Commentary; Posted: 9/1/04

More to FL schools than a star rating

Lynn Steenblock
Guest Columnist

Nearly all students in Forest Lake Area secondary schools exceeded target goals on the MCA tests, and all of our elementary schools made the grade, but those arenít the numbers youíll be hearing about from the media. Instead, it is the small population of students who struggled to meet the requirements who will be making front-page news.

When the Minnesota Department of Education released its annual list of under performing schools, Forest Lake Area High School, the Alternative Learning Center, Century Junior High and Southwest Junior High were on it. And we arenít the only ones.

Nearly all of the metropolitan area secondary schools are featured on the list, which is one of the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind legislation. All of these schools have one thing in common. Though the vast majority of their students exceeded expectations, one small subgroup missed the mark, and as a result, the entire building is listed as failing.

For the first time, secondary schools are being judged under the No Child Left Behind legislation. Using the MCA exams as the ruler, schools are being measured on how well their students, broken down into nine different subgroups, are doing. The groups include All Students, Special Education, Limited English Proficiency, Free and Reduced Lunch, White, African-American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American and Hispanic.

In order to be considered a successful school, students in all of the subgroups must reach a minimum proficiency level on math and reading tests, and must meet state goals in test participation, attendance and graduation rates. If even one subgroup does not make adequate yearly progress, then the entire school is labeled ìunder performing.î

The Area Learning Center was on the list for the All Students and the White subgroupís math and reading proficiency. Southwest students made adequate yearly progress in reading, but appear on the list for the Free and Reduced Price Lunch subgroupís math proficiency. The Southwest students missed the mark in math by only one index point, scoring 63.27 against a state determined target of 64.27.

As is the case in schools across the state, Forest Lake High School and Century Junior High missed the mark in the Special Education subgroup for both math and reading.

Special Education students, by very definition, are kids who struggle to keep up with their peers. These children face a variety of obstacles in learning. For some, sitting still and concentrating is difficult while still others find reading or writing to be an impossible task.

Our teachers, counselors and parents have worked hard to develop the skills of these children, to set realistic expectations and goals for each one. When a student is unable to meet these goals, it is tragic, and often it is the teachers who feel they have failed. But to call these kids failures, to list them as under-performing and to brand an entire school as inadequate is the true tragedy.

It is heartbreaking to know that our quality schools, schools where so many kids excel, are listed as failing as a result of one small group of students. Keep in mind, the majority of our students exceeded expectations, reaching an index rate of 83.39 against a state target of 68.14 in math proficiency and 86.58 versus a target of 70.61 in reading proficiency.

All of our students met, or exceeded, targets in the other areas of No Child Left Behind, which include test participation, school attendance and graduation rates. When all is said and done, our staff has done an excellent job of preparing our students to be successful and they continue to strive to meet the needs of every learner.

To call our schools inadequate when so many of our students met the plethora of NCLB requirements is a terrible injustice. As a district, we are always trying to improve our teaching. The idea of No Child Left Behind is at the center of our own student achievement goals and initiatives.

But the reality is that some students come to school facing overwhelming obstacles. For some kids, just being here and sitting at a desk is a victory in itself. To truly judge our schools you canít look only at one list.

Our successes come in individual packages, in students who graduate with honors and in others who, with a lot of hard work and encouragement, just barely make the grade.

Our schools should be judged on the quality of individuals whoíve passed through our halls on their way to something greater, not on an individual test score or a politically motivated AYP list.

Lynn Steenblock is superintendent in ISD 831.

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