Schools' Ranking Explained

Dr. Kenneth A. Card Jr. laid out facts and figures Monday night to explain why Huntington High School ended up on a state "needs improvement" list and what the district plans to do next.

The assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction  offered an extensive presentation at the Board of Education meeting, going into detail about the No Child Left Behind act, cohort rankings, different groups of students, how they are assessed, the expectations set for them and an upbeat comparison of how Huntington schools stack up against others.

With Finley Middle School already on the list, the high school's addition irritated many parents who debated whether the ranking affected all of their children or whether some kids were being left behind in the push for tougher standards.

But Card, while acknowledging that much needs to be done, cautioned about misinterpreting data, especially some that may be out of date. "We are looking in a rear view mirror to plot a course forward," he said, because the ratings refer to groups of students that may no longer exist or whose problems have already been resolved.

The district will form a school quality review team, made up of representatives of the school  and the state education department. Card also said schools will be offering extra support to students struggling to meet minimum standards.

He also said there was an effort building toward trying to persuade the U.S. Education Department to relent on rules requiring students who are not native English speakers to take standardized tests within one year and a day of their arrival in a given district.