BOE discusses AYP problems

The BOE discussed at length Tuesday night how the various subgroups of students had caused some of those schools to fail to make AYP.

School leaders told the BOE that after the retesting, Statham Elementary School and Russell Middle School will likely meet the AYP goals, but that Winder Barrow Middle School and both high schools will probably not make AYP.

While many on the BOE scoffed at 2014 bench mark of having 100 percent of students meeting AYP goals, school superintendent Wanda Creel said the state Department of Education is working to come up with another accountability plan that does not rely solely on a single test scores. Called the Next Generation Accountability System, Creel said it’s slated to be presented to the state in September 2011.

Creel also said the system is working to meet the goals within its subgroups of students who are struggling.

But board vice chair Mitchael J. Churchill asked where the accountability on the students lies.

“At the end of the day, when we look at the high school level, it can be a small few for whatever reason, but whatever’s happening with different groups is indirectly causing us from being able to hit [the benchmarks],” Churchill said, “We’re kicking everybody’s butts but the kids. I’m not saying they need their butts kicked, but where is the accountability?”

Board member Connie Wehunt said she didn’t like to see teachers taking a beating and that the district is “headed in the right direction… and to get a teenager to be held accountable is not easy to do.”

District 5 board member Lynn Stevens said she disagreed.

“There’s no reason that any child in this system should fail,” Stevens said. “I don’t care if they don’t have any parents. I don’t care if they’re parents don’t have money. There is no reason with as many resources as we have that we have out into this system that we should have any schools failing with any subgroup. This has been a consistent problem ever since I’ve been on this board. I don’t know what it’s going to take to address this, but it’s got to be fixed.”

For the full story, see the July 27 issue of the Barrow Journal.