graders posted average scores that were lower than those of white students by 33 points. Hispanic eighth graders' average scale score was 23 points lower than white students' average score. Students who were eligible for free/reduced price school lunch, an indicator of poverty, had an average scale score that was 25 points lower than the scores for students who were not eligible for free/reduced price school lunch.

At the fourth grade level, black students had an average scale score that was lower than that of white students by 31 points. Hispanic fourth graders had an average scale score that was lower by 23 points. Students eligible for free/reduced price school lunches had an average scale score that was 26 points lower than the score of those who were not eligible.

NAEP assesses science in two major dimensions: fields of science (earth, physical and life) and knowing and doing science (conceptual understanding, scientific investigation and practical reasoning). The assessments contain questions that are multiple choice, short constructed response and extended constructed response and are given to a representative sample of fourth and eighth grade students across the state. Because this assessment is given to a sample of students, local school or district results are not available.

Approximately 4,000 North Carolina fourth graders and 4,000 of the state's eighth graders participated in the science NAEP. Their performance is reported as scale scores and also achievement levels. The NAEP science assessments are presented on separate 300-point scales. Achievement levels for the science assessment are identified as Basic, Proficient and Advanced. The National Assessment Governing Board establishes NAEP achievement levels. A Basic level denotes partial mastery of prerequisite knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work at each grade. The Proficient level represents solid academic performance for each grade assessed. Students at the Proficient level have demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter, including subject-matter knowledge, application of knowledge to real-world situations and analytical skills appropriate to the subject matter.

Science is a part of North Carolina's Standard Course of Study for grades K-12 and is receiving more attention in North Carolina and nationally. Science teachers in North Carolina are participating this summer in a variety of professional development activities to enhance their science instructional strategies. In addition, the science specialists at the NC Department of Public Instruction have prepared science curriculum support documents to strengthen teachers' classroom and laboratory activities to help students better meet the state's curriculum standards in science.

North Carolina standardized science assessments at the elementary and middle school levels will be given initially in the 2007-08 school year at grades 5 and 8. Science assessments are required in elementary and middle school for every state as a part of No Child Left Behind, the federal education law.

    * 2005 NAEP Science Result for NC:  http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/policies/naep/2

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School Kept Out of Top 100 Because It Is Too Good

NEWSWEEK excluded this high performer from the list of Best High Schools because so many of its students score well above average on the SAT and ACT.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, DURHAM, N.C.

Students selected from all counties, which mixes rural and urban kids.

See: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12551652/site/newsweek 

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Four North Carolina High Schools in NEWSWEEK’s Top 100

NEWSWEEK recognizes schools that do the best job of preparing average students for college. Public schools are ranked according to a ratio, devised by Jay Mathews, that is the number of Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate tests taken by all students at a school in 2005 divided by the number of graduating seniors. By dividing the number of AP and IB tests taken at a school by the number of graduating seniors, NEWSWEEK measures how committed the school is to helping kids take college-level courses. NEWSWEEK thinks kids at those schools have an edge, no matter their economic background.

Top 100 in U.S.:

16          Myers Park                                 Charlotte
66          Harding University                 Charlotte
72          Grimsley                                     Greensboro   
93          North Mecklenburg                 Huntersville      

See: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12532678/site/newsweek

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North Carolina Teachers Part of Teacher Solutions

TeacherSolutions(SM) is a new program designed to amplify the voices of expert teachers in national education policy debates. It will focus its inaugural work on professional compensation and the teacher "pay for performance" proposals now being heavily debated in states and school districts across the United States.

"Teachers have rarely had the opportunity to distill their knowledge about successful teaching and learning and then engage policymakers, other educators and the public in discussion about what needs to be done to improve our public schools," said Barnett Berry, president of the Center for Teaching Quality, Inc., which is developing the program in partnership with the Teacher Leaders Network.

The program is supported by grants from the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation, the George Gund Foundation of Cleveland, and the Stuart Foundation, based in San Francisco. The Center for Teaching Quality, Inc. is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

The TeacherSolutions model brings together a diverse cross-section of accomplished American teachers who work in teams to carefully examine critical issues facing public education and offer solutions based on their deep understanding of teaching and learning and how schools really work.

In its first venture, TeacherSolutions has assembled a representative national team of 18 accomplished teachers who will search for the most effective ways to link professional compensation to teacher and student performance.

