Board members learn how district performs on MAP test, Reading First

Jeri Kay Hardy, right, uses charts to illustrate the effectiveness of the Reading First program during the Senath Board of Education meeting on Thursday. Also pictured is Elementary Principal Kevin Reddick. Staff photo by George Anderson

SENATH, Mo. -- The Senath-Hornersville School District was said to be "right along with the Missouri kids" in terms of MAP test scores, a statement that the Board of Education called very informative.

Staff member Jeri Kay Hardy presented a report how the school is standing on its Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test scores, as well as Reading First.

"I'm going to kind of give a brief overview because I don't know what you've gotten in the past three years," Hardy said. "The data was given, but it was not given to Mr. Wood or [the board]."

Hardy presented charts to the board that compared the district to the state standards on MAP test scores.

"What this board is showing is, the pink line, this is the Missouri line, where all of the kids in Missouri scored," Hardy said. "You can see, this past year, we are right along with the Missouri kids."

Hardy pointed out a lower line, saying it was where the elementary was prior to implementing Reading First.

"As you can see, every year we have implemented these strategies, our MAP scores have gone up," Hardy said.

Hardy said the state expects all schools to be at 100 percent by 2014, and Senath-Hornersville has been told they probably wouldn't make it.

"When you look at the Missouri proficient and advanced [scores], the annual target is 41. If you look at 2009, 59.2 is what we were supposed to hit," Hardy said. "The Missouri proficient and advanced of every student in Missouri was 51.2 percent. Our district was 49.5 percent. We are right there with the rest of the kids in Missouri. Our teachers, at all grade levels, are doing a great job."

Hardy also gave the board some information on the Reading First program.

Reading First is a three-tier elementary reading program.

According to Hardy, the first tier gives students 90-minutes of regular classroom reading time every day. Tier two gives students an additional 30-minutes of reading. Tier three gives students an additional 60-minutes of reading time per day, outside of the regular classroom.

Hardy said the teachers have professional development grade-level meetings each week to learn from one another what skills are working best and how to improve in other areas.

The board thanked Hardy for her information, adding that it was very informative.

In other matters, the board:

* Approved the principals' reports and superintendent report;

* Approved the MSIP Evaluation reports;

* Accepted the 2008-2009 audit;

* Accepted a bid from Blue Bird to purchase a new bus in the amount of $71,140. The other bid was from International in the amount of 72,843;

* Approved moving the November board meeting to the Hornersville, Mo., campus;

* Approved adding Katie Hutchinson and Jennifer Nunnery to the substitute teacher list, and;

* Renewed the district's hospital insurance with Anthem, keeping life insurance at $45,000.

The board closed the meeting by adjourning to executive session in which it approved taking bids on two old district trucks, a 1980 Ford and a 1991 GMC.