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Mineral Wells Index / Saturday, August 18, 2018 u Call Classifieds at 940-327-0838 page 11
New school accountability grades a
mixed bag for area districts, campuses
From page 1 Mineral Wells ISD Austin has picked win- the foundation of knowl-
MINERAL WELLS ISD Superintendent John ners and losers among edge they must have to
Overall – C (75 of 100) received an overall fail- Kuhn said while some the communities of be successful? In a short
Student achievement – C (74 of 100) ing grade of 59 that des- state education officials Texas. And the cost of answer, yes, with STAAR
School progress – C (76 of 100) ignated it as needing disagree, he says stu- lower school district and scores and numerous
Closing the gaps – C (72 of 100)
improvement. Millsap dent performance is tied campus A-F grades is forms of data indicate
Mineral Wells High School Middle School and to a community’s socio- borne not just by teach- that is definitely taking
Overall – met standard (77 of 100) Middle High School economic status and ers and school adminis- place in Strawn ISD.”
Student achievement – met standard (78 of 100) campuses both scored uses state data to back trators, whose liveli- Millsap ISD
School progress – met standard (78 of 100)
Closing the gaps – met standard (75 of 100) very well in the new up his claim. He said hoods are at stake. Superintendent Deann
* Distinction – post-secondary readiness system, with each earn- that is not a complaint, Everyone pays. Home Lee said the district will
ing distinctions in sever- but a reality. MWISD values drop when strive for improvement
Mineral Wells Junior High School al measured areas. has nearly three-fourths school grades are lower regardless of the
Overall – met standard (74 of 100) Thew area district of its students on free or because fewer want to accountability ratings.
Student achievement – met standard (71 of 100)
School progress – met standard (75 of 100) that fared the worst was reduced-cost meals. move to a community “We’re proud that
Closing the gaps – met standard (70 of 100) Graford ISD, receiving He was asked his with a reputation for every day we try to do
an overall grade of D opinion of the new A-F having poor-performing better than the day
Mineral Wells Academy with an overall score of grading system, which schools. And the ability before,” Lee said. “We
Overall – met standard (71 of 100)
Student achievement – met standard (71 of 100) 67 out of a possible 100. next year will be used to for a community to celebrate the areas that
School progress – not rated Its low grade was the grade campuses as well recruit businesses (i.e., we know we do well,
Closing the gaps – not rated result of a failing grade as districts. jobs) is likewise compro- regardless of the
of 53 in the area of “In my opinion, it’s mised. And taxes go up accountability system,
Lamar Elementary School not an educational tool. as schools try to find but then we are also
The campus is paired with Houston Elementary School. “closing the gaps” in
academic performance. It’s a political tool,” ways to compete with going to address our
Houston Elementary School Graford Elementary Kuhn wrote in a com- higher-wealth school areas of need, regardless
Overall – met standard (60 of 100) School met standards in mentary that appears in districts.” of the accountability
Student achievement – improvement required (58 of 100) three of the four perfor- today’s Index. “These Kuhn said the district system.”
School progress – improvement required (59 of 100)
Closing the gaps – met standard (63 of 100) mance categories, with a systems have historical- will continue to strive Districts are scored
designation of ly been lobbied for by for academic testing based on student perfor-
Travis Elementary School “improvement required” associations of realtors improvement despite mance on the State of
Overall – met standard (69 of 100) for student achievement. in high-wealth commu- any obstacles, challeng- Texas Assessment of
Student achievement – met standard (65 of 100) nities because they es or how the state Academic Readiness
School progress – met standard (69 of 100) Graford High School
Closing the gaps – met standard (68 of 100) met minimum standards serve as a selling tool decides to grade and standardized test, stu-
in all four performance for homes in those rate districts. dent improvement on
GARNER ISD categories. areas. For those of us “Students here have the test, closing the
(Garner Elementary School) who choose to live and available to them an learning gaps among
Overall – met standard (74 of 100) Palo Pinto ISD and its
Student achievement – met standard (77 of 100) elementary school along educate in low-wealth outstanding education typically disadvantaged
School progress – met standard (72 of 100) with Strawn ISD and its areas, we are tasked with dozens of student groups and col-
Closing the gaps – met standard (66 of 100) school both scored high- with running a race advanced placement lege or career readiness,
ly across the measured against high-wealth and dual credit college among other factors.
GORDON ISD communities even credit courses for the The system aims to
(Gordon School) performance categories,
Overall – met standard (79 of 100) earning distinctions for though we get less edu- taking,” he stated. “It allow communities to
Student achievement – met standard (77 of 100) student performance. cation funding and have looks like we are going easily know how well
School progress – met standard (82 of 100) Though neither district more challenging stu- into our third straight schools are doing.
