Let’s take a closer look at AYP in our high schools. Graduation rates and the graduation tests are the big deal here as mentioned in the article. http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/21112/
It seems that there is now a practice (last 2 years or so) where the students who may be graduating without an actual diploma, but with a Certificate of Performance, (these students would count against the graduation rate and passing rates for the graduation tests and therefore AYP for the schools) are systematically being transferred to the Lanier Career Academy right before graduation (a matter of days in some cases).
This increases all the other 6 high school’s graduation rates artificially. The Career Academy is small and is never expected to do all that well any way so no biggie on AYP there. In fact on the State AYP site it reads “There are not enough students in this school for the AYP determination to be
statistically reliable, therefore an AYP determination has not been made for this
school. These students are included in the District and State AYP reports.” in reference to the Career Academy. (http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/ayp2008/overview.asp?SchoolID=669-0105-a-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0)
Interesting. Let’s look at some numbers found on the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement site regarding Hall County students receiving Certificates of Performance over the past few years now ( http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ReportingFW.aspx?PageReq=111&PID=62&PTID=69&CountyId=669&T=0&FY=2008 ) (look under the Report card tab for each school and then under the “Indicators” tab for information on High School Completers).
Numbers for the 2005-06 school year for the Lanier Career Academy show 12 students graduating with a Certificates of Performance. In 2006-07 The Career Academy had 16 students graduating with a Certificates of Performance. In 2007-08 (the same year Hall County finally made AYP in all High Schools I believe) The Career Academy has a whopping 47 students graduating with a Certificates of Performance. Wow! What is that – something like a 48% increase from 2006-07? HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?!
Good question. Let’s look at the other 6 High Schools now.
If you look at the 6 combined (excluding the Career Academy) in 2005-06 they had 97 students graduating with a Certificates of Performance. In 2006-07 the 6 reported 91 students graduating with a Certificates of Performance. In 2007-08 they reported 28, about a 48% decrease from the year before. Oh I see now. Tricky tricky!! It seems like they are transferring the kids that will hurt their scores to the Career Academy between the taking of the Graduation tests and actual graduation. Neat trick! Really helps to make that pass on AYP.
So in 2006-07 the Career Academy had 16 students out of the Hall County District’s 107 students receiving a Certificate of Performance. In 2007-08 The Career Academy had 47 out of the Hall County District’s 75 students receiving a Certificate of Performance. Unreal! Any statisticians out there want to compute those odds?
All schools were fairly consistent in their Certificate of Performance numbers between 2005-06 to 2006-07. However, from 2006-07 to 2007-08, West Hall High went from 17 students graduating with a Certificates of Performance down to 0. Johnson High went from 23 to 8. North Hall High stayed at 8 for both years (not going to pull that up there I guess). Chestatee High went from 17 to 2. Flowery Branch High went from 12 to 10 (after being at 19 the year prior) and East Hall High went from 14 to 0.
Haven’t looked at the numbers for 2008-09 yet, but I will bet quite a bit that they are low again at the 6 high schools and higher at the Career Academy as it seems they did the same thing.
Have to wonder how ethical this is? Is it cheating? Is it fraud? You be the judge.
Also have to wonder if a disproportionate number of these students are economically disadvantaged, special needs or of a certain minority status.
And these folks want more freedom from oversight and rules. I guess so!
I also have to throw this in: A couple of articles this past week have reported that AYP and test scores are not the name of the game and are the wrong focus for the current Hall County School Superintendent and administration. Then why is the Superintendent currently at a conference on Jekyll Island this week presenting on better ways to hold teachers accountable based solely on CRCT scores?
Just curious.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: | Education, Hall County
Hallconcern-
Glad to see you posting back on Gainesville Times. The public needs to be apprised on the hat tricks of this administration. Hopefully there will be a lot of opposition to the the county applying for IE2.
Also thanks to NorthHall!
Maybe one day this system will get back to doing what is best for the students.
One can only hope and keep bringing things out to the light!
IE2 in the hands of these folks will be a real nightmare I am afraid.
I also love the comment from Docb on the Times website! Responses from the other side really bring to light “their” way of thinking.
It does. And Doc’s posts are always so far out in left field it is almost comical.
From the Times – Good example!
docb:
July 15, 2009 – 12:53 PM
So good to have your insight back Concern. Imagine a system that “systematically” transfers students whose intention to drop out to a Career Academy so they can get at least a GED or get involved in a Lanier Technical College work certification program. That is one of the reasons LCA exists. It’s good to see it is finally being used. Your whopping 30 student addition would equate to 1% of the Hall County entire senior class.
Let’s not forget the numerous students LCA also accepts from their neighbors with no such program. This counts against Hall, also. Keep doing the right thing Hall. Concerned, you seem to be a bitter and small person.
Hallconcern:
July 15, 2009 – 04:27 PM
Aww Doc, why you got to be so mean and hurtful?
Problem is you are way out in left field on this one. What you have described has absolutely nothing to do with what I posted about (but I suspect you know that).
