Published: October 24, 2008 09:27 pm      

Golden year for county schools

Local school districts receive Gold Performance Acknowledgments

Navarro County schools continue to show educational improvements, and the proof is in the Gold Performance Acknowledgments released by the Texas Education Agency late this past year.

Gold Performance Acknowledgments are a different way to see a school’s progress other than merely using Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scores. They compare TAKS scores with schools of similar size and make-up, and look at how many kids are taking Advanced Placement courses, look at attendance percentages, SAT and ACT scores, and how many kids did very well on the TAKS test.

The Gold Performance Acknowledgments aren’t like the state’s rating system, which gives schools and districts a grade such as Acceptable or Recognized, or like the federal rating system, which determines if a school meets Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Instead, the Gold Performance Acknowledgments are a pat on the back for a job well done, and not getting one doesn’t carry any penalty.

Still, it’s nice to be recognized for the work, said Mike Baldree, Blooming Grove superintendent. His school district received seven Gold Performance Acknowledgments his year, including two for science and two for having at least half the junior class college-ready in English Language Arts. Four of the Acknowledgments were at the Junior High, which got commendations for having at least 25 percent of its student body score above 70 (commended) on the reading, math, science and social studies TAKS tests.

“They’ve continued to improve every year,” Baldree said. “Our teachers and kids are doing real well. Our goal is not only to be Recognized campuses, but also to be a Recognized district. The larger your district is, the harder it is.”

In terms of sheer numbers, Corsicana had the most Gold Performance awards this year, with 14 spread across five campuses.

It’s a sign that the school district’s programs are helping, said Chip Curington, deputy superintendent with CISD.

“It shows that the continuing efforts of our teachers, staff, students and parents are having a encouraging effect on learning in our district. It also indicates that the positive results of educational programs, policies and procedures implemented the last few years are showing up daily in every classroom across the district,” Curington said.

Frost ISD also did remarkably well for a small school district, chalking up 12 Acknowledgments, including seven at the high school, for commended scores, comparative scores, and college readiness. The district received two, and the elementary also received two.

“We’re very pleased,” said Jim Revill, superintendent. “It’s just another sign of how good the teachers are doing.”

Mildred received 13 acknowledgments, including five at the district level, in commended reading, writing, and social studies, and college-readiness in English and math. The high school also received five, for commended scores in writing, social studies, math, and college-readiness in English and math. The elementary got three, for commended reading and science, and comparative reading.

Rice ISD received six Acknowledgments, two on the district level, three at the high school and one for the elementary school. The district and high school both received Acknowledgments for commended reading and math, while the high school also got a commended for science, and the elementary received a commended in social studies.

Of the 1,222 districts evaluated in Texas, 80 percent earned one or more Gold Performance Acknowledgment, according to the Texas Education Agency. Among the 7,517 individual campuses evaluated, 81 percent earned at least one acknowledgment.

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Janet Jacobs may be reached via e-mail at jacobs@corsicanadailysun.com