Preliminary reports show that students in the county have made significant progress at the elementary, middle and high school levels on their End of Grade tests.
Jeana Moore, director of Elementary Curriculum/Instruction; Rebecca Jackson, director of K-8 education;and Col. Tommy Macon, director of Secondary Education, released the preliminary results at a Sampson County Board of Education work session earlier this week.
The reports will have to be sent to the state for approval before they are finalized.
“I am so pleased to be presenting this information to you this morning,” Moore told the board. “We have had some pockets of greatness and we have had some places where we need to improve, too.”
With that, Moore went through a detailed presentation that showed results of the nine elementary level schools in the system. Only two did not meet expected growth — Clement Elementary and Union Intermediate — for the 2011-12 school year. On the other hand, some schools, such as Plain View Elementary, scored over 90 for the first time ever to meet high growth.
Union Elementary jumped from 69.78 during the 2010-11 school year to 77.67 in 2011-12, even though their tests were not measured. “They do not get a growth measure because it had to include two years, but this was one of those pockets of greatness I was talking about,” Moore stressed.
Overall, elementary students throughout the system showed improvement in reading, math and overall scores. In reading, elementary students went from 67.55 in 2010-11 to 68.83 last year; in math students went from 83.04 in 2010-11 to 84.97; and overall, students went from a 74.73 composite to 77.17 this year, meeting expected growth.
“It was all higher than last year,” Moore said. “We are getting there with reading and working on math with each school … Overall, I am pleased with what these preliminary scores are.”
Jackson followed with the middle school EOG scores. She said the only issues she really had was with sixth grade reading, where only one of four middle schools met expected growth.
“I don’t know if I have ever had that before,” she told the board. “I know we had some changes, but we really need to go back and look and see what we can do better.”
Roseboro Elementary’s sixth graders pulled a solid 76.55 EOG score in reading, the one to meet expected growth.
In math, every school in the system met expected growth. Roseboro Middle School students met high growth in math with a score of 86.17, up from 76.79 in the 2010-11 year; Midway Middle also got a shout-out from Jackson.
“I am really pleased with our math scores,” she asserted. “At Midway Middle School, their numbers were astronomical.”
In sixth grade at Midway Middle, students scored a 91.17, up from 89.2 during the 2010-11 year. Jackson also pointed out the scores from sixth graders at Roseboro-Salemburg Middle School, who went from a 69.7 in 2010-11 to a jaw-dropping 84.14 in 2011-12. “They had an almost 14 point increase in their scores,” she said. “Folks, that is almost unheard of for sixth graders in math.”
Overall, each middle school’s composite scores met expected or high growth.
Macon followed Jackson with the EOG preliminary results for high school students in the county.
“I just would like to thank superintendent Dr. (Ethan) Lenker, the administration, the leadership, our assistant superintendents for all of their support,” he said before reporting that four of the five high schools in the county met or exceeded expected growth. The five includes Sampson Early College.
“One school did not meet, one met and three schools have made high growth, which is just outstanding,” he explained. “I think it is the first time that has happened since I have been here in this position, so it is a tremendous effort that is being made.”
Hobbton High did not meet expectations, despite scoring 84.3 percent proficient in 2011-12, up from 81.6 percent last school year.
Lakewood High (76.8) met high growth; Midway High (88.9) met expected growth; and Sampson County Early College High School (97.9) met high growth.
However, it was Union High, finishing with a 73.0 percent score and meeting high growth, that stunned everyone.
“Union High finished for the first time since I have been in this system with high growth,” Macon said proudly. “That, to me, is just a tremendous effort on the part of the students, teachers and administrators.”
Students at Union High scored a 69.8 in 2010-11 and have shown growth in Algebra I, Biology; and English 1 since the 2010-11 school year.
“I am very proud,” Macon said, noting that overall, the county scored a 78.2 percent score. “We are continually improving and growing, which is a great thing.”
Board members were proud too.
“I can remember back when this system was scoring 55-60 percent,” commented Board of Education chairman G.H. Wilson. “We always knew we had the kids coming through elementary and middle school and to see it now showing in these test scores is really something. I think this school system can compete with any others. I don’t see any other school system where a child can get a better education than Sampson County Schools.”
Macon returned the compliment, “It really starts right here,” he said, looking at the board. “It all starts with the right leadership, and if you don’t have that, it is not going to happen.”
To reach Doug Clark call 910-592-8137 ext. 123 or email to sisports@heartlandpublications.com.
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