Rankings provide no surprise to JISD
By GEORGIA PURDY Newsboy Correspondent

When the Texas Education Agency released accountability ratings based on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test last Wednesday, there were no surprises for Jasper Independent School District.

Preliminary data presented by Curriculum Director Gwen Gilford to the Board of Trustees June 11 had already predicted the final accountability ratings: the district, as a whole, was ranked Academically Acceptable.

Few Primary and Parnell Elementary School, were designated Recognized; Few's rating is based on Parnell's since testing doesn't begin until third grade. Jasper Junior High and Rowe Intermediate School were Acceptable, and Jasper High School, Unacceptable.

Ratings are issued each year with the designation of Exemplary at the top of the scale, followed by Recognized, Acceptable, and Unacceptable. These ratings are based only on the first test administration; students who failed sections the first time, but later passed are not counted.

In order to be Acceptable, the cumulative scores must meet the following minimum standard: Reading/English Language Arts, Writing, and Social Studies, 65 percent; Mathematics, 45 percent; Science, 35 percent.

"Parnell's success is quite an achievement," Superintendent Bill Dean said. "I don't think people realize what it takes to do this well. The teachers are very well organized on that campus. Any student who falls behind is pulled out and put in a small group until they get caught up. Then they go back to the regular classroom. That works and some students are only in the pull-out program for a short time."

Jasper High School's Unacceptable rating is based on the under-performance of two subgroups, African Americans and Economically Disadvantaged students, who failed meet the standard in math. The high school rating is based on TAKS scores of grades 9-11. Juniors take the Exit Level test required for graduation; therefore, there are always some who do not pass all sections and test again their senior year. There are six opportunities to pass the Exit Level test.

"Each year the state raises the bar," Gilford said. "The tests get harder and percentage rates for passing go up five percent. If you have even one sub-group who does not meet the standard for two years in a row in the same discipline, then the school gets an unacceptable rating."

The high school's two subgroups actually failed to meet the standard in math for three years in a row, but received a waiver in 2005 because of Hurricane Rita.

Gilford believes that one of the primary problems at the high school is that students don't take testing seriously until their junior year when they must take the Exit Level test to graduate.

"I am a data person and the data tells the story," she said. "Look at the performance of ninth and tenth graders, especially in math and science, and then compare it to eleventh grade scores when it counts for graduation. There is a significant difference."

Her assessment appears to have merit. A look at scores by grade level shows the following for 2007: reading/ELA for ninth graders was 88 percent; math, 44 percent; 10th graders scored 84 percent in reading/ELA, 84 percent in writing, 45 percent in math, 77 percent in social studies and 53 percent in science; 11th graders taking the Exit Level test scored 93 percent in reading/ELA, 75 percent in math, 85 percent in science, and 92 percent in social studies.

"I don't believe, especially when you look at the scores of the Economically Disadvantaged, that these students are unable to perform satisfactorily in math," Gilford said. "Look at their reading and writing scores. They scored 84 percent."

Even though Jasper Junior High was rated Academically Acceptable. They also had one unacceptable sub-group in math- African Americans who scored 41 percent.

"Low math scores are a problem all over the state," Dean said. "Rural districts are hit especially hard because of the difficulty in attracting good teachers. We are now using Federal Title I money to pay bonuses to attract teachers in math, science and ESL. Those are the critical need areas where there is a teacher shortage. It is still difficult when there are districts who can afford to pay beginning teachers $40,000."

Dean said that the loss of key math teachers at the high school who retired in the last several years has also had an impact, but that he thinks some new teachers hired over the summer will help.

"If you look at the statewide picture, you also see that these same sub-groups are falling behind while the scores of Hispanic students are climbing," he said.

That is evident in Jasper schools as well, but not all of the Hispanic students' scores were counted in the Accountability ratings. They figure in the district's overall rating but not at all grade levels. If the number of students does not meet a certain percentage of the total, the scores do not count for that grade level. For example, Hispanic students at Jasper High school passed all tests and showed an 11- point gain in math and a 17-point gain in science; but their scores did not count in the schools rating.

