Watauga schools score at state peak
By Caroline Monday
cmonday@mountaintimes.com

Watauga County Schools is continuing a tradition of academic excellence, as shown in the recently released North Carolina School Report Cards for the 2006-07 school year.

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction releases the report cards each year, providing data about school districts and individual schools.

The reports reflect the test results, teacher and principal qualifications, student demographics, school safety statistics and instructional resources of each school.

The latest report card shows that Watauga County Schools are competing well with other schools in the state.
Student performance in end-of-grade tests shows that high percentages of students in grades three through eight are performing at or above grade level in math and reading.

Overall, 93.3 percent of these students are at or above grade level in reading, as compared to the state average at 85.5 percent. In math, 83.1 percent performed at or above grade level, compared to the state’s 66.4 percent.

Older students also performed above the state average on end-of-course tests. The report card compiled data showing that a higher percentage of Watauga County students scored at or above grade level, when compared the state as a whole, in English, algebra 1 and 2, geometry, biology, civics and U.S. history. At Watauga High School 78.5 percent of all end-of-course test results were proficient or above grade level, compared to 66.4 percent statewide.

The high level of achievement among the county’s high school students was also reflected in their SAT scores. The average WHS score (reflecting the combined critical reading and mathematics scores) came in at 1,079. This average score came in second out of all school systems in the state and is significantly higher than the state average of 1,004 and the national average, 1,017.

Despite high test scores, WHS did not meet expected growth for the second year in a row. The school received a status of “No Recognition,” meaning that 60 to 100 percent of students performed at grade level, but the students did not meet expected growth.

Watauga County Schools public relations officer Marshall Ashcraft said several factors affected the school’s no recognition status. He said the state has reconfigured growth formulas and the school system, like many school systems in the state, is working to adjust to those changes.

On the whole, however, “We’re feeling the results are strong, but are not a reason for complacency,” Ashcraft said. “We are very pleased with the hard work that our students and teachers have achieved,” he said.

Report card results for Watauga County, outside of those reflecting student achievement, came in at above the state average as well. Data shows that all classrooms in the county are connected to the Internet. Additionally, the schools system has higher percentages of fully licensed teachers, teachers with advanced degrees and board certified teachers. Watauga County also has a lower rate of teacher turnover that the state as a whole.

Average class size in the county is consistent with or slightly lower than the state average, hovering between 17 and 21 in elementary and middle school classes and between 10 and 24 in high school classes.

Complete results of the 2006-07 N.C. School Report Cards are available at www.ncreportcards.org.