Autumn is here! This is my favorite time of year. I love the cooler temperatures and the changing leaves. As I have travelled to the different schools I have discovered that Yadkin County is absolutely beautiful during the fall season!
As I have visited in our schools I have been impressed by the work everyone is doing to prepare our students for their futures. I love the dedication the school system employees demonstrate to the students enrolled in the Yadkin County Schools. The teachers, teacher assistants, custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, maintenance and bus personnel and school administrators show up every day ready to roll up their sleeves and do what is best for students. This speaks volumes about the dedication you all have to the children of Yadkin County.
In the next couple of weeks our end of grade and end of course test results will be released by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. It is important to note that proficiency levels will show that significantly fewer students met the standards that were set. However, it is also important to note that students continued to grow academically in 2012-13, even though the tougher achievement standards indicate fewer students were proficient in reading, math, science, and other subjects.
There are other things I would like to point out regarding the new standards. They include:
- North Carolina public school students are now required to meet higher standards to be considered proficient on end of grade (EOG) and end of course tests (EOCs).
- Whenever new standards are set, as they were last school year, test scores will show a drop. This has historically been the case in North Carolina each time standards have been raised.
- The 2012-13 test scores will serve as a baseline for the new assessments our students will take. These scores will not affect students’ grades or their current placements.
- Comparing scores from 2012-13 to scores from previous school years is ineffectual. Students were tested on completely new standards in 2012-13 with brand new assessments.
- In the past, proficiency standards as measured by EOGs and EOCs only addressed what students needed to be successful at the next grade level. The new standards seek to measure how well our schools are preparing students for college or careers. These new assessments will give everyone a better idea of how well prepared our students will be for college or a career when they graduate from high school.
