Wood BOE renews i-Ready after debate
From left, Directors of Cirriculum and Instruction Candace Lewis and Ashlee Beatty give a presentation regarding general summative assessments for the district during Tuesday evening's meeting. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Heather Grant, director of elementary education, gives a presentation on proposed boundaries for the different elementary schools within the Wood County Schools district. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Wood County Schools Superintendent Christie Willis gives an award recognizing educator Jaime Moss for being a Teacher Fellow with the Mark Cuban Foundation. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Directors of Cirriculum and Instruction Candace Lewis and Ashlee Beatty give a presentation regarding general summative assessments for the district during Tuesday evening's meeting. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Heather Grant, director of elementary education, gives a presentation on proposed boundaries for the different elementary schools within the Wood County Schools district. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Wood County Schools Superintendent Christie Willis gives an award recognizing educator Jaime Moss for being a Teacher Fellow with the Mark Cuban Foundation. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
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PARKERSBURG -- The Wood County Board of Education approved a $389,744 renewal of its i-Ready assessment and instructional program Tuesday evening after debating whether to delay the purchase for further review.
Board member Haley Meredith requested that the renewal be moved from the consent agenda to the regular agenda for discussion. A motion to table the purchase failed before members approved it for 2026-27.
Meredith sought more information about the program's performance and feedback from teachers using it.
"The only numbers that we saw were from an invoice," she said.
Board President Judy Johnson said changing programs after initial testing would make comparing results throughout the year difficult.
Superintendent Christie Willis advised against changing programs during the school year but said the district could review alternatives.
"We want to provide our kids the best option that's out there," Willis said.
Curriculum and instruction directors Ashlee Beatty and Candace Lewis described i-Ready's role in assessing students, identifying learning needs and helping teachers plan instruction.
District guidance calls for two math lessons weekly, generally taking 30 to 45 minutes, and 30 minutes of reading lessons. Beatty cautioned against excessive use.
"Sometimes more is just more. It's not better. It's just more," Beatty said.
The district ranked seventh statewide in mathematics proficiency and eighth in English language arts and science. Its average SAT score declined from 928 to 914 but exceeded the statewide average of 906.
Beatty said i-Ready results showed 69% of middle school students were at least one grade level behind in vocabulary. A vocabulary initiative across middle school subjects will begin Oct. 12.
Heather Grant, director of elementary education, presented proposed 2027-28 attendance boundaries for the new Lincoln and Vienna elementary schools, Madison Elementary and Greenmont Elementary.
Grant said about 24% of elementary students attend outside their assigned attendance areas, complicating enrollment projections.
The Lincoln-Madison dividing line would generally follow Old St. Marys Pike. Grant said bond language requires the new Lincoln school to combine students from Criss and Emerson elementary schools.
In Vienna, 37th Street would serve as the dividing line, shifting part of the current Vienna Elementary attendance area to Greenmont. The remaining Vienna area and Neale Elementary's area would feed the new Vienna school.
Grant said accommodating students attending outside their assigned areas could be difficult at Vienna and Greenmont, particularly in next year's third grade.
Assistant Superintendent of Operations Kaleb Lawrence said the new Lubeck and Lincoln schools remained on schedule and under budget. Administrators planned to meet Thursday with Vienna's contractor over scheduling concerns. Rain also delayed the hoped-for Oct. 1 paving date for Madison's traffic loop.
The board postponed a First Settlement Physical Therapy agreement allowing Wood County Technical Center students to participate in supervised learning experiences.
Board member Simon Hargus requested to sit out the vote because of his association with the company. He said the agreement offered him no financial benefit.
Willis said Hargus had requested an ethics advisory opinion. Members postponed the agreement until the next meeting or receipt of an opinion. Officials will check the existing agreement's expiration date to determine whether student placements must pause.
With i-Ready and First Settlement removed, the board approved the remaining consent agenda, including a $105,525 Anatomage table for career technical education medical programs. Members separately approved Sandy Harris as Jefferson Elementary's teaching, learning and student success assistant principal, effective date to be determined.
After returning from executive session the board ratified employee Quentin Dils' paid suspension from Aug. 24-31 and unpaid suspension from Sept. 1-14, as recommended by the superintendent.
The board returned to executive session for an update on pending litigation from attorney Aaron Boone of Bowles Rice. No additional action was taken.
Also during the meeting several schools were recognized for their achievements in the general summative testing for the previous school year.