Tag: Intervention

This report completes a three-year (2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19) quasi-experimental evaluation of the fidelity of implementation of the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program and its impact on two outcomes, teacher-student relationships and student behavior within the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). Findings from focus groups, teacher self-assessments, and classroom observations from Capturing Kids’ Hearts schools and comparison schools suggest that Capturing Kids’ Hearts is not being implemented consistently. Statistical significance tests show no difference in the desired outcomes between the intervention and comparison schools. These findings may be attributed to the fact that many WCPSS schools use similar strategies that fall under different names. In light of these results, the authors discuss implications for practice and policy within the district.

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Many observational studies of causal effects occur in settings with clustered treatment assignment. In studies of this type, treatment is applied to entire clusters of units. For example, an educational intervention might be administered to all the students in a school. We develop a matching algorithm for multilevel data based on a network flow algorithm. Earlier work on multilevel matching relied on integer programming, which allows for balance targeting on specific covariates but can be slow with larger data sets. Although we cannot directly specify minimal levels of balance for individual covariates, our algorithm is fast and scales easily to larger data sets. We apply this algorithm to assess a school-based intervention through which students in treated schools were exposed to a new reading program during summer school. In one variant of the algorithm, where we match both schools and students, we change the causal estimand through optimal subset matching to better maintain common support. In a second variant, we relax the common support assumption to preserve the causal estimand by only matching on schools. We find that the summer intervention does not appear to increase reading test scores. In a sensitivity analysis, however, we determine that an unobserved confounder could easily mask a larger treatment effect.

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In 2013-14, Letterland had strong implementation, with moderate to high fidelity within approximately 90% of WCPSS K-1 classrooms. The impact of Letterland on students’ reading achievement was neutral to positive. A significantly higher percentage of WCPSS kindergarten students were at or above benchmark mid-year on Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF) and Nonsense Word Fluency-Correct Letter Sounds (NWF-CLS) than matched students from a comparison school district. WCPSS students’ scores remained significantly higher on the end-of-year NWF-CLS. Participation in Letterland had a significant positive effect for limited English proficient (LEP), Asian, Black, and Hispanic /Latino kindergarten students varying by indicator and benchmark period. The percentage of kindergarten students with an end-of-year PSF score at or above benchmark increased 8.2 percentage points from 2011-12 to 2013-14. Results for NWF-CLS were inconsistent across years. Results suggest Letterland is a promising approach and should be continued.

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We examined the progress of kindergarteners who entered the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in 2008-09 and in 2010-11 who were identified as limited in English proficiency (LEP). For the 2008-09 cohort, English proficiency increased steadily over time. Few were able to exit LEP status in their first three years in WCPSS (10.5%); this jumped to 44.5% after four years. Retention rates were higher than for other subgroups, but declined from kindergarten to grade 3. Proficiency on the grade 3 Reading End of Grade (EOG) exam for the full LEP cohort was below that of WCPSS (50.4% vs. 69.6%). Those who exited LEP status before grade 3 had higher proficiency than the district on the EOG, and those exiting in grade 3 came close to district proficiency percentages. Patterns were similar for the 2010-11 cohort. A qualitative comparison of schools with the most and least success in improving literacy between kindergarten and second grade revealed the more successful schools served fewer LEP students, had fewer ESL teachers, and had traditional or modified calendars. They tended to provide more time for ESL instruction to newcomers and transitional students, had greater collaboration between ESL and classroom teachers, promoted community involvement more proactively, and exposed LEP students to more grade level materials (higher expectations).

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Despite increases in student membership each year, WCPSS continues to maintain a steady decline in dropout counts. In 2012-13, the WCPSS high school dropout rate fell to 1.95%, its lowest rate ever. The WCPSS rate is lower than the state's rate, and also the lowest of the other four large school districts in North Carolina (Guilford 2.07%, Forsyth 2.72%, Mecklenburg 3.02%, and Durham 3.21%). WCPSS dropout rates by ethnicity in 2012-13 also fell for all subgroups, with Black/African-American students experiencing the largest drop of 1.8 percentage points, from 4.6% in 2011-12 to 2.8% in 2012-13.

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The WCPSS four-year cohort graduation rate increased slightly from 80.6% in 2011-12 to 81.0% in 2012-13. Over the past five years, the overall rate has increased 2.6 percentage points and is now at its highest point since 2005-06. In contrast to the 2011-12 cohort, graduation rates declined slightly for economically disadvantaged students (64.9%), and students with disabilities (59.6%). Four-year cohort graduation rates at the 25 WCPSS high schools with graduating classes ranged from 68.3% to more than 95% in 2012-13. Rates increased at nine schools and declined at 15 schools. Follow-up analysis of the 2012-13 cohort also shed light on the characteristics of non-graduates and the relationship between early literacy and graduation rates.

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Retention means repeating one or more courses in high school, rather than a full grade. Over 3,500 high school students were retained in 2011-12 in WCPSS, with the largest numbers in grades 9 and 10. Some students enter high school below grade level. In 2011-12, half the WCPSS high schools had greater than 30% of students entering 9th grade below grade level in reading and greater than 20% below grade level in mathematics based on EOG scores from grade 8. Of retained students in grade 9: nearly two thirds failed English I; more than half failed science and social studies; and nearly half failed mathematics. In addition, 1 in 5 retained students in grade 9 passed English I, but were missing credit in another course subject. While high schools have resources for students performing below grade level (e.g.,"bridging" courses and general supports) the supports examined were limited and/or underutilized, with the exception of mathematics support courses. Fewer than 15% of students who entered high school below grade level were enrolled in a reading support course. Based on the study's findings, it is recommended that staff: identify and utilize early indicators to determine students in need of extra support; find ways to increase the availability and usage of middle and high school supports for struggling students and monitor their success; and examine practices that may help lower retention rates.

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The WCPSS four-year cohort graduation rate declined slightly to 80.6% in 2011-12 from 80.9% in the previous year. At the same time, the five-year rate rose substantially from 81.6% to 84.4%.

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On January 10, 2013 the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released its annual statewide Dropout Report covering the 2011-12 school year. Charts show the dropout rate for WCPSS compared to the state as a whole, to other large school districts in North Carolina, and by selected student subgroups.

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Project Enlightenment, part of the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), has been providing services to children ages birth through 5 years, their parents, and teachers in childcare and preschool settings since 1969. With a local and grant funded budget of just over 2 million dollars, staff members served about 2,400 children in 2011-12. The number of children impacted increases considerably when siblings and students of the teachers served are included. The overall goal of Project Enlightenment is to prepare children to be successful in kindergarten. The prevention and intervention services available through Project Enlightenment are more comprehensive than those identified within other large school systems. All the districts that were contacted provide developmental screenings. Beyond this, Project Enlightenment provides teacher parent consultations and workshops, parent training via home visits, kindergarten readiness activities, and parent counseling. It also has an onsite parent teacher resource center and two preschool classrooms, one of which is a WCPSS Title I Pre-K classroom. Survey results show that parents and teachers are highly satisfied with the services provided. Analyses on small samples of children served suggest some short-term improvements in children's areas of need. The findings, which cannot be generalized due to the limited samples, also show some positive impact on their kindergarten success. Further evaluation is needed on the long-term success of the service components. Recommendations to staff include strengthening goal setting, adjusting data management systems, modifying service delivery as appropriate, and exploring new public outreach and screening opportunities.

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During the spring of 2012, over 100,000 educators across the state took the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions (TWC) survey. WCPSS teachers responded more positively to 46 of the 85 survey items in 2012 than did teachers statewide. On 14 items, WCPSS teachers' responses were less favorable than those of teachers statewide, and on the remaining 25, there was no statistically significant difference. Results from this survey are discussed.

