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Communication 101 Forum COMMUNICATIONS 101 Forum - Get Acquainted, Get Informed, Get Answers was November 9, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the VEC Board Room Here are the minutes from that meeting: (at the bottom of the page you can download in PDF format if you would like) Panelists for the Evening
Cindy Jay, VOICE President, begins meeting by welcoming panelists and attendees. Introduces Mike DeMott, Director of Human Resources, who will be MCing the forum. Mike DeMott explains how the forum will proceed this evening. We will be starting with questions that have already been submitted. Additional questions from the audience must be general questions only. Follow-up questions or specific questions should be directed to the appropriate staff following the forum. Mr. DeMott explained contact information on slides and introduced panelists. Questions and Answers 1. I am a parent of an Intermediate-aged child who was involved in an incident at a high school home sporting event. What is the process for investigating such an incident? Who (what administrators) are involved in the investigation? And will I be informed of the situation? (Ron Whitcomb) If there is an incident at an athletic event (ex. football game) either I or a supervisor will get their names and grade. We will inform the appropriate principal about the incident and leave it up to the school principal as to how to handle it (contact parents, speak to students, etc.). 2. Are we training teachers to create their own websites? I wish more teachers used their own websites. Do we encourage it? (Dave Henderson) One-third to one-half of teachers have their own websites. It is possible to make a website from the VCS website, victorschools.org. and there are opportunities for teachers to be creative in the creation as well. They encourage teachers to do a website as a form of communication. There is also Powerschool available for parents to see grades, etc. This is a huge presence that parents can take advantage of. 3. My Sr. High kids complain about all of the whole wheat and ‚ealthy?foods. Are kids really eating the healthy foods or are they just throwing them away and buying snack foods? (Janet Elman) Students have gotten more used to it. In the beginning, students were tossing food. Students do not say anything while in line and they do not see a lot of waste. They are trying some new things like whole wheat wraps. 4. We changed the bus runs to combine K-6th grades. Has that really saved us any money? Did it work out as well as predicted? (Darren Everhart) Yes, money has been saved, over 100,000. It’s working out through board guidance. Buses are separated out by grade with 6th graders in back. Since the change, we have seen a reduction in the number of disciplinary write-ups compared to previous years. Seven bus runs were cut and, from a fiscal point, there has been tremendous savings. 5. We hear a lot about Race to the Top. Is Victor participating? And if so, what changes can the children expect to see in the classroom? (Dawn Santiago-Marullo) Yes, Victor participates. National standards with Math have changed and will be implemented. However, there will not be a dramatic difference since NYS standards are already so high and students will probably not see the difference. Money given to school is $60,000 for this program and is spread over 4 years, $15,000/year. It will probably cost more than what the state is funding to implement these programs. 6. It is my understanding that the high school has a police officer on campus. What are his specific duties? Is he there to work with kids on issues before they escalate? If so, how does this happen and who monitors if this is working? Has anyone ever asked the students? (Yvonne O’Shea) Yes, there is school resource officer, Officer Everett Roach. Although much of his time is spent at the high school, it is a district position. In past years, it seems he was spending a lot of time looking for lost cell phones, money, etc. This year, district goal was that he go into classrooms to teach the kids about texting, sexting and use of technology in ways that could put them at risk or would have illegal ramifications. Yvonne is hoping to have Officer Roach give this presentation to staff as well. There is not a lot of crime in district. He has a friendly presence. Helpful to students with situations with peers and many students feel comfortable speaking to him. 7. It was suggested my daughter attend AIS. What the heck is AIS? (Pam Sullivan) AIS stands for Academic Intervention Services. Students who struggle in the areas of ELA and Math receive additional support from their classroom teacher. If it is determined that this is not enough support and the student does not meet certain criteria set by the State Education Department (students who do not demonstrate proficiency on the New York ELA or Math assessments) then that student’s academic assessment progress is carefully assessed by reviewing the student’s other assessment results and day to day classroom work. If the student is then found to be eligible to receive AIS, his/her parents will be notified by the school. The teachers providing these services are certified in their area of reading or math. Parents can expect a progress report specifically addressing the student’s progress from the AIS provider throughout the school year. 8. How often can I expect communication from my child’s elementary teacher and school? (Danny Dehm) Monthly. Some teachers do weekly or bi-weekly. You should expect a monthly calendar from the elementary principals. 