Alternative schools’ low scores worry School Board

The Del Norte County Unified School District Board looked at standardized tests results Thursday evening and raised concerns about the poor performance of students in alternative education schools.

The California Standards Tests taken each spring are used to determine how well students are grasping standards in English language arts, math, science and history as outlined by the state of California.

Students at mainstream schools in the district are making steady improvements. However, the most at-risk students and those doing independent study seem to be struggling, especially in upper-level math, such as algebra.

Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Don Olson said that the goal for this school year will be to take the methods that seem to be working at mainstream schools and implement them at the alternative education schools.

Of the schools in the County Office of Education, which houses the alternative education programs, Castle Rock Charter School and the juvenile hall, 22 percent of students scored proficient or above on the language arts test and only 10 percent scored that high in math.

Also, most students in alternative education programs are at-risk, Olson explained. Some of those students are also quite bright, but it’s not always cool to be bright. He talked to one of those students who said he didn’t want his friends to know he was smart.

One idea, Olson said, is to give students an incentive or reward if they work hard at school.

“We have to find a way to move these kids over,” he said about going from from far below basic and into proficient.

School Board member Tom Cochran noted that the data indicated students doing independent study at Castle Rock Charter School are not performing well on standards tests.

Superintendent Jan Moorehouse said that the data was “alarming” and perhaps an indication that more direct instruction especially in math could benefit those students.

“There’s a problem with the model,” said Board Chairman Bill Maffett. “But we’re caught because parents place them there.”

Olson suggested that Castle Rock could use some of its funds left over from last school year to give students rewards or extra support. The other alternative education programs receive federal funding that goes towards helping struggling students, he said.

Board member Frances Costello said that maybe Castle Rock needs a new education model if students are are not performing where they should be.

“Throwing money at the problem may not be the answer,” she said.

Moorehouse said that alternative education teachers are “in a position to make changes.”

“It’s time to take action,” she said.

What has worked at mainstream schools in the district, Olson told the School Board, has been making sure the curriculum is standards-based and  that all teachers are teaching the standards.

In addition, benchmark tests throughout the year help teachers determine where students are struggling and then can give them more instruction.

“I really believe this is helping students improve,” he said.

Connie Gilman, the principal at Pine Grove Elementary, who has been instrumental in figuring out new ways to teach the standards, told the board that “fidelity between schools” is key.

“All the teachers are talking the same language,” she said.

Olson detailed for the board how each grade level is performing on language arts and math standards tests.

“As a district the pattern we want to see is side steps,” he said about moving students who are scoring far below basic up to proficient.

District schools have been seeing more students scoring higher on standards tests. On the language arts test, more than 6 percent of students scored proficient or higher than last year and more than 7 percent scored in that range in math.

Students’ performance on standards tests is also gaining on statewide results. However, there is still work to be done at the mainstream schools, Olson said, and teachers will continue the same practices they used last year that resulted in better scores.

“We’re getting closer to the state average,” Olson said. “We’re moving in the right direction.”