By Jackie Ayres
Raleigh County director of pupil services Miller Hall told school board members Tuesday his department has developed a five-year plan for improving student behavior through the implementation of a new systems approach for managing student behaviors.
“The reason we decided to do a systems-based approach was because our data ... is high when it comes to certain behaviors,” Hall told the board.
“To increase student learning, we must decrease certain behaviors.”
Hall provided board members with a handout referencing specific student code of conduct violations.
“These are some issues we have to address in our county,” he said.
Some of the highlighted items included harassment/intimidation or bullying behaviors, possession of illegal drugs/substances, profane language and physical fighting, among others.
“Our young people have to realize, they have to come to school, they have to behave, they have to listen and they have to do the work,” Hall told the board.
“It’s everybody trying to do what’s best for the kids.”
In the five-year plan, Raleigh County’s objective will be to reduce the number of aggressive incidents, alcohol, tobacco and/or illegal drug incidents, disrespectful/inappropriate conduct incidents and incidents related to failure to obey rules and authority.
“Some of our numbers are high,” Hall said in reference to student conduct violations. “Our goal for Raleigh County is to have a safe environment where students can learn and they want to go to school.”
Hall says the county has created a support team to analyze countywide discipline data and a school behavior support team to analyze data and undergo training on research-based prevention and intervention strategies to present to school administrators, among other duties. Both teams incorporate personnel from elementary, middle and high schools.
- - -
Raleigh County’s technology specialist, Mary Ann Foster, presented board members with an update on technology upgrades the county is implementing through funding from the AARA and school levy, which was renewed in February. “I’m real excited for technology in Raleigh County,” Foster said.
“We’re ahead of a lot of counties in a lot of ways, but we can always do better. We knew we could, and we are, and I’m real proud of that.”
Thanks to the levy, each of Raleigh County’s schools now benefits from a new wide area network, Foster said. Students will also benefit from 52 mobile labs and presentations stations through AARA funding. Each mobile lab has 30 laptop computers.
The school district will also be receiving 1,005 new computers for its Title I schools for students and 160 presentation stations for teachers.
Foster added that secured wireless Internet will be implemented in all four high schools and at the Academy of Careers and Technology.
“We have a come a long way. The future is bright,” Foster said.
In other news:
-- Board members approved a public auction sale of the former special education building located on Sullivan Road in Glen Morgan. The board noted it will reserve the right to reject any and all bids presented.
The special education department is now located across from Park Middle School in the former Institute Elementary School.
-- A bid was approved for the purchase of tile for Woodrow Wilson High School; a labor bid was previously approved.
-- The board approved the renewal of a lease for space at the Raleigh Boone Technology Center through June 30.
The board will meet again Oct. 13. There will be a special meeting Sept. 29 at the board office to discuss potential needs projects.
— E-mail: jayres@register-herald.com
