2011-2012 ABC Accountability Report
Graduation Rate Climbs To Over 81% -Above State Average
Rowan County Early College Is An “Honor School of Excellence”
Knox Middle School Raises Its Level Of Performance
The Rowan-Salisbury School System received encouraging news today as the State Board of Education released the ABCs of Public Education’s 2012 Accountability Report. The district’s graduation rate climbed to an all time high of 81.1%, the Rowan County Early College achieved the high recognition of being named an “Honor School of Excellence” and Knox Middle School raised its level of performance and is no longer categorized as a “Low Performing School!”
A notable change in accountability for the 2011-2012 school year is that the Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) now replace the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measures previously required by the U.S. Department of Education. Under AMOs, proficiency targets are set for each student subgroup. This is a much different measure than the AYP model used in previous years where there was only one proficiency target for all student subgroups. The types of subgroups, however, did not change. Subgroups that are measured in the Rowan-Salisbury School System are:
- All students
- Asian
- Black
- Hispanic
- Multiracial
- White
- Economically Disadvantaged
- Limited English Proficient
- Students with Disabilities
An important fact to acknowledge is that, under the new AMO measure, school choice and supplemental educational services are no longer federally required options. The funding that previously provided these services will be returned to the schools to support classrooms.
Many accolades to Rowan County Early College for achieving the highest level of recognition under the ABCs of Public Education by being an “Honor School of Excellence.” To meet the criteria to be named an Honor School of Excellence, a school must have:
Met all of its designated AMO targets
At least 90 percent of its student scores that are at or above Achievement Level III
Met Expected Growth
The Early College graduated its first class this past spring with 90% of the graduating students simultaneously receiving an Associate Degree from Rowan Cabarrus Community College. This was accomplished in a 4-year program, where many Early Colleges across the state have 5-year programs.
Seven (7) additional RSS schools reached the honored designation of being a “School of Distinction.” To meet the criteria to be named a School of Distinction, a school must have:
Met between 80% and 89 % of its student scores that are at or above Achievement Level III
Met Expected Growth
These schools are as follows:
- Bostian Elementary
- Cleveland Elementary
- Enochville Elementary
- Faith Elementary
- Millbridge Elementary
- Jesse Carson High
- East Rowan High
The ABCs of Public Education Report also indicated that 23% percent of RSS schools (8 schools) met all of their Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs). These schools are as follows:
- Bostian Elementary
- Cleveland Elementary
- Millbridge Elementary
- Carson High
- East Rowan High
- Henderson Independent High
- North Rowan High
- Rowan County Early College
The ABCs of Public Education Report includes student growth and performance. Twenty-one (21) schools in the district met expected or high growth status. Of these 21 schools, 10 schools met high growth. These schools are as follows:
- Bostian Elementary
- Hanford Dole Elementary
- Rockwell Elementary
- West Rowan Middle
- Carson High
- East Rowan High
- Henderson Independent High
- North Rowan High
- Salisbury High
- South Rowan High
Eleven (11) schools met expected growth. These schools are as follows:
- China Grove Elementary
- Cleveland Elementary
- Enochville Elementary
- Faith Elementary
- Knollwood Elementary
- Millbridge Elementary
- Shive Elementary
- Woodleaf Elementary
- China Grove Middle
- Erwin Middle
- Rowan County Early College
There are no Low-Performing schools in the district. Knox Middle School demonstrated growth and raised its level of performance from being a Low-Performing school in 2010-2011 to being a Priority School for 2011-2012. In recent years, extra support has been provided to Knox in the areas of staffing, technology, resources, professional development and the most recent STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) initiative.
The Rowan-Salisbury Schools 81.1% graduation rate is the highest graduation rate the district has experienced in over seven years or since the introduction of the cohort graduation rate model in 2006. The RSS graduation rate is also higher than the state’s graduation rate, which is the highest rate reported in NC History!
