NOVEMBER 5, 2009 ISSUE
Avery, Watauga School Report Cards Released
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction recently released “School Report Cards” for all schools and school districts in North Carolina. School Report Cards provide a wide range of data about individual schools and school districts, including school enrollment, average class sizes, end-of-grade and end-of-course test results, teacher qualifications, school safety statistics and instructional resources.
A “snapshot” summary of School Report Card results will be sent home with students in Avery County Schools (ACS) and Watauga County Schools (WCS) over the next week and will also be posted on school websites.
The complete Report Card results for each public school in Avery and Watauga counties, as well as for every public school across the state, are available by clicking to www.ncreportcards.org.
Snapshot summary results for both counties follow.
Avery
The website for any school in the ACS system can be accessed by clicking to the “Headlines” section on the school’s homepage, www.averyschools.net.
The School Report Cards show that student achievement in the Avery County system compares very well with other schools in North Carolina. ACS is one of only 13 school systems in the state (out of 115) to have each school make all of its Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals, as well as have the district achieve each of its goals, too.
All schools made expected growth, with six of the schools demonstrating high growth. For the school system as a whole, 72.6 percent of ACS students in grades three to eight scored at or above grade level proficiency on the end-of-grade tests in reading, compared with 67.6 percent statewide. In math, 86.2 percent of ACS students in grades three to eight scored at or above grade level proficiency, compared to 80 percent statewide.
On the science tests administered to fifth and eighth grade students, 73.1 percent of ACS scores were at or above proficiency—well above the state average of 64.2 percent.
For high schools, end-of-course tests in academic subjects and the four-year cohort graduation rate are North Carolina’s principle measures of performance. At Avery High School, 74.7 percent of end-of-course test results were proficient or above, compared to 71.4 percent statewide.
Avery High also boasted the highest graduation rate in the High Country, 81 percent, which compares to a statewide rate of 71.7 percent.
Watauga
The website for any school in the WCS system can be accessed by clicking to the “Schools” link on the homepage, www.watauga.k12.nc.us.
The School Report Cards show that student achievement in the Watauga County system compares very well with other schools in North Carolina. Every elementary school in the WCS system scored above the state average in the percentage of students’ rated proficiency in reading and math on end-of-grade tests.
For the school system as a whole, 83.9 percent of WCS students in grades three to eight scored at or above grade level proficiency on the end-of-grade tests in reading, compared to 67.6 percent statewide. In math, 91.7 percent of WCS students in grades three to eight scored at or above grade level proficiency, compared to 80 percent statewide.
On the science tests administered to fifth and eighth grade students, 83.1 percent of WCS scores were at or above proficiency, which is well above the state average of 64.2 percent.
At Watauga High School, 79 percent of end-of-course test results were proficient or above, compared to 71.4 percent statewide.
Watauga High School students also compare favorably to their statewide peers on SAT scores and the graduation rate. The average Watauga High School SAT score of 1099 (critical reading and mathematics combined) was significantly above the state average of 1006. The high school’s graduation rate increased to 74.7, while the statewide rate was 71.7 percent.
A comparison of WCS and statewide public schools on key measures is available on the news and data page of the Watauga County Schools website by clicking to www.watauga.k12.nc.us.
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