Wake County School Reassignment
In our view battles on reassignment, year-round schools and diversity are largely used by the WCPSS administration to keep parents and taxpayers off the topics of educational quality and fiscal responsibility.
Scandal in Wake County Schools
The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) has had its share of financial scandals such as the Transportation Department and the Garner High cafeteria. While school officials and taxpayers must always be on alert for financial mismanagement and fraud, we must not forget about the education of our children.
One of our major criticisms of Wake County Schools and the North Carolina Department of public Instruction is their use of half-truths and misleading statistics to convince us of the great job they are doing. We try to look beyond their glossy press releases to find reality.
We can only speculate as to the motivation for these deceptions. We believe the intent is to keep the parents and taxpayers reasonably satisfied with the “quality of education” so as to prevent their digging into the failures of the educational bureaucracy.
For whatever minor successes WCPSS has had, the administrators are quick to grab all the glory, virtually ignoring the key role parents have played in nurturing and motivating their children academically.
Sadly, problems cannot be fixed until we acknowledge there is a problem. Wake can and must do better for the children. They are the future leaders.
They deserve teachers and a curriculum that addresses the needs of all kids, one that does not try to force them into the “college-bound” mode whether they want it or not.
No Child Left Behind
Although the ”No Child Left Behind Act of 2001” (NCLB) has its critics, it provides citizens with the tools to compare different school district with a common yard stick.
Testing
The Act allows each state to design its own end of grad tests, but the U.S. Department of Education continues to conduct test of students in each state using standardized tests. It also requires states to report end-of-grade test results for grades four and eight, in reading and math. These are considered key areas of measuring achievement.
WCPSS and N.C. Department of Public Instruction report 85.2% of 4th graders at, or above grade level based on end-of-grade reading test.
However, the U.S. Department of Education reports only 29% of 4th graders are “at or above” grade level.
Percentage of Students at or Above Grade Level | ||
|---|---|---|
| Wake | N.C. | |
| Grade 4 Reading | 89.9% | 85.2% |
| Grade 4 Math | 77.6% | 67.7% |
| Grade 8 Reading | 91.1% | 87.9% |
| Grade 8 Math | 73.0% | 63.5% |
As Reported by U.S. Dept of Ed. | ||
| Grade 4 Reading | n/a | 29.0% |
| Grade 4 Math | n/a | 41.0% |
| Grade 8 Reading | n/a | 28.0% |
| Grade 8 Math | n/a | 34.0% |
How can this difference be explained? In our opinion it is a combination of two factors. First the North Carolina end-of-grade test have been “dumbed-down” to the extent a student can almost pass by just guessing at the answers, and secondly a concerted effort to teach-to-the-test.
Graduation Rates
For years WCPSS and DPI have been reporting dropout rates in the range of 2.5%-3.5%, allowing citizens to infer graduation rates of 95%+.
The No Child Left Behind Act required a uniform methodology of reporting graduating rates. Beginning with the 2001 cohort of entering ninth graders the schools were required to report the percentage graduating in four years (2006). We were surprised and shocked in February of 2007 when WCPSS, forced by these new rules reported a graduation rate of 83.6%. The overall graduation rate for North Carolina was 68%. Minorities faired much worse with rates as low as 50%.
We were wrong to think it could not get worse. Wake County graduation rate for the 2007 class dropped to 79.3%.
Average Yearly Progress
Another provision of the No Child Left Behind act requires schools to meet yearly targets toward the 2014 goal of 100% proficiency. Wake County results in this area were disappointing.
Schools Meeting Average Yearly Targets | ||
|---|---|---|
| Met | Not Met | |
| Elementary Schools | 47 | 46 |
| 50.5% | 49.5% | |
| Middle Schools | 5 | 23 |
| 17.9% | 82.1% | |
| High Schools | 6 | 14 |
| 30.0% | 70.0% | |
Violence
It’s difficult for both teachers and students to focus on there jobs if schools are not completely safe. Another are where both WCPSS and DPI downplay bad news is in the degree of crime or violence in the schools.
In the 2006-07 school year Wake had a slight improvement from the 1,159 acts of crime or violence reported in 2005-06. In 2006-07 the number dropped about 2% to 1137. This included 175 assaults on school personnel.
Teachers and the kids deserve a safe environment.
No wonder the WCPSS would rather talk about reassignment!!
Our children deserve better!!