Nebraska Schools Show Mixed Results in State Rankings

Nebraska schools have just received their yearly performance reviews from the state Department of Education. The results show that most schools have either stayed the same or improved slightly compared to last year. School leaders are hopeful that upcoming changes to how these rankings are calculated will give a clearer picture of how well schools are really doing.

The AQuESTT Grading System

The state uses a system called AQuESTT to grade schools. This system looks at test scores and other factors to give each school a score from 1 to 4.

• 1: Needs support
• 2: Good
• 3: Great
• 4: Excellent

School leaders say the current system doesn't always show the full story of how well a school is doing.

Aurora Public Schools

Aurora Public Schools has been consistently rated as "great" for several years. The school's curriculum director, Desiree Teahon, pointed out that the school is very close to reaching the highest rating of "excellent." She also noted that the school has made big improvements in reducing chronic absenteeism, which is when students miss a lot of school. The school's goal was to reduce absenteeism to 13.3 percent, and they actually got it down to 10.3 percent.

Giltner Public Schools

Giltner Public Schools also saw some improvements this year. The high school was rated "excellent," while the elementary school was rated "great." The school's superintendent, Matt Gordon, said the ratings show that the school is doing well, but there is still room for improvement, especially in reading. The school is focusing on improving reading skills by using different teaching methods and providing extra support for students who need it.

Hampton Public Schools

Hampton Public Schools saw some big changes in their ratings this year. The elementary and high schools both moved up to the highest rating of "excellent," while the middle school moved down to "great." The school's high school principal, Carson Klute, said the improvements were mainly due to better test scores and reducing chronic absenteeism. He also noted that the term "middle school" doesn't really fit for Hampton since grades 7 through 12 are all in one building.

Looking Ahead

School leaders are looking forward to changes in the AQuESTT system that will make it more comprehensive and less reliant on just test scores. They believe these changes will give a better picture of how well schools are serving their students.