ABC News Spring Break Salvation: Christian Ministry Heads South to 'Save

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A small ministry called 'Beach Reach' goes to South Padre Island to preach to spring breakers.

Our Notes:  Now that is a great story from CBS.  

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State Board of Education Approves A-F School Grading System

English: The state seal of Virginia.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

First School Grades will Accompany 2014-2015 Accreditation Ratings

RICHMOND – Governor Bob McDonnell announced that the Virginia Board of Education today unanimously approved an A-F grading system that will assign letter grades to schools based on the percentages of students demonstrating proficiency, academic growth and college and career readiness. Initial letter grades will be announced at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year and will accompany school accreditation ratings.

Governor Bob McDonnell proposed an A-F school grading system as part of his ALL STUDENTS 2013 education agenda. The 2013 General Assembly subsequently approved House Bill 1999 and Senate Bill 1207 — sponsored by Del. Thomas A. Greason, R-Loudoun County, and Sen. William M. Stanley Jr., R-Franklin County, respectively — directing the state Board of Education to create an A-F scale based on performance, state and federal accountability standards and student growth indicators.  

“I want to thank Secretary of Education Javaid Siddiqi, former Secretary of Education Laura Fornash, the Department of Education and the Board of Education for the thoughtful approach that they have taken in implementing this legislation to provide parents with a better understanding of school performance,” Governor McDonnell said. “I also want to commend the General Assembly for supporting this commonsense reform to bring accountability and transparency to Virginia public schools.  The A-F grading system relies on criteria that will capture a school’s overall performance and growth, college and career readiness, and the success of schools in raising achievement of their lowest-performing students.  The new grading system will better enable us to track school performance and improve education for all Virginia students by utilizing an easy to understand and familiar format.”

“In implementing the legislation, the state board struck what I believe is an appropriate balance between maintaining high expectations for all children and recognizing the successes of schools that serve students who face significant challenges,” Secretary of Education Javaid Siddiqi said.

Under the system adopted by the board, 50 percent of the grade of an elementary or middle school will be based on overall proficiency in English, mathematics, science and history/social science; 25 percent on overall growth in English and mathematics; and 25 percent on growth in English and mathematics among the school’s lowest-performing students. Elementary and middle schools also can earn a capped number of bonus points based on the percentage of students earning advanced scores on Standards of Learning (SOL) tests in the four core content areas and for meeting all federal accountability benchmarks.  The A-F grading system was developed after months of thoughtful consideration and research as well as significant input from stakeholders, including parents, educators, school and community leaders.

For high schools, 33 percent of the grade will be based on overall proficiency in English, mathematics, science and history/social science; 25 percent will be based on indicators of college and career readiness, such as graduation rates, college credits earned and completion of advanced career and technical education (CTE) programs; eight percent will be based on participation in dual-credit courses and board-approved CTE assessments; 17 percent will be based on growth toward college and career readiness; and 17 percent will be based on growth toward college and career readiness among students at risk of not graduating. High schools also can earn a capped number of bonus points based on advanced performance on SOL assessments and for meeting all federal accountability goals.

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Virginia 4th Graders Among Nation’s Best Readers

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Achievement Up Significantly Since 2009 on National Reading Test 

RICHMOND - Results from the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show that the reading skills of Virginia fourth-grade students have improved significantly over the last four years, Governor Bob McDonnell reported today.

Virginia is one of the nation’s 12 highest-performing states in fourth-grade reading. These states have what the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) views as statistically similar percentages of fourth graders earning proficient or advanced scores.

“Developing a strong literacy foundation is imperative to a child's success in school,” said Governor McDonnell.  “In 2012, we passed legislation to end social promotion in order to ensure that all students are reading on grade level prior to moving on to fourth grade. We have seen great improvement in reading scores over the last four years. As more students are impacted by the strategies implemented in our third grade reading program we expect we will see even greater success.”

Forty-three percent of the commonwealth’s grade-4 students met or exceeded the NAEP proficiency standard and 12 percent performed at the advanced level. Nationwide, 34 percent of fourth-grade students demonstrated reading skills at or above the proficient level and eight percent achieved advanced scores.

The improvement in the reading skills of Virginia fourth graders follows an expansion of the commonwealth’s efforts to strengthen the skills of struggling young readers. In 2012, the General Assembly approved Governor Bob McDonnell’s request for funds to provide early reading intervention services for 100 percent of eligible students in grades K-3 and to make the promotion of students who fail the grade-3 reading Standards of Learning (SOL) test contingent on intervention. The 2013 General Assembly approved McDonnell’s request for state funding for an additional reading specialist in elementary schools with grade-3 reading pass rates below 75 percent.

