The Howard County branch of the NAACP recently honored 45 county public schools for outstanding minority achievement.
Each year, the organization its National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Education Report Card, which uses a letter grade system to analyze minority-student achievement in the areas of standardized test scores and attendance, drop-out, suspension and graduation rates.
“Our goal is to encourage and inspire excellence among our schools,” Natalie Woodson, chairwoman of the organization, said during Thursday?s School Board meeting.
Woodson and other NAACP members gave the schools trophies and certificates for scoring an A in one or more of the areas on the report. Some schools also were honored for earning a grade of no less than a C in any of the areas.
Board Chairman Joshua Kaufman praised the organization for working with the board to improve minority-student achievement.
“Thank you for helping us to measure our progress,” he said.
Closing the minority-student achievement gap, a national issue facing schools, is a goal the school system has partnered with the NAACP to achieve. The school system also has implemented programs such as after-school tutoring, mentor programs and cultural proficiency sessions ? workshops that help teachers identify and overcome biases that may hinder student achievement ? to deal with the issue.
The NAACP began giving out report cards in 1999.
Schools honored
High Schools
Atholton
Glenelg
Hammond
Long Reach
Reservoir
River Hill
Middle Schools
Burleigh
Clarksville
Folly Quarter
Glenwood
Hammond
Lime Kiln
Mayfield Woods
Patapsco
Elementary
Atholton
Bellows Springs
Bushy Park
Centennial Lane
Clemens Crossing
Clarksville
Deep Run
Elkridge
Forest Ridge
Fulton
Gorman Crossing
Guilford
Hammond
Hollifield Station
Illchester
Jeffers Hill
Lisbon
Longfellow
Manor Woods
Northfield
Pointers Run
Rockburn
Running Brook
Swansfield
Thunder Hill
Triadelphia Ridge
Talbott Springs
Waterloo
Waverly
West Friendship
Worthington
