Highlands Elementary Principal Tyra Stemley, Inter-City Elementary Principal Brenda Mullins and Simms Elementary Principal David Scurry have helped La Marque public school district elementary students perform better on the state standardized tests than they have in years.
LM students perform better than they have in years
LA MARQUE — After spending years on state and federal watch lists for poor scores on the state’s standardized exams, La Marque public schools this year posted their highest scores since 2003.
“La Marque ISD is recapturing its glorious past of being an academic powerhouse in the state of Texas,” district spokeswoman Denise McLean said.
The state rated three schools recognized, including Inter City Elementary School, which was unacceptable two years ago.
This is the highest number of La Marque schools earning the state’s second-highest achievement since the state revamped its accountability system in 2003.
Also for the first time in six years, La Marque High School met all federal standards. The students performed better on the math exam. Had the scores not improved, the district would have had to face the prospect of restructuring the high school by reopening it as a charter school, replacing most of the staff or letting the state take over.
Statewide, schools earned higher ratings this year, thanks in large part to a new accountability formula called the Texas Projection Measure. The formula allows districts to count a failing student as passing if that student is predicted to pass future state standardized exams. The Texas Education Agency developed the measure after legislators approved bills in 2006 and 2007 requiring the state to measure student progress on exams. The U.S. Department of Education approved the formula.
Although the formula helped about one-third of Texas districts earn higher ratings, only one La Marque school — Highlands Elementary School — used the Texas Projection Measure to achieve a higher rating than it would have earned otherwise. Inter City and Simms elementary schools earned higher ratings in large part because of big jumps in test scores.
At Inter City Elementary School, for example, 75 percent of all students passed the science exam, compared to 42 percent last year.
La Marque’s elementary school principals attributed their successes to the one-on-one attention teachers gave students in classrooms and during tutoring sessions. At Inter City Elementary School, students came in on Saturdays to study for the exams, Principal Brenda Mullins said. At Simms Elementary School, teachers blocked off hours every day to focus on just one subject, be it math or reading or writing, Principal David Scurry said. All three middle schools swapped successful teachers and methods throughout the year to boost students’ performance on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exams.
The middle school, however, remains a concern. The Texas Education Agency did not rate the school this year under a provision protecting districts affected by the hurricane from earning an unacceptable rating because of poor test scores. La Marque Middle School would have been rated unacceptable because of poor performance by Hispanic and low-income students on the science exam.
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Other Success Stories
• All of Clear Creek public school district’s campuses were rated either exemplary or recognized, except Seabrook Intermediate School, which was not rated because of Hurricane Ike. Had the state rated it, however, the intermediate school would have been recognized. This is the first time since at least 2004 that all of the district’s campuses earned a recognized or higher rating.
• Dickinson public school district had three exemplary schools, the most in the district’s history to earn the state’s top rating. The district missed earning it’s first-ever districtwide recognized rating because not enough Hispanic students graduated within four years. The district is appealing the rating, spokeswoman Tammy Dowdy said.
• All five of Friendswood public school district’s schools were rated exemplary, earning the district an overall exemplary rating.
• Galveston public school district earned its best academic scores ever. Three schools earned an exemplary rating and one earned a recognized rating, but the district was rated unacceptable overall because of a high dropout rate at Ball High School. The district plans to appeal the rating. Five schools were not rated because of the Hurricane Ike provision, but Superintendent Lynne Cleveland said at least two would have been recognized. She’s appealing those ratings, as well.
• High Island public school district earned a recognized rating, boosting its scores at the high school from the acceptable level.
• One school in Hitchcock — Stewart Elementary School — earned a recognized rating, up from acceptable last year. The state did not rate the district overall because of the Hurricane Ike provision.
• At Santa Fe public school district, three schools earned an exemplary rating. It was the first time since at least 2004 that any Santa Fe public school district campus earned the state’s top achievement.
• Though Texas City public school district’s ratings declined from last year — two schools earned an unacceptable rating this year — the district saw gains in middle school science, math and reading.
• Both Odyssey Academy and Ambassadors Preparatory Academy — two charter schools in Galveston — earned recognized ratings, up from acceptable last year.
