Obion Co. BOE updated on system strengths, weaknesses

A number of Amendments to Board Policies received second and final readings during the Oct. 1 meeting of the Obion County School Monday night.

All amendments had previously been given the first reading, with recommendations made by Director of School Dr. Leah Watkins to accept each one, including #3.2015, to increase the protection and safety of students and school personnel, with the board authorizing off duty law enforcement officers to serve as armed school security officers during regular school hours when students are present on school grounds and during school sponsored events. A written memorandum of understanding is to be executed between the school district and the local law enforcement agency that employs the law enforcement officer to serve as an armed school security officer. The MOU is to address the provisions required by state law and be adhered to by the off duty law enforcement officer.

Policy amendments included #1.701, School District Planning, #3.212, District Water Testing, #4.206, Insurance Management, #4.206, Homebound Instruction, #4.608, Transcript Alterations, #5.106, Application and Employment, #5.118, Background Investigations, #5.6001, Staff Dress Code, #6.200, Attendance, #3.2051, Off Duty Law Enforcement Officers on Campus, #6.2001, Attendance During Postsecondary Visits, and i#2.0851, Credit Cards/Credit Lines.

Substitute teachers approved were Amanda Sanford, recommended by Nancy Hamilton and George Leake; Paige Tucker, recommended by Dale Hollowell and Adam Stephens; Charity Nance, recommended by Dale Hollowell and Adam Stephens; Deana Bearden-Hicks, recommended by Vikki Hayslett and Lesa Scillion; Heather Mosely, recommended by Nancy Hamilton and George Leake; Kristen Alexander, recommended by Nancy Hamilton and Dale Hollowell; Kayla Anderson, recommended by Nancy Hamilton and Dale Hollowell; Allison Priest, recommended by Nancy Hamilton and Dale Hollowell; Bethany Carter, recommended by Vikki Hayslett and George Leake; and Juanita Easterwood, Nurse Substitute, recommended by Chasity Homra.

In the personnel report, resignations were listed for Erica Myers, School Counselor, Mary Jane Burress, Custodian and Tonya Owens, Food Service Secretary/Receptionist.

Leaves of absence were approved for Krista Vise, Eric Knott, Jamie Knott, Carrye Richardson, Mindy Coursey, Vonda Cary and Kyle Coleman, all teachers.

New hires included Laura Ashley Chism, Administrative Assistant, Latosha Fair, EA/Deaf Interpreter, Kasie McClanahan, Personal Assistant, Austin Lane Akers, History Teacher, Nancy Hatt, Food Service, Teresa Gray, Teacher, Joy Moore, Custodian and Jonathan Martin, Custodian.

Bids were solicited for a Microsoft License Agreement, with Gov connection Inc., submitting a bid in the amount of $37,374.34 and CDW submitting a bid of $34,224. Dr. Watkins’ recommendation, with the board ultimately in agreement for approval, was to accept the bid from CDW.

Board members approved Dr. Watkins’ recommendations to appoint members to serve on the textbook adoption committees, specifying textbooks for Marketing, Finance, and Business, Social Studies, 3-5, Social Studies, 6-8 and World Languages for the 2018-2019 school year.

Serving on the Social Studies textbook committee, for grades 9-12 are John Buchanan, Cole Clanton, David Wilkins, Bill Gray, Brent Wilson and Tina Morris. Kandace Jackson and Melissa Brown serve on the Marketing, Finance and Business textbook committee; and serving on the Social Studies Grades 6-8 textbook committee are Carrie Regalado, Courtney Gantt, Mark Jackson, Jan McGregor, Nick Ritter and Laura Ashley. For the Social Studies, grades 3-5 textbook committee, serving re Elaine Barnett, Barbie Orr, Catherine Nailling, Tracy Dyer, Kristy Vincint and Elisha Easterwood.

During the student recognition portion of the night’s agenda, students from Obion County Central High School’s Anglers Club were introduced, and the announcement was made the young men will be competing in the National Championship. Other OCCHS organizations recognized included students who participate in the Band and the Future Teachers of America organization.

Nikki Netherland updated school board members Fritz Fussell, Jared Poore, Keisha Hooper, Tim Britt, Barry Adams and Kyle Baggett about the 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant.

Netherland said the district is set to receive funds from two grants, $283,390 annually for five years from the 21st Century funds and $199,313 annually for three years from the LEAPS grant.

Lake Road, Hillcrest, Obion County Central and South Fulton Middle/High School will received potions of the 21st Century grant, and Black Oak, Ridgemont and South Fulton Elementary will benefit from the LEAPS grant.

