Beginning September 7, 2022, Camden Fairview students will be dismissed one hour early every Wednesday to allow all district teachers additional time for professional development. Buses will run their normal routes at the one-hour early dismissal time, and CFSD will provide a no-cost childcare option at Fairview Elementary School and Ivory Intermediate School for K-5 families who need childcare until the regular dismissal time.
Educators will use the Early Out Wednesdays additional time to engage in the instructional processes of a Professional Learning Community, curriculum planning, and receiving guidance on strengthening learning outcomes. District administration will monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the additional time through multiple means, including teacher observation data, student interim assessment data, and common formative assessment data. This process will better equip Camden Fairview teachers to provide higher quality instruction and gain a stronger understanding of Tier I and Tier II instruction.
"Students benefit when teachers are given the time and resources to collaborate," said Superintendent Johnny Embry. "This provides teachers something they have wanted for years, which is the opportunity for them to work collectively to respond to students' needs."
In April, the CFSD School Board approved Early Out Wednesdays for the 2022-2023 school year, and the district received approval from the Arkansas Department of Education this summer. CFSD leadership teams strongly believe that this additional time will enhance student learning opportunities, promote innovation, and increase students' access to effective teachers.
The length of teacher contract days will not change as part of Early Out Wednesdays, and Camden Fairview will continue to meet the instructional time requirements set forth by the Arkansas Department of Education.
The district conducted a survey last school year to ask district parents and staff if they agreed that building in time for educators to work on improving classroom instruction and student outcomes will help strengthen learning processes. Out of 240 responses, 68.3% agreed, 24.6% were neutral and 7.1% disagreed.