Two of the teachers are from North Carolina:

Bill Ferriter teaches 6th grade Language Arts and Social Studies at Salem Middle School in the Wake County (NC) Public School System. Bill has taught for 13 years and earned his National Board Certification in 1997 (Middle Childhood Generalist). He is Wake County and North Central NC Teacher of the Year for 2005-06 and a finalist for 2006-07 NC TOY. Bill is a Senior Fellow of the Teacher Leaders Network and was summer Teacher in Residence at the Center for Teaching Quality in 2003. He co-authored the oft-cited Threshold article (http://www.teacherleaders.org/misc/Threshold_CreatingCulture.pdf), "Creating a Culture of Excellence," which shares the views of accomplished teachers about school working conditions "that most affect their decisions to stay or leave." During his tenure as Wake County TOY, Bill has posted weekly blog entries on the district's website, sharing his thoughts on teaching, learning and education policy issues with his community.

Jennifer Morrison teaches 8th Grade Language Arts at the Piedmont Open IB Middle School in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg (NC) Schools, where she also chairs the language arts department. She is a ninth-year teacher and an NBCT (Early Adolescent English Language Arts). Jen was named the Outstanding Young Educator of the Year (http://snipurl.com/JMyeoyASCD) in 2003 by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and was recently named to ASCD's National Leadership Council. In 1995, she received a Fulbright Grant to the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, where she earned an M.A. with distinction in 1997. She's a teacher consultant for the National Writing Project, and a featured teacher in the ASCD video "Best Practices in Action: Using Visualization to Enhance Background Knowledge." She's also a national presenter on the topic, "The Power of Classroom Data."

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Two NC Schools Named

Sixteen elementary and secondary schools across the United States have been honored as recipients of the 2006 Intel and Scholastic Schools of Distinction Awards. Two are from North Carolina. Sponsored by Intel Corporation, the world's leader in silicon innovation and long-time champion of educational improvement, and Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, the annual awards program honors schools for implementing innovative and replicable programs that support positive educational outcomes and impact student achievement.

The Schools of Distinction Awards bring national attention to best practices in education. The innovative programs currently in place in the 16 winning schools include a Sci-Tech lab, which offers the opportunity to explore science and technology though hands-on experiments; a team-oriented educational environment that prepares immigrant parents to assist children and teachers in the classroom; and implementation of a school-wide application, which combines classroom and collaborative learning with software to enhance mathematics achievement.

To honor their extraordinary commitment to educational excellence and innovation, each school will receive a $10,000 cash grant from the Intel Foundation and a host of prizes ranging from curriculum materials and professional development resources to software and hardware.

Representatives from the winning schools will attend an awards gala in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 5 at which one elementary and one secondary school from this year's 16 honorees will be named "Best of the Best." These two winners will each receive an additional $15,000 grant from the Intel Foundation. Schools winning this award must have a comprehensive program addressing technology.

"The winning schools serve as shining examples of academic excellence. They've implemented creative and innovative programs to further student learning in areas from mathematics, to science, to literacy, while infusing technology into lesson plans and using real world examples to motivate students," said Brenda Musilli, director of worldwide education, Intel. "We hope to inspire educators and bring about improved learning by highlighting these exceptional schools."

Francie Alexander, Scholastic's chief academic officer, added, "Scholastic applauds these 16 schools for developing and implementing innovative and sustainable programs that encourage the highest level of student achievement. By bringing national recognition to these schools, we hope to share best practices and help other schools across the country replicate this success."

Winning elementary and secondary schools were chosen in each of the following eight categories: academic achievement, literacy achievement, mathematics achievement, science achievement, technology excellence, leadership excellence, professional development, and collaboration and teamwork.

For more information about the Schools of Distinction Awards, visit www.schoolsofdistinction.com.

Winners from North Carolina are:

• Davidson I.B. Middle School, Davidson     Science Achievement
  
  
• North Brunswick High School, Leland       Literacy Achievement

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New Teacher Likes Lateral Entry Teaching Program

Michael Brown thought about being a teacher when he was in high school and making plans for college. But his mother, who is an educator, steered him away from that career choice.

Instead he majored in communication studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and began a sales job after graduation. Although he did well in sales, Brown never enjoyed his job like he thought he should.

When he learned about the Lateral Entry Teaching Program for Guilford County Schools, he decided to leave his sales career and go into education.

“I worked in sales for six years,” said Brown. “I decided I didn't enjoy it.

“I had worked with kids a lot at church and I enjoyed that. So I thought why not do Lateral Entry.”

Lateral Entry is a process through which people with a four-year college degree, although not in education, can begin teaching while taking education courses. These people are hired as classroom teachers, issued a temporary teaching license and are required to complete a series of courses over a three-year period.

