October 23, 2009

Top News

Wall Named 2009 Principal of the Year

John Wall of North Garner Middle School was named the 2009 Principal of the Year by the Wake County Public School System in Oct. 15 ceremonies at the Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh. Wall has been in education for 22 years and has been principal at North Garner Middle for four years. Prior to that, he was principal and assistant principal at Zebulon Middle and a teacher at Carnage Middle. Earlier he taught in New York. Wall seeks to emphasize goal setting and implement strategies that positively impact student success. He says a focus on data is a key toward understanding the needs of students.

Fay Jones of Forest Pines Drive Elementary School was named the 2009 Assistant Principal of the Year. Jones has been in education for 15 years and has been assistant principal at Forest Pines Drive Elementary for five years. Prior to that, Jones has served as an assistant principal and teacher who split time between Green Hope Elementary, Adams Elementary and Farmington Woods Elementary. She also worked as a teacher at Farmington Woods Elementary and West Lake Elementary.

 The awards ceremony is sponsored by Pierce Group Benefits, the Wake County Public School System and the Wake County Division of Principals and Assistant Principals.

Wake County Wins Urban School Board Excellence Recognition

The Wake County Public School System is one of two districts nationwide to receive an honorable mention in the annual CUBE awards presented at the annual conference of the Council of Urban Boards of Education, an affiliate of the National School Boards Association

School Board Chairman Kevin L. Hill presented the CUBE recognition to the school board during its Oct. 20 meeting. Hill accepted the award for the school board during the annual conference in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 10.

Wake County was one of five urban school districts to receive an award for demonstrating progress in educating children and acting as role models for excellence in school board governance.

CUBE jointly recognized the Wake County Public School System and the Jefferson County, Kentucky Public Schools with Honorable Mentions for Outstanding Commitment and Service to Diversity, the first time this award has been presented.

In Wake County and Jefferson County, difficult decisions involving race and student assignments were recognized. Both districts have been at the center of the discussion about diversity and school board policy related to student assignment, especially regarding student achievement. In each case, the district created assignment systems to establish successful schools across the entire school district.

Green Hope High Recognized For High Graduation Rate

Green Hope High was one of 17 NC high schools recognized by State Education Superintendent June Atkinson and the NC Department of Public Instruction for having the highest rates of graduation in North Carolina at a ceremony on Oct. 12 in Raleigh.

Green Hope High was recognized as one of the state's top two schools by cohort rate that have 500 or more students graduating. The graduation rate for Green Hope was 94 percent.

The graduation rate for the Wake County Public School System was 78.4 percent. The school system awarded diplomas to 8,094 students in 21 ceremonies earlier this year.

North Carolina overall has a statewide graduation rate of 71.7 percent. This four-year cohort graduation rate refers to the percentage of students who graduate from high school in four years or less. The rates are for the students who were identified as being in the graduating class of 2009.

