MUSCATINE, Iowa — A show of concern can go a long way with a student who is falling behind.

That’s a lesson teachers at Central Middle School learned after adopting a new strategy to improve student achievement.

During a Monday night  Muscatine School Board meeting, Central Middle School principal Terry Hogenson said his teachers meet with each student who is failing a class and encourage them to keep trying.

The school’s counseling department has tracked the success of those meetings over the past two years and reported a 54 percent improvement rate.

Washington Elementary School principal Joelle McConnaha also gave an overall progress report for her school. She said the percentage of students proficient in reading increased from 76-89 percent last year at Washington.

“It takes great teachers and great parents,” McConnaha said of the improvement. “It takes a great team.”

Council report

The Board also heard a report from MHS Student Council  member Dawn Eichelberger. The Council has raised $1,000 so far for its November community-wide food drive, she said. The Council also received 172 units of  blood Monday during its blood drive at MHS.

The Board heard more about MHS from assistant superintendent Rebecca Furlong who said MHS teacher Konrad Wilke requested the addition of the class, introduction to business logistics, for the 2010-11 school year.

Furlong said students will earn dual credit for the course that can be transferred to Muscatine Community College after students graduate from MHS. The course correlates with MCC’s electro mechanical control and renewal energy programs.

The District will not have to hire additional teachers to implement the course and MCC has secured a grant to pay for instructional materials.

The Board voted unanimously to add the course.

“I hope this is the first of many of these types of courses,” said Superintendent Bill Decker. “You’ll have my full support in as many of these courses as you want to bring us.”

Saving energy and $$$

The Board conducted another unanimous vote to approve a contract with the  Midwest Division of Energy Education, a firm that contracts with school districts to help them save money on energy costs.

The four-year training and auditing program costs $141,000 altogether and  could save the District $3,100,000 over the next 10 years.

Board member Robin Krueger said it is important to note that the program involves teaching the entire District staff to develop habits of using energy more wisely and does not require investment in new equipment.

Board member Jerry Lange said the program comes with a guarantee, which he found reassuring.

After four years, the company will continue to work with the Muscatine District, at no charge, to advise on changes in technology, machinery and staff.

Monday’s Muscatine School Board meeting featured several recognitions, including:

n Muscatine High School language arts teacher Holly Hanna was selected to participate in the U.S. Department of State Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program.

After completing program training, Hanna will  teach in Argentina for two weeks.

n Another MHS language arts teacher, Andrea Stewart, was congratulated for being one of five finalists for 2010 Iowa Teacher of the Year through the Iowa Department of Education.

n MHS FFA members were recognized for sending five teams to the National FFA Career Development Events in October.

FFA adviser Dave Tometich said MHS set a state record for sending that many teams to the event in the same year.