The Andalusia Board of Education on Monday approved Continued Improvement Plans (CIP) for the elementary, junior high, and high schools.

Principals Daniel Shakespeare and Alane Brunson presented the plans at the November board meeting.

AHS has as its goals for the 2016 fiscal year decreasing the achievement gaps between students in subgroups and the general population in both math and English language arts. To accomplish these goals, teachers will participate in professional development in ACT prep, Classworks, A+ Learning, co-teaching and strategic teaching, and will provide differentiated instruction.

But, Shakespeare said, teachers also are working to change the culture, by building relationships that ensure each student has at least one adult who knows him or her well.

The plan also calls for teachers to make at least two positive phone calls to parents each week, and uses “play money” known as Bulldog Bills which teachers award each week for good behavior. Shakespeare said students in turn redeem them for free break on Fridays.

Andalusia Elementary School also has a goal of closing achievement gaps among student populations to ensure that each student is proficient in reading and math.

As part of its Leader in Me program, each child has a leadership role each week. The school also has instituted positive office referral programs have reinforced good behavior.

In other business, the board:

• Hired Shaniqua Evans as a second grade teacher at AES, replacing Rita Lawson, who is retiring.

Announcements included:

• The Andalusia Christmas Basketball Tournament runs Thursday through Saturday, with four games each evening.

• Seventh graders at AJHS will participate in an Authors’ Tea today, Tues., Dec. 15. Each student has published a book. The Andalusia Study Club is sponsoring the three sessions.

• The AJHS band will hold its holiday concert at 1 p.m. Thursday.

• The fall sports banquet is set for Jan. 25.

–Michele Gerlach