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Fifth grade students will attend gender-specific classes in their core subjects beginning next Tuesday, the first day of classes at New Franklin School. Board members learned of the development at their regular meeting Wednesday.
They also set the 2008-2009 tax rate and heard how the No Child Left Behind law affects the district.
Gender-specific classes
Pam Chitwood, elementary principal, met with parents of fifth grade students Tuesday. After over an hour of discussion about gender-specific classes, 17 out of the 19 parents were in favor of trying the new structure. Two parents were not opposed, but not sure of claimed positive benefits.
Because of strong parental support, gender-specific classes will be in place for communication arts, math, science and social studies.
Student achievement will be monitored monthly, and the program evaluated in October.
Chitwood first introduced the idea of gender-specific classes at the May school board meeting. She cited studies that indicated both boys and girls learn better in single-sex classes. Also, discipline problems decreased.
Chitwood emphasized it was the improved academic performance that caught her attention about gender-specific classes. Decreased discipline problems “were just an added benefit,” she said.
In June, four out of six board members voted in favor of gender-specific fifth grade classes. Darren Harris and Travis Hundley voted against. After the vote was taken, Harris said, “If it works, I’ll be the first to say ‘I was wrong.’”
New Franklin will join some 390 other schools in the nation who have implemented gender-specific classes.
Tax rate set
In a routine maneuver, school board members set the 2008-2009 tax rate at $3.8922 per $100 assessed valuation. This is an increase of 3.4 cents from the 2007-2008 rate of $3.8582. But it also is a voluntary roll back of 24 cents from a voter-approved allowed maximum of $4.1347.
‘No Child Left Behind’ leaves most school districts behind
New Franklin Schools may join a majority of state school districts in having “not met annual yearly progress” as defined by No Child Left Behind standards.
Out of over 500 school districts—including Boonville, Fayette and Glasgow—390 (75 percent) are not adequately meeting benchmarks as defined by NCLB.
Although New Franklin student achievement improved overall, graduation rates may cause the school district to be included on the “Not Met” list. School officials are re-checking numbers.
Gordon expressed frustration with NCLB regulations. “I don’t like it, I don’t like it at all,” she said. “We’re treated as if we don’t want to do our job, and nothing could be further from the truth.”
Gordon cited numbers which indicate an effective educational system:
• New Franklin middle and high school students showed an overall gain of 12.3 percent in communication arts and a 5.3 percent gain in math as compared to last year.
• New Franklin high school students scored higher than the state average in all areas of the American College Test (ACT). The ACT is used by colleges to assess students’ academic skills.
• New Franklin has been granted a waiver for an extensive five-year review conducted by the state because the school showed continuously strong achievement scores.
But NCLB looks at a different set of criteria. If drop-out rates are found to be past a certain number, New Franklin will join the other 390+ schools which are under a school improvement plan for not meeting federal standards.
Student visitors must be high school age; excessive absences scrutinized
The school board reviewed student and faculty handbooks. Policies remain largely the same with a few changes:
• Out-of-district visitors to middle and high school dances must be high school age. “We don’t need 24-year-olds mixing with our kids at school dances,” David Haggard, high school principal, said.
• In the case of excessive absences, school officials may ask for documentation to support reasons for absences.
• Travel-to-home arrangements must be made prior to students loading on buses. Last school year, there were incidences in which students used cell phones to call their parents while on the school bus to change where they should be dropped off. Now, travel-to-home arrangements must be final before students embark on buses for home.
No change: lice eggs ‘ok’
Darren Harris, school board member, raised the issue of less stringent sanctions for students with nits (lice eggs).
Before 2007, if nits were found in a student’s hair, the child was sent home. This policy resulted in some children missing many days of school.
Then, prior to the 2007-2008 school year, the Department of Health and Human Services had urged schools to change their lice policies. DHHS recommended—and the Missouri School Boards Association concurred—that children with nits may stay in school as long as parents show documentation of having treated the lice problem. Children with lice will be sent home.
New Franklin school officials followed the advice of DHHS and MSBA when 2007-2008 policies were set. At that time, Harris disagreed with the change, and he remains dissatisfied with the policy.
“Whatever is being done [about controlling lice in school], we need to do a better job,” Harris said. “It [lice infestation] does not have to do with income; it has to do with laziness.”
Pam Chitwood said incidences of lice had actually decreased the last school year as compared to the previous 2006-2007 school year.
Parents may opt out of vision screen by optometrist
The state legislature recently passed a law which requires school districts to obtain proof that every kindergartner has received a vision examination performed by an optometrist. The cost is $100 to $200. Parents may excuse their child from the vision requirement by signing a “Parent/Guardian Opt-Out of Vision Examination” form.
Meal prices set
Gordon recommended, and the board accepted, that meal prices remain the same. They are:
• Student breakfast - $0.85
• Reduced student breakfast - $0.30
• Student lunch - $1.25
• Reduced student lunch - $0.40
• Adult breakfast - $1.25
• Adult lunch - $1.75
In other business, the board:
• Accepted Lang Gas Co.’s bid for diesel.
• Accepted MFA’s bid for gasoline.
• Accepted Interstate Brands Corp. for bread products.
• Accepted Central Dairy for milk products.
• Appointed Pam Chitwood, elementary principal, as Homeless Coordinator.
Upcoming events:
• Classes begin Tuesday, Aug. 19
© Copyright 2002-2005 by Wood Creek Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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