Harold McCormick Elementary School students and educators are proud to receive recognition by the State Department of Education for making significant improvement toward gap closure in education in two subgroups for the school year 2014-15. They closed the gap for economically disadvantaged students by 11.2 percent in math and 9.1 percent in reading. For students with disabilities, the gap was closed by 4.5 percent in reading.
“We are very proud of Harold McCormick’s success in closing the gaps in our identified subgroups,” Director of Special Education Myra Newman said. “Our teachers, staff and administrators work very diligently to provide all of our students with the best education.”
According to the Department of Education website, Focus Schools are the 10 percent of schools in the state with the largest achievement gaps between groups of students. They may further be designated as Exit or Improving if they demonstrate progress in the area for which they are identified as a Focus.
In 2014, Harold McCormick was categorized as a Focus School by the Tennessee Department of Education.
Director of Communications at the Tennessee Department of Education Ashley Ball said, “They made major improvements in the areas which they were identified for as a Focus School, but did not meet the criteria to be an Exit Focus School.”
She said the gaps are still there, but they are closing. In 2015, it was named a Focus Improving School because they reduced the number of students scoring in the bottom category of Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP). She said for the, to totally close the gap, they must come out of the Focus School group.
“If that progress continues next year, and they meet Exit criteria, they can come off the Focus School list,” said Ball. “They need to make even more growth next year to come off the Focus List, and they must demonstrate significant progress in the areas for which they were identified.”
Harold McCormick teaches over 30 students in the two subgroups of Economically Disadvantaged and Students with Disabilities in grades three through five, a number which Principal Eric Wampler said is significantly larger proportionally to the number of students in these subgroups in other area schools.
“We will continue to monitor and support all of our students to ensure continual academic growth each year,” said Newman.
She was very appreciative of the efforts of the students and parents to exceed their goals and said that parents’ partnership with the school leads to higher success.
“Our goal is to continue to provide a nurturing learning environment for the betterment of our student’s lives,” said Wampler.