Staff Writer
The
first letter grades for public schools in North Carolina were posted Thursday,
January 5. The grades are intended to help the public evaluate a school. Senate
leader Phil Berger, the force behind establishing the school grades, said they
are an important tool for parents, administrators, policymakers and taxpayers.
According to a News & Observer statewide data analysis, with the new A-to-F
grading system, schools with fewer low-income students were more likely to
score As or Bs. High-poverty schools were more likely to get Ds or Fs. School letter grades showed a strong
correlation between grades and economic status. This has led to a statewide
debate about how public schools can help bridge economic gaps. Opposers of the
grading system said the new information was too harsh. The grades would only
make poor schools look bad and not show the academic growth students made.
Berger states that not all high-poverty schools scored poorly. State Board of
Education Chairman Bill Cobey acknowledged that the grades would bring further
attention to schools with children who are considered to be living in poverty.
There
were no Fs in the Wake County, Chapel Hill-Carrboro or Johnston County systems.
Grades
for elementary and middle schools are based on standardized test results.
Eighty percent of the school’s letter grade reflects tests taken last year; 20
percent is based on student growth.
High
school grades are based on standardized test results, graduation rates, and the
percentage of students who pass Math III.
Under
the law, grades were calculated on a 15-point scale: 85-100 is an A; 70-84 is a
B; 55-69 is a C; 40-54 is a D; and less than 40 is an F. Next year, grades will
be calculated on a 10-point scale.
Dr.
Dixon says, “In my opinion, the letter grades are not reflective of the quality
of the school, even though we got an A. In my view there are lots of schools
who got Bs and Cs that are better than the grade. In other words, I don’t think
the grade accurately reflects how good a school is or by how much they need to
improve by. One grade doesn’t tell the whole picture.”
Dr.
James Merrill, the Wake superintendent, said that parents who have concerns
about their school's grade should contact their principal. Dr. Dixon stated,
“If Apex had received a low letter grade, like a C for example, than I would do
my best to point out how our school had clearly showed we were better than a C.
A “C” represents just a small snapshot of what’s going on at school. There are
many other things that aren’t measured for that report, and I would try to
point those out so that the parent would have a better view of the school than
that one snapshot of a grade.”
Local
Wake County high school grades:
Apex
High: A, 86
Athens
Drive High: B, 80
Cary
High: B, 83
Fuquay-Varina
High: B, 74
Green
Hope High: A, 90
Holly
Springs High: B, 83
Middle
Creek High: B, 83
Panther
Creek High: A, 89
