Steamboat Pilot & Today

The Hayden Board of Education wants to improve student test scores and teacher salaries. At the board's Wednesday night meeting, the group discussed how to do so.

To improve test scores, particularly in the area of mathematics, the board decided to change the curriculum. Con-tracted curriculum specialist Janet Bohart of Moffat County gave a presentation at the meeting on how to improve it.

She said the new curriculum would include a guide, or "blueprint," for teachers to follow, indicating what their students need to know to meet state standards for their grade level. She said the curriculum guide correlates well with what students need to know for Colorado Student Assessment Program tests.

"The guide basically shows teachers, 'this is what you must teach,'" Bohart said.

The guides for all grades are organized to be one cohesive unit so that students won't get repeated lessons or miss critical steps to advance in a subject.

The School Board also has a list of five goals to be implemented for the 2003-2004 school year to improve student learning and CSAP test scores.

"What we're trying to do is align the curriculum to cover state standards thoroughly," Hayden Schools Superintendent Scott Mader said.

The goals, Mader said, have been listed in order of importance:

Align math course to increase test scores.

Align other courses similarly.

Implement a gifted program.

Implement summer school for all grade levels.

Implement at least two assessment tests for reading, writing and math, for the beginning and end of the school year, and possibly one in the middle of the year.

"It's pretty dang important to know how well your kids are doing," Mader said. "You can better group them to skill level and help them reach goals."

Also, the board voted to increase all staff salaries by 3 percent. "We want to have very competitive salaries," Mader said.

To help compensate the district for the increased cost of staff, Mader said he would not pursue the purchase of a new school vehicle, which he has been debating for about a month now.

The board also discussed increasing the cost of insurance.

-- To reach Nick Foster call 871-4204

or e-mail nfoster@steamboatpilot.com