Week 8: Delving Deeper into Stories Hidden in Data

Happy Friday!

Thank you for all you have done this week to help us reach our district targets and work toward your professional goals, as well. As we wrap up another exciting week of exploration and discovery, our journey through the world of data has been nothing short of enlightening. Week 8 and the weeks to follow will be all about peeling back the layers and looking beyond the surface to reveal the intricate narratives and valuable insights concealed within the data we have.

Making Sense of the Data

We recently received our building scores for accountability and over the next few weeks, we will be meeting together at various times to make sense of the data and what we need to do with it. The purpose of the Educational Support and Accountability System is to ensure high-quality education for all students and to make progress in closing any achievement gaps. As we delve into our data, we will have this same purpose. We want to work together to identify any areas where we may need to provide additional support and determine what that looks like at each level. District leadership team members met recently to work on district and building-level improvement plans. District targets for reading, math, science, engagement, and instructional practices will drive our actions with the intention of addressing areas of need both for staff and students. Building teams will work together to build their action plans so that the work corresponds to the needs in each building and with each area of instruction. For example, our district target for reading is 70% on level with an action plan that includes reading, writing, and vocabulary daily. That will look different in 7th grade than it does in 3rd grade and it will look different in PE versus social studies; so the work looks different, but the plan is the same.  Students will have access every day to reading, writing, and vocabulary. 

To ensure validity in the work, we will look at trend data for multiple subgroups over a three-year period. Our focus is on growth and achievement. While the ACT Aspire is leaving us for ATLAS, the data is not. It is important for us to use the data we have for the purposes that it is intended. Summative assessments help us to see trends and instructional areas of growth or gaps. They also help us to see growth over time which can provide insight into our instructional practices. Once we review the data together, we will focus on three questions:

* What instructional strategies can I use to help move my students to the next level?

* How can my team embed Literacy and Numeracy skills in day-to-day instruction?

* What resources do we provide to stakeholders to support growth and achievement, and how can we help them better understand how to use those resources?

This is ongoing work that we will do together to the benefit of both staff and students. You work diligently every day to provide the highest quality instruction to our students. Delving into the data can help to focus the action steps that need to be taken and ensure we are using our resources effectively. The goal of the district leadership team is to make sure we support district staff in this work. We look forward to the next steps.

Congratulations to Mena Middle School!

I received this email on Tuesday…

Dear Superintendent Smith,

Congratulations! Mena Middle has been recognized by the Office for Education Policy (OEP) at the University of Arkansas as a school where students demonstrated high growth on the ACT Aspire!

As you may know, the OEP creates an annual report entitled the Outstanding Educational Performance Awards where we recognize schools with high student academic growth. We think growth is the best indicator of the positive impact that your school is having on students.

In our Middle School Level report published today,

Mena Middle received the following award:

High Overall Growth (Southwest region)

Recognition

I apologize for not using this Wrap-up to recognize some very important people who have had their calendar recognition days recently. First, I want to recognize and thank our technology professionals for all that they do. Nathan Stone, Lorrie Henry, Chuck Cox, and Cindy Brevik are invaluable for all of their expertise and support. Since our current tech ticket system has been in place, there have been 1,480 technology problems solved or requests honored. Our ticket system began 22 months ago and that translates to 67 responses a month on top of their normal duties. That kind of response is terrific!

Second, our custodial staff who are employed by Mena Public Schools are Rodney Dominguez, Keri Duer, Maddie Fletcher, Cheryl Goodner, Leo Barge, and Mitch Milne. These people are our front line against illness and they keep our buildings presentable. Our outsourced custodial team from SG360 complements what our district custodians do and we appreciate it very much.

Third, every October is National Principals Month, and our team of Samantha Sellers, Tamara Smart, Todd Coogan, and David Maxwell, are working hard every day to accomplish our mission and prepare our students for their next stages in life. Communicating with staff, parents, and students, they deliver our vision. We have a great team of leaders at Mena Public Schools.

Closing

Nick Bero of Bero Arts will be creating an original wood sculpture at Louise Durham Elementary over the next few days. He and Kenneth Day, another local wood sculptor from Wickes, will be turning the large stump left from the Pin Oak tree that died a couple of years ago into something quite unique. This will be a terrific artistic and educational experience for the students and staff at LDES. If you are not on that campus and have the opportunity, go check it out.

This week we welcomed a group of students from Elmgreen School in London while Elmgreen welcomed several of our students. This is a short-term exchange program with a special purpose and that is to create a documentary film. As the film crews and students interact within our school walls and our community, please make them feel welcome. This is a wonderful experience for not only our students who are overseas but also for our community.

Come out to Bob Carver Bearcat Stadium tonight and support the Bearcats take on Nashville in another conference game.

I want to congratulate our outstanding Quiz Bowl teams! Their hard work, dedication, and impressive knowledge have propelled them to great achievements. Our success in Quiz Bowl is a testament to our students’ intellectual prowess and teamwork.

Construction work on our new activity center should begin by mid-next week. Be prepared to adjust to the congestion in and around our bus loop.

It was a great week of learning at Mena Public Schools!

At Mena Public Schools our students are prepared, our staff is supported, and our community is confident.

Have a great weekend!!

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