Holden praises performance of Jackson School District

JACKSON, Mo. -- Gov. Bob Holden shared his new education plan for failing school districts with students and faculty at Jackson High School Wednesday, selecting the school for a visit because it is part of one of the top-performing districts in the state.

The plan, which he intends to introduce into legislation during the next session, was announced Tuesday at schools in Kansas City, Mo., and Jefferson City, Mo., and immediately received criticism from teachers and members of the National Education Association who oppose required testing for veteran teachers.

Under the plan, teachers in failing districts, labeled so because they failed to meet state accreditation standards, must meet one of four standards to qualify for a salary increase. They are:

Pass a standardized test on subject-matter knowledge.

Enroll in the National Board Certification Program and work toward certification.

Take and pass the training to become an advanced placement teacher.

Take and pass the training to become a MAP testing scorer.

"I don't want to seem critical, but anything that takes teachers out of the classroom can't be a good thing for the students," said Frances Dooley, government and history teacher at Jackson High School. "I feel compassionate for the schools that are underfunded in the first place and the teachers have to be everything to everyone."

"It makes me feel sad to see a good teacher work so hard and then be called on to work more," she said.

But Holden dismisses the idea that teachers will have to work more to pass the exams.

"If teachers can't pass the test, should they be allowed to stay in the classroom?" he asked. "If they're doing an outstanding job and have good knowledge of their subject, there should be no concern."

Another section of the plan requires failing districts to reallocate resources to address identified academic performance needs.

They also must implement at least one item on a Best Practices Menu, the name for a segment of the governor's plan, including reducing class sizes, reducing school sizes, establishing a school within a school or hiring advanced teacher specialists.

Holden said the districts would not receive any additional money to assist in the process. "This is to make sure they are spending the money they have wisely," he said.

Holden said he chose Jackson as a stop on his tour because it is an exemplary district.

"Jackson has consistently scored above average on ACT and MAP test scores and has had a dramatic increase in enrollment over the past 10 years," he said.

He added even with Jackson's model status, the district has continued to improve each year.

Holden's comments on the status of the district are backed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which recently released its annual performance reports for each district in the state. DESE rates districts on a set of 13 standards, and for the third year in a row Jackson met all 13.

The reports are done annually, but DESE only uses the information for making accreditation decisions every five years. During the years between reviews, the districts can use the information as a basis for planning school improvement.

"This just gives the districts something that says: If you were being reviewed, this is what you would get," said Carolyn Eastwood, assistant director of the Missouri School Improvement Program under DESE.

Because Jackson met all 13 standards, it is eligible for a waiver on the accreditation process. Eastwood said the official decision will be announced in January, but it looks like a done deal for the district. There are currently only 18 districts, including Jackson, out of 500 in the state on a waiver.

The waiver means districts currently in superior condition that have been for several years do not need to be reviewed for accreditation.

Cape Girardeau and Oak Ridge school districts each met 12 of 13 standards on the report. Scott City school district met nine.

Cape Girardeau did not meet the dropout standards, with 7.5 percent of students in grades 9-12 dropping out.

"We're a hair below the state average," superintendent Dan Steska said. "We've had some kids who are just not making it."

Steska said improvements are being made to the district's curriculum from high school all the way down to the elementary schools to try to lower the dropout rate, and the Alternative School continues to help serve the children who might not be able to keep up in the classroom.

Cheri Fuemmeler, Oak Ridge superintendent, said she was pleased with the results of her district's report.

"The one area we did not meet was in vocational placement," she said, "and we've already made revisions to our curriculum to address that."

Scott City superintendent Roger Tatum said his district did not do as well as he would have liked on the report, but since the data was collected some of the areas have been modified, including the reading program.

hkronmueller@semissourian.com

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