Leadership team tackles school system needs
The school system?s leadership team is ready to say farewell after a successful year. The team has spent most of the 2006-2007 school year working to make a difference for school-age children of Warren County.
?This is the first year for several members of this team,? said professional and community development coordinator Bonnie Collier. ?It was a learning experience. We addressed the needs of a large group of students, special needs students and particular classes.?
The team, comprising 22 students, school officials, teachers, principals and parents, has been busy analyzing data since November 2006. Using the data, they determined strengths and weakness of the local school system.
Once the data was analyzed, group members established realistic goals that will keep the school system in line with the state?s No Child Left Behind guidelines. The plan must be submitted to the Tennessee State Board of Education by May 15 and used as guidelines for the system during the 2007-2008 school year.
The need for a leadership team is simple.
?We want every student to succeed,? said Collier. ?Our goal is to do whatever it takes for your child to succeed. We have spent the last several months establishing goals to achieve just that.?
This year, the team has set down six goals:
? Increase proficient/advanced reading/language arts scores of all grades 3-8 students by at least 2 percent each year as measured by TCAP CRT achievement test from 2007-2008 to 2010-2011.
? Decrease number of special education students (in grades 3-12) scoring below proficient by at least 10 percent each year as measured by TCAP/Gateway Achievement tests from 2007-2008 to 2010-2011.
? The percent of students with IEP?s graduating from high school with a regular high school diploma compared to the percent of all students in the system graduating with a regular high school diploma will increase by 2 percent per year for the next five years, resulting in a 10 percent gain.
? Increase TCAP writing assessment scores for 11th-graders by at least 0.2 point by 2008-2009 school year.
? Increase TVAAS gain scores annually for all students in the upper quintile groups by at least the state growth standard as measured by TCAP tests.
? Implement at least two events or activities at the district level during the 2007-2008 school year designed to improve teacher retention and attendance.
Along with having these goals, the team has set down action steps that will help schools accomplish the goals and began addressing a situation facing the school system.
?Within the next five years we will have a lot of teachers retiring,? said Collier. ?That is something we need to begin addressing now. We don?t need to wait until it happens.?
After next year?s TCAP test scores come in, the team will begin the process of analyzing that data and determining if the goals were met and then address any strengths or weaknesses. Based on that data, they will once again set down goals and steps to obtaining new goals.
The team?s goal is to keep Warren County schools on track with No Child Left Behind guidelines. In those guidelines, the number of students going proficient has to increase to 100 percent by 2013-2014.