The students I referenced were not drop outs or really even students who actually attended Lanier Career Academy. Nor were they wanting to “get at least a GED or get involved in a Lanier Technical College work certification program”.
They are, by and large, now graduates of the Hall County school system. These are kids who have all the required credits but have not passed the required tests so they have to graduate with a Certificate of Performance instead of an actual high school diploma. This status can only be reached after taking the Graduation test. They were transferred to the Career Academy directly before graduation so as not to count against the school they actually attended. Is that clear enough for you?
And I believe we all know that if that 1% of seniors is the correct 1% it can make all the difference in the world for the school’s AYP pass when it comes to Graduation rates and Graduation testing data if they are not counted correctly. How far off the mark is the Hall County District right now in regards to making AYP for Gradation Rate? Oh yeah, 1%.
Also, I am not aware that the Career Academy accepts students from other districts. Maybe they do but I would be shocked if our Central Office would allow them to count against us in terms of AYP. Are these tuition payers? Can you provide more information about this? I would love to look into it.
Love how the 711 Green Street crowd uses talking down and attempts at humiliation when questioned or addressed. It is really a nice culture that has been cultivated. They really do act like they are smarter than everyone else and no one else knows anything. That is if you can actually get anyone up there to bother to speak to you.
I think if the superintendent really wants to run for state superintendent, then he needs to start somewhere else. He needs a clean slate and needs to build up a support group.
Things are just too bad in Hall- he wouldn’t get the support from his fellow Hall Countians.
[...] AYP this year is because failing students were transferred to the one school in Hall County that doesn’t have to make AYP. [...]
I was just reading over the Gainesville Times’ opinion piece about testing fraud, “Our Views: Tackling test fraud
Now it’s educators caught cheating on exams, and that can’t be tolerated” at http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/21026/
I wonder if they will actually put their money where there mouth is and look into this matter or if the piece they published is just so much hot air?
i don’t expect them to do anything. all talk unless it’s someone or something on their nonprotect list.
i expect this sort of thing from our central office but i am very ashamed of all the school level people such as principals, assistant principals, counselors, graduation coaches and some teachers who either condone this type of thing or turn a blind eye. i just wonder where the integrity has gone. bad days.
Unfortunately, integrity gets traded for a job.
From http://archive.gainesvilletimes.com/news/stories/20050719/localnews/123537.shtml
Hall official vents after AYP report
Assistant superintendent defends county’s handling of standards
By JEFF GILL
The Times
Other action
Hall County School System’s new deputy superintendent didn’t hold back his feelings Monday on the federal, accountability-driven No Child Left Behind Act.
Will Schofield told the Hall County Board of Education, holding a called meeting, that the school system will take the law more seriously because of the stigma it places on schools labeled as “not making adequate yearly progress.”
But it won’t make the effort “at the expense of continuing our pursuit of quality education,” he said.
Schofield, who could become superintendent when Dennis Fordham retires after the 2005-06 school year, made the comments after Fordham detailed why 12 of 31 Hall schools didn’t make adequate yearly progress, commonly referred to as AYP.
Officials are hopeful that Chestatee Middle School will win an appeal of its AYP standing, dropping Hall’s overall number to 11.
Federal law requires states to judge all schools primarily according to their performance on a standardized test. Georgia uses the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests for elementary and middle schools and the Georgia High School Graduation Tests for high schools.
Georgia issued this year’s AYP report earlier this month.
Schofield said school systems can decide to have all their schools make adequate progress and then go about it by ensuring that certain subgroups, or categories of students based on race, economics and other factors, meet academic standards.
“Hall County, to its credit, has decided not to do that, because it believes in the concept of No Child Left Behind: you don’t focus on certain groups at the expense of other students,” he said.
Schofield went on to say that he believes that under No Child Left Behind, students’ “minimal performance on low-level standardized tests” has come to define quality education, when it is just one aspect.
“I beg to differ with President Bush and (former Secretary of Education) Rod Paige on their definition of a quality education,” he said.
Schofield said he believes Hall County is taking the right initiatives to give its children a broad-based education. He has visited the schools that have been labeled as not making AYP and “I’d stick my children in any of (them).”
Richard Higgins, the school board chairman, said it’s disappointing “not to make any measure,” but he said the board is not “down on the school system.”
“We’re not ready to change how we do things just to get off the (not making AYP) list,” he said.
Higgins added, “As a board, we’re not professional educators, but we want to give you the resources to meet the needs of our students.”
Board member Nath Morris said he was concerned about “the costs of being on the list.”
“If we didn’t have to spend some of that money (on sanctions that coming from not making AYP), we could put it in other areas that benefit us,” he said.
Originally published Tuesday, July 19, 2005
What a difference a few years makes huh?
from http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=222231&c=10
Frightening quote of the year!
“STATE MEETING ON ‘IE’
Hall County School Board members heard that their system could ‘write its own ticket’ under the ‘Invest in Education’ or I-E2 initiative.”
Like they haven’t been writing their own ticket for several years now?
I guess this would make it ok to screw over at risk kids by transferring them to alternative school and pay illegal travel supplements out to cronies and otherwise keep lowering our standards?
