E is for exemplary

If you want to send your kids to an exemplary school, look no further than Port Aransas.

The Texas Education Agency ratings for the 2008-09 school year released Friday, July 31, revealed that the Port Aransas ISD, H.G. Olsen Elementary and Port Aransas High School were rated exemplary, the highest level possible, and Brundrett Middle School was rated recognized, the second highest rating available.

Ratings depend primarily on student performances on TAKS tests, which are administered at schools throughout the state to comply with the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Depending on how students perform on TAKS tests, the TEA assigns public schools various accountability ratings, from academically unacceptable up to acceptable, recognized and, at the top, exemplary. In determining a school’s rating, the TEA also considers many other factors, including graduation rates, performances by minorities and attendance.

This is the first time since the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) test was implemented in 2002-03 that Port Aransas ISD has earned the highest rating, according to Superintendent Dr. Sharon Doughty.

Doughty is pleased, in part because in her 25 years of experience, she has never been in a district that was rated exemplary. She was principal of an exemplary school, she said, but she “always dreamed of being in a pre-K to 12 Exemplary district.”

Now, Doughty is living her dream. She took the helm here in January after former Superintendent Billy Wiggins left to become superintendent in the Salado ISD. Wayne Johnson, retired superintendent in the Aransas County ISD, filled in as interim while a replacement for Wiggins was sought.

The dream doesn’t stop with the ratings, Doughty said. Goals established by the Board of Trustees are to raise the raw scores that are compiled to reach the exemplary status, as well as look at passing rates for college entrance exams such as the ACT and SAT, then track Port Aransas students’ success after graduation.

TAKS scoring was a little different this year, Doughty explained. Credit was given to a campus if scores reflected a certain measure of improvement, even if the percentage of students passing did not meet the state minimum of 90 percent.

Doughty credited a cohesive, collaborative staff for the improved ratings.

Last year, the district, elementary school and high school were rated recognized, and the middle school was a notch below at acceptable.

The previous year, 2006-07, the district was rated acceptable, the elementary and high school were rated recognized, and the middle school was exemplary.

This year, the middle school missed exemplary by three percentage points in the science portion of the test, but in that category, the percentage of students passing compared to last year was up by 29 percentage points. To meet Texas Performance Measurements on the TAKS, 90 percent of the students taking the tests must meet the standards.

At the middle school, 87 percent of the students taking the science test met standard, but that compared to only 58 percent meeting standard last year, an increase that was enough to advance the middle school from acceptable in that category to recognized.

In all other categories tested, the middle school was rated exemplary, putting the campus rating as a whole as recognized.

 

Other areas tested were reading/English language arts, writing, social studies and math.

Travis Longanecker, who as principal at the middle school until three years ago, enjoyed an exemplary rating, is savoring it now as principal at Port Aransas High School.

“I am very excited to share this accomplishment with our kiddos as they return to school. They worked incredibly hard last year to do this,” Longanecker said.

“First, you can credit our kiddos. We have great kids with great families,” he added. “Then, you can credit the teachers and staff who worked incredibly hard to meet the state’s requirements (and that’s not just test scores. At the high school level it includes many other variables).”

Longanecker included in the definition of “staff,” teachers and administrators at the middle and elementary schools who helped to prepare the students for success at the high school level, “particularly (former middle school principal) Bob Byrd and his staff over the past three years.”

He also credited Wiggins and interim Superintendent Wayne Johnson for their roles.

“It is very, very difficult for a high school campus to be rated exemplary. Only 8 percent of Texas high schools achieved the rating, and if you take out the 50-or-so ‘closed enrollment campuses’ in the state, we’re in an even more elite group. Also, because of the new requisites for completion and drop-out tracking, the number of high schools rated academically unacceptable increased significantly,” Longanecker said.

Closed enrollment campuses are collegiate and preparatory academy high schools in large districts to which students must apply for acceptance.

Sylvia Buttler, elementary school principal, said she is excited and proud that the campus has been rated exemplary “because the whole circle comes around: Teachers, students, parents, community and school all come together.”

“Vertical teaming,” she said, helped because, using that teaching method, teachers stay within their subject area at grade level.

“That’s making a big difference because they’re experts at that level, so the kids are completely prepared for the next level,” Buttler said.

Another key to the campus success, she said, is that all students, without exception, “are exposed to the rigorous curriculum, (and that is) enabling all kids to pass the TAKS, and they are ready for the next challenge at the next grade level.”

At Olsen Elementary, Buttler said, “We don’t think of TAKS as testing for third, fourth and fifth grade, we think about it from pre-kindergarten up, because everybody has done their job and everybody is involved, not just the classroom teacher. We all are after a common goal . . . and every grade level is doing what it’s supposed to do.”

Bob Byrd, who was principal at the middle school for the past three years, but resigned at the end of this school term, said he is “very happy” with the rating.

“We did some things differently with science . . . we had the math and science lab that helped raise scores.” Byrd said.

The middle school was just three percentage points shy of meeting exemplary criteria, he pointed out.

“I don’t know if folks understand, but for middle schools and high schools, it’s very, very hard to get to the exemplary level. To be in the neighborhood, and be that close, is a terrific accomplishment for the kids and parents,” Byrd said.

He said it was a “team effort, with everyone pitching in and doing their part, including the elementary school, Mr. (Billy) Wiggins and Mr. (Wayne) Johnson. It further shows they are getting good things done there. The district is working well as a team – and good things happen.”