Last week the Texas Education Agency released the list of Public Education Grant (PEG) Schools/Districts. White Oak High School was included on that list as an “Academically Unacceptable” campus for 2013. This label activates a number of required actions by White Oak ISD to inform our stakeholders of the current rating and legal options that are available for consideration. That notification and list of actions will be released very soon.
How did White Oak High School merit this designation?
The short answer to this question is, we did not merit and/or receive this rating designation. The high school and the district received a rating of “Improvement Required” last fall and much was said and written to educate our stakeholders about that process.
White Oak High School is on the PEG list because TEA did not see the need to distinguish between the new Improvement Required rating and the old Academically Unacceptable ranking. There is no supporting evidence that any of our campuses are lacking in academic performance and/or professional educator expectations.
We were down graded, for lack of a better term, due to a high number of students that graduated in 2012 on the minimum plan (52%). One year after this class graduated, TEA adopted a new accountability standard that determined the Class of 2012 was not College & Career ready. It should be pointed out, once again, that the minimum plan was and is an approved graduation plan. Adopted by the State Board of Education and listed as an accepted option in Texas Education Code 74.61. This arbitrary decision was made despite the following:
• 74.1% of the Class of 2012 is enrolled in post-secondary education courses at this time
• Our seniors score above the state average on SAT and ACT college entrance exams
• Our students far surpassed the state average on all TEA mandated assessments at all grade levels, especially High School
• Some of our “minimum graduates” received full and partial scholarships to four year universities on the merit of their entrance exam scores, assessment scores and the successful experiences they had in high school
• A side note to the academic aptitude of the Class of 2012 is they brought home UIL State Championships in Over all Academics and Journalism
• The Class of 2012 brought home the overall UIL Champions Lone Star Cup for the first time in the history of White Oak ISD
• It is also worth pointing our that our Boys Basketball Team won the first of two State Titles in 2012
To Commissioner Williams and the TEA staff, this is what they have determined to be an academically unacceptable school. TEA feels that this level of performance requires WOISD to be placed in the school improvement model and spend over $40,000 in unbudgeted expense to hire an outside consultant and require our leadership team to attend extensive training sessions to improve our poor performance.
Commissioner Williams and TEA staff declined to consider any of this information in the appeal we sent last fall and the rating of Improvement Required remains in place for White Oak ISD. We have strategies in place to remove us from this list but we are required to stay in school improvement for a minimum of two years. Our leadership team, faculty and staff are fully prepared to deal with the implications of this rating. However, the idea that anyone would consider White Oak High School “Academically Unacceptable” is completely unacceptable to me, as Superintendent, to the Board of Trustees and to all stakeholders in White Oak! I do not want anyone to think any of us are willing to just accept this kind of arbitrary, blanket assessment.
The Faculty, Staff and Leadership Team of White Oak ISD want to assure this community that the safety and academic success of our students has been, is and always will be our highest priority. As educators, we are committed to meeting the individual needs of our students. I believe that I can speak on behalf of the entire team that provides for the safety and instruction of your students when I say; thank you for allowing us to share in the lives and successes of all the students that attend White Oak ISD.
We Are White Oak!
Michael Gilbert, Superintendent
White Oak ISD
What does winning the cup or winning basketball have to do with the high school being named unacceptable. Seems like to me your focus is in the wrong place. You want us to vote to build a school, raise our already high taxes, yet you can’t manage our schools? That’s the problem with many here in White Oak, something goes against how we think it should go and we blame someone else. Yes! It’s the TEA’s fault even if so many districts seemed to have handled their business and are not uunacceptable. Give us a real answer and stop pointing fingers. Own up to your failures.
I think the school is doing there best and trying to improve every year in all of the fields . Rathers its academics or sports . We here at white improve every year . I believe that white oak should not be on this list . I think that most of the teachers are good and caring to our students . I know that for a fact they help the students strive for what they want and help them beyond that . I have had one already graduate and two more in white oak and there doing better each year . The only thing I might have different is the special needs classes more of them and more different hours or tutoring for the students with working parents . But your children will learn all they can here at white oak and will become what they chose cos thats what white oak wants for all children. I believe !!!
