Clarke BOE approves resolution to increase class size, discusses test scores

The Clarke County Board of Education approved a resolution to increase class sizes at Thursday's agenda-setting meeting. The resoultion will give administrators more leeway in the event the district continues to lose more state and local revenues next school year, according to Superintendent Philip Lanoue.

Georgia State Department of Education officials last year decided to relax the rules on class size to offer local districts more spending flexibility. Since then, individual school districts have had the authority to set their own maximum class size caps as they saw fit, in order to cope through an economic recession.

Clarke school officials decided to allow increasing class sizes by an average of two students, but hardly exercized the option last school year. Plans for next year call for retaining the same size classes without an increase, Superintendent Lanoue said.

“Right now, none of our plans are to increase class size,” Lanoue said. “Like last year, we have a resolution, where we could go up over two students if we need to.”

The board also signed off on two construction projects totaling $2.2 million. These projects will replace roofs on H.B. Stroud and Whit Davis Elementary schools. Members also shored up the terms of a partnership between the district and the University of Georgia on an initiative to better train and prepare teachers.

In May, school officials approved plans to allow UGA College of Education faculty to be placed in five schools across the district, expanding what's called a professional development school model. In a professional development school, student teachers, veteran teachers and university faculty work together to better prepare student teachers, conduct research and identify ways to improve teaching methods.

School officials on Thursday hired UGA Professor Sally Zepeda for $11,361 to serve as a professor-in residence for the district. She will provide professional development training for staff in individual schools and across the district, using an evaluation tool for new teachers.

SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT

During the Superintendent's Report, Lanoue gave school board members an update on summer school, saying 50 percent fewer elementary and 30 percent fewer middle school students were enrolled in classes than last year. The decline in enrollment means more children are passing standardized tests during the regular academic year, he said.

The Department of Education on Thursday also released the results of the Georgia High School Graduation Test, and Clarke County students improved in every subject area on the exam except math, Lanoue said.

In math, scores dropped because every student took a newer test that was based on a different statewide math curriculum, Lanoue said.

While fewer students passed the new test, more satisfied performance benchmarks under rules set by the No Child Left Behind law.

On the old test, students could still pass and earn a diploma if they scored above a 500, but under NCLB rules, students had to score 514 or higher to show they were proficient in math. Now, with the new test, the passing scores are aligned to both state and NCLB requirements.

Last year, 83 percent of Clarke County students passed the math test, but under NCLB rules, only 60 showed they were proficient in math. This year, 77 precent of students passed the test and 77 percent were proficient in math under NCLB, according to Lanoue.

WHAT'S NEXT

School officials will meet again next Thursday when  they will hold their monthly voting meeting. They plan to adopt a budget for next school year and approve a slate of annual contracts, computer and technology purchases and minor construction projects.