Bid to end test-prep30 minutes rejected
The Arkansas Department of Education's Charter Authorizing Panel on Wednesday unanimously rejected a Little Rock School District request to make a change at Cloverdale Aerospace Charter Middle School.
The district asked to eliminate the daily 30-minute test-preparation period that makes the school day longer at Cloverdale than at other middle schools in the district.
Dan Whitehorn, associate superintendent for middle schools, told the panel of top level Education Department staff members that test scores had dropped at the school and there was no indication that the test-prep period was of any benefit to students.
He said the test-taking skills are better taught in the math and English language arts intervention classes that low-achieving students are required to take at Cloverdale.
Cloverdale is a conversion charter school and one of six in the district labeled by the state as "academically distressed" because fewer than half of its students scored at grade level or better on state exams over the past three years.
Charter Authorizing Panel members questioned whether the 30 minutes could be used differently, such as by extending the eight 45-minute periods that make up the rest of the school day. They also questioned whether parents were consulted about possible uses for the time at the academically struggling school.
The Little Rock district can appeal the panel's decision on Cloverdale to the Arkansas Board of Education.
LR district seeksfeedback on plans
The Little Rock School Board and district staff members have asked to meet with Arkansas Board of Education representatives about plans for raising achievement at six state-labeled academically distressed schools.
Those schools are J.A. Fair, Hall and McClellan high schools; Henderson and Cloverdale middle schools; and Baseline Elementary School. More than half the students at those schools failed to score at proficient or better levels on state exams over the past three years.
The state Education Board's Academic Distress Committee, led by Vicki Saviers of Little Rock, agreed to the meeting, which was requested by School Board President Greg Adams.
The meeting is tentatively planned for Oct. 16, after the state Board of Education receives reports Oct. 9-10 from agency staff members about their visits to the academically distressed schools.
The school district's presentation to the state is expected to center on efforts to improve classroom instruction by requiring teachers to create specific lesson plans and principals to monitor those lessons. Principals are to give teachers almost immediate feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of the lessons and the degree to which they engaged their students.
Cabot school chiefearns state honor
Tony Thurman, superintendent of the Cabot School District since 2007, has been named Arkansas Superintendent of the Year by the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators.
He and superintendents of the year from other states will be honored at the American Association of School Administrators' national conference on education in early 2015 in San Diego. Each of the newly named state honorees -- who are selected based on educational leadership, communication skills, professionalism and community involvement -- are in the running for National Superintendent of the Year.
Thurman has worked in Cabot since 2000, first as a middle school principal, then as high school principal. He also worked two years as an elementary school principal in the McGehee School District.
The 10,255-student Cabot district is the seventh-largest in the state, with more than 1,300 employees.
Students' films setto show on AETN
The work of Arkansas student filmmakers will be showcased Thursday on public television.
Student Selects: A Young Filmmakers Showcase 2014 will be aired 7-9 p.m. Thursday on AETN.
The films will repeat as part of AETN Arts Fridays in four, 30-minute segments at 6:30 p.m. Fridays, beginning this Friday.
"Student Selects" is an annual event that highlights the creativity and talent of students in kindergarten through 12th grades. Students are invited to submit their film and video projects for possible broadcast on AETN and streaming on aetn.org.
Additionally, graduating seniors can enter their work in the competition for Thea Foundation scholarships in screenwriting, directing, cinematography and editing.
Metro on 09/21/2014