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In 2010-11, Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) was in district-wide improvement as a result of failing to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in mathematics at the district level for the second consecutive year. This report examines overall student outcomes in 2010-11 as well as overall teacher outcomes and longitudinal results for schools targeted for three consecutive years of SIOP® training and support compared to matched schools who were not involved. SIOP® schools had a greater increase in students reaching growth targets than in the district overall. Increases in reading and mathematics proficiency at SIOP® elementary schools and reading at SIOP® middle schools were similar or slightly higher than for WCPSS. Overall mathematics results were not positive for SIOP® middle schools; however, matched school analysis by subject and school level found targeted student subgroups (i.e., Hispanic/Latino and Black/African American, Limited English Proficient, and economically disadvantaged) did benefit from attending SIOP® targeted schools. 2010-11 represented the first year of implementation of the Secondary Literacy and Secondary Mathematics Initiatives. The demographic similarity of schools implementing Secondary Mathematics with WCPSS coupled with the weak results indicates, as with Secondary Literacy, the results of this initiative could be strengthened by more selective process of targeting schools to receive training.

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The longitudinal study of the 2005-06 preschool in WCPSS found short-term gains during the preschool year, but limited impact by kindergarten and no average impact by the end of 3rd grade on achievement, retention rates, special education placements, or attendance. Small sample sizes limit conclusions that can be drawn; a larger study with a stronger research design is recommended for next year. The larger 2010-11 preschool program provided strong evidence of short-term gains on achievement after the preschool experience. Teachers and parents were generally satisfied with the program. Teachers suggested higher student attendance and greater parent involvement would be helpful. Teachers used Creative Curriculum materials with varying frequency; they also viewed some components of the curriculum as more effective than others.

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In 2009-10, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction was approved to include a five-year graduation rate as well as a four-year rate in determining if schools, districts, and the state made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the NCLB Act. This rate was based on the incoming 9th grade students of 2005-06. The denominator of the cohort remained the same for both the 2008-09 four-year and the 2009-10 five-year rate with an additional 296 graduates added to the numerator in the fifth year. The 2009-10 five-year district rate rose to 81.5% from a 2008-09 four-year rate of 78.4%. The subgroups with the largest increases were limited English proficient (9.8 percentage points), economically disadvantaged (7.8 percentage points), and students with disabilities subgroups (7.4 percentage points). Hispanic/Latino and Black/African American students had the largest rate increases among ethnic subgroups (6.6 and 5.5 percentage points, respectively).

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This report, the third of three reports examining Supplemental Education Services (SES) within the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), focused on the long-term goal of improved student achievement by the end of the school year. In 2009-10, 508 students participated in SES at the five schools offering SES: Brentwood, Fox Road, Poe, Wendell, and York. The vast majority of students (83%) participating in SES received tutoring services in both reading and mathematics. Overall, this study did not support the value of SES in promoting higher achievement (beyond what matched students achieved).

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On March 3rd, 2011, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released its annual statewide Dropout Report covering the 2009-10 school year. Charts show the dropout rate for WCPSS compared to the state as a whole, to other large school districts in North Carolina, and by the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) subgroups.

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This report, the second of three reports examining Supplemental Education Services (SES) within WCPSS, focused on the implementation of SES, and the degree to which short-term and intermediate goals were met. In 2009-10, the SES program was largely implemented with fidelity, with some areas needing refinement related to communication and monitoring. Monitoring reports noted appropriate instruction based on learning plans was occurring. SES has 13 implementation requirements for the Local Educational Agency (7), providers (2), and parents (4). Nine were fully met, with four partially met. The two short-term goals--student enrollment in SES and providers pre-assess all participants--were met. Three of the six intermediate goals were met (progress reports given to parents, minimum of 30 hours offered to each student, monitoring showed implementation occurring) and two additional goals were partially met (attendance at SES and post-assessments given to completers).

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This report describes SES within Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in terms of the schools, providers, and student participants in 2008-09 and 2009-10. It is the first in a series of three reports related to SES. NCLB requires schools receiving Title I funding in their second year of school improvement to offer eligible students Supplemental Educational Services (SES) in addition to existing Title I services. The SES programs for WCPSS in 2008-09 and 2009-10 were in compliance with federal guidelines to make available an SES program, enroll only FRL students, and to use state-approved vendors to deliver the program. SES is designed to improve the achievement of FRL students who score below, at, or above grade level. Therefore, service to some students may help schools reach AYP standards while service to others may help individual students and schools reach ABCs and other standards of academic success.

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This report examined the implementation of Foundations of Algebra, a course designed to provide high school students with low mathematics performance an extra opportunity to review and study foundational mathematics concepts prior to enrolling in Introductory Mathematics and subsequently Algebra I. In the fall of 2009, 877 high school students participated in Foundations of Algebra while another 774 students were enrolled directly into Introductory Mathematics in the spring of 2010. 1,600 students enrolled in Introductory Mathematics in 2008-09 were used as a comparison group. Eighty-two percent of Foundations of Algebra students were Level I or II; however, less than two-thirds of students (63%) scored Level I or low Level II--the program's criteria. Twenty-seven percent of students enrolled directly into Introductory Mathematics met the recommended criteria of high Level II scores. A higher percentage of students who participated in Foundations of Algebra enrolled in Algebra I and Algebra I Part I than did comparison students.

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As a result of Board Policy 3610, PLTs were implemented across WCPSS in a consistent fashion in 2009-10. Data show that implementation improved and teachers spent more time engaged in collaborative work. School staff cited numerous benefits for teachers and students. Regression analyses showed a reasonably strong correlation between high levels of PLT implementation and students' academic achievement, attendance, and their overall level of satisfaction with their schools. Essential characteristics of PLTs were illustrated in case studies of high-performing PLTs' in the district. While collaborative cultures have been well-established, most teams could benefit from additional training on ways to use data, and on ways to evaluate the success of their efforts. Communications with school communities could also be more consistent across schools.

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The three MSAP schools; East Garner International Baccalaureate Magnet Middle School (EGMMS), Garner International Baccalaureate Magnet High School (GMHS), and Southeast Raleigh Leadership and Technology Magnet High School (SRMHS) showed progress on MSAP performance measures during the 3rd year of the grant. Data on 16 performance measures collected relate to "Desegregation and Choice" (6), "Building Capacity" (2), and "Academic Achievement of Students" (8). Overall, half the targets were met, with the most variability across schools for the Desegregation and Choice measures. Observations and survey results revealed increased efforts to implement innovative educational methods and programs at all three MSAP schools. Each school established strategic processes to address targets in each goal area. Although progress was made, much work remained to be done to achieve the original goals of the MSAP grant. The district requested and received a no-cost extension to run through the 2010-2011 school year.

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In 2006-07, seven Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) middle schools piloted Algebraic Thinking as an alternate approach to teaching middle school mathematics. Algebraic Thinking was developed to help students in grade 6 reach higher mathematics courses by combining the regular and advanced middle school mathematics courses into one heterogeneously grouped class and differentiating instruction. Of the 1,493 grade 6 students enrolled in one of the five pilot schools, 1,087 were still enrolled in Algebraic Thinking in 2008-09 and were therefore included in the study. A comparison cohort of 1,078 grade 6 students enrolled from 2006-07 to 2008-09 was selected from five matched schools. While both cohorts of students improved academically, overall findings suggest that participation in Algebraic Thinking did not have a greater positive impact on students' mathematics achievement as measured by EOG proficiency or growth. However, a significantly higher percentage of Algebra I students at the Algebraic Thinking schools met their Algebra I growth target.

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On February 5th, 2009, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released its annual statewide Dropout Report covering the 2007-08 school year. Charts show the dropout rate for WCPSS compared to the state as a whole, to other large school districts in North Carolina, and by race.

