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Improvement in math tops schools’ goals

Christina M. Currie

Moffat County school officials have a common focus this school year: defining exactly what students should know and when they should know it.

And they’re focusing on math.

The specific skills staff members are working to identify and establish are termed “essential learnings,” and every school in the district has made defining essential learnings on of its topmost priorities.



When essential learnings are identified in each subject area, a “common assessment” — a test to define a student’s grasp of the essential learnings — will be developed.

Once that happens, teachers and administrators will have a clear understanding of each student’s progress and deficiencies and be able to direct curriculum to meet those needs.



“We’re still working on developing common assessments, and we’re making progress,” Superintendent Pete Bergmann said. “That is a district goal. That’s a main focus. You’ll see that as a common thread among all school goals.”

Last year, the high school worked on three goals: improving math and literacy skills and improving communication among parents, teachers, administrators and students.

“I’m not sure we met our goals in truly improving significant communication,” Principal Jane Krogman said. “We still have work to do.”

She said the high school staff staged several events in an attempt to improve communication that were moderately successful.

Ongoing goals for each school are as follows:

Moffat County High School

n All departments have defined essential learnings and are working to develop common assessments. The assessments will be administered in May and the results analyzed. Interventions will be developed for students who don’t demonstrate proficiency on essential learnings as well as prevention strategies.

n Finalize development of the school emergency plan.

Elementary schools

n Identify essential learnings in math, write and administer common assessments and determine appropriate intervention and prevention strategies for making it possible for all students to reach the proficient level.

Moffat County Early Childhood Center

n Establish a reliable system of collecting data for preschool achievement.

n Improve the quality of teaching and assessment practices in math to increase student learning in math and assure readiness for kindergarten.

n Update and enhance the school’s emergency response plan to handle emergency and non-emergency safety issues.

n Increase attendance rate by 3 percent.

Craig Middle School

n Adopt a schoolwide system of interventions to provide students with additional time and support when they experience difficulty in their learning.

n Establish essential learnings and common assessments, as well as measures to prevent failure and to remediate should a student not be proficient at a certain essential learning.

n Send fewer students to the high school with Individual Learning Plans than came up from CIS with ILPs.

n Establish an effective procedure for intervening with students who are chronically absent or late to school.

n Revise behavioral expectations and discipline plan to encourage desirable student behaviors more consistently and to discourage inappropriate behaviors more effectively.

Craig Intermediate School

n Identify essential learnings in literacy, write and administer common assessments and determine appropriate intervention and prevention strategies for making it possible for all students to reach the proficient level.

n Improve the school’s safety plan.

n Identify essential learnings in math, write and administer common assessments and determine appropriate intervention and prevention strategies for making it possible for all students to reach the proficient level.

n Improve communication and trust among staff, students and parents.

Christina M. Currie can be reached at 824-7031 or ccurrie@craigdailypress.com.


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