Caruthersville school leaders make changed with Turnaround Project

CARUTHERSVILLE, MO (KFVS)- Several Heartland education leaders take steps to turn around their schools.

Administrators from Caruthersville, Kennett, Hayti, Senath-Hornersville, and Charleston recently took a trip to the University of Virgina to participate in a school Turnaround Project.

It's all part of a pilot program for underperforming schools in Missouri.

The program is designed to make big changes that create fast results.

Caruthersville school leaders say they've put a plan in place for this year.

The school has been deemed low performing under the No Child Left Behind Act. Superintendent J.J. Bullington says it's not because the students' test scores have gotten lower over the years.

"If you're not making improvement at the rate that the federal government expects you to make, that improvement to meet adequate yearly progress," Bullington said.

Schools in St. Louis, Kansas City, and others in the Bootheel find themselves in the same place as Caruthersville.

"We're in an area in the state where the economic conditions are difficult for school districts as well as families and budget cuts and funding cuts have not allowed us to keep some of the programs we've had in the past," Bullington said.

So the state board of education picked them to be part of a pilot program to work with national researchers to develop a plan of action.

"We're hoping to see results on a more short term basis," Bullington said.

So they're tracking attendance, dropouts, and tests scores on a daily basis and making the data available to everyone.

"We want to come up with a data wall or a data room where people can come in and the community can come in," said Doug White, Caruthersville High School principal.

They changed graduation requirements, added a grade point average requirement for all extracurricualr activities, adult ed classes and adopted a new uniform policy.

"We're putting the emphasis on academics," White said. "If they're going to be here, they're going to have to achieve."

In the middle school, small things like new paint, repairing air-conditioners, revamping the way they handle suspensions, and more benchmarked data help improve student climate.

"Our students are not doing what they need to be doing and what they're capable of doing," said Matt Hodges, Caruthersville Middle School principal.

School leaders hope all those efforts will help the school overcome it's struggles, made worse by the 2006 tornado that destroyed the high school.

"Communities rally around the high school and this community has been dealing with, has not had a rally point for the last three years in a very real sense," Hodges said.

But just this past year--the old high school, a community icon-- was torn down to make way for the new one to be ready in the fall of 2010.

"We want to bring back the pride of one for the school district and two pride in the students," White said.

The school administrators say they're ready to hit the ground running when teachers and students return in a couple weeks.

Since other Bootheel schools are also going through the Turnaround Project, they'll meet throughout the year to discuss strategies.

©2009 KFVS. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

"Our students are not doing what they need to be doing and what they're capable of doing," said Matt Hodges, Caruthersville Middle School principal.

Only in Cville can an educator blame the students for their failing school system. What a douche bag...

And look at this genius' response:

The school has been deemed low performing under the No Child Left Behind Act. Superintendent J.J. Bullington says it's not because the students' test scores have gotten lower over the years.

"If you're not making improvement at the rate that the federal government expects you to make, that improvement to meet adequate yearly progress," Bullington said.

Again... "If you're not making improvement at the rate that the federal government expects you to make, that improvement to meet adequate yearly progress"... Can anyone decipher that B.S.?

For that matter, look at the title... probably a CHS graduate...

Hodges again: "Communities rally around the high school and this community has been dealing with, has not had a rally point for the last three years in a very real sense," Hodges said.

Huh?

yeah yeah they are all great right?!

It makes you wonder if the teaching staff is so good, then why were there over 30 kindergarten students retained last year??????????

guest wrote:

It makes you wonder if the teaching staff is so good, then why were there over 30 kindergarten students retained last year??????????

Simply because it is not the children it is the schools. They didn't teach what should have. They want to blame the kids, Sorry it is our school system.

guest wrote:

It makes you wonder if the teaching staff is so good, then why were there over 30 kindergarten students retained last year??????????

