Board reviews student, faculty achievements
Although Mountain Brook Schools have been in session for less than three months for the year, they still have much to recognize in their students and their faculty.
Dr. Missy Brooks, director of instruction for Mountain Brook City Schools, reviewed overall student achievements for the 2016-17 school year, particularly scores for the ACT, SAT and Advanced Placement classes.
Brooks said average Spartan scores for the ACT, which is given to the junior class, ranked more than 6 points hire than the national average. Scores for the SAT, which is given as an optional college entrance exam, ranked 268 points higher than the national average. Of the 403 students who participated in AP testing, Brooks said 88.2 percent of them scored a 3 or higher on the exams, which is more than 20 percent above the global average.
High school seniors are also required to take ACT WorkKeys, an assessment that measures foundation skills for success in a workplace. Brooks said the school had 16 bronze level students, 184 silver level students, 155 gold level students and five platinum level students and students are awarded their level based on the lowest score. Those who earn silver or higher are given a National Career Readiness Certificate which helps verify workplace skills to potential employers.
The board also recognized specific students for recent achievements: Drew Lewis, a MBHS student, will represent Alabama in the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle, Washington in July 2018 and compete in the 100-meter and 200-meter track races; Callie Chapman, a Crestline Elementary School student, earned the Silver Medal Moonbeam Children’s Book Award for Best Book by a Young Author for her book, “Glitter the Unicorn goes to the Beach,”; and 18 Mountain Brook students were named National Merit Commended students.
Superintendent Dicky Barlow also took the time to acknowledge the work teachers and faculty have done as well.
Recently, Kristi Moncrief, Kim Polson, Angela Knox and Betsie Boggs became Certified Academic Language Therapists after 200 hours of instruction and 500 hours of teaching during two years of training. With this certification they are able to help students learn to read through a multi-sensory approach.
Teachers Amber Benson and Brooke Hawkins, both of whom teach business at the high school, were also commended for their contribution in MBHS being named a W!SE Blue Star School for the 2016-17 school year. The award recognizes the school’s ability to teach its students financial literacy through the W!SE Financial Literacy Certification Test. MBHS is the only school in the state to be given this award.
Finally, the board acknowledged the many roles faculty and staff have in the state and local community outside of the Mountain Brook City Schools system.
Also during the Board of Education meeting on Oct. 16, board members:
- Approved the minutes of the previous meeting.
- Approved recommendations to personnel.
- Approved the sale and removal of surplus items.
The following are upcoming events for the Mountain Brook School system:
- Oct. 18: I’ll Push You: 500 Miles, 2 friends and 1 Wheelchair, MBHS, 6 p.m.
- Oct. 20: MBHS Homecoming parade, 2 p.m.; MBHS Homecoming football game, 7 p.m.
- Nov. 7: MBHS Veteran’s Day Band and Choir Concert, 7 p.m.
- Nov. 8: All in Mountain Brook Parenting Conference, MBHS, 5:30 p.m.
The next Board of Education meeting will be on Nov. 13 at 3:30 p.m. at Mountain Brook Elementary.
Editor's note: This article was updated on Oct. 17 at 9 a.m. to include Betsie Boggs in the list of teachers who recently became Certified Academic Language Therapists.