9. My child had a Spanish class in 7th grade where there was a student with an aide who was sometimes disruptive to the other students. How is this fair to the rest of the class? (Kristin Swann) The District looks at students’ needs, behavioral concerns and how those dynamics influence the makeup of a classroom. We constantly monitor students’ needs; and, in the case where there is an aide assigned, we seek paraprofessional feedback. The District has an obligation to educate all students and ensure that every student has access to the general education curriculum. It ends up being a balancing act. 10. As a taxpayer, I can appreciate Victor’s low property tax rate. But as a parent, are our students being short-changed? (Kathy Hart) No. Our budget is already being planned for next year. We go through every single department and are constantly looking for ways to save money. But the students are definitely not getting a lower education because of reductions. In this current budget, there was a part-time enrichment teacher cut. We had a discussion at the board and building level to find a way to still provide those enrichment programs because help is needed to fill the void. VCS District needs the parents. It takes everyone to make it happen. 11. Is there enrichment for the Kindergartners this year? I know we lost the ECEC Enrichment teacher, which is really too bad. (Dorothy DiAngelo) Yes. At the Kindergarten level, enrichment is provided in the classroom through differentiated instruction. One example of this is Reader’s Workshop, which provides opportunities for teachers to instruct each student at their level. Enrichment opportunities for 1st Grade students in the ECEC parallel those provided at VPS. 12. It seems that we always have the same ‚andful?of parents volunteering. How can the school district engage more parent involvement? (Mary Szlosek) We look for and greatly value parent involvement. Teachers are frequently looking for assistance in the classrooms with things such as: reading buddies, writing conferences, book orders and celebrations. Frequently the parents that are volunteering are only doing so in their child’s classroom. The opportunities are not limited to that! If a parent is interested in being involved, let us (building administrators) know and we’ll do what we can to get parents connected with teachers. I know there is a Lot of hidden talent in our community but we are limited in being able to tap into it because we don’t know about it. I would like to encourage parents to let us know if they have a particular interest/skill/talent. 13. USA is ranked 35th in Math and 29th in science as compared to other countries around the world. USA is putting goals in place. Does Victor administration see this as an issue; and if so, what changes are they putting in place? How can Victor motivate children with skills in these areas? (Carl Christensen) Of course, we are continually looking at math, science and all programs; and it has been a huge goal of the district and administration for 11 yrs. There is an initiative to increase the number of students who take accelerated programs in the area of math for 8th grade. At Grades 5,6,7,8 – working with teachers to challenge these students more. Strength of program is the accessibility to get into program but they can also move out of the program. We are fighting a misconception that if a student wasn’t integrated in algebra, the student was behind. That is not so. If a student is in 8th grade math, that is right where they should be. Algebra and Earth Science gives students some more possibilities in the Sr. High. Kathy Hart shared that by choosing challenging classes, you will be ready to compete with kids from all other countries from around the world. If students do not, college may be more of a challenge. 14. What is differention and what does it look like? I hear the term used a lot, but I am not sure I see it in my child’s classroom. (Melanie McGuire) Differentiation is something that general education teachers do across the grade levels so that students of all ability levels continue to grow. In that way, all students are working toward attainment of the grade level standards. 15. I have heard lunch has been reduced to 20 minutes from 30. My child now does not get to finish lunch many days. Why has it been reduced and why were parents not informed? (Danny Dehm) We have been working for years to improve the tone of the dining room. Last year, tried using very specific lessons taught by the teachers - Pass the Manners. With feedback from lunchroom monitors and aide support, it was determined that the last 5-10 minutes of the 30-minute period was the most difficult. We have tried everything in the past from music, walls to reduce visual stimuli, paper for drawing and handheld games to keep children engaged during their downtime. It’s tricky because the lunch monitors don’t have a skill set in this arena. This year, we reduced time. People supporting the students in the cafeteria are aides that are already in the classroom. Now there are 20 people that rotate in and out of the cafeteria. Tone has greatly improved. We are meeting periodically with aides to get feedback. Children can stay in the dining room if necessary. 1st graders are staying for about 25 minutes. Overall, we are very happy with the change/tone in dining room while being responsive to individual or younger children. Also depending on what is being served like pizza day, the eating time is a little flexible. Intern with Ron Whitcomb, Jeff Onze: 16. How do we select our athletic coaches? Do we give a preference to Victor teachers if they apply to be coaches? Why? (Jeff) Positions are posted on various websites for Section V and advertised in the newspaper. A selection committee is established, and we obtain parents and booster input. The Athletic Director and HR Director will screen candidates and then there is a committee interview of finalists. Victor attracts those that really look out for the student athlete. Community members, coaches from other districts, VCS teachers will apply. Equal opportunity. 17. Is there a procedure for children that get in trouble on the bus? If so, what is it? (Darren Everhart) 1st offense – Driver is involved and will contact parent. At driver’s discretion as to whether they handle or call the parents. Next step is a write-up and gets sent to the appropriate building for them to follow up on. Third step – stronger write-up could result in suspension. 