The North Carolina School Report Cards give parents and the community a snapshot of how public schools are performing.

In Person County, parents will see that student performance here, in the Person County Schools system, is close to the state average in both reading and math at the elementary and middle school levels.

In 2006-07, the district averaged 85.9 percent of students in grades three through eight testing at or above grade level in reading, versus the state average of 85.5.

In math, 62.4 percent of Person County Schools elementary and middle school students were at or above grade level last school year. Statewide, 66.4 percent of students were on grade level in math.

At Bethel Hill Charter School, 93.8 percent of students in grades three through six were at or above grade level in reading and 75.8 percent of BHCS students were proficient at math, well above the state averages in both categories.

BHCS Principal John Betterton said, “If you look across the spectrum, our students are from five to 10 points above state, but at fourth grade, they are 15 points higher. And our reading is generally about 10 points above state,” he said. “I think we’re beginning see the effects of a strong phonics program – and I am not a phonics advocate,” said Betterton, “and also the effects of the Core Knowledge curriculum, which is very rich in classical literature.”

Phonics give kids the skills to figure out how to attack words, Betterton said, so that they can better learn new words and the Core Knowledge curriculum, he added, gives students “a broad knowledge base with which to do the reading.”

In math, although Bethel Hill students this year “lag behind” their scores of previous years, said Betterton, “I anticipate us going up again. We’re beginning to learn the test,” he said of the state’s reengineering two years ago.

Betterton said, overall, the report cards are “a good way to communicate with parents” about the school.

At the high school level last year, according to the report cards, 69 percent of Person High students were on grade level on English end-of-course (EOC) tests; 59 percent on Algebra I; 54 percent on Algebra II; and 43 percent on geometry. At the state level, 72 percent of students were on or above grade level in English; 67 percent on Algebra I; 65 percent on Algebra II; and 63 percent on geometry.

At Roxboro Community School, the charter middle and high school here, 94.5 percent of middle school students were at or above grade level in reading, well above the state average, and 62.2 percent were at or above grade level in math, trailing the 66.4 percent average state proficiency. >>

In grades nine and 10, 72 percent of RCS students were at or above grade level on English EOCs; 56 percent on Algebra I and 83 percent on geometry. RCS did not have an Algebra II score last year.

RCS Principal Sam Kennington said he was “very pleased with what we did our first year. We have some things, particularly math, that we need to work on, and we are doing that,” he said.

Kennington said that the NC School Report Cards presented a good way to “show the strengths and weaknesses” of individual schools and districts, thus giving educators a better idea of what they need to focus on in order to ensure that their students were receiving the very best education.

Dr. Larry W. Cartner, PCS superintendent, said, “The report cards certainly show that our teachers, students, administrators and parents are doing many good things. They also show where we have opportunities for growth. I am proud of the work our employees and students do every day.”

Cartner added, however, “It is important to note that for the second year in a row, we are $400 below the state average in local funding, as documented by DPI [state Department of Public Instruction] and the governor’s office. I hope we can change that figure at the meeting of Nov. 6,” when the school board and county commissioners are slated to hold a joint session for the purpose of discussing next year’s school system funding. “In spite of shrinking resources,” Cartner added, “the [Person County] Board of Education has done an excellent job of moving the district forward.”

Parents will also glean from the NC School Report Cards that average class sizes in PCS schools are close to the state average in the elementary and middle grades.

At Person High, the Algebra II class size is 26, versus the state average of 17 students per teacher. Biology class ratios at PHS are five above the state average and chemistry classes typically have three more students than the state average.

Class sizes at Bethel Hill Charter School are generally lower than the state average. Roxboro Community School classes are either lower or equal to the state average in all subjects.

The Report Cards also give parents information on school safety, the percentage of students promoted at each level and the students’ access to technology at each school.

Also included is a snapshot of funding. Public schools in North Carolina operate with funding from local, state and federal sources. At the local level, as Cartner pointed out, the state average that counties provide per pupil is $1,949. In Person County, the figure is $1,598. Bethel Hill Charter and Roxboro Community Schools receive a per-pupil allotment, which is taken from the PCS total budget based on the number of students that would otherwise attend the traditional public schools here.

The report cards may be viewed on the DPI Web site: www.ncpublicschools.org.