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Deputy Superintendent Talarico Presents Secondary-School Curriculum Audits; Board Highlights Attendance, Flex Time and Career Pathways
Summary
Deputy Superintendent Donna Talarico presented secondary-school curriculum audit findings to the Monongalia County Board of Education, reporting districtwide attendance improvements and recommending master-schedule refinements, expanded interventions and stronger 11thand 12th-grade pathways.
Deputy Superintendent Donna Talarico told the Monongalia County Board of Education on June 24 that this year's curriculum audits for secondary schools showed "productive" outcomes, including improved attendance across schools, successful implementation of a cell-phone policy, and expanded intervention supports.
Talarico said teachersparticipated in audits at every level and highlighted several recurring strengths: positive school culture, personalized intervention times built into master schedules, and the work of four core content specialists who provided valued support to classroom teachers. She said attendance improvements were notable, and that the district will share detailed attendance data in July.
Why this matters: The audits guide scheduling, interventions and program development across middle and high schools. The district identified next steps intended to expand opportunities for grades 11 and 12 and to better align grading and intervention systems between elementary and secondary levels.
Key takeaways from the audits (as presented by Talarico):
- Attendance: "Every single school... has shown an improvement, a decrease in chronic absenteeism," Talarico said. The district credited an attendance director's targeted outreach and social media work for the gains.
- Behavior and supports: Several schools reported success with PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) and a districtwide behavior blueprint. Schools asked for additional professional development on behavior management and co-teaching practices.
- Intervention and scheduling: Middle and high schools used flexible "intervention times" or "flex time" to provide targeted support. Teachers praised ALEKS (math intervention) and other content specialists.
- Career and technical pathways: EmTech (also spelled Emtek in district materials) and MedEd programs were praised for hands-on learning and for connecting students with internships and paid placements; the district plans to expand partnerships and awareness among counselors and teachers.
- School-specific notes: Morgantown High cited more than 100 flex opportunities and a desire to expand a freshman seminar; several schools reported successful after-school programming and credit-recovery refocusing so recovery does not substitute for core classes.
Board reaction and follow-up: A board member asked for another presentation in July or August on the "High School 2030" initiative. Talarico agreed to provide follow-up material and further details on master-schedule changes and parent communication strategies, including Schoology training.
Ending: Talarico summarized the audits as evidence of "pockets of greatness" across the district and recommended continuing work on tiered interventions, attendance and scheduling to scale practices districtwide.
