Schools ◊ Jobs ◊ Parents ◊ FAQs ◊ Forms ◊ Newcomers ◊ Lunch Menus

SCHOOL CONNECTION

July 30, 2002

NEARLY 90 PERCENT OF WAKE STUDENTS SCORE AT-OR-ABOVE GRADE LEVEL ON STATE END-OF-GRADE TESTS
Wake County students continued to improve their results on the N.C. End of Grade (EOG) tests with more students scoring at or above grade level than ever before, Wake Superintendent Bill McNeal announced Wednesday (July 24).

In reading, the percentage of students who scored at grade level rose from 86 percent in 2001 to 88 percent in 2002, and the achievement gap narrowed as the percentage of African American students rose from 67 percent to 72 percent, and the percentage of Latino students rose from 72 to 74 percent. The percentage of white students rose from 94 to 95 percent.

In math, the percentage of Wake students who scored at grade level rose from 89 percent in 2001 to 91 percent in 2002, and the achievement gap narrowed as the percentage of African American students rose from 71 to 77 percent, and the percentage of Latino students rose from 79 to 83 percent. The percentage of white students rose from 96 to 97.

MCNEAL ANNOUNCES EOG SCORES AT HODGE ROAD ELEMENTARY
In announcing the EOG scores, Superintendent McNeal thanked the community for the support Wake children received.

"Our teachers, our principals, and certainly our students and parents deserve a great deal of praise," McNeal said. "We're attributing much of the success today to our hardworking, enterprising students; some very dedicated parents who were behind the students providing support in a number of ways; and caring and very, very skilled teachers who look at Goal 2003 and don't see it as a nebulous goal, but see it as an opportunity to ensure that no child is left behind. We have dedicated principals who see it's their role to provide the support for teaching and learning. Add in our central office staff that also plays a strong support role, a very dedicated and focused school board, a little pinch of the faith community providing tutorial services and the business community saying, 'How can we help?' and then thousands of volunteers all over this county providing support for young people -- then you start to get a flavor of why we are successful."

WCPSS BOARD CHAIR KATHRYN WATSON QUIGG PRAISES EOG SUCCESS
At the announcement of the state EOG testing scores, Board of Education chair Kathryn Watson Quigg thanked the many people who helped students achieve success.

"First and foremost, the people at the school system, the teachers, the teacher assistants, the counselors, the principals, the administrators who touch our lives every day so directly," Quigg said. "Involved and loving parents, active business partners, committed volunteers, the nurturing faith communities are all crucial parts of this success. It took an entire community to get here, and it began with a volunteer reading a story to a child or a teenager job shadowing an adult, learning how classroom success leads to a successful career. Elected officials in our county and municipalities have infused the community spirit into our schools. I want to thank them for their continued support of the Wake County Public Schools. I want to especially thank the Wake County Board of Commissioners who faced enormous challenges this year in our local economy and still found a way to preserve the programs that we feel are so important to our system. There is no magic involved. All of this progress is because we decided years ago that every single child deserves an equal chance to succeed. Programs like Project Achieve, the Accelerated Learning Program, our partnerships, our diversity training, all of them are focused on the individual child."

"I want to share some statistics about Hodge Road Elementary," Quigg said. "In 2000, the third-graders at this school, 66 percent were at or above grade level. In 2001, the same children were at 75.7 percent in reading. This year, the same children now in the fifth grade, scored 92.2 in reading. You can see the progress these children are making. One child at a time, our educators and community are making a difference for all children."

WCPSS EVALUATION AND RESEARCH DIRECTOR ANALYZES EOG RESULTS
Assistant Superintendent Karen Banks is director of WCPSS Evaluation and Research. Her office works with schools across the district to use the information from the state EOG tests to meet the needs of students.

"Our schools did a really good job of looking at the needs of each individual child and seeing where they needed to go with that child," said Dr. Banks. "They differentiated the instruction so that we had students at Level II moving into Level III and IV, and our Level III students moving into Level IV. It wasn't just focusing on one group of kids, it was focusing on the needs of every child."

"They did that with the combination of hard work and some extra initiatives that were underway like Project Achieve, and training to meet the diversity of the needs of students," Banks said. "Our Accelerated Learning Program at grades 3-8 has been very effective. It's an example of what happens when you have all of your programs aligned toward the same goal. Everything that we are doing is focused on something -- and it's the same something -- so that it's aligned in a way that's really powerful."

