Get your own Free Home PageAfter a year of stress and hard work, Smith students have shed the dreaded low-performing label that hounded the school during the 1998-99 school year.
Smith improved in five of the six end-of-course tests and received exemplary status on the N.C. Department of Public Instruction's ABC assessment program for 1998-99. This came one year after BLS received a low-performing grade and took on a voluntary assistance team from the state to try to improve instruction.
“I am thrilled that we are exemplary,” said Gayle Nelson, a business teacher. “All of us worked extremely hard. The EOC teachers deserve special praise. They did outstanding work.”
Leisa Huddleston, an English as second language teacher, said achieving high-performing status will make for a better academic atmosphere.
"I think our exemplary status is well-deserved," Huddleston said. "Everyone at Smith worked hard last year to help raise the scores and it paid off. I think exemplary status will affect me personally by raising the morale of our staff. When we were designated as low-performing last year, it was a black cloud hanging over our heads making us all feel bad. Now we can take pride in our accomplishment of raising the scores and this will create a more up-beat atmosphere in our school. Smith will be a more pleasant place to work.
"The higher morale of the staff will be passed on to the students. They will share the same pride that the teachers and administration have in our school. Hopefully, future students will work hard to maintain the exemplary status."
Not only did Golden Eagle students do well, they tied for the most improvement among the six courses that are assessed by the ABCs. Smith and Grimsley were the only two Guilford County high schools that improved on five EOCs for '98-99.
“Students do not function in a vacuum,” said Canipe Chris, a counselor at Smith. “Each student's total school experience affects performance on EOCs.”
BLS students showed major improvement in several areas, including math. Smith's Algebra I EOC scores vaulted over the 50-percent line. In the ABC program high schools are measured in two ways: (1) percentage of students over 50 percent on grade level and (2) the percentage of improvement on each of those six EOCs. Smith teachers were overjoyed at the news.
“When we were low-performing last year, I felt that the considerable effort I had put into my classes was not appreciated or recognized by the community or the school system,” said Nancy Massengale, a math and SAT-prep teacher. “I felt that I had let my students and their parents down. Now I feel much better. The students and teachers at Smith have shown that they are able to achieve results which few gave us credit to ever attain.
“I hope the students understand the pride they should feel for reaching this goal.”
Now comes the hard part: deciding how to split up the bonus money the state gives to schools that reach expected or exemplary status. Smith's teachers, who did not receive a bonus last year, are eligible for up to $1,500 each this year. A variety of opinions were expressed about this.
“The rewards should be based on the results of the individual in their particular field,” said Robert Biasotti, a former social studies teacher who resigned in June to take a teaching and coaching post at St. Thomas Aquinas School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “By the way if your going to install a meritocracy, everyone should be associated with it. However, they should be associated with it in their field. What kind of control does the non-EOC science teacher haveconcerning the poor test scores of the ELPSA teacher? A basic tenet of the merit system is that if you work hard and work smart, you're rewarded.”
Another teacher believes the entire staff should get a bonus, but that EOC teachers should get a higher cut.
"Well, for one thing, the bonus shouldn't be taxed," said English teacher Jason Baldwin. "As far as how it is divided, I think teachers who teach the tests that count should get more money than those who do not.
“Of course, if I had my way about it, money wouldn't go into teachers' pockets at all. That money would already go into their paychecks.”
Massengale, however, feels that the faculty is a team and that the reward should be shared equally.
“The Smith faculty accepted the challenge of improving EOC scores,” Massengale said. “Some teachers are not as directly involved on a daily basis as others but we went into this as a unit or family and should all benefit.”
The Smith endures its share of criticism of its academic record, but the leap from low-performing to exemplary might begin to change public opinion of the school.
“The Smith administration and staff have literally saved my family twice when we were going through difficult health and personal situations,” said Biasotti. “The guidance I received from my mentor teacher, evaluators and peers I will use for the rest of my life.”
© 1999 bls@geocities.com
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