Board Reviews FHS Accountability Action Plan

An accountability action plan for W.H. Ford High School was reviewed Monday night by the Quinlan Independent School District.

The plan was required by Texas Education Agency (TEA) after the campus received an unacceptable rating recently because of its dropout rate that fell below the acceptable number. The ranking was given despite an increase on TAKS tests in all areas that almost reached the recognized rank.

Gail McDaniel, Director of Secondary Curriculum for the district, updated the school board on the district’s appeal and remedial action on the dropout rate.

She said she had been told that TEA would not consider the district’s appeal before October and that the decision would not be made known until November.

In the meantime, she said the district had been proactive and was going forward with its action plan.

McDaniel said the district had recognized that the problem area for the district was in the ninth grade. She said one corridor of the upper floor of the high school was set aside for the ninth grade. An office was located there for an assistant principal and counselor dedicated to the class.

She said substantial positive feedback had been given to the special area. She quoted one student as saying he did not feel lost having all the classes in one area and looked forward to school every day.

McDaniel emphasized five items from the 31-item action plan as most important including the new assistant principal and new counselor, both assigned to the freshman wing; credit recovery scheduled during the regular school day; The Edge after-school program for 250 of the most at-risk students in grades K-10; and "Inspire Steps" for 30 of the most critically at-risk high school students. She said the night school, flexible school day, was one of the most important steps.

Deputy Supt. Dr. Debra Crosby received approval from the board to submit an application to TEA for an optional flexible school day.

"I think we will have a really good shot at getting this," Dr. Crosby said.

She said the program would provide four certified teachers two nights a week that would teach math, science, English language arts, social studies and electives.

Times of the school would be Monday, 4:30 to 6:30; and Thursday, 4:30 to 6:30.

Goals of the program were 1) increase high school completion rate, reduce dropout rate; 2) meet or exceed the state and federal standards on TAKS for performance and participation.

High school Principal Kell Klopton said 12 students attended the school the first night.

He said one of the problems was that some parents felt that if their student "walked across the stage" at graduation, they were done. He said that was incorrect since they also had to pass the TAKS.

He said on the other end, a Zero Hour had been started at 7 a.m. to provide students with college credits. "We’re in a competitive age," Klopton said. He said students had to be the top of the top to get into some of the universities.

He said he was fired up about the virtual night school. "This is important. Somewhere along the line, we failed these kids. I’m not pointing fingers at anyone, but let’s fix it," Klopton said.

He and Communications Director Tiffony Hopper reviewed a program that would be given by former district employee Jan Martin MacDougal that was designed to inspire students.

Dr. Crosby presented the details from the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas on which Quinlan ISD scored the highest rating of Superior Achievement. A preliminary report was given earlier.

She said the district’s score was 82 out of a possible 85. The passing score was 55.

Crosby said the report gave a picture of how the district was doing relating to other indicators.

She praised Business Office Manager Billie Miller and staff members for "a great job" in making sure all the "i"s were dotted and all the "t"s were crossed.

In a prepared statement, French said, "We are very pleased with Quinlan ISD’s Schools FIRST rating as it shows that our district is making the most of our taxpayers’ dollars. This rating shows that Quinlan’s schools are accountable not only for student learning, but also for achieving these results cost-effectively and efficiently."

Technology Director Mike Roberts demonstrated the Mimio interactive light board.

Roberts said between 60 and 70 of the boards would be installed at high school and middle school campuses this year and 60 more at the intermediate and elementary campuses next year.

Roberts demonstrated the system for the board. The portable system could be moved easily by a teacher. The board combined several teaching elements and was something similar to a electronic computerized chalk board that could also access the internet.

He showed a wide variety of applications for many different classes.

Supt. French introduced the system by saying, "We know the ways kids learn today aren’t the way we learned." He said they were accustomed to the many different forms of technology in their everyday lives.

French said a little extra in federal stimulus funds allowed the district to utilize the system. "It was the way to get to the cutting edge in the classroom," he said.

Roberts said he gave each teacher four hours of starter training along with follow-up sessions in how to use the system.

Roberts also gave an update on the district’s new phone system.

He said the system was installed and functional and was currently in the fine-tuning stage.

He said the system included about 360 phones with 23 external phone lines and would handle about 32,000 incoming calls and 24,000 outgoing calls annually.

He said no external phone lines were needed for campus-to-campus and same-campus phone calls. Internal calls, he said, were made over the district’s fiber optic network.

Roberts said the next step would be to locate all the single-line phones throughout the district and eliminate the monthly $30 charge for each.

"He’s the best technology director in the state. That is a fact," French praised Roberts.

Supt. French gave an update of the district’s enrollment numbers. He said as of Friday, the district had 2,552 students.

"If we run at least 93 percent attendance, we will make our budgeted ADA," he said and added that the district’s goal would be much higher.

The numbers included 720 at the high school as compared to 668 at the end of the previous school year.

• Manager Miller gave the business report that showed revenue for the month of $165,704.51; and expenses, $918,661.55. Taxes, penalties and interest paid in August totaled $124,177.96. Interest earned for the month was $1,982 on investments of $5,648,551.

• The annual resolution was adopted to recognize the Hunt County 4H program as an extracurricular activity and to appoint Kyle Gronewald, Sara Allen and Mary Sue Cole as adjunct faculty members who administer the 4H programs.

• Dr. Crosby was appointed as the superintendent designee for approving staff requests for access to TEA web applications from the Texas Education Agency Secure Environment for the current school year.

• A short executive session was held to discuss personnel. When the meeting reopened to the public, the board approved the resignation of Jackie Newkirk. Heather Priest was hired for a second-grade position at D.C. Cannon Elementary School. She is a recent graduate of Texas A&M University at Commerce.

• All board members were present.

• A special meeting of the board was called for Thursday at 6:30 p.m. An executive session was on the agenda to "consider and act upon proposed settlement in Quinlan Independent School District v. Dalmac Construction Company v. B. Adair Construction, Inc., et al…"