Greer ready for improvement

As part of a pilot program, an Albemarle County elementary school is offering free tutoring services to its eligible students for the 2008-09 school year to help meet requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Greer Elementary School did not make Adequate Yearly Progress for two consecutive years in reading for one of its subpopulations, and is now considered to be in Year 1 of School Improvement under the 2001 federal act.

The school’s black students did not meet the 77 percent minimum pass rate in reading for the 2007-08 school year. That same group of students also did not meet the 73 percent minimum pass rate in reading for the 2006-07 school year.

Greer is a Title I school receiving federal funds to help its low-income students, and is subject to additional sanctions under No Child Left Behind.

Fifty-nine percent of black students at Greer passed reading exams in 2007-08, down from 67 percent the previous year.

Title I schools that do not meet the benchmarks for two consecutive years — such as Greer — must take corrective measures to bring student achievement to acceptable levels.

Usually, a school that is in Year 1 of School Improvement is required to give parents the option to transfer their children to another school in the district that is not in improvement status.

However, Albemarle is one of eight school divisions in the state participating in a pilot program with the U.S. Department of Education to offer these free tutoring services first, before offering transfers.

“We did that because we believe students will be best served by being in their home schools,” said Tom Nash, executive director for intervention and prevention services for Albemarle schools. “Secondly, this provides parents with an opportunity to have free tutoring available, for parents who might not necessarily be able to afford that. And thirdly, we think it coincides with our commitment … to eliminate the achievement gap.”

Last school year, Greer met 25 of 29 student achievement benchmarks established by the No Child Left Behind Act, according to Virginia Department of Education statistics released recently. However, a school must meet all 29 benchmarks to make Adequate Yearly Progress.

By 2014, the act requires that all students be proficient in reading and math. Whether school divisions, and their individual schools, meet AYP is tied largely to student success on the state Standards of Learning exams.

For the past three years, the total percentage of Greer students who passed exams has been lower than the school division average and state average — in both math and English — except for 2006-07, when Greer students matched state pass rates in math.

However, 91 percent of “limited English proficient students” at Greer passed English tests in 2007-08, equaling the percentage of white students who passed.

Principal Matthew Landahl said Greer is in the process of explaining to parents jus who is eligible for after-school tutoring. The school is sending out information brochures and meeting with parents at upcoming parent-teacher conferences, he said.

“If it involves us meeting with parents at home and talking with them about the services, that’s how we’ll do it,” Landahl said, explaining that the school will take any necessary steps to inform parents.

After-school tutoring will likely be available in November or December for low-income and low-achievement students, officials said. The services are timed, in part, to coincide with the end of the first grading period and parent conferences.

If the number of black students who pass English exams doesn’t increase by 22 percentage points when tests are taken this school year, Greer will be required next year to offer free tutoring and the option for students to transfer.

Superintendent Pamela Moran said at a School Board session Aug. 27 that she believes all of the schools in Albemarle’s district can meet AYP benchmarks for 2008-09, but before that happens, “we’ve got some issues that we absolutely have to address.”

Greer isn’t relying solely on after-school tutoring to improve student achievement, according to county schools spokeswoman Maury Brown. Some Greer students have already been receiving help during school hours from specialists in math and English.

“It has given us a challenge that we do need to address, because we do have a commitment in the school division for all children to learn,” Nash said.

The division has 16 full-time literacy specialists and one who serves part-time, and five full-time math specialists, according to Brown.

The schools are allocated access to a literacy specialist based on need. The five full-time math specialists are allocated among the division’s elementary and middle schools — including Greer — based on student achievement in math assessments.

Some of the schools that showed the greatest improvement in math scores were those served by a math specialist last year, officials said.

The percentage of black students at Greer who passed the math exams was 64 percent in 2007-08, down from 69 percent in 2006-07 — but up from 43 percent in 2005-06.

As a whole, school officials have said that the state report came as good news for Albemarle schools but it also showed room for improvement.

The only benchmark that the county school division as a whole did not meet this year is the graduation rate requirement for economically disadvantaged students.

State figures show that the county school division is less than 1 percent shy of meeting that threshold, but school officials say their records show a slightly higher graduation rate.

The Albemarle school division is appealing the state department’s decision, and officials say they’re confident the division will ultimately be recognized for making Adequate Yearly Progress.

Six of Albemarle’s 25 schools did not make AYP — Jack Jouett, Burley, Henley and Walton middle schools and Greer and Agnor-Hurt elementary schools.

The 19 schools that did make AYP in Albemarle is an increase from 18 from the previous year. All 25 schools are fully accredited, according to Brown.

The percentage of Albemarle students who passed subject exams in 2007-08 was higher than the state average in every subject, including English, math, science, writing and history.

Of Charlottesville’s nine city schools, three did not meet AYP for 2008: Burnley-Moran and Walker Upper elementaries and Buford Middle. Statewide, 1,355 of 1,837 schools met all AYP goals in 2007-08.