Hannah Styles
hstyles@thesmokymountaintimes.com
To say the past few years has been difficult on schools, students and teachers is an understatement. Between school closings, virtual learning, mask mandates, lack of group activities, and lower grading standards by the state, to expect normal test results seems unrealistic, but North Carolina raised its standards back to normal grading scales for public schools.
The state uses an A- F grading system for schools, which is determined by 80% proficiency and 20% growth, explained Swain County Superintendent Mark Sale. Growth reflects progress a student makes in an academic year compared to their own previous achievement scores. Continuing growth was Swain County Schools’ goal during difficult Covid years, he said.
“Our teachers were focusing on growth because we want kids to grow every year,” Superintendent Sale said.
Proficiency means that a student demonstrates knowledge in certain areas set by standards by the state. These assessments are made through testing like end of grade tests for 3rd through 8th grade and end of course tests for high school.
Traditionally, Swain schools earn Cs or Bs, but this year, two schools in the district received Ds and the other two received Cs,
On the plus side, students showed significant growth in both elementary schools and ACT scores were higher than state averages.
Swain High School students scored 34.5 in Math 1 compared to the state average of 33.1, 64.3 in English 2 compared to 57.9 statewide, and for all four ACT subjects combined scored 29 compared to 15.8 statewide.
The high school also showed 72% growth for the 2021-22 school year.
“We’ve been trying for 9 years to climb higher than the state in ACT scores,” Sale said.
East Elementary outperformed the state in 3rd grade reading and five out of six area subgroups had growth about 80% and above 70% in six areas. West Elementary had 60-70% growth in every subgroup.
Swain Middle School outperformed the state in 6th grade reading and 7th grade math and had 60-70% growth in every subgroup. Economically disadvantaged students showed 70% growth at West Elementary and the Middle School and above 80% at East Elementary.
District can still be proud of progress
Sale focused on how the district has still made noteworthy achievements given the overwhelming hardships of the conditions set by the pandemic and the results of students growth.
“Our schools have made impressive achievements in some very difficult times and yet the numbers used by Raleigh for classifying schools by grade reflect two schools are average and two below average,” Sale said.
Last year, nine schools were classified as low performing in Western North Carolina but this year 40 schools received low grades.
“Students will not recover from pandemic years for 3-4 years, and our staff and students have worked themselves like never before, and I feel it is totally unfair that some of them feel like it wasn’t enough because of the grades given by the state,” Sale said.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt, formerly a teacher herself, understands that schools have a long way to go before they return to normal.
“Last year’s accountability results are really a testament to the resilience, dedication and commitment of thousands of educators across the state,” Truitt said in a public statement. “They know as I do that, we still have a steep hill to climb and that every step matters.”
Swain County can feel proud of their school systems, as students have made leaps and bounds in the past year despite the outside world in turmoil.
“I want the staff to feel honored and supported because they deserve it because of the tremendous amount of hard work and dedication they have put in,” Sale said. “I am very proud of our students and faculty.”