Brown investigated the program and learned the first step was to be hired by the school system. Thinking that he would probably teach English because of his background in communication studies, Brown soon learned that was not to be the case.

One of the requirements of Lateral Entry teachers is to have 24 hours of instruction in a given subject. Brown did not have the necessary qualifications for English.

“I'm a history buff,” said Brown. “I wanted to do social studies, but I didn't think that was an option. But I had a minor in history and I only needed two more classes to get the 24 hours in that subject.”

Brown took those classes and continued to pursue Lateral Entry. His next step was to enroll in a program to complete the necessary education courses. He looked at several colleges and found they required a great deal of class time and were expensive. He took some online courses to meet the requirements and he learned about the new Lateral Entry program beginning this fall at Guilford Technical Community College. He also was hired as an eighth grade social studies teacher at Southeast Middle School…

To see the complete article, please go to: http://jamestownnews.womacknewspapers.com/articles/2006/08/15/news/top_stories/top_stories87.txt

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Broad Institute Trains NC School Board Members on Leadership Strategies to Improve Student Achievement

The Broad Institute for School Boards has trained 29 new school board members from 11 urban school districts across the country on how to improve school board governance in order to achieve dramatic increases in academic performance for all children. Norfolk Public Schools was among the participants. The six-day training program was held in Park City, Utah, from June 10 through June 15.

School board members from the following school districts were among those who attended this year's Broad Institute:

• Durham Public Schools in North Carolina
  
  
• Guilford County Public Schools in North Carolina

The Broad Foundation, a Los Angeles-based education venture philanthropy, covered all expenses, including travel, training, lodging and meals. The Broad Foundation partners with the Houston-based Center for Reform of School Systems to run the Institute.

"School board members who are keenly focused on how to improve student achievement, rather than on distracting issues like school paint color and bus schedules, can make decisions that truly allow students to succeed," said Eli Broad, founder of The Broad Foundation. "Too many school board members across the country do not know how to prioritize issues or ask the right questions to have an impact on learning. The Broad Institute is designed to give them a 'crash course' in how to demand—and achieve—better student performance."

During the session, school board members completed intensive work that included analyzing case studies on local reform efforts to improve education in: Buffalo, N.Y., Houston, New Orleans, Oakland, Calif., Philadelphia, San Diego and St. Louis. Additionally, they learned about policy development, civic involvement, district accountability, and how to ensure their board and district are designed to achieve dramatic increases in achievement for all children.

The Broad Institute's faculty includes the following prominent national education leaders:

• Rod Paige, former U.S. Secretary of Education
  
• Arlene Ackerman, former superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District
  
• Kati Haycock, director of The Education Trust in Washington, D.C.
  
• Caprice Young, president and CEO of the California Charter Schools Association
  
• Jim Nevels, chairman of the School Reform Commission in Philadelphia
  
• Don McAdams, president of the Center for Reform of School Systems in Texas

"These school board members now have the tools and networks they need to challenge the status quo," McAdams said. "With this intensive training on successful efforts in other cities, these leaders are better prepared to improve education in their districts and close ethnic and income achievement gaps."

Since 2002, The Broad Institute has trained 120 school board members from 32 school districts, representing 2.8 million school children. Participation in the training is by invitation.

The Broad Institute is a program of The Broad Foundation, a Los Angeles-based venture philanthropic organization established in 1999 by Eli and Edythe Broad. The Foundation's mission is to dramatically improve student achievement in urban public schools through better governance, management, labor relations and competition. The Broad Foundation's Internet address is http://www.broadfoundation.org.

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2006 SAT Scores Released; NC–U.S. Gap Continues to Close

Note from the College Board: "Media and others often rank states, districts and schools on the basis of SAT scores despite repeated warnings that such rankings are invalid. The SAT is a strong indicator of trends in the college-bound population, but it should never be used alone for such comparisons because demographics and other non-school factors can have a strong effect on scores. If ranked, schools and states that encourage students to apply to college may be penalized because scores tend to decline with a rise in percentage of test-takers."

North Carolina students continued to close the gap between the state and the national average scores on the SAT college entrance exam, and the scores of most racial minorities improved in 2006, according to results provided by the College Board. North Carolina has narrowed the gap between it and the nation from 53 points in 1990 to 13 points in 2006.

North Carolina countered the national downward trend in scores by posting a two-point gain in math (from 511 to 513), but critical reading scores declined by four points (from 499 to 495) in North Carolina. Seventy-one percent of North Carolina high school seniors took the SAT, a decrease from the 74 percent participation rate of 2005. Data reported today included results from public and private schools in North Carolina.

