Local schools meet state goals

Clarendon and Hedley schools both met state goals on standardized testing last spring and earned “grades” of B for the year, according to information released this month by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

Clarendon ISD’s overall score improved from an 84 last year as a district to 88 this year with Clarendon High School making an 87, down one point; Clarendon Junior High making an 80, up five points; and Clarendon Elementary maintaining a 90.

“We’re just two points away from an A,” Superintendent Mike Norrell said. “Schools are about more than just accountability tests, but if this is the way the state is going to measure us, we’re going to work to make up those two points.”

Norrell went on to say that he proud of Clarendon’s students and staff.

“It’s students and staff that make the difference,” he said. “We’re going to continue to do the best to provide every child a quality education.”

Three components make up the state’s grading system: Student Achievement, which is mostly scores on the spring STAAR tests; School Progress, which involves how students are performing over time; and Closing the Gaps, which concerns how different ethnic and economic populations are performing.
Clarendon High School’s score was broken down as 87 for Student Performance, 84 for School Progress, and 86 for Closing the Gaps. CHS received two out of a possible seven distinctions for Academic Achievement in Social Studies, Top 25 percent for comparative academic growth when compared with similar schools around the state.

Clarendon Junior High’s scores were made up of 80 for Student Performance, 81 for School Progress, and 77 for Closing the Gaps.

Clarendon Elementary received an 88 for Student Achievement, 89 for School Progress, and 92 for Closing the Gap. The elementary school also received five out of a possible six distinctions. Those included Academic Achievements in Mathematics and English Language Arts / Reading; Top 25 Percent in Comparative Academic Growth; Post Secondary Readiness; and Top 25 Percent in Comparative Closing the Gaps.

Hedley received an overall score of 88 out of 100, down from a 92 last year. Hedley ISD operates as one campus, where the state recognizes Clarendon as being three campuses – elementary, junior high, and high school.

Hedley scored 89 out of 100 for Student Achievement, an 85 out of 100 for School Progress, and 87 out of 100 for Closing the Gaps. The school also earned three out of seven distinctions for Academic Achievements in Mathematics, Post-Secondary Readiness, and Top 25 Percent Comparative Closing the Gaps.