School board discusses student performance tracking, installs officers

As the Cape Girardeau School District works to integrate a method of tracking student performance districtwide, the school board heard a second round of assessment data Monday.

The district formalized the use of academic watch summaries in January to monitor performance data and how academic interventions are used. Assistant superintendent Pat Fanger said the recent scores revealed an interesting trend relating to reading scores, which showed more students testing at the same level in earlier grades.

At the kindergarten level, 95 percent of students scored on or above grade level, Fanger said. By fourth grade, the number dropped to 72 percent of students.

As students advance, reading assessment is more about comprehension than vocabulary, which could account for the disparity, said Theresa Hinkebein, curriculum coordinator.

"It's more than simple strategic recall," Hinkebein said.

Teachers have about a three-week time frame to administer and score the assessments, Hinkebein said. The summaries keep teachers focused on which interventions are used for struggling students, Fanger said.

Separately, during the board reorganization, Kyle McDonald and Luther Bonds received the oath of office. McDonald was re-elected board president and Stacy Kinder was elected vice president.

In other business, board members discussed changing their meeting schedule. The board meets on the third Monday of every month, which often conflicts with holidays. McDonald recommended meeting twice a month to avoid long meetings or later in the month to avoid rescheduling from holidays.

Other board members agreed to keep the current schedule but adjust it for holidays when the meeting calendar is set in July.

"It's the changes after the date is set that creates the problem," said board member Dr. Steven Trautwein.

The board also approved a proposal to establish an early dismissal schedule districtwide next year. Students will be released early once a month to provide time for teachers to collaborate on school issues.

Additionally, the board approved a new academic program for the junior high school to prepare students for high school.

The board also approved the transportation contract for the 2009-2010 school year. The contract with First Student Inc. includes a 3 percent rate increase for basic charges.

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