Guilford schools: New standards penalize district
Guilford County Schools officials hope to meet with the state next week to resolve a standards change that is penalizing the system for encouraging so many of its students to take Algebra I in middle school rather than high school.
The state recently changed the percentage of questions students must answer correctly on their algebra proficiency tests. Those numbers, in turn, are used to determine how well individual schools are complying with federal standards.
Current tenth-graders who took and passed the Algebra I test two years ago aren't individually affected by the change. But their scores are used in determining whether enough of a high school's students are proficient in Algebra I to meet federal standards.
"The state has never given us the opportunity to ask students to retake the test," said Gongshu Zhang, the system's chief officer for accountability and research. "If they did, most would still be proficient" even under the new standard.
A call to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction seeking comment was not immediately returned.
School officials want to discuss the issue with state officials next week but are afraid that nothing can be done without the federal government's permission. If that's the case, they want the state to facilitate discussions between the school system and the government.
Contact Lex Alexander at 373-7088 or lex.alexander@news-record.com
