During Tuesday’s meeting of the Picayune School District Board of Trustees, principals for the district’s elementary schools outlined plans to help increase the district’s overall assessment grade issued by the Mississippi Department of Education.

Roseland Park Principal Kathleen Canulette said the school received a score of B from the recent assessment by raising the school’s score by 49 points. To reach a higher grade, the school will offer more tutoring, either in person or via an online method, for sixth grade students.

Students in K-6th grades who show difficulty with subject matter will participate in pull out sessions to increase their mastery.

Nicholson Elementary Principal Lisa Howie said the school dropped by 49 points, putting the school 20 points from a B. Teachers at the school are using core values to increase relationships with children and are utilizing data sheets to keep the students informed on their progress. She said that if staff can increase reading, math and science scores by 10 points each, the overall grade will easily increase to a B.

West Side Principal Kim Hart said the school’s grade did go down, but the goal is to increase their points.  To do that, the staff will work to increase student proficiency by using iReady data to find areas where students are struggling.

South Side Lower Elementary Principal Jeremy Williams said his staff will utilize a multitiered process to identify areas in need of improvement and address those needs via tutoring. Staff are also building a relationship with students.

“When they are loved and want to be there, they learn better,” Williams said.

He will also work with parents to ensure the they are invested in their child’s education by holding community events, such as a picnic day.

South Side Upper Elementary Principal Tarva Cook said she gave her staff the school’s assessment score so they can dissect it and come up with their own plan of action to increase that score.

Staff at that school also have access to a way to pull bank materials from the state test to help the students prepare. In addition, additional tutoring the can be done at home and teachers are fielding ideas off each other.