Wherever Life Takes Us: my girls

J got into the car today, bouncing off the walls because she has moved up another level on the reading system at school. She is now an "Advanced" reader, and is loving the attention/recognition they do at her school. I am glad she attends such a great public school. I was trying to find some info on the reading program online, and ran up on this article.
The info from that is here:

Twenty-five Arkansas school districts need improvement
Friday, Nov 14, 2008

Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK - Twenty-five of Arkansas' 245 school districts are considered in need of improvement under the federal No Child Left Behind law as a result of students' performance on 2008 benchmark exams, the state Department of Education announced Thursday.

Last year, 11 districts were on the district improvement list.

Making the list this year were the Ashdown, Brinkley, Clarendon, Dermott, Dollarway, Drew Central, East Poinsett County, Fordyce, Forrest City, Fort Smith, Hazen, Hope, Hughes, Lafayette County, Lakeside, Little Rock, Magnolia, McGehee, North Little Rock, Osceola, Pine Bluff, Pulaski County Special, Stephens, Turrell and Warren districts.

The Education Department recently announced that 375 of the state's 1,087 public schools are on the school improvement list, compared with 325 the previous year.

A school district is placed on the district improvement list when adequate yearly progress is not met for two consecutive years. Adequate yearly progress is determined by the percentage of students scoring proficient or exhibiting growth toward proficiency on literacy and math exams in grades K-5, 6-8 and 9-12.

The calculations also take into account the performance of students within certain groups: White, African-American, Hispanic, economically disadvantaged, students with learning disabilities and English language learners.

A district must make adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years to be removed from the district improvement list.

Five districts on the list last year have met the standards for adequate yearly progress this year and will be removed from the list next year if they are able to so again next year. They are Brinkley, Dollarway, McGehee, North Little Rock and Pulaski County Special.

Twenty districts are in year one of district improvement, four are in year two and one is in year three.

I don't necessarily think that a childs' intelligence is always correctly reflected in standardized tests, but my kids have both been in the 99th percentile every time they have been tested. The things teachers can pull off in a year's time amazes me, especially when so many have to also meet the special needs of more challenged kids. Teachers have soooo many things to fit into a day, a week, and year.... it's wild.

There are a ton of good parent resources located at this site and I encourage you to check it out. I am really impressed with all the parent involvement and participation that occurs at her school. They work extremely hard to get the parents in the door, and to keep us informed. I am so glad we don't have to pay for private school here, in order for our kids to have a great education.