10 schools lagging in performance

Friday, March 31, 2000 | 11:22 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Ten schools in Nevada, including six in Clark County, have been designated as needing improvement because of the poor student test scores, the state Department of Education said today.

For two of the schools in Clark County -- Fitzgerald Elementary and Madison Elementary -- it is the third straight year of inadequate achievement, and they will continue to be on probation.

The 10 low-scoring schools statewide compare with eight last year and 23 the year before.

A school is designated as needing improvement when more than 40 percent of the students tested in reading, language arts, mathematics and science, score in the bottom quarter in all subjects, compared to students across the nation.

The department said two schools achieved the top designation of exemplary achievement. They are the Advanced Technologies Academy in Las Vegas and Elizabeth Lenz Elementary in Reno. To qualify, more than 50 percent of the students had to score in the top quarter in the nation. This is the third year Advanced Technologies Academy ranks in the top quarter.

Those schools that were under performing in Clark County were Fitzgerald, Madison, Fremont Middle School, Martin Middle School, Von Tobel Middle School and Mojave High School.

Others were West Wendover High School in Elko County, Amargosa Valley Elementary School in Nye County, Imlay Elementary School in Pershing County and Loder Elementary School in Washoe County.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mary Peterson said the education department would develop plans for improvement for Fitzgerald and Madison, working with panels to supervise the academic probation for each of them.

The other schools must each submit a plan for improvement to the department. The department said there is $3.3 million in state funds available to help low-achieving schools upgrade their performance.

It also said 17 other Nevada schools qualify for the remedial money because more than 40 percent of their students scored in the bottom quarter of the national test in three out of the four subjects.

Peterson said Booker and Lunt elementary schools in Clark County will be also eligible for remediation funds. They received money last year and have improved their academic performance.

The department designated eight schools, including the Las Vegas Academy, as "high achievement." At the academy and seven Washoe County schools, more than 40 percent or more of their students scored in the top quarter in all four subjects tested.

"I congratulate the students, teachers, staff and parents at the exemplary and high-achievement schools for their outstanding accomplishment," Peterson said. "The academic success of these schools indicate that students and teachers are serious about increasing achievement levels."

At the top-achieving Advanced Technology Academy, more than 60 percent of their 10th-grade students were in the top quarter in the nation, giving it an exemplary rating.

At the "high" achieving Las Vegas Academy, an average of 43.8 percent to 54.5 percent of the 10th-graders scored in the top quarter in the nation.

The worst performance in the state were the fourth-graders at Madison Elementary where from 45 percent to 69.6 percent were in the lowest quarter in the nation in the tests.