The Derby Middle School failed to make adequately yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, while Irving School is still considered “as need of improvement,” Superintendent Stephen Tracy told the Derby School Board Thursday.
The rankings are based on the results of the mandated standardized tests given to students in each school — the Connecticut Mastery Test for the lower grades and the Connecticut Academic Performance Test for the high school level.
Click here for our previous report on the test scores.
Because of the designations, both Derby Middle School and Irving School students now have the option to transfer to other schools.
But in a small district like Derby, that often leaves no choice, Tracy said.
While there are about 14 open slots at Bradley School that Irving students could fill, there is no alternative school to which Derby Middle School students can transfer, he said.
That fact left one parent concerned.
“You are saying we have the option to transfer to another school, but you’re also saying there’s no other school to transfer to,” said Denise Bottone. “The only other option is a private school where the money would come out of my own pocket, and I already pay taxes for the public school.”
Derby’s scores broken down follow a trend seen statewide and nationwide, Tracy said.
“We can see in Derby an achievement gap,” he said. “The white students met goals but black, Hispanic and low-income students didn’t.”
School officials will now formulate improvement plans with the goal of raising next year’s scores, just as Irving did this year.
The good news is Irving School, based on test scores, achieved “safe harbor” status, which next year could take that school off the “needs improvement” list.
