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School expects state scores to improve
By Leigh Anne Butler
Each school year, the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) releases the Alabama State Report Card for all public schools in the state of Alabama. The report card is used as an assessment for each school and can be used to compare school systems throughout the state.
Tallassee City Schools has received preliminary numbers for the 2022-23 school year and are pleased to anticipate an increase in the school system’s scores.
“There is nothing official,” Dr. Brock Nolin, superintendent of Tallassee City Schools explains. “These are just rough numbers that we have calculated based on our scores that have come in or other things that go into our score on our report card.”
“The elementary school is most likely looking at a high B, getting very close to an A,” Nolin was eager to report. “The middle school is probably going to have their first B ever, a middle to high B, and the high school has flipped the script on last year’s score and are back into the score area where they were the previous year.”
The official state report card scores are usually released by the ALSDE in December for the previous school year.
“We still have some work to do, but I was really pleased with the effort put forward by the teachers and students. I believe we are looking at a very strong B for the district,” Nolin elaborated.
The Alabama State Report Card is calculated based on six indicators: academic achievement, academic growth, graduation rates, college and career readiness, chronic absenteeism, and progress in English language proficiency. The report card also includes student demographics and educator profile data.
Nolin touched on a few of the report card indicator areas and how they impact the school system’s scores.
“For years, we have had an attendance issue,” Nolin said. “It is imperative to be at school. Be present. If you are not there, you can’t learn. It’s just that simple. I am especially pleased with the parents in the attendance portion of the report card.”
“Our high absenteeism numbers tend to run in kindergarten because attendance is not required by the state and at the high school level, sometimes you just get tired of fighting those teenagers. You’ve just got to make them get up and go and be there on time.”
Academic achievement is the report card indicator that reflects the test results for grades that are tested. Second through eighth grade students take the ACAP test and at the high school level, the ACT college entrance exam is given.
“Roughly 60 to 65 percent of that score comes from one test administered on one day, especially with the high school and the ACT,” Nolin explained. “If the kids show up and decide they’re going to tank it, they’re only going to mark “C” on the score sheet, then our score isn’t going to be very good. A lot of it has to do with student apathy. I hate to say that but that’s really what it is. What we really tried to encourage, especially with the high schoolers, this past year, is that this score is a direct reflection of our community and our school.”
To view Tallassee City School’s current report card scores as well as compare our scores to other school districts, click here.
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