Administrators present mid-year nine-week reports of student progress
The Henderson Independent School District’s (HISD) Board of Trustees voted 5-2 to extend Superintendent Dr. Thurston Lamb, Jr.’s contract by one year during its regular meeting on Tuesday night. Trustees held a closed session at the start of the meeting to discuss and review Dr. Lamb’s contract before voting.
District 4’s Russell Brown and District Two’s Travis Orr were the two dissenting votes. In comments afterward, Orr said, “I would like to see more time for measurable achievement before we extend his contract. He has two years left on his contract so to me there’s not a big rush.”
Administrators presented the Board with a comprehensive mid-year nine-week report on student progress, focusing on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test preparation and college career readiness proficiency levels from third grade to twelfth grade. Dea Henry, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, presented the report for Wylie Primary (WPS), Wylie Elementary (WES) and Northside Intermediate (NIS) and Shannon Bennett, Assistant Superintendent of Student Operations, presented for Henderson Middle School (HMS), Henderson High School (HHS) and Montgomery Achievement Center (MAC). Principals from all campuses were present at the meeting to answer Trustees’ questions in greater detail.
According to the nine-week reports, WPS, WES and NIS students’ reading and math test scores are trending up but still too far below the national norm, and the District still faces challenges with getting students on track for college and career readiness.
Henry noted that addressing older students’ struggles with test scores and reading levels is rooted in students falling behind at the third, fourth and fifth-grade levels and not catching up.
Bennett’s HMS and HHS reports showed similarly sluggish improvement. He said they are tending in the right direction in some areas but overall are still below the level HISD wants them to be.
All students will be taking an updated STAAR test this year. The modified test is no longer all multiple choice, has no time limits and includes writing in all tests. It also has improved accommodations for all students including a text-to-speech feature. Henry showed the Board sample questions for the new test during the meeting.
Charts showing the percentage of HISD students passing and failing their Fall Interim STAAR tests and mapping their math and reading test score growth are accessible through HISD’s online archive.
Some of the positive things Bennett highlighted included the 16 students who completed their PRIDE Academy coursework and got to non-traditionally graduate in December last year.
Disciplinary offense reports were also included in the presentation and WES showed a decrease from the beginning of the year to December. Principal Angela Dowling cited teacher meetings to help train new classroom management strategies as a primary reason for the improvement.
At HHS, a no cell phone policy has also produced positive feedback, said Principal Shannon Dickerson. It’s coincided with an increase in students checking out library books and fewer cell phone offenses overall.
Charts displaying the number of disciplinary offenses for all campuses for the nine-week period between Oct. 17 and Dec. 16 are also available on HISD’s online board book.
The Board passed a handful of action agenda items in the meeting as well. Amid grateful applause from teachers in the audience they approved the $54,000 purchase of instructional materials from the American Reading Company for NIS.
Due to the high number of students at Northside who are reading significantly below their grade level, the teachers at Northside reached out to the administration asking for these materials Principal Chris Chambers conducted extensive research and the teachers deemed this as the best program for meeting the needs of their students and closing reading gaps. The materials are especially valuable for teachers who are not specifically trained to teach younger-level reading to older students who had fallen behind—for example, teaching a fourth grader who reads at a second-grade level. Chambers also said the vendor provides books that aesthetically don’t embarrass the fourth and fifth students by looking too young for them. They are comfortable carrying them around.
The Board also approved a bid by 3D Security to repair and replace the fire alarm system for HHS for $133,404.73 and a construction bid for tennis court restrooms and water fountains by Drewery Wheaton for $209,404. The latter project was already budgeted for and the fire alarm replacement costs were added in a budget amendment during this meeting.
Eric Carver, a certified public accountant from Axley & Rhode, LLP, presented a summary of HISD’s financial audit for 2021-2022, deeming the District financially healthy. Carver said HISD had an increase in expenditures and an increase in revenue and holds funds in reserve for future emergencies. It is maintaining an adequate fund balance and meeting the financial needs of students, the community and the District overall.
In its consent agenda items, the Board approved the minutes from its December meeting and November’s financial report. Trustee Orr expressed a wish for the Board to get to see financial reports sooner than two months after the fact. Kristin Byrd, HISD’s Chief Financial Officer, said that the delay gives them to properly reconcile the report.
Lastly, the Board held a closed meeting where they accepted mid-year resignations by two HHS teachers and one Northside teacher. They approved three new probationary contracts for two new Northside teachers, Tiffany Rao and Grayce Richardson, and a new school counselor for HHS, Amy Creamer for the remainder of the school year. One new teacher and coach, Jeffry Vasquez, was hired for HMS under the District of Innovation Plan for the remainder of the current school year.
The Board’s next regular meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20.
