In a lengthy Arkadelphia school board meeting Tuesday night, updates were given on America’s Choice, and a school nurse asked that her reassignment to another school be lifted, among other business items.
Judy Gunter spoke to the board about the America’s Choice team. The district hired the school improvement contractors before the school year began. Gunter said there are a “lot of parts” to the school design program. A “leadership team” meets every Wednesday. The leadership team, she said, is “off and running,” working on literacy, vocabulary and content literacy strategies.
In November, the English department is expected to find specific strategies to improve literacy scores, and cross-curriculum groups meet on Tuesdays.
In December, a “narrative genre study” should be utilized to possibly create a writer’s workshop.
Target students have been identified, and Gunter said the America’s Choice team has met with them to talk about the importance of being proficient — for their sake as well as the district’s.
Gunter suggested that the mission statement at Arkadelphia High School be adjusted to be “more kid-friendly.” There are currently three different mission statements at the high school, two of which, Principal David Maxwell said, are outdated and have yet to be taken down. “They’re just hanging there.”
America’s Choice has also performed classroom walk-throughs, and it will begin “focus walks” to visit each student to “see how our design is working at the high school,” Gunter said.
A book campaign has been launched to get students throughout the district to read. Gunter said the program is expected to create a “high interest” and be appropriate to grade level.
Also, a ninth grade academy is being discussed to prepare students for high school life, according to Gunter.
The next steps, she said, are getting Maxwell into the classrooms more, and creating “safety nets” for students falling behind two or more years.
Dr. Jeff Root, board president, asked if there is anything the board should focus on. Gunter said she would like to see the board support the design of the program and consider changing the high school’s mission.
Root asked if there has been any feedback from parents. “Not really,” Gunter replied. She said brochures about America’s Choice were handed out at parent/teacher conferences last week.
In financial business, the district has $1.81 million “in the bank,” Superintendent Donnie Whitten said, noting that this is the “lowest time of the year.” He said more funds are expected from local and state taxes, which were due earlier this month.
Dr. Kenneth Harris asked about the district’s Title I fund, which showed to be $82,614 in the red. Whitten replied that those funds in the red on the financial statement were that way because the school had yet to be reimbursed by the state or from federal money.
Whitten reported that the school board was “very well represented” at the Region 10 Arkansas School Board Association, with four members of the board present. Later in the meeting, Harris was nominated and chosen by the board as the district’s ASBA delegate.
Jeanette Turner, director of curriculum and instruction, gave an update on ACT 2009. Arkadelphia schools was the first district in the state to test 11th graders, but now the only option of testing them is through the state, she said, because of scheduling conflicts with other exams.
She said the ACT is administered to juniors to help them schedule the classes they need to prepare for college. This year, those tested “did better on all four” areas of the exam, increasing the percentage of students who are ready and should be successful in college. Those figures, according to Turner, are 18 percent of ACT-tested students in the district, compared to the 10 percent of students throughout the state. “We’re outperforming the state on this part,” Turner said.
The ACT score needed for Arkansas students to opt out of remedial courses in college is 19, while ACT recommends 22. “We’re looking at what we can do as a district to provide access for (students) to take the ACT” and get the proper grades, she said. This year, the state has paid for the test to be administered, resulting in a savings of about $3,500 for the district.
Turner said she is working to ensure students are taking the “right kind of courses” and is planning guidance activities based on students’ individual aspirations.
Harris asked how many juniors took the ACT this year. Turner replied that 120 of 140 students took the exam.
Dr. Virginia Anderson, director of federal programs and administrative services, spoke next about the Arkansas Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. ACSIP, she said, addresses priorities like math, health and k-12 literacy, as well as how federal money should be spent by the districts it serves. The plan needed board approval for assurance with the state Department of Education. Whitten noted that the plan has been implemented by the district for 10 years, and that the board’s assurance to the state is the only new thing about ACSIP.
Whitten then spoke about enrollment. Average daily membership throughout the district — which is different than actual enrollment numbers and is not related to funding “at this time” — is down slightly from last year. The average daily membership in 2008, based on the four quarters, was 1,992 students. This year, based on the first nine weeks, there is an average of 1,942 students showing up each day.
Harris asked if the decrease is related to a particular grade level. “Not really,” Whitten said. He said the daily average for kindergarten classes is at “an all-time high.” Harris asked if home school enrollment is up compared to last year. Whitten said there was an increase in home school enrollment last year, and this year’s figure is the same as last.
The board then suspended the rules to skip the first and second readings to adopt Policy 6.12 Parental/Community Involvement.
During a brief recess, Whitten handed out folders to each board member to prepare them for a grievance hearing. When the meeting was called back to order, Root asked Roshunda Harper, the complaining school nurse, if she preferred the hearing to be open or closed. She decided to keep the hearing open to the public. Another recess was taken for board members to read the documents in their folders. For 10 minutes, board members read the folders in silence with expressionless faces.
