Wamego’s District Assessment Results are in for the 2011-12 school year. At Monday’s Board of Education meeting, Curriculum Director Mary Kaye Siebert went over the results. According to Siebert, West Elementary grades 3 thru 5 were well above the national scores in both reading and math, plus received the Building Standard of Excellence. The Middle School 7th and 8th grades, and Wamego High School 11th grades also were well above the national scores in reading and math.
The only red flag in the report was the Middle School 6th grade ranked below the national scores in Math, and Board Member Mike Malin questioned why ACT scores were lower than the national average. Both Middle School Principal Vici Jennings and Siebert have been working on different programs to improve the 6th grade math assessment, and there wasn’t an answer about the ACT scores.
According to Siebert, when the Common Core Cirriculum is incorporated, there will be a new accountability system called Annual Measurement Objectives or AMO’s, where schools will be required to make improvement in one of four standards; Student Achievement, Student Growth, Decrease the Achievement Gap and Reduction percentage in non-proficient students. This new system is called MAP Assessment or Measures of Academic Progress.
A Special Services teacher was recognized at Wamego’s USD 320 board meeting. West Elementary Principal Amy Flinn gave the background on Kelsey Feyes, who will be recognized at the National Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Special Educator of the Year Awards and Expo in San Antonio, Texas in April. Flinn said Feyes was hired three-years ago, is a native Kansan and comes from a long line of teachers. She said Wamego is lucky to have Feyes in the District.
In other business, Boy Scout and Wamego High School senior Andrew Shermoen presented information on a proposed Eagle Scout project to make improvements in the theatre department dressing rooms and scenery barn. His proposal contained two parts, and after going over the details of each part, the Board gave their permission to proceed in one part, and may look at the second part at a later date. The Board asked if the one part was enough to qualify for the Eagle Scout Award. Shermoen said it was.
Also at Monday’s board of education meeting, Director of Maintenance Jon Stoddard went over several options to either repair or replace Wamego Middle Schools 100 Ton Chiller. He brought up the problems at an earlier board meeting, but made the case for the need now. The Board wants to look at all the options and asked Stoddard to get cost estimates for all the options to present at the next meeting.
In Addition, Stoddard had supporting data to request permission to hire another outside maintenance person. He now has two full-time support staff and went over the list of duties that are required to maintain all the USD 320 property, which includes building and grounds. Board member Mark Bettencourt made the motion to fulfill Stoddard’s request for the new hire in the maintenance department, citing the cost would most likely be covered in cost savings, because some of the duties are now being out-sourced. The vote was unanimous.