“In recent years, we’ve placed an increased emphasis on strengthening adolescent literacy and equipping students with the reading skills that will prepare them for college or a career,” Secretary of Education Laura Fornash said.

NCES describes the increase in reading achievement among Virginia fourth graders since 2009 — when 38 percent achieved proficient or advanced scores — as statistically significant.

For the first time in the history of the state-level NAEP, a majority of Virginia’s white fourth graders — 51 percent — achieved proficient or advanced reading scores. Twenty-three percent of black Virginia fourth graders earned proficient or advanced scores, as did 25 of Hispanic fourth graders and 65 percent of Asian fourth graders.

Board of Education President David M. Foster said that persistent differences in the performance of student subgroups underscore the importance of the SOL program in detecting achievement gaps and in identifying low-performing schools in need of state interventions and resources.     

“The Board of Education is raising the bar with college- and career-ready standards and innovative assessments that require critical thinking, as well as the mastery of content knowledge,” Foster said. “Helping all students meet these higher expectations — regardless of where they live or the schools they attend — is the surest prescription for narrowing and ultimately closing achievement gaps.”

Thirty-six percent of Virginia eighth-grade students achieved at or above the proficient level in reading on the 2013 NAEP, the same percentage as in 2011. Four percent achieved advanced reading scores, also the same percentage as in 2011. Nationally, 34 percent of eighth graders achieved proficient or advanced scores and 4 percent earned advanced scores.

Forty-five percent of white eighth graders in Virginia earned proficient or advanced reading scores, as did 17 percent of black students, 26 percent of Hispanic students and 49 percent of Asian students.

In mathematics, 47 percent of Virginia fourth graders achieved scores at or above the proficient level, compared with 46 percent in 2011. Nine percent scored at the advanced level, the same percentage as in 2011. Nationwide, 41 percent of fourth-graders demonstrated achievement at or above the proficient level and eight percent achieved advanced scores.

NCES says the percentage of the commonwealth’s fourth graders achieving proficient or advanced scores in mathematics has improved significantly since 2007, when only 42 percent met or exceeded the NAEP proficiency standard.

Fifty-six percent of white fourth graders achieved proficient or advanced mathematics scores, as did 22 percent of black students, 32 percent of Hispanic students, and 70 percent of Asian students.

Thirty-eight percent of Virginia eighth graders achieved proficient or advanced mathematics scores in 2013, compared with 40 percent in 2011. NCES does not regard this two-point decline as statistically noteworthy. Ten percent of the commonwealth’s eighth graders earned advanced mathematics scores in 2013, compared with 11 percent in 2011. Nationally, 34 percent of eighth graders earned proficient or advanced scores; eight percent achieved at the advanced level.

Eighth graders in only five states — Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Minnesota and Vermont — achieved higher average math scores than Virginia students, compared with seven states in 2011. NCES describes the increase in grade-8 mathematics achievement in Virginia since 2005 — when 33 percent earned proficient or advanced scores — as significant.

Forty-seven percent of white Virginia eighth graders achieved proficient or advanced mathematics scores on the 2013 NAEP, as did 15 percent of black eighth graders, 25 percent of Hispanic eighth graders, and 64 percent of Asians.

NAEP — also known as the Nation’s Report Card — reflects the performance of representative samples of students in each state and nationwide. The 2013 NAEP sampling of Virginia students included approximately 6,100 fourth-grade students and 5,700 eighth graders. NAEP results are not reported by division or for individual schools.

Reading and mathematics tests are administered every two years and provide a means of comparing the progress of states in raising student achievement. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a proficient NAEP score represents solid performance on challenging subject matter — a more rigorous standard than grade-level achievement.

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Virginia SAT Scores Rise as Nation’s Fall

Governor of Virginia Bob McDonnell  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Achievement of Virginia Students Increases On All Three Components of Leading College-Entrance Exam

RICHMOND – Virginia’s 2013 public school graduates achieved significant gains and outperformed their peers nationwide on the SAT college-admissions test, according to results released today by the College Board. Average scores for Virginia public school graduates rose four points in critical reading, one point in mathematics and two points in writing. Among public school students nationwide, achievement was flat in reading, and dropped two points in mathematics and one point in writing.

