Tom Shelton's 100 day entry plan is almost complete. Shelton's hundredth day on the job is Friday, February 10. His goal, outlined on the Fayette County Public Schools' website, lists several goals and he's accomplished many of them. Shelton has visited each school in the district, met with educators, parents and community members for input, and is in the process of compiling data from the online survey on fcps.net.

" What we're looking for is common themes. What a broad variety of people thing we need to focus on", Shelton says.

Through community meetings and school visits, Shelton says he is hearing a common theme of overcrowding and achievement gaps.

"Some students live less than one mile from school and can't go there because the schools are full. There's a lot going on as to how to manage the growth that is predicted to continue", Shelton says.

Concerning achievement gaps, the superintendent says African American males, Latino students, and in some cases, special needs students are lagging behind other groups in the district in terms of test scores and classroom success. Shelton says he is open to innovative programs to help bridge these deficiencies in the district saying, "Every student deserves an excellent education. It's our job as a district to ensure they get that."

The next step in Shelton's plan is to submit a formal report to the school board at the March meeting. The report will be released to the public shortly after that. Shelton also says he will use the information collected during this 100 day entry plan to develop his "next steps" plans to improve the district.