KENANSVILLE — Duplin County Schools officials are smiling after the results of the ABC accountability results were announced late last week.

Dr. Wiley Doby, superintendent of Duplin County Schools released the 2008-09 ABC accountability results, following the N.C. State Board of Education’s approval and release of the results. The county showed an “outstanding” overall increase in test results for 2008-09 in all tested areas of 7.3 percentage points, according to the released information.

Doby stated, “We are pleased to announce that the results for the Duplin County Schools reflect significant increases in student proficiency (performing at or above grade level) and in the number of schools making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

“I am extremely pleased with testing results of Duplin County Schools for this past year. Every test area at both the elementary and middle schools showed a significant increase and almost every high school area showed an increase as well. In addition, our graduation rate went up. Our staff and students are doing an excellent job at our number one mission: Educating our students. I am very appreciative of all employees and students for a job well done.”

The announcements shared that Duplin’s schools’ reading proficiency in grades three through eight increased by 11.7 percentage points; math proficiency in grades three through eight was up by 10.6 percentage points.

“A portion of our increases at grades three through eight may be credited to the inclusion of retest scores in the final calculations for both ABC and AYP performance,” shared Doby.

For the first time in 2008-09, all students in grades three through eight who scored an Achievement Level II on the regular administration of the End-of-Grade reading and math assessments were required to retest within the given subject area. Students scoring an Achievement Level I were allowed to retest based upon parent request. The retest opportunity allowed 20.7 percent of the students retested in reading to acquire a proficient (Achievement Level III or IV) score and 31.3 percent of students retested in math to achieve proficiency.

Doby’s release also stated that DCS experienced “considerable” improvement in science results compared to the 2007-08 school year when the assessments were (piloted) statewide. Grade five science proficiency increased by 19 percentage points, and grade eight increased by 11 percentage points. Students participating in the science assessments were also allowed to participate in retest opportunity based upon the requirements established for reading and math. The retest results indicate 22.7 percent of the retested students achieved a proficient score in science.

Scores for Instructional Management (formerly VoCats) howed 77.7 percent proficiency in the first semester and 84 percent in the second semester, a significant increase over the 70.8 percent proficiency in the previous school year, Doby said.

Computer skills scores in 2008-09 saw a large increase compared to the 2008-09 scores moving from 75.9 percent proficiency in 2008-09 up to 81.7 percent proficiency.

The standards for a school to make AYP are that all student subgroups within the school must meet the requirements as explained by the superintendent. If one subgroup does not meet the requirements, then the entire school fails to make AYP. “We are extremely pleased that 11 of our 16 schools (68.8 percent) met AYP in 2008-09. In addition, our school system, overall, has a total of 54 student subgroups, and 52 (96.3 percent) of these subgroups met the AYP standards,” shared Doby.

Eleven of Duplin’s 16 schools (68.8 percent) met Expected Growth, four of the 16 (25 percent) met High Growth in the ABCs results. “We are also extremely proud to announce that the schools system as a whole has achieved Expected Growth for the third consecutive year — a status that is indicative of our drive for excellence and our dedication to ensuring the educational needs of our students are being met successfully,” added the superintendent.

The Duplin Schools’ high school graduation rate also showed some increase as it went up from 70.3 percent the previous year to 71.6 percent in 2008-09.

“Great progress is being made throughout our school system. We greatly appreciate the hard work and dedication of our teachers, principals, students and all employees. We look forward to seeing success again in the upcoming year as our staff and students continue to strive for excellence,” concluded Doby.

The official overall results for individual schools can be accessed via the ABCs website located at http://abcs.ncpublicschools.org/abcs/.

To contact Billy Todd, call 910-592-8137 ext. 117 or e-mail sigeneral@myclintonnc.com.