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Since the release of grades based on the state’s new school performance grade system, the mainstream media and liberal advocacy organizations have focused on the number of low-income schools that received a D or F. If they weren’t so hell-bent on criticizing and ridiculing Republican education policies, they would celebrate the outstanding achievements of the 150 low-income public schools that earned an A or B.

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CommenTerry

When the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released school performance grades earlier this month, public school advocacy groups noted that the grades reflected the socioeconomic makeup of the schools.  They observed that schools with few free and reduced price lunch students generally received As and Bs, while schools with a majority of disadvantaged students received Ds and Fs.

While some liberal commentators used it as an opportunity to reflect on the challenges of poverty and broken families in our public schools, others speculated that the main purpose of the school performance grades was to humiliate schools that enroll a significant number of disadvantaged children.  Their ridiculous claim is built on the belief that Republicans hate poor people and despise those who claim to champion anti-poverty measures.  In this way, the "humiliation thesis" posits that school performance grades are an extension of conservatives’ intense animosity toward low-income children and their parents.

Contrary to what the radical left may say, Republicans do not hate poor people or the institutions, particularly public schools, that may lift them out of poverty.  They simply want to give taxpayers information to better evaluate investments in those institutions.  After all, it does the poor no favors to overestimate the very institutions designed to provide their children the means to realize a more prosperous future.  We know, all too well, that some public schools are not up to that task.

But some are.  A closer look at the school performance grades shows that around 150 of North Carolina’s public schools with at least half of students eligible for a free or reduced price lunch earned an A or B.  They did so by performing well on state tests and other student achievement measures, which account for 80 percent of the grade.  The remaining 20 percent of the grade took academic growth into account.  (As I wrote earlier this month, legislators may consider altering this formula to provide a system of school performance grades that compensate for demographic differences among schools and districts.)

The highest performing elementary schools in this cohort were Riverbend Elementary in Haywood County, Rutherford College Elementary in Burke County, Beaver Dam Elementary in Cumberland County, and Ocracoke School (Pre-K-12) in Hyde County.  All four schools earned As overall, and three of the four schools exceeded growth expectations on state tests.  At least 80 percent of the students in these schools were at or above grade level on state reading, math, and science tests.

The top middle school was Hendersonville Middle School in Henderson County, followed closely by Burke Middle School in Burke County.  Both schools earned Bs overall and exceeded growth expectations.  While both schools performed reasonably well in reading and science, they struggled in math.

Fourteen high schools in this cohort, including Ocracoke School, earned A grades.  Challenger Early College High in Catawba County and Jacket Academy at Carver High School in Forsyth County were among the top scoring schools in the state.  Henderson County Early College and J.D. Clement Early College High School also earned exemplary scores.

Obviously, this cursory analysis does not address the reasons why these schools were successful.  I suspect that each of these schools have outstanding teachers and administrators, supportive educational environments, and high expectations for all students.  Perhaps now that we’ve identified these superb schools, some enterprising researchers or doctoral students will identify the unique elements of their success and share their findings with schools that struggle to adequately educate disadvantaged students.

Facts and Stats

Low-income schools with a school performance grade (SPG) of A or B, 2013-2014

District Name

School Name

SPG Grade

SPG Score

Alleghany

Alleghany High

B

71

Alleghany

Piney Creek Elementary

B

80

Ashe

Ashe County Middle

B

70

Ashe

Mountain View Elementary

B

73

Ashe

Westwood Elementary

B

71

Avery

Cranberry Middle

B

71

Beaufort

Beaufort Co Early College High

A

88

Beaufort

Chocowinity Primary

B

78

Bertie

Bertie Early College High

B

71

Bertie

Bertie STEM High

B

83

Brunswick

Union Elementary

B

75

Brunswick

West Brunswick High

B

71

Buncombe

Black Mountain Primary

B

72

Buncombe

Pisgah Elementary

B

80

Buncombe

Weaverville Elementary

B

70

Buncombe

West Buncombe Elementary

B

73

Burke

East Burke Middle

B

74

Burke

Glen Alpine Elementary

B

70

Burke

Hildebran Elementary

B

76

Burke

Jimmy C Draughn High School

B

79

Burke

Rutherford College Elem

A

86

Burke

Salem Elementary

B

72

Burke

Valdese Elementary

B

70

Cabarrus

Central Cabarrus High

B

71

Cabarrus

R Brown McAllister Elementary

B

72

Caldwell

Baton Elementary

B

71

Caldwell

Collettsville School

B

77

Caldwell

Granite Falls Elementary

B

72

Carteret

Atlantic Elementary

B

75

Carteret

Beaufort Elementary

B

72

Carteret

Harkers Island Elementary

B

78

Carteret

Morehead City Primary

B

74

Catawba

Challenger Early College High

A

98

Catawba

Saint Stephens High

B

70

Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Collinswood Language Academy

B

83

Charlotte-Mecklenburg

East Mecklenburg High

B

71

Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Independence High

B

77

Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Morehead STEM Academy

B

72

Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Mountain Island Elementary

B

73

Charlotte-Mecklenburg

North Mecklenburg High

B

72

Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Oaklawn Language Academy

B

72

Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Phillip O Berry Academy of Technology

B

77

Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Olympic High – Biotech Health Pub Admin