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NovaNET is a technology-based teacher-facilitated educational approach used at schools to support students at risk of not meeting graduation requirements to accrue credits in a variety of subjects. NovaNET contributes to the WCPSS goal of closing achievement gaps and creating opportunities for all students to graduate on time. In 2008-09, 38 NovaNET courses were offered districtwide. All high schools offered credit recovery (CR) courses. Six schools offered remediation opportunities, and 11 offered new credits. Based on summer courses, NovaNET had a high success rate in helping students earn credits towards graduation. Based on high summer pass rates, it is recommended to encourage use of NovaNET to earn course credits, examine ways to enhance EOC performance, designate use of NovaNET within course codes, streamline reporting methods, and enhance monitoring of success. Consider expanded use of NovaNET as a supplement for regular courses. Based on cost-effectiveness, expand student access to NovaNET in summer if feasible.

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ALP 2007-08 was designed to primarily support Level I and II student below grade levels, with others supported as funds allowed. Evidence indicates many students scoring proficient were served (especially in literacy) while some students scoring below grade level received no documented support. ALP reached less than half of students scoring below grade level in literacy and in mathematics. Literacy achievement growth outcomes for Level I-II students below grade level were about the same as for other Level I-II students (many of whom received other services); ALP results were less positive for students who scored at grade level prior to service than for similar students. Mathematics proficiency results were less positive than for those served in other programs or not served. Achievement outcomes were similar for students served during the school day or outside of the school day.

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North Carolina Student Accountability Standards require targeted intervention be provided to students who fail to meet statewide accountability standards. Intervention Months of employment were allotted to middle schools to help them provide intervention to students who are struggling academically. In 2008-09, Intervention Months 6-8 allotted Wake County Public School System's (WCPSS) 32 middle schools 762 months of employment to be used along with other resources to provide targeted supplementary assistance to students requiring academic intervention beyond that provided in the regular classroom. In 2008-09, 3,155 students participated in an intervention elective. Findings suggest that participation in an intervention elective did not have a positive impact on reading achievement as measured by EOG proficiency or growth. The percentage of intervention elective participants at or above grade level increased more for mathematics than reading. A statistically significant higher percentage of students who participated in a mathematics intervention only made growth than did academically similar students not enrolled in the intervention elective.

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In Year 2 of the MSAP grant, significant progress was made by each school and its community to implement the grant objectives. Year 2 represented an amalgamation of Year 1 activities that were not implemented due to a delay in hiring key personnel, original objectives assigned to Year 2, and several activities that arose from improvement sessions. Each school had a blue print that captured their performance measures, target outcomes, yearly activities, staff development activities, and resources along with a customized yearly time line. The 16 performance measures were grouped into three categories. The "Desegregation and Choice" category was the most difficult for schools to attain (with three or four of the six measures met by each school). All schools achieved both "Building Capacity" performance measures. In the "Academic Achievement" category, SRMHS achieved 5/8 targets, GMHS achieved 4/8, and EGMMS achieved 6/7 (4-year graduation rate is measured for the two high schools, but not for the middle school). In all, SRMHS achieved the stated target on 10/16 performance measures, GMHS on 10/16, and EGMMS met 12/15.

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Given that graduating from high school on time prepared for the future is the ultimate outcome of the K-12 education process, then an understanding of the factors that distinguish students who do from students who do not becomes important. This study looked at data from the WCPSS 9th grade class of 2005-06 in an effort to document some of the factors that separated students who stayed on track to graduate from those who either got behind or dropped out. Results indicated that several demographic, program, and achievement factors were associated with staying ontime to graduate during high school. These results should help schools better identify students who might be at risk for not graduating on time.

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In 2007-08, Wake County Public School System's (WCPSS) Helping Hands program served 419 students. Helping Hands is a mentoring program that targets Black/African American male students enrolled in grades 3-8 who are academically marginal. Results are based on the 385 students in grades 3-8 with available data. The mission of the Helping Hands program is to provide services to African-American male students to promote personal development and academic achievement. Helping Hands has academic, behavioral, and attendance goals. Overall, findings suggest that Helping Hands did not have a positive impact on academic success as measured by EOG proficiency or growth. However, Helping Hands did appeared to have a positive impact on suspension trends and excessive absences (10 or more days) relative to Black/African American male students.

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On the High Five PLC Survey, most teachers, regardless of years of experience, viewed PLCs as having a positive impact on their work environment and student learning. Beginning teachers tended to have the highest percentage of agreement. The percentage of teachers agreeing that PLCs were having the desired impact increased between 2007-08 and 2008-09 for both beginning teachers and those with more experience. Thus, trends were in the desired direction.

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As a follow-up to the initial evaluation of Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) in the Wake County Public School System, this study uses mixed methods to further investigate inconsistencies in desired outcomes and a lack of difference in results among PBIS schools and similar non-PBIS schools. Case study results supported the original findings in that additional measures of success were not identified. School staff articulated the use of schoolwide behavioral practices as an important outcome of PBIS rather than as a strategy to improve climate, behavior, and achievement. Schools using the START on Time strategy to reduce tardies during class transitions achieved significant improvement after one year. Implementation evaluation results suggest that non-PBIS schools have not implemented schoolwide behavioral practices to any great extent.

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WCPSS needed a consistent system for creating an inventory of programs to build capacity to evaluate all program efforts. For this inventory, "program" was defined as any planned and sustained educational effort designed to improve learning outcomes or school/classroom conditions. Overall, 29 centrally coordinated and 187 school-based programs were identified. Supports targeting academic achievement were more common than those for behavior or climate. Centrally-coordinated academic interventions at the elementary level impacted a greater number of students in literacy than in mathematics; these counts were more evenly distributed at both the middle and high school level. School-based programs tend to address literacy and mathematics at similar levels.

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Elementary and middle schools in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) are given the opportunity to use periodic assessments throughout the year as a tool to determine how well their students are learning the curriculum. The students then take the required End-of-Grade (EOG) test at the end of the year. An analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between those two means of assessment. This study showed high correlations between the two types of assessments, emphasizing the value of using assessments year-long in order to identify students in need of extra help.

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2007-08 WCPSS Dropout Rate

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Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) is a national initative to reform the learning environments of schools by establishing expectations, reducing behavioral problems, and supporting academic performance. Unlike other state evaluations, this report uses cluster analysis to identify a group of schools to serve as a comparison group. This report presents mixed results on the effectiveness of PBIS in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). Elementary schools achieved the highest levels of implementation in 2007-08, followed by middle schools, whereas high schools had not fully implemented PBIS. School-level analysis of outcomes offers little evidence of the success of Cohort 1 PBIS schools in producing consistent positive changes in climate, behavioral, and academic outcomes. Moreover, general trends were similar for PBIS and comparison schools, with differences most often favoring comparison schools. Participants of interviews and focus groups describe the positive impact of PBIS on promoting consistent behavior expectations and reducing tardy rates.

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North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) has changed since summer 2007, with more traditional courses and fewer credit-recovery courses. Total NCVPS initial enrollments of Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) students were much lower in Fall 2007 (139), Spring 2008 (198), and Summer 2008 (430) than in Summer 2007 (1,378). Students were more likely to complete courses after Summer 2007. However, students enrolled in Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 were more likely to drop courses with failure after the deadline than to do so before the cutoff date. Percentages of final enrollments with passing NCVPS course grades increased from 47% in Summer 2007 to 64%, 84%, and 70% in the fall, spring, and summer, respectively. In Summer 2008, pass rates for EOC courses were somewhat lower than for other courses, with relatively low pass rates on EOC tests.

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Significant attention and resources have been focused on reforming high schools to enhance graduation rates. The research literature supports the following practices: For struggling students, accurate identification and intensive instructional, monitoring, and counseling support For 9th graders, transition activities, personalization, and academic support strategies For teachers, intensive training to help them provide effective instruction and support, particularly for students showing signs of risk.

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Significant attention and resources have been focused on reforming high schools to enhance graduation rates. The research literature supports the following practices: For struggling students, accurate identification and intensive instructional, monitoring, and counseling support For 9th graders, transition activities, personalization, and academic support strategies For teachers, intensive training to help them provide effective instruction and support, particularly for students showing signs of risk.