ISSUE: EXPLANATION OF WCPSS EFFECTIVENESS INDEX/EVAAS At its Oct. 20 meeting, the Board of Education heard presentations on The Effectiveness Index produced by the WCPSS Evaluation and Research Department and the Schooling Effectiveness EVAAS System developed by SAS. Brad McMillen of WCPSS Evaluation and Research explained the Effectiveness Index, noting its one of the tools that is provided administrators, schools and teachers to strengthen instruction in schools and for students. A WCPSS Evaluation and Research report explains: For several years, WCPSS has computed residual scores for all state End-of-Grade (EOG) and End-of-Course (EOC) tests taken by WCPSS students. These residuals give a measure of how students performed compared to other WCPSS students, adjusting for a number of factors, including prior EOG/EOC test performance, special programs status (i.e., academically gifted status, disability status, and free or reduced-price lunch status), and the overall poverty level of the school as measured by the percentage of students in the school eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRL). These residual scores are produced using regression analysis with the current year’s test scores as the dependent variable and prior test performance plus these other factors as the independent variables. The residual score for a student is the difference between the student’s actual score and her/his predicted score, which is based on how WCPSS students performed in general plus some adjustments based on the student’s status on those independent variables. In each subject, the student residuals are averaged across all students in the school, and a standardized z-score (termed an “Effectiveness Index”) is found for each school by subject. If the z-score is greater than 1, then the school knows that its students scored significantly better than other schools in the district that year, considering their past performance and other factors. Similarly, if the effectiveness index is less than -1, then this indicates that students in that school as a whole did not do as well as most other schools in the district. Values between –1 and +1 are within one standard deviation of the district average, and are associated with more “typical” or average performance. These analyses are calculated every year, so that they represent measurement against a relative and changing standard from year to year. The Effectiveness Index thus gives each school an estimate of subjects and grade levels in which their students outperformed or under-performed other students districtwide, after considering students’ incoming achievement levels and program characteristics. This analysis produces a rank-ordering of schools such that some number will always be above the 1.0 threshold on each test every year, and a similar number will fall below –1.0, with the majority falling in-between. This procedure therefore results in a relative (rather than absolute) measure of performance for each WCPSS school on each test, analogous to a class rank assigned to a graduating high school student. Dr. William Sanders of SAS presented the EVAAS System developed by SAS. Dr. Sanders reviewed the system and demonstrated its use to the school board. The EVAAS® system builds on the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) methodology developed by Dr. Sanders and his colleagues when Sanders was at the University of Tennessee. The SAS website indicates: Value-added assessment eliminates the possibility of a distorted view of effective schooling by following the progress of individual students. Schools whose students begin the year at a higher level may look effective, even if their students are gaining little ground. By the same token, schools whose students start at a lower level may appear ineffective, even if their students are making excellent progress. Building on Sanders’ early educational research, SAS EVAAS does more than just demonstrate that effective schooling is important; it also provides the most precise and reliable way to measure schooling influence. Joining SAS in 2000, Sanders and his team – with the additional resources provided by SAS, the world’s largest privately held software company – were able to bring EVAAS reporting to the Web. Today, the SAS EVAAS service is offered as an ASP-based application. Schools can benefit from SAS EVAAS analyses without having to invest in new hardware, software or IT staff. Instead, states or districts send electronic data directly to SAS, where the data is cleaned and analyzed. The results are then reported via a secure Web application, a powerful but user-friendly diagnostic tool. The SAS EVAAS team has more than a decade’s experience in building longitudinal student achievement databases and providing reporting that uses mixed-model, multivariate longitudinal methodologies. This statistical approach increases the utility of test scores because it dampens the measurement error associated with a single score on a single day for each individual child. The SAS EVAAS team has developed the most comprehensive reporting package of value-added metrics available in the educational market. Not only do they provide valuable diagnostic information about past practice, but they also report students’ predicted success probabilities at numerous academic milestones. These predictions for academic success (or lack of it) enable a more equitable distribution of educational resources, one that ensures that all students have the opportunity to make academic growth each year. Dr. Donna Hargens, WCPSS chief academic officer, said the school system is providing all principals and schools access to the EVAAS system. Dr. Sanders indicated SAS will have staff available to work with WCPSS schools to use EVAAS. He noted that all school systems across the state through an agreement with the NC Department of Public Instruction are provided use of the EVAAS system.

More News

Ribbon Cutting for Lake Myra Elementary

Principal Jim Argent, his faculty, the school PTA and parents joined together in celebrating the opening of the new Lake Myra Elementary with a ribbon cutting on Oct. 19. The school opened July 7 on the year-round calendar serving 500 students in grades K-5. The new school features a main entrance into central core services such as administration, dining and media center and a multi-story classroom building. The school sits on the banks of Lake Myra and the students are known as the Lake Myra Otters.

Hargens Reports On Curriculum Management Audit

The work on the curriculum management audit has reached the midpoint, Dr. Donna Hargens told the Board of Education at its Oct. 20 meeting. Dr. Hargens, the WCPSS chief academic officer, has led the school administration teams reviewing the 117 recommendations from the 2007 audit. Hargens explained the audit recommendations have served as a system wide “blueprint” for continuous improvement. The Superintendent’s Leadership Team members have direct responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the actions. Leadership Team members serve as Performance Goal Managers or Recommendation Managers. The action steps were placed by the Leadership Team to be implemented over seventeen quarters. At the midpoint of this process, Hargens reported that 44 actions items have been completed, 44 action items are in progress, 16 action items are on deck and 13 are to be scheduled.

Board Approves Resolution on the No Child Left Behind Act

At its Oct. 20 meeting, the Board of Education approved a resolution recommending changes to the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The board discussed ideas to consider in the resolution over several committee of the whole meetings. Board members asked that the resolution be made widely available. Some of the changes discussed for the resolution are:

• An additional standard – academic growth – should be added to the performance standard. Schools should receive recognition for the percent of students in subgroups attaining predicted growth.
• The time frame for goal attainment should be modified to take into account both individual students needs and to recognize that some students will need more time to achieve grade level performance

Board and staff continue support for CFAC recommendations for Joint Use Projects

In the Oct. 20 committee of the whole meeting, the Board of Education continued their review with Assistant Superintendent Joe Desormeaux of recommendations of the Citizens Facilities Advisory Committee. The board and staff gave its continued support to the CFAC recommendation concerning maximizing the number of joint use sites and development of a methodology for identifying potential Joint Use Projects. The board’s Facilities and Operations committee approved in its Sept. 22 meeting the staff recommendation to continue to pursue and expand joint use opportunities, to team with municipal partners on more school sites to maximize cost effective community recreational opportunities, to pursue excellent stewardship of community resources, and to consistently employ the tenets of the current joint use methodology. Desormeaux has existing Level 3 or 4 Joint Use Agreements at 54 different schools with the county and municipalities. The school system is working with the county and municipalities in developing Level 4 joint use agreements at another 16 school sites.

