With tougher goals in place, one-fourth of the schools in South Hampton Roads failed to meet federal standards this year. That’s up 71 percent from last year.
Only Portsmouth showed an overall improvement. In Suffolk, failure rates tripled. In Chesapeake, they doubled. Norfolk’s failure rate increased by 80 percent, Virginia Beach’s by 50 percent .
The Virginia Department of Education released preliminary results for the state Wednesday. Twenty-six percent of 1,837 schools in the state did not meet newly toughened standards.
This year, at least 77 percent of students had to pass reading and 75 percent had to pass math tests for their school to be considered making adequate yearly progress, or “AYP,” under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Pass rates will continue to toughen by 4 percentage points a year until 2014, when 100 percent of the students are required to pass.
To make AYP, schools must demonstrate that all students, including those in various racial, ability and income groups, are reaching required pass rates.
Schools that accept Title I federal funding can be forced to offer tutoring and school choice and could even face restructuring after repeated failures. Schools that don’t take that funding aren’t sanctioned, but their school divisions are expected to step in and make changes.
Billy K. Cannaday Jr., Virginia’s superintendent of public instruction, said keeping up with ever-increasing standards is a challenge.
“You can definitely see that over the last four years there has been not only a ratcheting up of the expectations but higher standards to meet to demonstrate that we are making progress,” he said.
In South Hampton Roads, 53 of 216 public schools failed the AYP grade this year. Last year, 31 schools fell short.
In Suffolk, most of the schools failed this year. The number of schools missing benchmarks tripled to 12 . Only eight of the city’s public schools passed.
“I’m disappointed to see that some schools that had made it previously did not make it this go-round,” said Deran Whitney, the school division’s deputy superintendent for curriculum and instruction .
Suffolk’s three high schools all struggled with math, while the middle schools mostly had problems with English. The elementary schools had trouble in both subjects.
Students with disabilities scored below required pass rates at five Suffolk schools. Low-income students missed the mark at eight schools.
Elephant’s Fork Elementary must continue to allow parents to transfer their children to other elementary schools. The school met benchmarks last year but not this year. It needs to pass two consecutive years before it can do away with transfers, Whitney said. The school must also offer after-school tutoring or extra help.
“I think it’s important to recognize that if a school doesn’t meet AYP, it’s not a failing school,” Whitney said. “It’s a matter of continuous improvement.”
In Norfolk, the number failing to meet all national benchmarks almost doubled from 10 to 18 of the city’s 49 public schools.
Many schools posted pass rates of 70 percent or more, missing the goals by slim margins, said Melinda Boone, the Norfolk division’s chief academic officer. Camp Allen Elementary was less than 1 percentage point shy of meeting the benchmark for black students in English, she said.
“We are concerned we had more schools to not make AYP,” but several showed significant improvement over the past two years, Boone said.
Still, eight Norfolk elementary schools faltered, compared with one last year. Eight of the city’s nine middle schools continued to struggle, as well, with some having troubles in math and others in English. Lafayette-
Winona Middle has not met the national benchmarks for six years.
Boone said the school division will continue to focus on increasing academic rigor in math, while evaluating data to determine how to improve English scores.
“We’ve got to fight for it every year, and we’re going to fight,” said Vincent Rhodes, a spokesman for the Norfolk division. “We think our teachers and kids are going to do it.”
In Portsmouth this year, more schools made adequate yearly progress. Last year, six of the division’s 20 schools did not make it, while this year, five missed targets. Three of those that fell short this year had been successful last year.
Portsmouth schools Assistant Superintendent Patricia Fisher gave partial credit to regular
divisionwide school improvement meetings.
Last year, Portsmouth’s Churchland Academy Elementary missed the benchmark for special education students in English. It made it this year, but Churchland Academy students must be offered school choice for at least one more year.
Brighton Elementary, which has failed to make AYP for the second consecutive year, must also allow children to transfer.
In Chesapeake, six of 45 schools – three high schools and three middle schools – failed to make AYP. That’s double the number that missed the mark last year.
At the high school level, Deep Creek, Grassfield and Indian River struggled with pass rates in English for students with disabilities, an area in which Deep Creek also failed to make the mark last year.
At the middle school level, Crestwood, Hugo A. Owens and Indian River had math scores that were too low, particularly among black students and students from low-income families.
Two schools that missed AYP last year – Jolliff Middle and Oscar Smith High – cleared the benchmarks this year.
In Virginia Beach, six middle schools and six elementary schools of the 82 tested missed the mark, up from a total of eight last year. Each of the middle schools had problems in math, and at 10 of the schools, black students scored below the required pass rates.