Harper, with her attorney sitting at her side, said her issue was a recent change in scheduling that was recently implemented. “It’s a lot more than just a change in schedule,” she said, noting that the conflict she had was the time she has to spend with her students.
Harper, who was hired by the district in 2004, was assigned to AHS, Goza Middle School and AACE. But on Sept. 28, she said she received an e-mail from Anderson informing her of her re-assignment to Louisa E. Perritt Primary School. She said her problem was that she prefers to study each student’s health record, speaking with their parents and doctors, to handle each individual case. She said she was instructed to make the change two days after receiving the e-mail, not allowing her time to study the records. “It’s a liability on my part” as a registered nurse, she said. “It’s a huge liability issue for myself and the district.”
There are two nurses hired by the district. While they are not certified employees, they do have a classified pay scale.
Harper claimed that neither nurse had any input on their reassignments and were “totally blind-sided.”
Board member Randy Turner asked Harper if she builds a file and keeps documents for each student she cares for, and asked if special needs students have “red flags” on their folders. Harper said she has a plan for each student in case they do have needs. Turner asked if she implements plans for treating students in case she is sick or unavailable. She said she has trained staff at AHS and Goza to administer medication, but not at Perritt.
“What happens when a student changes schools?” Turner asked, noting that it is a “constant process” of students going from one school to another in the district. He also posed a question regarding how emergency situations are handled in Harper’s absence. Harper’s response: “Call 911.”
Mary Jane Cooper asked about Harper’s liability when she is forced to cover the other nurse’s shift. Harper said the state Board of Nursing would weigh each liability issue in such a case.
After more discussion about Harper’s training of staff, certification, liability and scheduling, Ed McCorkle, the district’s attorney, advised the board that the re-assignment could be denied or referred back to administrators. There was also some discussion as to whether or nor Harper’s complaint was actually a grievance because of her title.
Harris entered a motion that the board take no action and let the difficulties be worked out between Harper and administrators. No second followed.
Turner then entered a motion to deny Harper’s request, and leave the assignment as is. Cooper seconded the motion, which carried 4-1-2. Those voting in favor of the motion were Turner, Cooper, Root and Nell Everett. Sustaining from the vote was Paulette Blacknall and Terri King. Harris voted against the motion.
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In a lengthy Arkadelphia school board meeting Tuesday night, updates were given on America’s Choice, and a school nurse asked that her reassignment to another school be lifted, among other business items.
Judy Gunter spoke to the board about the America’s Choice team. The district hired the school improvement contractors before the school year began. Gunter said there are a “lot of parts” to the school design program. A “leadership team” meets every Wednesday. The leadership team, she said, is “off and running,” working on literacy, vocabulary and content literacy strategies.
In November, the English department is expected to find specific strategies to improve literacy scores, and cross-curriculum groups meet on Tuesdays.
In December, a “narrative genre study” should be utilized to possibly create a writer’s workshop.
Target students have been identified, and Gunter said the America’s Choice team has met with them to talk about the importance of being proficient — for their sake as well as the district’s.
Gunter suggested that the mission statement at Arkadelphia High School be adjusted to be “more kid-friendly.” There are currently three different mission statements at the high school, two of which, Principal David Maxwell said, are outdated and have yet to be taken down. “They’re just hanging there.”
America’s Choice has also performed classroom walk-throughs, and it will begin “focus walks” to visit each student to “see how our design is working at the high school,” Gunter said.
A book campaign has been launched to get students throughout the district to read. Gunter said the program is expected to create a “high interest” and be appropriate to grade level.
Also, a ninth grade academy is being discussed to prepare students for high school life, according to Gunter.
The next steps, she said, are getting Maxwell into the classrooms more, and creating “safety nets” for students falling behind two or more years.
Dr. Jeff Root, board president, asked if there is anything the board should focus on. Gunter said she would like to see the board support the design of the program and consider changing the high school’s mission.
Root asked if there has been any feedback from parents. “Not really,” Gunter replied. She said brochures about America’s Choice were handed out at parent/teacher conferences last week.
In financial business, the district has $1.81 million “in the bank,” Superintendent Donnie Whitten said, noting that this is the “lowest time of the year.” He said more funds are expected from local and state taxes, which were due earlier this month.
Dr. Kenneth Harris asked about the district’s Title I fund, which showed to be $82,614 in the red. Whitten replied that those funds in the red on the financial statement were that way because the school had yet to be reimbursed by the state or from federal money.
Whitten reported that the school board was “very well represented” at the Region 10 Arkansas School Board Association, with four members of the board present. Later in the meeting, Harris was nominated and chosen by the board as the district’s ASBA delegate.