Frightening….but more of the same. Any board members up for re-election any time soon?
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/archive/21026/
I find it quite sad that the Times seems to now be all talk and no walk. even pulled off the comments regarding the shenanigans going on with the ‘graduation games’.
I’ve tried to be a supporter of our local ‘news’ but this is very troubling.
So wondering – I’m going to have to say just a bunch of hot air bellowing from impotent pontificators with no backbone or journalistic integrity whatsoever.
53.2% were Hispanic regarding those 2008 Hall County Certificate of Performances.
http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ReportingFW.aspx?PageReq=102&SchoolId=44068&T=1&FY=2008
I would like to see those students put back on the roles of the schools they came from and then let’s see if each school made AYP.Shouldn’t be a problem should it?
What a shame about out of state field trips. Why the concern if parents are paying the bill? Makes you wonder about the real reason(s).
Gotta love the way they embraced the parents who showed up to talk about it also. Open government at its best!!
yup. now that the affluent lighter colored schools have more people struggling a bit, schofield is suddenly worried about the costs of field trips. before now it was ok to struggle for quite a few families but they weren’t on the hallco radar back then.
“Schofield said 35 percent of students at Hall’s most affluent school now receive free or reduced lunch.”
in other words now that friends and neighbors of the board and administration may be having a tougher time they need to do something. it was ok as long as it was just the folks that are normally poor. elitism, pure and simple in my opinion.
So a trip to the Chattanooga Aquarium at 150 miles one way would be a no while a trip to Jekyll Island at 370 miles one way is ok? Makes a lot of sense.
Isn’t it a shame that the public’s initial response to the board declining out of state field trips is, “What are they really up to? What is the real reason?”
just because.
on another site some of the pro hall co administration people have trotted out the old ‘hiding behind pen names is cowardly’ shtick.
I guess the first amendment is cowardly too in their eyes:
In the landmark 1995 ruling in “McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission,” the Supreme Court recognized that “protections for anonymous speech are vital for democratic discourse. Allowing dissenters to shield their identities frees them to express critical, minority views. … Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority.”
and the u.s supreme court:
“It is well-settled that the U.S. First Amendment shelters the right to speak anonymously. As the Supreme Court has held, ‘Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority, that exemplifies the purpose of the First Amendment: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation … at the hand of an intolerant society’. Accordingly, courts have routinely found that the constitutional right to speak anonymously must be carefully safeguarded.”
in my opinion the pro hall county administration point is just a typical example a majority person’s cover and excuse for not being able or willing to defend their stance or answer posed questions. this seems to be what we get from hall county schools all the time. no answers, only recriminations.
Blackbird,
I don’t think these are minority views being express here and other places. More like majority views, but no one knows exactly how to fix things.
Think you’re right there Yep.
and one again the cowardly gainesville times pulls off the comments that dared to question something the hall county schools leadership does. this time on the article about field trips. this would be comical if it wasn’t so blatent. no integrity at all if you ask me. i guess those parents who had concernes must not be subscribers. what a sham.
What was the last comment about on the article? Why was it pulled?
Below are some of the comments on the story:
Comments:
Hallconcern:
October 05, 2009 – 08:31 PM
Interesting. Wonder what the real reason is here? If parents want their children to go and are willing to do the work necessary to make it happen what is the BOE and the Super’s issue?
And why just out of state? Why not outside a certain mile range? Must be a pet project or two that wants to go on a long trip but not out of the state.
Anyone else shocked that the parents weren’t allowed to speak or ask questions until the BOE and 711 Green folks have had time to figure out and prepare their answers?
kingofthecourt:
October 06, 2009 – 12:06 AM
I agree they are keeping something on the hush,hush.
newswatcher:
October 06, 2009 – 09:56 AM
No money for field trips, but we can serve breakfast in class. Breakfast includes MILK for 22 kids, which 15-18 are thrown away each day. That’s just ONE class in ONE school. Waste? Yes. Do the math on every class in Hall county and that money can pay for other needed, or WANTED things. What else is wasted?
Hallconcern:
October 06, 2009 – 03:52 PM
Ok, so ‘competitions’ are now held in higher esteem than ‘rigorous’ learning opportunities. I see.
Looks like the real crux of the matter is found here: ” Schofield said 35 percent of students at Hall’s most affluent school now receive free or reduced lunch.”
So it was ok to have these trips when the folks who are normally poor or without discretionary income were struggling to send their kids but now that it is hitting some of ‘our’ friends and neighbors up in the affluent schools we have to change.
What a bunch of elitist garbage!
And this not bothering to talk to parents when they show up? Wonder what kind of response one would receive from the Board or Supt. if a lowly teacher pulled that? “Oh, you’re here to talk about your child? Come back in two weeks.”
I can guess, can’t you all?
Ridiculous!
abc123:
October 06, 2009 – 06:29 PM
A more sensitive approach to granting field trips would be to listen to parents. I would hate to know that the Hall County school board would deprive children of the opportunity to showcase their talents. How is a middle school chorus traveling to compete different than “world class” high school competitions or Odyssey competitions that the board said they would approve?
