Hess announces
retirement
Tim Corlett
After years of rumored retirement plans, Barbara Hess will leave at the end of
the school year after teaching for 46 years.
"After my retirement notice went out people didn't believe me," Hess Said. "I
received emails about the legitimacy of my retirement."
In her memory, the Barb Hess Week Retirement Committee requested the renaming
and dedication of the current community room, to the Barb Hess Community Room.
The proposal will be voted on during this month.In addition
to the community room, Hess will also have a week dedicated to her. The Barb
Hess Week, Feb 19-22, will feature Hess anecdotes during announcements and other
Hess themed events. Hess, played by teacher Dan Flaherty, was also featured in
the Variety Show. An American Idol skit was dedicated to Hess, in which a
replacement in which a replacement was chosen. Hess received a standing ovation
at the end of the skit.
Grading discussions continue with the district
Katie
Oxendine
The grading and reporting committee has
been exploring the role of zero in grading and how it drastically changes a
student's grade.
According to available literature, the principles of grading and reporting are
to inform instructional decisions, record both students' and teachers' progress,
and provide feedback to students, parents, and teachers about what the student
has learned and is able to do. Some believe that giving a student a zero is
letting that student off easy, and not giving them any motivation to improve.
There are different ways to substitute the "0" grade as an "F." One suggestion
is to change it to a 1.0 instead of a zero. Another one is to change an "F" to a
50 or 60, which makes the spread more equal.
District ACT scores in decline
A troubling trend seems
to be lurking in Davenport - ACT scores in the Davenport School District are
continuously getting lower. In 1995, the local score average was 22.9,
higher than the state and national averages, 21.8 and 20.8, respectively.
Just five years later, in 2000, local scores dropped a whole point, down to
an average of 21.7 (slightly higher than the national average of 21.0, but
lower than the state average, 22.0). Currently, scores are at an all-time
low in the Davenport School District - the average score is down to 21.0 -
which is lower than both the state and national average (22.3 and 21.2,
respectively).
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