Thursday night, Rolla High School’s new principal asked school board members if any of their high-school aged children had mentioned his school’s new tardy sweeps.
A chuckle ran around the conference room.
RHS Principal Nathan Hoven did not put anyone on the spot, however. His question was rhetorical and used as an example of one action school officials are taking to improve discipline and attendance.
During a presentation of the school’s improvement plan for the current school year, Hoven reported that all tardies throughout the day are now “counted.” He also said that all teachers, during their planning hours, are urged to patrol the hallways to catch offenders.
It’s had an effect, said Hoven, who explained that instead of several dozen students in hallways after the bell rings, there are now only three of four stragglers.
Increasing attendance to 95% is one of four goals set by the school for this year, he continued.
Although ambitious, the high school has seen a steady increase in attendance since the 2005-06 school year and achieved a 94.4% mark last year.
Hoven said the staff is considering the use of an in-school suspension program, which would also boost attendance and offer an additional disciplinary tool.
Enhancing instruction through the use of technology has also been targeted, and teachers are being required to have at least three hours of technology training each year to implement that goal.
One benefit of using cutting-edge technology is its ability to track progress, said the principal.
“The newer technology can provide a teacher immediate feedback,” Hoven explained.
A third goal set by the staff is to focus on meeting the needs of all students, regardless of their future plans.
Hoven said amending the existing schedule structure with the use of block scheduling; “off-track” courses and semester course offerings are being considered to allow students greater flexibility and more choices in selecting classes.
He also praised the efforts of the A+ program, which provides scholarship money for students heading to a state community colleges or technical schools in exchange for voluntary tutoring hours.
The fourth goal identified by Hoven and the high school staff is the development of strategies to improve the End of Course test scores. Although last year’s Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) scores were good, the bar is raised higher each year, said Hoven.
He said last year the high school met the AYP standard in communication arts in every category except for the FRL (free and reduced lunch) sub-group.
However, the school surpassed the AYP goal in math in every category.
“We do have strong math scores at the high school,” he commented.
To continue to build on the past success, the staff is considering the use of individual rather than general strategies, said Hoven, and is considering ways to offer more tutoring, possibly even during the school day.