The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON—Keeping junior high school students engaged was a hot topic for participants at the Aug. 17 Dayton School District board meeting.

Dayton High School/Middle School teachers Jeff McCann and Kristen Frankie were on hand to provide the board and administrators their perspectives on keeping junior high school students engaged.

Superintendent Doug Johnson said that informal data suggests that student failure to progress academically begins in the junior high school years, and the administration and teachers want to turn the situation around.

“If kids have three years of poor practice they get disappointed and disillusioned, and fall off the map,” Johnson said.

Johnson discussed two tools to help with academic engagement, one of which would require academic performance in the four core academic classes (Math, Social Studies, Science, and ELA) before students can advance to the next grade level.

Another tool would be to utilize a STEM-related curriculum, called Project Lead the Way, which has been found to be successful in other districts in keeping students engaged, is aligned with the Common Core standards, and includes professional development for teachers as well, Johnson said.

Supt. Johnson also talked about the importance of soft skills, which include deportment and citizenship, and wants to look into how those can be measured.

A summer school credit recovery option is also possible, he told the directors.

There is no one reason for poor student performance, according to teacher Jeff McCann. McCann pointed out the importance of creating a school environment that feels like home, and discussed the importance of whole-brain teaching.

“The vast majority are trying to be compliant,” McCann said.

Teacher Kristen Frankie stressed the importance of building relationships with the students. “I’m excited to get to know them,” she told the directors.

School board Chairman Dan Butler said it is important to start a conversation about keeping junior high school students engaged with staff and parents.

Johnson agreed and said that during this school year he will invite the school directors, along with parents, teachers, students, and administrators to undertake a study of how best to engage junior high school students.

Also on the agenda last week were three district goals that were approved by the school board directors.

The three goals are:

To increase the number of families/students who choose to enroll in the Dayton School District.

To provide the school board and the community with regular fiscal updates on the use of capital levy and maintenance and operations levy funds.

To hold a summit at the end of the 2016-17 school year for all stakeholders, to share ideas about the future of the Dayton School District, so that a five-year strategic plan can be developed from the information gathered.

Chairman Dan Butler expressed appreciation for Supt. Johnson’s efforts.

“Doug did very well with his goals last year,” he told the directors.

On Aug. 10, the Dayton School District finished the exit conference for the State’s 2014-15 financial audit, Johnson said.

“Everything went well. There were no deficiencies in internal controls, and no instances of noncompliance,” said Johnson

Johnson thanked the business manager Paula Moisio for the work she did. “It was a good report,” he said.

Items recommended for consideration included credit card policy and procedures, staff mix variances, career and technical education course approval, and ESD consortium for workers compensation. All of these have been discussed by district personnel, and an action plan will be put in place, Johnson said.

Supt. Johnson said he attended a hearing at the Columbia County Courthouse regarding a district request for funds from the Pietrzycki Trust to purchase equipment for the Agriculture Science program. He said the court ruled in the district’s favor and that a plasma cutter and table, and updated welding equipment, will be purchased with the funds as soon as they are released.

Currently two bus trips per day are being provided to students participating in the football combine with Waitsburg, and for some third through sixth-graders who are participating in a program there. Adjustments will be made to the schedule after school starts on the 29th, to include cheerleaders or students participating in cross country sports.

Also approved by the Board of Directors were: two collective bargaining agreements, changes in the Highly Capable Plan, that would align the local plan with state requirements, and the purchase of a 2017 Ford Transit Van.

Staff begin returning to school on Thursday, Aug. 25. All staff will participate in All District Staff Day on Friday, and classes begin on Mon., Aug. 29 Johnson said.