Netherland said “at risk” students are given consideration first to attend the after school program, to generate methods by which improvements may be seen in the areas of attendance, behavior, potential failure, students in foster care or state custody, or those within the bottom 25% of state testing scores.

She noted each school joins together with community partners to assist in the program, with many students also afforded meals and daycare options are available at South Fulton Elementary School, with Netherland noting there is not an after school day care facility in South Fulton, so students may pay for the after school care at SFES. Netherland commended teacher volunteers for the program, with a usual five students to one teacher ratio.

Adam Stephens provided data to the board regarding composite scores in growth measurements, information gathered from the previous school year’s state testing.

The data contained strengths and weaknesses of the district, as well as in each school, in English/Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies, for grades four through eight as well as high school.

Stephens reported scores system wide in the areas of Language Arts, Numeracy, and End of Course for grades four through eight reflected strengths in English/Language Arts and Math, overall scoring fours and fives, out of possible fives.

Stephens referenced the “debacle” experienced by students in the school district taking state tests last year, as well as the high volume of students in Obion County School system required an immediate start for test taking, within the two week period.

He said other smaller districts could potentially have fewer numbers, and afford postponing test taking until the last of the two week testing window, in hopes of avoiding issues.

Stephens said school systems with fewer students than Obion County have the luxury of being able to complete testing, even if they wait until the final days of testing. That is not possible, he said, with Obion County Schools, because of the number of students in the system. Stephens said students testing must begin the tests immediately in order to finish, with steady test taking a key element in obtaining a higher score.

A positive aspect of the data report was the announcement of the graduation rate increase at South Fulton and Obion County Central.

The 1 to 5 scale for scores pertains to growth and potential growth, and does not categorize achievment, according to the Director of Schools, with an ultimate goal for the system schools to increase both growth and achievement.

During the presentation by Adam Stephens, the board heard the announcement of Hillcrest Elementary and Lake Road Elementary Schools’ recent designation as “Reward Schools” for the 2017-2018 school year, as well as the increase by 2.3 percentage points of the graduation rate for OCCHS and SFHS. Stephen noted the increase is made more significant as a result of the latest graduation cohort being larger than the previous year, with a larger graduating class as well as a higher percentage of students graduating a significant improvement.

School districts are held accountable each year in many areas, Stephens said, with districts assigned a number based on the progress made in each category, such as Absenteeism and Graduation Rate, as well as within each sub-group such as Economically Disadvantaged and English Language Learners.

The state sets a target goal for districts to reach based on student data, and those numbers are averaged and assigned to one of four categories based on a final average.

A district may be designated Marginal, Satisfactory, Advancing or Exemplary, with Marginal being the lowest and Exemplary the highest.

Stephens reported the Obion County School System was designated as Advancing, defined as “meeting growth expectations on average.”

District wide, summaries of strengths and areas of need were shared by Stephens.

Strengths included Grades 4-8, System-wide Composite, System-wide Literacy, System-wide Literacy and Numeracy scored 4, with a 5 the top score; Grades 4-8, End of Course, System-wide Science, and Grades 4-8, System-wide Science scored 5, and Grade 3, System-wide Literacy scored 5 as did System-wide Science.

Areas which were termed “At Expectation” included End of Course, System-wide, Science, Grade 3, System-wide Composite and Literacy and Numeracy, Grades 4-8, System-wide Numeracy and System-wide Literacy, all scores of 3.

Included in “Areas of Improvement” were Grade 3, System-wide Numeracy, Grades 4-8/End of Course, System-wide Literacy and Numeracy, all scores of 2; End of Course, System-wide Composite, Literacy, Literacy and Numeracy, Numeracy, scores of 1; Grades 4-8, End of Course, System-wide Composite, Literacy and Numeracy, scores of 1; and System-wide, Composite, Literacy and Numeracy, and Numeracy, scores of 1.

Relating to school level growth scores’ data, for School-wide Composite, Black Oak scored 4, Hillcrest 5, Lake Road 5, Obion County Central 1, Ridgemont 3, South Fulton Elementary 1 and South Fulton Middle/High 1.

For School-wide Literacy, Black Oak, Hillcrest and Lake Road scored 5, Ridgemont scored 3, and Obion County Central, South Fulton Elementary and South Fulton Middle/High scored 1.

For School-wide Numeracy, Lake Road scored 5, Hillcrest, Ridgemont and South Fulton Elementary scored 3, Obion County Central scored 2 and Black Oak and South Fulton Middle/High, 1.

For School-wide Science, Hillcrest and Lake Road scored 5, Obion County Central and Ridgemont, 4, Black Oak and South Fulton Middle/High, 3 and South Fulton Elementary, 1.