"The last two years, things have really started to move, and we're seeing significant increases," Banks said. "When you look at the groups of students that had not shown much success, we are doing a better job with those traditionally low achieving groups of kids, helping them to reach these higher standards. It's looking rosier than it ever has."

"Teachers are doing a really incredible job," Banks said. "We've asked them to do something very, very difficult which is to teach classrooms of very diverse kids at very different ends of the continuum in terms of how they come to each teacher. You may have students in a first-grade classroom who have been reading for two years. They came into kindergarten able to read. For them to show growth, you've got to be providing them with the right kind of instruction. At the same time, you have kids entering first grade who don't know their letters and sounds. To do that in a single classroom is an incredible challenge. It's a big task. They are doing a great job."

HODGE ROAD PRINCIPAL PRAISES STUDENTS AND TEACHERS FOR EOG SUCCESS
Superintendent McNeal held the news conference at Hodge Road Elementary to announce WCPSS's EOG success at Hodge Road Elementary because of the school's strong showing on the state testing. Hodge Road Principal Jamee Lynch was pleased by her students' success.

"You look at the math scores," Lynch said. "There are such dramatic gains particularly in third and fourth grade. A lot of that had to do with those math lessons being so interactive, so hands-on. The kids were excited to do the math activities. I would go in the classroom and find them using manipulatives, cubes, and gameboards, and they thought it was a fun thing, and not just math. They were really engaged in it. That made a big impact."

"We had huge gains in reading," Lynch said. "One thing I was impressed by - in third grade reading we had more level IV students than Level III students, and that was phenomenal. I have to give a great deal of credit to how Project Achieve was implemented. The teachers began to feel that this can't help but make a difference. They became more comfortable with it. It got to the point we were doing little remediation because so many students would show mastery. The teachers started to see this makes a difference. It's made all of us real believers that it is a good way of teaching."

"There's no more important thing than the power of expectation. You can tell that to people, but until you see it and own it, it doesn't become a reality."

Lynch said a new technology lab and additional computers for the classroom will help engage students more this year and keep students excited about learning.

PROMOTIONS
At its Tuesday (July 23) meeting, the Board of Education named Sylvia Faulk principal at Lynn Road Elementary. Faulk served as assistant principal at Wilburn Elementary for two years. From 1984 to 2000, Faulk taught in the Wake County schools at Wilburn and North Ridge elementary schools.

WAKE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVES SELF-INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR WORKER'S COMPENSATION
Wake school administrators have found a business solution for workers' compensation and safety issues that will benefit employees and reduce school system costs. "We're looking for ways to put business principles to work for us, and worker's compensation self-insurance will provide some significant cost savings," said Wake Superintendent Bill McNeal. "We're investing more in employee safety, and hope that will benefit our employees." You can read more at http://www.wcpss.net/news/workers_comp/index.html

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF: RECYCLING SCHOOL BUILDINGS
History has a way of repeating itself, and one elementary school in Wake County is learning that lesson first hand. When Apex Elementary students come back to their campus for the 2003-2004 school year, it will look completely different without the 1935-era buildings, and yet, the past will have a strong presence. At the beginning of July, construction crews demolished several classroom buildings and the cafeteria. But, instead of simply hauling away the rubble to a landfill, it is being crushed and reused to construct the new facility.

SALES TAX HOLIDAY
The NC Department of Revenue reports that G.S. 105-164.13C provides an exemption for certain items of tangible personal property sold between 12:01 A.M. on the first Friday in August and 11:59 P.M. the following Sunday. For 2002, the dates are Friday, August 2nd through Sunday, August 4th. Clothing, footwear, and school supplies of $100 or less per item; sports and recreation equipment of $50 or less per item; and computers, printers, printer supplies, and educational software of $3,500 or less per item will be exempt.

Clothing accessories, jewelry, cosmetics, protective equipment, wallets, furniture, layaway transactions, items used in a trade or business, and rentals are not covered by the exemption and will be subject to the applicable tax. Computers, printers, printer supplies, and educational software sold during the holiday period with a sales price of $1,000 or more per item must be documented by means of Form E-599H, North Carolina Sales Tax Holiday Exemption Certificate, or other evidence to establish the exemption. The vendor must maintain the documentation.

