About Selma City Schools

Selma City Schools

2007-2008

Mission/Vision

The Selma City Schools are committed to excellence in education. This commitment includes providing effective instructional leadership, responsible fiscal management and quality learning environments for students. The schools seek to establish and maintain strong ties with parents and the community and share with them the responsibility of preparing children to become effective students and contributing members of society.

Motto

Aim for Excellence – Committed to Excellence in Education

Goals

To provide effective administrative and instructional leadership.

To follow recruitment procedures which will ensure the employment of highly qualified personnel.

To continue the system’s commitment to excellence in teaching by providing staff development, which will enable teachers to utilize a variety of instructional techniques/strategies.

To encourage and support inter-departmental and inter-disciplinary cooperation within the system.

To implement a climate improvement plan in each school that emphasizes expectations of success for all students, effective communications between staff and students and clearly communicated and consistently enforced discipline procedures.

To implement a comprehensive, on-going program of student and program assessment.

To form and maintain parent/community support organizations and utilize community resources.

Description of programs and services

The Selma City School System consists of eight elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, and two alternative programs. Student enrollment is approximately 4,000 with 340 teachers, 17 counselors and 16 administrators. Each school in the system is accredited by the Alabama Department of Education and by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Programs and services offered include but are not limited to:

AMSTI schools – the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) provides three basic services: professional development, equipment and materials, and on-site support. Schools become official AMSTI Schools by sending all of their math and science teachers, and administrators to a two-week Summer Institutes for two summers. Four of the elementary schools in the Selma City School System are AMSTI schools, with two additional schools coming aboard in the 2008-2009 school year.

Torchbearer School Distinction – one of the system’s schools was awarded this prestigious title in the 2007-2008 school year. A Torchbearer School is recognized as a place where learning exhibited exemplary leadership in overcoming adversity in student achievement. Schools receive a $15K monetary reward and is generally recognized in high-poverty, high-performing public schools in Alabama.

The Selma Early College High School (SECHS) – the only alternative high school program of its kind in the State of Alabama is a new and innovative, cooperative partnership with the Selma City School System, Wallace Community College Selma, Alabama State University, and Tuskegee University. The program is funded by the Selma City School System and a grant from SECME, Inc. in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation, and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

ARI & ARFI programs – Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) is a statewide K-12 initiative managed by the Department of Education. The goal of ARI is to significantly improve reading instruction and ultimately achieve 100% literacy among public school students. The Alabama Reading Initiative training for teachers helps them teach reading in proven and effective ways. The Alabama Reading First Initiative (ARFI) is a federally funded K-3 initiative managed by the Department of Education that advocates the use of reading programs and materials that are based upon scientifically based reading research. This initiative was created through President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Distance Learning – the high school is equipped with a state-of-the-art distance-learning lab where students are able to take general education, credit recovery and AP classes not currently offered in the school’s curriculum such as Spanish and AP Math classes.

AFROTC program – the high school has had a legacy of success with it Air Force Junior ROTC program winning the Air Force Association (AFA) Alabama Outstanding Unit Award and the Top Junior ROTC Unit Award this school year.

Broadcast Television Studio – the middle school is equipped with a fully functional and operational broadcast television studio reporting three live news broadcasts and two recorded each week via the Channel One News feed.

Wellness and Fitness program – starting as a Nutrition, Exercise and Wellness Study, the program has grown to consist of nutrition, prevention, exercise, pre-screenings and direction instruction to ensure a healthier student population. The program has been recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service for the Southeast Region.

At-Risk Prevention program – this program is in its beginning phases and may be centered around the alternative program for at-risk students that currently exist in the system.

Demographic information for Selma and Dallas County

As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population of Dallas County in Alabama was 44,738 with 17,638 households; and, the population of the City of Selma was 19,873 with 8,137 households. The populations of surrounding cities are 230 for Orrville and 4,000 for Valley Grand.

The major industry in Selma is manufacturing. The average income in Dallas County is $39.3K and the median income is $25.8K. In the City of Selma, the average income is $38.7K and the media income is $27.5K. The unemployment rate for both county and city is 6.6 percent, while the sales tax is four percent for the city, one percent for the county, and four percent for the State.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the racial makeup of the county was 35.58 percent White, 63.26 percent African-America and 1.16 percent Other. Also according to the same data, 72.6 percent of the population had a high school diploma, 18.4 percent had a bachelor’s degree or higher and 7.5 percent held graduate or professional degrees.

There are two four-year universities in the City of Selma, Concordia University and Selma University. There is one two-year institution, Wallace Community College Selma. The Selma City Schools is rivaled by the Dallas County School System.

Summary of Student Performance

The Selma City Schools System has met the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the school year 2007-2008. Status is based on the School Year 2006-2007 data.

Alabama AYP Accountability Reports

System Status Summary Report

Alabama Department of Education

Adequate yearly Progress Status for 2007-2008

191 Selma City School System

2007-2008 AYP Status	Made AYP
	Not in School Improvement

System Status Summary Report
	3-5 Grade Span	6-8 Grade Span	High School Span	System AYP
Reading AYP	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Mathematics AYP	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Additional Academic Indicator AYP	Yes	Yes	No	Yes

Major strengths of the School System

The Selma City School System has made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) since its inception. Last year, all schools in the system made AYP except the high school.

The Selma City School System is the only system in the State of Alabama to offer an alternative early college program.

The Selma City Schools System has a strong and comprehensive curriculum that is aligned with the Alabama Course of Study for each content area and the Alabama High School Graduation Exam (AHSGE).

The Selma City School System has an award-wining host of principals, administrative personnel, faculty, and support staff. In 2007, one of our teachers became national board certified in addition to the highly qualified certification required by the Alabama Department of Education.