Well, it is SACS week after all!
Can they censor Google, too?
Wouldn’t put it past them to try.
The last one on that thread was really good too. The parent talked about how the school trips were the only way his or her children would get to go certain places and experience certain things since they could afford to send them as part of a school group but could never afford to go as a family. Really great point!
Thanks for finding those!
The last comment on the Gainesville Times website for the out of state field trips:
acwald:
October 11, 2009 – 12:25 PM
I too am having a difficult time understanding why all of a sudden it is “too expensive” for elementary and middle schoolers to go out of state on field trips. There have always been people who could not afford these trips, and always will be. The school system pays nothing for these trips, it is all paid for by fundraisers and parents. All we ask from the county is permission to miss school. In some cases the kids don’t even miss classes. The Disney trips are a once in a life time opportunity for a lot of kids. No way can I pay for a family vacation to Disney. My child going with her middle school band is her only chance before she reaches adulthood. I agree with the earlier comment, why are the high school trips and ‘special’ academic trips more important? Changing procedures or not, as far as I know all out of state trips for the lower grades have been turned down. Even if the board was to reverse it’s decision, at this point it would be too late for some trips. These trips take months of planning. Reservations, fund raising ect. should all be well underway if the trips are going to happen. Some of the in-state trips are just a pricey as the out of state trips. I’d like to know the real story behind this decision.
i’ve got a question, does hall county still use corporal punishment? i see the ajc blogs burning up over that topic again
Some principals do. Whether they report it or not is another question.
I don’ t understand why parents are going along with that. It’s one reason why I would never move to Hall, that is for sure
How do I contact the website owner here. do you have an email address?
Has anyone read research about the effectiveness of teachers with less than five years experience? Interesting student achievement data……
anon
check the about page for contact info
I just posted the following question on Brian Sloan’s website. Wonder if it will show up and be responded to. I would really like to know!
“I have a question about the Hall County School system policy of transferring students who are receiving a Certificate of Performance to the Lanier Career Academy right before graduation. Why is this being done and do you feel it is an ethical way to increase the high school graduation rate?”
Does anyone know who is taking the Bill Thompson signs down around town?
So much for if you ask questions nicely I will be glad to answer them. Brian Sloan has not allowed the question I asked to be posted on his blog site nor bothered to answer it.
Jason,
Your question would make a great discussion topic over on AJC Get Schooled blog since you are not getting answers from the ones that set the policy here. I wonder if this is going on in other school districts as well.
Out of 59 students who received Certificates instead of diplomas last year 53 of them graduated from Lanier Career Academy. It is a fact that this was engineered on purpose by Hall County School administrators in order to help the other schools improve their graduation rates. The other schools transferred the kids just days before gradution in many cases.
I had held out a little hope for Sloan in the past but none of those folks want to address any real issues outside of their world of denial. This pracice is wholly unethical but they just turn a blind eye and ear. I really just don’t think they care about kids below a certain level all that much. I hate that but all indictions continue to point to it. What is even sadder is the culture of the system is beginning to reflect this also. The principals of the schools know this is a shady practice but go along with it anyway. Just make things look good on the surface and the heck with the ethics. I don’t see how they can look at themselves in the mirror.
Regarding the Bill Thompson signs, I can hazard a guess
Interesting article:
http://m.ajc.com/news/atlanta/atlanta-grad-rate-doesnt-592340.html
Some of this sounds remarkably like what goes on in Hall regarding playing games with the graduation numbers.
Have to wonder if Schofield is taking tips from Beverly Hall in Atlanta or vice versa.
Even more interesting (and familiar)
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:T7heC8uu7G0J:www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-schools-superintendent-beverly-592126.html+%22Beverly+Hall+In+her+own+words%22&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a
How many more teacher jobs will be lost if this is approved?
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/36715/
Do students that currently fall under the seat time waiver have a “certified and highly qualified teacher facilitator in each curriculum area” available to them now? Hall Concern???
There is potential for teacher job loss here I would say. The trick comes in this statement: “Although the course will be administered through a lab setting, the student and the lab facilitator will be assigned to a certified and highly qualified teacher facilitator in each curriculum area who will monitor the progress of the student as they move forward.”
In other words they will be able to stick a paraprofessional in the lab to monitor and babysit as long as they assign the paraprofessional to a teacher somewhere in the system that is certified in each field. Those certified teachers may or may no actualy ever interact with the students as long as they “sign off” on the completed computer instruction.
Whose to say how many students a given teacher may wind up signing off on? This way 1 teacher could potentially “oversee” a very large number of students in any given course in any given year, resulting in a need for less teachers.
My understanding is that some of this may be going on already with only paraprofessionals in the labs.
if you ask me This is another one of those things that sounds good for higher level kids but has great potential to further marginalize and remove needed resources for our average and lower performing students. Given Hall’s track record I would wager on more of the latter being the reality.
I would also be cautious regarding the actual quality of the computerized curriculum. Just because a student can answer the questions on the screen doesn’t mean they are getting what they need from the course. If there is little or no interaction either online or in person with an actual qualified instructor I would say there is marginal learning going on. Probably just enough to pass the tests. Rushing through things rarely provides a quality outcome.
