By Barry H. Hendrix
Results from recent ACAP testing of students from Thomasville Middle School were the best ever, said Brad Elam, TMS Principal.
ACAP (Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program) testing is conducted every spring for second through eighth grade students. Every grade is tested on math and reading. The fourth, sixth and eighth grades are tested for science.
Elam praised the hard work of the students as well as the faculty. “I think our teachers spend a lot of time with these kids,” he said. They give extra, personal attention. “They care. They go above and beyond every day in the classroom.
“These scores are a total reflection of what teachers do in the classroom.”
The good ACAP scores are also remarkable as students today are often distracted by forces outside the classroom such as social media. It can be difficult for teachers to reach students. “It’s harder now than it’s ever been,” Elam said.
The improved testing scores prove that the administration and teachers at TMS have created a better culture and environment for learning. “You have to establish discipline and procedures,” the principal said. “If you don’t have discipline, I don’t think your teachers have the support in the classroom. …Every day you have got to have structure.”
Elam will be in his third year as TMS principal, beginning in August. His goal since accepting the job was to improve math scores. He feels he has a strong group of teachers to instruct the fundamentals. “Our goals were to fill our math department, fifth through eighth, with strong teachers.”
He praised the math teachers: Ginger Shehan (fifth grade) Susan Fendley (sixth grade); Phala Mims (seventh grade) and Sandra Shamburger (eighth grade). Angilyn Dixon will be the new fifth grade math teacher this school year. “Our math scores improved tremendously. When you look at the state scores, we are even or above state levels in math, English Language Arts (ELA), and science,” Elam said. “That’s huge. I think these teachers need to be recognized for their hard work.
Elam recognized the ELA and science teachers for their impressive scores. English teachers include Janice Butler (fifth grade); Tracy Amos (sixth grade); Michelle Abston (seventh grade); and Natasha Griffin (eighth grade). Science teachers include Kathryn Blackburn (fifth grade); and Hugh Toms (eighth grade).
Elam and Assistant Principal Renae Williams also spend a lot of time in the classrooms,” said Tammy Brasell, TMS Counselor. The principals are very visible throughout the campus.
In math, ELA and science curriculums, there is also strong one-on-one intervention time available to students in addition to regular class instruction, she said. The daily schedule is designed so students see the same teacher twice-a-day. “That is a huge help,” Elam said.
“The kids enjoy coming to school,” Brasell said. “These teachers love them. They pour their hearts into them.” The students see that the administration, faculty and staff work together. The students also receive parties for work well done. “You have to offer incentives for kids,” Elam said. “It’s as simple as a drink and a sack of chips,” Brasell said. “That was important to them. That made them (the students) want to try more.”
Elam wants to make school fun. The students are treated to music on Friday while they are eating lunch. “We are going to do some different things this year,” he said. There will be new activities planned to engage students.
The middle school has a family environment built on how “you treat the people you work with.” As an administrator, “it’s important to treat your faculty and don’t forget where you came from,” Elam said. “…You’ve got to understand what they go through in a classroom every day.” The TMS administration often features meals for the faculty and staff. “That’s the least I can do to show appreciation for what they are doing.”
Elam is “super proud” with the recent ACAP scores, “but you can’t be satisfied.” He is expecting the 2026 scores to be even better. “Don’t ever settle.” The principal will be talking with faculty before school starts to set goals.