THREE PIKE COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE EXEMPLARY

The three elementary schools in Pike County are ranked exemplary while Pike Central High School and Middle School are on academic watch in the latest Public Law 221 rankings of schools and school corporations in the state of Indiana.  The Pike County School Corporation as a whole received the Academic Progress ranking, third highest of the five levels.

The second year of school category rankings under Indiana’s K-12 accountability system (Public Law 221) showed little change from a year ago with the majority of public schools (56 percent) remaining in the top three categories. Overall, 17 percent (305) of schools moved into higher categories, 56 percent (1014) remained in the same category and 28 percent (504) dropped to a lower category.

The Pike County School Corporation dropped from Commendable to Academic Progress despite its overall performance score rising 1.5 points from 2005 to 76.2 percent.  In the school-by-school rankings, Otwell and Petersburg Elementary Schools remained on exemplary status and Winslow Elementary School moved from Commendable status to Exemplary. Otwell had the highest score at 87.9 percent, improved 3.8 points from 2005. Winslow was second at 85.5, up 6.6 points; and Petersburg was at 80.9, up 3.4 percentage points.

Pike Central Middle School dropped from Exemplary to Watch because it improved only 0.8 points to 69.7 percent. Pike Central High School went from Academic Progress to Watch with a score of 68.6, up 1.4 points from 2005.  However, on the point scale set up by the Indiana Department of Education, the high school and middle needed to increase by more than they did.

Schools can score lower and still reach Exemplary Progress designation if they show the needed percentage of increase.  For those in the 80 percent area they had to increase at least 1 percent to maintain exemplary status.  Winslow was required to gain two percent or more to improve its status and improved by 6.6 percent.  The charts and explanation of the law are available on the Indiana Department of Education Web site at www.doe.state.in.us/pl221/ under the data sheet or fact sheet area.

“Pike County’s 2006 ISTEP+ test scores, which serve as the basis for PL 221 category placements, increased in each PCSC school this year,”  said Dr. Mike Harding, assistant superintendent and director of adult learning programs.  “Despite this, our middle school and high school were assigned academic watch status.  This designation is given to schools improving from 2005 to 2006, but their gains were not great enough to place them in the Academic Progress category. Had only five additional students at Pike Central Middle School and four more at the high school passes the September 2006 ISTEP+ exam, both schools would have been eligible for Academic Progress status for 2006-07."

“Pike County’s elementary schools increased their percentage of students passing the September ISTEP+ exam over those passing in 2005.  All three schools were awarded Exemplary PL 221 status from the Indiana Department of Education for the second straight year for these efforts,”  Harding added. “Given Pike County’s Indiana PL 221 results and its NCLB (No Child Left Behind) federal report, it is clear the Pike County School Corporation continues to remain in excellent standing with federal and state authorities.”

“It is encouraging to see the number of schools that are maintaining a good standing despite steadily increasing expectations,” said Suellen Reed, state superintendent of public instruction. “Many schools are making the changes needed to boost student achievement, but we’d certainly like to see a greater degree of improvement across the board.”

Passed by the state legislature in 1999 – two years ahead of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act – PL 221 places Indiana schools and corporations into one of five categories based upon ISTEP+ test data.  Public schools, with the exception of charter schools, that place in the lowest category, “Academic Probation,” are subject to interventions designed to provide the additional support needed to improve student achievement.  A slightly higher percentage of schools—8 percent (147) this year vs. 7 percent (125) last year—were placed in probation in 2006-2007. Of the schools on probation last year, 39 percent (48) climbed to a higher category while the other 74 schools remained on probation for a second year.

PL 221 placements are based on the percentage of all students who pass the English and math ISTEP+ tests (averaged across subjects and grade levels) as well as the improvement in passing percentage of students over time. PL 221 also incorporates the federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measure. Schools that do not make AYP for two consecutive years can place no higher than the middle category (Academic Progress). About 10 percent (196) of schools’ category placements were lowered due to AYP this year, up from 8 percent last year.

No school corporation in Southwestern Indiana is on Academic Probation as a whole and no schools in the area except a few in the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation are on Academic Probation.  The EVSC has eight schools on Academic Probation an d another 21 on Academic Watch. Only one school in the corporation, Scott Elementary School, achieved exemplary status and six were given Academic Progress status, none were rated commendable.

Of the 234 private schools rated by the state, 189 are rated Exemplary, only seven are on Academic Watch and only one on Academic Probation.  Some area school corporations as a whole are on Academic Watch including Evansville-Vanderburgh, North Daviess, Washington Community Schools, East Gibson, Tell City, Mount Vernon, North Knox, South Knox, Vincennes and South Spencer.  Those rated Academic Progress include Pike County, North Gibson, Perry Central and Southwest Dubois. Rated Commendable Progress are Southeast Dubois, Greater Jasper, South Gibson and Loogootee. Rated Exemplary Progress are North Spencer, Warrick, Northeast Dubois and Barr-Reeve.  No school outside of Vanderburgh County is on probation, however, several are on Academic Watch.

Among the Southwestern Indiana individual schools rated Exemplary are: Winslow Elementary, Otwell Elementary, Petersburg Elementary, Barr-Reeve Grade School and Intermediate School, North Daviess Elementary, Washington Veale Elementary, Northeast Dubois High School, Dubois Middle School, Holland Elementary School, Fort Branch Community School, Owensville Community School, North Knox Central Elementary, North Knox West Elementary, South Knox Elementary, Heritage Hills Middle School and Washington Catholic Middle-High School and Elementary School.

Those rated Commendable are: Castle Junior High, Lynnville Elementary, Heritage Hills High School, Tell City High School, Haubstadt Community School, Barton Township Elementary, Oakland City Elementary, Jasper High School, Forest Park Jr-Sr High School, and Barr-Reeve Jr.-Sr. High School.

Making Academic Progress are: Washington North Elementary, Washington Griffith Elementary, Huntingburg Elementary, Jasper Middle School, Elberfeld Elementary School and Castle High School.

Those placed on Academic Watch are:  Pike Central High School and Middle School, Boonville High School and Junior High, Tecumseh Jr.-Sr. High School, South Spencer Middle School and High School, Tell City Junior High, Vincennes Clark, Vincennes Lincoln, South Knox Middle-High School, North Knox East Elementary School, North Knox High School, Gibson Southern High School, Princeton Middle School, Princeton High School, Wood Memorial High School, Francisco Elementary School, Wood Memorial junior High, Southridge Middle School and High School, Dubois Elementary School, Washington High School, Washington Dunn Elementary, Washington Middle School and North Daviess Jr-Sr. High School.

Category placements and scores are determined by performance on the ISTEP+ tests, the improvement of the percentage of students passing ISTEP+ over three years and Adequate Yearly Progress -schools that do not make AYP for two consecutive years can be no higher than Academic Progress.

Dr. Harding said the Pike County success in the rankings and other academic performance areas can be attributed to several things.  First, the local school corporation focuses on curriculum and its development to closely align with state standards, and what needs to be taught to make students successful.  A second reason is that the Pike County schools frequently assesse students and their progress through tests developed on the local level.  Last, but very important, the corporation monitors what is being taught by reviewing lesson plans and information to make sure things are in line with state expectations. 

Another step the corporation takes is providing up-to-date professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators, as well as revamping the gifted, or advanced student program.  The PCSC also uses celebrations when students are successful.  These take the form of field days, trips to various venues, and other ways to celebrate success.  “All of these are helping us to improve and work at making as many students successful as possible,” Dr. Harding said.