THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 30, 1995 TAG: 9508300651
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
The Dare County Board of Education unanimously approved a $3,000 bonus Tuesday for Superintendent Leon Holleman.
However, board members made it clear that they want to see improvement in the school district's Scholastic Aptitude Test scores.
Dare County students averaged 878 on the SAT. The county was the only northeastern district to score above the North Carolina average of 865. Dare's scores ranked 26th among state school systems, but it was below the national average of 910. A perfect score is 1600.
The bonus is awarded through an incentive clause in Holleman's contract with the school system. His base salary is $64,008 annually, officials said.
The board met in a closed session for about 30 minutes before approving the bonus. The board evaluated Holleman's effectiveness in accomplishing goals. But the SAT scores were at the forefront Tuesday.
School officials pointed out that while 76 percent of North Carolina students take the SAT, some Midwestern states such as North Dakota and Iowa, which are national pacesetters, have less than 5 percent of their students taking the test, taking instead the ACT. The SAT and the ACT are widely used in college admissions.
Also, the district's average scores are based on the most recent score a graduating senior received on the test, even if earlier scores were higher. That, officials say, leads to inaccurate numbers when comparing North Carolina to other states.
North Carolina ranks 48th nationally on the exam.
``Even though we're not on a level playing field, that's not an excuse,'' said School Board Chairwoman Virginia Tillett. ``We have to improve these scores. For our children to be able to compete and to get into college, we have to have higher scores.
``We have to find ways to prepare our children to take the test. We have to teach our children how to think. It's not a matter of memorization.''
Board Member David Daniels agreed.
``I think we ought to exceed the national average,'' Daniels said. ``We have to do better.''
Holleman reviewed his goals for the coming year, many including programs from last year:
Improvements in programs for the academically gifted.
``The board feels that in many areas, the academically gifted program is too specific,'' Holleman said. Holleman said the program will be restructured to place more emphasis on mathematics. Also, teachers and parents will be more involved in designing the program.
Improved guidance services. Students are bringing more and more problems from home into the school, and are seeking help, Holleman said. Also, there will be greater emphasis on assisting students with financial aid and planning for their academic future.
Athletics. A clear hiring and evaluation procedure for coaches and athletic directors. Coaches in Dare County are signed to one-year contracts. Under the new guidelines, coaches will not be judged solely on won-loss record, but on their impact on character, and other factors. by CNB