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Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are in the implementation stages throughout the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). Results from the 2007-08 High Five PLC Survey of teachers throughout the school system, as well as observations and focus group interviews in selected schools, show that strong support continues for PLC implementation overall, (66% to 87% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with statements about each PLC element). Results suggest PLC concepts and work efforts are well underway and are growing in implementation. Challenges cited include finding time for PLC team work and remediation of student skills, increasing the understanding of all staff of PLC concepts, and increasing teachers' skills in developing and using quality formative assessments.

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This evaluation examined the implementation and effectiveness of the AVID program in middle schools throughout the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). Survey results and school visits revealed considerable inconsistencies in implementation across schools. Specifically, selection criteria were not consistently understood and applied, all staff members implementing the program were not able to attend AVID training, and some schools emphasized enrollment in Algebra I in eighth grade more than others as a desired outcome of AVID participation. Attrition from the program was high, with 38% of those enrolled in grade 6 in 2005-06 continuing with the program through grade 8 in 2007-08. The stated goal of having all AVID students enroll in Algebra I by grade 8 was not met, although a higher percentage of AVID students in grade 8 enrolled in Algebra I than was true system wide (50% vs. 28%).

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Describes the Kindergarten Initial Assessment which all students are given as they enter kindergarten to assess their beginning skills. Also describes the kinds of skills that are helpful for students to have in kindergarten.

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Many indicators of performance, persistence, and academic rigor for WCPSS high school students point toward the relative success of WCPSS high school students. Student achievement remains high compared to state and national results, and an increasing number of students are pursuing rigorous AP coursework in high school. The skills and abilities that WCPSS graduates obtain appear to serve them well in the University of North Carolina (UNC) system, which is the most common educational destination for WCPSS graduates. However, changing student populations and rising academic standards are challenging the system's ability to sustain and increase academic performance for all students. Gaps in achievement have increased, with higher percentages of minority students and students with academic risk factors at risk of not graduating on time, compared to other groups.

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This report draws together various academic performance results for middle school students in WCPSS. Generally speaking, students in grades 6-8 continue to do well on most achievement measures, but there are significant gaps in outcomes between different student subgroups, including ethnic groups, program groups, and also between male and female students. Analysis of student outcomes is provided at the grade level as well as for subgroups. This report also describes demographic trends that impact our student outcomes as well as information about students retained in grade. Finally, the report provides summaries of several research and evaluation efforts related to effective practices for promoting student achievement.

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This report draws together various academic performance results for elementary students in WCPSS. Generally speaking, students in grades K-5 continue to do well on most literacy measures, but there has been a decline in mathematics EOG performance, largely resulting from the State Board of Education's action to create more rigorous cut scores for achievement levels. Analysis of student outcomes is provided at the grade level as well as for subgroups. This report describes demographic trends that impact our student outcomes as well as information about students retained in grade. Finally, the report provides summaries of several research and evaluation efforts related to effective practices for promoting student achievement.

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2006-07 WCPSS Dropout Rate

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See abstracts document

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See abstracts document

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In 2002-03, the Intensive Reading Intervention Study (IRIS) was implemented in six Wake County Public School System elementary schools. The intervention was designed to help 1st-grade students experiencing reading difficulty meet grade-level standards and show sufficient progress to maintain that status in future years. An initial study examined the effects on students' 1st-grade reading skills. This follow-up study investigates students' reading skills through grade 4. Results generally show strong reading outcomes for students in both experimental and control groups, with no statistically significant differences in terms of percent proficient in reading and average reading performance. A more favorable and statistically significant average reading residual was found for 3rd-grade experimental group students compared to their counterparts. Students in both groups were placed in special education, provided remedial support, or retained in grade at about the same rates between grades 1 and 4.

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This study focused on effective practices for students with multiple academic risk factors (students with disabilities, students eligible for free or reduced price lunch, and/or students with limited English proficiency). Achievement performance patterns over several years differ between students making stronger and weaker achievement growth on End-of-Grade tests. Sixteen case studies of 5th and 8th graders revealed that students with positive achievement patterns were more likely to show signs of resilience in their personal characteristics, school experiences, and/or home support than were students with negative achievement patterns. Teachers of both groups used some methods recommended in national research (such as small-group work, structure, and collaboration). A specific focus on language development was not mentioned. Homework was a common problem.

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Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are being developed in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) to promote continuous improvement and student success. Baseline results from a 2006-07 survey show strong support for PLC concepts/expectations among school staff (at least 88% rated themes as medium or high priority), with lower implementation levels (60-73%) per theme. Sustained implementation of PLCs was reported by 24-30% of staff for each theme. Results suggest training in PLC concepts and strategies should be well received in WCPSS, and that increased implementation is clearly possible.

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Looking across various indicators of performance, persistence, and academic rigor for WCPSS high school students, many indicators point toward the relative success of WCPSS high school students. Student achievement remains high compared to state and national results, and an increasing number of students are pursuing rigorous AP coursework in high school. In addition, the skills and abilities that WCPSS graduates obtain appear to serve them well in the UNC system, which is the most common post-high school educational destination for WCPSS graduates. However, significant challenges remain related to changing student populations and rising academic standards which are challenging the system's ability to sustain and increase academic performance for all students.

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Summarizing a nonexhaustive review of the literature, the following definition is suggested for a professional learning community: A professional learning community is made up of team members who regularly collaborate toward continued improvement in meeting learner needs through a shared curricular-focused vision. Facilitating this effort are: supportive leadership and structural conditions, collective challenging, questioning, and reflecting on team-designed lessons and instructional practices/experiences, and team decisions on essential learning outcomes and intervention/enrichment activities based on results of common formative student assessments.

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The students who have the most difficulty reaching accountability standards in Wake County Public Schools are those with more than one of the following characteristics: recipients of free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, and/or students with limited English proficiency. The Evaluation and Research Department identified elementary and middle schools that differed in their effectiveness in promoting achievement growth for these students. Quantitative and qualitative analyses suggest differences in both attitudes and practices. The more effective schools had higher expectations for these students, and greater confidence in their ability to meet students' needs. Evidence suggested more effective administrative leadership/support, training, and utilization of resources. Higher-growth middle schools utilized assessments to inform instruction more frequently, and higher-growth elementary schools had more structured collaboration around student needs. Further research is planned.

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In 2005-06, four private agencies provided 252 Hodge Road students with supplemental educational services as one component of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Only students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (FRL) were eligible. More than half of those served scored at or above grade level before service, while some students who scored below grade level were not eligible. The curricular materials used were remedial and not designed to extend the learning of students scoring at grade level. At grades 1-2, the percentage of students reaching grade level in literacy increased for those served; this was not the case for not-served students. Both served and not served students improved End-of-Grade (EOG) reading performance at grades 3-5. Students who had multiple risk factors (limited English proficient [LEP] or students with disabilities [SWD] in addition to FRL) showed the greatest increases in the percentage of students at grade level. A major caution when interpreting the results is that analyses could not control for other intervention efforts that may have contributed to results found.

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The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) strengthened the rigor, relevance, and relationships within its high schools in 2004-05; a primary strategy was the adoption on a block schedule. This progress report found an increase in more rigorous academic opportunities. Higher numbers of enrollees engaged in advanced courses and generally stable or higher academic success was achieved with End-of-Course exams, grade point averages, and credits earned. Greater relevance in coursework was evident and a wider variety of instructional practices. Staff promoted stronger student-staff relationships by emphasizing personalization. The majority of students and teachers reported fewer discipline concerns in classes, and students felt connected with their schools. Dropout and suspension rates did not decline.

