THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 2, 1995 TAG: 9503310247
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SERIES: School Report Card
SOURCE: BY VANEE VINES, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 146 lines
LIKE A GYMNAST atop a balance beam, the school district is poised to pull off some impressive academic feats, but there are spots where it could lose its footing.
The annual state report card on city schools revealed, for example, that Portsmouth is doing a better job preparing students for college: More are earning advanced diplomas, scoring well on college-credit exams and taking algebra and foreign language classes.
At the same time, fourth-graders are acing standardized tests and the district's drop-out rate is one of the region's lowest.
Despite such success, Portsmouth is far from scoring a perfect 10. Many students are still stuck in the academic basement. The state's report card, which covers 1990-91 through 1993-94, also highlighted other problem areas:
Forty percent of all students - and 46 percent of high school students - were absent from school for more than two weeks last school year. That's down from previous years, but there's room for improvement.
Low standardized test scores barely budged among most middle and high school students.
The percentage of students completing vocational programs has dropped.
Superintendent Richard D. Trumble said the college-prep gains were heartening. Steady improvement on standardized tests given to fourth-graders also could translate into better, districtwide performance as those kids move to secondary school, he said.
However, Trumble's not anticipating large achievement gains any time soon. For one thing, he said, too few dollars are available to make big differences.
``Programs to address severe educational deprivation are expensive. It's like the intensive care unit in the hospital,'' he said. ``The I.C.U. costs about 10 times more than regular treatment.'' Sixty percent of city students are needy enough to qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch.
Still, local educators are recording victories.
At Highland Biltmore Elementary, 85 percent of fourth-graders scored better than a majority of their peers on standardized tests last school year, placing ``HB'' among the region's top-performing elementary schools in that category.
Students there are reminded constantly that learning is their job and that sweating it out today pays off tomorrow, said Principal Charles Bowens III.
``We build up the kids.'' he said. ``We let them know that where they live is not important. It's what they do when they cross our doorstep.'' The school - named Portsmouth's most-improved last year - primarily serves disadvantaged children.
At the middle school level, more eighth-graders are taking algebra and foreign language classes - both of which help prepare students for college and are considered important to building critical-thinking skills.
William E. Waters Middle leads the pack in both categories. In 1993-94, 33 percent of the school's eighth-graders had taken a foreign language; 22 percent of eighth-graders had taken algebra.
``We have some really motivated students and involved parents, but we constantly stress the importance of higher-level classes,'' said Assistant Principal Ella Ward.
Last year, the administration decided to allow bright eighth-graders to enroll in some ninth-grade classes - a measure that sparked fires under many students.
In a more controversial move, the district also removed the bottom-level academic track from middle and high schools. Students previously shut out of advanced classes were allowed to try them if they felt they could pass muster and had demonstrated their academic ability.
While some school officials already have described more students being turned on to school because of the changes, it's too early to say how things will shake out.
Even so, those students may be more likely to pursue advanced diplomas and take rigorous classes in high school. Since the 1990-91 school year, however, Portsmouth has seen some gains in those areas.
In 1993-94, the percentage of graduates who earned advanced-studies diplomas inched up 3 percentage points compared to 1990-91. Achievement on college-credit exams was more dramatic. Last school year, 46 percent of high school juniors and seniors in college-level courses scored well enough on at least one ``Advanced Placement'' exam to earn college credit. That was up from 28 percent in 1990-91.
``I think competition to get good jobs and get in the best colleges has gotten a lot tougher in the past couple of years,'' said Churchland High senior Clare Seagraves, who's enrolled in three college-level classes.
``Kids I know have been looking more into the future.''
However, few academic goals can be reached if students infrequently show up for school. Although districtwide attendance rates have improved, the issue is still troublesome.
The problem is most acute at Woodrow Wilson High, where 60 percent of the students were absent from school for more than two weeks in 1993-94. This school year, Principal Lindell Wallace and the sheriff's department teamed up to create a truancy program in which sheriff's deputies help track down missing students.
Some city students may opt to play hooky because school has been little more than a series of failures.
Sixteen percent of the district's eighth-graders have flunked a grade at least once, for example. That's more than twice the state average.
Educators say they're trying harder to make classes come to life for more students by incorporating hands-on activities in lessons and better explaining how classroom learning is connected to the real world, among other strategies.
The district's Tech Prep initiative at Wilson High also guides students from fulfilling minimal general-track requirements by urging them to take tougher academic courses or to seek a more focused vocational diploma.
``Even if students are not planning to go to college, they need a solid background centered on the academic basics so they can use that as a stepping stone in life,'' said Audrey Patrick, I.C. Norcom's guidance department director.
Although the district's work training programs traditionally have been strong, Portsmouth has lost ground in vocational education since 1991-92.
Participation in vocational programs among non-college bound graduates dropped 14 percentage points from 1990-91 to 1993-94. Last school year, 77 percent of such students completed those programs.
Staff reductions, coupled with low enrollment in several vocational classes, led the district to offer fewer of those classes in many instances, said Dee Paine, acting coordinator of vocational education.
The district is trying to reverse the trend.
The list of vocational course offerings will be beefed up for the upcoming school year, Paine said, and students will have the chance to take some classes sooner, like keyboarding. Plans are also under way to offer two more courses jointly with Tidewater Community College.
The state report card highlights strengths in public schools as well as areas of performance that need more work. Educators and teachers - even parents and students - can use that information to improve schools. MEMO: School Report Card
Opportunities for Portsmouth Schools
Threats for Portsmouth Schools
For complete information see microfilm
ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARK MITCHELL
Sandra Lathan instructs her third-grade class at Highland Biltmore
Elementary. That school placed among the region's top-performing
elementary schools in the category of standardized testing. The
school also was named Portsmouth's most-improved last year.
Chart
Your School Snapshot
For complete information see microfilm
KEYWORDS: PORTSMOUTH SCHOOLS COMPARISON by CNB