The board and staff were also in agreement with the CFAC recommendation concerning supporting urban school designs and seeking to preserve suitable locations for them. The board’s Facilities and Operations committee approved in its Sept. 22 meeting the staff recommendation to support urban school designs and seek to preserve suitable locations for them in and near future high-density population centers. WCPSS built Brier Creek Elementary using the City of Raleigh’s urban Design guidelines. WCPSS has been creative in other projects such as Moore Square Museums Magnet Middle, the Wakefield Ninth Grade Center, Laurel Park Elementary and Lufkin Road Middle. WCPSS has provided major renovations to schools such as Broughton High, Olds Elementary, Underwood Elementary and Root Elementary in long established population centers.

Superintendent Burns Presents Employee Excellence Awards

At the Oct. 20 meeting of the school board, the board recognized 13 employees as Superintendent Burns presented them with Employee Excellence Awards. The honored employees include Ada Campbell, ED-I teacher assistant at Aversboro Elementary School; Paul Cancellieri, teacher at Durant Road Middle School; Christopher Coby, assistant principal at Wendell Middle School; Farrall Davis, teacher at East Millbrook Middle School; Curtis Dixon, custodian at Leesville Road Elementary School; Jeffrey Fleegle, area facilities manager at General Services; Cindy Gardner, instructional support technician at Special Education Services; Eric Hall, teacher/athletic trainer at Cary High School; Abigail Hileman, processing technician-OPT at Human Resources Department; Shalee-Anne Jernigan-Huebner, teacher at Partnership Elementary School; Gloria Kuhn, benefits representative at Compensation Services; Robin Lumpkin, media/technology assistant at Turner Creek Elementary School; and Elton McPherson, head custodian at Aversboro Elementary School.

Board reviews policy updates

At its meeting October 20, the Board of Education gave final approval to
Policy 7145: Activity Buses
Policy 1035: Code Of Ethics For School Board Members
Policy 1005: Responsibilities Of A Board Member

The board gave preliminary approval to:
Policy 2410: Public Gifts To Schools
Policy 2411: Awards And Scholarships
Policy 2512: School-Sponsored Information Media
Policy 2560: Consumption Of Alcoholic Beverages
Policy 2570: Naming Of Schools
Policy 2571: Naming Of Individual School Buildings, Rooms, Structures, Furnishings, Books, And Scholarships
Policy 8000: Fiscal Management
Policy 2500: Public Information
Policy 2810: Public Information Repository
Policy 2530: Relationships With Outside Agencies
Policy 8010: School Finance Officer
Policy 8100: Annual Budget

After a review of the board’s Policy Committee, the board gave final approval to deletion of the following policies that have been incorporated into other revised policies:
Policy 2510: Public Information Program - Incorporated Into Policy 1300 Board Meetings – Incorporated Into Policy 2500 – Public Information
Policy 2511: Publics Right To Know - Incorporated Into Policy 1300 Board Meetings – Incorporated Into Policy 2500 – Public Information
Policy 2430: Public Use Of School Records - Incorporated Into Policy 1300 Board Meetings – Incorporated Into Policy 2500 – Public Information
Policy 2600: Relations With Other Education Agencies - Incorporated Into Policy 2530 – Relationships With Outside Agencies.
Policy 8020: Duties Of The School Finance Officer - Incorporated Into Policy 8010 – School Finance Officer.
Policy 8110: Program Budgeting System - Incorporated Into Policy 8100 Annual Budget.
Policy 8120: Budget Preparation Procedures - Incorporated Into Policy 8100 Annual Budget.
Policy 8130: Budget Display - Incorporated Into Policy 8100 Annual Budget.
Policy 8140: Budget Hearings - Incorporated Into Policy 8100 Annual Budget.
Policy 8150: Budget Submission To County Commissioners - Incorporated Into Policy 8100 Annual Budget.
Policy 8160: Commissioners’ Budget Action - Incorporated Into Policy 8100 Annual Budget.
Policy 8161: Resolution Of Budget Disputes - Incorporated Into Policy 8100 Annual Budget.
Policy 8170: Adoption Of Budget Resolution - Incorporated Into Policy 8100 Annual Budget.
Policy 8180: Budget Transfers And Amendments - Incorporated Into Policy 8100 Annual Budget.
Policy 8190: Interim Budget - Incorporated Into Policy 8100 Annual Budget.

The review of board policies is based on a recommendation from the curriculum management audit.