Bath School Principals Outline Plans To Improve Test Scores To Meet Adequate Yearly Progress Requirements

Warm Springs, Va – Bath County school principals are making plans to improve test scores to meet Adequate Yearly Progress requirements. At Tuesday night’s Bath School Board meeting, Elementary Schools Principal Les Balgavy and High School Principal Sarah Rowe reported on plans they’ve developed to improve student achievement and meet Adequate Yearly Progress.

All three schools in Bath have been meeting requirements for full state accreditation, but Adequate Yearly Progress results, or AYP, have not been as strong. None of Bath’s three schools have been placed in mandated school improvement, but the school division is working to improve test results. At the elementary schools, Principal Les Balgavy said a number of areas will be addressed, including curriculum, improving parental involvement and working on attendance incentives. At the High School, Principal Sarah Rowe said her strategy will be similar, focusing on improving math skills, attendance and parental communication.

In 2009-2010 school year, the division did not make AYP in English and Math and the high school did not make AYP in Math. And last year, the Bath School Division did not make AYP in English. And Valley Elementary did not make AYP in English and Math.

In other business, the school board reviewed a list of items to be considered for the Capital Improvement Plan, or CIP, for fiscal years 2012 through 2017. The CIP request must be submitted to the County on January 4.

Among the items being considered for placement on the list are: camera surveillance and entrance access systems, high school parking lot improvements, school bus cameras, a new bus, window shades at the high school, keyless entry systems and a new football scoreboard. School Superintendent Sue Hirsh asked Board members to think about other items that could be included on the CIP. She said at the December meeting more information will be presented on the items under consideration and Board members will need to prioritize items for the CIP.

Also on Tuesday night, the Board accepted the resignation of Rebecca Johnson, Bath County High School’s Spanish teacher.

And the board made the following appointments:
Debbie Michael as Special Ed Socio-Cultural Evaluator, Jeff Woodzell as JV girls basketball coach, Melanie Ryder as a substitute vehicle driver and Daniel Marshall was appointed as a bus garage mechanic.