                  

            Speaking about Virginia students’ performance on the SAT college-admissions test, Governor Bob McDonnell commented, “Most Virginia high schools are doing a great job preparing our students for the college entrance exams.  While nationwide test scores showed no growth, this year we saw in Virginia impressively high marks on every section of the SAT.  This is due to the rigorous standards we hold our students too, and the high-quality classroom instruction by our teachers.”

Graduating seniors in Virginia achieved at significantly higher levels than public school students nationwide on all three SAT subsections:

·         The average Virginia public school reading score of 512 is 21 points higher.

·         The average Virginia public school mathematics score of 511 is eight points higher.

·         The average Virginia public school writing score of 494 is 14 points higher.

2013 SAT Virginia Public School Mean Scores
Group	Critical Reading		Mathematics		Writing
	Virginia	Nation	Virginia	Nation	Virginia	Nation
All Public School Students	512	491	511	503	494	480
American Indian	502	477	492	481	477	456
Asian	546	523	584	574	538	520
Black	439	426	431	425	422	412
Hispanic	491	445	490	457	474	437
White	537	522	533	531	517	508

“Virginia teachers at all grade levels should take pride in the improving performance of our graduating seniors on the SAT,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright said. “The long-term trend on the SAT is up as students are challenged by more rigorous standards as they advance through elementary and middle grades to high school, and ultimately graduate better prepared for their first year of college or the work force.”

“The message in the 2013 SAT results is clear: Virginia students continue to make progress under the Standards of Learning program and the college- and career-ready expectations introduced during the past five years,” Board of Education President David M. Foster said. “I am particularly gratified by the progress in narrowing achievement gaps, as Virginia’s public school students outperformed their counterparts nationally in every demographic subgroup.”

Twenty-nine percent of the Virginia public school SAT takers were members of student subgroups — black, Hispanic and American Indian — historically underrepresented in higher education. Hispanic participation increased by seven percent compared with 2012.

Black 2013 Virginia public school graduates narrowed the achievement gap in all three SAT subject areas by achieving larger gains than public school students overall.  The average black score in critical reading increased seven points to 439.  The average black score in mathematics increased four points to 431.  The average black score in writing increased five points to 422.

Hispanic Virginia public school graduates achieved an average of 491 in critical reading, a five-point increase compared with 2012. Their average score of 490 in mathematics represented a one-point improvement, and their 474 average in writing marked no change from 2012.

A total of 53,072 public school seniors in the state took the SAT — a slight decrease in participation over the previous year’s 53,806 public school participants. In all, 67 percent of the state’s public school graduates and 71 percent of graduating seniors overall took the SAT in 2013.

Forty-five percent of Virginia’s 2013 public school SAT takers and 46 percent of all SAT takers in the commonwealth achieved the College Board’s College- and Career-Readiness Benchmark. The benchmark score of 1550 (critical reading, mathematics and writing sections combined) indicates a 65-percent likelihood of achieving a B-minus grade-point average or higher during the first year of college. Nationwide, 43 percent of SAT takers met the readiness standard.

Average achievement of all Virginia high school seniors — including private and home-schooled students — increased six points in reading, two points in mathematics and three points in writing.  Virginia’s all-student average of 516 in reading is 20 points higher than the national all-student average of 496.  The commonwealth’s all-student average of 514 in mathematics is equal to the national all-student average.  Virginia’s all-student average writing score of 498 is ten points higher than the national average.

2013 SAT Virginia All-Student Mean Scores
Group	Critical Reading		Mathematics		Writing
	Virginia	Nation	Virginia	Nation	Virginia	Nation
All Students	516	496	514	514	498	488
American Indian	505	480	492	486	480	461
Asian	540	521	587	597	535	527
Black	440	431	432	429	424	418
Hispanic	496	450	492	461	479	443
White	540	527	534	534	521	515

While the number of Virginia students taking the rival ACT is increasing, the SAT remains the dominant college-entrance examination in Virginia.

The College Board also reported that the number of Virginia public school students who took at least one Advanced Placement (AP) examination during their high school career increased by 1.1 percent this year, and the number of tests taken increased by 2.6 percent.

The number of AP examinations taken by 2013 public school graduates that qualified for college credit increased by 2.8 percent. Of the 136,662 AP tests taken by Virginia public school students, 82,420, or 60.3 percent, earned a grade of 3 or higher.

The College Board’s February 2013 Advanced Placement Report to the Nation ranked Virginia fifth in the nation in achievement on AP examinations. The College Board will use the AP data released today to update its state rankings early next year.

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