The accuracy of the grade reporting system for kindergarten and first grade was questioned by parents and educators alike at the Athens City Board of Education meeting Thursday night.
Nora Williams, a parent with two children in the Athens City School system, asked the school board for further explanation of the reason for changing the grading system.
The grading system is too “subjective” putting “undue stress on teachers” with no clear guidelines, she said.
Williams represented numerous parents who signed a petition to stop the new grading system.
The grading system, installed last year, was put in place to save time in assessing students’ progress, school board President Larry Kennum and Athens Superintendent Dr. Orman Bridges Jr. explained.
The system is designed to give standards-based report cards, versus a simple score, to coincide with No Child Left Behind standards, former Brookhill Elementary School principal Garner Ezell explained.
However, first grade teacher Donna McDaniel said that the new system does have problems.
The subjectivity that the system requires can cause teacher to over-analyze their scoring, especially in the language arts area, she said.
Bridges and board members agreed that the system needs further tweaking and the system also needed to communicate better with parents and teachers about the scoring system.
Cadet Major Jeremy McMunn of the Athens High School JROTC reported on the progress and further goals of the JROTC, recalling the year’s activities, fundraisers and competitions.
The JROTC will march in the upcoming Christmas parade and soon participate in a physical training competition in Birmingham. The troop will also attend a military ball in February, hold an awards night, participate in Memorial Day activities and a seven-day summer camp, all on dates to be announced, McMunn said.
Other business:
The board voted unanimously to:
• Approve the purchase of Astaro software, in the amount of $21,143 from the technology fund, to be used as an Internet firewall and also an Internet content filter.
• Approve Covington Flooring, of Birmingham, to resurface the existing track at Athens High School at a cost of $222,815 from the state capital purchase and local bond funds.
• Approve a program titled “Life Skills Training,” a substance abuse prevention program, for sixth grade students. All activities and materials will be provided through a grant awarded to the Boys and Girls Club of Athens.
• Approve revisions to the board policy manual instructions. No change yet to be made to the criteria for valedictorians, salutatorians and honor graduates.
The board went into executive session to discuss academic matters of the National Honor Society and to discuss sale, lease or purchase or real property.
For a full synopsis of the school board meeting see the Saturday edition of the News Courier.
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