JMCSB Gets Report Card
by: Brandon Artiles
School systems across Tennessee are evaluating their performances as the state released the 2008 report card for schools today. The Jackson-Madison County School System Superintendent Dr. Nancy Zambito could have opened this morning's media conference, regarding the report, with "What do you want to hear first? Good news or bad news?"
That's not how she opened the conference, which included members of the school board, principals and media.
Instead she opened by saying that the 2008 report card issued by the state's Department of Education as "encouraging".
She cited several areas of improvement throughout the 28 schools that make up the JMCSS.
Her first reference of achievement was directed toward the "substantive" improvement in grades 3-8. Students received a "B" in math and reading and a "C" in science and social studies in 2008. In 2007, students received "Cs" in math and reading and "Ds" in science and social studies.
However, she referred to some of the areas giving the JMCSS trouble. According to standards set by the "No Child Left Behind" act, that school system did not meet benchmarks in Reading and Language Arts with economically disadvantaged, disabled students and African-American students.
Principals, which sat at Zambito's side, brought recommendations for these issues.
James Shaw, principal for Rose Hill Middle School, said his school is already taking an initiative
"Get as many of our special needs students and our economically disadvantaged students into the regular classrooms," Shaw said.
Jan Watson, principal of North Side High School, weighed in with her approach.
"Having the teachers during their collaboration times working with 3, or 4, or 5 students trying to improve their scores," Watson said.
Zambito also used the conference to define why the positive trends in this year's report contradict the Adequate Yearly Progress results, which resulted in the JMCSS being placed in "Corrective Action".
"2008 was one of the years these benchmarks moved up," Zambito said. "Although our students made positive strides they did not move far enough to meet those new benchmarks."
Zambito is using the corrective action as motivation, targeting specific areas that require improvement.
Assistant Superintendent Pam Finney says the system is emphasizing writing.
"If a student is taking an English 1 class, alternating their daily English 1 class with a reading class and reading comprehension class," Finney said.
Zambito summed up the conference with the same "encouraging" outlook with which started hoping parents would be encouraged to participated in their child's education.
"Stay in contact, get your child to us everyday and help us with behavioral things should they arise," Zambito said.
For the full 2008 Report Card click the "Seen on 7" link on our website.