Principals Present Improvement Plans

10/24/08
By Sid Riley
School Board receives school improvement plans for 2008-2009

At the Thursday meeting of the Jackson County School Board, each school principal in the county presented their "improvement plan" for the coming year. These are plans designed to improve the organization, curriculum, and teaching capabilities within every school.
In summary, the presentations included the following:
Adult Education
♦ Continuing with GED assistance work, will stress "ready to work" certification program.
Cottondale Elementary
♦ Will continue programs and improvements in process. Doing well.
Cottondale High
♦ Programs in process have already improved school FCAT ranking.
Family Services Center
♦ Continuing with assistance programs. Board member Kenny Griffin recognized benefits derived from this program. Can cite several cases where this program enabled teen mothers to finish High School and obtain College degree.
Graceville Elementary
♦ Is an "A" school. Continuing existing successful programs
Golson Elementary
♦ Is in the process of testing several new teaching programs.
Graceville High School
♦ Is introducing several new improvement programs in the science area.
Grand Ridge
♦ Has a "Boiling Point" program emphasizing need for improvement throughout the school. Has 212 degrees signs prominently displayed. Only needs two points improvement to move from a "C" school to a "B". Has everyone focused on goal.
Hope School
♦ Continuing ongoing programs. Doing well.
Jackson Alternative School
♦ Expanding and adding two new classrooms. Stressing behavior and learning gains from students. Starting "Catch Up" program that will accommodate 15 students.
Malone Schools
♦ Doing well. Continuing with existing programs.
Marianna High School
♦ Placing increased emphasis on reading skills development. Starting mentoring program in reading using community volunteers. Currently has 20 mentors enlisted to work with 70 students needing help. Need more mentors.
Marianna Middle School
♦ Continuing with existing programs. Has been an "A" school for 8 consecutive years. School spirit and sincere concern for every student is key.
♦ Simms statement ‘The concept is to catch any student that begins to slip behind before they lag too far behind their class."
Riverside Elementary
♦ Now has a projector system in every classroom. Is proving to be a wonderful teaching aid.
Sneads Elementary
♦ Has good performance record. Is continuing existing programs.
Sneads High School
♦ Last year improved from a "C" to an "A" school. Key is creating spirit of individual, personal involvement and concern linking faculty and students together. School mission statement is "Importing Promise…Exporting Results".