What is the true measure of a school?

By Steve Fitzpatrick
    On March 9, the Maine Department of Education released what was termed its “persistently lowest performing schools” list quickly called Maine’s  “Worst” schools by the Bangor Daily News. Houlton High School was named on that list. From my perspective this was no less than a “character assassination” of the school as well as the municipalities it serves.
    It likewise casts a shadow of doubt for the dedicated professional staff and the tremendous student body that grace its hallways each year. Houlton High School is not the highest achieving school in the state. Statistics indicate the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone holds that distinction; however Houlton High School certainly is not, nor ever has been a “persistently lowest achieving school” as dubbed in an unprecedented determination never witnessed before in this State’s educational history.
    This past year Houlton High School scored 65th of 127 high schools in the state as measured by the SAT (College Student Aptitude Test) currently used by Maine as the High School assessment. At worst this places HHS in the middle in terms of achievement in Maine high schools.
    Every school in the nation — including Houlton High School — can improve. Any school worth its salt is continually on a journey of change to better serve students. Houlton High is such a school and has demonstrated the same over the past three years by implementing reading labs, after-school programming, and SAT Preparation courses, among other “best teaching” practices to improve achievement. These strategies have proven effective by virtue of the school making “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP) this past year. AYP is the federal governments increasing yearly achievement target for moving all students to realizing State Standards.
    Houlton High School is a mirror of what our communities expect in terms of opportunity for our students. A safe and positive school climate with opportunities to prepare for a technical field, trade, or a career necessitating four or more years of college exists at Houlton High school. Serving this broad range of students, many with a significant demographic of disadvantage (special needs or social- economically impacted), is a challenge for most rural districts including SAD 29.
    Despite those challenges Houlton sends 72 to 76 percent of its students to higher education each year. Given the above this is a tremendous statistic. Add to this Houlton’s tremendous music program, unified arts programming and extra-curricular opportunities and you begin to understand the measure of a school so distinctly in contrast to the department of Education sanction and designation using criteria that does not meet the “Straight face test” here or any other place in Maine.
    Houlton High School was reaccredited in 2009 by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, another measure of excellence, and has been so accredited since 1947. The school has a long history of excellence and performance of which all can be proud.
    Steve Fitzpatrick is the superintendent for SAD 29 (Houlton, Littleton, Monticello).