My opinion? While I agree with some of the ideas put forth regarding virtual learning as a valid tool to enhance the process ( not as a full fledged replacement) I tend to believe Money issues are at the root of the idea here. Technology is cheaper than people.
Saw this somewhere concerning this type of program: high potential for a game of pretend: students pretend they have learned, online providers pretend they have taught, and schools pretend all their graduates have a complete high school education.
Well there you go.
This is the text of an email that went out to all our highschool principals, counselors and graduation coaches. This has been going on for at least 3 years here. And our Super is heading up Barge’s transition team…
From: Jones, Danny
Sent: Monday, May 11, 2009 10:21 AM
To: HS – Graduation Coaches; HSCounselors; HPALS
Subject:
It’s time to look at whether you want to transfer any of your COPs to LCA to improve your graduation rate. We’ll be glad to do that for you again if you want us to. Here are a few things to consider:
1. After the state data record is sent in, students cannot be returned to you. So, it is important that you do not transfer any student whom you think might be able to pass the GHSGT in the summer. I would recommend that if a student is missing only one test, you might want to keep him/her. Your call.
2. All special ed students will need to have the transfer shown in their placement paperwork. Please do not transfer them without getting all that accomplished.
3. Please make sure that parents and students understand what is going on and the reasons behind the transfer.
4. We will need a list as soon as you have it. The transfers cannot happen until all grades are posted and finalized. We will handle withdrawing them from your school (as of Wednesday, May 20), enrolling them at LCA on May 21, and graduating them on May 22.
Danny Jones, Principal Lanier Career Academy 770-531-2330 Ext. 1205
COP = Certificate of Performance
In 08-09 for example: out of 59 COPs in our district of 7 high schools, 53 were from LCA. 90%. LCA is set up as a seperate high school, students scores etc do not stay with their first school.
Everyone who participated in this should be investigated don’t you think?
I wonder if the Atlanta media would be more willing to conduct investigative reporting on Hall Schools now that we have so many state elected officials from Hall County?
Even with some students finishing at LCCA, Hall’s system level graduation rate is still increasing. Might be from some sort of voodoo, or maybe, just maybe, more kids are graduating. Thoughts?
No doubt! A lot of great people in the schools are working hard to help the students succeed.
This makes even more insulting when the leadership resorts to this sort of voodoo if you ask me.
And it is a very specific sort of voodoo.
Here is an email sent to hall county…. but all was denied by board members
My name is Krysten Campbell. I graduated from the Hall County school system several years ago. I know those years were some of the best in my life. Even though I have learning difficulties, I received the guidance and direction that is enabling me to be in college today. Students currently attending Hall County Schools are not receiving the necessary directions for their special needs to be successful in school. This will greatly compromise their future. I was appalled when I heard students were being told they are making the school look “bad”. If I had been told this I would have been devastated, I know I would not be in college now.
I have several friends who are currently attending Hall County Schools. Many of my friends have worked diligently for years, are being bullied into transferring to Lanier career academy. One student was even told one month before graduation that they would not be able to graduate with their class. This is wrong! I have heard more about this practice and this seems to be a commonplace. Are schools not supposed to be there for the student?
You are making our school look bad. What does this mean? This humiliating to any student and more so, to a special education student who has to work twice as hard. Is the school system teaching these students how to be successful? They have specific needs that are not being addressed any more. We have replaced qualified teachers that care about the well-being of the students with unqualified provisional teacher.
I am sure that this is an issue now due to the government rules regarding No Child Left Behind; this shines more light on telling the student “you’re making the school look bad”. It is ironic that the rules of No Child Left Behind, is in reality leaving many kids behind. If I had not received the guidance and advocacy from qualified teachers, I would not be successful in college today.
Sincerely,
Krysten N. Campbell
Hi Krysten. So glad you found this site. What is happening to your friends is criminal (or at least should be).
Schools should indeed be there for all students. This is increasingly not the case in Hall County though. It is all about looking good for the politics.
Unfortunately the response you received from the board members is not a surprise.
Did any of them give you any sort of answer at all?
I just don’t understand all the things going on in our county. Aren’t these supposed to be good people that are leading our school system? Are they being hoodwinked by some that can sound convincing? How can they continue to ignore all these stories coming out of our schools…
here are the replys…
I want to thank you for taking time to express your concerns. In Hall County Schools today more than ever before students have more opportunity to succeed. Middle school students are taking high school courses, credit recovery labs in high school, extended year to catch up for the coming year, and the list goes on. We attempt to meet the needs of each and every student from the special needs students to those who excel and need more advanced courses. Lanier Career Academy houses many options for students. There are chances for current students to make up credits for classes missed as well as nontraditional students that have had their high schools interrupted to receive a High School Diploma. Lanier Tech also holds classes there so students to get a GED. Students can and do chose to attend here others are encouraged to attend because it is the best fit for the student. All of these are to help prepare all students for life after high school.
