The Carroll County School District heard from new assistant superintendent and special education director, Dr. Wendy Hubbard, as she laid out the district Instructional Management Plan. The board unanimously approved the plan. Hubbard told the board the plan was needed as part of their accreditation.
Hubbard, who is the former superintendent of the Montgomery County School District, said she created the plan based on things she’s seen work in other districts where she worked and spoke with Principals Khalilah Tate and Coretta Green about their input. She said it’s also been reviewed word for word with staff.
She went over highlights of the plan.
“It lays out how objectives will be taught, how grades will be turned in, and how homework is sent out,” she said. Hubbard said it also lays out what technology will be used and how the gym will run.
“I’m data-driven, that’s my background so we will be working with data this year,” she said. Hubbard said teachers will get students to focus on their reading and math scores and tests that students take will now align with the state test.
“Tests that are teacher-created or generated aren’t always at the level of the state test,” Hubbard said, adding that this year all tests given in Carroll County will be at the state level.
“Now, parents will have to be prepared. They may see a difference in what their child’s grades were,” she said.
Hubbard said since the test is going to be more aligned with the test given on the state level, parents may see a slight decline in their child’s grades from last year. But they shouldn’t be alarmed.
However, Hubbard added at the end of the year, parents will be able to see their child’s progress from now until May because of the way tests will now be structured in the district.
“We will have PBIS and things that are motivational to our students and our teachers; we will offer more incentives, and there will be a newsletter sent out,” she said. “Things will be documented now. If a child is pulled out of class for any reason, it has to be documented, and observations that will take place,” she said.
The board complimented Hubbard on her presentation to them.
“This is a lot more intel than we’ve usually received and as a board member, we should be more knowledgeable of what’s going on,” Board member Stella Washington-Bell said.
Hubbard said she plans to do reports monthly to keep the board updated.
Trustee John Phillips asked Hubbard about the third-grade test and how are all tests, practice and regular, before the state tests are given, either on paper or on the computer.
Hubbard said it will all be on the computer this year.
“The reading test has a split screen, and they have to be able to scroll the story and find the answers. A lot of children fail, not because they don’t know the work, but because they don’t know how to work the computer,” she said.
She said for the math test, students are only allowed to use the calculator on the computer and they have to learn how to work it.
Trustee William Downs asked Hubbard about students who have no access to internet at home, and how they will be able to do their work, if everything is done online.
Hubbard said since tests are done online now, principals have set up times for teachers to get Chromebook carts and go to computer labs for students to use for homework and studying for tests for each subject.
“I’m just guessing right now, this isn’t the schedule, I don’t know what it is. The principals set that and I leave it up to them. But, you have reading on Monday, science on Tuesday, social studies on Wednesday so a child doesn’t just have tests on Fridays,” Hubbard said.
She also said now the district has implemented that students have interventionist time so during that time, they can get their homework done.
“There shouldn’t be a child that’s an A or B student going across the stage, but they can’t pass their state test,” Hubbard said.
“We’ve had some issues but we don’t have our head in the sand,” Superintendent Billy Joe Ferguson said. “We’re addressing them head on. We want to help our children pass and do their very best, that’s our goal.”
The board also:
Approved an organizational chart as part of their accreditation
Approved a Special Education contract and a Head Start contract.
Approved two students released to the Grenada School District and the Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District.
Approved an out-of-district transfer from the Greenwood-Leflore Consolidated School District to the Carroll County School District.
Approved to advertise the sale of nine buses. Transportation Director Dewitt Cobbins thanked the board for their purchase of three new buses. “All the buses are used on routes, all routes are now air conditioned and all of our bus drivers thank you,” Cobbins said, which was met with a round of applause.
