• New board member hired

    • On Tuesday, August 24, 2010, the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education selected Ms. Sena Stewart as the new Board Member to represent District 3. Ms. Stewart will be replacing Ms. Tulane Duke, former Board Member of five years, who resigned on August 24, 2010.
    • The School Board Members utilized a new voting process for the selection of the new district representative.

    • School Board Members expressed their appreciation to all for supporting the Tuscaloosa City Schools and for the strong showing of candidates from District 3.

  • Community Meeting to Discuss Grade Span Adjustment


    • A community meeting will be held on Thursday, September 9, 2010 from 6 p.m. -7:30 p.m. at Westlawn Middle School.


    • The purpose of the meeting is to get input from the community
      regarding the grade span adjustment for Central Primary, Oakdale
      Primary, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary Schools.

  • At -Risk Proposal

    It is the intent of the Alabama Legislature that schools and school systems involve the community in planning and implementing at-risk programs. Therefore, schools shall expend at least 20% of the at risk funds to partner with non-profit community organizations in planning and implementing at-risk programs, which directly assist in improving academic performance. Such programs may include, but not be limited to, Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs, 21st Century Leadership, Pell City Bridge Builders, Alabama Young Farmers Education Program, and local civic and charitable organizations. It is the intent of the Legislature  that these funds not be utilized to partner with governmental nor quasigovernmental agencies and entities whose functions already indulge programs designated for at-risk funding. In appropriate situations, businesses may partner with schools or school systems for at-risk programs but may not receive any compensation or reimbursement for expenses or other costs.


    The Tuscaloosa City Schools would like to offer your organization the opportunity to participate in providing effective programming for our students at risk of school failure. Enclosed are copies of the at-risk Alabama legislation and application(s) for your consideration and response. Please complete and return the application to the following address:


    Tuscaloosa City Board of Education
    Attn: Mrs. Dorothy M. Richardson
    1210-21st Avenue
    Tuscaloosa, AL 35401


    Applications must be submitted by August 31, 2010. Please submit a completed application for each program
    offered.


    If you have questions, you may contact Dorothy Richardson at 759-3562. Our school system is looking forward to the opportunity to collaborate with you as we continue to serve our community’s students who are at risk of school failure.

    You may view and print the press release and the memorandium / application from the pdf files attached.

  • Board Approved Calendar 2010-2011

    Board approved calendar for 2010-2011

  • Summer Graduation Ceremony

    This is to confirm that the Summer Graduation Ceremony will be held on Sunday, August 29, 2010, 2:00 p.m., at Paul W. Bryant High School.  Ms.  Tonya Mills, Senior Counselor,will coordinate the program and activities.

    View media release attached.

  • CNP Public Release for Parent Income Eligibility Guidelines 2010-2011


    • Tuscaloosa City Board of Education announced its policy for free and reduced-price meals for children served in schools under Local School Food Authority, the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program.

    • Please view the Media Release and the Public Release below.

  • New BOE Mission Statement and Goals

    • The Tuscaloosa City Board of Education has adopted a Mission Statement and four goals.  This information is posted as a subpage on the Board Website and Board Blog and was sent out via Twitter.
    •      
    • Mission: 
    • The Mission of the Tuscaloosa City BOE is to create and support a culture of high expectations for all students to achieve personal and academic excellence.
    • Goals:
    • Foster a system-wide culture of innovation
    • Continually increase academic achievement for all students, leading to 100% graduation
    • Improve communications within the Tuscaloosa City School system and with the community
    • Maintain, support, and expand existing enrichment programs for all students

     

  • School Bus Routes

    • The Transportation Department has provided bus routes for the Eastern, Northern, and Western clusters.  The files are posted below in Excel 2003 format.  We prefer to use pdf format, but when we convert them to pdf, they become too difficult to read. 
    •                               
    • If you do not have a copy of Microsoft Excel to view the files, you can download Open Office for free or you can save the files and view them online with Microsoft utilities.

     

  • Media Release - School Choice

    • Tuscaloosa City Schools to Offer School Choice for Schools Designated as in “School Improvement” Status

       

      Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, of schools is reported by sub-populations and for all students for all schools to show progress of students toward achieving the annual measurable objectives in reading and mathematics. AYP is reported for grades 3-8 in reading and mathematics as measured on the Alabama Reading and Math Test, selected items from the Stanford 10, and the Alabama Alternative Assessment for special education students.