A survey of area schools shows that math and sometimes both math and science scores were low, especially in high schools even though those schools did not receive a rating of Unacceptable. That can only mean that the same sub-groups did not fail to meet the state standard two consecutive years in the same discipline.

Schools must also meet the Required Improvement (RI) standard. For example, if a segment of students improved scores in a specified discipline from 2006 to 2007, they can still fail to meet the RI because they did not increase the percentage of improvement that the state expects.

JISD began beefing up math curriculum in 2004 with the addition of the Sharon Wells program in grades two through six.

In 2005, Jasper Junior High began a double math period with a pullout program for students who were struggling. In addition, the district added a teacher-training program to improve science in grades 3-12. The program is administered by the Dana Center, a research unit of the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas. Math instruction was then added beginning in the junior high.

"The Dana program is a fiveyear process," Gilford said. "We are going into our third year with the grades 3-12 science program and the second year with the math program for grades 6-12. The center sends trainers to work with teachers and also provides instructional materials. Teachers are pulled out once each six weeks for training."

Progress is already evident in the lower grades, and Gilford believes that the programs already begun will pay off with better performance at both the junior high and high school levels.

The 2007 cumulative scores show that from grades three through 11, TAKS scores are well above state standards and math scores dip significantly in only the ninth and tenth grades.

Another approach to improvement, Gilford said, is the addition of internal coaches who work with teachers to make sure curriculum and materials are in the hands of teachers and that benchmark tests are given each six weeks.

Teachers are also working more to assure that alignment is in place. This means that classroom instruction is built around the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and that instruction is linked from one grade to the next. For example, a seventh grade math teacher needs to know what students need to master in order to be successful in the eighth grade.

Gilford also believes that test-based promotion gets positive results. Students have already been required to pass the third and fifth grade TAKS in order to be promoted. Beginning this year, 2007- 2008, eighth graders must pass both reading and math to be promoted to the ninth grade.

"We will really be watching our eighth graders," Gilford said. "Those ninth graders entering high school will be the first group who have had to pass the TAKS in order to be promoted to the next grade," she said. "That should make a big difference because students will have already learned how important these tests are. I don't think we will continue to see many who don't take these tests seriously."

Reading/English Language Arts and writing continue to be strong throughout the district. The state first began testing with Reading/ELA and added math, writing, science, and social studies at various later dates.

"Reading scores are strong because it was the first required test," Gilford said. "Other areas will continue to improve the longer testing is in place and when we go to end-of- course testing, we will begin to see even better scores."

Both Gilford and Dean believe that one of the critical factors in increasing student performance is parental involvement. Schools frequently see larger numbers of parents in the elementary grades, but that number decreases substantially as children get older.

"Parents have to know that it is important to play an active role in their children's education," Gilford said. "We encourage them to be active participants throughout the year. Don't wait until the end of the year to find out what happened. Parents must become part of the solution."

Dean put it another way, "Grab that Big Chief tablet, sit down with your child and say, 'Let me see your math book.'"

Gilford also challenges students to be responsible. There are TAKS preparation courses and tutoring for those who need it.

"Students also have a responsibility for their own education," she said. "It is a real struggle at the high school, for example, to get both parents and students involved."

JISD schedules parent conference days and special sessions for parents. Again, the lower grade levels have much higher participation than the junior high and high school.

Another key to improvement is the use of benchmark tests and JISD is making liberal use of those every six weeks.

"Data must drive curriculum," Gilford said. "That's why we started benchmark tests every six weeks. We are also adding three Advance Placement courses at the high school: calculus, chemistry, and English III. We hope to add a fourth course next year. We have to address the needs of all students, not just the at-risk students but those going to college."

Both Dean and Gilford say that teachers are the key ingredients to success and that Jasper has an abundance of excellence.

"Having been in a larger district, I feel that JISD has some of the strongest teachers, paraprofessionals and administrators," Gilford said. "The difference I see here is that teachers care about these kids and it shows from kindergarten through high school. I am an optimist and I know we are going to continue to get better and solve the problems."

Dean also shares that optimism as the new school year approaches.

"I feel very good going into this year," Dean said. "We know we have some problems but I'm confident that we can fix them."