Clarendon ISD receives ‘Acceptable’ rating

The Clarendon Independent School District has maintained its level as Academically Acceptable in the state’s accountability system this year.

Clarendon Elementary was rated Recognized for the fifth year in a row.  Clarendon Junior High went down from Recognized last year to Academically Acceptable this year, and Clarendon High was rated Academically Acceptable for the second year in a row.

The ratings are partly based on Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills (TAKS) scores.

“The TAKS scores from the elementary campus reflect the great job done by our teachers and hard work of our students,” said Elementary Principal Mike Word. “The overall scores were very good.  The elementary campus missed the top Texas Education Agency (TEA) rating in one subcategory by 0.1 of a percent.”

On the TAKS across the district, Clarendon had 97 percent of students pass the reading/English language arts portion of the test, up from 93 last year; 95 percent in writing, the same as last year; 92 percent in social studies, same as last year; 82 percent in math, same as last year; and 81 percent in science, up from 77 percent.

“Overall, we were pleased with the scores. There’s definitely some areas we need to improve, especially in the areas of mathematics,” Superintendent Monty Hysinger said. “Our teachers are very good at recognizing the areas in need of improvement and designing curriculum to achieve the desired results.”

Results of each test section is examined by the state based on the school’s performance as a whole and is based on results of different population categories, such as African American, Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged.

For each subpopulation, test scores must be at or above 75 percent to achieve TEA’s Recognized status. As a district, CISD fell short of that score in one subpopulation group in mathematics.

Standards for the TAKS continue to get higher and the tests themselves keep getting tougher.

“Our students worked really hard and the standards are going up,” CHS Principal Larry Jeffers said. “Our students have responded well to the challenge, and we expect better results next year.”

Clarendon TAKS results are as follows: Clarendon Elementary – reading 100 percent, writing 94 percent, mathematics 92 percent, science 100 percent; Clarendon Jr. High – reading/English language arts 95 percent, writing 95 percent, social studies 85 percent, mathematics 84 percent, science 69 percent; Clarendon High School – reading/English language arts 95 percent, social studies 94 percent, mathematics 70 percent, and science 81 percent.

Hedley Independent School District raised their level from Academically Acceptable in 2007 to Recognized this year.

On the TAKS across the district, Hedley had 94 percent of students pass the reading/English language arts portion of the test, down from 98 last year; 99 percent in writing, same as last year; 91 percent in social studies, up from 83 percent; 83 percent in mathematics, up from 79 percent; and 75 percent in science, up from 72 percent last year.

Hedley ISD principal Sharon Wood said the school was proud of its scores.

“Hedley ISD students, teachers, and staff put their heart and soul into reaching our TAKS goals,” Wood said. “Last year ‘Owl Pride’ soared to the ‘Recognized’ level, and this year we’ll move even higher.  We are proud of our achievements and look forward to many future successes.”