Scores nationwide were down. The national average score (critical reading and math) on the SAT fell from 1028 to 1021 due to a five-point drop in critical reading (from 508 to 503) and a two-point drop in math (from 520 to 518).

North Carolina continued to outpace the Southeast. In 1990, the state's score was 25 points lower than the Southeast average score. In 2006, North Carolina's score is seven points higher than the Southeast score. The Southeast region score includes scores from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Among the "SAT States," those states where more than 50 percent of their public and private school students take the SAT, North Carolina had both the largest five-year gain (16 points) and the largest 10-year gain (32 points). There are 23 SAT states.

North Carolina results were released today by State Superintendent June Atkinson and State Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee at a news conference in Raleigh. The SAT is one of the major college entrance requirements for high school students and is the entrance exam most often taken in North Carolina.

"North Carolinians can look at our state's performance on the SAT over the past few years and be proud that our state has out-performed the nation in the amount of points gained over time," said State Superintendent June Atkinson. "By encouraging a high participation rate and demonstrating strong improvements for minority students over time, our state has shown that we are raising expectations for educational achievement for all.

"While the SAT and AP results released today are not intended to rank states, they are a good indicator of a positive direction in North Carolina," said State Board Chairman Lee. "Every racial minority group was much more likely to participate in AP courses in 2006 and to pass these very challenging exams for college credit. This shows our efforts are working to raise aspirations and performance for all."

Minority students' performance is up

This year, Asian, Black and Hispanic students all posted notable gains on the SAT, while White and American Indian students scored lower than in 2005. Asian students gained 13 points overall to a total of 1064. Black students gained an average of six points overall and posted a total average score of 857. Hispanic students scored seven points over the 2005 Hispanic performance for a total of 967.

In past years, White and Asian students have scored higher than any other racial/ethnic groups in North Carolina and were the only groups to have exceeded the United States average (1021) in 2006. White students in 2006 scored lower than in the previous year, losing 3 points for a score of 1058. American Indian students' scores were six points lower in 2006 (922).

Writing added to the SAT in 2006

The College Board made significant changes to the SAT in 2006. The SAT previously had two sections: verbal and math. Today, it has three sections: critical reading, math and writing. Because the total score that reflects all three sections is not comparable to prior years' performance, subtotal scores (reflecting only critical reading and math scores) are used throughout this document.

North Carolina's average writing score is 485. The nation's average writing score was 497. North Carolina's average grand total score (including critical reading, math and writing) in 2006 is 1493, compared to 1518 for the nation. The highest possible grand total score is 2400 – 800 points per section.North Carolina's writing score was 16th among the 23 SAT states. In critical reading, North Carolina's score was 15th among SAT states. In math, North Carolina's score was 10th among SAT states.

AP results provided

In addition to releasing SAT score information, The College Board also provides details about students' performance on Advanced Placement (AP) exams. Not only did North Carolina have a 7.4 percent increase in the number of students taking AP exams for both public and private schools, but the number of passing scores (3-5 on a scale of 1-5) increased by 7.5 percent. A total of 41,038 students took 76,578 AP exams. Participation in the AP program was especially pronounced among Hispanic and Asian students. Access to AP courses is important as an indicator of future college success. Students who take these college-level courses are more likely to complete a bachelor's degree in four years or less, according to The College Board's research.

For more information on the 2006 SAT Report, click here: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/reporting/sat/2006

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USDA Awards $1 Million to the NC Department of Public Instruction

Thanks to a $1 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), students in 25 elementary schools will be able to participate this year in the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

This is the third consecutive year North Carolina has been awarded the opportunity to participate in the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which promotes increasing student consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Funds will be distributed among the schools to purchase and serve a wide variety of free fresh fruits and vegetables to all students. Schools are providing fruit baskets inside the classroom, kiosks in the hallways, and other innovative approaches that give students the opportunity to grab a fresh fruit or vegetable snack throughout the school day. Participation in this program also creates a healthier school environment.

State Superintendent June Atkinson said this grant plays an important role in the state's continuing efforts to build on superior schools. "It's important for students to learn healthy eating habits at a young age. This program will help with these efforts and ensure that our earliest learners master an essential skill that will benefit them for a lifetime," Atkinson said.