“Title I or not, school staff and principals are crushed when this happens. They want to make AYP,” said Jared Cotton, assistant superintendent for assessment for Beach schools.
Pilot writers Hattie Brown Garrow, Alicia P.Q. Wittmeyer, Amy Jeter and Cheryl Ross contributed to this report.
Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133,lauren.roth@pilotonline.com
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Local funding is the problem for
quality public education. There has been for decades a great disparity in public schooling based almost entirely on the wealth of the district the school is in. So not only are poor children starting life from the bottom rung, but the rungs above are sawed almost all the way through. Parenting is a big part of the equation, of course, but with more and more families relying on 2 incomes or low incomes for single parents, and this income is getting lower and lower with respect to expenses, the problem of at home parenting gets worse. I have always felt the the most important profession in the country is a teacher. And teachers in the early grades determine the motivation of students in higher education.
Law graduates get 100K/year out of school to push paper around, teachers top out at half that for developing the minds of our country's future. If we paid attention to all schools like they were located in Scarsdale, NY, then we might get a huge payback.
LEN.
Len... and others...My comment regarding public school taxes/private school students was simply a rebuttal to the comment made by NEWT about somebody wanting a voucher to send their child to private school on the public dime. It was made to show that not only is that not the case, we also pay public school taxes while not using the system. I also (voluntarily) complete the school census.. etc. Va pilot chose to not post the 2nd half of my post which would have explained this in detail. NEWT, quite presumptious of you to assume that you pay more in taxes than I do perhaps you know much about me... not sure how... but Im never one to post just to argue. I only posted to defend the private school parents who may very well be pro - voucher and to explain why. If the public can take our dime for public school.. then perhaps a write off for an equal portion of tuition is not such a bad thing..
SOL's and High School Continued
Schools in the U.S.A. will achieve 100% passing scores by 2014. They will accomplish this by "dumbing the test down" and by not allowing students to earn their high school diploma who have not passed the SOL's or FCAT'S or whatever name is given to state testing. 100% does not mean 100% of the students in public schools. 100% means 100% of the students earning high school diplomas will have passed all SOL's. Did you know drop-outs are not taken into consideration of the 100% equation? Now we have have left so many children behind while it looks like our schools are doing great, they show 100% passing rates and all is great with American Education. I'm not saying that high school diplomas should just be handed out, students must earn them, but they should not be denied one, based on a single test.
Making Progress
LeighB, I agree with your comment about AYP, and the undo celebration for making progress, while forgetting about the 15% who did not meet AYP standards. But, 85% did not progress. Just because they passed a test, this does not mean they progressed. What about the children who already knew the information on 'the test' and would have scored high, had they taken it in September? Did they progress? NO. What about the children who memorized a bunch of facts, I'm speaking mainly VA Studies and science, and passed the test? Did they progress? Yes, No, Maybe? Their ability to think has not progressed at all. Their ability to spew back disconnected facts did progress, however that information will be lost by the time they reach high school. One of many very silly, arbitrary, so-called high quality standards in enducation is "teaching" the 5th grade students that the Blue Ridge Mountain Region's product is apples and their industry is recreation. What? Why? Help!
American Education
American Education fails many children. Len you are so right about the need to figure out what is wrong and fix it. MGM, you are so right about the importance of class size. Your child is very lucky and blessed to have you as a parent, class size is key. A smaller class size allows the teacher to teach your child. In a massive city like VA Beach, and the amount of resources that are available to this city, I am sickened by the way tax payers' money is spent, it's spent on testing, testing, testing and some more testing. Does the average parent even know how many multiple choice bubble tests their child is taking in elementary school? Find out, you would be shocked. All this testing costs money. All this testing is putting our children farther and farther behind. Behind what? Behind what they could be achieving if teachers were able or allowed to teach the child. I remember clearly my 2nd grader at the time, stressing over getting a high score on a bubble sheet test. CRIMINAL! These tests are in place to prepare for sol testing.
Len!
I get you. We have never protested having to pay our taxes for the schools. We even fill out the census form (voluntary) to show we have a school-aged child here. That way the VB schools get paid for one extra high school student (ours) who doesn't use their schools nor cost them anything. I have no problem with that. Cheers, MGM
Mary, my point was
not that it is irresponsible to send your own children to private school, but that we should still expect to pay for the education of our nation's children, whether they are ours or not. We don't have children and have been paying for everyone else's education all of our lives…but it is in my interest as citizen to see that the next generation can continue the grand experiment we call America. As a business owner, I want to be able to hire people who can actually read and write and produce. Now if you are in a rough school district, or are unsatisfied for any reason with the public schools and you have the resources, then as a parent you should do what is in the best interest of your child. Meanwhile, we need to address the issue of why that school failed you as a citizen and fix it.
