Subgroups hurt schools under NCLB

School Superintendent Ed Gray said that students with disabilities, who are not meeting goals under the federal No Child Left Behind law, are one reason two Bedford County schools were placed on the state's high priority list in July and why the school system as a whole has failed to make performance goals.

"Students with disabilities is where we fall short," said Gray Thursday night, in his superintendent's report to the Bedford County Board of Education.

Under No Child Left Behind, students with disabilities are required to take the same tests as students in the regular classroom. Because of this, Gray said it is essential for students with disabilities to be included in regular classrooms, with additional attention from special education teachers. This way, they'll be better prepared to take state tests.

Harris Middle School and Shelbyville Central High School failed to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) for two years in a row, and now they must meet goals for two years before they can be taken off that list. Gray said there are 37 ways in which a school can fail to make AYP, and Bedford County primarily fell short in the "students with disabilities" cell.

In an earlier interview, Gray said Harris Middle School failed to make goals in math and reading for students with disabilities and Central failed to make goals in reading for economically disadvantaged students for the second year in a row.

According to the 2008 System Performance Profile of Bedford County Schools prepared by the Tenn. Department of Education, elementary and middle schools did not meet goal for reading/language proficiency in the "students with disabilities" category, and at the high school level, students with disabilities did not meet goals in mathematics or reading/language arts proficiency. Economically disadvantaged students did not meet goal in reading/language arts proficiency.

"We are really missing the mark in secondary schools," Gray said, stating that he was "embarrassed" by the poor report card from the state. "We've got to get to work."

Gray said the key to improving these scores is catching those who are having trouble in the classroom early on -- in elementary school -- and holding teachers accountable for evaluating students based on assessment tests that will be given throughout the year.

The key is getting the teachers of the younger students to really gauge which students are in trouble early on and to correct those problems.

"I want it down to (them) giving me the names of the first grade students who failed (an assessment test)," Gray said.

Gray said while schools have been giving students assessment tests for many years, the problem is that they have not adequately used the results of those tests to determine which students need extra help.

Gray also said that teacher turnover hurts the system as well. Last year, he said they turned over 82 teachers and this year, 74 were replaced.

"Our teachers work hard," said Joan Gray. "We have excellent teachers, but I don't think we've been working smart."

The school system is also bringing in instructional coaches that will provide teachers with strategies in dealing with individual instruction, evaluating test scores and making sure children who are having trouble get all the help they need.

Gray also said that he's pushing principals to be hands-on instructional leaders, getting teachers help whenever it is needed, as opposed to treating them as "building managers," as one board member put it.

Technology conference

Joan Gray gave a report on the 2008 Bedford County Technology Conference. Gray said this conference, while not required, is one of the most popular in-services by the teachers.

"The purpose of the conference is to encourage teachers to integrate technology into the classroom," she said. She continued by stating in order for technology to be effective in the classroom, it needs to be used.

More than 400 people attended the conference, which featured 29 exhibitors and 41 sessions.