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SPENCER -- Roane County students showed the greatest improvement of any county or public charter school system in West Virginia in 2022-23, according to student mastery data published Wednesday by the state Department of Education, the school district announced Wednesday.
Roane County students posted a 6.14% improvement in English language arts and a 5.01% improvement in math for a combined 11.15% improvement, beating second-best Pleasants County (10.02%) and third-best and neighboring Jackson County (9.79%). Their 6.14% improvement in English language arts was second-best in the state, lagging only Brooke County(6.58%).
Roane County students also posted a 4.59% improvement in science, a subject required to be assessed under federal law in third, fifth, eighth and 11th grades, but not included in the state's accountability system, according to a release from the district.
"For a county system that opened the school year short two principals, and with all five schools eventually seeing different principals in 2022-23 than were there in 2021-22, to focus on supporting teachers and students (in) such a way that we're now No. 1 in student growth across the state is just incredible," Roane County Schools Superintendent Richard Duncan said. "To do all that without an excess school operating levy and with one of the most efficient administrative teams in the state shows that it's not how big or small a district is that makes the difference. It's how focused we are on improving student outcomes."
Overall, in the assessed grades of third through eighth and 11th, students enrolled in the five district schools placed 31st among West Virginia's 55 county districts in English language arts,while ranking only 53rd out of 55th in math despite significant improvement. Roane County schools outperform peers at the two public charter schools available to Roane County students in both English language arts and mathematics, the release noted.
In the coming year, Roane County will complete its first new school building in 30 years, the new Spencer Middle School, a project supported by the state School Building Authority.
Over the past six years, the county has completed nearly $10 million in facility improvements, including safe schools entrances at all five schools, solely through local funds tied to the 2018 school bond levy, Roane County's first school bond levy approved since 1994.
Roane County has four primary schools and one high school.
For the complete data set, go to https://zoomwv.k12.wv.us.