Len!
Of course, it is right to advocate for better public schools. Generally people do that when they are older and their own children are raised, have you noticed? There's not much time when the Munchkins are small.
Many people who raise their kids in private schools run for public school boards. That doesn't bother me at all--they know why they didn't use the public schools. In my child's case, the class size would be the deal breaker (totally distractible kid who works best in class sizes of less than ten kids). We all have to know our own children best and do what is best for them. That may or may not include use of the public schools, but should never be second-guessed by another family. It's a personal decision. And, yeah, I guess in that sense, we have one chance to do it right and we *are* on our own as parents because we brought those guys and gals into this world. Cheers, MGM
NCLB and SOL's
NCLB and state testing is destroying education. Because of limited space, I will simplify the three levels of our children. In elementary school the higher level children are being robbed of their want and their need to 'move on', to explore new ideas, to feed their innate curiosity and to discover all that there is to discover. The middle level children are being robbed of their ability to think and figure things out through self discovery, and the lower level children are being robbed of their self-esteem, and the amazing gifts they do have to offer this world. Telling facts in hopes that all children will remember them and pass a test is criminal. Parents who think teachers are just being whiney about not wanting to show accountability and that’s why they don’t want the sol’s could not be more wrong. Teachers are sick and tired and no longer want live with the pressures of teaching a test, but rather they want to do their jobs and live with the pleasures of teaching a child. This topic deserves hundreds of pages dedicated to information to teach people who have been brainwashed into thinking that passing test scores=quality education. NCLB needs to go away. My child falls
What goes around comes around.
We have been warned for years of what the results would be for following Liberalism. Now we know.
Well Said / Not So Well Said
WELL SAID That is also another reason our daughters go to PRIVATE SCHOOL we dont want our kids subject to bathroom brawls./ NOT SO WELL SAID Another comment about private school kids and the real world. Our girls go to a small rural private school and by NO means are they sheltered.If anything they have more choices of things to do in school and I know plenty of private school grads that have attended MAJOR Colleges and yes some do not. However we are not sheltering our kids we are giving them a chance at a great education let us have that choice.
Everyone is on his own, I guess
It is sad that we, as Americans, have so little regard for our country as a community. It is all about "What's in it for me?". When I see a complaint about paying taxes for schools when sending their own children to private institutions, then I know we are losing our sense of unity. It is to our great benefit as a nation to have a solid education for everyone. If you feel that a public school is not right for your child, so be it. But public schools are the building blocks of a strong democracy…at least as valuable as a strong military, good infrastructure, safe neighborhoods. Probably more so since a well educated young population is the future of America. Perhaps we are no long "e pluribus unum" anymore, and it is time for another, less self absorbed culture to take over. If our public education system is not performing well, then we need to address that and make it better…not abandon it.
Private schools
Yeah, at private school my kid is truly missing out on the great socialization experience of getting beat up in the bathroom. Cheers, MGM
Our Failing Schools
We need more of the Ms Hester, Ms Rodgers, Ms Lesters, Ms Jones (Parkview Elementary) Mr Erchart (Harry Hunt Jr High) in our school. Those teacher didnt take no crap from kids nor their parents. Yes, they did believe in popping those hands and butts when you got out of line. But now those teachers are gone because our society is soooo sensitive and kids have soo many rights and some (not all) parents are sooo lawsuit crazy. Remember this my new age parents- There is a difference between discipline and child abuse. Stop letting PS2, Wii, MTV, BET, Cartoons, Gangs, Linsay Lohan, Britneys Spears rearing our kids. Designate at least 2 days out of a week as family day and learning day. No outside influence, no friends, no TVs and no phones. Parents get back to quizzing kids on their school work, be nosy go thru their back packs if you have to because there is no such thing as Privacy for a child. Play board games and dedicates hours of just reading books-NO MAGAZINES. And more important SUPPORT those PTA meetings and attend teachers conference.
Newt 757 is correct
Hey kimb - my house has never been on fire. Do you think I should get a rebate on the taxes I pay for the fire department? Wait - I've also never been in jail, needed the police, collected welfare, used public health care or went to court, so how about I get write-offs for all the taxes I've paid for those unused services!?