You stated that you heard students were told they are making the school look bad. I would be interested to know where you heard that and what student was involved. Let me assure you that conduct from any employee of Hall County Schools is not something we would ever condone. We expect all students to be able to reach their full potential.
You also mentioned unqualified provisional teachers. All teachers hired meet the requirements of the state and are qualified for their position. If you have a certain teacher that was replaced by an unqualified provisional teacher please let me know so I can look into it.
Craig Herrington
Dear Ms. Campbell:
Dr. Barge received your email and requested my assistance in sending this response. Please know that Dr. Barge appreciates hearing from you, and I am happy to assist him with this communication.
It is gratifying to hear from former high school students who feel that their high school experience prepared them to be successful in their endeavors after high school. Also, you are commended for your tenacity and hard work that enabled you to succeed academically. I am concerned that you feel students who are currently enrolled in Hall County schools are not receiving the level of support and advisement that you experienced while in school. The school system has an excellent reputation for implementing innovative educational programs.
Because our state constitution provides local school boards with the management and control of public schools, the Georgia Department of Education has limited authority over the daily operations of school systems. Though the must comply with state and federal law, school systems have broad authority to establish local policies to govern their schools. Accordingly, any concerns about the operation of the school system must be resolved by working with the principal, local superintendent and/or school board.
If your friends mentioned in your email are receiving special education services under an Individualized Education Program (IEP), concerns about their academic advisement should be addressed through their IEP committee. Additionally, if the students feel they are not being properly advised or treated fairly by the school staff, their parents may meet with the principal to discuss their concerns. If that does not bring the desired results, the next step would be meeting with the local superintendent and/or school board members.
As I stated above, our agency has limited authority over the daily operations of schools; however, we do have some oversight on special education services in schools. With that in mind, I am copying Debbie Gay, Director of Special Education Services for the Georgia Department of Education, on this response. Ms. Gay will be aware of your concerns as our agency works with school systems to ensure that special education students receive quality services.
Thank you for contacting Dr. Barge. We wish you continued success. Please feel free to contact me in the future if I may be of assistance.
Regards,
Sue Goodman
Manager, AskDOE
Georgia Department of Education
2054 Twin Towers East
205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
(404) 657-2952
(404) 651-6867 FAX
Krysten,
Thank you for your note. We encourage many struggling students to transfer to LCCA to take advantage of the additional opportunities afforded there. Among them are extended hours for virtual coursework, practice support for GHSGT re-tests, reduced graduation requirements, opportunities to pursue a GED and support in gaining entrance into Lanier Technical College industry certification programs. I would also point out our school district had record numbers of graduates last year (132 more than ever).
That being said, if any special education students feel they are being “bullied” to take advantage of this opportunity, please encourage them to contact me, Dr. Kathy Culver or Dr. Eloise Barron immediately.
Similarly, we allow many students to who receive a Certificate of Performance to walk with their class and would encourage students in that situation to also contact us with questions.
I am not a fan of NCLB and believe it has many pitfalls. I appreciate your willingness to contact me. Good luck
ws
Ms. Campbell,
Sounds like you are doing well at Gainesville College. I am glad you felt like you received guidance and direction in your high school years. I can assure you that is my hope for everyone who attends school in Hall County. We are moving towards offering options for all of our students to succeed whether it be for college preparation, technical education or workforce readiness.
The objective for Lanier Charter Academy is to offer students who have struggled in the typical high school setting another option. I do not condone anyone bering told they are making their school look bad or being bullied to leave their setting if they can be successful. If you know someone that feels that is the intention, have them call me, I would like to talk to them about that.
Let me give you an example of where I see the LCCA being a benefit to our system. We may have a student who is in their third year of high school with no chance of having enough credits to graduate. If we can offer LCCA as an avenue to make up lost credits or at the least receive a GED while coordinating technical training with Lanier Tech, the student wins!
You mention No Child Left Behind. In my opinion, this federal education program has many flaws. I don’t like the rules, but we didn’t make them. This board has never stressed NCLB at all costs but our community expects us to make progress and not have “failing schools.” We feel that if we give students the best educational opportunitites, NCLB will take care of itself. We have great teachers in our system and I am confident that they can succeed in leading our students down the right path just like they did for you.
Good luck and feel free to call me anytime to discuss further.
Nath Morris
(770) 536-9464
Of course Mr.thompson never replied
This letter was not for just one student there are muiltiple students that are told they have to go to lca… all the ones that i know are coming out of chestatee. The majority being special ed students. I dont know how to help. Chestatee is putting another on the fast track to the same situation. He passed math 1a but on the transcript they had a failing grade… after the grad coach’s investigation he had passed the class. this investigation coming 2 years later! that typeo or whatever they want to call it would have made him a half of a credit short and would have prevented him from graduating
Big difference between “offer” and “force” Nate. Kids have been told to go, even if they did not wish to, for at least 4 years now. What about that?
Wasn’t Barge the principal at Chestatee?
no.. Thompson and Dr.Sapp
Sorry, I meant before Thompson.
Yes.
