Measuring growth

The front page of the May 17, 1979 issue of the Hartselle Enquirer ran the headline “School Officials Pleased: Hartselle Students Log High Scores on Basic Skills Tests.” The article explains that Hartselle’s second, fourth, sixth, and eighth grade students took reading, spelling, language, and math tests and “ranked well above state and national averages.” The scores of eighth grade students were delineated further: reading, 10.0; math, 10.4; language, 11.3; and spelling, 10.5. The national average in all four categories was 8.5.

Dick Stoner, who served as the school board president at the time, remarked, “This is a good indication that we’re getting the job done in providing our children a good basic education.” The test results were affirming, because Stoner was among those original Hartselle Schools Committee members who went on to become the first school board members. The Hartselle Schools Committee had spearheaded the effort to move away from Morgan County Schools and to form an independent school system. These 1979 scores were an indication that the decision had been the right one.

Today, test scores and other recognition for academic achievement and student development remain an indicator of success for Hartselle’s teachers and school leaders. Schools in the district and the school district itself consistently receive a grade of “A” from the Alabama State Department of Education, and the district ranks among the state’s Top Ten. Additionally, all of Hartselle’s schools are Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence “Lighthouse Schools.” This does not mean that each and every one of Hartselle’s students is achieving at the top, but it does mean the schools are dedicated to the improvement of all and that teachers work to capture students’ best efforts and performances.

Each of Hartselle’s schools is committed to preparing students for success in learning, leadership and life; and each of its schools has accomplishments that point to that commitment.

Other school systems have questioned Hartselle’s teachers and leaders over the years wondering how the schools’ students maintain such high levels of performance. The answer is simultaneously simple and complex: Excellent classroom teaching bolstered by strong school leadership, engaged parents, and a committed community.

…To the next 50 years!