Many schools on federal list for improvement

COLUMBIA BASIN - State Superintendent Terry Bergeson is defending the hundreds of schools on a federally mandated improvement list.

The state noted it released a preliminary list of schools in improvement status, as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

According to the state, 628 schools and 57 school districts are on the list this year. In comparison, 280 schools and 30 school districts were on the list the previous year.

"There is no question that every single one of our schools has room for improvement," Bergeson stated. "However, this year the fatal flaws of No Child Left Behind have become abundantly clear. The law has gone too far. Many of the schools and districts on this year's improvement list have met tough challenges and have made strong improvements. That work goes unrecognized under the No Child Left Behind Act."

The government considered Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) scores in math and reading, performance of student populations on the WASL, as well as unexcused absences and graduation rates, according to the state.

Schools must make "adequate yearly progress" in reading and math to reach a federal target that each student in every school will have math and reading proficiency by 2014, according to the state. Schools missing the target two consecutive years will move into improvement status, the state explained.

Moses Lake School District, Othello School District, Quincy School District, Wahluke School District and Warden School District are on the list.

Individual schools on the list are:

• Center Elementary School and Lake Roosevelt High School in Grand Coulee Dam School District.

• Chief Moses Middle School, Columbia Basin Secondary School, Frontier Middle School, Moses Lake High School, Larson Heights Elementary School, Longview Elementary School and North Elementary School in Moses Lake School District.

• Hiawatha Elementary School, Lutacaga Elementary School, McFarland Junior High School, Othello High School and Scootney Springs Elementary School in Othello School District.

• George Elementary School, Monument Elementary School, Pioneer Elementary School, Quincy High Tech High School and Quincy Junior High School in Quincy School District.

• Red Rock Elementary School and Royal Middle School in Royal School District.

• Morris Schott Middle School, Saddle Mountain Intermediate School and Wahluke High School in Wahluke School District.

• Warden Elementary School and Warden Middle School in Warden School District.

The state attributed the increase in schools on the list to the "double-digit increase" in targets for performance in reading and math.

While 348 more schools are on the list this year, four schools came off the list.

Schools can be evaluated in as many as 37 categories, while districts can be evaluated in as many as 111 categories, according to the state.

"The law provides no incentives for reaching ambitious achievement goals, only sanctions and punishments for schools and educators who 'underperform,' even in only one of the 37 possible categories," Bergeson stated. "There is wonderful, heroic work going on in our schools, and I want parents and other members of our communities to know that they should look far beyond a school's AYP status to determine the real quality of education that is being delivered there."

Bergeson's office announced she is proposing changes to the No Child Left Behind Act. According to the state, the proposed changes would provide schools and districts with support to reach their achievement goals, make achievement targets realistic, and provide a flexible means to reach them, and overhaul the system of assessment and accountability for fairness and equity.

"Our federal government needs to get real, be fair, support our schools and pay for the recommendations they require," Bergeson stated. "I look forward to partnering with a new president, members of Congress and education leaders throughout the country to make common-sense changes to this law that will save its worthwhile goal and make it work effectively."