Chattanooga Times Free Press

Bright spots amid school tests report

- BY JUDY WALTON STAFF WRITER

Despite test results released Thursday showing Hamilton County students mostly lagging state averages in English, math and history, there were a few individual bright spots.

The Hamilton County Department of Education on Friday released data showing several local schools ranked in the top 5 percent statewide for achievemen­t, growth or both.

East Ridge Middle and Thrasher Elementary both earned Reward School status for being in the top 5 percent for student academic progress, schools spokeswoma­n Amy Katcher said in a news release.

Lookout Mountain Elementary, Nolan Elementary and STEM School Chattanoog­a earned Reward School status for student achievemen­t.

And Hixson Middle School improved its scores enough to get off the list of Focus Schools, the 10 percent of schools statewide with the largest achievemen­t gaps among groups of students. The school had been on the list for three years due to the performanc­e gap between the school’s whole population and its black, Hispanic and Native American population­s, according to Principal LeAngela Rogers.

In addition, Katcher said, the Tennessee Department of Education has designated Hamilton County as an “achieving” school district in its district determinat­ions. The state ranks districts on four levels: Needs Improvemen­t; Progressin­g (achievemen­t growth below 2 percent); Achieving (growth from 2 percent to less than 3 percent), and Exemplary (growth at 3 percent or above.)

Schools Superinten­dent Dr. Bryan Johnson said by telephone Friday that while there’s a lot yet to be done to get schools where they need to be, “When you look at us comparativ­ely from the district determinat­ion standpoint, I think you’re going to see that it’s pretty favorable.”

He pointed to improved scores in several categories from 2015: Students in grades 3-5 raised their statewide percentile ranking from 44.7 to 48.2 in English language arts. Their sixth- through eighth-grade peers went up in language arts from 34.3 to 45.3, an 11-point improvemen­t in the statewide percentile.

The sixth- to eighth-grade cohort also scored significan­t growth in math, rising from 37.1 to 51.8, nearly 15 points.

But the third- through fifth-graders dropped nearly 10 points in math achievemen­t, from 70.9 to 61.

Johnson said the district determinat­ion usually is an overall compilatio­n of data from TNReady test scores and the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System, which measures year-to-year progress.

This year, school districts were allowed to choose either growth or achievemen­t, he said, and Hamilton County chose achievemen­t.

TNReady replaced the TCAP statewide standardiz­ed test with what education officials have called a more rigorous assessment and more demanding standards.

And the problempla­gued rollout for the new system included canceled tests in lower grades last year, results reported too late to include in local report cards this year, and most recently the discovery that nearly 10,000 tests were incorrectl­y scored, which in some cases affected student and school results.

The TNReady results released Thursday showed only 20 to 38 percent of Hamilton County students were at grade level in English, math and history.

Among students in grades 3-8, 31.8 percent hit grade level in English and 38.4 in math. That’s compared to 22.8 and 38 percent, respective­ly, statewide. In science, slightly more than half of grades

3-8 were at grade level: 54.5 percent in Hamilton County vs. 58.5 percent statewide.

In high school, only 16.3 percent reached grade level in math; 21.7 percent in history; 30.5 percent in English and 45.6 in science, lagging statewide averages in all cases.

Justin Robertson, assistant superinten­dent for curriculum and instructio­n in Hamilton County Schools, told the Times Free Press

on Thursday the results can “set a new baseline” for achievemen­t in grades 3-8.

And he noted that while there are individual positives in some schools, “we are aware we must urgently address areas of growth and remain focused on levers that will move student learning forward and ensure every student will be post-secondary ready.”

In Friday’s news release, Johnson said the district needs to learn from its

successes and expand them throughout the district.

By phone Friday, he acknowledg­ed the task ahead.

“Next year we know we’ve got to move the needle in regard to growth. … We know we still have work to do, but it [the overall “achieving” ranking] is encouragin­g,” Johnson said.

 ??  ?? Bryan Johnson
Bryan Johnson
 ?? STAFF FILE PHOTO BY DOUG STRICKLAND ?? Hamilton County Schools Superinten­dent Dr. Bryan Johnson, center, speaks with Mary Edwards, right, and Lee Ann Hammer Wednesday a State of Our Schools address to the Hamilton County Council of PTAs.
STAFF FILE PHOTO BY DOUG STRICKLAND Hamilton County Schools Superinten­dent Dr. Bryan Johnson, center, speaks with Mary Edwards, right, and Lee Ann Hammer Wednesday a State of Our Schools address to the Hamilton County Council of PTAs.

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