I think the school is doing there best and trying to improve every year in all of the fields . Rathers its academics or sports . We here at white improve every year . I believe that white oak should not be on this list . I think that most of the teachers are good and caring to our students . I know that for a fact they help the students strive for what they want and help them beyond that . I have had one already graduate and two more in white oak and there doing better each year . The only thing I might have different is the special needs classes more of them and more different hours or tutoring for the students with working parents . But your children will learn all they can here at white oak and will become what they chose cos thats what white oak wants for all children. I believe !!!
The only issue here is why are only 52% of students pursuing more than the minimum.
Which classes that are needed for advanced diplomas are being avoided? Then ask is it the class or the instructor that students are dodging?
Obviously most of the 48 percentile of students that are not participating are intelligent enough to attempt more. This is a participation issue.
The school has been absolutely amazing the past couple of years!
Justification being based on test scores and continuing higher education.
Shawn is absolutely right. Many of the best students who recently graduated were on the Minimum Plan for one reason: the Spanish II requirement.
White Oak is particularly effective at making students legitimately want to succeed and do well for themselves and their school. It doesn’t take long for these types of students to see that the Spanish II class is a serious waste of time and intelligence. The curriculum is behind many other schools in the area and is anything but comprehensive, the subject is not taught in an intuitive manner, and the teacher doesn’t even seem to be interested in the subject itself. If a teacher doesn’t care about the subject they teach, why should the students?
So students drop the class to make room for other things, mainly academic extracurriculars. Why sit in a classroom for an hour learning little from someone who doesn’t seem to care when you can be spending your time doing something more productive?
I honestly think this is the crux of the issue. Kids choose a Minimum Plan over a class that does less than the minimum to educate you. If we fix our Spanish II problem we will fix our Minimum Plan problem.
Dear class of 2013,
Early welcome to the real world.
There are many things you may consider a waste of your time, but unfortunately you do not establish the rules. I myself have wasted plenty of unpaid personal time developing skills to move my career path forward. In my opinion somethings were unnecessary in the direction I wanted to pursue, but I knew an employer would want to see these certifications on a resume even though they were not specifically designated on a degree plan.
You as an individual do not speak for the entire class of 2013, my child graduated with distinguished diploma, National Honor Society & and top 10%.
I also have a child that is a junior that will duplicate those efforts.
I have been informed my child is currently only one of seven students currently enrolled in Spanish 3.
My point is to enlighten you, other students and parents.
Life is not like Burger King, you don’t always get it your way.
Best wishes.
Shawn,
I loved your post. I think it exemplifies how a proper parent should help guide their children through High School. Unfortunately, many parents are not so hands on, meaning kids really do get it “their way” at White Oak.
A student is allowed to complete their own schedule every year of High School, which includes the choice of avoiding any class not part of at least the minimum plan requirements. I was not trying to represent a low-tier collection of students with my post, but instead the high end of the bell-curve. I graduated top 15%, was in NHS, and played a critical role in winning the UIL Academic championship and, thus, the Lone Star cup. It’s kids like me who don’t take Spanish because our time is more valuable elsewhere, to ourselves and to the school.
I didn’t mention my accomplishments before because it is not constructive to brag about one’s self or one’s child on this type of blog. It is much more beneficial to leave real areas of criticism that our Superintendent might choose to investigate in the future.
So, to the parents reading this I suggest you talk to your children about the state of the school and the degree plan that they’re involved in. Perhaps you’ll discover there is an easy fix to the problem or perhaps you’ll discover some fundamental issue that’s solution will make many student’s time in high school better spent.
Finally, as a note, if I remember correctly you need Spanish III to graduate Distinguished. If there are only seven currently enrolled, this could indicate a low level of Distinguished students for the next graduating class or two. Shawn, perhaps you should contact some other parents and “enlighten” them of the current policies, so that others might be able to feel the immense pride in their children that you so obviously feel. Cheers.
2013,
I thoroughly enjoyed your reply. I somewhat stepped on your toes and you replied eloquently. Maybe our post here will be shared or summarized and reused to help others.
My very part time role as a high school guidance counselor will now shift to the college level for the next seven years until my eight year old daughter reaches high school.
Your point of “to the parents reading this I suggest you talk to your children” should certainly be applied on a daily basis on topics that expand far more than academics.
Best wishes.