18. I am aware of the capital campaign intended to augment the current Victor Central School facilities. The District has communicated that it hopes to be successful in this venue based on growth rates (Victor is currently noted as 2nd in growth) and anticipated needs for 2015 through 2019 and beyond. Currently, the high school alternative education students are located centrally in the Early Education Center. Does the Capital Project anticipate any change in the location of this program? (Dawn Santiago-Marullo) Our goal is to make sure the campus is maintained, and the project involves furnaces, roofs, etc. And, of course, classrooms – putting them in place for upcoming years. NYS only allows school to build out for 5 years. The pool is 40 years old and leaking. So we are looking to replace and address that situation. Alternative Ed program is in the VEC bldg. They cannot have the same setting as the high school (requirement). Dorothy DiAngelo works closely with that staff to make sure there are appropriate boundaries. 19. How is Victor CSD striving for excellence in the area of special education? (Kristin Swann) The District engages in a special education review every five years. Last year, we engaged in a comprehensive review and looked at instruction, how well students were doing and parent satisfaction. The review committee was pleased with the progress that special education students are making. Our initiatives for this year are to continue developing our special education models, transitions from 3-4, 6-7, 8-9 to ensure there is continuous service. We are also working with Nazareth College to develop a program for students that will be with VCS until 21 years of age. 20. I understand that fire drills at the school are important and may be mandated too. But how do you address the parents’ concerns for kids (especially younger kids) being outside the building in the freezing cold winter without coat for extended period of time? Shouldn’t the drill simulate the real life scenario (i.e. grab the coat and run out)? (Mary Szlosek) First of all, let me just clarify that we do not plan fire drills during inclement weather. If the fire alarm sounds, we will evacuate the building and take attendance to ensure that everyone is accounted for. Students will be outside for a few minutes while this is completed. Once that is done, students and staff will be moved to another building In the case of the Intermediate School, we will move to the Junior High School. I cannot allow students and staff back into building until the fire department gives us the ‚all clear?. 21. Has there ever been any thought as to asking for parent input on a teacher as they go through the tenure process? (Mike DeMott) All input on teachers should always be addressed to administrators. That information from colleagues, parents, students it is very important in the process of tenure that is preceded by a 3-year probationary period. 22. How does the Board of Education ensure that each line item in the budget is accurately reviewed down to the detail and the best use of monies? (Kathy Hart) It is the Superintendent’s responsibility to create a preliminary budget. Mike Vistocco, School Business Administrator, is excellent and would be very concerned if something could not be explained. State has requirements on how the budget has to be broken down. Goes through Dawn, every administrator. Budget is monitored monthly. BOE members are required to take 6 mos. training for budgets. External and internal audits are done. 23. How can I get services for my child who seems to barely get by in testing such as ELAs? (Carl Christensen) For 7th grader: Something similar to AIS instruction is one of the ways a student can get help. Jr. High is fortunate to offer evening homework help, Thursday 6-8. Any student can come whenever during this time. Teachers are available throughout the school day for help. Period at the end of the day is activity period. If all the students’ business is taken care of, no questions, no makeups, no sports, they have the privilege to go home at 2:15 p.m. If not, then the students stay for the help. Transportation is provided T, W, Th. Friday, students have to find their own transportation. Try to schedule all the parent meetings, etc. on Mondays. 24. Since there are enhancements being made in the literacy program for K-3, are the teachers being required to use the scholastic online ordering for parents to place their book orders each month? This seems to be different from classroom to classroom. (Pam Sullivan) We have so much to be excited about in the area of literacy for our young students in grades K-3. Three years ago, we began offering professional development for our K-3 teachers to improve the writing instruction in our classroom. We are using a set of materials entitled Units of Study as the base of our work. Over the last three years, the majority of our K-6 teachers have participated in the training and this year all of the remaining teachers in those grades will be trained. We are all very excited by what we see on a daily basis in our classrooms during Writer’s Workshop. Children, as young as our Kindergarten students, have become enthusiastic writers and authors. at home. This year, we have also implemented a program called ‚Fundations? in all of our Kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms. This program offers our youngest students structured word study instruction in all areas of phonemic awareness and phonics. Twelve of our K-2 teachers piloted the program last year and saw great success in their students’ ability to transfer what they were learning during Fundations into their daily reading and writing. Finally, our Literacy Coach is working with the K-6 teachers on energizing their reading instruction through a model of instruction known as Reader’s Workshop. In this model, teachers have a daily mini-lesson followed by a period of independent reading level. Research shows us that children should have ‚their eyes on print? for significant periods of time if we want them to become proficient readers in the areas of comprehension and fluency. To support this work, each classroom teachers has inventoried the books currently in his/her classroom library and will be receiving books that match the identified gaps in each room giving our students an opportunity to read at least 25 books per year as recommended by the State Education Department. 