News

Superintendents laud student perfomance

By STEVE REAGAN Staff Writer

All Howard County public school campuses either met or exceeded state accountability standards in 2005, according to information released by the Texas Education Agency.

All Big Spring, Coahoma and Forsan school district campuses were rated Academically Acceptable or better in the latest TEA ratings, which were released Monday.

Three campuses -- Moss Elementary and Bauer Magnet School in Big Spring, and Elbow Elementary in Forsan -- were rated as Recognized, the second-highest ranking.

Despite tougher standards established by TEA, all three districts maintained their overall rating from 2004. Ratings were based for the most part on how students performed on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) standardized test.

For the second year in a row, Big Spring ISD students showed improvement in all TAKS subjects -- a fact that counted more to Superintendent Michael Downes than what rating TEA bestowed on the district.

"The rating to me right now is not as important an area as how much our students improved," Downes said. "If we can say that in the last two years, our students have improved in all areas, then yes, we've been successful."

Since 2003, BSISD students have shown double-digit improvement in all TAKS categories.

The most dramatic improvement has come in science scores, which 55 percent of Big Spring students passed in 2005, as compared to only 30 percent two years ago.

TEA tightened its standards in two major areas, Downes said. First, the agency included test scores from special sub-groups (such as special education students) in its overall ratings; and the passing standards to remain academically acceptable and better were hiked.

The result of those toughened standards can be shown in the fact that 364 school campuses in Texas were rated academically unacceptable this year, as compared to only 95 in 2004.

"And that's not because 270 schools just decided to do a poorer job this year," Downes said.

TEA standards will continue to tighten even further in the next few years, but that fact is secondary to Downes.

"You give me (the same rate of improvement in all test areas) next year, we'll be sitting pretty," he said.

Coahoma ISD students also held the line in the TEA rankings. All three Coahoma campuses were ranked academically acceptable in 2005, the same as the previous year.

TAKS scores for Coahoma were fairly steady, except in social studies, which 93 percent of CISD students passed, compared to 80 percent in 2004.

Like Downes, Coahoma Superintendent Jerry Johnson stressed the need for overall improvement, but also realized the importance of the TEA rating system.

"We want people to ... recognize that rating. That's what sticks out in people's minds," he said. "But as long as our students show improvement, that's the important thing. You never want to fall back."

Forsan ISD TAKS scores also were consistent to last year, except in science; 73 percent of FISD students passed that portion in 2005, compared to 51 percent the previous year.

Forsan Superintendent Randy Johnson was pleased with the rating, especially in light of toughened TEA standards.

"As passing standards toughen, if your passing rate remains the same, you're at least winning the battle," Johnson said. "But passing standards have gotten to the point that there's not a school district in Texas that can say that they've got it figured out."

And as standards toughen, Randy Johnson said school districts will have to adapt, or suffer the consequences.

"Continuing to raise the standards won't allow us to sit back and relax," he said. "And that's not necessarily a bad thing."

Contact Staff Writer Steve Reagan at 263-7331, ext. 234, or by e-mail at reporter@bigspringherald.com.