KOSCIUSKO — Following an impromptu executive session between the members of the Attala County School Board and Superintendent Bryan Weaver regarding the release of the Attala County’s state test results, the four principals presented plans of action and answer questions during the regular board meeting held in the Attala County Courthouse Monday evening.

“We’ve got some improving to do and we’ve got some things in place,” Weaver told the board as he went through data with the board for the first time.

The state testing data was released on September 14 with Attala County Schools being given the letter grade of “D” or a status of academic watch.

Ethel High School and Greenlee Elementary were given an ‘F,’ or low-performing, while McAdams High and Long Creek Elementary were given a ‘D’ for academic watch.

Longtime school board members, Linda Massey and Mack Willie Clark wanted to know why they weren’t told about the scores prior to their release.

“I’ve been on the board for 10 years and I’ve never had a superintendent that didn’t come to us and talk about it before the public knew about it,” Massey said.  “That’s how we found out – through the public.”

Clark, who read a published account of the ratings in the September 27 edition of The Star-Herald, said he wanted to know how the scores got to this point.

Before the principals addressed the board, Weaver explained newly purchased ELS software allowing teachers to access testing data from 2008 and being able to do lesson plans through the system is proving to be a great tool in helping to prepare the students.

“They are also able to do lesson plans online where the principals can see them,” Weaver said. “I can see them. Anyone with district access can view them.”

iPads were also purchased for the principals to do on-the-spot teacher evaluations.  

“We are concentrating a lot on data,” Weaver said. “We are giving the teachers exactly what they need to know to structure their lesson plans. We are giving them something they can actually target.”

Greenlee Elementary

Greenlee Elementary Principal Lilia Fisher said improvement in parent/teacher relations along with boosting attendance were addressed at the end of the year prior to the release of the test scores.

“One thing Greenlee has had a problem with in the past is attendance,” she said. “We were having a very abbreviated day at Greenlee. We have worked very hard to make parents understand the school hours.”  

The teachers at Greenlee have also worked toward improving the parent/teacher relationship with teachers making one-on-one contact with parents.

“It’s taken a long time to get here and it’s going to take a long time to get out,” Fisher said of the scores. “If you look at the scores over the last few years, the decline has been there.”

“It’s going to take lots and lots of effort from the parents and I’ve had a lot of parents come through my doors this year and sit down with teachers. It takes all of us working together,” she said. “By this time next year, I’m expecting Greenlee to look a lot different.”

Fisher said teachers have implemented teaching into small groups and have departmentalized the third and fourth grades so that a teacher is focusing on preparing for one subject instead several. The fifth and sixth grades are already departmentalized.

Kids learn better in small groups, she said.

She added that they are better utilizing the computer programs and a 30-minute period of remediation or study hall has been put in place to helpstudents struggling in other areas and allowing others to do their homework.

Long Creek

Dietrich Harmon said  he was trying to cut through the “fluff” when it came to explaining the school’s scores.

With the changes in the accountability model and not meeting growth, Harmon said their scores did not see much change.

“We are basically doing some of the same things that we were doing last year,” Harmon said. “We are evaluating our teachers to see who works best in certain areas.”

One-on-one instruction time has been put into place and the computer programs are being used.

Increased parental involvement is also being sought.

“We’ve always had an open door policy,” Harmon said. “You can come for academic and behavioral problems. That hasn’t changed.”

McAdams

Jacqueline Sandifer, principal at McAdams High School, said Bulldogs were painted on the walls to provide a sense of “success.”

To boost success and  cut back on absenteeism and tardiness, Sandifer said they have set up a reward program with “Student of the Month and “Student of the Week.”

She said teachers are learning to analyze their tests to aid in students’ education.

Our goal is to concentrate on all areas at the school,” Sandifer said.

Peer-to-peer tutoring has begun and Tougaloo College’s Education Challenge will be providing tutoring as well.

Computer software, as previously discussed by others, is being implemented.

More intense testing has been started to get students prepared for the state testing and  smaller class sizes are in place to help the learning curve.

Sandifer is hoping to improve parents involvement.

Ethel

Dr. Michael Ray, principal at Ethel High School, said there were lots of key things left out of the accountability model the aided in the rating of Ethel.

“Our graduation at Ethel  High School was 83 percent, that’s one of the highest rates in the state and that didn’t count (in the rating model),” he said.

Students must pass the subject area testing mandated by the state to get a high school diploma.

“We are doing something right at Ethel High School,” Ray said.

Eighth grade science scores improved over last year and it, too, did not count in the model.

Ray said Algebra I scores increased and English II scores dropped some.

In U.S. History, Ethel  students were neck-in-neck with the state average but again, Ray said that did not count toward the rating.

Growth has not been met in two years.

“There is a triangle around each kid,” Ray said. “There is what they should be responsible for, what the school should be responsible for and what the parents should be responsible for.”

“We have some parents that make sure they are coming to school and doing their homework,” Ray said. “Others don’t. It’s not an excuse. It’s just a fact.”

Ray mentioned ELS program and teacher evaluations.

He said parents have been encouraged to track their child’s grades online and attend school open houses.

A remedial reading class has been put in place to help students read on grade level.

The weakest testing came on the junior high level.

Changes have been made to the junior high staff, Ray said.

Based on the testing data, Ethel students have been grouped into similar skill sets and placed in class sections accordingly.

A rewards committee has been set up and test preparation is underway.