The new academic year has started with a lot of excitement inside Brooke County Schools, but the last thing Superintendent Jeff Crook plans to do is ignore state testing scores and the need for immediate improvement.
The scores for last year’s standardized testing were released and distributed to the state’s 55 county school systems about a month ago and Crook has analyzed the good with the bad. Overall, language arts improved, and math remained close to the same, but Crook is addressing high school mathematics and reading instruction throughout the district.
“We have had conversations with both our students and our staff about the scores because it’s something we need to figure out. We know our kids are better than the math scores they put up, and better in every other category, too,” Crook said. “We know they have the classes, and they have success in those classes, so that’s why we’re talking to them and paying attention to their scores so we know where they need to improve the most.
“That’s our job,” he said. “So, we’re doing what it takes while knowing we had a lot of students do very, very well on their tests. We have contracted the Khan Academy for online math help for our students, and we just have to reach more of the kids and that’s what we’re going to do. I believe we’ll see a significant jump in the scores in the near future.”
Crook has addressed the district’s reading programs, as well, by visiting the schools, observing teachers, and interacting with students as often as possible.
“I know the work is being done, but I think it’s a shame that one test on one day is the measurement,” he explained. “So, we’re continuing our reading initiative that was developed at Johns Hopkins University, and we’re working on all of our other academic programs.
“We’ve learned in public education that addressing the individual student is the best way to manage education, so that’s what we’re doing. And we all know we have to work on our SAT scores, too, by covering the material and talking about the testing,” he said. “It’s our job in education to get our kids ready for the next level, and we do our best here in Brooke County to make that a great experience.”
Determined Minds and Happy Faces
He’s seen smiles and he’s heard laughter.
“Ya know, that happens more often than most people think,” Crook said. “School has changed a lot since I was a student because I don’t remember having much fun in class. Thank goodness we’ve learned a lot of lessons in education.
“When you make learning fun, learning happens without anyone knowing it.”
There are a little more than 2,500 students in the Brooke County Schools system, and the student-to-teacher ratio is right around 14 to one. The district maintains seven school buildings, all of which have been updated thanks to the taxpayers of Brooke County, and Crook and Assistant Corey Murphy have spent most of their time this month visiting with staff and students.
“The beginning of the school has progressed very smoothly. We had a nice opening, a great first few weeks of school, and it sure seems like there’s a lot of enthusiasm about what we’re doing in Brooke County,” the superintendent explained. “It’s great when you see the students excited about coming back to school so they can see their friends, sure, but also to continue their education.
“Our teachers have connections with their students, and the same is true with the coaches and our student-athletes. Those bonds mean more than anything on paper,” he said. “I hope everyone had a terrific summer break, but now we’re back to normal and back to the learning.”
One program that may not show up with the state SAT results, Crook reminded, is Brooke High’s career technical education. Under the leadership of Mike Berner, several students each year have been graduated totally prepared for a career in the local trades.
“Our Career Tech program is very strong,” Crook insisted. “Engineering, welding, auto mechanics … all of those classes have seen an increase since last year, and we’ve also partnered with West Virginia Northern so our students can participate in the joint technical programs.
“That means one of our students can graduate with a high school diploma and an associate degree in welding or something else,” he explained. “That puts our student ahead in this world, and any time you can get that kind of advantage, you have to take it, and the same is true with our Brooke Collegiate Academy because our students can take college courses and earn those credits at the same time in high school.”
