BY COLLEEN MCCARTHY
The Oktibbeha County School District Board of Directors received an evaluation report from the Mississippi Department of Education on both East Oktibbeha County Elementary School and East Oktibbeha County High School, which need to raise test scores this year or risk becoming charter schools.
Each school was visited in early September by a six-person observation team made up of highly experienced educational professionals contracted by MDE. The observations were simply a “snapshot,” one MDE representative said, which included classroom observations, interviews and building walk-throughs to examine factors that would impact academic performance.
The report lists each school’s strengths and challenges, along with findings and recommendations on leadership, curriculum and assessment, delivery of instruction and school climate and safety.
The report showed EOCES’s strengths — “resources effectively managed by administration,” “supportive and focused leadership team,” “ample opportunities for cooperative and collaborative planning among teachers,” and “safe and inviting learning environment” — focused mainly on strong administration and teaching staff.
The school’s weaknesses — “professional development not focused on instructional deficiencies,” “data analysis did not result in significant revisions to curriculum and instruction,” “assessments lacked variety and did not reflect the designated level of difficulty,” and “classroom instruction not meaningful, relevant, engaging, or rigorous” — however, pointed to changes needed in the classroom.
Overall, the report’s recommendations included implementing a professional development plan, revising instruction based on an analysis of student assessment data, increasing the rigor of classroom instruction and continuing to explore and develop strategies to encourage parental support and involvement.
Principal Yolanda Magee addressed the board on what the school was doing to address the issues and, in turn, improve test scores. She said the leadership team is consistently providing feedback to teachers and professional development has become a priority.
“We were told we’re on the right track. We’re working very hard with the team to move in the right direction,” she said.
Since the evaluation, the school has seen an increase in attendance, added extracurricular activities and focused on positive reinforcement with students.
Read complete article at Starkville Daily News.
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