ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, August 7, 1996 TAG: 9608070029
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
Roanoke's teachers must set high expectations for students and improve the quality of instruction in the next school year to help raise the city's test scores, Superintendent Wayne Harris says.
"I do not accept the notion that students can't do better," Harris said Tuesday at a leadership conference for the city's principals and other top school administrators. "I firmly believe they can always improve."
The superintendent said student achievement will remain his primary goal in the new year because that should be the main focus of schools.
Without going into detail, Harris said that schools and principals will be held accountable for demonstrating student improvement in academic achievement, attendance, physical fitness and graduation.
He said the city's gains in test scores and other performance categories in the past year show that students can meet higher expectations when "we challenge them, provide them with support and are focused in our efforts."
Harris, who set measurable goals a year ago for student achievement, told the principals that the testing is the best approach to improve learning.
His plan calls for the number of students scoring above the 50th percentile on standardized tests to increase by 4 percent a year for three years.
Harris said eight elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school met the goal on test scores during the first year. Two other schools showed improvement.
The city has 21 elementary schools, six middle schools (Jackson Middle was closed this past year for renovation) and two high schools.
Harris set a goal for a 4 percent increase in the number of fifth-graders who pass the state Literacy Passport Predictor Test and sixth-graders who pass all three parts of the Literary Passport Test.
Three elementary schools recorded an increase of 4 percent or more on the predictor test, and four showed improvement this past year. Two middle schools met the goal on the passport test, and one improved.
Harris' goals also called for the number of students who are absent 10 days or fewer to increase by 10 percent per year and the number of students passing the physical fitness test to increase by 7 percent per year.
Five elementary schools and one middle school met the goal on attendance, and an additional 14 schools had improved attendance during the past year. Twelve elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools improved physical fitness by 7 percent or more. An additional four elementary schools improved.
Harris said he was pleased with the improvements during the past year, but some schools didn't show significant progress and he will be meeting with those principals. He didn't identify the schools.
"We will continue to improve one school at a time - one classroom at a time," he said.
Improving the quality of teaching will be a top priority in the next year, he said.
"We must do whatever is necessary to help each teacher in Roanoke be effective," Harris said. "Our teachers must hold high expectations for each student, manage their classroom and work for student mastery of skills."
During the past year, about 750 city teachers participated in a special training program that is designed to help improve students' academic achievement. All teachers will have the training by the end of the next school year.
Harris said the school system also will offer training for teachers for implementing the state's new academic standards in English, math, science and social studies. The emphasis in instructional technology next year will be on developing instructional programs for the new standards, he said.
The schools will begin a major effort to improve mathematics education during the next year because studies show that students who score high in math tend to do well in other subjects, he said.
"Our goal is to begin in the fifth grade and work upwards," he said. "My ultimate goal is to have the [School Board] support math requirements for graduation, such as algebra and geometry."
Harris said the schools will continue to expand programs in the next year for younger children to ensure that they are prepared to enter school.
Despite national polls of parents showing concern about safety of schools, Harris said he believes Roanoke's schools are safe. An analysis of data on suspensions and serious incidents indicates that 95 percent of the students adhere to the student conduct code, he said.
LENGTH: Medium: 81 linesby CNB