B

77

Cherokee

Hiwassee Dam High

B

74

Cherokee

Murphy High

B

79

Cleveland

Boiling Springs Elementary

B

78

Cleveland

Casar Elementary

B

70

Cleveland

Cleveland ECHS

B

82

Cleveland

East Elementary

B

77

Cleveland

North Elementary

B

77

Cleveland

Springmore Elementary

B

75

Craven

Ben D Quinn Elementary

B

73

Cumberland

Beaver Dam Elementary

A

85

Cumberland

Cross Creek Early College

A

89

Dare

Cape Hatteras Elementary School

B

70

Davidson

Davidson Early College

A

87

Davie

Cornatzer Elementary

B

70

Duplin

Duplin Early College High

B

79

Durham

J D Clement Early College HS

A

91

Durham

City of Medicine Academy

B

82

Forsyth

Atkins Academic & Tech High

B

81

Forsyth

Brunson Elementary

B

76

Forsyth

Jacket Academy at Carver

A

97

Franklin

Edward Best Elementary

B

73

Gates

Buckland Elementary

B

75

Greene

Greene Early College High

B

84

Guilford

Middle College High at Bennett

B

71

Guilford

Middle College at GTCC-GSO

A

85

Guilford

The Academy at Central

B

72

Guilford

Morehead Elementary

B

74

Guilford

The Academy at Smith

B

81

Guilford

Southern Elementary

B

70

Guilford

Southern Guilford High

B

72

Haywood

Bethel Elementary

B

77

Haywood

Bethel Middle

B

71

Haywood

Riverbend Elementary

A

89

Haywood

Haywood Early College

A

85

Haywood

Jonathan Valley Elementary

B

77

Haywood

North Canton Elementary

B

72

Henderson

Clear Creek Elementary

B

74

Henderson

Etowah Elementary

B

73

Henderson

Flat Rock Middle

B

70

Henderson

Hendersonville Middle

B

75

Henderson

North Henderson High

B

75

Henderson

Henderson County Early College

A

92

Hertford

Hertford Co Early College

B

84

Hickory

Northview Middle

B

70

Hyde

Ocracoke School

A

86

Iredell-Statesville

Cool Spring Elementary

B

74

Iredell-Statesville

Sharon Elementary

B

70

Lenoir County

Banks Elementary

B

70

Lenoir County

Lenoir County Early College High

B

79

Lincoln

Iron Station Elementary

B

74

Lincoln

Childers Elementary

B

78

Macon

Franklin High

B

74

Macon

Highlands School

B

73

Macon

Macon Early College High School

B

78

Madison

Madison Early College High

B

80

Mitchell

Mayland Early College

B

76

Montgomery

East Montgomery High

B

72

Mooresville

South Elementary

B

84

New Hanover

Emma B Trask Middle

B

70

New Hanover

Pine Valley Elementary

B

73

Newton Conover

Discovery High School

B

79

Onslow

Summersill Elementary

B

70

Person

Stories Creek Elementary

B

75

Person

Woodland Elementary

B

78

Polk

Polk Central Elementary School

B

70

Polk

Polk County Middle School

B

72

Polk

Saluda Elementary School

B

77

Randolph

New Market Elementary

B

71

Randolph

Southwestern Randolph High

B

72

Richmond

Richmond Early College High

B

72

Robeson

PSRC Early College at RCC

A

86

Rowan-Salisbury

Rowan Co Early College

B

81

Rutherford

Ellenboro Elementary School

B

70

Rutherford

Pinnacle Elementary School

B

74

Sampson

Sampson Early College High

A

86

Sampson

Midway High

B

73

Sampson

Plain View Elementary

B

73

Scotland

Covington Street Elementary

B

70

Scotland

Laurel Hill Elementary

B

74

Scotland

Scotland Early College High

A

85

Stanly

Aquadale Elementary

B

71

Stokes

Mount Olive Elementary

B

70

Stokes

King Elementary

B

70

Stokes

Poplar Springs Elementary

B

72

Stokes

Sandy Ridge Elementary

B

71

Surry

Franklin Elementary

B

73

Surry

Westfield Elementary

B

71

Swain

Swain Co West Elementary

B

71

Transylvania

Pisgah Forest Elementary

B

73

Transylvania

T C Henderson Elementary

B

71

Union

Rocky River Elementary

B

75

Union

Rock Rest Elementary

B

73

Union

Sardis Elementary

B

70

Wake

Yates Mill Elementary

B

74

Wilkes

West Wilkes High

B

72

Wilkes

Wilkesboro Elementary

B

73

Wilkes

Wilkes Early College High

B

77

Wilson

Gardners Elementary

B

77

Yadkin

Courtney Elementary

B

77

Yadkin

Yadkin Early College

A

88

Yancey

Bald Creek Elementary

B

84

Yancey

Bee Log Elementary

B

75

Yancey

East Yancey Middle

B

72

Yancey

South Toe Elementary

B

80

Charter Schools

The Academy of Moore County

B

71

Charter Schools

Gaston College Preparatory

B

71

Charter Schools

Henderson Collegiate

B

77

Note: All schools listed above serve at least 50 percent free and reduced price lunch students.

Acronym of the Week

SPG — School performance grades

Quote of the Week

"Social problems present our schools with serious challenges.  Nonetheless, schools are not helpless.  The evidence shows that there are many effective strategies for improving student performance, even — and sometimes especially — for poor minority students who bear the brunt of these challenges.  The Myth of Helplessness should not be allowed to stand in the way of reforms that promise to help those students who need it most."

– Jay Greene, Education Myths: What Special Interest Groups Want You to Believe about Our Schools — and why it Isn’t So, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2006, p. 48.

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