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Hartselle Enquirer

Morgan County Board members recognize teacher, discuss test scores

Morgan County Schools Superintendent Bill Hopkins Jr. with STAR Grant recipient and Falkville Elementary teacher Lori Kyker.
Morgan County Schools Superintendent Bill Hopkins Jr. with STAR Grant recipient and Falkville Elementary teacher Lori Kyker.

By Lauren Thornton Tobin

Morgan County Board of Education members recognized Falkville Elementary teacher Lori Kyker for receiving a STAR Grant at their meeting on Nov. 10.

As part of the grant, Kyker travels to Mexico to study the echo system and implements what she learns into her lesson plan in order to better teach students.

After the meeting, board member Paul Holmes said Kyker demonstrates the type of teachers who are in Morgan County.

“They go the extra mile for students,” he said.

Director of Secondary Education for Morgan County School District, Patrick Patterson, discussed the district’s ACT Aspire scores with board members, giving them a plan to both increase and maintain scores, starting with each individual student.

“We did meet with every school administrator about the scores and they all had a plan to increase them,” he said. “It’s not system plans, but individual plans,” he said.

Testing begins in 3rd grade, and those students scored 32 out of the 38 national average score in reading.

“We’re looking forward to using the NWEA (Measures of Academic Progress) Assessment to see each student’s individual skills,” Patterson said, explaining the MAP Assessment checks students three times a year to monitor their progress in specific areas.

4th grade students scored two points higher with a 70 in 2016 than the previous class did and they increased their score by three points from their third grade score, something Patterson said was worth looking at.

“We’re looking at individual students over time,” he said after the meeting. “That’s what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Patterson later said administrators aren’t as concerned about the district’s scores as they are the students taking the tests, but in order to increase a single school’s score or an entire district’s score, they must address every student’s unique need.

“We’re using those MAP assessment results to address and impact each individual student’s skills,” he said. “Ultimately that’s what it’s all about — helping individual students achieve their success and become college and career ready. The whole point of the test scores is to help each student.”

Board members also watched a video made by three West Morgan High School students about what activities their peers say are unique about West Morgan.

Students in the video commented on sports, art, yearbook and the duel enrollment program. One program specifically mentioned was Positivity Week, a week involving days such as “high five day,” in order to bring all students closer together and promote a more positive attitude campus wide.

In other news, board members:

  • Named Mike Tarpley as Board Chairman and Adam Glenn as Co-Chairman.
  • Approved use of Zaner Bloser material to accomplish the requirements set forth by Lexie’s Law. As part of the law, 3rd graders must create readable cursive documents.
  • Approved an agreement between the Morgan County Board of Education and McKee and Associates Architecture and Interior Design for a new high school for West Morgan Phase I as presented.
    “This project is not a want, it is a need,” said board member Bill Rhodes.

 

 

 

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