25. Comment from Yvonne O’Shea regarding bullying and cyberbullying – complement JH about program showing guidelines for bullying. With this development, students in SH now understand that language. Officer Roach is instrumental in understanding the cyberbullying and texting, and legal ramifications. Dawn and Yvonne at law conference, reviewing court cases that would impact the high school. When they are aware, they will deal with it. Closing Remarks Melanie McGuire: Thanks for coming. Encourages parents who need special education to contact the teacher or her directly. Enjoys working with parents on behalf of their child. Kristin Swann: If families find themselves in emergency situations and their children cannot attend school, tutoring can be done at home. If this happens, please contact her. Carl Christensen: When it happens that a parent/child gets upset or has an issue, please do not try to solve it through emails. Ninety-five percent of the time, if addressed with a phone call, the situation can be resolved and all parties can move forward. Email can be misinterpreted, read between lines – does not work. Please call him. Yvonne O’Shea: HS unique place. Has the most information to share because the students are so involved and independent. Parent involvement is still so important. It makes a huge difference in planning schedules. Forms of communication: email, Facebook. If you could pass information on to your student, it would be very helpful. Students do need to advocate for themselves, but involvement still important for long-term goals. Janet Elman: Still trying to continue to improve food, nutritional information. Accommodate special needs. Greater awareness on improving nutrition and introducing new foods. Cafeteria relies on the participation of the students. It is a separate entity than the district. One of the lowest prices in the state. Many new offerings, snack paks, parfaits. Welcome calls, emails, suggestions. Pam Sullivan: When on soccer field or talking to a neighbor, and it seems topic of conversation is not just right. Parents not aware of transition from 3rd to 4th grade. Some ideas that have been successful in this transition are pen pals. If unsure of something, contact someone from the school so you can get the right information. Dawn Santiago-Marullo: Jeff stepping in for Ron Whitcomb. What is important for education is partnership among the adults. Possibly more to the situation than the information you are originally getting. From there, we can work together towards a solution. At the earliest point possible, contact the teacher, etc. Don’t let it fester. Let’s take care of it early on. We are partners. Let’s talk to each other. We all have positive intentions. Kathy Hart: Unity poem. For students to achieve full potential, it takes the teachers AND the parents. We are in this together for the children. Conflict not the worst thing in the world. We are respectful, may have disagreements, but still working towards the same goal of helping kids. Step back everyone’s goal is the same. Chain of command, communication flowchart. Very important on where to start. The problem needs to be solved where the problem started. Added 108 new kids, big place. Everyone of the students is the most important student on campus. They want all to be successful. BOE needs parents. There are openings on various bldg. councils. They want parent input. Thank you for coming. They need parents behind them. Mary Szlosek: Still many opportunities to be involved in your students classrooms. Also building level committees, jr. high chaperones for dances. The more you stay active in the district, the happier your student will be. They really do want your participation, and that’s what the school wants. Participation and partnership. Danny Dehm: Bldg. principals work together as kids transition. Appreciate the voice parents bring to the table. They bring a perspective that helps foster the ongoing change in small steps. Dorothy DiAngelo: Remember that students are also an important part of the communication process; and, therefore, we need to help children develop their communication skills from a very young age. This important skill will build their ability to self-advocate, increase their independence, help them navigate social situations and problem solve. Darren Everhart: It is still safest most efficient way to transport children. Sees a lot of people driving kids to school, school buses are so much safer - 46 times safer. Buses are a challenge and not a perfect way to go. But without question, the safest. Dave Henderson: Teacher websites, district website, principals listserve, superintendents listserve, Facebook pages, staff directory with email address and phone ext. Many methods to communicate electronically. Any questions surrounding technology, please contact him directly at hendersond@victorschools.org. Jeff: Lifelong abilities. Upper levels focus on teamwork. Stay active with your children. Provide them with lifelong skills. If you feel PE activity not in line with district goals, please contact Ron Whitcomb via phone not email. They want athletes and students to get the most out of their experience. Dawn Santiago-Marullo: Any other questions that parents might have, please contact one of us. Call, email, read listserves. Mike DeMott: Thank you to the panelists. Any questions that were not answered this evening, please put your email on the back of the index card and the appropriate person will contact you. Cindy Jay: Thanks the panelists, audience for coming and participating. Talk to people to see if more people are interested in volunteering, helps with rapport with teachers/principals. Ended at 8:29 p.m. Additional questions that were responded to following the forum:
o (Yvonne O’Shea) Effectively using internet resources for research is a specific goal of the high school English department this year. Rhonda Jagnow, our Library Media Specialist, worked with our English teachers on current research methods during the recent Conference Day. There are so many different databases and search engines that even our teachers have to be updated. It may be an area where professional development would be helpful for other departments as well. With regard to clarifying research assignments, I am certainly willing to mention this at my next Department Chair meeting.
