County district’s K-PREP scores highlight achievement, opportunity to improve
Jack Mitzefelt and Avery Perkins use an iPad to practice coding and operate a robot named“ Dash,” during Maker Space class at Bloomfield Elementary School (BES) recently. BES was on of three Nelson County schools to earn a Distinguished rating in recently released K-PREP scores. Photo submitted.
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016, 1 p.m. — Despite a slight drop in the district’s overall K-PREP score, the Nelson County School District still received a Proficient rating from the Kentucky Department of Education.
The rating is part of the Kentucky Department of Education’s K-PREP education accountability report released to the public on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016.
In addition to the district’s overall score, the schools are also examined as a group, combing the district’s elementary, middle and high schools to create a rating for each education level. The scores are then broken down by individual schools.
THE GOOD AND THE BAD. The Boston School’s middle school grades and Bloomfield Elementary both earned “Distinguished” classifications from the Kentucky Department of Education, while Thomas Nelson High School earned both the “Distinguished” classification and the “School of Distinction” designation.
Cox’s Creek Elementary was the only elementary school in the district to earn the “Proficient” designation. The district’s other elementary schools did not fare as well.
The Boston School’s elementary grades, Foster Heights Elementary and the New Haven School’s elementary grades all received the “Needs Improvement” classification.
Other than the Boston School’s middle school grades, the rest of the district’s middle schools also received the “Needs Improvement” classification — including Bloomfield Middle School, Old Kentucky Home Middle School and the middle school grades at the New Haven School.
In a district press release, Superintendent Anthony Orr acknowledged the K-PREP scores identified areas of educational excellence as well as opportunities for improvement within the district.
“From a district perspective, our K-PREP results are a step back from where we hoped we would be,” Orr said. “We continue to have bright spots and true growth. In some of our schools the scores reflect challenges that did not surprise us. To varying degrees we have learned similar lessons from all of our schools.
“We must intentionally support high level learning for each student, Orr said. “That takes hard work and focused, intentional effort from all of our folks.”
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES. Students’ K-PREP scores fall in four categories: novice, apprentice, proficient, and distinguished. The district’s goal is to continually reduce the number of novice and apprentice learners and help those learners achieve proficient and distinguished levels of performance.
District schools grouped by grade level
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. As a group, the elementary school overall scores increased from last year, from 59.4 to 61.0. The numbers of proficient and distinguished elementary school students fell below the state average in reading, math, social studies, writing and language mechanics.
Among all of the content areas, the elementary schools were closest to the state average in math, falling just two-tenths of a point below the state score. The content area with the largest gap between the district score and state averages was in writing. The district elementary schools had 20.2 percent of learners rated proficient or distinguished; the state average was 41.0.
MIDDLE SCHOOLS. As a group, middle schools had the largest drop in scores from last year — from 68.5 last year to 57.7 this year. The middle schools’ numbers of proficient and distinguished learners was below the state average.
The largest gap between the number of distinguished and proficient learners in the district compared with state average was in the social studies content area. The statewide average of proficient/distinguished learners in social studies was 59.7 percent, compared to the district’s 48.2 percent.
HIGH SCHOOLS. As a group, the district’s high schools overall score improved over last year, from 76.1 to 80.3.
In academic performance the district’s high schools performed well above the state averages in every content category: Language mechanics scored 10.3 percent higher; reading and writing scores were 9 and 9.2 percentage points, and science was 7.7 points over state average.
COLLEGE & CAREER READINESS. The district scored above the state average in college and career readiness. The high schools reported 69.8 percent of its graduates are prepared to go on to college or to enter the workforce, compared with the 68.5 statewide average.
The high schools also scored above the state average graduation rate, 94.3 percent to the 89.7 state average.
Individual school performance
BLOOMFIELD ELEMENTARY. Bloomfield Elementary’s overall score rose this year, from 72.0 to 73.5, earning the school a Distinguished/Progressing classification and acknowledgement as a High Performing School.
BLOOMFIELD MIDDLE. Bloomfield Middle saw a double-digit drop in its K-Prep score, from 74.1 last year to 59.0 this year. The school was given a “Needs Improvement” classification. and identified as a Focus School.
BOSTON SCHOOL. The Boston School’s elementary grades saw a drop in their score over last year, from 74.1 to 60.7, earning the school the “Needs Improvement” classification.
The school’s middle school grades saw a minor drop in overall score — 73.5 to 72.3 — but still earned a the “Distinguished” classification.
COXS CREEK. Cox’s Creek saw a significant increase in its overall score, from 57.8 last year to 72.3 this year. The school earned a “Proficient/Progressing” classification and was identified as a “High Progress School.”
FOSTER HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY. Foster Heights score dropped from 63.4 last year to 58.2 this year. The school received a “Needs Improvement” classification.
NCHS. Nelson County High School received a “Proficient” classification despite a drop in its score this year, from 77.8 to 73.7. The school also earned the Focus School classification.
OKH MIDDLE. Old Kentucky Home Middle School’s score saw a significant drop in its 2016 score over last year, from 62.2 to 53.9. The school received the “Needs Improvement” classification and the “Focus School” designation.
NEW HAVEN SCHOOL. The elementary grades and middle school grades at New Haven each saw drops in K-Prep scores from last year and each received the “Needs Improvement” classification.
The score for the middle school grades fell by double digits — from 72.3 last year to 60.0 this year. The elementary score fell from 58.4 to 52.2.
TNHS. Thomas Nelson High School scores jumped by more than six points from last year — 80.0 to 86.3. The school received the “Distinguished/Progressing” classification and recognition as a “School of Distinction.”
The K-PREP results will be used to further refine instruction and interventions at the district’s schools.
“Now it’s time to wake up, smell the coffee and get to work,” Kim Brown, the district’s assessment coordinator said. “Our goal is to be a distinguished district by or before 2018. We must dig in and get the job done.”
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