That would be mostly related to the early childhood care that children in Caruthersville need to receive from their parents, but do not receive in any adequate capacity in most cases. The kids are behind from the beginning of the race of life, because a lot of parents do not have adequate parenting skills. This is where the idea for "headstart" came into play. They (the government) wanted to try to give impoverished children a head start in life. It doesn't work. When children aren't fed right, talked to appropriately, played with, interacted with, and read to, what can we expect their kindergarten teachers to do? Do we really expect teachers to do with 20 children in one year what the kids parents couldn't do with one child in five years? Come on!!!! Get real!

cvilleguest wrote:

<quoted text>Simply because it is not the children it is the schools. They didn't teach what should have. They want to blame the kids, Sorry it is our school system.

If the teachers weren't teaching what they should have, then none of the kids would have passed. Obviously that was not the case. Kindergarten is the BEST place to retain children who aren't developmentally ready to move on. It's much better to retain them in kindergarten then to pass children who aren't ready to move on.

My best friend teaches at the elementary. The problem they have with teaching kids in the early years is the fault of the parents. Parents pop at kids left and right and instead of doing their part of teaching their kids the basics they just drop them off at the baby sitters house and go to work while their kids learn all kinds of bad habits and spend their first four years with no educational activities going on. My friend says you can tell when the kids start school which ones have parents who have worked with their kids and which ones spent their first 4 years at the baby sitters where they just put them in front of a tv all day until their parents pick them up. Kids use to have stay at home moms who taught them the basics of learning so that when they came to school they were ready. Now both parents have to work and when they drop their kids off at the baby sitter for the next four years their kids suffer and are so far behind that the teachers can't teach them all adequately. This is why our kids scores are so bad even at the elementary age. They have so many kids starting school at preschool that are so behind that it is horrible. Parents who have kids should be kicked in their butts for neglecting their kids. Yes it is neglect and our teachers will tell you the same thing.

Children are precious gifts from God. Education is the most important thing for them no matter what age. Don't get angry at the care givers. They are only paid to watch your children and not teach and educate them. They are hired for very low wages to watch your children and keep them safe until you come back to pick them up. It would take lots more money from the parents to get education from a care giver. Most parents can't afford that extra cost in this day and age. Child care providers offer a needed service but, they are not responsible to teach your children their abc's and 123's.

Sylar wrote:

And look at this genius' response:
The school has been deemed low performing under the No Child Left Behind Act. Superintendent J.J. Bullington says it's not because the students' test scores have gotten lower over the years.
"If you're not making improvement at the rate that the federal government expects you to make, that improvement to meet adequate yearly progress," Bullington said.
Again... "If you're not making improvement at the rate that the federal government expects you to make, that improvement to meet adequate yearly progress"... Can anyone decipher that B.S.?

The federal government has increasing increments for student proficiency. By 2014, 100% of students across the countryare supposed to be proficient in everything. If a school fails to achieve this, they will not meet their AYP (adequate yearly progress). What this means is that NO school will meet it.

You and I both know it will be impossible for 100% of students, no matter their abilities or disabilities, to be 100% proficient in all areas. We all have our subjects we're not very good in.

Student scores could be going up, but if they're not going up fast enough towards that 100% then they don't meet AYP. There is a lot more to it that normal citizens may realize.

guest wrote:

<quoted text>
The federal government has increasing increments for student proficiency. By 2014, 100% of students across the countryare supposed to be proficient in everything. If a school fails to achieve this, they will not meet their AYP (adequate yearly progress). What this means is that NO school will meet it.
You and I both know it will be impossible for 100% of students, no matter their abilities or disabilities, to be 100% proficient in all areas. We all have our subjects we're not very good in.
Student scores could be going up, but if they're not going up fast enough towards that 100% then they don't meet AYP. There is a lot more to it that normal citizens may realize.

The last sentence should read *than* instead of that. I neglected to mention that Missouri also has the 4th toughest standards of profiency in the entire country.

Sylar wrote:

"Our students are not doing what they need to be doing and what they're capable of doing," said Matt Hodges, Caruthersville Middle School principal.
Only in Cville can an educator blame the students for their failing school system. What a douche bag...

