Christy Bouldin, parent of Jones Intermediate and Mount Airy High School students, noted, “These past few years have been anything but easy and we have had to learn to adapt. One thing that’s remained constant is my children’s education! MACS has not stopped; we have learned and grown academically. My family is grateful to be part of this school system.”
With the recent release of Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) data, MACS saw tremendous growth that is the result of the hard work of many stakeholders. The staff, parents, and community partners are committed to the success of each student in the district and as a result, every school in the district met (green) or exceeded growth (blue). This is outstanding news for the district because it highlights the work done by the exceptional staff over the course of an extremely difficult period.
Deputy Superintendent Phillip Brown stated, “EVAAS is the best measurement tool we have to determine whether or not we are making a positive long-term academic difference in our students’ lives. Our data reports show that our teachers and students have excelled beyond what is expected. Kudos to our teachers who work tirelessly to ensure each student is growing every day.”
The EVAAS release is a robust form of feedback that is a growth prediction based on three years of a student’s prior academic performances. This provides a more comprehensive picture of student growth over time than any singular end-of-the-year/grade test. It takes a variety of data points to show how teachers grow students. These data emphasize that teachers in MACS are adding great value to students’ experiences.
This report also affirms the schools’ focus and efforts on K-12 mathematics and literacy over the past several years.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) educators proved that MACS is preparing students for the next chapter in their life and positively impacting workforce development in Surry County. Workforce development is a major emphasis in Surry County. The district’s CTE teachers and students exceeded expected growth with an average growth index of 3.0, showing that students are well prepared for future careers.
What Does It Mean?
Red, green, and blue. To put it simply, red means that expected growth was not met. Green indicates that expected growth was achieved whereas blue shows that expected growth was exceeded. Within the green, expected growth, there is a range showcasing the depth of growth for students.
When looking at growth index numbers, a score of -1.0 to 1.0 means that a teacher grew students at an expected rate and appears as green. A number greater than 2.0 indicates that a teacher exceeded the expected amount of growth for that year and this is shown as blue.
One emphasis for the last five years has been on K-12 mathematics. The growth in this area is evident and worthy of celebration:
-
5th-grade growth index of 2.93
-
6th-grade growth index of 7.62
-
7th-grade growth index of 6.38
-
8th-grade growth index of 4.11
-
Math I growth index of 6.24
-
Math III growth index of 7.66
It is important to note that:
-
Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd-grade math assessments, given yearly, are not included in
EVAAS growth calculations.
-
3rd and 4th had no math indicators last year due to lack of data from COVID
interruptions in testing.
As more data is released, we will share more celebrations from the hard work of our educators and students!