Anthony Cloud

Staff Writer

ACT improvement is the key for the partnership between Bell County High School (BCHS) and Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). Representatives from EKU were present at the Bell County School Board meeting on Monday.

The partnership is set up to help improve students math skills. EKU has been working on a high school transition program. The program was made to help students improve basic skills, meet the needs of students who are not achieving, reinforce the skills of students who are on grade level and enrich students that have the ability to work ahead.

The program will involve needs-based placement, assessment leading instruction, dynamic teaching, flexible options for students and to at least reach the minimum goal of college readiness for students. Every two weeks, students will be assessed to see how much progress is made.

Upon entering high school, students will be placed in math classes according to standardized test.

Linda Vinson and Lynn Fielding were also present at the meeting to give a report on the Elgin Foundation. Fielding explained to the school board that some changes had been made to the grant agreement involving the dental program.

Fielding stated that their goal is to have 90 percent of the students of each school to have a dental screening. Parents who chose to opt out of the option and parents who already take their child to the dentist are not included in the 90 percent.

The goal for the reading portion of the Elgin Foundation is for 90 percent of third grade students be at or above the 50th percentile in test taking by 2016. Currently, the kindergarten grade level had a 17 percent growth from fall to spring. At the end of spring, 60 percent of kindergarten students were at or above the 50th percentile.

Fifty-six percent of first-graders were at the 50th percentile, while 48 percent of second-graders were at the 50th percentile (after starting the fall with only 32 percent of the students being at the 50th percentile).

Third grade students matched the first grade students with 56 percent of the students finishing the school year at or above the 50th percentile.

Anthony Cloud is a staff writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. He can be contacted via email at acloud@heartlandpublications.com.