Closing the gaps – met standard (71 of 100) dent populations and year with a National Student achievement
* Distinction – top 25 percent comparative academic growth received a letter grade,
based on their overall sometimes heart-break- Merit Finalist at Mineral measures whether stu-
GRAFORD ISD scores each would have ing family needs. An Wells High School. That dents have met grade-
Overall – D (67 of 100) received a B overall. A-F system promulgates said, just because I’m level expectations as
Student achievement – C (71 of 100)
Mineral Wells ISD the false notion that it confident we will com- measured by the STAAR
School progress – C (73 of 100) compares apples to pete well in this system test. For high schools, it
Closing the gaps – F (53 of 100) overall met minimum
state standards, receiv- apples. The system has doesn’t mean I won’t also considers gradua-
Graford Elementary School ing a solid grade of C been designed to conve- point out its flaws.” tion rates and how pre-
Overall – met standard (67 of 100) overall for scores in the niently fail to acknowl- Strawn ISD pared students are for
Student achievement – improvement required (57 of 100) edge funding differenc- Superintendent Richard life after high school.
School progress – met standard (69 of 100) 70-79 range. Mineral
Closing the gaps – met standard (62 of 100) Wells High School es between schools. The Mitchell said the state For elementary and
scored in the high 70s state’s silence on fund- test results are encour- middle schools, the
Graford High School for overall, student ing inequities is deafen- aging for his district. Student Achievement
Overall – met standard (74 of 100)
achievement and school ing. They give the peo- SISD received an overall score is based on
Student achievement – met standard (73 of 100) ple blindfolds when it is score of 81 and a letter STAAR performance
School progress – met standard (75 of 100) progress, earning a dis-
Closing the gaps – met standard (71 of 100) tinction for post-second- time to talk about state grade of B with distinc- only, according to the
ary readiness. Mineral education resource tions for Student TEA. At the high school
MILLSAP ISD Wells Junior High inputs, and they give Achievement, School level, the Student
Overall – B (80 of 100) out microscopes when it Progress, Closing the Achievement score also
Student achievement – B (81 of 100) School. Travis
School progress – D (69 of 100) Elementary met all min- is time to examine local Gaps and a state distinc- considers college, career,
Closing the gaps – C (78 of 100) imum state standards, school outcomes. It is tion in Postsecondary military readiness and
but failed to register a 100 percent pure politics Readiness. graduation rate when
Millsap Elementary School
score of 70 of higher in of the most craven and “We are reviewing available.
Overall – improvement required (59 of 100) cowardly variety.” our STAAR results for This is the first year
Student achievement – met standard (67 of 100) any category.
School progress – improvement required (56 of 100) Houston Elementary Kuhn said low-wealth the district and campus, districts are being scored
Closing the gaps – improvement required (39 of 100) School continues its aca- districts like Mineral and will use them to by the state, per a legis-
demic performance Wells are immediately develop and refine lative decision in a pre-
Millsap Middle School put at a disadvantage instructional and profes- vious session.
Overall – met standard (79 of 100) struggles– three years
Student achievement – met standard (79 of 100) ago it was placed under when compared to high- sional development Excluding charter dis-
School progress – met standard (85 of 100) state oversight for low wealth communities. plans for the 2018-19 tricts, 32.6 percent of
Closing the gaps – met standard (81 of 100) third-grade reading per- “Since school fund- academic school year,” Texas’ schools received
* Distinctions – academic achievement in Mathematics;
formance. In the latest ing is lower in low- Mitchell said. “Our Bs. About 23 percent
top 25 percent in comparative academic growth wealth communities, school district’s scores received Cs and about
scores, the campus bare-
Millsap High School ly met overall minimum high-wealth communi- are strong with 12 percent earned As.
Overall – met standard (80 of 100) standards with a score ties get a head start on improvements in many “This is a good, clear,
Student achievement – met standard (81 of 100) of 60, and was designat- the A-F race,” Kuhn academic areas and we concise view for parents
School progress – met standard (69 of 100) stated. “And when the will continue to maxi- and communities and
Closing the gaps – met standard (76 of 100) ed as “improvement
* Distinctions – academic achievement in Science; required” in the areas of grades of lower-funded mize the potential of districts, themselves, so
academic achievement in English Language Arts/Reading; student achievement schools in lower-wealth every student.” they know where they
academic achievement in Social Studies and school progress, communities come in Mitchell said the new need to put their sup-
with failing scores of 58 lower than grades of accountability system port,” Texas Education
PALO PINTO ISD higher-funded schools emphasizes student Agency spokesperson
(Palo Pinto Elementary School) and 59, respectively.
