FLIP PAGES FOR WEBSITE.qxp_Trenton Republican-Times 6/10/21 10:56 AM Page 1
FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2021
R-T
TRENTON
REPUBLICAN-TIMES
75¢
©W.B. Rogers Printing Co., Inc.
Established Sept. 4, 1864 - 157th Year - No. 80
10 PAGES + 1 INSERT
republican-times.com
MAKING THE GRADE Trenton Middle School Changing Grading System Parents of Trenton Middle School students will see some changes in how their child’s progress is presented to them when school returns to session in August. The change, which was approved by the Trenton R-9 Board Tuesday night as part of revisions to the handbook, involves moving to a “standardsreferenced” grading system, with students to be graded on a numeric scale rather than assigned letter grades. TMS Principal Daniel Gott said the school has been piloting the program for the past four years in seven classes, but the system will become school-wide this fall. What Is Standards-Referenced Grading? Standards-reference grading, according to Gott, will help the school reach its goal that student grades be consistent, accurate, meaningful and supportive of each student’s learning. Grades are based on assessments of learning, with other factors, such as effort and behavior, communicated separately, but not as part of the student’s academic grade. Teachers provide a proficiency scale that describes exactly what the student should know or be able to do. The scales identify criteria for proficiency and are used consistently
throughout the unit and semester. Scores are recorded by the learning outcomes rather than by categories, such as tests or homework, making it easier to identify areas of strength and areas of growth. No More Letter Grades Under the new system at TMS, letter grades will no longer be assigned and will be replaced by numbers ranging from 0 to 4. In the traditional 100-point grading system, a student’s grades are typically based on all of the work assigned in class, including classwork, homework, projects, quizzes and tests. These scores are often arranged in the grade book based on the type of assignment rather than on the essential outcomes for the class. Other non-academic factors, such as participation, effort or attitude, may also be included in total points that are used to figure the grade. In contrast, standards-referenced grading looks at how well a student has demonstrated proficiency on the key material, so the grade book does not separate out tests, homework or projects. Instead, all of the work a student does is used to assess what a student knows. Non-academic factors such as behavior, attitude and attendance are not included in the grade, but are recorded and reported separately. The Standards-Referenced Rubric The meaning of each number is as follows: IE - stands for “insufficient evidence” and will be used if a
student has not been able to provide evidence of learning. This could be due to but not limited to absences and lack of motivation. 0 - Even with assistance from the teacher, the student shows no understanding of the material. 0.5 - The student demonstrates understanding of some elements in 2.0. 1 - The student is able to demonstrate an understanding of all the foundational material with support. 1.5 - The student demonstrates understanding of all 2.0 elements with help and independent understanding of some 2.0 elements. 2 - The student understands the foundational material, but is still working to master application of the concepts and skills. 2.5 - In addition to a 2.0 score, the student demonstrates partial knowledge of 3.0 elements. 3 - The student demonstrates proficiency in the complex, targeted knowledge and skills for the class. 3.5 - In addition to the 3.0 score, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications with partial success. 4 - The student demonstrates an in-depth understanding of the material by completing advanced applications of the material. How Will The Classroom Change? The change will have little impact on classroom instruction, however, it will impact the focus [See TMS, Page 5]
BRIEFS P&Z OKs Request
The Trenton Planning and Zoning Commission held a brief meeting Monday, approving a request for a conditional use permit and taking action on a historic preservation district. The commission approved a request from Dewayne Slater in care of Jason Lassiter for a conditional use permit to allow for a bed and breakfast at the former Slater Funeral Home, located at 412 E. Ninth St. It was noted that Lassiter has been advised that he would have to pay the $50 fee for an annual inspection and will have to meet the minimum requirements for a non-owner occupied dwelling. In addition, the commission voted to recommend to the city council that the Downtown Historic District be designated as a historic district within the meaning of the Trenton City Code. Both requests will now go to the city council for final approval, with the historic district issue being required to have a public hearing prior to approval in July.
