031505 Work Session attachment 2

Browse Search

Orange County /Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools Study: Description and Analysis of Educational Resources Executive Summary In response to a request from the Orange County Commissioners, a research team from the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill conducted a study to assess the educational resources available to students in the Orange County Schools (OCS) and the Chapel Hill- Carrboro City Schools ( CHCCS). We reviewed North Carolina Report Card Data and data provided on request from the school districts. We also visited and interviewed every school principal in both districts. We met with the Educational Excellence Work Group, comprised of the two school superintendents, County Commissioners, County Manager and Assistant Manager, and a representative from the Public School Forum for guidance and direction and to check the accuracy of our findings. Resources These are two excellent school districts, working with energy, dedication, and careful judgment to educate diverse student bodies. The local school tax in Chapel Hill and Carrboro generates over 12 million dollars a year for CHCCS schools that is not available to OCS schools. Although the salary supplement for the most experienced teachers in CHCCS is higher than in OCS, salaries below that stage are generally commensurate, and each district is staffed with accomplished and well- credentialed teachers. The local funds available to CHCCS support, however, a number of specialists to provide instruction and support to students. Their presence permits greater attention to individual students as well as alleviating some of the strain made by multiple demands on the time and attention of the general classroom teachers and school administrators. Both districts mirror the national emphasis on early education and elementary school literacy, investing extensive district resources in reading specialists in the elementary schools. At the elementary level CHCCS have more assistants in classrooms and literacy specialists available to work with students. OCS have hired three extra teachers for grades 3 -5 and have been able to keep class size smaller on average by three students than 3 -5 classes in CHCCS. Given the larger proportion of economically disadvantaged children in OCS, it is significant that the literacy achievement, as measured by End of Grade (EOG) proficiency test performance among the elementary school children of both districts, is almost comparable. This parity in achievement at the elementary school level raises the question of what further resources are necessary to support the learning of OCS students as they make the transitions from elementary school to middle school and high school.