Frequently Asked Questions
What is the breakdown of proficiency?
All Students (100% of school population): Has a proficiency rate of 58%.
White Students (48.5% of school population): Experience a proficiency rate of 71%, with approximately 11% classified as economically disadvantaged.
Hispanic Students (27.8% of school population): Currently show a proficiency rate of 40%, with roughly 58% navigating economic disadvantages.
Black Students (14.1% of school population): Show a proficiency rate of 33%, with 55–60% classified as economically disadvantaged.
How will your ‘mini-academies’ be set up?
I am calling for local businesses, parents, grandparents, students and the whole community to volunteer to tutor students. The ‘mini-academies’ will be set up at community centers, churches and anywhere we can find space. Let’s bring the school to the community. This will not be easy, but the outcome worth the effort.
How do we support the teachers and the school system?
Volunteer in the schools. Maybe you can help one on one with reading or math.
If 100% of schools met or exceeded growth, why is the proficiency rate still at 58.4%?
This is an important distinction. Growth measures the progress a student made during the current school year, while Proficiency measures if they reached a specific state-mandated benchmark. For example, if a student starts the year reading at a 1st-grade level but enters 4th grade, they can make two years of "growth" (moving to a 3rd-grade level) without yet being "proficient" at a 4th-grade level.
Why do we need focus so much on the "Economically Disadvantaged" (EDS)?
Because the data shows it is the single largest hurdle to success. In OCS, a White student facing economic hardship has a proficiency rate (~46%) much closer to their Black and Hispanic peers than to their more affluent White peers (~75%).
What can parents do to help move these numbers?
Make sure your children participate in any extra tutoring being offered in school and in the community’
Also,
Monitor Growth: talk to your student’s teacher about individual growth, not just their test scores.
Support Early Literacy: Read with your child for 20 minutes a day—this is the #1 way to bridge the opportunity gap before it starts.
Advocate: Join your school’s PTA or School Improvement Team (SIT) to help decide how local funds are spent.