For the third consecutive year, Russellville City Schools earned an 'A' on the Alabama State Department of Education State Report Card.
2023-24 scores were released November 22nd. Scores are calculated for all Alabama public school systems and each individual school. RCS' score of 90 was the same as the system received the previous two years.
Overall, the average score for public school systems for 2023-24 is an 85. Both Russellville City Schools and Franklin County Schools' (88) scores were above that state average.
There are several criteria used to calculate overall grades. Those include: academic achievement (20%), academic growth (25%), progress in English language proficiency (5%), chronic absenteeism (10%), graduation rate (30%) and college and career readiness (10%).
The system’s score on academic growth was 100. RCS received a 95.21 grade on college and career readiness. RCS scored above the state average in both of those categories, as well as chronic absenteeism.
Just over 60% of Russellville City Schools’ 2,612 students are Hispanic/Latino, based on information submitted to the State Department of Education.
RCS Superintendent Tim Guinn was pleased with the report card, but said providing a quality education is something at the core of Russellville City Schools.
“Even before the days of mandated testing, going back to the inception of Russellville City Schools in 1929, our logo says ‘A Tradition of Excellence.’ I think our teachers, administrators and staff do an outstanding job and all the report card does is just exemplify that. We’re looking forward to next year and doing even better,” Guinn said.
Russellville Middle School's 87 grade represents an improvement of four points from the 2022-23 grade of 83. RMS received a perfect 100 on academic growth and one of the state’s top scores in chronic absenteeism.
West Elementary School and Russellville Elementary School each scored an 87, the same number received the previous year.
Russellville High School's score dropped from 87 to 77, a 'C' grade, something that has certainly caught the attention of Guinn, RHS Principal Norman Lier, and assistant principals Derek Engle and Nichole Ergle.
RHS dropped in graduation rate from 2022-23 (96.1 22-23 and 94.52 23-24), academic achievement (48.6 22-23 and 36.32 23-24) and academic growth (100 22-23 and 82.4 23-24).
Guinn will meet this week with administrators and faculty from RHS to look at their goals and to set some parameters for next year. The administrators will then take those back to their school, pull together teacher leaders and see what our faculty believe they need to improve and where they’re falling short.
“When we work together as a team, we want input from our teachers as part of that process. Our teachers are the people in the trenches,” Guinn said. “Are we doing something wrong as administrators? Is there too much non-academic activity going on during the day? Are we giving our teachers the resources, support and professional development they need? How do they feel and what do they think are the paths to move forward?”
Guinn said one topic of discussion will be whether there’s sufficient instructional time each day at RHS, and said that will be a priority moving forward.