Schools participating in the program also will make nutrition education a priority so students will learn the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables in a healthy diet. This program creates an optimum environment for students to develop healthful snack habits because it uses all of their senses—sound, sight, touch, smell, and most important, taste.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's Child Nutrition Services Section is partnering with the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, and the NC Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Public Health, to implement the program in the following elementary schools:

1. Hertford Grammar School, Perquimans County Schools;
2. Perquimans Central School, Perquimans County Schools;
3. Tyrrell Elementary, Tyrrell County Schools;
4. Oaks Road Elementary, Craven County Schools;
5. Edwin A. Alderman Elementary, New Hanover County Schools;
6. Johnson Primary School, Camp Lejeune Dependents Schools;
7. Tarawa Terrace II Elementary, Camp Lejeune Dependents Schools;
8. Rich Square-Creecy Elementary, Northampton County Schools;
9. Squire Elementary, Northampton County Schools;
10. Bladen Lakes Primary School, Bladen County Schools;
11. Whiteville Primary School, Whiteville City Schools;
12. Boone Trail Elementary, Harnett County Schools;
13. Candor Elementary, Montgomery County Schools;
14. Long Branch Elementary, Public Schools of Robeson County;
15. Southmont Elementary, Randolph County Schools;
16. Draper Elementary, Rockingham County Schools;
17. Battleground Elementary, Lincoln County Schools;
18. North Rowan Elementary, Rowan-Salisbury Schools;
19. Overton Elementary, Rowan-Salisbury Schools;
20. East Albemarle Elementary, Stanly County Schools;
21. Freedom Trail Elementary, Avery County Schools;
22. Newland Elementary, Avery County Schools;
23. Hall Fletcher Elementary, Asheville City Schools;
24. Andrews Elementary, Cherokee County Schools; and
25. Bruce Drysdale Elementary, Henderson County Schools.

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Battle of the Books

Battle of the Books is a tremendously successful reading incentive program designed to encourage students to read quality literature. The concept began in Chicago in the 1930's as a radio program. It is now a thriving business beginning its eighth year of service to schools all over the country. The Battle of the Books program is suitable for individual schools covering grades 3–8 all the way thru school district competition. Before Battle of the Books, classroom teachers, reading specialists and library media specialists had to spend many hundreds of hours selecting the right books, writing questions, and developing all the support material for each year's battle. Battle of the Books is a team of library media specialists with many years experience in running Battle of the Books competitions. Each year they spend months searching the market for just the right selection of books, writing the questions, and developing all the additional material (book talks, award ribbons, etc.) for a competition. 

All of the books selected must be available in paperback. Books are carefully selected so that classics, award winners, as well as new favorites are all considered. Books are selected over a range of reading levels so that all students can participate. For example, in the grades 3 and 4 list there is at least one book on the second grade level to appeal to reluctant readers and one on the fifth grade level to challenge those students reading above grade level. Care is taken to ensure that the collection is balanced with respect to male and female protagonists, the genres represented, and the ethnic groups portrayed. They also look for books in series or authors with a large body of work to encourage students to read after the competition.

What particpiants are saying:

“The students have really loved preparing, forming teams, practicing.  They are really looking forward to the competition as am I.  The students have loved all the books. I just wanted to thank you for the service you are providing. I hope that more schools in my district will do this next year.”

“The teachers and students I work with love the Battle of the Books!”

“Well, our school just completed its first year of participation using your Battle of the Books program and it was a huge success. Our school has 900 5th–8th graders, it was conducted as an after school program, 95 students participated. We had an all school assembly for our final competitions. I hope to have more participants next year. Thanks for all your help!”

“Battle of the Books was a huge success this year.  We had 10 out of 13 elementary schools in our district participate and 2 schools won 1st and 2nd place that had never won before. Yea! Two years ago the smallest school in our district won 2nd place with a team of girls who entered 5th grade as non English speakers so I believe if teachers/librarians work with the kids diligently and get the parents and teachers involved that the teams will be competitive.  Anyway it is a big part of our reading plan and I will never stop using your program.  Even our middle schools are involved now.”

What the students are saying:

“I was apart of the winning team in the battle of the books. I go to XXX elementary school. It was so fun. I wish I had another chance to go, but I do. I am only in the fourth grade, so next year I get to try.”

“Hi this is a concerned battle of the books contestant. I love your site but you shouldn't  post sample questions because those are basically cheats, and most people should just want to be in it to show there passion and love and talent for reading.”

“Hello, my name is XXX, and I'm in the Battle of the Books. My school is XXX. Battle of the Books is awesome, and my team thinks it’s cool. Don't ever stop it!!!!”

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