Driving Student Growth in Alabama Schools

Ever wondered how schools transform federal funding into real student success? Melissa Scott, Federal Program Supervisor for Decatur City Schools, pulls back the curtain on effective intervention strategies that actually work.

Spotlight 4 Success Website: Spotlight 4 Success

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book
Company.
I'm Devin Pintosa, your host.
We are here in sunny Alabama atthe Alabama Federal Programs
Conference.
I am here with our specialguest, melissa Scott, with
Decatur City Schools.
Melissa, welcome, thank you.
All right, melissa, tell us abit about your journey.

(00:26):
What brings you to the AlabamaFederal Programs Conference
today?

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, I am the Federal Program Supervisor for
Decatur City Schools.
I've been in this positionabout five years, and so every
year they have a conference tokind of update us on.
You know, the variousinformation, federal regulations
and things like that that weneed to make sure that our
school is running properly andwe're using federal funds the
way we should be.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
Oh, that's very, very important.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
Very important.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
yes, yes, Can you tell us a bit about your journey
into being federal programsdirector?

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Well, I've been in education about 30 years.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
I taught.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
English.
I've been a cheer coach, I'vebeen an assistant principal, a
principal.
I've done that on all levelselementary, middle and high and
I've worked mostly in schoolsthat were either title or in
school improvement of some sort,or maybe even failed in school
so a lot of my administrativeexperience was there or maybe

(01:25):
even failed in school, so a lotof my administrative experience
was there.
So I've been able to take thatinto federal programs and
actually use it to help schoolsimprove.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
Oh, that is wonderful .
Now I understand you've usedAmerican Book Company materials
before.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yes, we have used American Book Company materials
and actually our middle schoolsand Decatur City Schools have
bought into using American BookCompany's ACAP practice books
and we have seen some growththere with our students, so
we're very pleased with thatproduct.

Speaker 1 (01:53):
Oh fantastic.
Can you tell me a little bitabout what you'd like to share
with the Alabama FederalPrograms community?

Speaker 2 (02:02):
Well, you know, when it comes to the ABC, ACAP
practice books, I can tell youright now it's a very good tool
for intervention for students.
Our 6th, 7th and 8th gradestudents have actually been able
to use those.
We've been able to hireinterventionists to go home and
work with the students throughbooks.
So we are hoping that we cancontinue to see growth.

(02:25):
So if you're a federal programsupervisor or director out there
and you're looking for anintervention tool to help your
students, this is a good one totry.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
Well, thank you so much, Melissa Scott, for
speaking with us today.
Again, melissa Scott, federalprograms director at Decatur
City Schools, alabama, thank youso much.

Speaker 2 (02:43):
Thank you for having me.