The School Connection
Goal 2008: WCPSS is committed to academic excellence. By 2008, 95 percent of students in grades 3 through 12 will be at or above grade level as measured by the State of North Carolina End-of-Grade or Course tests, and all student groups will demonstrate high growth.July 14, 2005
STUDENTS CONTINUE HIGH LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE ON 2005 TESTS
For the third year in a row, more than 90 percent of Wake County elementary
and middle school students scored at Levels III or IV on state End-of-Grade
tests and 83 percent of high school students scored at Levels III or IV
on state End-of-Course tests.
The percent of Wake County student scores at Levels III or IV on state End-of-Grade tests was slightly down, End-of-Course tests held steady and VoCATS tests continued to climb.
The percent of Wake County students who scored at Levels III or IV on the End-of-Grade tests was 90.84, down slightly from last year and near the 2003 record high of 91.3 percent. In reading, the percentage of students who scored Levels III or IV was 90.3, slightly higher than last year's 89.9 percent. In math the percentage of students who scored Levels III or IV dropped to 91.4 percent this year from last year's 91.9 percent.
Overall, students passed 83.2 percent of their End-of-Course tests, the same as last year. WCPSS students were most successful on the Physics test where 92 percent of students passed. In Algebra I, 89 percent passed; in English I, 87.4 percent; and in Chemistry, 87.4 percent. The percent of students scoring Levels III or IV on the EOC increased in physical science and biology. In physical science, 67.3 percent of students scored at Levels III or IV this year compared with 66 percent last year. In biology, 74.2 percent scored at Levels III or IV this year compared with 74.1 percent last year.
Wake students posted a 5.2 percentage point gain this year on VOCATS testing with 69.4 percent of Career Technical Education students scoring at Levels III or IV on the tests. Fifteen high schools demonstrated improvement by at least two percentage points this year.
BOARD SEEKS COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL AUDIT
At its July 12 meeting, the Board of Education agreed to chair Patti Head's
recommendation for the board's Finance Committee to seek community experts'
help in seeking a comprehensive financial audit of the school system. The
Finance Committee will meet with Melinda Canady, Wake County's Finance Director;
Bob High, former Deputy State Treasurer; Stan Wesner, State Auditor's Office;
Vance Holloman of the Local Government Commission; and Greg Alison of UNC-School
of Government.
"It is important that those that make recommendations to the board have the credibility and respect of the community to ensure that the scope of the audit is in the best interest of the taxpayers of NC," said Head. "We need to know if the system that allowed fraud in the WCPSS Transportation Department to go undetected existed in any other areas of our school system"
Head asked the Finance Committee to work with the experts to develop a Request for Proposal (RFP) to include a comprehensive external financial audit of the school system's spending in the past several years, as well as an audit of internal controls. She asked that the committee submit the proposed RFP to the board at its August 9 meeting.
NEW YEAR BEGINS FOR YEAR ROUND STUDENTS
The 2005-06 school year began for 14,600 students in WCPSS's 15 year-round
schools Monday, July 11. There are eleven elementary schools on the year-round
calendar including Adams, Durant Road, Green, Heritage, Jones Dairy, Morrisville,
Oak Grove, Timber Drive, Turner Creek Road, West Lake and Wilburn. The four
middle schools on the year-round calendar include Durant Road, Heritage,
Lufkin Road and West Lake.
The number of year-round students increased by about 400 this year. The year-round enrollment grew with additional students at Heritage Middle, Jones Dairy Elementary and Turner Creek Road Elementary, which opened last year. This is the first year for an eighth grade at Heritage Middle.
On the year-round calendar, teachers and students are in class for nine weeks and then have a three-week break. Each grade is divided into tracks where three are in school and one is on break at all times. By operating a four-track system, the school facility is used year-round.
WHAT WERE YOUR SUMMER LEARNING EXPERIENCES?
What did your children learn this summer? Did they have a favorite camp,
trip, book or learning activity they enjoyed? Share your story and we'll
include it in the next School Connection. Send to bposton@wcpss.net
APPOINTMENTS
At its July 12 meeting, the Board of Education a new administrator, two
new principals and eight new assistant principals. The board named Virginia
Cardenas Senior Administrator for Student Due Process, Stephen Mares principal
of Daniels Middle and Bradford Shackelford principal of East Wake Middle.
-Cardenas has served as a WCPSS Human Resources Administrator for the last
year. Prior to that, she was principal of West Lake and Conn elementary
schools, assistant principal at Green Elementary and a teacher at Poe and
Fuller elementary schools.
-Mares has been principal at Joyner Elementary since 2001. He is the current
Wake County Principal of the Year. He's also worked as an assistant principal
at West Lake Elementary and an administrative intern at Apex Elementary.
