School board tours failing school
9:42 p.m. Thursday, September 18, 2008
Almost a week after State Street Elementary School didn't make the grade under No Child Left Behind, Stephanie Cunningham sat outside waiting for her two daughters.
"They're all doing the best they can with the funding that they have," she said of the school's recent performance.
State Street is one of seven elementary schools in the district where kids didn't make Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP.
"It all starts with a strong aligned curriculum," said Superintendent Kevin Singer.
Thursday, members of the school board toured the school and offered solutions to increase scores.
"If your curriculum matches the assessments and teachers are following that," Singer said, "that's the first thing that you look at."
Board members say they are also placing an emphasis on early childhood education.
"Research shows that those children by far and away are more likely to succeed and be ready when they hit school," said Board Vice-President Patrick Woods.
Schools don't get points on AYP when principals direct traffic like State Street Principal Clardy Vinson does. There is no extra credit when students use technology in the classroom, like they do in State Street's new media center. Schools are only graded for how kids do on one test out of each school year.
That's why Cunningham said no matter the scores, she isn't ready to turn her back on the district.
"They've always done their best," she said. "My kids will always be in 501."
Now it's up to the board members to make sure their best is up to federal standards.
Even though seven elementary schools did not make AYP, the district actually had less schools miss federal standards this year compared to last year.
See which other schools in USD 501 and around Kansas didn't make AYP.
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