Overall – met standard (84 of 100) Lamar Elementary in higher-wealth com- growth and said that’s DeEtta Culbertson said.
Student achievement – met standard (83 of 100) School is paired with the munities, the state’s what accountability is u
School progress – met standard (87 of 100) Houston campus and is message is that the focused on. The Weatherford
Closing the gaps – met standard (77 of 100)
not graded or scored schools have failed. In “Are students learning, Democrat contributed to
* Distinctions – post-secondary readiness; top 25 percent
comparative closing the gaps. separately. reality, they tell us that are we adding value to this article.

PERRIN-WHITT CISD

PPGH officials dealing with billing practice

Overall – C (76 of 100)
Student achievement – C (78 of 100)
School progress – C (73 of 100)
Closing the gaps – C (71 of 100)

Perrin Elementary School From page 2 the revenue numbers that board approval. that we have any use for
Overall – met standard (73 of 100) were on the financials we “Our decision wasn’t that analyzer. We need
Student achievement – met standard (76 of 100) on its website, stating, “If began asking some ques- based on the legality” of our hospital. Quality of
School progress – met standard (77 of 100)
Closing the gaps – met standard (63 of 100) you are a health-care care tions of Harris regarding the billing practice, care is something we
provider, you must only the revenue and the out- Baker-Boyd said. “I have been focused in.”
Perrin High School bill for services that you side lab service. Based on don’t think that is for us Another area hospi-
Overall – met standard (75 of 100) or your staff perform. his answers, it kind of to decide.” tal, Faith Community
Student achievement – met standard (76 of 100) Pass-through billing is not
School progress – met standard (72 of 100) moved forward from She said she and board Hospital, in Jacksboro,
Closing the gaps – met standard (71 of 100) permitted and may not be there.” members are also sensi- has reportedly been
* Distinctions – academic achievement in Mathematics; billed to our members.” Dr. Ramsey declined tive to Brooks’ situation. involved with pass-
academic achievement in Science. A hospital employee talking about the issue, “The board does not through billing. The
reportedly raised ques- and the board has taken in any way want to dis- Index called hospital
SANTO ISD
Overall – B (86 of 100) tions about billing dis- a position of not com- parage Harris or inter- CEO Frank Beaman but
Student achievement – B (88 of 100) crepancies and current menting individually fere with his future,” he reportedly is out of
School progress – B (88 of 100) board trustee and former because of the sensitivi- said Baker-Boyd. town attending a con-
Closing the gaps – B (81 of 100) PPGH Chief of Staff Dr. ty of the situation. Baker-Boyd said she is ference. Hospital CFO
Santo Elementary School
Alice Ramsey, who “We want to be trans- unsure what the hospital Bonnie Blevins said she
Overall – met standard (76 of 100) serves as the board’s sec- parent as much as we will do with the analyz- would have to research
Student achievement – met standard (79 of 100) retary/treasurer, noticed can be at this point,” ers and its allergy/DNA financial information
School progress – met standard (80 of 100) and began questioning Baker-Boyd said. “We testing service. She said and numbers in order
Closing the gaps – met standard (66 of 100) financial statements pre- always want to operate for now the hospital and to respond to the news-
Santo High School sented the board. It was any service line that we board has bigger matters paper’s questions con-
Overall – met standard (83 of 100) then the board began are involved in, and the to tend to. cerning the amounts
Student achievement – met standard (85 of 100) questioning Brooks and billing, appropriately.” “Our in-house lab has billed out, received and
School progress – met standard (82 of 100) staff about the billings. She reiterated that been a champion,” repaid and what insur-
Closing the gaps – met standard (77 of 100) “In May, Dr. Ramsey Brooks’ dismissal was Baker-Boyd said. ance companies, if any,
STRAWN ISD noticed some inconsisten- based solely on the “Rhonda Patterson has terminated contracts
(Strawn School) cies or had some ques- board’s finding he built that service line and with FCH.
Overall – met standard (81 of 100) tions about the financials, lacked transparency and that quality of care that “We don’t have the
Student achievement – met standard (84 of 100) which would have been candor and breached is unparalleled in my pull back off the top of
School progress – met standard (84 of 100)
Closing the gaps – met standard (74 of 100) for April,” said Baker- policies by entering into opinion. We have our our heads,” Blevins
* Distinction – post-secondary readiness Boyd. “Based on some of agreements without hands full. I don’t know said.