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Board approves "All In" learning-enrichment plan to expand tutoring, Saturday school and virtual options
Summary
The school board approved a multi-tier learning-enrichment plan that adds before-, during- and after-school tutoring, Saturday Academy, virtual tutorials and attendance-recovery options; the district proposed about $494,888 in funding from the All In program.
The Southampton County School Board voted March 10 to approve a divisionwide learning-enrichment plan (branded in presentations as an "All In" initiative) designed to expand tutoring, remediation, enrichment and attendance recovery across grade levels.
Superintendent Dr. Shannon and Director of Accountability Dr. Blunt presented the program, saying it will provide instruction before school, during the school day, after school, on Saturday and virtually at night. The plan groups students into three tiers: universal supports for most students (tier 1), targeted evidence-based interventions (tier 2) and intensive individualized supports (tier 3). District staff said tier 2 and tier 3 students are top priorities for the program.
Attendance recovery is a central component of the plan and, as presented, is subject to specific rules: recovery instruction must be in person, taught by a certified teacher, occur outside the regular school day (before school, after school or on Saturday) and follow a state formula that allows the division to recoup instructional days. Staff said the formula is one recovered school day for every three hours of instruction and that no more than 15 days can be recouped.
The division proposed a high-end budget for the initiative that totals $494,887.50, with line items shown as follows: before-school tutoring $66,400; after-school $303,600; virtual instruction $96,300; Saturday Academy $228,587.50. Presenters said the current All In balance is $181,493.28 and that the proposal would be covered within available funding sources identified for the program.
Schools outlined implementation details: elementary after-school enrichment at some sites will run Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. beginning March 17 or March 19 (site-dependent); virtual instruction slots were proposed in evening one-hour blocks (5'6 p.m., 6'7 p.m., 7'8 p.m.) multiple nights per week; middle school plans include 2.5-hour after-school sessions (2:30'5 p.m.) on two days weekly; high school plans use an activity-period schedule for a targeted "command hour" during the school day plus after-school and multi-Saturday sessions aimed at SOL and course recovery. The high school listed Saturday Academy dates including March 22, April 5, April 26, May 10 and May 31.
Programs and tools named for remediation and enrichment include Lexia, Exact Path and SPIRE; the district also described use of teacher-created individualized learning plans and benchmark and SOL data for student selection. The presentation included school-level staffing commitments and a request for a limited number of additional tutors and classroom coverage so certified teachers can run small groups.
Board members asked for follow-up reporting and data. Several members requested periodic growth-assessment updates (fall/winter) and an end-of-year report showing outcomes for tier 2 and tier 3 students. The board conducted a voice vote and approved the plan.
"I am excited about our learning enrichment plan," Dr. Shannon said during the presentation. Dr. Blunt called the proposal a "collective effort" by principals and staff.