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This evaluation examined 1,524 students in grade 1 at 13 Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) schools that participated in the Predictive Assessment of Reading (PAR) study in 2004-05. It also examined their participation in the Accelerated Learning Program K-2 Literacy Program during 2004-05. Both literacy initiatives focused on identifying students in need of additional assistance and providing support to those students. Student success was measured by the PAR assessment and WCPSS instructional book levels. The PAR assessment was used to determine the benefit of PAR only and PAR plus ALP K-2, the correlation of the two instruments, and whether PAR and ALP K-2 identified the same students as at-risk. Although the experimental and control groups saw similar results overall, students who participated in the ALP K-2 program saw greater gains among the experimental group. While PAR participants showed substantial improvement on the PAR assessment, ALP K-2 participants showed similar gains on book level with or without full PAR support. There was a significant positive relationship between students' performance on the PAR assessment and book level and a substantial overlap in the students identified as at-risk of failure by both programs.

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2004-05 Wake County Public Schools' Dropout Rate

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Project Achieve, a local instructional initiative used by Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), was adapted from a Brazosport, Texas model. The program grew from eight to 19 WCPSS schools over four years, and all 16 continuing schools had a higher percentage of students at or above grade level in spring 2005 than prior to the program. Fourth-year results were relatively positive. Nine of 19 (47%) participating schools met the state ABCs High Growth standard (including two of the new schools), compared to 40% of other WCPSS elementary and middle schools. Eleven of 19 schools (58%) -- compared to 35% of other WCPSS elementary and middle schools -- increased the percentage of students at or above grade level between spring of 2004 and spring 2005.

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A study of 6,037 first-time Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS) 1998-99 9th-grade students found that their overall four-year graduation rate was 80% and a five-year graduation rate was 83%. Female students (87%) were more likely to graduate than male students (79%). Asian (92%) and White (88%) students were more likely to graduate than Black/African American (68%) and Hispanic/Latino (72%) students. Black/African American male students were least likely to graduate (60%). The 1998 rate is six percentage points higher than a comparable 1995 rate. All ethnic subgroups improved, with Hispanic/Latino students increasing four points, Black/African American students increasing eight points, and Asian students increasing nine points.

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The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) saw improved achievement between the late 1990s and 2003, both in overall trends and results disaggregated by subgroup. Achievement gaps began to close. The percentage of students scoring at grade level is now quite high. In the past three years, the percentage of lower income, minority, and limited-English-proficient students has increased, and the percentage of students at grade level has changed very little. Dropout and graduation rates show some closing of gaps between Black and White students, but not between Hispanic/Latino and White students. Identifying ways to further close achievement gaps and improve other student outcomes is challenging, especially in light of additional graduation requirements which will be added for students entering 9th grade in the 2006-07 school year.

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Student Support Teams (SST) are designed to strengthen and support students who are experiencing academic, behavioral, family, and/or emotional difficulties that interfere with learning. SSTs develop and implement action plans using classroom-, school-, family-, and/or community-based strategies. In 2003-04, 80% of the 4,944 students served by SSTs were elementary students. Over half of the students referred for academic reasons scored on grade level before SST participation. Earlier SST meetings and family-based strategies were correlated with positive academic outcomes. Classroom-based strategies were correlated with fewer suspensions. Schools varied in their success in improving SST students' achievement. SST participants' growth in achievement was generally smaller than a matched comparison group over one year, but students could have differed in ways related to referral reasons. SST students closed the gap between their achievement and that of the district overall in some elementary grades but not at the secondary level.

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Dropouts from Wake County Public Schools 2003-04

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The East Wake High School Evening Program study focused on whether the program was meeting its original intent and was cost/beneficial. The focus changed from serving only dropouts or students likely to drop out or not graduate who participated in the extended day program to serving any student needing course grade recovery. Most attempted courses were completed with credits earned, and grade promotions of enrollees increased. However, some classes were small, which increased the cost per student. Few dropouts enrolled in 2003-04, and overall enrollment was lower than previously.

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In 2003-04, 11 Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) high schools moved from a traditional student schedule of six full-year courses to a block schedule of four courses each semester (4x4). Implementation went fairly smoothly, with 90% of teachers trained prior to the change. Academic course opportunities and course enrollment numbers increased substantially (by 24% and 46% respectively) compared to 2002-03, key desired outcomes. Academic success was marked by increases in credits earned, grade promotion rates, and twelfth grade graduation rates as desired. Maintenance of prior status was desired for other outcomes this first year. End-of-course performance and grade point averages of 3.0 or higher actually increased slightly, while Advanced Placement (AP) scores of 3 and greater decreased slightly. Student attendance and suspension rates remained the same. Generally, most of those surveyed and interviewed expressed satisfaction with the change. Exploring modified schedule options for some courses as well as continued professional development are recommended.

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Early Start, a pilot preschool program, offered three weeks of literacy and social skills preparation to pre-enrolled kindergarten students who have limited to no preschool experience. The percentage of participants mastering the six assessed concepts of print jumped from 5% to 52%. Entering students mastered an average of three out of six concepts of print and finished averaging five out of six. Student progress was also measured using 10 literacy and personal/social items from the Kindergarten Initial Assessment (KIA). Increases in overall proficiency were minimal due to a high number of students entering the program already proficient on the assessed items. Closer examination of these items using a four-part rubric did reveal improvements toward greater proficiency. However, participants scored similarly to demographically matched nonparticipants on the full KIA administered upon entry into kindergarten. Thus, overall results indicate growth for targeted skills. However, this growth was not sufficient to influence overall performance on the KIA.

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WCPSS uses K-5 assessments in literacy and mathematics to monitor student status in their learning, to guide instruction, and to assess whether students and schools are showing typical performance for their grade level. The percentage of students showing grade-level performance is generally between 77% and 87% on the reading and mathematics assessments. Percentages tend to be somewhat lower than those seen on the EOG tests. Increases in the percentage of students reaching grade-level standards in literacy and math at K-2 could help WCPSS reach Goal 2008 at grades 3 and up. WCPSS writing portfolios show more students scoring "at grade level" at K-2 (81%) than at grade 3-5 (62%). At grade 4, 57% of WCPSS students were considered at grade level based on local writing portfolios compared to 47.7% on the state assessment. Writing still appears to be the area where the most improvement is needed to reach state and local standards.

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Dropouts from Wake County Public Schools 2002-03

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Dropouts from Wake County Public Schools 2002-03

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Dropouts from Wake County Public Schools 2002-03

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Dropouts from Wake County Public Schools 2002-03

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In 2003-04, 1,912 students in 16 elementary and 6 middle schools in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) participated in Fast ForWord program. Evaluation findings indicate that elementary and middle school participants made short-term gains averaging 22-55 months (approximately 2-4 years) of gain in terms of foundational listening and reading skills after nine weeks of intervention. When compared to students who had not received Fast ForWord instruction in 2003-04, both groups appeared to make similar gains on the Reading EOG over one year, although 7th and 8th graders served via Fast ForWord made greater gains on the math EOG. Over two years, students who received Fast ForWord in 2002-03 again performed similarly to their at-risk peers who had not received services in Reading EOG scores and gains. These findings suggest that Fast ForWord appears to impact foundational reading skills, but is not sufficient on its own to influence higher level reading skills and comprehension as measured by EOGs.

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In 2003-04, the Title I program was expanded to serve students in grades 3-5. Similar to the Title I K-2 program, the 3-5 program offered accelerated literacy intervention. The vast majority of students were served using the Fast Track Reading curriculum. Fast Track Reading combines explicit reading skills and phonics instruction with comprehension coaching and fluency practice. Fast Track is designed to accelerate student learning to raise students' performance to grade level standards. The demographics of Title I students served in grades 3-5 differs from Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS) grade 3-5 students due to the focus on serving students at risk of failure. The percentage of Title I students across grades 3-5 scoring at Level III or IV (grade level) on End-of-Grade (EOG) tests doubled. Students in grade 5 showed the greatest improvement, followed by students in grades 3 and 4. Increases from Spring 2003 and Spring 2004 in the percentage of students scoring at Level III or IV were strong for all Title I subgroups compared to WCPSS overall.

