CD: Action plan: County schools respond to poor test results

BONNIE COBLENTZ

County school officials discussed their preparations for the 2010 state testing in a business meeting Monday night at East Oktibbeha County Elementary School.

All board members were present for the meeting where the board handled mostly matters of routine business. However, Superintendent James Covington told the board that they are required to attend some special sessions because of the district’s poor performance in the last round of testing.

Board president Curtis Snell and Covington “had to attend a mandatory meeting because we have a couple of schools that are failing,” Covington said.

All the board members will have to do the follow-up training, and a member of the Mississippi Department of Education attended Monday night’s meeting as a guest.

Jerome Smith, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, said test data from last year shows the district very strong in some areas, but other areas need work. The Oktibbeha County School District is labeled “at risk of failing” by the MDE, based on results of the Mississippi Curriculum Test 2, taken by students in grades three through eight each May. Students in high school take tests in the state Subject Area Testing Program.

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