Superintendent briefs board on data work, rising enrollment and focus on secondary math

Superintendent provided an update on school visits, enrollment and district data work at the board's Sept. 18 meeting, saying district enrollment currently totals about 8,927 students (not a certified total) and that the district will meet with the state the following day to review Harrison County's balance scorecard.

The superintendent said principals met Sept. 11 and that the district is offering data-analysis days for schools to dig into assessment results now available from multiple sources, including a state balance scorecard, a real-time data feed and other measures. Staff plans targeted support for secondary math, which the superintendent and curriculum leaders identified as a priority after reviewing proficiency patterns that show higher elementary scores than at middle and high school levels.

The district plans cross-grade comparisons of the same cohorts to understand where performance drops occur. The superintendent said the district will offer strategic-plan workshops for school teams and that central staff (Julie, Pam and Cissy) are working directly with schools to provide intervention and support.

The superintendent also reported that discipline and cell-phone violation statistics were distributed to board members and that principals will be asked to increase enforcement where needed. The district will continue analyzing data and expects the state meeting to clarify which metrics should be prioritized for proficiency.

Board members thanked the superintendent for school visits and asked for follow-up reporting after the state scorecard meeting.