Why is Schofield asking for SPLOST funds for improvements to two schools that the board “closed” in order to save money?
Just another example of playing games with taxpayer money.
If this SPLOST doesn’t pass the blame lies squarely at Schofield’s feet along with this board of rubber stampers.
I am having a hard time finding parents who are willing to talk to the school board about their children being forced to go to LCCA. The school board thinks its a BIG JOKE.. Now i have my hands full with an 11th grader who is being denied the chance to take the graduation test because he hasnt finished math 2. He cant take any part of it unti next year becaues he is still in math two. This coming up after i pointed out that the school messed up his transcript, he passed math one and they had a failing grade on the transcript. I am afraid he will be one of the next few students who are told to go to LCCA. What should i do?
From: Schofield, Will
Sent: Monday, May 09, 2011 1:19 PM
To: ALLHALLCO
Cc: Board Members
Subject: Update on Lanier Career Academy and Potential Atlanta Media Story
Greetings,
Over the past couple of years, our school district has periodically received requests for information regarding our program for struggling high school students at the Lanier Career Charter Academy. Our people have always graciously provided for any and all requests and proactively updated the State Department of Education, Office of Student Achievement and even the Lt. Governor’s and Governors’ staff about our practices. We have openly shared our philosophy and practice with LCCA through community and staff e-mails, at school board meetings and in monthly staff leadership meetings.
Recently, we were contacted yet again by an Atlanta media outlet and this leads me to believe that this particular venue may be preparing to run a story which could paint in a negative light what we believe is a cutting edge, non-traditional positive program that benefits our students at LCCA.
We have shared the following information many times in the past 3 years. However, I proactively wanted to provide our community with information that may or may not be mentioned in a potential story:
The reporter’s first question to me was whether I was familiar with the blogs that had been very disparaging to the system and routinely occurred over the past year or two in their paper. I told her that I had little interest in blogs, but that I was intimately familiar with their existence. Over the past couple of years, our district has spent thousands of dollars in staff time and resources, correcting false information and providing numerous agencies and individuals requested information. The reporter also quoted sources such as accurate public records that are available to any citizen through the Georgia Department of Education or our school district.
The reporter raised several issues we deal with regularly and I have paraphrased them below along with our system’s response:
• Students in Hall County traditional high schools are transferred to the Lanier Career Academy. True statement and this practice will continue. Many of our 7,000 high school students are not successful in our traditional programs. About three years ago, we made the decision to make every attempt to serve non-successful high school students at the Lanier Career Academy. This program has our widest array of resources for these students including, but not limited to GED preparation, flexible scheduling, online and extended hour credit recovery programs, immediate proximity to the Lanier Technical College and online extended hour support for Georgia High School Test preparation.
• Three years ago 30 students (out of a high school population of 7,000) were transferred in the final days of school from their traditional high schools to the Lanier Career Academy: True statement. This was the infancy of our program and decisions were made prior to potential summer school. If we do not make transfers to programs prior to a “break in service” (a student finishing a school year) it has been our experience that there is a high probability that students will not return. We currently regularly encourage the transfer of students to LCCA all throughout the year as difficulties arise. I further asked the reporter how many of our 7,000 high school students transferred in the final days in the 2009-2010 school year, the answer was 9. The reporter indicated she was aware that students transferring from a traditional high school to our Career Academy had a net effect on our SYSTEM DROPOUT RATE OF 0 (ZERO). However, she continued to ask multiple times if this wasn’t a form of “gaming the system” for the benefit of the traditional high schools.
• Did a former LCCA principal, Danny Jones, write a memo to traditional high school principals a year or two ago encouraging them to transfer their struggling students to LCCA as it would help the traditional high schools dropout rate: Yes, and I was not aware of that until a blogger posted it on the newspaper’s site several months ago. I immediately contacted Mr. Jones and we mutually agreed that while individual high school rates may be affected by some small factor, his correspondence was poorly crafted and should have focused solely on the potential benefits to the individual students. In his defense, I believe he was trying to create excitement in a program he believed could help students.
• Did a former Chestatee High Student write a blog in the Atlanta paper saying her/his classmates were being pressured to transfer to LCCA because they were making their home high schools “look bad”: Yes, and at that time we were notified of this post, we immediately e-mailed the address given by that individual asking him/her to contact us immediately if he/she had any such information as what they described was an unacceptable practice. We never received a reply, and later were informed that the blog was part of a class project at a local college. That being said, moving 5th and 6th year high school students almost always involves difficult conversations. However, our obligation is to create the best opportunity for success, so we will continue having them.
• Many of the students transferring to LCCA are Hispanic: True. However, the sample size mentioned was very small for a system with 26,000 students. With approximately 5,500 students qualifying for English Language services, it is not surprising that many of our older students who have not mastered the English language have difficulty graduating.
For those of you who attend LCCA or work at that facility: We are proud of what you are accomplishing. I would encourage any skeptic to attend a LCCA graduation and see firsthand the faces of students finishing a program who did not believe it was within the realm of possibility.
