 |
| Serving Callaway County communities since 1875. | www.fultonsun.com | Sunday, July 05, 2009 |
| |||||||
|
NoCal schools discuss student reading By KATHERINE CUMMINS The Fulton Sun
That is the message literacy coaches Kelly Borman and Michelle Huddleston tried to convey at Thursday night's regular school board meeting. During their report on the districts' reading scores report, the two educators agreed that North Callaway's three pronged Developmental Reading Assessment - which includes regular classroom instruction time, intervention time and focused time with the teachers - has helped improve student performance with the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills assessment test. “DRA helps us determine the two to three areas that are weakest for each individual, and that helps guide the direction for each student,” Huddleston said. “It measures the accuracy and fluency of their reading skills.” Borman said the combination of the two programs gives local educators “a great overall assessment of where our students are.” Based on the test administered within the first three to four weeks of school, she said 72 percent of Auxvasse Elementary students were reading at grade-level, with Williamsburg and Hatton elementary students performing slightly better at 76 percent and 73 percent respectively. “We are now going to visit with each grade level and look at the students, asking why are they at that level and what can we do to improve their scores,” Borman said. “Our teachers are really working hard ... we meet with the principals and the teachers every two weeks and look at how the students are doing.” Borman and Huddleston said they intend to re-administer the test later this year and give another reading update in the spring. In other business Thursday night, facility improvement committee chairperson David Kemp presented the school board with its final report. “What I have for you tonight is an executive summary of our plan,” Kemp said. “We are in complete consensus on this proposal.” During their exhaustive review of the district's buildings, he said the committee had “found a number of areas that gave us pause,” which members narrowed down to four main issues: plant maintainability (ongoing maintenance issues), safety and security, educational environment and educational adequacy. Included in those plans are eliminating some of the modular classrooms, adding science lab space, improving classroom space for the fine arts program, and addressing plumbing, structural and drainage issues at all four buildings. Phase I of the plan is estimated to cost approximately $8.1 million, which Kemp said falls within the district's $8.25-$8.5 million bonding capacity for next year. “Assuming that at some point that bond issue is put into effect, we estimate that in 2012 we will be ready to do a no-tax-increase bond to fund Phase II, which includes removing asbestos at the high school and at Hatton,” he said. |
 |
Email this story | |
 |
Back to index | |
 |
Printer friendly version |
All Contents Copyright © 2009 The Fulton Sun. All rights reserved. AP stories Copyright © 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Click for copyright details.
Comments or questions? Contact us.