The cohort graduation rate, first reported in 2006, more accurately shows the problem of high school dropouts. The cohort rate shows the percentage of a group of students who graduated from high school with a diploma in four years or less. In the fall 2002, NC schools began tracking ninth graders to determine whether they were still in school each year and whether or not they graduated by the summer of 2006. This establishes the cohort expected to graduate four years later. Some people have described this as similar to taking a ninth grade year book and blocking out the photos of all those students who are not there by the time the graduation ceremony occurs four years later. A difference is that students who transfer into the school are included in the calculation and students who transfer to another school are removed from the calculation for the appropriate cohort. The tracking process has continued each year since 2002 with each new ninth grade class. A five-year rate is also reported for each cohort because some high school programs are now designed to take more than four years for a student to complete.
The cohort graduation rate is the “other academic indicator” required by ESEA for schools that graduate students at the end of grade 12. Progress is defined to be at least a 2-percentage point increase from one year to the next (up to a threshold of 80%) for the 5-year cohort graduation rate. The 4-year cohort (standard) rate for 2012 represents students who entered grade 9 for the first time in 2008-2009 and earned a diploma in four years or less (by June 30, 2012). The 5-year cohort (extended) rate for 2011 represents students who entered grade 9 for the first time in 2007-2008 and earned a diploma within five years (by June 30, 2012). Data below are shown in percents rounded to one decimal point.
The graduation rate continues to be a focus for RSS with many improved and new initiatives in place to help students stay in school and receive a diploma.
The district’s LINKS Program, a $6 million federal grant, continues to be a great resource in reaching at risk students and addressing such problems as alcohol and drug abuse, bullying, and gang activity.
The Rowan County Early College program reaches out to students who are most often under-represented and can be the first generation college students in their families. The Early College houses grades 9-12. Ninety (90%) percent of Early College graduates simultaneously received an Associate Degree.
The district’s alternative school program at Henderson Independent reaches out to students by offering extra programs to help keep students from dropping out of school.
The high school night program was expanded to include 6 high schools.
Many programs are available at our high schools to assist and with individual student needs such as credit recovery, night school, differentiated diploma, individualized scheduling.
The Alternative to Suspension program designed to provide an opportunity for students to keep up with course work while on suspension.
Rowan-Salisbury Schools serve a large and diverse student population. The district will continue to use the district and individual school results to determine what adjustments need to be made in the future instruction for all students. Areas currently identified are as follows:
The introduction of a district-wide lesson plan template that compliments the new Common Core Curriculum and student learner needs
The continued use and training of formative assessments that are used by teachers to help adjust instruction based on student needs
The continued training of teachers in using data from both formative assessment/daily progress monitoring and summative/EOG EOC results
The district has placed an emphasis on developing early reading skills in grades K-2 to assist with building an early foundation for future student achievement
The continuation of meeting the individual needs of our at risk students
With the introduction of the new curriculum, the new testing models, the new accountability system, the new focus changing from proficiency to career and college ready, and the new staff evaluation measurements, Rowan-Salisbury Schools and public education across the nation is embarking on one of the most challenging years we have ever experienced. This new school year calls for all staff to bring their best efforts into the classroom to focus on the new curriculum, all students to come to school ready to focus on learning and achievement, and all parents and our community to be positive and supportive of these new changes to make this upcoming school year the best it can possibly be.
The Rowan-Salisbury School System continues to focus on meeting the needs of all students in the district. The challenges faced by the changing economy, the changing legislative accountability measures, the changing legislative vision for public education, and the decreasing funding to public education will all continue to challenge the district to embrace these changes into positive outcomes for the betterment of all our students. Public Education continues to be the only educational institute with the advantage of mirroring the very society in which we live by embracing and welcoming the diversity and demographics of all students. Public schools are charged with reaching out to all students to achieve in many different areas. These are not limited to federal and state academic accountability measures. We are also charged with:
- Preparing students as leaders
- Integrating technology for digital learners
- Offering STEM-based models
- Providing extra curricular activities
- Providing highly qualified teachers in the classroom
- Providing a safe and nurturing environment for all staff and students
We will continue to focus on teaching all our children to be successful achieving leaders through a total educational environment now and in the future.
More information and accountability data may be obtained from the NC DPI website at: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/
11- 12 Determining AMO's (pdf)
11- 12 Final ABC's AMO Packet (pdf)