-Shackelford has been principal of Speight Middle School in Wilson, NC since
1999. Prior to that he was an assistant principal, band director and teacher
in other NC school districts.
The board named assistant principals including Josephus Brown at Wakefield Middle, Debbie Everett at Davis Drive Middle, Milina Demchak-Crawford at Douglas Elementary, Joi Gibson-Robinson at Olds Elementary, April Hill at Green Hope Elementary, William Holley at Fuquay-Varina Middle Deborah Horning at Highcroft Elementary and Cynthia Keech at Leesville Road Middle.
WCPSS GOES WITH WHOLE WHEAT
Starting in the 2005-06 school year, WCPSS cafeterias will be replacing
white sandwich bread with whole wheat bread. This change is in line with
the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans,
which recommends eating whole grains often along with high-fiber fruits
and vegetables. The change takes effect on the first day of school: July
11 for year-round calendars, July 25 for modified calendars, and August
25 for traditional calendars.
FRIDAY INSTITUTE NEARING COMPLETION
This fall the relationship between Centennial Campus Middle School and North
Carolina State University's College of Education takes another step forward
with the completion of the William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational
Innovation.
Centennial Middle and the privately-funded Institute will be connected at the ground and second floors. Centennial principal Ken Branch says the institute will take the partnership between the school and university to a level that doesn't exist anywhere else. Friday Institute director Hiller Spires says she envisions Centennial Middle staff and students working with Friday Institute faculty to create and test innovative teaching and learning strategies.
The Institute focuses on five areas of research and development: mathematics and science, middle grades education, cultural connections, instructional technologies, and leadership. Teams of educators will lead "collaboratories" for each area within the new building.
BOARD RESCINDS INCREASE IN STUDENT PARKING FEES
At its July 12 meeting, the Board of Education voted to rescind the increase
in student parking fees. The annual parking rate returns to $120. Board
members increased the fee from $120 to $240 last month as they looked for
ways to reconcile local funding which was $29.4 million less than the board
sought in its Plan for Student Success. The parking fee increase was expected
to generate $700,000 in revenue. At the July 12 meeting, the board agreed
to use money from fund balance instead.
MCNEAL NAMED ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT
Wake Superintendent Bill McNeal has been named president of the North Carolina
School Superintendents' Association. As association president, McNeal will
also serve as an ex-officio member to the State Board of Education.
WCPSS EMAIL SYSTEM CHANGES DURING SUMMER
WCPSS school administrators have been learning a new e-mail system in recent
weeks. The school system switched to Lotus Notes July 1. WCPSS Technology
is providing training and help desk assistance to administrators as the
system prepares to serve up to 18,000 users by the time all students return
to school next month.
HODGE ROAD TEACHER HONORED
Donna Kuni of Hodge Road Elementary School received the 2004 Teacher of
the Year Award from the Autism Society of North Carolina. The award is presented
to one individual across that state based on recognition for outstanding
contributions to the Autism Society and for their commitment to providing
support and promoting opportunities that enhance the lives of individuals
on the autism spectrum and their families. Nominated by a parent, Kuni has
shown tremendous dedication to her students, their education, and their
families. In honor of this recognition, she was awarded a plaque and was
listed in the Autism Spectrum newsletter and the Autism Society of North
Carolina Update.
WCPSS CHILD NUTRITION STAFF RECOGNIZED
Several Wake County Child Nutrition Services employees were honored at the
School Nutrition Association of North Carolina's annual conference in Greensboro
last month. CNS director Marilyn Moody was installed as president-elect,
area supervisor Martha Gomer was installed as state secretary, and staff
members Cecilia Pace, Veda Cooke, and Hazel Koonz placed in the top three
in various culinary and creative arts competitions.
CALENDAR
| July 18 | 1:30 p.m., Finance Committee - Board Conference Room |
| July 25 | Modified calendar schools first day |
| August 2 | 9:30 a.m., Facilities Committee |
| August 9 | 2 p.m., Committee of the Whole-Board Conference Room; 4 p.m., Annual Board Meeting-Board Room |
| August 10 | 8:30 a.m., Joint Meeting- County Commissioners and the Board of Education- Board Conference Room |
| August 23 | 2 p.m., Committee of the Whole-Board Conference Room; 4 p.m., Annual Board Meeting-Board Room |
| August 25 | Traditional calendar schools first day |
You can find more information on school events at http://www.wcpss.net/Calendars
School Connection is published electronically every other week for
everyone interested in the Wake County Public School System. Is what you
read in this edition helpful? What information would you like to see in
future editions? Contact me by calling 850-1829 or e-mailing bposton@wcpss.net.
Bill Poston
Wake County Public School System
Communications Department
3600 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
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