o (Yvonne O’Shea) As a district, we are very focused on preparing students for the changes of the 21st century. This includes learning to use technology in positive and productive ways. Cell phones, laptops, i-pods and other technological devices may evolve but they are not going away. They can be useful tools for learning and are valued methods of communication for many families. Our focus in the past year or two has been to teach students how and when technology is appropriate to use. Our general rule is that cell phones, i-pods, etc. may not interfere with instruction.
o (Chris Marshall) Yes, there is a policy regarding use of the facilities and it can be found on our website under District, Policy Manual, Community Relations, 1500 Public usage of school facilities. It does not, however, include how we schedule outside organizations. Our current procedure for scheduling facilities follows the priority of Victor Schools, Local Municipalities, Community Based Organizations, then others.
o (Chris Marshall) In May 2008, in an effort to reduce our trash output and increase our recycling capability, Victor Schools re-bid the trash hauling / recycling services to include single stream recycling. Single Stream recycling or fully-comingled is designed to handle most recyclable items in one dumpster without having to separate them. We previously used totes similar to residential use for recycling, but now it all goes into one large dumpster with a special pickup. All of the comingled recyclables are taken to a single stream center where they are separated and sold. o Each classroom has a blue recycle basket for their use. o The following is a list of what we recycle. Cardboard, clean box board (shoe, cereal), office paper, magazines, newspapers, junk mail, envelopes, file folders, computer paper, card stock paper, aluminum cans, tin cans, glass bottles and jars and plastics #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7.
o (Darren Everhart) Please contact the Transportation Department at 924-3252 ext 5710, and we will put you in contact with the Bus Driver.
o (Darren Everhart) The State Education Department governs how districts set up their routes. They have no restrictions on how long a child can be on a particular bus. They even go so far as to say that a 1 ½ hour ride is ‚ot unreasonable? That said, if there is a child on the bus for over an hour, we reevaluate the route to determine if we can somehow reduce that duration. Please note that the calculation for ‚ime on bus?is based on what time the bus leaves the loop in the afternoon. We pull out at approximately 3:23pm. If you need further clarification, please feel free to contact the Director of Transportation at 924-3252, ext 5700.
o (Dawn Santiago-Marullo) Yes, we have two staff members that share a full-time position in the School and Community Relations office. They send press releases out to media. The expectation is that staff members will provide them with the details. Details about athletic competitions are shared by coaches directly with reporters. The coach for the home team calls in the outcome of the games.
o (Dawn Santiago-Marullo) The District includes the Town of Victor, part of the Town of Farmington, and smaller portions of Perinton, East Bloomfield and Macedon. The student population as of 11/15/10 is … a. Early Childhood Education Center = 502 b. Primary School = 990 c. Intermediate School = 997 d. Junior High School = 684 e. Senior High School = 1,236 Total = 4,409
o (Janet Elman) Putting fruit in a bowl allows the student to take more or less of that particular item. It also eliminates the waste of a container and the time it would take for an employee to dish up all the fruit individually. It also would require a lot more refrigeration storage and space on our line which is severely limited. We do keep an eye on the students as they take their food and have had almost no incidents. It is acceptable under the food health code, and when the Flu is going around we will do more to limit food that is out in bulk. We also make every effort to wash utensils in between groups.
o (Janet Elman) Yes, we have already. Homemade bruschetta, salsa and drying and freezing of herbs were used in the Home and Careers class. Fresh zucchini was also frozen for future use this Fall. The cafeteria also was able to use fresh tomatoes, peppers and herbs right on the cafeteria line.