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The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) has seen positive changes in patterns of achievement and dropout rates over the past several years overall and by subgroup. The most positive one-year subgroup changes related to dropout rates for Black students and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for minority, low-income, and limited English proficient (LEP) students. However, many achievement gaps remain, and the system continues to work towards optimal achievement for all students and closing achievement gaps.

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The 2003 21st Century Grant summer program served 370 students at five elementary school sites--Carver, Hodge Road, Knightdale, Lockhart, and Zebulon. Grade levels served and program dates varied by location. The summer program provided reading intervention to students identified as in need of academic assistance. Seventy-one percent of summer program participants were free or reduced-price lunch recipients (FRL), 34% were classified as limited English proficient (LEP), 41% were Black/African American, and 39% were Hispanic/Latino students. These subgroups were over-represented relative to their percentages within the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) population. Approximately 42% of the summer program participants entered the program with below grade level scores. Academic outcomes are not yet available for analysis.

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The Title I/Accelerated Learning Program K-2 Literacy Program (ALP K-2) served 4,732 students in kindergarten, first, and second grade identified as at risk of failure and in need of assistance in language arts. For a variety of reasons, over half of the students who scored below grade level on local assessments as of spring 2002 were not served, and others who scored at grade level were served. Nearly all of the staff surveyed reported that the program was an effective method of improving students' literacy skills. ALP students' literacy skills did improve. However, the mean gains in print concept scores (for kindergarten) and book level scores (for grades 1 and 2) were no different than for similar students not served. Approximately the same percentage of students were on grade level in spring 2003 as in spring 2002.

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WCPSS has made some notable positive changes in achievement, graduation, and other outcomes over the last few years. This document summarizes trends over time in outcomes and district efforts which likely contributed.

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Project Achieve is a major Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) instructional initiative to improve student achievement adapted from a Brazosport, Texas model. The number of schools involved increased from 8 to 13 in 2002-03. Results were positive. All Project Achieve elementary and middle schools met the state ABCs High Growth standard both years (up from five in spring 2001), and nearly all schools increased the percent of students at or above grade level in their first year. In Year 2, compared to other WCPSS students, participation in Project Achieve was generally associated with significantly higher gains in mathematics and similar gains in reading (when background characteristics were controlled through regression analyses). Staff members also expressed more positive opinions about the academic program in their schools than in the past.

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The Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) began in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in 1999-2000 as an out-of-school time intervention to support students scoring below grade level. Since then, flexibility in use of these funds has increased, along with the percentage of schools using the funds to support low achievers during the school day. In 2002-03, over 70% of traditional calendar schools reported providing at least a portion of their ALP services during the school day, followed by after-school sessions (about 40%), and Saturday sessions (20%). At year-round schools, intersession continues to be the most common time for ALP at the elementary (82%). However, year-round middle schools provided ALP most commonly during the school day (83%), with only 34% using intersessions. Changes in use of ALP funds have made it increasingly difficult to clearly identify which students these funds supported. Although all schools reported that students who scored below grade level were supported through ALP, data on individual students suggests that the percentage of these students in ALP declined from 59% in 2001-02 to 35% in 2002-03. The lower participation rates are partially due to under-reporting, but clearer accountability for serving students is needed.

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Dropouts from Wake County Public Schools 2001-02

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Project Achieve is a major Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) instructional initiative to improve student achievement adapted from a Brazosport, Texas model. The number of schools involved increased from 8 to 13 in 2002-03. Results were generally positive. All Project Achieve elementary and middle schools met the state ABCs High Growth standard in spring 2003 (up from five in spring 2001), and 10 of 13 schools increased the percent of students at or above grade level. Compared to other WCPSS students, participation in Project Achieve was generally associated with significantly higher gains in mathematics and similar gains in reading (when background characteristics were controlled through regression analyses). Staff members also expressed more positive opinions about the academic program in their schools than in the past.

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Overall, the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) has seen positive changes in patterns of achievement and dropout rates over the last several years. However, the system continues to work towards optimal achievement for all students, closing achievement gaps, and improving Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) results. Each of the sections that follow cites key findings from reports produced by the Evaluation and Research Department (E&R) during the 2002-03 school year or from reports currently in progress that will analyze student outcomes from 2002-03. Subsequent pages contain figures illustrating some of the key findings.

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The Safe Schools/Healthy Students Grant (SS/HS) was a three-year grant sponsored by a collaboration between the federal Departments of Health and Human Services, Juvenile Justice, and Education. The SS/HS Grant improved collaboration and communication across community agencies. During the grant period perceptions of safety improved among WCPSS students and staff, and juvenile arrests for violence and substance abuse decreased. However, school crime and violence rates, suspensions, and security violations did not decrease as hoped. Many SS/HS funded programs showed promising results, especially Teen Court (increased participation and decreased suspensions for participants) and NovaNET (80% of courses students attempted were completed successfully). Overall, SS/HS provided resources for community change, and new ideas for addressing school safety in the future.

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The 2001-02 evaluation of Fast ForWord established that participants experienced short-term gains in language and reading skills, as measured by the Woodcock Diagnostic Reading Battery. EOG results also indicated that participants made significant gains in reading achievement. This evaluation examined the reading achievement of 2002-03 Fast ForWord participants relative to a comparison group, and investigated factors that predict success on reading EOG tests. Results for 2002-03 participants indicate that participants made significant gains on EOGs, but that their achievement growth pattern was not significantly different than that of matched non-participants. The short and long versions of the Teacher Observation Survey (TOS) predicted success equally well, and no demographic characteristics predicted success consistently. Thus, no simple means of selecting the most appropriate participants were identified.

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This report summarizes information provided by the University of North Carolina (UNC) on the WCPSS graduates enrolled in UNC institutions between 1990 and 2001. Statistics from the UNC Office of General Administration show that during that period, a higher percentage of WCPSS graduates applied to and enrolled in UNC institutions, compared to NC graduates overall. Between 1991 and 2002, WCPSS graduates were also more successful in their first year of college, earning higher average GPAs than other UNC freshmen. Further, a higher percentage of WCPSS graduates took advanced courses, and a lower percentage required remedial courses. These data suggest that WCPSS graduates receive a strong preparation for college work, perhaps stronger than their counterparts from other districts, and that this preparation has improved over the past decade.

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Magnet Schools Assistance Program Annual Performance Report Year 2 (2002-03) From September 1, 2002, through June 30, 2003, the staff members of the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) 2001-04 Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grant have successfully built upon the foundation they established in Year 1. This year they have endeavored to make up for any objectives not fully achieved in Year 1 and to attain all of their Year 2 objectives. Schools participating in the project and their magnet themes are: Brooks Elementary School - Museums, Joyner Elementary School - Language Explorations, Millbrook Elementary School - International Baccalaureate, Powell Elementary School - Visual and Performing Arts, and Moore Square Middle School - Museums. The project focuses on four major purposes and has objectives related to each. Annual benchmarks have been established to measure success in achieving the objectives. The four MSAP purposes are listed below, followed by a summary of accomplishments or deficits in meeting the Year 2 benchmarks for each purpose.

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To help accomplish Goal 2003, WCPSS allocated money in 1999 for supplemental instructional support through the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP). Analyses of the program's 2001-02 results suggest that ALP was effective in promoting both achievement growth and performance at grades 3-8. ALP students showed high growth based on ABCs standards, and more than half were able to move from below to above grade level between spring 2001 and spring 2002 (compared to 38% in reading and 41% in math before ALP began).

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A study of 5,226 first-time 1995 9th-grade students found their overall graduation rate was 77%. Female students (80%) were more likely to graduate than male students (69%). Asian (83%) and White (83%) were more likely to graduate than Black (60%) and Hispanic/Latino students (68%). Black males were least likely to graduate (53%).