If you wanted to utilize the public school system it is there for you. However, you made a *choice* to pay for private schools. If you were allowed to write off that expense, then the amount written off would Not be going to support public education. Therefore: private school vouchers *reduce* the revenues collected for the public good - hence the accurate statement made by newt757 regarding the public dime.
duh
Our Failing Schools
Once again, How can you explain when you go to Walmart after 10:00 pm and there are parents with children shopping on a school nite. I blame the parents for not taking the time to teach the children the importance of educations and to value life itself. The truth is we are raising kids in a worthless time of parenting. While the teachers are burden with our children, when is it the teachers responsibility to act as babysitters and teach the kids how to conduct themselves. Old school teaching should be reenforced. When a child was out of order, that child was removed after 3 strikes. What happened to the law when a child had a history of being ignorant in school the law was breathing down the parents neck? Back in the days there werent no ADHD or getting your child high to make them focus and act right. It was discipline, discipline, discipline. I hope when Bush leaves the office he will take his NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND and SOL crap with him.
kimb42934
Well, I am glad I could infuriate you on this fine day.
Let me count the taxes I pay that go for services I don't use. I would wager it is a bit more than you. That is how this whole concept of government works. We pay taxes. They get used for services-some we agree with and some we don't. I don't think the request for rebates has ever been approved.
If you choose to send your children to private school, that is your choice. By making that choice, you agree that you are not using the service for which your taxes were paid. I have never been to the Sandler Center, or the Hilton at the beach, but my tax dollars paid for part of them. I have only visited one or two state parks, but my taxes are paying for their upkeep, and I have barely scratched the surface of the museums in Washington, but there go millions of dollars in taxes to keep them running too.
I pay enough taxes to expect a decent education for my kids
Therefore I am a proponet of Public Schools. I feel the private schools do not subject the kids to the real world. They graduate a well educated young adult in most cases but most of them have led such a shelterd life that the young adults graduating are not prepared to deal with much of the "real world" shall we say? A friend of mine wanted to put their son in Public School after 10 years attending a private academy and the kid had a real hard time passing the required placement tests for his current grade level. 85% of the Teachers do all they can be expected to do and more to try and get these so called "under privilaged" kids educated, as the saying goes you can lead a horse to water but can't make him drink. I won't blame the Teachers in most cases, they are underpaid and over worked in my opinion. The system is and the bad teachers that are out there, you can't fire them without expecting a lawsuit
PRIVATE SCHOOL ON WHO'S DIME????
NEWT 757 STATES "If enough public schools are "failing," then the rich should be able to take their kids to private school on the public dime." I BEG TO DIFFER... MY CHILDREN have attended private school all of their lives... one has just graduated and the other just entered high school.. to hear anyone say the somebody wants to send their child on the Public dime, infuriates me! All that was ever wanted was a rebate of the portion of TAXES WE PAY, that are geared toward a PUBLIC SCHOOL, that we do not use. Would you stay at the Holiday Inn and pay the room tax for the Sheraton as well, would you eat at McDonalds and pay Outback Steakhouse taxes to? No, you wouldn't and we dont want to either. The private school my children attend is fully funded by tuition, fees and the church ministry. There are many wonderful teachers in the public school system. Our decision was not based on the competancy of today's
Where is a comment from the National Education Association?
The Pilot should have interviewed an NEA person on this, but we'd already know what they say. They've been so busy for the last few decades striking for better pay and benefits for their union-member teachers that they've done little to help schools or students. I have NEVER seen them strike for anything except issues that impact how hard they have to work and how much they're paid. Then, unlike every other person, they want NO standards to be judged by. Sorry, but 2+2=4 and it should for everybody, including the NEA.
How do you think I feel.
This is what I'm paying for. I'm single and chose not to be part of any of this child thing, but guess what... I am so, here is my two cents worth. Parents this is all on you. You are the ones that have let your minions grow up to be street speaking, non adding, filthy talking individuals, not the schools. Do you teach them at home to aspire to learn for learning sake. That knowledge is power and to get power you have to learn, evidently not. Do you tell your kids that if they act up at school they will be punished. Ok, that one is on the government because you can't spank your kids anymore, too bad, because it works if done correctly. If you haven't prepared your kids how to socially interact with others correctly, then trying to teach them anything is going to be a real problem. I see my tax dollars washing down the drain and here all the retoric on how the schools are at fault. Get a grip--- it all starts at home.
School Improvement - Multi-pronged
Fixing under-perfroming schools is a multi-pronged approach. Sure money comes into the equation, but it is how and where that money is applied. Parental invovlvement in a child's education is paramount. In the low-performing schools, the sociological-demographic make-up of the school zone reflects problems. Unsteady households are a huge distraction for students that potentially score badly. External influences of peer pressure, gangs, and media entertainment greatly affect the path a child progresses through school. So, who should step up to improve our schools and the performance of children in school. All parental figures - step up! All government figures and policy-makers - step up! Police and Community relations - step up! All media outlets - step up! All entertainment celebrities, local & national - step up! All educational teachers and board authorities - step up! H
Who decides what is on the SOL?
