Three Cabell County schools report mixed progress under state-targeted improvement plans

At the June 3 Cabell County Board of Education meeting, principals from Explore Academy, Huntington Middle School and Huntington High School reviewed progress under state-identified CSI/ATS improvement plans aimed at the special education subgroup.

The presentations mattered because each school was singled out for targeted support by the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) for low subgroup performance; the schools described interventions intended to raise academic proficiency and lower chronic absenteeism and disciplinary referrals.

Explore Academy principal Ryan McKenzie and central office staff told the board the school focused on IEP fidelity, small-group instruction and behavior reporting. Melissa Ash, career and technical education director who spoke earlier in the same agenda sequence, also noted career‑tech programs that support student engagement. Explore Academy reported a WVDE compliance review with no errors and said its special education students showed measurable growth on local assessments, including reported gains in math proficiency.

At Huntington Middle School, principal Justina White described a multi‑pronged plan concentrated on students with Individualized Education Programs. The school reported 574 students at year end, of whom 228 — 32.6% — had IEPs. White said the school’s reading goal was that 70% of students with IEPs meet their individual typical growth on I‑Ready; as of May 6, 44% of that subgroup had met the goal. She reported a similar pattern in math (41% meeting typical growth as of May 6) and said attendance goals were not met: the school fell short of a 91% target and chronic absenteeism remained elevated, with special‑education chronic absenteeism at about 46.04% (a slight decrease from the prior year). White said the school had revamped WVTSS (West Virginia Tiered System of Supports) to give students five focused intervention rotations each week and expanded co‑teaching professional development.

Huntington High School principal Jody Cunningham described a three‑year effort emphasizing co‑teaching, compliance and attendance. Cunningham said co‑teaching training reached all new co‑teaching staff and that the special education department used PLCs and central‑office supports to address IEP documentation. The school reported full compliance on WVDE service verification checks after reorganization of special‑education files. Cunningham also highlighted attendance interventions: he said chronic absenteeism dropped roughly 10 percentage points over two years and that out‑of‑school suspensions for students with IEPs fell about 5%. He credited added attendance and behavior intervention staff and expanded tiered supports.

Administrators and state consultants repeatedly emphasized that progress is incremental. White told the board, “Every day counts at Huntington Middle School,” a phrase she said the school uses daily to stress attendance. Presenters asked the board and community to regard the work as ongoing and data driven; they said next steps include sustaining PLCs, continuing co‑teaching professional development and refining WVTSS interventions.

The board received the updates as part of required annual reporting for identified schools; no formal board policy action was taken during the presentations.