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Overall, 2,422 high school students who were at risk of not graduating received some instructional assistance in 2001-02. However, the number of students who might struggle with one or more graduation requirements was high (7,810), and many were not identified as receiving instructional support beyond their regular classes. Compared to state ABC standards, those who received support showed high growth between spring 2001 and 2002. A two-year follow-up of students who had not passed the Minimum Competency requirement in spring 2000 reveals close to 60% of those still in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) were able to meet this requirement by spring 2002. However, the percentage able to attain grade level scores between spring 2001 and 2002 was similar (23-28%) regardless of whether they received instructional assistance.

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The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) is currently in the extension year, or Year 4, of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students grant. This report outlines the activities continued in the extension year, and a status report on each activity for the first part of Year 4.

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WCPSS initiated the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) in 1999-2000 as the major new intervention to help all students reach grade-level performance in reading and math. Analyses of the program's third year results show that overall, changes in both achievement growth and performance support the effectiveness of ALP and other assistance at grades 3-8.

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In 2001-02, 23 schools were provided with 40 teacher positions through the Class Size Reduction (CSR) Program. Achievement results for students in reduced class sizes were compared to those of similar students in other CSR schools who did not choose the same grade for the project (keeping school and student demographics similar). At grades 1 and 2, WCPSS K-2 Literacy and Mathematics Assessments were compared pre (spring 2001) and post (spring 2002). These analyses yielded mixed results: (a) an increase in the percentage of students meeting the reading-book-level standards was greater for students in the reduced-size classes at grade 2 but not at grade 1, and (b) an increase in the percentage of students meeting the mathematics standards was greater for students in the reduced-size classes at grade 1 but not at grade 2. As in the previous year at grade 3, the NC End-of-Grade fall pretest and spring post-test data indicate that, controlling for differences in pre-test scores and free and reduced-price lunch status of students, there were no significant differences in reading and mathematics achievement between students in reduced-size classes and those in regular-sized classes. As in previous years, WCPSS generally did not reach a class size of 18, the goal of the enabling legislation, and it was again recommended that schools receiving two CSR teacher positions should place two teachers at the same grade level to reduce class sizes at a single grade.

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In the 2001-02 school year, NovaNET students earned significantly higher GPAs and fewer F's than before participating in NovaNET. NovaNET students did not show significantly greater gains than students in a comparison group that had similar demographic and academic characteristics; however, analyses revealed that the two groups varied somewhat in terms of prior suspensions, so results should be interpreted with caution. Some schools had much greater participation and student success than others. Strategies used by successful NovaNET programs include individualizing coursework; supplemental counseling and behavior modification; selecting the most appropriate students; requiring students to sign a contract promising to complete the course; and giving offline assignments to supplement NovaNET. Extending successful school practices to all schools could increase overall program impact.

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This is an evaluation of the pilot year of Project Achieve, a major local instructional initiative at six elementary schools and two middle schools to help reach the WCPSS goal of 95% of students at or above grade level. Participating schools had a higher percentage of low-income students and low-achieving students and slightly less stable student populations than the district as a whole. The initiative is based on the same principles and instructional process applied in the Brazosport, Texas school district, with modifications tailored to local needs and based on the NC Standard Course of Study. Project training and development did occur as planned from early 2001 to implementation in the 2001-02 school year. Participating schools did exceed ABCs growth and performance standards of the previous (baseline) year, as evidenced by annual NC ABCs Accountability System reports. Additionally, parents and staff expressed more positive opinions about the academic program in participating schools.

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In the 2001-02 school year, Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) implemented a project within an innovative assistance program area of Title VI- the provision of performing arts teachers within magnet elementary schools to provide arts education - under the "promising educational reform projects" category. Twelve arts teachers, representing between 0.3 and 1.0 FTE each, served in six elementary magnet schools: Fuller, Powell, Washington, Wendell, Conn, and Wiley. Also, in spring 2001, funding was allocated for planning and training activities for a new school improvement/reorganization effort at eight schools. WPSS Instructional Services Division identified a set of six schools showing historical patterns of below-expectation growth, and two schools volunteered to participate in "Project Achieve." Training and development for the eight schools did occur as planned in July - October, 2001. Results are shared.

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The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) provides a comprehensive program of extra support for students in grades K-8 who have not yet reached grade level standards. In the summer of 2002, the Voyager Summer Academy was offered in WCPSS at grades 2-8 to students scoring at Level I or II (below grade level) in reading or math. (The State of North Carolina required a summer intervention at grades 3, 5, and 8, and WCPSS offered the program at the other grade levels as well.) WCPSS utilized the Voyager Time Warp series, which is a summer reading intervention program. Designed to decrease summer learning loss and reduce the achievement gap, Voyager Time Warp is based on the premise that lessons generating high student interest, combined with academically challenging material, will increase student motivation and improve student achievement. The Time Warp reading program is a four-hour-a day, four-week program. WCPSS also adopted Voyager's one-hour-per-day V-Math series for use in combination with the reading intervention. A variety of methods were used to assess the Voyager program including student, parent, teacher, and site coordinator surveys, a quality assurance checklist, in-depth interviews, and a focus group. Voyager pre/post assessments designed by the publisher and results on pre/post North Carolina End-of-Grade (EOG) tests were also used to evaluate Voyager's effectiveness.

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The Wake County Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) Project was a three-year federal cooperative effort sponsored by the Department of Education, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Department of Health and Human Services. This report focuses on year 3 results. While all students were impacted indirectly, 3,315 individual students were served directly by SS/HS intervention programs, and 16,100 students participated in group prevention activities; SS/HS disproportionately served the higher risk students in the system directly as intended. The grant had many positive benefits in Year 3. A safe school environment was promoted by security system installation, and use of the WAVE Line. Alcohol, drug, and violence prevention and early intervention programs were promoted through a Communities in Schools (CIS/CLP) mentoring program, which had a positive effect on student achievement. Teen Court expanded the number of youth served, as well as the range of programs available for those youth. In terms of school and community mental health preventive and treatment intervention services, Children of Substance Abuse (COSA) groups drastically reduced the number of students reporting that they would use violence in the future. The preschool Second Step program resulted in teachers spending less time disciplining students. Five different curricula related to SS/HS reached over 15,000 WCPSS students. NovaNET improved students' ability to pass courses and get back on track to graduation.

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This report examines the impact of the second year of the federal Class-Size Reduction (CSR) program in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) on student achievement.

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The Wake County Public School System developed a project within an innovative assistance program area of Title VI--the provision of performing arts teachers within magnet elementary schools to provide arts education--under the "promising educational reform projects" category. Funding provided to private non-profit schools was used primarily for curricular materials. In the spring of 2001, Title VI funding was allocated for planning and training activities for new school improvement/reorganization efforts at seven schools under the "3a. Promising Educational Reform Programs: Effective Schools" category. This report provides information on implementation and attainment of objectives.

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The overall dropout rate continued to decline in 2000-01 for the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). The grades 7-12 dropout rate was 2.4 percent, the lowest since the state of North Carolina and the WCPSS began reporting dropouts in 1992, using federal standards. Since 1994-95 the gap between the grades 7-12 dropout rates for Black students and White students has decreased from 4.3 to 2.1 percentage points. The largest number of dropouts has always occurred at the high school level. Of the 1,038 dropouts in the WCPSS for 2000-01, 1,024 (98.7%) were in grades 9-12. The WCPSS high school dropout rate decreased from 5.5% in 1995-96 to 3.7% in 2000-01 (see Figure 1). The WCPSS high school dropout has been lower than the rate for North Carolina and paralleled the trend of a decreasing rate of dropouts since the state began reporting high school dropout rates in 1998-99.

