District Administration - May 2011 - (Page 77)

along with 11 others across the country, is its alleged violation of the Title IX federal discrimination law. The complaint alleges Wake County doesn’t provide enough athletic opportunities for girls. Citing 2006 data as evidence, it says, the percentage of girls in athletics was 12 points lower in 2006 than the percentage of girls enrolled. As of late March, Tata hadn’t unveiled what, if any, changes he planned to make to the athletic program. The athletic director has defended the girls’ program, and a district spokesman said officials were cooperating with investigators from the federal Office for Civil Rights. Academic Questions Despite some academic problems, Wake County boasts higher-than-average scores on college entrance exams. On the SAT, the district’s average score of 1571 was 62 points higher than the U.S. average and 86 points higher than the North Carolina average. The district’s average ACT score of 23 beat the national average by two points and the state by one. Still, last school year, 61 of the district’s 159 campuses met Adequate Yearly Progress under No Child Left Behind; 54 schools missed by only one or two AYP targets. The achievement gap, while improving, remains a trouble spot, according to district data. Last year on the state reading exam, for example, 90 percent of white students in grades 3-8 scored proficient, compared with 56 percent of African-Americans and 53 percent of Hispanics. learning. “The thing that stands out is, he asks very insightful, relevant questions and then expects us to respond with datadriven answers,” she says. With his hectic schedule, Tata says he hasn’t had much time to devote to his other passion: writing. He’s authored three Tom Clancy-like military novels and been a regular commentator on TV networks such as Fox and CBS (angering “He asks very insightful, relevant questions and then expects us to respond with data-driven answers.” —Donna Hargens, chief academic officer, Wake County Public School System To boost the performance of minority students, Tata says one of his goals is to recruit more African-American and Hispanic teachers and administrators to Wake County, where the staff now is about 80 percent white. Donna Hargens, the district’s chief academic officer who had served as interim superintendent, applauds Tata’s intense focus on ensuring that all central office functions are geared to help teaching and some who oppose his views, including his support for former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin). “I’ve always used writing as an outlet,” Tata says, before veering off to talk about Wake County’s perks: a growing student population and engaged parents. “As far as the writing stuff goes, I’ll get back to it.” DA Ericka Mellon is a K12 education reporter for the Houston Chronicle. College and Career Readiness WORKSHOPS Are my students on track for college and career? Join ACT this fall for a free College and Career Readiness Workshop to find the answer. Learn how to improve student performance, translate scores into skills, and find practices your school can adopt to more effectively prepare students for college and career. Register for a FREE workshop near you: www.act.org/ccrw www.DistrictAdministration.com ESMKT105 May 2011 77 http://www.act.org/ccrw http://www.act.org/ccrw http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - May 2011

District Administration - May 2011
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Conversations
Administrator Profile
District Profile
The Cradle-to-Career Solution
Turnaround Principals
Starving for Recess
Army Strong, Superintendent Savvy
Budgeting Based on Student Needs
Research Center
Books
Product Focus
Products
Superintendent's Insights
Crisis Response
Going Mobile
Professional Opinion

District Administration - May 2011