You can find more information on 'Directive SD-02-1, Sales Tax Holiday' at http://www.dor.state.nc.us/practitioner/sales/directives/sd-02-1.html and 'Form E-599H, North Carolina Sales Tax Holiday Exemption Certificate' at http://www.dor.state.nc.us/downloads/E599H_7-02.pdf

BROOKS ELEMENTARY TEACHER WINS COMPETITION
Linda Peterson, fifth grade teacher at Brooks Museums Magnet Elementary School, was named one of two winners of the Sprint's "Teachers Talk Technology" Contest. Teachers submitting entries were asked to create an original lesson plan to teach students about communications and its changing technology. Winners receive Sprint wireless phones and a year's service for their outstanding lesson plans. To see the winning lesson plans, go to http://nie.newsobserver.com

WAKE FOREST-ROLESVILLE HIGH STUDENTS EARN YEARBOOK AND NEWSPAPER HONORS
Wake Forest-Rolesville High students and advisors from Yearbook and Newspaper attended the four day long camp held at UNC Chapel Hill last month. They were very successful and won the following awards: 1st Place Writing - Newspaper 3 - Clare Lawrence; 3rd Place Sports Section Design - Yearbook - Amanda Cooper; 1st Place Student Life Section Design - Yearbook - Amanda Cooper; 2nd Place Academics Section Design - Yearbook - Amanda Cooper; 3rd Place Division Page Design - Yearbook - Amanda Cooper; 1st Place Closing Section - Yearbook - Amanda Cooper; Copy Concept Award - Yearbook; 1st Place Best Theme Packet - Yearbook; 1st Place Title Page and Opening Section - Yearbook; Honorable Mention Cover Design - Yearbook; 3rd Place Theme - Yearbook; 2nd Place Copy - Yearbook; All North Carolina Yearbook; 3rd Place Design - Newspaper; All North Carolina Newspaper; Honorable Mention - Photography-Shelly Graves - Newspaper; and Honorable Mention - Photography-Allison Soule - Newspaper. Advisors attending with students were Geoff Belcher and Vicki Crouse.

WAKE SCHOOLS EARN HONORS AT PROBLEM SOLVING COMPETITION
Students from three Wake County Schools earned recognition at the 2002 Future Problem Solving International Bowl last month at the University of Connecticut. Students from Lacy Elementary, Ligon Middle and Enloe High competed in the event.

Elyse Stevens, an alternate with the Lacy team, participated on a separate team along with other alternates from other states during the team booklet competition. Her alternate team placed second in this division. The Lacy team of fifth graders Margaret Womble, Elizabeth Thomas, Katie Moran, and Caroline Murray was named a finalist in the regular Junior Division booklet competition.

The Ligon team of sixth through eighth graders Emily Horton, Michael Sadler, Austin Hodge, and David Jones, was named a finalist in the regular Intermediate Division booklet competition.

The Enloe High team of ninth graders Ember Melcher, Cham Chambliss, Andrew Durso, and Jessie Birkhead was named a finalist in the Intermediate Division booklet competition. Enloe alternates Manan Chatterjee and Christina Parks joined alternate teams. Parks team placed third in the Intermediate Division booklet competition.

The competition stimulates critical and creative thinking skills and encourages students to develop a vision for the future. More information is available at http://www.fpsp.org

IN THE NEWS

The U.S. Department of Education reports "Paige Outlines Adequate Yearly Progress Provisions Under No Child Left Behind"; "Statement by Eugene W. Hickok, Under Secretary on Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act Committee on Education and the Workforce"; and "Education Department Hosts Faith-Based and Community Organizations Conference in Minneapolis"

Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics reports 'America's Children 2002'

Denver Post writes editorial on Enriching education

The Beacon of LEARN NC reports on education

WRAL reports family and education news

CNN reports on education

The National School Board Association reports the School Board News

WCPSS CALENDAR

July 31-August 2	WCPSS Continuous Improvement Conference
August 4, 4pm	Board of Education meets
August 12	first day of traditional school calendar for 2002-2003

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 Schools. 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

Tell a friend about the School Connection and encourage them to sign up at
http://www.wcpss.net/online_newsletters/the_school_connection