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NovaNET is an on-line computerized instructional system that provides students with self-paced instruction for many North Carolina high school courses. This evaluation looks at outcomes for students participating in the NovaNET program and compares them with outcomes for a group of students with similar characteristics who did not participate in NovaNET. The primary positive finding was that the number of failing grades decreased significantly for students who participated in NovaNET, while a slight increase occurred for matched students. The GPA for NovaNET students showed a significant increase, but the comparison group increased about the same amount (difference between increases were not significant). NovaNET appeared to have more of a positive impact on math and social studies course grades than on English and science course grades. The pass rate for NovaNET science courses was only 50%. NovaNET did not appear to impact suspensions in 2000-2001; rates for NovaNET and matched students were statistically similar. NovaNET students were more likely to drop out of school in 2000-2001 than the comparison students who had a lower dropout rate than WCPSS overall; the change in drop-out rates should be examined again over the next few years. Overall, NovaNET seems to help students pass classes. However, more specific findings are difficult to obtain due to the newness of the program, and the difficulty of creating an accurately matched comparison group.

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The Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) is the major initiative that the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) is using to help all students reach grade level performance in reading and math. In 2000-01, ALP's second year of implementation, the program expanded from grades 3-8 to K-12. This report focuses on student participation rates and the impact of the ALP program.

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Promotion/Retention of Students in Grades K-8 2000-2001

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Summer Academy in the Wake County Public Schools: An Evaluation of the 2001 Program

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Wake County Public Schools have addressed the needs of at-risk students with an array of academic and alternative programs that reflect serious commitment of funds and time. The 1999-2000 academic year witnessed the beginning of a 9 million dollar, three-year, community-wide collaboration between existing programs and agencies expressly intended to coordinate efforts to serve at-risk children and their families. The grant, entitled Safe Schools Healthy Students, was funded by the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education in an effort to promote safe, inviting, and optimal learning environments for all students. The program was built upon a broad collection of 17 strategies aimed at addressing the risk and resilience factors associated with school safety and student success. Each strategy included a three-year sequence of action steps, focused on strengthening resources or services within the school system. These services ranged from improving at risk screening and referral strategies, to mentoring, to substance abuse prevention, to improving school security.

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Wake Summerbridge is an enrichment program that has supported selected WCPSS middle school students for a number of years. This evaluation compared subsequent academic performance, suspensions and dropout rates of students who had participated in the program with a comparison group of students with similar characteristics who did not participate in the program. The main positive finding was that dropout rates were much lower for Summerbridge students than for the comparison group (1% versus 13%). Achievement scores and grade point averages showed a slight but consistent advantage in absolute terms for Summerbridge students over the comparison group. The differences were not statistically significant, although they may have some educational significance. The percentage of students receiving F's and suspension rates actually favored the comparison group. However, the higher dropout rate among comparison students may account for the lower number of F's earned by this group. Some cautions must be kept in mind when interpreting these findings. Sample sizes were relatively small which makes statistical significance more difficult to detect (about 80 per group). Groups could differ in ways that could not be determined from school system data files (e.g., attitude toward school, rigor of course selections, middle versus higher income status). Given the results, the cost of providing the service should also be considered in decisions about future funding.

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The Wake County Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) Project is a three-year federal cooperative effort sponsored by the Department of Education, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Department of Health and Human Services. Together, these departments have encouraged organizations and agencies across the country to develop initiatives that prevent violence and substance abuse in schools by addressing six major elements determined to be critical in sustaining safe and healthy schools and students. Wake County has responded to this challenge by identifying four goals that correspond with these six elements, and by adopting seventeen strategies for carrying out these goals. By focusing on collaboration and cooperation with partner agencies and the community, the Wake County project is promoting the implementation and refinement of sustainable efforts to create a safe, orderly, and drug-free learning environment within county schools.

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This report focuses on the structure of instructional assistance available through ALP to students who show low achievement. Information is also provided on other programs available to these students. For many years, WCPSS has had instructional support available through a variety of grant-funded programs to students with special needs. However, student needs could not be fully met through these original resources. To help accomplish goal 2003 (for 95% of students to score proficient on EOG tests), local dollars were allocated for supplemental instructional support.

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Evidence exists of positive progress toward meeting interim benchmarks as the project works toward achieving its major goals. In almost all instances where concerns were noted, appropriate corrective actions are in place or in process. SS/HS staff, partners and contacts meet regularly as appropriate to review progress and receive project updates.

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On almost all academic measures reviewed for this report, White females in WCPSS were the most successful group, and Black males were the least successful group. The gap between White and Black students' achievement has decreased over time in some areas but has not in others. Within WCPSS, many students within each subgroup excel. However, smaller proportions of low income and minority students show on-grade-level performance than higher income and White students. Gaps in achievement by income, race, or gender are due to myriad factors, including correlations with personal, school, family, societal, and other factors. Gaps can be closed with appropriate resources, but it is not easy. Accomplishment of the 95% goal will require nearly eliminating the socioeconomic and demographic gaps described in this report.

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The high school dropout rate during 1999-2000 in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) was 4.1 percent (2.7% for grades 7-12), the lowest since the start of annual reporting by WCPSS. The WCPSS dropout rate has steadily declined from 1994 to 2000, as displayed in Figure 1. The decline was interrupted in the 1998-1999 school year, the year that students going directly to junior or community college GED programs began to be included as dropouts. The decline resumed during the 1999-2000 school year. The decrease in the WCPSS dropout rate corresponded to a similar decrease in dropouts reported across the state.

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More kindergarten students in 2000 (37%) than in 1999 (29%) were beyond the early emergent/emergent reading stage by the end of the year. Nonetheless, almost one-fourth of both kindergarten and first-grade students, and one-third of second-grade students, were identified as needing extra reading support at the next grade level because they were behind the majority of students in the acquisition of reading skills. In contrast, fewer grade 2 students (18%) and grade 3 students (9%) were identified as needing extra support in writing. As for mathematics performance, slightly fewer kindergarten students in 2000 (11%) than in 1999 (12%) remained at the pre-emergent stage of mathematics development and were identified as needing extra support in the next school year. However, the percent of grades 1-5 students demonstrating proficiency in none of the mathematics strands or in only one of the four strands ranged from 13% at first grade to 22% at grades 3-5.

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The first purpose of both the new and revised magnet themes is to eliminate minority group isolation and promote broad participation and interaction among diverse groups of students. Year 2 results for this purpose are disappointing. However, results in achieving the other three purposes of the project are very good.

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The 1998-99 duplicated dropout rate is the percent of first-time dropouts (those who dropped out for the first time in 1998-99) and previous year dropouts (those who dropped out before 1998-99, returned to school in 1998-99, and dropped out again). There had been a steady decline in the WCPSS dropout rate for grades 7-12 from 1993-94 to 1997-98. However, the percentage of WCPSS dropouts increased between 1997-98 and 1998-99. The WCPSS dropout increase also corresponded to a dramatic increase in dropouts reported across the state. (Figure 1). These increases may be due to a rule change in the assessment of dropout rates which now reports students who transfer to community colleges to receive their GED as dropouts. In the past, these students were referred to as transfers.

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WCPSS has had efforts in place to support low achieving students for many years. However, about 20% of WCPSS students do not score high enough to be considered "on grade level" on the End-Of-Grade (EOG) tests given across North Carolina in grades 3-8. WCPSS and the community have adopted the goal that 95% of our students will score on grade level in grades 3 and 8 by 2003. Staff recognized that the 95% achievement goal could not be accomplished unless we tried new ways to help low achieving students and provided additional resources to schools. For the 1998-99 school year, previously funded efforts such as special education, Title I, English as a Second Language, and Student Support Teams continued, but approximately $5 million in additional funds (some grant and some local) were also allocated to schools to support low achieving students. This report focuses on whether the additional funds made a difference in the progress of low achieving students and what techniques seemed to make the most positive difference for students.

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Dropout Report 1997-1998

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