9-29-10 —   Wayne County Schools ranked among the leading schools in the state  

in subject areas like Reading and Science thanks to the strides  

students are making in the classrooms.

    Wayne County Schools made great strides in improving academic scores  

in the Kentucky Core Content Test (KCCT) recently released, compared  

to the previous school year. In fact, Wayne County Schools increased  

in the percentage of students scoring at the highest performance  

levels (proficient and distinguished) in all but one subject at all  

three levels—elementary, middle, and high school; which is a  

remarkable accomplishment.

    "The scores validate the hard work that the students, parents and  

staff have made in continuing to increase the level of learning at  

Wayne County Schools. Our staff makes every effort to provide a  

powerful learning environment for each student. They do this through  

caring about kids, being very good at what they do, and using the  

best instructional strategies and resources available," said Wayne  

County Superintendent John Dalton. "I am very proud of our students  

and staff for their academic performance. I am even more proud that  

this is a way of life on our campus."

    "We are particularly proud of our elementary schools for maintaining  

such high academic standards when you analyze the scores," said  

Dalton. "Bell Elementary contributed scores in the ninety percent  

range across the board, which is excellent."

    Not only did Bell Elementary scores speak well within the district,  

Bell Elementary ranked in the top 20 out of over 900 elementary  

schools in Kentucky. "This is a phenomenal accomplishment for our  

school district," said Wayne County Schools Assessment Director Wayne  

Roberts.

  Bell Elementary Principal Donna Rice attributed their highest score  

of 94.13 percent in Reading, as well as their other ‘over the top'  

scores to consistently being there for every individual child.  "We  

want to create a safe, secure, happy and loving environment for them,  

in addition to our academic program," she noted.

    "Plus, it helps to have the support of a Superintendent and Board of  

Education who are educationally progressive. They keep in mind what  

we need to do for our children,as we prepare for the next generation  

of students who will lead us.

    The joint elementary scores were something to be proud of as well.  

Comparatively speaking, they were a standout among area schools in  

this part of the state. The joint elementary results reflected a  

combination of scores from Bell Elementary and Turner Intermediate  

Schools revealing an outstanding score in Science at 93.96. Reading  

scores were also high at 85.37, which had been 73.91 in 2009. In  

Mathematics, the joint elementary score was 76.78. Writing On-demand  

showed a score of 66.84 – the highest overall writing score in the  

local district.     

    At Wayne County Middle School, increases were made in every subject  

level, as well. An outstanding Science score of 78.21 was reported,  

followed by high scores in Reading (74.51), Mathematics (70.87), and  

Social Studies (70.22).

    "The Wayne County Middle School Science score ranked them in the top  

30 middle schools in the entire state," noted Roberts.

Wayne County Middle School Principal Tracy Bale was delighted with  

his students' scores and the fact that they met their No Child Left  

Behind goals, which was part of their focus last year. "One of our  

main emphases at the middle school is to foster a positive school  

culture. Research shows us that is the common thread among all high  

achieving schools."

    "Our students have been actively engaged through a variety of  

strategies," said Bale. For instance they used best practice  

strategies in all subject areas, but specifically in Science he  

recalled activities like: inquiry projects, collaborative group  

efforts, and the Gear-Up Program Science Decathlon as pluses.

    Bale also mentioned specific technology integrated activities like:  

students and teachers participating in video conferencing, iPod  

Touches in the classrooms, and advancements with Smart Boards that  

helped move them forward.

    At the high school level, huge jumps were made in Social Studies  

(increasing from 28.13 to 48.86), followed by increases in Science,  

Mathematics, and Writing On-demand. In the area of Reading, scores  

were the highest ever reported at 68.13.

    Wayne County High School Principal Brian Dishman said, "We are  

pleased to see across the board gains in our test scores. I am  

particularly proud of the significant jumps seen in Social Studies  

and Science. Math scores continue to improve, and our Reading score  

ranks among the best in the area."

    "These scores reflect a great deal of hard work on the part of our  

students and faculty," said Dishman.

    Director of Instruction Winona Griggs concluded, "I am so pleased  

with our students' academic progress. Thanks to all our staff for  

their hard work, and the hard work that takes place behind the scenes  

to have a successful instructional program in place. They are  

continuously working to strengthen their teaching and their  

curriculum, as well as imbedding technology into their daily  

instruction. It is great to see this strong evidence of student  

learning."

    In other data released, Wayne County Schools made Adequate Yearly  

Progress at the elementary, middle and district levels under the  

federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The district met 13 of 13  

goals. The elementary met 13 of 13 goals, while the middle school met  

10 of 10 goals, and the high school met 8 of 10 goals.