N.C. public schools in 5 counties falter in federal testing

By Ryan Hutchins

More than half of the public schools in Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Pasquotank and Perquimans counties failed to make adequate yearly progress under No Child Left Behind testing, according to preliminary results released this week.

For some schools that receive federal Title I funding, it will mean continued sanctions, such as giving students the option of attending another school or offering additional tutoring.

The results include reading and math for grade 10 and only math for elementary and middle schools. Reading results for grades three through eight will be released in November, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

The testing measures whether schools are meeting goals for different groups based on race, income and other factors. Every group must meet the goals set for that year in reading and math for the school to achieve adequate progress.

"I think the concept is wonderful, but I'm not sure it's actually a fair way of looking at it," Renee Harris, director of testing for Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools, said Thursday.

Harris, whose district had 75 percent of its institutions fail to make adequate progress, said she feels the "all- or-nothing" approach makes the testing unfair.

Three of the district's elementary schools receiving Title I funding have been under sanctions, Harris said. Two must allow parents to decide which district school their child will attend, and the other has to have tutoring programs. Two met all of their math goals for this year. But even if the reading results come back the same in November, they will continue under sanctions unless both make adequate yearly progress again next year.

In Perquimans County, none made adequate progress. Hertford Grammar hasn't met all its targets since 2004, and there are sanctions there and at Perquimans Central, Superintendent Dwayne Stallings said.

Because there are no other elementary schools from which to choose, the district has been required to provide additional resources.

"We have to make available for our students different remediation programs," district spokeswoman Brenda Lassiter said in a Thursday conference call with Stallings.

The district is already having extended days at the elementary schools, providing tutoring.

Stallings said Perquimans may hire a consultant to advise his staff and he will hold a forum in August to explain to parents the results and steps to help students.

The superintendent said the No Child Left Behind testing, combined with North Carolina's other testing, can give a good picture of how a school is doing.

Three schools in Currituck County didn't make adequate progress in the preliminary results, but none of them receives Title I funding.

"We've been fortunate to show growth in overall efficiency," said Sandy Kinzel, the district's assistant superintendent for elementary education.

It's been several years since either middle schools met all the yearly targets, and Kinzel said improvement teams will discuss the results and how to do better.

All three of Edenton-Chowan's Title I schools were under sanctions in the past year. Results are pending at two of the schools, but one did not make adequate yearly progress in math.

Schools in improvement status must meet requirements for two consecutive years in order to be removed from the list.

No Title I schools in Camden County are facing sanctions.

Dare County Schools had not released results by Thursday.

Ryan Hutchins, (252) 441-1627, ryan.hutchins@pilotonline.com