       

      Schools where any sub-groups fail to make AYP for two consecutive years, in the same subject, are designated as in “school improvement”. In order for a school to be removed from this designation, AYP must be made by all sub-groups for two consecutive years.

       

      In light of this identification, each school will develop a plan to improve its status. The faculty and staff will work to strengthen classroom strategies related to raising student achievement and will introduce activities to involve parents in the school improvement process. Specific steps being taken are: high quality job-embedded professional development for teachers; continuation of research based teaching and learning strategies through the Alabama Reading Initiative - Project Adolescent Literacy; continuation of a school reading coach; early identification and monitoring of students who are below proficiency standards in reading and math; use of Fast ForWord, Accelerated Reader, Voyager Math and Reading, My Sidewalks, DIBELS, and similar assessments to direct lesson planning and report progress; and extended learning opportunities through after school programs and summer opportunities.

       

      We encourage parents to become involved in helping their child to be successful in school. Examples of how parents may become more involved include: asking about homework assignments, reading to their child every day, attending open house to meet teachers, and volunteering whenever possible.

       

       

       

      Students enrolled and attending any school designated as in need of improvement are eligible to transfer to a school that is not identified as in need of improvement. Elementary schools where school choice is an option for the 2010-2011 school year are:

      Central Primary

      Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary

      Oakdale Primary

      The middle school where school choice is an option for the 2010-2011 school year is:

      Westlawn Middle School

       

      Families of each of these schools were mailed a letter explaining their school’s AYP status and their options for school choice. Letters may also be picked up at the local elementary schools through the principal’s office or download from the district’s website at www.tuscaloosacityschools.com .

      The academic achievement of eligible schools for choice transfers are listed in the chart below. For additional information, parents may visit the Alabama State Department of Education website (www.alsde.edu) to obtain full school report cards (for 2009-2010) and detailed AYP status reports.

       

      School Name

      Record of Achievement

      Acadia Elementary

      This school made 17 out of 17 AYP goals.

      Rock Quarry Elementary

      This school made 13 out of 13 AYP goals.

      Verner Elementary

      This school made 17 out of 17 AYP goals.

      Woodland Forrest Elementary

      This school made 17 out of 17 AYP goals.

       

      School Name

      Record of Achievement

      Rock Quarry Middle School

      This school made 17 out of 17 AYP goals.

      Southview Middle School

      This school made 13 out of 13 AYP goals.

      If you choose the transfer option, your child may continue at the choice school until he or she reaches its exit grade. Transportation to the choice school will also be provided for as long as the school is designated as in need of improvement. After that time, the parent will be responsible for transportation.

      If you decide to pursue school choice for your child, parents must complete the School Choice Request Form for 2010-2011 included in the mailings. These forms must be returned to the principal’s office at your local school or the Federal Programs Office by Thursday, August 5, 2010. Parents will be notified by mail of the school choice assignment and transfer procedures. Please contact your local school principal or Dr. Latanza M. Harrison, Director of Federal Programs for the Tuscaloosa City School System at 759-3507 if you have questions or need any additional information.

  • Grade span change information



    • At a called Board meeting on Wednesday, July 28, the Tuscaloosa City
      Board of Education approved a grade span adjustment for Martin Luther
      King, Jr. Elementary School, Central Primary School and Oakdale Primary
      School.  As a result of the adjustment, the grade spans for each school
      are as follows:



    • Central Primary School (Grades PreK – 3)

    • Oakdale Primary School (Grades PreK-3)

    • Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School (Grades 4-5)



    • Oakdale and Central Primary PreK will remain at their current locations.



    • In an effort to make the transition seamless, parents of third grade
      students are being contacted by letter and by personal contact to convey
      the changes that will take place effective August 10, 2010.


  • Revised Open House Dates

    The Open House schedule for 2010-2011 was revised on July 20, 2010.  Dates are posted on the district Web calendar.  Please view or download the attached PDF document so you can plan to attend open house this year!

  • Skyland Elementary Teacher Receives Grants

    Congratulations to Skyland Elementary teacher Tammy Morton who has received honors and two grants!  Please read the attached media release for details.

  • View Two PowerPoint Presentations Recommended by Our Board

    The Tuscaloosa City Board of Educations members would like to share two PowerPoint presentations they viewed during AASB training.  Please visit the Board blog to view the files in PDF format.

  • Child Find


    • The Tuscaloosa City Schools are attempting to find and
      identify individuals from birth to 21 years of age who have
      disabilities or are suspected to have disabilities and are in need of
      special education services. Please view the media release for details.

  • Swine Flu Information