202 Stephens County High School seniors recently took the Work Ready Assessment on Wednesday, October 12th. Over readiness to potential employers. Three seniors, Houston Spencer, Jacob Bailey, and Jacob Lewis received a Platinum certificate. Platinum is the highest level awarded in Georgia and is a signal to employers that the individual is ready for 90 percent of jobs in the state.
Stephens County's millage rate for 2011 will remain the same. Friday, county commissioners voted 4-0 to approve a county millage rate of 11.32 mills for 2011. The 11.32 millage rate is unchanged from last year. The Stephens County Commission also approved the Board of Education's millage rate of 18.4 mills. Pending no problems, tax bills will go out September 15.
Last week, the state of Georgia announced that Stephens County was on of only 31 systems where all schools made AYP last year based on the initial results. All schools in the Stephens County school system made AYP this year. AYP, or Adequate Yearly Progress, is part of the No Child Left Behind Act. A variety of assessments are used to evaluate how students are progressing including academic performance, test scores, attendance rate and graduation rate. Stephens County School Superintendent Sherrie Whiten said the school system is thrilled to have made AYP for 2011. She added that the school system could not be prouder and would continue to focus on student achievement.
The Board of Education has decided to name the new gymnasium Currahee Arena and the new auditorium the Tugaloo Center for the Performing Arts at the new Stephens County High School.
Stephens County School Superintendent Sherrie Whiten said that the 2010-2011 school year was an exceptional one for the county’s school system.
“By every measure, this was a great year for students, teachers and everyone on the Stephens County School System team,” she said. “I want to publicly commend our teachers, administrators, support staff and board of education for some remarkable accomplishments.”
Whiten said the job was remarkable considering a shortened school year and budgeting challenges, and that students reached new heights.
“Our classrooms are stronger than ever, and our students are exceeding past performance,” she said.
Whiten noted the following accomplishments:
• Graduation rates exceeding past performances.
• 8th graders scoring high on their 2011 writing assessment with 89 percent meeting or exceeding state standards — an 11 percent increase from 2010’s 78 percent.
• 5th graders outpacing state percentages on their 2011 writing assessment by 84 percent. a five point margin from the state’s 79 percent.
• Improvements in almost every area of the state’s 2011 Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) including more than 98 percent of third and eighth graders passing the reading portion, 98 percent of sixth graders passing the English/Language Arts portion, math scores increasing for fifth and eighth graders and 98.6 percent of seventh graders passing the math CRCT, 91 percent of fourth graders passing the social studies CRCT.
• High school graduation test scores increasing from the previous year in English/Language Arts, Science and Social Studies.
“In every area, Stephens County students outperformed students throughout the state,” said Whiten.
The Toccoa Record
“By every measure, this was a great year for students, teachers and everyone on the Stephens County School System team,” she said. “I want to publicly commend our teachers, administrators, support staff and board of education for some remarkable accomplishments.”
Whiten said the job was remarkable considering a shortened school year and budgeting challenges, and that students reached new heights.
“Our classrooms are stronger than ever, and our students are exceeding past performance,” she said.
Whiten noted the following accomplishments:
• Graduation rates exceeding past performances.
• 8th graders scoring high on their 2011 writing assessment with 89 percent meeting or exceeding state standards — an 11 percent increase from 2010’s 78 percent.
• 5th graders outpacing state percentages on their 2011 writing assessment by 84 percent. a five point margin from the state’s 79 percent.
• Improvements in almost every area of the state’s 2011 Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) including more than 98 percent of third and eighth graders passing the reading portion, 98 percent of sixth graders passing the English/Language Arts portion, math scores increasing for fifth and eighth graders and 98.6 percent of seventh graders passing the math CRCT, 91 percent of fourth graders passing the social studies CRCT.
• High school graduation test scores increasing from the previous year in English/Language Arts, Science and Social Studies.
“In every area, Stephens County students outperformed students throughout the state,” said Whiten.
The Toccoa Record
New CRCT scores released last week show that Stephens County;s test scores are above the state averages. The Georgia Department of Education released system-level results for the CRCT, or Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests, last week. According to those numbers, each one of Stephens County's test scores finished above the state average.
