Editor’s note: Traditionally, school districts and communities across Texas have celebrated the success of public education during Texas Public Schools Week (TPSW) during the first full week in March. The Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) creates a Texas Public Schools Week theme to help Texas schools in our state promote public education. This year’s campaign is called Celebrate Texas Public Schools. The Daily Progress is featuring a look at each school district in Cherokee County throughout the week of Texas Public School Week.
By Cristin Ross
cross@jacksonvilleprogress.com
Spring break is next week for Jacksonville Independent School District, and students, faculty and staff are all more than ready to take a break from the TAKS testing schedule.
The school district took the first part of the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) tests on March 5.
“Our students worked long and hard to prepare for these tests,” said Judy Terry, JISD assistant superintendent of curriculum and development. “In fact we all worked very hard. All our principals feel very good about testing day. Students seemed very calm and collected — ready to show what they know.”
JISD teachers and administrators already have the next round of testing on their minds.
“We’re certainly ready for the break, but we’ve already got department and team meetings scheduled for our next teacher workday (March 24), to get prepared for the next part of TAKS,” Terry said.
That preparation pays off.
According to the Texas Education Agency’s 2006-07 Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) Report, Jacksonville’s East Side and West Side elementaries were both rated as “recognized” campuses. Fred Douglass and Joe Wright elementaries, the Compass Center, Nichols Intermediate, the high school and the middle school campuses were all rated “academically acceptable.”
“We’re very proud of all our campuses,” JISD Superintendent Stuart Bird said. “All our students and teachers continue to work hard in all endeavors. We’re looking forward to receiving the results of this year’s tests. We’re anticipating good things.”
“We’re also very proud of the support we get from the community. Jacksonville is a fun place to be.”
The district has been working on getting its students ready for the TAKS since the school year began — utilizing in-school tutorial sessions and assessment tests every six weeks, so teachers know where extra help is needed and can adjust lesson plans accordingly.
“Our goal is for all our campuses to be “recognized” this year,” Terry said, “or even “exemplary.”
JISD also got a little extra bonus in its TAKS prep — the increase in parent participation this year.
“We’ve seen tremendous parent participation,” Terry said. “That’s very important, since it can help parents become aware of what their children are doing and where they need to be or what they need to work on.”
Strong minds aren’t the only thing JISD faculty and staff are focusing on this year.
JISD is offering the Healthy and Wise Middle School Coordinated Health Program, which offers “a coordinated health approach that accommodates a school’s schedule and provides teachers, students, and parents up-to-date health and fitness information every year,” according to the program’s Web site.
The program, approved by the Texas Education Agency, features 32 lessons that emphasize daily physical education, activity and nutrition; a nurse participation plan, coordinated physical education guides; and nutrition services.
“The Healthy and Wise monthly issues offer sixth, seventh and eighth grade activities in the instructional guides and should be used with the Healthy and Wise Coordinated Physical Education Guide to continuously teach and reinforce current health concepts, topics, and observances,” states the Web site.
Senate Bill 19 requires each school district to participate in training for the implementation of an approved coordinated school health program.
That’s not the only new program the district started this school year, either. JISD trustees approved a standardized dress code — consisting of polo and Oxford-style shirts and blouses and Navy blue, khaki or black pants — for the 2007-2008 school year last March.
“We feel this will create an atmosphere that emphasizes learning and general commitment, moves the focus from appearance to academics and will instill school pride and practicality,” Jacksonville High School Principal Duane Barber said at the school board meeting last March.
Barber said the standardized dress code would be less expensive for parents, reduce evidence of economic differences and allow students to focus on academics.
“I think it’s working well,” Bird said. “There are still people who don’t like it, but we’re pleased with the results thus far. But, this is the kind of thing that you can’t judge the success or failure of in just a one-year period.”
Bird said the school board will be making some very minor changes to the dress code for next school year.
Building projects the district is working on include regular summer maintenance which includes several face-lift projects like repairing facilities and cleaning flooring.
The project district officials were most pleased to get started on this year is work on the Middle School roof and air conditioning systems.
“We’re going to be very comfortable when we start school next year,” Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Lindy Finley said.
JISD officials are also contemplating adding a new wing to Nichols Intermediate School.
Nichols Principal Tammy Jones told the school board in December 2007 her school would need additional space to accommodate the 141-student increase it was projected to experience by the 2012-2013 academic year. That projection was based on the number of students advancing from JISD’s four elementary schools into Nichols. School board members last month received a report stating that growth projections may be altered by the plant closures of two major Jacksonville employers, should workers leave the city for opportunities elsewhere.
District officials will discuss the decision to expand the school at the March 24 board meeting. The board meets at 6:30 p.m., at the JISD Administration Building located at 1547 Pine St., Jacksonville.
