Dexter board reviews MAP scores, agrees to cut HS option

Dexter's school administration learned Tuesday that based upon preliminary information from the Annual Performance Report which measures 14 performance criteria by the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education, the district should be presented with the state's top award of Academic Distinction in Performance.

During Tuesday evening's Board of Education meeting though, the district's curriculum director Dr. Kimberly Flowers focused upon the Missouri Assessment Program and End of Course exam results mandated by the No Child Left Behind directives, the Dexter Daily Statesman reported.

"As we have discussed before, NCLB has created a review system in which there are 'multiple ways to fail' and only one way to succeed. These reports outlining a district's performance on MAP and EOC exams are important, but this is only one measure of how our district is performing," Flowers said.

Dexter's overall performance was mixed even though the district scored above the state averages in mathematics and communication arts; the Middle School raised their MAP scores by nearly nine percentage points to be removed from the state's "needs improvement" category and meet the target; and the High School marked substantial gains of 8 and 18 percentage points above the NCLB targets. Out of the eight groups and subgroups, the district met five of the proficiency targets. Flowers stated, "Our district's students, staff, and building administration continue to strive to meet these challenging targets as these percentages are increased to 100% for each group and subgroup by 2014." These percentages reflect the number of students in each group and subgroup that will score in the top two categories of achievement: advanced and proficient.

In conclusion, Flowers emphasized, "Examining MAP information along with other information, such as reading achievement, graduation/attendance rates, advanced/career education course offerings, ACT scores, extracurricular participation, scholarships, college placement, performance beyond school, and parent satisfaction gives us a more realistic view of our district's performance as reflected in the Annual Performance Report. Our goal is to continue to do all we can to improve student performance and success in school and beyond by carefully analyzing our curriculum and instruction and adjusting accordingly."

The Missouri State High School Activities Association recently passed By-Law 108, which establishes a mandatory dead period for all MSHSAA sports and activities. The period is to last nine days and will be set individually by each member school and reported to MSHSAA prior to April 1.

"Currently," Supt. Dr. Ken Jackson told the board, "July 31 of each year is the last day for coaches and sponsors to work with students prior to the start of the fall sports season. While there is no perfect time to establish a nine-day dead period, we believe we've established a suitable time period."

Those periods will be from Saturday, July 24, 2010 through Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010 for middle school students. For high school students, there will be no activity from Saturday, July 31 through Sunday, Aug. 8, 2010.

Discussion ensued regarding the impact the new ruling would have on some extracurricular activities at both the middle school and high school levels, particularly with regard to open gyms and band practice schedules.

"We can invite building administrators to come in and discuss this issue with the board," Jackson said. "We don't have to make a decision on this before April 1 of next year."

The board decided to delay approval of the new mandate and take advantage of the time available to obtain further information regarding the dead period. The issue will be discussed at a future meeting of the board.

Board members learned Tuesday night that the Missouri Fine Arts Academy has requested a $500 per nominee fee from all nominating school districts.

"In the past," Jackson told the board, "the state legislature has funded the Academy, but their funding will be lost or at least substantially reduced. There has been no fee from individual districts."

Jackson further defined the proposition, stating, "Paying the $500 fee for the nomination in no way guarantees the selection of the student, and the fee is not refundable."

"This is not a recommendation that I like," Jackson reiterated, "but we're going to see a lot of cost shifting in the future, and I guess I am just positioning myself to start saying 'no' to some of these requests. I believe this is just one in a series of coming requests."

Disappointed in the loss of opportunity for a student to represent Dexter at the annual three-week summer academy, Board President Jackie McKuin voiced, "I think that we should pay this and say 'no' to the next thing that comes before us. I just hate to see a child not be able to excel."

With the district's own concerns of upcoming funding cuts, Jackson recommended that the district cease nominations for local students to attend the Missouri Fine Arts Academy. There has been no fee associated with these nominations in the past. The board agreed, after considerable discussion, with the recommendation and voted to cease nominations from the district for students to be selected to the Missouri Fine Arts Academy.

In other business, the Board of Education:

* approved MSBA policy updates stemming from the March 2009 MSBA meeting. The changes included procedure updates regarding construction contract bidding and awards, personnel records and support staff and student absences.

* approved retaining Director of Transportation Kent Polsgrove as the district's English Language Learner Coordinator.

* approved retaining the firm of Kraft, Miles, and Tatum, LLC to perform the district's audit for the seventh consecutive year.

* approved a bid in the amount of $2500 for a walk-in freezer no longer useful to the district. The bid came from the O.A.K.S. Senior Center.

* approved a bid for $9,623.90 from B&M Landscaping & Fencing for installation of a fence between Southwest Elementary School and the new Bearcat Event Center.

In executive session, the board approved four names to be added to the teacher substitute list. They include Melissa Beard, Caitlin Carillo, Travis Holland and Anthony Elfrink.

The board also accepted the notice of intent to retire from High School English Instructor Rhonda Stuever to be effective at the conclusion of the current school year.

The resignation of Jackie Ash, a district bus driver, was also accepted. Curtiss Baisden was employed by the district as a full-time bus driver.