As always, please contact any of our district staff or school principals if you have questions, concerns or just want additional information. Dr. Cindy Blakley, Secondary Director and Principal of LCCA is an excellent resource. We will continue to promote a culture which seeks to serve boys and girls in new, different and innovative ways, preparing them for a future we cannot foresee.
Yours truly,
William Schofield, Superintendent of the Hall County School District
Lot of ass covering going on there.
“his correspondence was poorly crafted and should have focused solely on the potential benefits to the individual students. In his defense, I believe he was trying to create excitement in a program he believed could help students.”
I read this as ” His correspondence told the actual truth and should have focused on spinning and obscuring the facts to suit my purposes”
Schofield needs to realize that he is NOT the school system.
Way to throw Mr. Jones under the bus….
That email tells you more about Schogo than anything else. Like a kid trying to minimize the damage before his parents find out what he did by blaming it on other kids and shifting the focus off what he and his buddies did.
Leadership at it’s finest.
My posts are not just about a school project. I was told to find something i wanted to change. Just because its a project does not mean that i cant help the kids i know that had to deal with this issue.
When is this board going to get sick of this guy making excuse after excuse for all these underhanded deals? They look like fools!
They will never get sick of it.
Last-minute transfers to alternative school: Helping students or helping system?
10:58 am May 31, 2011, by Maureen Downey
The AJC has been looking at Hall County over the last few weeks because of the high number of students it moves from its regular high schools to its alternative school. The practice has long been a source of complaints from a few folks in Hall, including a regular poster here at Get Schooled who often shared troubling numbers about transfer rates.
In a data analysis, the AJC found multiple years in which a small number of graduates affected whether schools made adequate year progress, better known as AYP. The AJC found that three of Hall’s high schools missed their graduation-rate targets in 2007; East Hall missed by 14 students. Chestatee was off by three students, and Johnson High missed by one. (The AJC notes that Chestatee and Johnson still made AYP because of a second-chance option that allows schools to use a multi-year average.)
During the next two years, when transfers to Hall’s alternative school, Lanier Career Academy, jumped, the three schools posted better outcomes. East Hall made its graduation-rate goals by 10 students in 2008 and nine in 2009. Johnson did so by 12 students in 2008 and 11 in 2009. Chestatee did so by 18 students in 2008 and 14 in 2009.
The AJC data analysis found that during those two years, Hall high schools transferred a total of 79 students to Lanier at the last minute. State data obtained by the AJC does not show where the transfers originated.
In the latest piece, AJC investigative reporter Heather Vogell talked to transferred students about their experiences.
Here is part of the story:
Dillan Hatcher said officials at Chestatee High School told him he was hurting the school’s chances of meeting federal standards for its graduation rate. Hatcher failed one portion of the Georgia High School Graduation Test and, as a result, expected to receive a certificate of performance instead of a diploma. Only diplomas boost a school’s graduation rate.
Hatcher said that when he arrived at Lanier Career Academy the final week of school, educators told him it was too late in the year to enroll in any programs. He said he sat in front of a computer, texted friends and stared at the wall. “I went for nothing,” he said. “I should have just gone home.”
Hall’s practice of transferring struggling students from regular high schools to Lanier days before graduation has been criticized by some who questioned whether the district simply shuffled students around to game the state’s accountability system. The pressure is much greater on regular high schools to meet graduation-rate standards than on Lanier.
Superintendent Will Schofield has vigorously defended the transfers. Last week, however, he said it is possible high schools had moved students to benefit their graduation rate in a few instances. But he said such transfers are not district practice. “I would be pretty Pollyannaish if I said that that didn’t happen at some point somewhere,” he said. “But in terms of the whole philosophy of the program, that’s not who we are.”
At one point, West Hall High School was in the running for an award — a Blue Ribbon of Excellence — but missed adequate yearly progress, or AYP, by three students, he said. All the district had to do was transfer the three, he said, but school officials “took our lumps.”
Overall, the district has defended sending students to Lanier, saying the moves are almost always voluntary and allow the district to provide assistance to students in danger of dropping out. Some are studying to retake the graduation test over the summer; others may take GED classes. Enrollment in Lanier even at the end of the year improves chances students will continue in their studies, officials said.
The Hall district in northeast Georgia is only the latest school system to face accusations of monkeying with the numbers to try to improve schools’ status under the accountability system built after the No Child Left Behind Act passed in 2001.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported this month that, in the past three years, at least 94 Hall County students who were due to receive certificates instead of diplomas transferred to Lanier in the final days of the school year. A 2009 email by the former principal for Lanier urged other schools to transfer their certificate students to Lanier at semester’s end “to improve your graduation rate.”
Hatcher said that, after he failed the graduation test, Chestatee High officials pulled him into the school office and told him he needed to go to Lanier. They convinced his father the move was good for him. “They said you’ll learn everything you need at LCA,” said Hatcher, who was reluctant to leave the school he had attended since freshman year.
“When I got to LCA, they said, ‘Get on the computer and do whatever,’ ” he said. “They said, ‘It’s too late in the year; we can’t get you in a program.’ ” He passed the graduation test re-test anyway. A few weeks later, he received his diploma.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog