Boston, NCHS, TNHS at top of county school district’s K-PREP results
The Nelson County Board of Education held its monthly working session Thursday evening and reviewed the district’s K-PREP scores.
NC GAZETTE / WBRT RADIO
STAFF REPORT
Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015, 11:55 p.m. –– The Nelson County Board of Education spent its working session Thursday reviewing the district’s 2014-15 Kentucky Performance Rating for Educational Progress (K-PREP) assessment scores.
Board member Larry Pate attended the working session with his “Boston Rocks” t-shirt from the school’s dual celebrations of its test scores.
Overall, the district saw an increase in scores that pushed it into the Top 20 percent of school districts in Kentucky. Its overall score increased from 67.3 in 2013-14 to 68.2 in 2014-15.
“We have a lot to celebrate in the district,” Orr told the board as the meeting began.
BOSTON SUCCESS. Boston’s K-5 students’ K-PREP scores earned the elementary grades a Distinguished rating. The school’s grade 6-8 middle school students scored even higher, earning both the Distinguished rating and the additional classification as a “School of Distinction.”
The Distinguished rating is given to schools with scores that place them in the top 10 percent of schools statewide. The “School of Distinction” rating goes to schools with scores in the Top 5 percent of Kentucky schools.
AUDIO: Superintendent Anthony Orr speaks about the K-PREP scores as a reason to celebrate.
As a result, Boston School had a dual celebration Thursday, with the elementary and middle school grades celebrating their respective ratings. Board member Larry Pate brought part of the celebration to the board meeting by wearing his Boston School t-shirt emblazoned with “Boston Rocks!”
Boston wasn’t the only school with reason for the district to celebrate.
Nelson County High School scored in the 90th percentile of Kentucky high schools, earning it a Distinguished classification. Thomas Nelson High School scored in the 96th percentile and earned both a Distinguished rating as well as being named a “School of Distinction.”
Bloomfield Elementary School and Bloomfield Middle School both received higher scores than last year, and each school earned Proficient ratings and rankings in the 82nd and 74th percentile respectively.
From left, Kim Brown, Anne Marie Williams and Cheryl Pile presented the district’s K-PREP scores at the board’s working session Thursday evening.
Cox’s Creek Elementary, Foster Heights Elementary, Old Kentucky Home Middle, and New Haven School received “Needs Improvement” ratings.
Cox’s Creek’s scores inched upward over last year, reaching the 55th percentile. Foster Heights saw its overall score drop, falling from the 60th percentile last year to the 51st percentile.
Old Kentucky Home Middle School’s overall score also declined, dropping the school to the 38th percentile.
Grades K-5 at the New Haven School saw the greatest year-over-year drop in scores, falling from the 49th percentile last year to 16th percentile. The New Haven middle school grades saw their scores climb slightly, from the 59th percentile last year to the 60th percentile this year.
After a presentation and analysis of the scores by Anne Marie Williams and Kim Brown, directors the district’s elementary and secondary schools, and Cheryl Pile, the district’s special education director, the board took time to express its appreciation to the district’s employees, all of whom had a role in the district’s progress.
Kim Brown, the district’s director of secondary schools, listens to a question from a board member during Thursday’s meeting.
“What we want to do is teach kids how to think, we want to get them college and career ready,” Orr said. The improved scores show the district is making progress on evaluating student assessments and then acting on those to meet student’s academic needs, he said.
The board also heard initial plans the district will put into place to help schools whose scores may show some additional help may be needed.
Board member Diane Berry told the board she was grateful to see the rising test scores at Nelson County High School, a sentiment with which board Chairman Damon Jackey agreed.
“Four or five years ago I remember sitting at these work sessions and all of us were concerned with Nelson County High School’s scores,” Jackey said. “While there are still things we can work on, this is tremendous what the school has been able to achieve in the last few years.”
The K-PREP scores overall indicate that good work and progress is underway at all of the district’s schools, Orr told the board.
He noted that the school board has been supportive of the changes the district has implemented to improve the quality of the education students received.
“You guys set the opportunity in front of us, and you let us pursue it,” Orr said. “And I think you see that its starting to pay off.”
NEXT UP. The board’s next regular meeting is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015, at the board’s Central Office on Wildcat Lane.
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