LSSD on No Child Left Behind watch list

November 2, 2005
A relatively good 2005 state report card for the Lebanon Special School district is tempered because the district is now on the No Child Left Behind "targeted school" watch list because of failing to meet benchmarks in the English as a Limited Language category.
Celebration for grades that reflect improvement in almost every state report card category is overshadowed with the NCLB brand, a situation LSSD superintendent Sharon Roberts said is difficult. She explained the district is on the "targeted school" federal watch list for failure to meet certain EEL federal benchmarks.
Roberts said the district has 220 students in the category and third- and fourth-graders were tested for the 2005 report card.
"We are very pleased with our overall scores compared with the state, but we know we have to now target this specific group of children," Roberts said. "We've already met with all the schools and we have a plan so these children won't be left behind."
If this failing score is raised 10 percent next year, the district will be put on NCLB "Safe Harbor" with goals set to be purged from the list.
The district is already familiar with NCLB target lists. Roberts said it's encouraging to note Walter J. Baird is the only targeted school in the system, and is now on the "Improving Status" list with enough improvement in scores to be elevated to the less-stressful status. Next year, the school hopes to be a "Celebration School" which shows further progress toward being purged from the watch list all together.
The report card included more uplifting news as well and reveals LSSD raised achievement scores, which are at or above state level, in social studies and science, based on a three year average. The district also had a stellar promotion rate of 98.3 percent. However, LSSD receives a poor grade in per pupil expenditures, falling far below state and national average in this category.
Students in the district excelled in writing and maintained their straight A average on the tests.
Achievement test scores on the report card are impressive with the district receiving an A in Math, and B's in Reading/Language arts, social studies and science. Administrators are pleased to see the social studies and science grades improved from C's. The number of students who scored proficient or advanced also improved in math, from 88 percent in 2004 to 91 percent in 2005. Students in the reading/language arts plus writing category boosted their proficient advanced percentage a bit from 87 percent in 2004 to 91 percent in 2005.
The value added portion of the report card measures progress from one year to the next. Students improved in all categories in this area of testing except for math which dropped from an A to a B. The system as a whole in value added scored an A in reading/language, science and social studies.
Mt. Juliet Managing Editor Laurie Everett can be reached at 754-6397 or by email at mtjulietnews@tds.net