Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 13, 1995 TAG: 9508150001
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Patrick County has proved you don't have to be big or rich to produce good students.
The small, rural county was No. 1 in Virginia this year in the percentage of its sixth-graders who passed the state Literacy Passport Test, beating affluent suburban school systems in Northern Virginia that traditionally rank at the top in student academic achievement.
The county's pass rate was 91.3 percent - nearly 8 percentage points above Radford's, which ranked second.
It was no fluke. Patrick finished in the top five last year, and has always ranked high.
Manassas was third this year with a pass rate of 82.9 percent. Highland County, the state's least-populous locality, ranked fourth at 81.3 percent. Fairfax County, the most populous locality, finished fifth at 80.5 percent. Salem was eighth at 76.7 percent.
Roanoke County ranked 15th at 74 percent, and Roanoke 73rd at 59.4 percent. The state has 133 school systems.
The passport test consists of reading, writing and math exams. The statewide pass rate for all three exams was 65.6 percent.
Students must pass all three parts to be classified as ninth-graders or above and to receive a high school diploma. They can retake the test if they fail.
Patrick's pass rates for the individual exams were even higher than the 91.3 percent rate for all three. The rate for reading was 95.5 percent; writing, 95.9 percent; and math, 98 percent.
The test results have created a stir in Patrick County, which has a population of 17,473.
"We've gotten a lot of attention because of the test. It doesn't happen around this place very often," said Lois Kloock, director of instruction for the county schools.
Patrick County has only seven schools - one high school and six elementary schools. It has a total school enrollment of 2,611 - fewer than some high schools in the state.
"We're not a big school division. But maybe there is an advantage to being small," Kloock said. "It is a team effort. Everyone works together. The schools are not competitive. They help each other out."
Patrick County is not only smaller, but poorer, than many top school systems in Virginia.
"I don't want to say that money doesn't count, but we have less money than some school systems. We have been fortunate to have some good teachers," Kloock said.
Patrick spent $4,552 per pupil on education in the 1993-94 school year, the last year for which statistics are available on all school systems in Virginia. By comparison, Arlington spent $8,898 per pupil, and Falls Church spent $8,745.
Educators are calling to find the secret of the county's success. But Kloock said there is no secret - just dedication and hard work.
The passport test is a priority for everyone in the school system, from the School Board to the students, she said.
"The schools and the community work together. We are committed to doing well," Kloock said.
The test is a centerpiece of the county's elementary curriculum. The county gives individual recognition and a certificate to every sixth-grader who passes all three tests.
It uses community college students and volunteers to supplement teachers' work with the children to make sure they acquire the skills to pass the test.
Teachers begin preparing children for the exams in the first grade by providing tutorial help to those who are having trouble learning to read.
Trained tutors work with individual students for 30 minutes a day in an intensive one-on-one setting, Kloock said.
The federally funded Title I program also provides remedial reading and writing services for disadvantaged children in the first three grades.
Kloock said the county has a low teacher-pupil ratio in the early elementary grades - 1-to-20 or lower in all classes - so teachers can give more individual attention to children.
The schools use the results of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills for fourth-graders to identify pupils who are having trouble with basic skills and target them for remedial services.
The schools also use computer programs in reading, writing and math to help the pupils acquire proficiency in these areas, she said.
by CNB