GCHS Receives ‘Exemplary’ Status
Garden City High School has again been awarded the state’s “Exemplary” status, the highest possible, for its scores in the spring, 2000, TAAS testing. To achieve this ranking, at least 90 percent of eligible students must pass the reading, writing and math test, there must be no more than a 1 percent dropout rate, and attendance must be at least 94 percent.
The elementary school earned the second highest status of “Recognized.” This level of achievement requires at least 80 percent passing each subject area, a 3.5 percent or less dropout rate, and at least a 94 percent attendance rate.
The district as a whole merited a “Recognized” status, prompting School Counselor Doug Conner to say, “It doesn’t get any better than this!”
Conner presented the results as part of his state Academic Excellence Indicator System report to the GCISD School Board at its meeting Sept. 11. He said criticisms of the state’s TAAS testing in programs such as “60 Minutes” are nothing more than political attacks aimed at Governor George W. Bush.
Conner called the TAAS test “a good instrument,” and agreed with Board President Jimmy Eggemeyer, who said, “the TAAS tests things that we should be teaching anyway.” He and Secondary School Principal Faith Scott agreed that no one is pressed to “teach the test,” though they said it does present some stress for teachers. Scott said other indicators, including SAT and ACT scores, should also be considered to understand how well Texas students are doing, and to see that no one area or test is over-emphasized.
Conner said Texas is the only state to require that all three high school math classes be above the algebra level, saying algebra is a third level class in many states. He also said Texas has risen from twenty-eighth to number one or two nationally in overall educational performance.
Conner spoke of the constant changes in TAAS testing requirements (such as fewer exemptions for immigrants) which seem to keep the elementary school from Exemplary status. But he said, “Nothing they change will change how good we are and what we do.”