-WNEG
Stephens County's six schools are the recipients of state recognition and federal funds. All were recently named as Title One Distinguished Schools. Stephens County Schools Superintendent Sherrie Whiten said the county's six schools, all Title One Schools, received this recognition thanks to their performances over a number of years. Toccoa and Eastanollee Elementary schools will receive $1,113; while the other four schools will each receive $742.
WNEG RADIO
WNEG RADIO
Five Georgia schools have been awarded the Energy Star by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Big A Elementary School, Estanollee Elementary School, Toccoa Elementary School, Liberty Elementary School and Stephens County Middle School all in Stephens County School System, were awarded the distinction by using an average of 35 percent less energy than the typical school building and releasing 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
According to the EPA, Stephens County School System reduced its energy use by monitoring the temperatures in its buildings, making sure lights were turned off in unoccupied areas of the buildings, working with custodians and staff on implementing energy reducing ideas throughout the day and night and making sure thermostats cut off and on at the correct time.
The EPA introduced the Energy Star rating as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency.
“(Our principals are) pleased to accept EPA’s Energy Star in recognition f or energy-efficiency efforts,” said Sherrie Whiten, superintendent of Stephens County School System. “Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs.”
By Liz Carey
Independent Mail
Big A Elementary School, Estanollee Elementary School, Toccoa Elementary School, Liberty Elementary School and Stephens County Middle School all in Stephens County School System, were awarded the distinction by using an average of 35 percent less energy than the typical school building and releasing 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
According to the EPA, Stephens County School System reduced its energy use by monitoring the temperatures in its buildings, making sure lights were turned off in unoccupied areas of the buildings, working with custodians and staff on implementing energy reducing ideas throughout the day and night and making sure thermostats cut off and on at the correct time.
The EPA introduced the Energy Star rating as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency.
“(Our principals are) pleased to accept EPA’s Energy Star in recognition f or energy-efficiency efforts,” said Sherrie Whiten, superintendent of Stephens County School System. “Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs.”
By Liz Carey
Independent Mail
Preparations continue at North Georgia Technical College for the switch from quarters to semesters.Starting in August 2011, the Technical College System of Georgia, which includes North Georgia Tech, will convert from an academic calendar based on quarters to one based on semesters. Moving from quarters to semesters will align the technical college academic calendar with the K-12 school system. Other benefits the semester schedule offers, according to North Georgia Tech, include additional instruction time and more in-depth coverage of course content.The school stated that class sizes are not expected to increase on the semester system, nor will a student’s grade point average be affected.
Read article:WNEG News
Read article:WNEG News
The Stephens County School System has announced the official final graduation rate for this past school year. According to Stephens County School Superintendent Sherrie Whiten, the rate is 83%! That rate is above the 80% requirement and is also an increase from the previous year.
Join us for a busy weekend in Toccoa!
The final "Cinema on Sage" event for the summer will take place this evening. Tonight's movie is "The Blind Side". The movie will start at 9PM on Sage Street, with activities starting at 7PM. Meanwhile, the "Back to School Bash" will take place from 10AM to 4PM on Saturday on Doyle Street from Sage to Alexander Streets in Downtown Toccoa.
Charlie Bauder/WNEG AM-630/Special to Independent Mail
The Stephens County School System has been awarded grant money that will be used to improve the high school graduation rate.
At a Stephens County Board of Education work session Thursday, Superintendent Sherrie Whiten said the school system has received a federal 21st Century Community Learning Center grant.
The grant money will be used in the county for the Students Urgent Reach to Graduate and Excel (SURGE) program.
Whiten said the program focuses on a number of areas.
“The focus is on math and reading literacy, personal growth, parent involvement, and targeting economically disadvantaged students,” she said. “The overall goal is to affect the graduation rate, especially (among) the economically disadvantaged students.”
