City school district reviews accountability scores, plan for the future

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015, 9 p.m. — The Bardstown Board of Education reviewed the district’s results of the recently released K-PREP test scores at its meeting Tuesday, and also heard of initial plans for continued improvement at the district’s schools.

Cara Blackmon discusses the district’s accountability scores at Tuesday’s meeting of the Bardstown Independent Schools board of education.

Cara Blackmon, the district’s director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, reviewed what makes up the accountability standards with the members of the board, noting the coming changes in the standards. Next year, the high school EXPLORE and middle school PLAN assessments are being dropped from accountability.

Bardstown Elementary School saw its annual measurable objective (AMO) increase 3 points from the previous year. The school saw increases in scores for reading, social studies and writing, while fifth-grade math declined slightly. Overall, the school scored above the state average in writing. All three schools scored higher than the state average in writing, she sail.

The elementary school moved from 48th to the 68th percentile in the statewide rankings in a single year, and fell 0.3 short of being designated a proficient elementary school.

“We have a label of ‘High Progressing’,” Blackmon told the board. “That means we’re in the top 10 percent of the progressing elementary schools in the state.”

In addition to writing, Bardstown Middle School saw increases in the math, while the high school saw increases in its social studies and language mechanics scores. The high school also earned the designation as a proficient high school, she said, with a graduation rate one year increase from 69.1 to 71.8 percent.

PLANNING AHEAD. Blackmon said each school is focused on taking action that will improve student progress, which includes continued development of the professional learning communities in each school.

The schools want to beef up interventions to better meet the needs of students who fall behind. The middle school will put special emphasis on helping students with special needs in reading, while the high school will work on helping students in developing writing skills.

The district fell short of the proficient designation by .1 point, and Blackmon told the board that if the district continues its trajectory, it should reach proficiency next year.

PRIMARY SCHOOL CLUBS. Michelle Ryan, Bardstown Primary School principal, said the idea of offering clubs for primary students came about when the schools health and wellness committee was looking for unmet needs of its students.

“We discovered we were missing that piece of the puzzle for the whole child,” she told the board. “A place for everybody and a place for them to belong.”

From left, board member Franklin Hibbs III, Superintendent Brent Holsclaw and bord member Andy Stone talk prior to the start of Tuesday’s board meeting.

The effort began with four clubs four years ago and has grown each year in popularity and number, with 16 clubs going forward this year, Marci Ballard, media specialist and club sponsor said.

The clubs are free and most meet monthly after school.

“They provide opportunities for non-traditional learning,” Ballard told the board. Nearly half the school’s students have joined one of its clubs.

FOUNDATION’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY. Public relations director Kim Lacy told the board that the Bardstown Foundation for Excellence in Public Education celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

The foundation has continued the mission it began in 1985 — to fund programs that are not adequately funded by taxpayer dollars.

The foundation is supported by donations from the community, including many of the district’s employees, Lacy said.

The program has provided thousands of dollars in grants to assist creating new and creative educational offerings. In the 2013-14 school year, the foundation made a commitment to financially support science, technology, engineering and math programs for grades 1-12.

Board member Jennifer Shrewsbury listens to a presentation at Tuesday’s board meeting.

In other business, the board:

— approved the purchase of a new school bus for $90,041. The purchase will be financed through the Kentucky Interlocal Transportation Association at an interest rate of 2.75 percent for 10 years.

The new bus will replace a 1999 bus in the existing fleet that was used as a spare. The district has 17 buses that run daily during the school year with five buses set aside as spares.

— approved accepting an offer of assistance for $20, 578 from the Kentucky Educational Technology Systems (KETS). The money requires a matching amount from the district, and will be spent on technology upgrades planned for this year in the district schools.

— elected board member Jennifer Shrewsbury as its representative on the Kentucky School Boards Association.

— heard from Superintendent Brent Holsclaw the city school tax bills have been mailed.

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