Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2009
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 5A
Better math scores
reported for CRCT
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
AREA SCHOOL systems made big improvements on
the math portion of the CRCT, according to data released
last week by the state department of education.
Fifth and eighth grade students in area school systems
fared better on this year's CRCT than last year, when
Georgia changed math curriculums in those grades.
Last year, 28.4 percent of fifth graders in Georgia and
37.9 percent of eighth graders didn’t pass the math por
tion of the CRCT.
This year, 20.7 percent of fifth graders across the state
failed the math portion, while 29.9 percent of eighth
graders didn’t pass.
Overall, fifth and eighth graders in the area did better
on the math portion of the CRCT than their peers across
the state.
State School Superintendent Kathy Cox said the big
gest one-year gain on any of the CRCTs was in eighth
grade math.
“Our new grade 8 math curriculum is very rigorous,
but our teachers and students are embracing the rigor
and are making tremendous progress,” Cox said in a
statement.
SCIENCE
While statewide science scores improved from 2008 to
2009, area school systems had mixed results.
Jackson County and Jefferson posted better fifth and
eighth grade science results, while Banks County had
more students fail the test than last year.
Fewer Commerce and Barrow County fifth grade stu
dents failed the science portion of the CRCT this year,
but more eighth graders didn’t meet standards than the
previous year.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Social studies scores for eighth graders mostly impro
ved for area school systems, while more third and fifth
graders failed that portion of the CRCT.
Last year, the state department of education invalidated
the social studies results for sixth and seventh grades.
Overall, area third, fifth and eighth graders continue
to make improvements in reading, and English/language
arts.
The 2009 CRCT marks the first year that all portions
of the statewide test were aligned to Georgia’s new cur
riculum.
District and state CRCT data is available on the
Georgia Department of Education's website, at www.
doe.kl2.ga.us.
School-level data is expected to be posted no later than
Tuesday, July 7.
*Numbers are percentages provided by the Georgia Department of Education
2009 CRCT Results
Reading Failure Rate
bv Grade
District
3
5
8
Jackson County
7.9
8.4
5.8
Jefferson City
6.2
3.4
0.5
Commerce City
3.9
11.0
3.6
Barrow County
10.9
10.2
7.3
Banks County
13.0
12.5
6.2
State
12.0
12.1
7.3
Language Arts Failure Rate by Grade
District
3
5
8
Jackson County
7.9
5.3
7.5
Jefferson City
7.2
2.9
1.1
Commerce City
3.9
5.1
2.7
Barrow County
14.7
8.2
9.4
Banks County
17.4
10.5
6.7
State
13.5
8.7
8.2
Math Failure Rate bv Grade
District
3
5
8
Jackson County
18.3
10.0
21.2
Jefferson City
11.5
8.3
5.4
Commerce City
8.7
17.8
25.0
Barrow County
24.7
19.6
28.0
Banks County
21.1
22.0
12.9
State
22.1
20.7
29.9
Science Failure Rate bv Grade
District
3
5
8
Jackson County
10.1
11.4
25.4
Jefferson City
5.7
5.4
8.7
Commerce City
8.7
4.2
30.4
Barrow County
19.9
21.9
41.6
Banks County
18.6
22.5
23.7
State
20.3
24.0
35.6
Social Studies Failure Rate bv Grade
District
3
5
8
Jackson County
16.4
21.7
34.0
Jefferson City
15.3
6.8
14.7
Commerce City
7.8
26.3
14.4
Barrow County
23.8
23.4
35.7
Banks County
23.9
28.0
24.2
State
24.0
28.8
37.4
Police staffing, service discussed in Hoschton
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
WHAT DOES the future
hold for the Hoschton Police
Department?
That’s one tough question
the city’s public safety com
mittee discussed last week
with recently-named police
chief Jeremy Howell.
Within the past year,
Hoschton's police force has
been reduced and its opera
tion has been questioned
during the city’s financial
problems.
Howell now leads a
police department with four
officers, including him.
Hoschton has hired deputies
from the Jackson County
Sheriff’s Office on a part-
time basis to patrol the city.
One of the key problems
Howell is facing is how
to staff the police depart
ment with its existing staff
to provide 24/7 service in
Hoschton.
“If you do the math and
chart it out, it’s darn near
impossible without part-
time help,” he said.
Howell is considering a
plan to use Hoschton officers
Mondays through Fridays,
and hire Jackson County
Sheriff's Office deputies
on a part-time basis on the
weekends.
“That's going to be an
expense, but it’ll save
money,” he said.
Howell is also unclear if
the departure of former chief
Dave Hill means there’s a
vacant position to be filled
in the police department.
Before Hill resigned in
May, Howell was the city's
second-in-command offi
cer and handled investiga
tions. He was later appoint
ed police chief by the city
council.
Howell said he doesn't
know if he can hire an
investigator for the police
department.
“There's a lot of incidents
going on that require lengthy
investigations,” he said.
Some of those investi
gations require officers to
travel outside of the city
— something that patrol
officers can't do and leave
Hoschton without police
protection, Howell said.
Hoschton is one of numer
ous law enforcement agen
cies seeking federal stim
ulus money to hire addi
tional officers. City officials
haven’t learned if Hoschton
will be given the federal
money.
And what about lean
ing on the Jackson County
Sheriff's Office to provide
police protection?