As an involved parent with 2 kids in Public Schools I have been against this "No child left behind" and the SOL's since the start. Since I stay involved in my kids education I know for a fact that the teachers simply teach from the SOL preparation guide. There used to be a day when teachers had lesson plans and such but no more. The teachers just pull out the "holy grail" and start "preparing" our kids for what they will see come SOL time. And to boot, regardless of what kind of grades they are getting in each class, as long as they pass the SOL for a given subject, they are exempt from final exams for that class! Are every state's SOL test the same? Who are these "rocket scientist" that determine what my kids need to know anyway? Instead of holding both teachers and students accountable for poor performance, whether it be poor teaching skills or lack of effort on the kids to learn, we now teach the test. Whi
Advocate.
"Let be honesty, especially within the Virginia Beach school district, Black children are NOT treated fairly."
First thing is what does "let be honesty" mean?
Now the most important thing. The only people who have let down Black children are the so called parents and Black community alone. If you feel you are too stupid to raise and teach your children yourself then at least have the courage to say so otherwise do as every other person in this country does no matter color, race, ethnicity or religion and raise your children and do the right thing.
Teaching /Schools--Parents
Todays society has both parents working -single moms with 2 jobs. The kids are on auto pilot and when parents get home they want to be "Johnnys/Susies" friend. Not Parent. Very unfortunate but reality.
Some parents do not have the education, parenting skills coming from the background they did.It is passed on being with children having children. The kids get the short end of the stick all evolving from...so called parenting.
It is not fair to the teachers to expect them to do OUR job in the hours of school, when you have kids that WANT to learn. Kids are given everything and anything these days -new cars once they get their licenses...etc no wonder they like the free ride who wouldnt.
Non Education in Portsmouth Schools
Your point about parental involvment is so very key to this situation-we could pay each teacher $100,000 per year and if she must teach a class of children who come from an environment of drugs,low-income, illiterate, one parent households filled with non-functioning members of society, then she is fighting a losing battle. And unfortunately, any other students in her class who DO want to learn and who do have parents who care will pay the price. There's no control in the class rooms, no respect for the teachers, and very little learning is being done. The teacher spends her day trying to keep order and discipline and must focus on the low level students to try to bring them up to speed. Meantime, the child who is trying to learn gets sidelined or bored. I don't know exactly who came up with this NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND MORONIC IDEA but they need their brains examined. If you have a child with an IQ of 4
good point, mary
I agree with you, although I think my point of view veers a little bit. I don't think it's a matter of health care as much as it reinforces my belief that so many of the problems with education begin in the home. My parents read to me and I was able to read before I ever went to school. I realize that this was an idealistic upbringing - my mom stayed at home and had the time to devote to raising me - but the larger issue is parental involvement. My wife and I both work but make sure we spend time with our kids to read to them, help with homework, etc. Obviously if the parents are illiterate this complicates things, but even in such a scenario the parents can encourage their children and ensure they study, reward good grades and so on. Your point about nutrition is important, and I think the parents should be responsible for teaching their children about healthy eating habits. Easier said than done, of course.
Parents: If you care about your kids
Pull them out of public school and put them in one of the fine private institutions in this area. Many of them offer scholarships and financial assistance. Public education has become nothing more than indoctrination and a series of social experiments. Public education administrators think about nothing but how to further their own careers and their liberal social agenda.
Advocate
Save the race baiting for some other community.
BTW you are two decades off. The Norfolk School system shut down in a resistance against racial integration in schools in the 50s, not 70s.
It was truly a sad time. BUT IT WAS 50 YEARS AGO!!!!!
Hampton Roads School Accreditation
Does the Virginia Department of Education have access to computers? I know that the children take these tests in the spring. Why is it that the results are not posted until the Thursday before school begins? So now, if there are parents in the region who REALLY care about their children's education and they have a school that has failed twice in a row, they must scramble around to find a school that HAS passed and do all the legwork, calls, and logistics to try and get them enrolled in a new school.
The headline for this article actually tried to make Portsmouth look GOOD! Talk about spin!! Westhaven Elementary passed last year and now has failed again--What progress!! And these are the hallowed halls of learning that our children are forced to attend. Private schools are not an option due to the expense, selling and moving to another area is out of the question because of the housing slump, both p