The Cross County School District has earned an overall B rating in the latest state accountability results, with district wide student achievement increasing in English Language Arts, mathematics and science.
Cross County Elementary Technology Academy earned a B rating, while Cross County High School earned a C rating.
The district believes families and the community deserve to see the full picture of student performance, including areas of success as well as areas where improvement is needed.
“Our community has trusted us with the responsibility of educating their children and helping every student grow academically,” Superintendent Dr. Nathan Morris said. “We are proud of the gains our students have made, but we also know we have work to do. We will celebrate progress while continuing to look closely at our data, strengthen instruction and address the areas where our students need us to improve. Our commitment is to keep moving forward and grow all students.”
Districtwide, Cross County saw increased achievement in all three tested subject areas: English Language Arts, mathematics and science.
Cross County Elementary Technology Academy experienced significant progress, including between 10-15 points in each tested area and increased student growth in English Language Arts.
At Cross County High School, the accountability rating moved from a B to a C. While district leaders recognize the need for improvement reflected in that change, other measures provide important context about student performance. Cross County High School remains the highest rated high school in the surrounding area and exceeded the state average in achievement in English Language Arts, mathematics and science.
The high school also reached a historic milestone with a 100 percent graduation rate for the first time in school history.
District leaders say all of those pieces of information are important when evaluating the school's performance.
“We want to be transparent with our families and community and share the complete story,” Morris said. “That means celebrating a historic graduation rate, achievement above the state average and academic gains while also acknowledging that a C rating is not where we want our high school to remain. We aren't going to shy away from areas where improvement is needed. We are going to use that information to get better.”
Cross County School District believes accountability data should be used as a tool for continuous improvement. Administrators and teachers will continue analyzing student performance to identify strengths, address areas of need and determine where additional support and instructional strategies can have the greatest impact.
The district also recognizes that behind every percentage, score and letter grade is an individual student.
"While the state ATLAS test puts a priority on achievement, it puts a higher priority on growth," Dr. Morris explains. "We must take measures to grow all students."
Our community has trusted Cross County School District to help its students learn, grow and prepare for what comes next. We take that responsibility seriously. Our goal is not simply to earn a particular letter grade. Our goal is to grow student achievement, and that is exactly what we intend to continue doing.