Editorial: Rate schools more fairly

Friday, July 29, 2005 | 5:04 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION

July 30-31, 2005

What does it mean when nearly two-thirds of the schools in Clark County are failing to make "Adequate Yearly Progress" as defined under federal and state standards? Are our schools really that bad? Or are the standards too rigid? We would answer no to the first question and yes to the second. That doesn't mean, however, that the assessments announced last week shouldn't raise serious concerns. The Clark County School District needs a lot of improvement in many areas, a fact that its top administrators do not dispute.

Adequate Yearly Progress is the key term used in the assessment program Nevada chose under the federal No Child Left Behind Act signed by President Bush in 2002. The act mandates that students in all of the country's public schools must receive proficient scores in reading, writing and math by the 2013-2014 school year. It gave states some flexibility in achieving the ultimate goal, and Nevada chose a program that requires steady increases in achievement each year at all of its schools. Under this method, however, a school cannot make adequate progress unless every student "subgroup" meets the required level of improvement. Minority students, special education students, low-income students and students who speak little or no English are each in their own subgroup.

If one subgroup does not improve at the required rate, the whole school is regarded as not making Adequate Yearly Progress. The first year this happens the school is placed on a "watch" list. If it happens again, the school is placed on a "needs improvement" list. If a school is placed on a needs-improvement list for two consecutive years, a team of state educators evaluates the school and recommends an improvement plan, one that could include replacing its principal and teachers.

This plan is consistent with the goal of literally leaving no child behind, which is worthy. But it mainly penalizes failure instead of rewarding progress, which to a large degree accounts for why a report last week listed 205 Clark County schools as inadequate. Many schools did not technically achieve Adequate Yearly Progress but nevertheless showed many gains. Schools that demonstrate measurable progress in most areas should not be branded as failing. A fairer method of assessing schools is needed.

Also needed is a state government and school district that pay closer attention to the Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a charter school which serves economically disadvantaged students. Its middle school was the only Clark County campus to achieve an "exemplary" rating in the last school year -- the highest rating given by the U.S. Department of Education. Could its longer class hours, its requirement for student uniforms, its emphasis on tutoring and remedial services and its significantly higher per-pupil spending have anything to do with its performance?