KCMS happy about early SOL news

By Bob Stuart

Published: June 11, 2008

Principal Carol Butler came to Kate Collins Middle School this past school year with a mission of raising test scores, and the preliminary results show she has succeeded.
Rough 2008 results compiled by the Waynesboro Schools show Standards of Learning test score increases across several areas at Kate Collins, including math and history, the two subject areas that prevented the school from meeting full SOL accreditation for its 2006-2007 testing.
Butler is optimistic Kate Collins will meet full accreditation in the fall by the Virginia Department of Education.
She attributes the improvements to the “expectations of the administration and coaches” and the collaborative efforts of the school’s teachers.
Kate Collins has a coach for math and one for English, history and science.
“The teachers really energized the kids,” Butler said. “They made sure they understood what they can do.”
Butler said some of the scores were not satisfactory to her, but said the improvement in scores was.
Waynesboro School Board member Jeremy Taylor called the test score information at Kate Collins “just the news we needed to hear.”
He has previously expressed concern about the school’s scores.
“I consider math and English our core mission in the
division,” Taylor said. “Those are such important subjects. I’m
delighted we have shown
substantial improvements.”
Taylor offered credit to Butler and to the Waynesboro Schools office of instruction, led by Laurie McCullough.
As she looks to next year, Butler said her goal remains the same: “A 100 percent pass rate. I don’t know how realistic that is. But that is the way I see it.”