Howell said there are typ
ically only one or two depu
ties at any given time patrol
ling the West Jackson area.
The response time from
deputies isn't as good as
the city police department,
because of distance.
“They can’t just park their
cars in Hoschton and wait
for calls to come,” he said.
Council member Richard
Shepherd — who heads the
city’s public safety commit
tee — said Jackson County
Sheriff Stan Evans proposed
last year a cost to the city
for deputies to provide law
enforcement protection in
Hoschton.
That proposal would have
cost Hoschton more money
than a city police depart
ment and it would reduce
response times, he said. It
also would have allowed the
sheriff's department to col
lect the revenue from traffic
fines when deputies issue
citations in Hoschton.
“So, it was a double hit
— it cost us more, plus we
lose the revenue,” Shepherd
said.
The idea of depending on
the sheriff’s office for law
enforcement protection was
tossed around during last
fall’s hotly-debated budget
process.
Newer Hoschton residents
are also expecting a high
er level of service, Howell
said.
“We can't give you
Gwinnett County services
on a Wal-Mart budget,”
Howell said.
The Hoschton Police
Department still wants to
provide small town servic
es, such as having an officer
standby when businesses
open or close, he said.
“That's a quality of life
issue that people want,”
Howell said.
Howell also said the
Hoschton Police Department
has an image of being
unstable — but he wants to
hire well-qualified officers
who won't job hop to other
police departments.
And while some Hoschton
residents may not favor the
proposal, the city may have
to use Braselton's police fir
ing range to save money and
keep officers close to the
city limits, he added.
Some Hoschton residents
have complained about
excessive noise coming
from the neighboring firing
range.
Long term, Hoschton also
needs to consider a perma
nent location for its police
department, Howell said.
The police department is
leasing space in an indus
trial park, where it moved
in 2007. Howell said his
understanding was that the
police department would be
in that location for about
five years before moving to
a permanent spot.
Council member John
Schulte — who serves on
the city’s public safety com
mittee — said Hoschton
officials need to educate
the public about the types
of incidents handled by the
police department.
In the past month, those
incidents have included a
kidnapping and assault case,
a shoplifting mom who fled
a store with her children in
a vehicle, and an attempted
burglary at a pharmacy.
The Hoschton Police
Department handled 503
calls in May, and 420 in
April, Howell said.
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L —
CREATIVE SCARECROW
This deer hunter-inspired scarecrow was one of the
most creative scarecrows posted in Hoschton last
year. This year, the city is looking for more creative
scarecrows, instead of a large number of scarecrows.
Photo by Kerri Testement
City of Hoschton launches
another scarecrow effort
No world record attempt this year
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
IT’LL BE quality — not
quantity — that'll be the focus
of this year's scarecrow effort in
Hoschton.
And there’ll be no attempts
for another world record, either.
“That’s an old hat,” said key
organizer Robbie Bettis.
Hoschton didn't get a
Guinness World Record in 2008
for the “Most Scarecrows in
One Location” because of a
technicality (the London-based
company had a different opin
ion about “location”).
Instead, the U.S.-based World
Records Academy gave the city
the global title.
Hoschton is officially launch
ing its 2009 scarecrow effort
— to not only highlight the city
and build community spirit, but
also to promote the fall festival
Sept. 25-27.
And like the previous year,
many of the same rules for the
scarecrow competition will
apply with some minor chang
es.
All scarecrows must be regis
tered for the competition, which
will include awards for best
scarecrows for schools, church
es, organizations, businesses,
subdivisions and individuals.
Winners will be honored at the
Hoschton Fall Festival and the
top 12 will be selected for a
2010 calendar.
Scarecrows must be on dis
play Sept. 1-30, although Bettis
said participants are asked to
keep them posted through the
fall.
“People kept coming and
kept coming to see the scare
crows — so, we hope they’ll
come back,” she said.
Hoschton’s scarecrow effort
not only earned the city's its
nickname — “Scarecrow
Capital of the World” — it also
brought worldwide media atten
tion and tourists to the town.
The 5,441 scarecrows helped
the local economy, brought
tourists and united the commu
nity, Bettis said.
That's why the theme “I
Believe in Scarecrows” was
selected.
“We believe in scarecrows
and what they do for us,” Bettis
said.
Organizers still want scare
crows to be posted on any prop
erty with a Hoschton address
and those out-of-city partici
pants who want to help can still
do so.
“We'd love that,” Bettis said.
“We'd find a place for them.”
This year’s fall festival activi
ties will also include a “Miss
Hoschton Scarecrow Pageant”
—just for scarecrows.
The pageant will be held
on Thursday, Sept. 24, at the
Hoschton Towne Center shop
ping center on a stage for the
fall festival.
The scarecrow contestants
will appear in evening gowns
(escorted by a producer/
agent who can speak for her).
Contestants can be sponsored
by a local business. The entry
fee is $10, with proceeds ben
efiting a charity.
“Miss Hoschton” must live in
Hoschton, or within a 10-mile
radius of the Hoschton Depot.
Entry forms, bios and a photo
are due to the Hoschton City
Hall by 5 p.m. on Thursday,
Sept. 10. Prizes will be given.
The winner will “reign” at
Antique Station for a year,
where a special banner will
proclaim the “Home of Miss
Hoschton Scarecrow 2009.”
Complete details on the
scarecrow competition and pag
eant will be available at www.
hoschtonfallfestival.com.
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