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Hardy County Schools board highlights benchmark growth, reassigns ‘best of’ banners
Summary
At its March 17 meeting the Hardy County Schools board heard a presentation showing year-to-date benchmark growth and announced how growth-based "Best of Hardy County" banners will be reassigned by grade to East Hardy and Moorfield schools.
At the March 17 meeting of Hardy County Schools, a staff presenter reported measurable growth between the first and second benchmark assessments and said the district will reassign its "Best of Hardy County" banners to reflect growth rather than top scores.
The presenter explained that each student’s benchmark 1 and benchmark 2 scores were compared and flagged as "growth" if there was measurable improvement; student-level score sheets are confidential, so staff shared only aggregate placements by grade. According to the presenter, kindergarten and several early grades’ growth banners will be displayed at East Hardy Elementary, multiple elementary grades at Moorfield Elementary, and upper-grade recognitions will be assigned to Moorfield and East Hardy depending on subject area.
"We had really good growth this time," the presenter said, noting the district evaluates growth from benchmark 1 to benchmark 2 and again to the end-of-year benchmark to determine recognitions.
Board members asked about teacher access to the lists and whether teachers could identify which students are close to benchmark. Staff confirmed teachers receive the classroom-level information so they can target interventions immediately. The presenter said full growth reports will be emailed to board members and are available on request, but reiterated that the underlying student-level documents remain confidential.
The presentation also noted differences in how junior-year benchmarks are calculated (examples: SAT-based benchmarks are handled differently), and staff emphasized that the district prioritizes growth as the recognition metric.
The discussion closed with board congratulations to schools and a note that district staff will provide a detailed growth report on request. The board then moved on to other agenda items.
