Fewer area schools hit rising U.S. standards

The scores keep rising, but so does the target.

That means more Oregon schools than ever, including many in Lane County, have earned a preliminary failing grade under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, born a decade ago as the No Child Left Behind Act.

And, unless Congress does away with the law soon, the controversial math and English/language arts exams that produce what are known as “adequate yearly progress” — or AYP — standards are going to become only more difficult for students to pass as the benchmarks rise in the next three years. Ultimately, 100 percent of students will need to reach the standards by 2014 for their schools to achieve a passing mark.

Only 54 percent of Oregon schools passed the standards this year, down from 71 percent last year, according to preliminary reports that are being officially released today, with final assessment numbers coming at the end of the month.

The reason fewer schools are meeting the standards is because the benchmarks increased this year for the first time since the 2007-08 school year: Instead of needing 59 percent of students in each of several subgroups to pass the exams in math, and 60 percent to pass in English/language arts, now 70 percent of students in each subgroup must pass both exams. Students have three chances to pass the tests each school year.

When schools don’t pass, it is almost always because students in certain subgroups — disabled students, economically disadvantaged students, students with limited English proficiency, etc. — have not hit the requisite percentage mark overall.

The difficulty of the math exams also was increased this year at the state level for elementary and middle school students, to better prepare students for high school diploma requirements, according to the state Department of Education.

Next year, if the law is still in effect, the federal standards rise to 80 percent; then 90 percent for the 2012-13 school year; and 100 percent in 2013-14.

The law, enacted in 2001 in President George W. Bush’s first term, is controversial in part because it requires only one subgroup of students to miss the standard for an entire school to be classified as not passing AYP.

And although student scores might well have improved overall this year at a school, the higher standard could cause that school to fail this year after passing last year with fewer individual students meeting the standards, local school officials say.

“While the final report for individual schools does not look good, the numbers are all up, so I’m actually pretty impressed with how (students) did overall,” said Bethel School District Superintendent Colt Gill.

Eight of the Bethel district’s 12 schools did not pass AYP this year, compared to three last year.

Looking at two years’ worth of data, the state Department of Education rates schools based on whether they hit the targets on the standardized tests; test participation rates; attendance; and, for high schools, graduation rates.

Progress must be measured and reported by subgroups of students within several racial or ethnic categories, as well as students from low-income families, those with disabilities and those not fluent in English. Among the more shocking numbers this year: Only 21 percent of Oregon middle schools passed AYP this year, down from 45 percent last year.

According to the state Department of Education, middle schools tend to have more diverse populations than elementary or high schools, and thus more subgroups, resulting in a higher chance of at least one subgroup not hitting the benchmarks. A school must have a minimum of 42 students in any particular subgroup for that subgroup to be counted.

The Eugene School District, which until this year had never had any of its elementary schools fail the standards, saw five elementary schools not make the cut this time — even though student scores have improved, said Matt Hayes, a data analyst with the district.

The number of schools not making AYP is “somewhat deceiving because you move the (target),” Hayes said.

In all, 14 of 38 schools in the Eugene district did not make AYP this year, while scores are still pending for three alternative schools.

Although Churchill, North Eugene and Sheldon high schools all passed AYP last year for the first time, those schools came up short again this year in the face of the higher 70-percent standard.

South Eugene High has consistently made the standards.

At least half of the schools in the Springfield School District — 12 of 24, so far — did not make AYP this year, with scores still pending for Hamlin Middle School, which in the past has failed to meet the standards.

Springfield schools Superintendent Nancy Golden thinks it’s time to do away with the decade-old federal law because, she says, it does not adequately measure individual student growth.

“My hope is that the federal government will start looking at an individual student growth model,” said Golden, who is part of a group of about 20 school superintendents across the state exploring a new student accountability model.

“We certainly believe in high standards,” Golden said. “We just don’t think the current measuring system (is appropriate),” she said.

State Superintendent of Instruction Susan Castillo agrees.

“These results do not mean that our students or our schools are doing worse — in fact, we know from preliminary assessment results that student performance is on the rise,” Castillo said in a news statement. “But unfortunately, the results do not reflect the growth and innovation taking place in Oregon schools.

“However, these results are a clear reminder that we are not yet where we need to be,” added Castillo, of Eugene. “We need to keep focused on providing all students with the instruction and supports they need to succeed. I will continue to fight for reforms to these federal regulations so that our students and schools receive both the recognition and the support they deserve.”