Oak Hill High School in Wales is now eligible for up to $4 million in federal funding to raise academic achievement after it was named Tuesday to a list of Maine’s persistently low-achieving schools.

There were 10 high schools across the state that made the list due to low scores and slow growth over the last three years on standardized reading and math tests, according to the Maine Department of Education.

“We are not huge fans of the way this list is developed, but it does allow us to provide some resources for meaningful school reform to those schools on the list that are interested in taking advantage of it,” Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen said Tuesday in a statement.

The schools are not the lowest performing in the state, said David Connerty-Marin, a spokesman for the education department. Following federal guidelines, the department ranked the averages of schools’ reading and math SAT scores over the 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years. Maine high school juniors take the exam as required under the federal No Child Left Behind law.

Schools on the low-achieving list are either eligible for or receive Title 1 funds, which are directed toward low-income students.

The Wales-based Regional School Unit 4 board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday to discuss Oak Hill High School’s designation as a low-achieving school.

With 500 students, it is the only high school in the district, which serves Litchfield, Sabattus and Wales. Patricia Doyle has been principal since the 2005-06 school year; prior to that she was vice principal.

“One of the things we’re anxious to find out is to see all the scores,” the district’s Superintendent Jim Hodgkin said. “I didn’t think our kids had done that badly. I have to see the rest of the data.”

The board meeting in the high school auditorium will also involve an executive session involving the high school principal and assistant superintendent of schools.

In order to accept the federal money, the 10 schools on the list must choose from four turn-around plans laid out by the Obama administration:

* replace the principal, dismiss the teachers and rehire no more than half of them;

* convert a public school to a charter school;

* close a school and send its students to other district schools; or

* replace the principal, change the way material is taught and increase the amount of time students spend in class.

“What’s important is not how schools get on the list, or whether the list even makes sense,” Bowen said. “What’s important is the opportunity that is created by the list for some significant influx of funds to the school for professional development, after-school programming, and other work targeted at raising achievement.”

Several of the improvement options may not be viable for Maine schools. Charter schools are not allowed under Maine law, and it may be impractical for districts to close a school if there are no other nearby schools for students to attend. Dismissing teachers could risk violating collective-bargaining agreements and labor laws.

Six of the 10 schools named last year applied for a piece of the $13 million available then and received funds. Because of the reduced funds this year it’s likely not all schools will receive funding, according to the education department. Priority will go to schools that receive Title 1 funding, such as Oak Hill.

Staff Writers Betty Adams contributed to this report

 

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