Board approves Edmentum courseware, Exact Path assessment and multiple staff hires

Jennings County School Corporation trustees approved several program and personnel actions including adoption of new online learning tools and confirmation of teaching and coaching hires.

Programs: The board approved moving online courseware from Edgenuity to Edmentum for alternative education and homebound services, with the presenter saying Edmentum offers “better translation capability and more options for courses to match up with our course catalogs.” The board also approved Exact Path, described as a state-approved formative assessment learning program for the middle school; staff said funding will come from a formative assessment grant and some Title funds. Both approvals passed on voice votes.

Personnel: The board approved recommendations to hire Jennifer Cepeda and Lauren Todd as middle-school ELA teachers, Abigail Vogel as a Sand Creek Elementary special-education teacher, and Emily Lane as the MBE SPED Cares teacher (the presenter said outstanding hiring requirements for Emily had been resolved). The board also approved several support-staff coaching positions, including Ray Lewis, Andrew Magel, Thomas Millingcamp, Mallory Rocky and Gary Tongat. All personnel items were approved by voice vote.

Why it matters: The courseware and assessment approvals affect classroom instruction and assessment resources across grades and rely on grant and Title funding. The confirmed hires and coaches fill classroom and extracurricular roles for the coming school year.

Next steps: Staff indicated they will implement the new platforms and proceed with onboarding for the newly approved teachers and coaches.