CMS Superintendent, Dr. Heath E. Morrison
We are well into the school year
now and there is so much to celebrate in CMS! From higher test
scores to new programs and plans,
our district is making significant
academic strides. Let me share a
few highlights with you.
Our graduation rate increased in
2014 to 85.2 percent, above the
state average and up 15.3 points
since 2010. We still have work to
do – we want all of our students to
graduate college- and career-ready
– but this is significant progress.
I’m very proud of our growth in
this area because it represents a district-wide commitment to excellence. Every teacher on a child’s journey from kindergarten (or prekindergarten) through grade 12 is important because each academic
year builds on the year before it. A good foundation in elementary
school helps students succeed in middle school, and success in middle
school leads to success in high school.
We are also narrowing the graduation-rate gap between different
kinds of students. Between black students and white students, the
gap has been cut by more than half since 2010, dropping to 10.5
points in 2014 from 23.3 in 2010. Between whites and Hispanics, the
gap has also decreased by more than half, falling to 18.4 points in
2014 from 30.3 points in 2010. This is important because we want to
educate every child well.
Our state test scores have also shown improvement for 2014, and
our average scores were above those of the state. Proficiency levels
increased in nearly all tested grades and subjects last year. Student
proficiency in math increased in grades three, five, six and seven, with
a decline of less than one percent in grade four. Student proficiency in
science increased in grades five and eight. Student proficiency in reading increased in grades three and five, and showed declines in grades
four, six, seven and eight. In high school, we also saw proficiency
increase in all tested areas (math, biology and English II).
2 • Nov/Dec 2014 • Parent Teacher Magazine
Another measure of our progress is the number of schools which
meet or exceed growth expectations. In 2014, 130 schools (82.8 percent) of our schools met or exceeded growth expectations, up from
127 (81.4 percent) the year before. This also surpassed the state
average.
We are also very proud of our progress on the SAT, one of the tests
used by colleges to determine student readiness for advanced work.
As was the case elsewhere, CMS outperformed the state on SAT
scores. In reading, the average CMS score was 501, compared to 499
for the state. In math, the average score was 509, compared to 507
for the state.