Departmentalizing Second Grade in 2020-2021 School Year
Oxford, Mississippi (February 25, 2020) — The Oxford School District Board of Trustees received a presentation by Oxford Elementary School Principal, Cindy Bigham, at the February board meeting to departmentalize second-grade instruction. This means that a second-grade student will have one teacher for Math and Science, and then switch classes to the team teacher next door for English and Social Studies. Alongside Bigham were eight Oxford Elementary School teachers who all showed their enthusiastic support to the board.
“Timing could not be better with the transition to a new building in August,” said Bigham. “Six years ago Della Davidson became a 3rd and 4th grade school, and 3rd grade teachers became departmentalized in the process. As we all know, since then Della Davidson has been recognized consistently as one of the top 10 elementary schools in the state of Mississippi,” she said.
This year, Oxford Elementary School was nationally recognized as an ESEA Distinguished School for outstanding performance and academic growth. “At Oxford Elementary School we believe this move to departmentalization of second grade will have a tremendous impact on the type of student our district is wanting to cultivate.” The OSD Board of Trustees, along with Superintendent Brian Harvey, understood Bigham's decision for the 2020-2021 school year in the new Central Elementary School. Scheduling and curricular decisions are made by the building level principal with guidance and support from the Curriculum and Instruction Department and do not require board approval.