Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

School indicates progress toward academic success part 1

The Gurdon Public School System held its public meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 21, just before the monthly School Board session, and recapped progress being made to continually improve the quality of education here.

Included in the remarks were updates from the federal funds coordinator, principals from the high school, middle school and primary schools..

Federal funds

Bonnie Ross, federal title programs coordinator, reported on the federal funding received by the district. She said federal funds are used to support not supplant. This means what is required of the district by Arkansas can not be funded by federal dollars.

It can only be used to support. All federal funds are accounted for in the school's Arkansas Consolidated School Improvement Process (ACSIP) plan and distribution is determined by a district committee plus mandated guidelines. The school decides how these appropriated funds will be spent at their respective site to improve student achievement, which is written as an added positive to the school district's plan to improve.

Ross said the largest federal budget is Title I, which the coordinator recalls helping all three schools here for many years. This year's ACSIP includes the following Title I funded projects: after school tutoring at primary school for students not on grade level, a fourth section of fourth grade to reduce class size, a fourth section of third grade to reduce class size, a computer lab paraprofessional for Pre-K-4, a paraprofessional at the alternative learning center, and a central office coordinator.

Ross further said funds will be used to support in classrooms with equipment, materials and supplies to improve student scores in math and literacy at middle school and high school. Elmos are being purchased for math teachers. Computers and televisions are being bought to improve the AETN-Discover main streaming.

There are 20,000 educational video clips provided for instructional programs, sets of books for English classrooms and calculators for math sections. Title I funds will also provide teacher training and professional development needed to improve student achievement.

Title II-A funds will be used to reduce class sizes at the primary school. It is being used to provide a second grade class size reduction during math and reading instruction.

Title II-D is for technology. The funds will replace and repair existing technology and also provide professional development for personnel in technology.

Title V funds will be used at the high school to help improve math scores by buying a video series called Algebrascool. This will give students a visual of Algebra concepts and assist in buying Elmos for math teachers.

Perkins funds have been placed with Dawson Coop. Two start-up grants are being submitted; the first for computer technology at the middle school and the second for food production at high school.

Ross said, "ALE and ELL funds are being used to support salaries for ALE 1&2 and pay for and tutor for our Hispanic (LEP) students."

High School

Leonard Gills, high school principal, gave the following update this year's public meeting. He said, as of Sept. 12, the enrollment is 266, with 25 certified staff members, 10 non-certified/classified and seven with a masters degree.

New staff members include: Nick Kelnhofer, coach/social studies, Derek Shaw, coach/biology, Bryan Bitey, coach/physical education, and Rebecca Daniels, ESL and migrant. Hank Lewis has been transferred to the new position of coach, health and physical education.

The following improvements in facilities, equipment and programs have been made: new signs for the field house and stadium, installation of lights and bleachers at the baseball field, a 21st Century grant extension, the Alternative Classroom Environment (ACE) program and 38 units of Smart Core.

Technological improvements include: E-rate funding received, new Norvell server installed for business education department, new computers for art and business education, a new DVD and large screen television, cart for math and a new computer for the counselor and principal.

As to new courses offered, the school now has advanced placement in U.S. history, computerized business applications, drama, industrial equipment maintenance II and world geography.

Teachers attending summer workshops include: Charles Failla, technological workshop on data information systems, and Crystal Locklear, SAV six hours of journalism.

In regard to correcting deficiencies for accreditation, the following strides were made: in secondary courses oral communication was changed to a full-year course offering, five credits for oral communication and five credits for drama, plus Arkansas history is offered in the middle school.