Click here to read the article: Stephens County awarded grant
Governor Sonny Perdue recently signed House Bill 1195, which ensures the Georgia Work Ready program's continuance after his final term. "Work Ready is transforming our state’s workforce and closing the skills gap for many Georgia workers. Most importantly, almost 6,000 Georgians have found a job using their Work Ready Certificate since March 2009," said Perdue. Read full article...
45 of 159 counties are in Georgia are now Work Ready certified. Stephens County was one of the first 22 counties to gain certification and is now in the process of re-certification. The County was the recipient of a grant to aid the re-certification process and promote the program within the community. The grant money has so far been used to support the high school mentoring program and to support the Stephens County High School senior class' taking of the work ready exam this past winter.
The re-certification process requires a continued increase in the numbers of Work Ready certified residents in Toccoa and Stephens County. A specified number of businesses in the area must also 'sign on' to recognize the program as part of their hiring process. 1,352 residents in Stephens County are now Work Ready certified. Click here to read more about Work Ready in Stephens County...
The Stephens County Board of Education was selected as one of only six school boards in Georgia to receive the title of "School Board of Distinction". The award was made by the Georgia School Boards Association at its annual conference and honors school boards that achieve a number of benchmarks.
Toccoa's local AM 630 WNEG radio and General Manager Phil Hobbs received the Beacon Award for Electronic Media support of public education in Georgia. The Stephens County School System nominated AM 630 WNEG for the award, which was made by the Georgia School Boards Association.
On Monday, November 2, Governor Sonny Perdue proclaimed Stephens County a “Work Ready Certified Community” at the Work Ready Awards Luncheon in Atlanta, giving community leaders a framed certificate listing the County’s achievements. This announcement is the culmination of a process that began in early 2007. The effort to gain certification was led by Gordon Broome, Work Ready Community Team Leader, in coordination with the North Georgia Technical College, the school system, the Stephens County Development Authority, and other community organizations.
The Georgia Work Ready program is a voluntary initiative which enables communities to demonstrate that they have the talented workforce needed to fill current and future jobs. The certification also shows a community’s commitment to education and to improving high school graduation rates, important factors for driving businesses to an area. To become certified, specified numbers of community residents had to pass the Work Ready Assessment in six different categories: Technical college graduates, GED holders, unemployed adults, high school graduates entering the workforce, current high school seniors, and college graduates or recent attendees. The County’s target of 418 certifications within 36 months was completed in 26 months with 833 Work Certified residents.
Another requirement related to improving the High School graduation rate. Over the last two years, the school system has improved that rate by 15.5 points; from 63.1% to 78.6%. This achievement is well above the basic requirement of 2 points per year.
What is also significant about Stephens County’s achievement is the percentage of assessed individuals who scored at the “Gold” level and are thereby considered able to perform 90% of the jobs in Georgia. 29% of Stephens County’s certified individuals scored at the “Gold” level versus only 20% statewide, proving the local workforce to be well above average. The Work Ready Assessment includes four passing categories – Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
The County’s certification process continues. Over the next two years, the Community Team must sustain its efforts to increase the numbers of businesses requiring workers to gain certification, assess more individuals, improve scores of non-passers, and maintain a high school graduation rate above 75%.
22 out of 159 counties in Georgia are currently Work Ready Certified Communities. Stephens, Franklin, and Hart are the only three contiguous counties in the state to reach this designation.
“Our work force is our most important economic development tool,” says Cam Parker, Stephens County Development Authority Chairman. “We literally market ourselves to prospective businesses, and this designation proves what we already knew: our work force is second to none.”
“What we’ve demonstrated in the last 26-month period is that above average skills exist in Stephens County,” states Gordon Broome, Stephens County Work Ready Community Team Leader. “We are going to continue to actively promote this asset and increase it by using job gap training and other opportunities of the Work Ready program.”
On Tuesday, Stephens County School System officials approved Bowen and Watson's price for construction of the new high school building, at just over $31.1 million. This amount was the guaranteed maximum price for approval.
The final graduation rate for Stephens County increased yet again this year by more than six points, from 72.3% to 78.6%. This is barely under the Georgia average of 78.9% and meets the required improvement for the Georgia Work Ready Certified Community program.
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