Jeanette Turner, director of curriculum and instruction, gave an update on ACT 2009. Arkadelphia schools was the first district in the state to test 11th graders, but now the only option of testing them is through the state, she said, because of scheduling conflicts with other exams.
She said the ACT is administered to juniors to help them schedule the classes they need to prepare for college. This year, those tested “did better on all four” areas of the exam, increasing the percentage of students who are ready and should be successful in college. Those figures, according to Turner, are 18 percent of ACT-tested students in the district, compared to the 10 percent of students throughout the state. “We’re outperforming the state on this part,” Turner said.
The ACT score needed for Arkansas students to opt out of remedial courses in college is 19, while ACT recommends 22. “We’re looking at what we can do as a district to provide access for (students) to take the ACT” and get the proper grades, she said. This year, the state has paid for the test to be administered, resulting in a savings of about $3,500 for the district.
Turner said she is working to ensure students are taking the “right kind of courses” and is planning guidance activities based on students’ individual aspirations.
Harris asked how many juniors took the ACT this year. Turner replied that 120 of 140 students took the exam.
Dr. Virginia Anderson, director of federal programs and administrative services, spoke next about the Arkansas Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. ACSIP, she said, addresses priorities like math, health and k-12 literacy, as well as how federal money should be spent by the districts it serves. The plan needed board approval for assurance with the state Department of Education. Whitten noted that the plan has been implemented by the district for 10 years, and that the board’s assurance to the state is the only new thing about ACSIP.
Whitten then spoke about enrollment. Average daily membership throughout the district — which is different than actual enrollment numbers and is not related to funding “at this time” — is down slightly from last year. The average daily membership in 2008, based on the four quarters, was 1,992 students. This year, based on the first nine weeks, there is an average of 1,942 students showing up each day.
Harris asked if the decrease is related to a particular grade level. “Not really,” Whitten said. He said the daily average for kindergarten classes is at “an all-time high.” Harris asked if home school enrollment is up compared to last year. Whitten said there was an increase in home school enrollment last year, and this year’s figure is the same as last.
The board then suspended the rules to skip the first and second readings to adopt Policy 6.12 Parental/Community Involvement.
During a brief recess, Whitten handed out folders to each board member to prepare them for a grievance hearing. When the meeting was called back to order, Root asked Roshunda Harper, the complaining school nurse, if she preferred the hearing to be open or closed. She decided to keep the hearing open to the public. Another recess was taken for board members to read the documents in their folders. For 10 minutes, board members read the folders in silence with expressionless faces.
Harper, with her attorney sitting at her side, said her issue was a recent change in scheduling that was recently implemented. “It’s a lot more than just a change in schedule,” she said, noting that the conflict she had was the time she has to spend with her students.
Harper, who was hired by the district in 2004, was assigned to AHS, Goza Middle School and AACE. But on Sept. 28, she said she received an e-mail from Anderson informing her of her re-assignment to Louisa E. Perritt Primary School. She said her problem was that she prefers to study each student’s health record, speaking with their parents and doctors, to handle each individual case. She said she was instructed to make the change two days after receiving the e-mail, not allowing her time to study the records. “It’s a liability on my part” as a registered nurse, she said. “It’s a huge liability issue for myself and the district.”
There are two nurses hired by the district. While they are not certified employees, they do have a classified pay scale.
Harper claimed that neither nurse had any input on their reassignments and were “totally blind-sided.”
Board member Randy Turner asked Harper if she builds a file and keeps documents for each student she cares for, and asked if special needs students have “red flags” on their folders. Harper said she has a plan for each student in case they do have needs. Turner asked if she implements plans for treating students in case she is sick or unavailable. She said she has trained staff at AHS and Goza to administer medication, but not at Perritt.
“What happens when a student changes schools?” Turner asked, noting that it is a “constant process” of students going from one school to another in the district. He also posed a question regarding how emergency situations are handled in Harper’s absence. Harper’s response: “Call 911.”
Mary Jane Cooper asked about Harper’s liability when she is forced to cover the other nurse’s shift. Harper said the state Board of Nursing would weigh each liability issue in such a case.
After more discussion about Harper’s training of staff, certification, liability and scheduling, Ed McCorkle, the district’s attorney, advised the board that the re-assignment could be denied or referred back to administrators. There was also some discussion as to whether or nor Harper’s complaint was actually a grievance because of her title.
Harris entered a motion that the board take no action and let the difficulties be worked out between Harper and administrators. No second followed.
Turner then entered a motion to deny Harper’s request, and leave the assignment as is. Cooper seconded the motion, which carried 4-1-2. Those voting in favor of the motion were Turner, Cooper, Root and Nell Everett. Sustaining from the vote was Paulette Blacknall and Terri King. Harris voted against the motion.