You must live in a fantasy world if you believe all students working as hard as they can day in and day out - paying attention, behaving, doing homework, studying for tests, etc. A few may, but not the majority. I believe this is what Mr. Hodges is referring to.

Give all the teachers and aids DRUG TEST; and you will probably find the problem.

EX-FED wrote:

Give all the teachers and aids DRUG TEST; and you will probably find the problem.

So, you're saying all the teachers and aidEs are on drugs??? Doubtul. Even if a few of them have happened to have used them, that is NOT why scores are low. This has to win the most idiotic post award. You must be some parent who doesn't want to take responsibility.

guest wrote:

<quoted text>
So, you're saying all the teachers and aidEs are on drugs??? Doubtul. Even if a few of them have happened to have used them, that is NOT why scores are low. This has to win the most idiotic post award. You must be some parent who doesn't want to take responsibility.

I agree with you. We have some really good teachers our school system. They are not on drugs and that is not the problem.

Sylar wrote:

CARUTHERSVILLE, MO (KFVS)- Several Heartland education leaders take steps to turn around their schools.
Administrators from Caruthersville, Kennett, Hayti, Senath-Hornersville, and Charleston recently took a trip to the University of Virgina to participate in a school Turnaround Project.
It's all part of a pilot program for underperforming schools in Missouri.
The program is designed to make big changes that create fast results.
Caruthersville school leaders say they've put a plan in place for this year.
The school has been deemed low performing under the No Child Left Behind Act. Superintendent J.J. Bullington says it's not because the students' test scores have gotten lower over the years.
"If you're not making improvement at the rate that the federal government expects you to make, that improvement to meet adequate yearly progress," Bullington said.
Schools in St. Louis, Kansas City, and others in the Bootheel find themselves in the same place as Caruthersville.
"We're in an area in the state where the economic conditions are difficult for school districts as well as families and budget cuts and funding cuts have not allowed us to keep some of the programs we've had in the past," Bullington said.
So the state board of education picked them to be part of a pilot program to work with national researchers to develop a plan of action.
"We're hoping to see results on a more short term basis," Bullington said.
So they're tracking attendance, dropouts, and tests scores on a daily basis and making the data available to everyone.
"We want to come up with a data wall or a data room where people can come in and the community can come in," said Doug White, Caruthersville High School principal.
They changed graduation requirements, added a grade point average requirement for all extracurricualr activities, adult ed classes and adopted a new uniform policy.
"We're putting the emphasis on academics," White said. "If they're going to be here, they're going to have to achieve."
In the middle school, small things like new paint, repairing air-conditioners, revamping the way they handle suspensions, and more benchmarked data help improve student climate.
"Our students are not doing what they need to be doing and what they're capable of doing," said Matt Hodges, Caruthersville Middle School principal.
School leaders hope all those efforts will help the school overcome it's struggles, made worse by the 2006 tornado that destroyed the high school.
"Communities rally around the high school and this community has been dealing with, has not had a rally point for the last three years in a very real sense," Hodges said.
But just this past year--the old high school, a community icon-- was torn down to make way for the new one to be ready in the fall of 2010.
"We want to bring back the pride of one for the school district and two pride in the students," White said.
The school administrators say they're ready to hit the ground running when teachers and students return in a couple weeks.
Since other Bootheel schools are also going through the Turnaround Project, they'll meet throughout the year to discuss strategies.
©2009 KFVS. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

These people can't even build a school or a caferteria so what do you expect from them when it comes to our kids education and their view points?

why can't the parents take some of the blame here instead of always trying to blame the teachers and administrators?

quit having kids you can't or don't intend to raise. start doing YOUR part in teaching them. it starts at home with you the parent. how about asking the teachers what YOU can do to help your child/ren.

how many of you who are on here attacking the school system think you could survive a classroom of 20+ kids all day? trying to teach them? i dare say not many. AND how many of you I ask, ONCE AGAIN, ask the teacher what YOU can do to HeLP your child?

GIVE THE TEACHERS AND OTHERS A THANK-YOU FOR THE EFFORTS THEY PUT FORTH DAY AFTER DAY.