Photo by Sarah Finnegan.
Students use a free choice center, in which they can learn through chosen activities such as computer games and reading, in a kindergarten classroom at Forest Oaks Elementary School.
Students in Shelby County Schools will be getting additional help through reading programs.
Debbie Horton, Elementary coordinator for Shelby County Schools shared an update with what’s being done in the schools to assist students with reading.
She said they are trying to make sure that the new necessary instruction is being provided for students each day, as some are in need of intervention in this area.
“With our wonderful leadership of our district and the support of our board, we were able to put interventionists into each one of our elementary schools,” Horton said. “They are providing instruction in a program called Spire, a specialized program with individualizing reading excellence.”
Spire is designed to build reading success through an intensive structure program that incorporates phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension that is done through a systematic approach in a 10 step lesson, Horton said.
All of the interventionists were trained during the first week of January while the students were doing remote learning and are now in the classrooms actively working with the students.
Horton also discussed the iReady platform, on which students take three diagnostic tests each year in ELA and math that monitors their progress and growth towards proficiency.
“At the end of the diagnostic, it pushes out an instructional path that is worked on in the classroom and the teachers are able to monitor [student’s] progression and make sure they are staying on track.
Teachers in K-5 are participating in a two year cohort called LETRS (Language essentials for teachers of reading and spelling) in which they will learn eight units that focus on the science of reading. It also teaches phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension along with language and writing.
“In addition, all of the administrative instructional team and the administrators at the elementary schools are participating in LETRS for administrators so we learn how to support our teachers so they can support our students,” Horton said. “We are very excited about these initiatives that are going to help us keep our kids on track and close some of those learning gaps moving forward.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lynn Carroll spoke on behalf of Dr. Brooks for the superintendent’s report and thanked each of the board members, as January is board member appreciation month.
“I just want to thank you for your continued support of the quest of great education for our students in our district…and for giving your time and energy and your dedication to Shelby County Schools,” Carroll said. We’re very fortunate to have such a great board with great leadership and we just really appreciate each of you.”
In the architect and construction report, Barbara Snyder said the duct cleaning project going on in the system has been completed at six of the Shelby County Schools that includes Wilsonville, Vincent Elementary, Vincent High, Columbiana Middle, Elvin Hill and CTEC. The project at Shelby County Elementary and Shelby County High School started today.
Items approved by the board include:
- Approval out of state field trips. Both were for Helena High School for fine arts and music trips.
- Approval of a bid for the CNP department at Oak Mountain Intermediate School to replace a walk-in freezer/cooler to Bresco for $85,682. Due to supply chain issues, the wait time is 270 days, but CFO John Gwin said they hope to get it in before the next school year begins.
- No bids for the sale of a stagecoach from the Oak Mountain High School band program were received, but it will be put back out for bid and any proceeds will go back to the band program.
- Approval of personnel actions and bus subs and aides
- Approval for a construction project for Calera Elementary School. It’s part of the capital campaign for schools across the county that includes a 10 classroom addition. The lowest bid was from Williford Orman Construction for $3,479,228.
The next SCBOE meeting will be held Feb. 17 at 5pm Shelby County Instructional Services Center in Alabaster.
