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GoogleThe county school system as a whole has also moved into the state's "improving" status, along with Harris Middle School and Shelbyville Central High School, according to a press release issued by the Tennessee Department of Education.
"That means they made AYP (adequate yearly progress)," said Schools Superintendent Ed Gray. "We went to great lengths to improve our focus on non-proficient students."
Gray credits the system's adoption of new assessment tests as a direct cause of Harris and Central making AYP this year and moving into the "improving" status.
"We utilized a formative assessment test, which was given three times throughout the year," said Gray, explaining the results of the first assessment test allowed teachers to focus and work with lower performing students. "The teachers are to be congratulated on the work they did."
Gray also said system-wide after school tutoring programs, new this past academic year, helped schools make AYP.
"I think that helped tremendously," Gray said.
The school system is listed as on high priority status but showing improvement. Gray said a handful of students from each school can land the system as a whole on high priority.
For example, two students from one school not meeting goals, plus five from another, and 10 from yet another might put the county on high priority. That doesn't necessarily mean each individual school is on high priority, or failed to make AYP.
"It all accumulates on the system so we have to focus on every student," Gray said.
Central, Harris and the system are on high priority for failing to meet AYP for two consecutive years in the students with disabilities benchmark (special education), according to Gray.
"I had a huge load lifted off of me when the system made AYP (this year)," Gray said. "The system along with Central and Harris have to make it again this coming year to get off high priority status."
While Central, Harris, and the system, are moving in a positive direction, Gray reported that Community Middle School did not make AYP this year. In order to avoid being placed on high priority they must make AYP for the upcoming school year.
Along with Harris and Central, every school in Tennessee on high priority status showed improvement this year, the press release said. Another 42 schools across the state came off the high priority list, indicating they made AYP for two years in a row. This is a 50 percent increase over the number of schools that came off high priority last year.
Tennessee measures whether schools and school systems are making AYP toward the goal of 100 percent of students being proficient in reading and math with a 90 percent high school graduation rate by 2014.
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its only my opinion, change the current status of the alternative school. let kids that need more help in school or dont like the social behavior of school,allowed into the alternative. give them the option of g.e.d. or diploma,also the alternative is set up for more kids then they recieve and should be allowed to let kids go there up till 19 years of age. even if they did drop out for a year. the adult school in town does not allow enough learning it is too based on each kid on his own and was using our tax dollars geared for public schools to teach grownpeoples to learn english. lets start giving our children what we own them . higher education....
Well there is the problem. We don't "own" our children a higher education.
The "No Child Left Behind" program should be scrapped immediately and education vouchers issued for each child. Children could then apply to any (private or public) school they are qualified for. The schools should have the right to accept or reject any student. At anytime during the year the student could be expelled or removed from the school and they would then be forced to apply to another school and be accepted. If they do not wish to attend a school they should not be forced too.
Education is not a right, it is not a gift; it is a choice. Most students want to learn, the ones that are only there for social reasons or because they don't have a choice should not be allowed through the door.
sorry, meant owe, also, our children have no rights,they must obey what is told to them as you must know that the schools here in shelbyville can be very biased and treat each child differently and mostly because of their parents status, so lets, open our minds a little and believe that it is possible to open a door and give these kids a helpful option instead. lets look to the positive on how we offer their education and YES IT IS THEIR RIGHT TO HAVE AN EQUAL EDUCATION IN THIS COUNTRY, WITHOUT PREDUDICE OR HARM, PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY.
I submit that a first step in improving the educational standards of a community is for the adults to provide a good example. Proper punctuation, good grammar, and the use of standard English are all good places to start. Perhaps T-G online posters would like to lead the charge?
OK, let's say they have a right to an education (although it is really an opportunity). Shouldn't we as the taxpayers have a right to demand the best education possible, and require results?
An equal education, does that mean we can only teach to the level of the least capable?
I'm sorry but we should teach to the highest level. If a student can not keep up let them transfer to a different school or class. One that teaches at the level they are comfortable with.
This has nothing to do with prejudice. It has to do with ability and desire.
School vouchers... let the schools (public and private) compete for students and teachers.
I feel even more passionate about education at the college level. College is not for everyone, and not everyone is ready to go at the same time in their life. I don't have a big problem with the government helping with the cost but we are paying for it and it should REQUIRE an effort and results.
There are too many kids going just because they can. They are not learning, not trying to learn, and wasting the money and opportunity,,,, but I guess it is OK because the government is paying for it.
i do see our minds in thought, children do have an oppurtunity to education,a choice, maybe the childs problems in learning can be helped with a different atmosphere of learning.
Poor Me suggests that universal vouchers are the way to go. Private schools wouldn't have to accept the vouchers, could apply their own admission standards, and could expell voucher students at any time (and keep the money Poor Me?)
Coud the private schools charge tuition and fees in excess of the value of the voucher? What would be the end result of this system Poor Me? I envision elite private schools that decline to take any voucher students - they're happy being private and exclusive. Then we'd have a middle tier of mostly religious schools that cater to the middle class. And at the bottom would be the public schools, educating the poor students who couldn't find placement elsewhere, students with behavior problems who've been expelled, and students with special needs (disabilities, limited English proficiency, etc.) whose needs can't be met (without additional cost) at private schools. Is that the society you envision Poor Me?
No thanks!
I would simply like to say "Good Job!" to all the teachers and students of the Bedford County School System. Lots of hard work went in to meeting the AYP guidlines.
I agree with poorme about the voucher plan. Vouchers have proven to be successful every time they have been tried.
A lot of the problem lies with parents as well. Students come to school with no concept of discipline and teachers are given the impossible task of trying to teach and parent at the same time.
With that said, I don't think that NCLB is a good metric for measuring our schools. It forces schools to pass and graduate students when they don't meet the academic requirements, just to get a good NCLB score.
Yea, Good Job Teachers and Students of Harris and Central! And the county school system as well!
there has been alot of conversation on this subject of teaching,thanking teachers. lets get back to the student and giving the basics to learn and feel safe in their enviroment. open the alternative school to kids that need a more intensive help... it is so obvious that not all kids are comfortable with the presures in regular school. the ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL HAS PLENTY ROOM FOR YOUR CHILD. check it out and they are recieving lots of money to teach from the no child left behind.