Welcome to the Jackson-Madison County School System website! We are pleased to announce that 24 of our 28 schools made the federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) benchmarks. Four schools that were targeted last year because of low scores in at least one student subgroup moved back into GOOD STANDING due to their hard, focused work. We do have two intermediate schools whose students with disabilities had low scores in one area each and they have already built plans to address those students. Two of our high schools are on the state list because of 2004-05 and 2005-06 graduation rates. All of their student subgroups, however, met AYP benchmarks. We don’t yet have the state determined, final, 2006-07 graduation rates for those schools but the preliminary numbers look like significant increases in the graduation rate occurred. JCM, because of low scores in years prior to 2006-07, is in Corrective Action status which allows students to move, if they desire, to another high school. So far, fewer than 75 students have made that decision because the progress being made at JCM is very evident. The state data for each of our schools can be reviewed on the website.

If you are reading this as a parent or guardian of a student in our schools I want to thank you for the privilege of working with your child. Our goal is to ensure that every classroom is one in which any of us working within the system would be pleased to have our child or grandchild served. If you see us missing the mark as we work towards that goal let us know.

During my first year as Superintendent in this district I have come to know many fine, committed educators who are working with students in our schools. Last year I was in every classroom at least once and will be doing that again this year. Although the visits are not lengthy I am able to pick up patterns of the educational practices most commonly in use and the level of student engagement in the various schools. We have very good schools and plan to be able to say very soon that we have consistently GREAT schools.

How will we know?

Data. We now have on staff a Coordinator of Research and Accountability, Dr. Allan Sterbinsky, who is working with Mrs. Pam Finney, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, and her staff to insure current student test data to shape teaching practices. Practicing teachers from our classrooms will be heavily involved in that work as it progresses so we’re sure to be taking into consideration what is really happening in our schools day to day.

Students in grades 5-12 started the year with a district wide dress code so that as they move from school to school, which many of them do regularly, the environments in which they are being taught are more alike than different. Research around the country does reflect a correlation between orderly, business-like environments and academic achievement. This code is a step towards ensuring that “focused on teaching and learning” environment and appreciates your support.

In the spring of the 2006-07 school year we conducted a teacher survey in all schools about their perception of our district as employees. Dr. Sterbinsky and other central office staff are meeting with each faculty to share the results of those surveys. Principals will be developing plans to address issues that may have been indicated at their school and we at the central office will be developing a plan to address some issues that arose with regard to teachers not feeling adequately listened to or responded to by central office staff. We are asking teachers to tell us what they would like to see us do to improve in that area. Another survey will be conducted at the end of this year to see whether they think improvement occurred. This is all part of our commitment to be accountable…to students, families, the community and each other as members of the JMCSS team.

Teacher survey data is available for your review on this website. We will try to keep current information here for you and welcome your comments about the website and what you would like to see added. I will be conducting five community listening tours and that information will be posted here as well. Please continue to stay in touch with me through my email address: input@jmcss.org

We look forward to an excellent, rewarding school year.

Nancy S. Zambito, Ed.D.
Superintendent