PHS Principal Margaret Bradsher said that science and English scores were her “stars,” with over 85 percent of students passing the end-of-course (EOC) tests in these two subjects for 2006-07, according to preliminary results.

Bradsher, however, was “disappointed” with the writing scores at PHS. She noted, “We continue to have a lot of work to do on writing.”

She said she and the PHS staff were working on ways to address the deficiency in writing, adding that the high school would be implementing programs that provide more writing across the curriculum.

The writing test will not be counted in North Carolina public schools’ ABCs of Public Education results, or in Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) results at the federal level.

According to the state Department of Public Instruction, 10th graders across the state showed a small decrease in writing scores this year, with 51.4 percent scoring proficient. That was down from 53.2 percent in 2005-06.

At the fourth-grade level, 52.7 percent of North Carolina students were considered proficient on the writing test this year, which was up about 3.0 percent from last year.

Seventh-grade scores this year showed that, according to the state’s formula, 50.8 percent of students were proficient in writing. This was up by 4.5 percent from 2005-06.

At Bethel Hill Charter School, 94.3 percent of all students were proficient in reading and 76.3 percent were proficient in math, for a school-wide average of 85.3 percent proficient in the two subjects. Both reading and math scores, according to preliminary results, were up slightly from last year at BHCS.

On the fourth-grade writing test, 55.7 percent of students at Bethel Hill were deemed proficient.

BHCS Principal John Betterton said that his staff would participate in writing-related staff development next school year and that there would be a school-wide writing plan, beginning with kindergarten.

Betterton was pleased with the charter school’s reading scores, noting, “We’ve gotten to a point where it’s hard to maintain” growth.

Conventional wisdom in public education is that the higher an individual school’s performance the more difficult it becomes to show improvement, or growth, according to state and national standards.

Betterton said he was proud of the five-point growth his students achieved in math.

Overall, he said, “I think our [preliminary] results show a united effort with all the teachers working together.”

Principal Sam Kennington, who guided his students and staff through their first year in the county’s new charter middle/high school, said, “Based on the preliminary results, Roxboro Community School is pleased with its first year participating in the testing program. We have some great success stories, and we now know where some of our weaknesses are. Roxboro Community School is well on its way to being at or above the national level on all state testing within a three-year period. Our commitment is to ensure that our students are prepared for the 21st century with the highest possible academic standards.”

Preliminary results on the seventh-grade end-of-grade (EOG) show that RCS students had a 97 percent passing rate on reading, which, according to Kennington, “is outstanding.”

Another outstanding accomplishment, he said, was that 10 seventh-grade Algebra I students had a 100 percent passing rate on the EOC test in that subject.

RCS students who took the seventh-grade math EOG received a 75 percent passing rate.

Preliminary results on the eighth-grade EOG in reading and math show that RCS eighth-graders had a 100 percent passing rate on the reading EOG test and a 93 percent passing rate on the math, “which are both outstanding,” Kennington said.

He said that 30 of his eighth-grade Algebra I students had a 97 percent passing rate on the Algebra I EOC test.

RCS eighth-graders did “exceptionally well on the on-line computer test, Kennington said, with a 92 percent passing rate.

“These outstanding results are a tribute to our faculty, parent support base and our students,” said Kennington. “They decided that a challenging educational program was their top priority.”

Preliminary results on the ninth-grade EOC English I results show ninth-grade students taking Algebra I had a 73 percent passing mark on the EOC.

Kennington added, “Our science scores were not what we wanted, and we have begun work to improve them.”

He said the charter school “will have three fully equipped modern science labs to open the [2007-08] school year that will allow for more hands on learning and afford our students the latest in equipment and lab stations.”

Preliminary results on the 10th grade EOC in geometry show a passing rate above 83 percent at RCS, and 10th-graders had a 100 percent passing rate in Algebra II.

“A weakness has been pointed out in our writing test results,” Kennington said, “and we have begun looking at ways to help our students improve their writing skills and abilities.

“The writing test is scored subjectively rather than being an objective test,” he added. “This makes remediation more difficult. We have many excellent writers who were only one point from scoring a four.

“We are confident that we will be able to begin with an immediate improvement program.”

The Courier-Times was unable to obtain preliminary test scores for Person County Schools’ elementary and middle grades.