Report ranks local schools on test scores

Rankings based on results from the annual Kentucky Core content Tests show Whitley County’s three school districts are generally on the upswing when it comes to student performance.

A report released by the Kentucky Association of School Councils (KASC) ranks individual schools and school districts statewide based on scores from accountability tests for the last three years.

Locally, Whitley County’s school districts fared well and were far above average when compared to other schools and districts.

The Corbin Independent School District was the top district overall in the report, ranked as sixth out of 176 districts. While impressively high, that result is lower than in 2008 and 2007 when the district was ranked fifth and third respectively.

"We are excited about our scores. When you are a high-performing district, there is a tendency to always want to do better than the year before," said Brenda Hammons, Assistant Superintendent for the district. "We had a special dinner just to let the staff know that we are proud of what they have accomplished and what they are doing. I think it says a lot about our district that they aren’t happy with that. They want to be number one."

KASC, a non-profit organization founded in 1992 as a support group for school councils and students, ranks schools based on a score called a "transition index," compiled from test scores from districts and schools.

As a district, Corbin had a transition index score of 98, down from 99 a year ago and 101 in 2007. Hammons notes that at least two of the top districts in the report don’t have high schools. If they are exempted out, Corbin bumps up to fourth in the state.

Corbin Intermediate School and Corbin Elementary School were combined for this report and ranked tied with 33 other schools for 150th out of nearly 700 elementary schools. Its transition index was 102, down a point from last year and even with 2007.

Corbin Middle School was in the top ten, fourth among traditional middle schools (technically sixth in KASC rankings) with an index of 109 – a point above 2008 and two points over 2007.

Corbin High School was tied for 35th in the rankings with seven other schools (including Whitley County High School) with an index score of 84, slipping two points from 2008 and down four points from two years ago.

The Williamsburg City School District has shown steady improvement over the last three years, scoring an index result of 94; unchanged from a year ago and up three from 2007. It ranked tied for 14th in the state as a district with five other schools.
Though in reality a single K-12 school, the report does break out the schools elementary, middle and high school grades. As an elementary school, Williamsburg was one of 32 schools tied for 290th. Its index was 97, down from 101 last year but up two points over 2007’s score of 95.

As a middle school, Williamsburg tied for 84th with 11 others. Its index of 94 has been unchanged since 2007.

The report shows Williamsburg High School tied for 17th with two other schools. It’s transition index score of 89 is up a point from 2008 and five points from 2007.

Williamsburg City Schools Director of Instruction Loren Connell points out, like Hammons, that two of the high schools equal to or ranked above their own mingle middle school scores in to achieve a transition index. When factored out, some schools, like WHS, slip up a place or two in the rankings.

"We are pleased where we are at and we area striving to get better," said Connell of the rankings. "I think these rankings do lend themselves to a little competition, here and in other areas. I think just like anything in an open market that competition helps us drive for better performance."

By far the county’s largest school district, the Whitley County Schools, tied for 47th with nine other schools in the report. Its index score this time around was 90, three points above 2008 and two above 2007.

Whitley Schools Superintendent Lonnie Anderson points out that the district is the highest performing rural school district in Kentucky with its level of poverty, as measured by the number of students who receive free and reduced lunches.

"I think that is one of the biggest challenges a rural district like ours faces," Anderson said. "We are the highest scoring high-poverty district in the state of Kentucky. Our folks have dealt with this issue very effectively over the past several years and we are proud of what we have accomplished."

Whitley County Middle School scored an index result of 90 this time around, tying it for 135th in the state. The score was three points higher than a year ago and a point higher than 2007.

The crown jewel of the district, Whitley County High School, tied for 35th (along with Corbin High School) in the state with an index score of 84 – a whopping eight points over a year ago and five points better than 2007.

Anderson said such huge gains at the high school are a testament to special programs like Carnegie Math and "Credit Recovery," and hard work on the part of teachers and support staff.

"We are particularly pleased that the high school has done so well and made significant improvement over previous years," Anderson said. "I think some of the programs we have in place are starting to pay off."

Anderson also said he was proud that the dropout rate for the district was a very low .84 percent.

The district six elementary schools showed an overall decline this time around. Anderson said administration and faculty is redoubling efforts to correct any problems at the lower grade levels.

"Our teachers work so hard and they do a really good job. I think it is just a matter of tweaking some things there in order to hit our goals."