By: Kent McCarty
Oak Grove students and teachers have a lot to be proud of after being awarded two PREPS (Program of Research and Evaluation for Public Schools) Value Added Awards and a “high performing” ranking by the state board, just to name a few. The multiple awards the school has received correlate with high state test scores for the 2008-2009 school year, in addition to other key factors like graduation rates and attendance.
The Value Added awards given by the PREPS Organization are awarded to schools that exhibit exceptionally high state test scores in one or more subjects. At the 2009 PREPS Conference in Philadelphia, Mississippi, Oak Grove will be presented two of these honors; one for high English II scores and another for high U.S. History scores. School wide scores ranked at the top among all state schools, with 91% scoring Proficient or Advanced on the U.S. History exam and 75% scoring Proficient or Advanced on the English II exam, compared with 63% and 49% state-wide, respectively. Biology and Algebra scores were also high, with 78% scoring Proficient or Advanced on the Biology exam and 88% scoring Proficient or Advanced on the Algebra I exam, compared with 63% state-wide on both exams. Oak Grove’s test scores were also the highest in the Lamar County School District.
As a part of the state’s new school ranking system, OGHS earned a ranking of “high performing” for the 2008-2009 school year. This ranking is one step below the highest ranking of “star school,” but school administrators feel confident that the highest level is within reach. “We missed the highest ranking because of one area, and it’s something we’re actively trying to improve on,” Principal Wayne Folkes said. The school earned a QDI (Percent of students scoring Proficient or above) score of 224, placing it in the top eight high schools in the state. “We’re very proud of these scores, and it’s a big credit to the teachers and students who’ve worked hard over the past year,” Folkes said. The school also earned the Lantern Award for having a QDI above 180.
With Oak Grove comfortably situated at the top academically state-wide, teachers and staff are focusing on how to retain the schools well-known reputation for academic excellence. “When you apply yourself and work hard, it really pays off and people do notice,” Mrs. Helen Price, Assistant Principal, said.