Sunnyview Approves Payment
The Grundy County Nursing Home District Board of Directors held a special meeting Tuesday, continuing discussions with the contractor for its window replacement and HVAC projects and approving pay requests. According to Sunnyview Administrator Jerry Doerhoff, the board met with the contractor, The Wilson Group, Debbie Berry from USDA and architect Matt Rimiller. The board discussed a contract change order for the project and The Wilson Group agreed to some changes that the board requested. A revised change order will be sent by the contractor outlining the agreement. The Wilson Group submitted a partial payment request for the HVAC project for $142,744 and a partial payment request for the window project for $9,270, with both payments approved.
County COVID-19 Update
Grundy County is seeing a COVID-19 test positivity rate of 17 percent over the past week, according to the Grundy County Health Department. GCHD Administrator Elizabeth Gibson said the county currently has 18 active cases of the virus, with eight of those in persons ages 40 to 59 and seven in persons ages 20 to 39. One person in the age group 0 to 19 has an active case and two persons age 60 and over are infected. According to the Missouri Department of Health COVID Dashboard, about 24 percent of Grundy County’s residents have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Statewide, just over 45 percent of Missouri residents age 18 and over have completed their vaccinations. Vaccine is available at the health department, the Wright Memorial Hospital Physician’s Clinic and Hy-Vee Pharmacy. The county has recorded a total of 1,137 total cases since the pandemic began in March 2020 and 41 deaths are attributed to the virus.
R-9 Board Accepts Otto’s Resignation Salary Quandary Turned Over To Stegman The Trenton R-9 Board of Education accepted the resignation of the elementary principal, turned a decision on the annualization of non-certified staff payroll over to the superintendent and approved handbooks, including a change in the grading process at Trenton Middle School, during a meeting held Tuesday evening at the district office. During an executive session, the board accepted the resignation of Rissler Elementary School Principal Tiffany Otto. Mrs. Otto, who has served as principal since Aug. 1, 2018, will serve until her contract ends on June 30. Interviews to fill the position
will be conducted on June 10, with the board possibly holding a special session to approve a candidate. Under old business, the board continued a discussion on whether or not to continue it’s practice of annualizing the non-certified staff payroll. Bookkeeper Mona Loyd had earlier expressed the difficulty of doing payroll in this way, something the district implemented two years ago after non-certified staff missed out on about two weeks of pay due to snow days. At the May meeting, board members said they had heard from staff members who wanted to continue the current method of pay, while at Tuesday’s meeting, it was noted they had heard from staff who wanted it to go back to the previous process, where they were paid each month for those hours [See R-9, Page 3]
R-T Photo/Alexis Russell
JUMPING INTO SUMMER With the temperatures finally feeling more like summer, area youth are taking full advantage of the Trenton Family Aquatic Center — which was closed all last summer due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The pool is operating from 1-6 p.m. every day.
Park Board Accepts A Pair Of Bids Long-Time Member Asks To Not Be Re-Appointed The Trenton Park Board accepted two bids and heard an update on the opening of the Trenton Family Aquatic Center during a meeting held at Moberly Park Wednesday evening. The board accepted a bid from
Sharp Stonework for $2,830 for a new sign at Eastside Park. The sign will be the same type as is at the Ebbe Sports Complex. The bid, which was the only one received, includes materials and labor for the sign, but does not include lettering. The board will be looking at aluminum clad lettering like what is on the Ebbe sign and it’s believed the cost will be under $500. The sign will be placed in the same location as the current sign, on the entrance off of 10th Street and planters, possibly similar to the ones on Main Street, will be placed there.
The board also accepted a bid for a nine-inch playground border that will be placed around the play area at Van Meter Park. The bid was $3,003 and was submitted by the company, Playground Equipment, which also submitted a bid for a 12-inch border that would have cost $3,347. Board members felt the nine-inch border would be sufficient for the area. The board heard a report on the recent opening of the Trenton Family Aquatic Center, which is averaging about 180 swimmers per day for a [See PARKS, Page 3]
Trenton Republican-Times “News Every Day...When YOU Want It”
republican-times.com WEATHER ALMANAC Day: High/Low Rain Monday 88/68 — Tuesday 89/69 — Wednesday 92/70 — Barton Campus Wednesday 91/67 —
WHAT’S INSIDE
SPORTS...............PAGE 2 LOCAL................Page 3 OP/ED................Page 4 CALENDAR..........Page 5 AGRICULTURE....Page 6 COMICS...............Page 7 CROSSWORDS.....Page 8 CLASSIFIEDS......Page 9 AREA.................Page 10