Published: December 11, 2007 08:16 pm         

County meets No Child goals

First time schools have done so since accountability system was enacted

No child was considered to have been left behind in Laurel County last year, Superintendent David Young announced at the regularly-scheduled School Board meeting Monday. In a surprise reversal, the Kentucky Department of Education has determined the district did, indeed, meet its 2006/2007 No Child Left Behind goals — the first time it has done so since the accountability system was enacted five years ago.

“We are very pleased we made (adequate yearly progress) and we’re excited about the opportunity to get out of consequences,” Assistant Superintendent Denise Griebel said.

But officials are being cautiously celebratory.

In an e-mail to district principals Thursday, District Assessment Coordinator Tharon Hurley underscored, “Let me emphasize to you the fact that while this is good news for the district, and clearly a result of the hard work from you and your staff, it does not change what we are doing nor what we have to accomplish.”

Griebel echoed Hurley’s sentiment.

“We can’t let up on the work that we’re doing,” she said.

Administrators had been told in September the district only met 11 of its 13 goals, missing its targets on students with disabilities in reading and math. The missed targets meant the district could not make adequate yearly progress.

The shortfall caused the district to fall into Tier 3, second year status, which requires taking corrective action.

But a recent data review from the Kentucky Department of Education showed Laurel County — and about 30 other school districts — fared better than was initially calculated.

Spokeswoman Lisa Gross explained that in past years, NCLB testing was done on students in just one elementary grade, one middle school grade and one high school grade.

“To get AYP we averaged the scores of those three grades,” Gross explained.

But this year, NCLB required testing be done on students in three elementary school grades, three middle school grades and one high school grade.

“Averaging like we had done in the past didn’t work anymore because you’re giving unequal weight to elementary and middle school grades,” Gross said.

Instead, KDE took the scores of all students to come up with the average.

Because of the data review change, the district does not fall deeper into tier consequences.

“Instead we’re in a holding pattern this year,” Griebel said. “It takes two years to get in trouble and two years to get out of it.”

If Laurel County meets its AYP again next year, the district will be free of consequences.

In other action, School Board members:

• Agreed to advertise bid requests to replace computer, telephone and video cable at Camp Ground, Colony, Hazel Green, Hunter Hills, Johnson, Keavy and Sublimity elementary schools, Laurel County Day Treatment, Bentley Center and both middle schools. Chief Information Officer Barney Paslick said a majority of the cabling could be paid for through the federal Universal Service Fund. Motion was made by Joe Schenkenfelder, seconded by Tommy Smith and unanimously approved.

• Agreed to hire Kentucky School Board Insurance Trust to serve as the district’s Worker Compensation provider, as it has done in past years. The contract shows the district has a total estimated payroll of $41,261,576. As such, it must pay a premium of $270,726, which is $30,000 less than last year. Young reported the premium is less because the district implemented work safety practices as suggested by KSBIT. Motion was made by Lola Reed, seconded by Albert Binder and unanimously approved.

• Approved an agreement with Jackson Energy Cooperative, which will lease three lamp posts to the district for the new parking lot at Camp Ground Elementary. The district will pay $33.73 per light per month. Motion was made by Schenkenfelder, seconded by Smith and unanimously approved.

• Agreed to pay for certificates for high school students who earn their Kentucky Employability Certificate, which helps them find jobs and earn higher salaries after graduation. The certificates are expected to cost about $2,800 for all students. Motion was made by Smith, seconded by Reed and unanimously approv-ed.

• Awarded the district’s office supply bid for printer cartridges to Office Depot, Sentinel Office and Cumberland Valley. Motion was made by Smith, seconded by Binder and unanimously approved.

• Approved the audit for the 2006/2007 school year. Motion was made by Binder, seconded by Schenkenfelder and unanimously approved.

• Agreed to hire three part-time tutors at London Elementary School. The positions will be funded using the school’s $10,000 reward money it received for having reached its Commonwealth Accountability Testing System goal. Principal Mary Bowling said the tutors will join five others and will work in 13 classrooms. Motion was made by Smith, seconded by Schenkenfelder and unanimously approved.