Birmingham City Educators Credit ‘Obtainable Goals’ as Grades Improve on State Report Card

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times Darwanette Levingston, a third-grade teacher at Oxmoor Valley Elementary School, knows why the school’s grade increased from a C to a B on the most recent Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) annual report card. “It was hard work, but the first thing we had, we had a vision, then we set goals. We tried to set obtainable goals, and we bought into those goals,” said Levingston, during a press conference on Tuesday. “The main thing we did is mix a little old school with the new school with the strategy we have.” And it worked. Not just for Oxmoor Valley Elementary but for the Birmingham City Schools district which maintained an overall C, moving from a score of 72 last year to a 74 on the state’s report for 2023-24. Said Dr. Mark Sullivan, BCS Superintendent, “We’ve seen an increase in our test scores. We are not satisfied with a 74, but it’s the highest grade that BSC has ever made since we had an academic report card in the state of Alabama.” Levingston, who has spent 27 of her 30 years teaching third-graders, had more good news to report. More than...