WILLIAMSON — That Mingo County students at the elementary and middle schools levels are progressing in the field of mathematics and reading was confirmed Tuesday by a report on the WESTEST 2 scores of 2009.

Rob Bobbera, director of secondary curriculum, presented a video and oral report at a regular meeting of the Mingo County Board of Education in the central board conference room at Cinderella. The report was prepared by Bobbera and Karen Canterbury, county testing coordinator.

Because of flooding last May, only five Mingo schools participated in WESTEST 2, Bobbera reported. Yet all five of those schools — Dingess Elementary, Kermit K-8, Lenore K-8, Riverside Elementary in Williamson and Williamson Middle – achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

Bobbera noted that the state achievement test last year was changed to WESTEST 2, a more rigorous version of the former WESTEST, making it even more impressive when the five schools scored so well.

The board members present, President Charles S. West, Vice President Jacqueline Branch, William D. Duty, Dr. J.D. Endicott and Michael Carter, and County School Superintendent Dwight D. Dials expressed satisfaction with the Mingo students’ achievement of AYP, asking some questions and making appropriate comments.

Only three West Virginia counties had made AYP for the 2008-09 school year and they were identified as Calhoun, Gilmer and Wirt.

Mingo County’s problem area stems from reading and math scores for special education students at the middle school level, the report stated.

For the “all students” group, Mingo County ranked 13th in West Virginia in mathematics. The county ranked fifth in the state in reading, behind Putnam, Monongalia, Ohio and Jefferson counties, which scored in that order.

The video report by Bobbera showed percentages of students’ proficiency at the elementary and middle school levels in mathematics and reading/language arts.

On Mathematics 2009 WESEST 2 and APTA, the state target is 57.0 percent of proficient students at the elementary level. Mingo County’s “all students” scored 67.7 percent proficiency and Mingo’s (SES) low Special Education students scored 65.8 percent proficiency, both county ratings slightly above that of the state.

The state target in reading/language arts for the 2009 WESTEST 2 and APTA is 56.0 percent of proficient students. Mingo’s “all students” rating was 76.1 percent; the Mingo Low SES was 71.6 percent, both higher than the state proficiency on the elementary level.

The data source for the chart information is WV Achieves and NCLB (No Child Left Behind).

At the middle school level, the state target on Mathematics 2009 WESTEST 2 and APTA was 50.0 percent proficiency. Mingo “all students” scored 61.6 percent proficiency; 56.3 percent for Mingo low SES, and 33.3 percent for Mingo Special Education.

The state target for Reading/Language Arts 2009 WESTEST 2 and APTA was 57.0 percent proficiency.. Mingo was slightly over with 62.6 percent for all students and 59.1 percent for Low SES. Mingo Special Education students scored 22.2 percent.

An official report on enrollment in the current school term which began Aug. 26 is not available. Assistant School Superintendent Randy Keathley said it’s too early to predict any losses although the county may have lost some students with this year’s enrollment.

In his staffing report, Keathley reported that all positions for mathematics teachers in the county school system are filled and only one teaching position in English is not filled.

“We do have a very good group of bright, young teachers as our school year gets underway,” Keathley reported.

Robert “Hank” Starr, maintenance director for the county school system, gave a status report on flood recovery work at Gilbert Elementary and Gilbert High Schools. He discussed some problems but told the board “we have had great contractors for the recovery efforts.”

Starr said a delay in some shipments of needed items had slowed recovery somewhat, but on Wednesday (the day after the board meeting) two tractor-trailers loaded with furniture for Gilbert Elementary School rolled into the area and flood recovery was boosted somewhat.

The board approved minutes of its Aug. 11 regular meeting and its Aug. 25 special meeting and workshiop, and reviewed a list of professional and service personnel actions. New board Treasurer Ancie Hatfield’s financial reports on budget supplements and transfers and a monthly financial report as of Aug. 31 were reviewed by the board.

An updated school bus schedule for the new school term also was reviewed by the board. Scheduling of 2009-2010 meetings of Local School Improvement Councils in the various school areas was deferred until next board meeting.

During an employee and citizen input period of the meeting, the board considered a matter presented by Bill Wiegel, coach of the Delbarton Midget League football group. He said he had not been able to schedule practice for his teams because of the high school team’s practice period. Superintendent Dials said he would check into the situation and ask Burch High Coach Joplin if he could help straighten out the matter.

Five women from Wayne and Lincoln Counties, neighboring areas of Mingo County, appeared before the board to ask that this county run a school bus to their home areas to collect their children and transport them to the Dingess Elementary School. The women were identified as Tonia Fitzpatrick, Mary Browning, Teresa Perry, Jonie Messer and Lura Perry.

Dials told the group he could make no promises regarding the matter but he would investigate to determine if their request can be granted.