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Data and updates on district athletic facility projects were on the agenda at Monday’s meeting of the Jessamine County Schools (JCS) Board of Education meeting

iReady data

iReady is a standardized test that gauges where students are in mathematics and reading. These scores are significant to schools because of COVID-19’s impact on education. The students were tested in December.

Here are the comparative findings for reading:

• There are no “serious gains” in reading from last winter to this winter. Scores are relatively stagnant. 
• There were some gains in the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th grades.
• Moderate strength against similar Kentucky schools.
• Strong performance in all domains compared to the national average.

The district’s response to the reading data is to continue to strengthen phonics programming and LETRS training in primary grades. Phonics teaches people to read by correlating sounds with letters or groups of letters in an alphabetic writing system. LETRS is a new evidence-based training for literacy-focused educators.

Here are the comparative findings for math:

• Strong gains in primary school on grade level.
• Data is stagnant from winter to winter.
• Slightly above similar Ketucky schools.
• Strong performance in algebraic thinking at primary compared to the national average. 
• Math is an issue nationally.

The district’s response to the math data is to hold a January Ready Core training and walkthroughs with elementary principals, and hold coaching oaching with iReady math professional development team in rigor and discourse K-8.

Sports update

East and West Jessamine High have completed several projects for their athletic programs: new and resurfaced runnings tracks, renovated press boxes, new scoreboard for the East baseball and softball fields, new cheer mats at both schools, new coaching hires and updated drug testing for bus drivers.

The district is currently working on the following updating the athletic handbook, developing standard operating procedures, and program development work with Jessamine County Youth Football League, youth baseball and parks and recreations.

Health data

The district released the following health data: from Jan. 1, 2022, to Feb. 10, 2023, school nurses have seen 25,393 students, there is an 84% immunization rate among students and the district has continued monthly drug testing for its transportation employees.

JCS also has a 1:700 student-nurse ratio, which district officials say is good, but the hope continues to progress toward the national ratio of 1:400.