Unbridled Learning: City schools’s scores improve, county schools’ results mixed

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette

Friday, Sept. 27, 2013, 11:30 a.m. — The Nelson County Schools’ elementary and middle schools showed mixed results in the 2013 Unbridled Learning scores released Friday, Sept. 27, 2013.

The three schools in the Bardstown Independent Schools district all saw varying degrees of improvement. In a review of the scores and ratings, there were more losers than winners in the Nelson County Schools.

All but one of the elementary schools in the county district saw test scores drop, and none of those schools met their 2013 test score goal.

Only three schools reported test score increases; two of those (Bloomfield Middle and the New Haven School’s middle school grades) were increases of less than 1.5 percentage points.

The 2013 ratings awarded to schools are based on each school’s overall score. “Distinguished” schools or districts have scores from 90 to 99; “Proficient” 70-89; “Need Improvement,” below 70.

The “Progressing” rating notes that the school has met its Annual Measurable Objective (AMO), participation rate for all students, and its graduation goal (if applicable).

The “Priority” rating denotes a school that has been identified as a “Persistently Low Achieving” school. The “Focus School” rating means the school has an individual group of students scoring significantly low, or a graduation rate below 60.

NO CHANGE: COXS CREEK ELEMENTARY. Cox’s Creek Elementary saw no change in its score from last year, 53.1. The school fell short of its 2013 goal, 54.1. The school received a “Needs Improvement” rating.

IMPROVED: BLOOMFIELD MIDDLE. Bloomfield Middle’s 2013 score showed a 1.3 point improvement over 2012, from 53.1 to 54.4, earning the school a mixed “Needs Improvement/Progressing” rating. The school exceeded its 2013 AMO goal of 54.1.

The school has also been identified as a “Focus School,” which denotes low achievement gap scores or low scores among certain student groups.

IMPROVED: BOSTON SCHOOL (MIDDLE SCHOOL). The Boston School’s middle school scores made the largest year-to-year increase of any the district’s schools. The school saw a 11.3 point increase (56.1 to 67.4), and exceeded its 2013 goal of 57.1. The school received a “Distinguished/Progressing” rating, and was recognized as High Performing/High Progress school — the only elementary or middle school in the district to receive such recognition.

IMPROVED: NEW HAVEN (MIDDLE). The New Haven middle school score showed a small increase from 2012 (1.1, from 52.7 to 53.8) and the school surpassed its 2013 goal (53.7). The school was classified “Needs Improvement/Progressing.”

LOWER: BLOOMFIELD ELEMENTARY. Bloomfield Elementary’s 2013 score dropped 6.2 percent from its 2012 score of 63.0 to 55.8 and was given the status “Needs Improvement.” The school’s Annual Measurable Objective was 63.

LOWER: BOSTON SCHOOL (ELEMENTARY). The Boston School’s elementary grades 2013 score dropped 3 points from last year, 70.9 to 67.9. The school’s 2013 goal was 71.4. The school earned a “Proficient” rating.

LOWER: FOSTER HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY. Foster Heights Elementary saw a 5.5 drop in its overall score, from 57.4 in 2012 to 51.9 in 2013. The school was given a “Needs Improvement” rating.

LOWER: NEW HAVEN (ELEMENTARY). The New Haven elementary grades showed the largest drop — 7.5 points — of any school in the district, from 57.5 to 50.0. The school’s 2013 goal was 58.5. The school was classified as “Needs Improvement.”

LOWER: OKH MIDDLE SCHOOL. OKH Middle School saw its score decline from 2012 and it also missed its 2013 goal. The school’s 47.7 2013 score was 4.6 points lower than its 52.3 2012 score. The school received a “Needs Improvement” rating.

NCHS/TNHS. The district’s high schools had no 2012 scores for comparison. Nelson County High School’s score was 52.8 and it received a ” Needs Improvement/Progressing” rating. Thomas Nelson High School earned a 58.1 score and a “Proficient/Progressing” rating.

The Bardstown Independent Schools district saw all three its schools record improvement in the 2013 Unbridled Learning scores. Each of the districts’ schools also surpassed their 2013 Annual Measurable Goal (AMO) benchmark.

IMPROVED: BARDSTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. BES saw a 2.8 point increase from last year’s score (51.3 to 54.1). The school’s 2013 goal was 52.3. The school received a “Needs Improvement/Progressing” rating.

IMPROVED: BARDSTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL. BMS saw the greatest improvement in its 2013 score (5.2, from 48.5 to 52.7) of any of the district’s three schools. The school surpassed its 2013 goal and earned a “High Progress School” rating. The school was also received a “Focus School” rating which means the school has an individual group of students scoring significantly low.

IMPROVED: BARDSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL. BHS saw the least improvement in its score from last year among the schools in the district (1.5, from 56 to 57.5). However, the school’s score surpassed its goal of 57. The school received a “Needs Improvement” rating, and was also identified as a “Focus School.” The “Focus School” rating means the school has an individual group of students scoring significantly low, or has a graduation rate below 60 percent.

The Unbridled Learning test scores and ratings cannot be directly compared to those used by the earlier testing methods, including the CATS test.

Click here to download a Kentucky Department of Education document that explains the Unbridled Learning accountability model.

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