NATCHEZ — In the push to improve schools, Natchez-Adams school board members questioned who should be accountable for student performance at Thursday’s regular meeting.

Results from the first nine-weeks test were distributed at the meeting, and many of the scores were considered failing.

Curriculum Director Charlotte Franklin distributed the scores from the test, which is modeled after state standardized tests and measures student progress.

Franklin said teachers might be failing to properly follow their pacing guides, which are lesson plans aligned to standard testing.

Board member Dr. Benny Wright asked Franklin which people were responsible for ensuring teachers are following pacing guides.

Franklin said the principals were responsible for implementing the curriculum.

Wright then asked Superintendent Anthony Morris if he was responsible for ensuring the principals are properly do their job.

Board member David Troutman said he felt comments at the meeting were unfairly singling-out administration and faculty for performance without holding students and parents accountable.

“Yes, teachers (need to be accountable), yes, principals, but if it’s our first year doing this, lets not flog ourselves too deeply,” Troutman said.

“(Improvement) is not going to happen overnight.”

Wright said the school’s performance has struggled for a decade and changes need to be made.

“Sooner or later (the board) is gong to have to put its foot down (to raise expectations),” Wright said.

“You will also have to expect failure until we can convince parents and students of that same issue,” Troutman said.

Expectations were also discussed when evaluating the new grading system.

Board Chairman Harold Barnett said when children make a “D” with the new grading system after earning a 60 percent on an assessment, he hoped parents would know 60 percent is unacceptable even though it would not be a failingn grade.

“We need to get the message out that even though (a grade) is a D, it’s a 60 percent, and that just won’t cut it in today’s world,” Barnett said.

In other business:

Athletic Director Fred Butcher asked for the board’s approval to hire soccer coaches at Natchez High School and Robert Lewis Middle School.

The board unanimously approved the hiring of Charles Brister as Natchez High’s head soccer coach and Yvonne Chatman as Robert Lewis’ head soccer coach.

At last month’s school board meeting, Butcher suggested Natchez High suspend its soccer program because it had no coach. At the October meeting, the board strongly encouraged Butcher to seek a good candidate, but it agreed to suspend the program if a coach could not be found.

Morris distributed 12 awards to McLaurin Elementary teachers. The teachers received the plaques because their classes scored in the “successful,” “high-performing” or “star” categories on the state standardized MCT2.

Safety awards were also distributed to officials at the Fallin Career Technical Center, Steckler Multipurpose Center and the maintenance department.