It was announced on Sept. 6 that three of the eight county schools–those being Hundred High School, Long Drain School, and Magnolia High School–met Adequate Yearly Progress for 2011 both in academic achievement and in graduation/attendance rate. The remaining schools met AYP requirements in one of those areas. During the Wetzel County Board of Education meeting Director of Student Assessment Tammy Wells presented the detailed results of the annual report in addition to other county school news for the upcoming year.

MHS met the state benchmark of 90 percent for graduation rate in addition to reaching high academic achievement. Similarly, LDS met the benchmark for attendance at a rate of 98.8 percent, in addition to making AYP in the area of academic achievement.

Sixty-five percent of the Junior class students at MHS improved in reading/language arts and 77 percent improved in mathematics from last year. LDS had 42.60 percent of students in grades three through eight score at the proficient level in mathematics with 70 percent of test-takers showing growth. In reading/language arts, 57.39 percent of LDS students showed proficiency.

Notably, HHS made AYP in academic achievement, but did not meet the required 90 percent benchmark in graduation rate. However, the school was considered as having met AYP in this area due to the school’s improvement from last year’s rate, that being 72 percent. This year’s graduation rate climbed to an impressive 77 percent. Academically speaking, 28.58 percent of the 11th grade class showed proficient in mathematics, with 63 percent of this accountability group showing improvements in the subject from last year. In reading/language arts, the school had 40.30 percent proficient, with 38 percent showing improvement over last year.

SLS met the AYP benchmark for the attendance rate at 98.3 percent, as did NMS at a rate of 98 percent, and PCES at an impressive attendance rate of 99.1 percent. However, none of these schools met AYP in academics this year.

SLS had 32.62 percent of its students grade three through eight score at the proficient level in mathematics. In reading/language arts, 40.07 percent were proficient, with 3.92 percent showing improvement in the area.

NMS had 41.68 percent of their students grades three through eight score at the proficient level in math. In reading/language arts, 45.86 percent were proficient.

PCES had 43.65 percent of their students, grades three through six, score at the proficient level in math, and 36.50 percent in reading/language arts. Overall, 68 percent of the students at PCES improved their test scores from last year.

Conversely, VHS made AYP in academic achievement but with a graduation rate of just 82.4 percent, the school did not meet the required 90 percent benchmark nor make gains to be statistically significant enough to merit AYP in this area. According to the report, 67 percent of the junior students improved their math scores and 51 percent improved their reading/language arts scores from the year before.

Similarly, PCHS’s graduation was a mere 75 percent, up from 73.53 the previous year. Academically speaking, PCHS had 52 percent of their seventh, eighth, and 11th grade students score proficient in mathematics. In the seventh grade class, 86 percent showed improvement in math. In the eighth grade class, 75 percent showed improvement in math, and in 11th grade, 78 percent showed improvement in the field. In reading/language arts, 59.20 percent of students scored proficient. In grade seven, 84 percent showed improvement; in grade eight, 69 percent; and in grade 11, 78 percent.

All of the schools’ leadership teams are working with a thorough test analysis protocol throughout the year that informs instruction and requires teachers to meet in professional learning communities regularly to address students’ needs based upon formative benchmark scores, in hopes of making significant enough gains to make AYP in 2012.

Wells added that less than half of all schools in the state made AYP, but scores as a whole climbed. Specifically, 52 percent of West Virginia’s 692 public schools fell below state and federal standards.

The board questioned why proficiency levels overall were still so low. In addition to dealing with an ever-changing test, Superintendent Watt stated many teachers are still teaching one-dimensionally. “Principals recognize they (teachers) need to go more in depth and vary instructional practices,” she said.

“It’s not that the teachers are teaching less hard,” Watt continued. “Their way of thinking as been ‘Let’s just get the facts.’ It has to be deeper than that.”

Wells noted, “We have really good teachers trying to do really good things.” To this, President Michael Blair said, “Hopefully at the end of the day we’ll come out on top.”