EdisonLearning reports improved academic performance to district
EdisonLearning is at last making gains at the half dozen Clark County public schools it has operated for more than a decade, and not a moment too soon.
None of the schools met federal No Child Left Behind’s standards in 2010-11, but EdisonLearning had good news for Clark County School Board members at their meeting Thursday: Five schools made the grade in 2011-12 as academic performance rose.
“This improvement doesn’t happen by chance,” said Marsha Irvin, senior director of achievement for EdisonLearning. “It’s by design.”
A few months ago, the School Board made a controversial decision to renew its contract with the New York-based for-profit management company. But the vote came with the stipulation that the schools must improve or the partnership would be over in two years.
The reason for the ultimatum was that EdisonLearning usually operates schools for three to four years before turning the improved operations back over to school districts.
The company has been running six Clark County elementary schools for 11 years: Cahlan, Crestwood, Lincoln, Lynch, Park and Ronnow. The schools have shown limited gains despite more funding per student than other district schools receive.
A seventh EdisonLearning school, Elizondo Elementary School, is under a separate contract that expires in 2014.
All but Crestwood and Ronnow elementary schools passed No Child Left Behind. And all six schools under the two-year contract increased their percentage of students testing at grade level in reading.
“I’m very pleased at the progress happening at those schools,” Superintendent Dwight Jones said. “I appreciate that you’re stepping up to the plate.”
School Board members echoed his sentiment.
“What you’ve been able to do is huge,” Board President Linda Young said.
That being said, there’s still room for improvement and a demand for it.
Less than half of Ronnow’s students read at grade level in 2011-12. Park did best with 66 percent of students reading at grade level, but that is no better than the district average, which is also 66 percent.
In math, four of the six schools improved, with Cahlan, Lynch and Park doing better than the district average of 73 percent of students at grade level.
Ronnow was once again worst among the EdisonLearning schools with 55 percent of students at grade level in math.
In renewing the company’s contract at the request of 100 passionate teachers and parents in June, the School Board required that each school show above-average gains among students in math and reading, as reported on the district’s School Performance Framework.
The percentage of students classified as below grade level must be annually reduced by 10 percent, a benchmark EdisonLearning officials assert they can meet.
The 2012-13 school year will be the start of the two-year contract extension.
Contact reporter Trevon Milliard at tmilliard@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.
