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Schools

Fort Zumwalt School Board Hears Progress Report on Federal Academic Standards

Though data from 2010-11 is still being released, Dr. Jackie Floyd briefed the board on the progress of students according to the standards of No Child Left Behind.

The Board of Education met Monday evening for its last regular session before the start of the 2011-12 school year, which begins Wednesday.

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Jackie Floyd presented a on the district’s adherence to federal No Child Left Behind academic standards. Floyd called the data just “one snapshot of student achievement,” but said the district was “moving in the right direction.”

An average of 3 to 4 percent more students are meeting the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards on end of course tests each year, Floyd said. AYP standards are enforced over 18 student subgroups, she continued, including ethnic classifications such as “white,” “Hispanic,” and “black,” as well as groups of students on free or reduced lunch programs, special education students and limited English proficiency students. Scores are tracked in each building and at each grade level.

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Floyd described a minefield of ways a district might fail to meet the standards. Schools are held accountable for any subgroup whose population exceeds 30—all groups except “American Indian” in the case of Fort Zumwalt—and more than 95 percent of the students from each subgroup must be tested, or the school will receive a failing grade.

Moreover, an average daily attendance must be met at the elementary level, plus an average graduation rate for high schools. All of these are secondary to the actual achievement requirements.

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“We’re looking at a possible 36 ways to not meet your AYP,” Floyd said.

Though the district did fail to meet AYP standards for many groups, Floyd said Fort Zumwalt had some of the highest success and continues to make steady gains.

“When you really break it down and look at how much kids are achieving, overall, we’re still pretty much on target,” Floyd said. A more detailed assessment of will be presented at the board’s September meeting.

Superintendent Dr. Bernard DuBray also presented the board’s nine priorities for the 2011-12 school year, designed to “give direction to staff on matters proven important to the board.” He included a review of the district’s homework and student ID policies, the development of a plan to aid at-risk middle school students and a teen suicide awareness program.

O’Fallon Mayor Bill Hennessy and Ward 4 Councilman Jeff Schwentker appeared before the board during public commentary in response to .

“Budgets are tightening, and you see other school districts dropping the program,” Schwentker said. “I wanted to start relations with you guys now, so we could carry on discussions or suggestions you may have throughout the next year to where we can reduce costs or share costs.”

The mayor echoed Schwentker's concerns. 

“Between you guys, the Fort Zumwalt School Board and the elected officials of the , we need to come up with a way to share the cost,” Hennessy said. “Whatever we need to do to keep this program in schools.”

DuBray agreed with the representatives from O’Fallon and pledged to bring budgetary details to a future meeting so a cost-sharing solution could be found. The D.A.R.E program is already fully funded through the upcoming 2011-12 school year.

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