9/20/2012 - West Side Leader
     

Director of Curriculum and Instruction Sharon Herchik brought the Norton City Schools Board of Education up to speed about the state’s new Third Grade Reading Guarantee at the Sept. 17 meeting.

“This is a topic that is part of S.B. [Senate Bill] 316,” Herchik said. “This is something that we are currently working on. It’s law now, but we are all waiting as ODE [Ohio Department of Education] rolls out the interpretations. It seems like weekly they’re rolling out more and more, and things are changing. To summarize, the Third Grade Guarantee in 2013-2014 means a third-grade student [scoring] not proficient on the Ohio achievement assessment will not be promoted to grade four.”

She said this does not apply to the current school year because current third-grade students haven’t received kindergarten through second grade assessments. This means for the 2012-13 school year, if a teacher and principal agree a student has the ability to go on to fourth grade and use another form of assessment, they can pass that child on.

“A reading diagnostic must be administered to all kindergarten to grade three students prior to Sept. 30 to identify all students reading below the grade level,” Herchik said. “Parents must receive a notice if their child is reading below level and an explanation of intervention services.”

As for the cost of implementing the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, Herchik said a competitive reading grant will be awarded in April 2013.

Board member Jim Bennett asked if the district was prepared to meet the Sept. 30 deadline this year.

“We’ll meet it,” Herchik said. “We currently do a reading assessment.”

In other news:

• The board unanimously passed its Ohio School Boards Association Policy Manual.

“I know policy manuals are boring stuff, but it is our job and this took a long time,” Bennett said. “I feel good that we’ve gotten to a point where that’s up to date now.”

Added Superintendent Dave Dunn, “It’s not very often you get excited about a policy manual, but I was excited to get it last week.”

• With school in session for almost a month, the board restarted its student of the month designation. Norton Primary Principal Eric Morris introduced his schools’ student of the month, fourth-grader Emma Jones.

“This is my first student of the month that actually was recommended by three teachers,” Morris said. “So we had to narrow it down, all of these wonderful things that they had to say about Emma. She’s one of the finest students in our district. Where Emma shines is through her schoolwork. She continually demonstrates true dedication to academic success.”

Cornerstone Elementary Principal Julie Gulley announced her school’s student of the month was Tyrell Fletcher.

“He’s in kindergarten and he has been chosen as Cornerstone’s student of the month for the amazing improvements with his behavior,” Gulley said. “He demonstrates self-control and a positive attitude. Tyrell completes tasks and participates in the classroom with great success.”

Second-grader Alliya Pickett was Grill Elementary’s student of the month.

“She’s shown great habits in class and can be counted on to do the right thing,” said Grill Elementary Principal Brady Sackett. “I can think of no better student to represent Grill, and I know she is worthy of this honor.”

While Norton Middle School Principal Joyce Gerber introduced eighth-grader McKenna Abernathy as student of the month, Norton High School Principal Ryan Shanor did the same with Amber Goodwin. The former aspires to one day attend Julliard, while the latter was described as being a student who “works so hard.”

The next Norton school board meeting is set for Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Norton Primary School, 3163 Greenwich Road. At 6 p.m., an information meeting regarding the district’s 1.9-mill levy is planned.

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