The Columbia Board of Education has re-elected Christine King as its president, and has re-elected James Whitt as Vice-President. At the Columbia Board of Education's regular meeting last night, the board discussed Missouri's progress on adopting the Common Core Standards, a series of national guidelines designed to increase consistency and quality in K-12 schools across the U.S.
Following the elections, Columbia Schools Superintendent Dr. Chris Belcher gave an update on the district's plans to adapt to the Common Core Curriculum standards.
The Missouri State House voted on HB 1490 last week. It allows Common Core to stay in place until a new working group can recommend new assessment standards for Missouri Schools. Though Belcher says he does not think the Common Core is going anywhere. The real goal of the bill was just protection.
“It seemed to me like they were just trying to put in some protection language that Missouri always has the right to develop standards, which has always been the case." Belcher said. "So I think it’s a little bit of redundancy in language, but if that’s what it takes, I mean, that’s not a problem.”
Belcher spoke generally in favor of the Common Core standards but said the implementation of the standards is what matters. The school board will maintain control over the processes and materials used. Belcher says he has some concerns but no more than he’s had with other curriculum.
“I’ve had concerns about the MAP curriculum." Belcher said. "I’ve had concerns about the MMAT before that. It’s okay to have specific concerns about what’s being taught when and what’s being assessed when. But I think it is a good thing that if we want to be compared on international standards, we have to have those international standards and they have to be the same. And if we want to be compared nationally, they have to be the same.”
Belcher stressed these are not federal standards. The Federal Department of Education supports the standards, but they are not federally mandated in any way. Other members of the school board chimed in, noting they are in favor of the Common Core focus on good teaching and understanding, over facts.
Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education Dr. Peter Stiepleman presented two plans for the attendance area boundary for Eliot Battle Elementary School. Board members selected an option that covers an area from I-70 north to East Mexico Gravel Road. The new school will draw students from Alpha Hart Lewis and Two Mile Prairie. It will not move any students from Shepard Boulevard Elementary.
Stiepleman says the new elementary school will help reduce overcrowding at both Alpha Hart Lewis and Two Mile Prairie.
“For Two Mile, it’s about meeting our goals to the community of eliminating trailers." Stiepleman said. "At Alpha Hart it’s because it was a school that’s built for 600 and we’re already over capacity.”
Stiepleman also confirmed at the meeting the Nature School at Rock Bridge State Park will be built by the year 2015. One-third of the cost to build the Nature School will be paid for by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
“They know Rock Bridge State Park is a gem." Stiepleman said. "They know that it has caves. It has prairies. It has forests. It has everything, and it is one of the most visited state parks in our state. And so as a result they are looking forward to building a facility we can use for our fifth graders.”
Stiepleman says he is excited to see the educational opportunities the facility will make available to students.
A.J. Feather, KBIA news.