Tooele County School District officials are defending Blue Peak High School in light of its recent poor ranking in alternative school evaluations.
Blue Peak, the district’s alternative high school located in the Community Learning Center, received an “F” grade in September from the Utah State Office of Education. The school is also at the bottom of the list of alternative schools that were rated by USOE’s Utah Comprehensive Accountability System (UCAS).
Blue Peak’s UCAS score for 2012-13 was 880 out of 1,500 possible. Blue Peak’s 2011-2012 UCAS score was 1,275.
“Alternative High Schools have many unique challenges,” said Scott Rogers, Tooele County School District superintendent. “It is kind of silly to include alternative schools in a comparison with traditional high schools. It really is comparing apples to oranges.”
According to the superintendent, among Blue Peak’s unique challenges are its small enrollment. With only 86 students it only takes a few students to score poorly to reduce the entire school’s rating.
Students there also come and go throughout the year from Blue Peak. The mobility rate at Blue Peak is 31 percent, compared to 11 percent district-wide.
Also over half—56 percent—of Blue Peak’s student body are from low-income families and 28 percent have some kind of disability.
Blue Peak High School accepts students from Grantsville, Tooele, and Stansbury High Schools throughout the year. The students that come to Blue Peak are generally at risk of not graduating because they lack enough course credits.
Through smaller class sizes, individual attention, and opportunities to recover credits, the school helps students to graduate with a high school diploma, according to Mat Jackson, who is in his first year as principal at Blue Peak.
“The school grade and UCAS score are not an accurate reflection on what has been happening here at Blue Peak High School,” he said. “The students here are very dedicated to turning their lives around and getting an education. The faculty as well works very hard to help each student achieve their goals.”
The school grading system uses the same criteria to award grades to all schools, while the UCAS system allows some adjustments in its scoring system for alternative schools, Jackson said.
“The school grading system that the state created uses the same criteria to compare all schools with other schools is an injustice to our school,” said Jackson. “The UCAS system is more accurate, but it still is a work in progress.”
Although the evaluation systems may be faulty, Jackson is using the UCAS scores to improve the school’s performance.
Blue Peak has reorganized its academic terms. At a regular high school there are four terms in a year. Each term students take eight classes. The classes meet every other day so each student goes to four classes every day.
At Blue Peak the year is divided into eight terms with students taking four classes each term that meet every day.
“At the end of our first and second terms our honor roll doubled what it has been,” said Jackson.
Another thing Jackson is doing is making sure the data that is used to evaluate the school is accurate.
“We are working with our staff to make sure data, such as attendance, is accurately entered and that our enrollment rolls are up to date,” he said.
The Utah Legislature may take up some adjustments to the grading system for alternative schools in its 2014 session that begins in January.
Rogers agrees that alternative schools need to be accountable.
“We can develop an appropriate and reliable accountability system that is different, yet just as rigorous and one that fosters growth and higher expectations,” he said.