Wilson County schools value added scores 'at level'

The Wilson County School System now has a fair measure of how much students have learned over the past academic year.
The Tennessee Department of Education has finally released the last part of the 2003-2004 Report Card – the element that measures value-added scores. According to a State Department spokesperson, value added simply measures how fast students are learning from year to year. If students perform well on the value added portion of the state mandated test, it means they have risen above the grading curve and are learning more than expected. If scores are low on this component of the test, students have not learned enough.
Director of Schools Dr. Jim Duncan said the district's 19 schools did "pretty good" adding value to their progress for the academic year 2003-2004.
"As a county we did as well or better than other districts," Duncan said. "A few subject areas in some schools were low. A couple of the schools had scores that were not acceptable and those need to work harder to make sure the students are ready to move on."
The lowest profiency scores, still in the 80th percentile, were Watertown High School (grades 7-8), Watertown Elementary, Carroll-Oakland Elementary School in Lebanon and West Elementary in Mt. Juliet. Mt. Juliet High School, however, scored over 95 proficient in both algebra and English and above average in value-added scores.
This past testing period was markedly different than in years past. Now students tested in grades 3-8 in reading, math, science and social studies were rated on how they mastered state standards for the subject area and grade level. High school value-added scores are based on Gateway exam results compared to the year prior. The scores are measured over a three-year growth period, Duncan said.
"The purpose is to see if teaching is such students make a year's progress over the academic period," he said.
If a school measures high on value-added in each subject, it is very difficult to improve that grade the next year, sometimes showing a lower than expected grade, Duncan said.
The director noted the system will break down these scores to the classroom level. The state will conduct workshops soon and Duncan said he and other administrators will attend to further learn details about how best to improve scores year to year.
"I'm concerned about the reading," Duncan noted. "It boils down to the classroom level. From the central office we can't cause much change, except to know how to improve them. We plan to do that."

Wilson County School System
Value Added Scores:

Carroll-Oakland Elementary
Percent proficient
Math 84%
English 83%
Value added
Reading /language D
Math A
Science B
Social Studies D

Gladeville Elementary
Percent proficient
Math 90%
English,89%
Value added
Reading/language F
Math D
Science C
Social studies D

Lakeview Elementary School
Percent proficient
Math 95%
English 97%
Value added
Reading/language B
Math C
Science A
Social studies A

Lebanon High School
Percent proficient
Algebra 90%
English 90%
Value added
Algebra no difference
English below
Biology below

Mt. Juliet Elementary
Percent proficient
Math 93%
English 90%
Value added
Reading/language C
Math F
Science A
Social studies B

Mt. Juliet High School
Percent proficient
Algebra 95%
English 96 %
Value added
Algebra above
English above
Biology above

Mt. Juliet Middle School
Percent proficient
Math 93%
English 93%
Value added
Reading/language C
Math B
Science D
Social studies D

Rutland Elementary School
Percent proficient
Math 88%
English 89%
Value added
Reading/language C
Math A
Science A
Social studies A

Southside Elementary
Percent proficient
Math 90%
English 90%
Value added
Reading/language B
Math A
Science C
Social studies C

Stoner Creek
Percent proficient
Math 90%
English 93%
Value added
Reading/language F
Math A
Science C
Social studies` A

Tuckers Crossroads
Percent proficient
Math 90%
English 88%
Value added
Reading/language B
Math B
Science A
Social studies C

W.A Wright Elementary
Percent proficient
Math 95 %
English 92 %
Value added
Reading/language F
Math B
Science B
Social studies D

Watertown Elementary
Percent proficient
Math 85%
English 82%
Value added
Reading/language B
Math C
Science A
Social studies A

Watertown High (7-8)
Percent proficient
Math 75%
English 82%
Value added
Reading/language F
Math F
Science F
Social studies C

Watertown High (9-12)
Percent proficient
Algebra 99%
English 98%
Value added
Algebra no difference
English no difference
Biology no difference

West Elementary
Percent proficient
Math 85%
English 83%
Value added
Reading/language F
Math C
Science C
Social studies B

West Wilson Middle School
Percent Proficient
Math 89%
English 92 %
Value added
Reading/language C
Math D
Science C
Social studies D

Wilson Central High School
Percent proficient
Algebra 95 %
English 95%
Value added
Algebra no difference
English below
Biology No difference

Mt. Juliet Managing Editor Laurie Everett can be reached at 754-6397 or by e-mail at mtjulietnews@tds.net.