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By Fred Guarino

The Lowndes Signal

Mid-year reviews of student achievement at all seven schools in the county will be conducted Jan. 22^nd 26, Lowndes County School Superintendent Dr. Daniel Boyd announced at a brief meeting of the Lowndes County Board of Education held Thursday, Jan. 11 at Fort Deposit Elementary School.

According to Boyd, the reviews will consist of classroom observations, teacher and students interviews, analysis of evidence supporting implementation of goals, and principal data summaries.

He said the results of the reviews will be shared with the board during its February meeting to be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8 at the central office.

Boyd explained to the Signal that Darryl Washington, director of curriculum and instruction, Kimberly M. Washington, director of human resources, Dr. Renata Hollins, director of federal programs and special education, and himself will visit all the schools. He said, “The principals will make presentation on student data” in order for them to see “student achievement growth.”

Also among items approved by the board last Thursday was a memorandum of agreement with the State Department of Education for a district intervention plan.

Boyd explained to the Signal that this is “not state intervention.” Instead, he explained it is a $100,000 grant from the State Department of Education to Lowndes County Public Schools to contract with a company called PowerSchool to help school district “analyze data and look at factors to improve teaching and learning.”

He also said, “It is a grant that a lot of school districts across the state have received.”

It was also announced at the meeting that the Alabama Department of Education will release the 2016 – 2017 A – F Report Card to the public on Feb. 1. And the Department of Education has also scheduled to release to the public the 2016 – 2017 Alabama Accountability Act (AAA) failing schools list by Feb. 1^st.

And it was announced that after-school credit recovery classes are now offered at The Calhoun and Central High Schools with the classes scheduled to be completed within four to five weeks.

Other announcements included:

• Professional development will be offered to all staff members (certified and classified) on Monday, Feb. 19^th at Central High School.  And a needs assessment will be conducted by The Bailey Group during the week of Jan. 26^th at each school to identify teacher needs.
• The Scripps District-level Spelling Bee will be held at 6 p.m., Feb. 6 at the Lowndes County Middle School Theater. The winner of the district spelling bee will compete in the Alabama Spelling Bee on March 10 in Alabaster.
• The District-level Greater East Alabama Regional Science and Engineering Fair will be held at 9 a.m., Feb. 9 at The Calhoun School Gymnasium; The winners of the district competitions will compete in the Greater East AlabamaRegional Scienceand Engineering Fair on March 6 in Auburn.

Lowndes County Board of Education members thanked Fort Deposit Elementary School Principal Audra Stinson for tokens of appreciation and Fort Deposit fourth graders Kentorian Sellers and Makysia Sellers for the presentation of a poem during the dinner service prior to the Thursday, Jan. 11 meeting at the school. January is Alabama’s School Board Member Recognition Month.

In actions taken, the board approved:

• The meeting agenda.
• Minutes of Dec.14, 2017 meeting.
• Contracts between the board and: Warcheta Bedgood for technical support and professional development for the Fiscal Department; Dr. Nannette Phillips for professional development for the Head Start Policy Council; and Cynthia Jackson for professional development for the Transportation Department.
• A memorandum of agreement between board and the Alabama State Department of Education

for a district intervention plan.

In addition to policy revisions and development, the board approved the November 2017 Financial Statement, Profit and Loss Detail Report and Check Detail Report for the Lowndes County Head Start Program; the Revenues and Expenditures Report, Financial Statement and Payroll Register for November 2017 based on Reconciled Bank Statements; and the personnel report.