o (Carl Christensen) We have been addressing this in several ways. First, the lab has been re-keyed so that all of the teachers’ keys work to unlock the lab. Teachers are routinely taking classes to the lab when they need to for projects, papers, and research. They are also taking full advantage of the computer carts. We currently have 12 carts (8 PC and 4 Mac Carts) for use in classrooms. Teachers can sign these out for their classes. In terms of supervision in the lab itself, we have assigned several teacher aides (and provided training) throughout the day. We were not able to provide supervision 100% of the time for this but have covered as much time as possible with the staff that we have. Students can get computer time in the main library, or in any class that has carts during the day.
o (Carl Christensen) We do have an Art Club, run by Christy Gordon. For more information regarding the club you can contact her at gordonc@victorschools.org
o (Dave Henderson) A parent is given a unique username and password for each of their children in order login to the Powerschool parent portal. This username and password is randomly generated by the Powerschool server and is a series of numbers and letters that is difficult to remember. The best advice for this school year is keep the username and password in a handy spot when you need to login. Next school year, parents will have the ability to choose their own username and passwords so things should get much easier.
o (Dave Henderson) There is still a large amount of information that is not done by electronic communication. Our district newsletters are mailed out along with progress reports, report cards, and other important notices. There are a few areas where technology is being use to communicate with district residents including the Powerschool parent portal and Principal/Superintendent listservs. In the case where a parent does not have a computer with internet access at home, they could access these resources using a computer at the local library. Another alternative is to alert their child’s teacher so that ‘hard copies’ of class information could be sent home with the student.
o (Danny Dehm) Discovery Quests: short term "quests" that occur for an identified number of weeks, incorporate specific objectives and include 10-14 students at a particular grade level. Depending on the focus, one to three students are identified by the classroom teacher for the quest who would have an interest in the topic plus meet the enrichment criteria of demonstrating a strong commitment to task, academic strength and a high level of creative thinking. Quests occur for students in grades 1, 2 and 3 throughout the school year. o Independent Study: this type of focus is for individual students who demonstrate a propensity for a specific topic which is unique for his/her age level and who also meet the enrichment criteria of demonstrating a strong commitment to task, academic strength and a high level of creative thinking. Classroom teachers will bring this child and his/her question/idea to the attention of the enrichment teacher or an administrator. o Whole Group Focus: this type of enrichment focus is for an entire class of children where the enrichment teacher serves to engage in an activity/instructional focus which would benefit every child and also model differentiation, foster higher level thinking skills and incorporating creative thinking for the general population and colleagues. Every class in the school participates in at least one whole group focus each years.
o (Kristin Swann) Our Director of Special Education, Ms. Melanie McGuire, is responsible for the supervising special education programs and services to all school-age students who require this level of support. Ms. McGuire reports directly to Ms. Kristin Swann, Director of Pupil Personnel Services. As Director of Pupil Personnel Services, Ms. Swann not only oversees all special education programming but also enrichment programs for K-8 students. She works closely with our two enrichment teachers and our 4 K-8 Principals to ensure that enrichment is being offered through whole group instruction, discovery quests/inquiry academics, and independent studies.
o (Pam Sullivan) Over the course of the last several years, the teachers and administrators in the District have worked to make adjustments to our K-12 Math program. These adjustments came about as the result of changes mandated by the State such as moving from Math B back to Algebra/II-Trig and recommendations made from the last K-12 Math Program Review. At the K-6 level, we adopted Math Investigations and Connected Math as the tools we use to address the curriculum at each grade level. Teachers have worked to develop pacing charts and common assessments in these grades. Last summer, teachers compared the curriculum at each grade level to the draft of the Common Core Standards in Math recently adopted by the State and identified any gaps that may need to be addressed once we have received the final set of state learning standards. In grades 7-12, many of the curriculums have been adjusted due to changes at the State level. In addition, our teachers have spent the past three summers writing new curriculum for courses such as College Math and Pre-Calc Honors. We have added more higher level Math courses to continue to challenge our students to take a fourth year of Math prior to graduation. In a recent conversation with the administrators from the High School, I learned tha this year we have over 80% of the current Seniors taking Math. This means that these students will not have a year’s gap between completing math at the end of their junior year and the beginning of their college math courses which will add to their preparation for post-secondary plans.
o (Pam Sullivan) Teachers who serve on District Council, Curriculum Council and the various annual Program Reviews receive credit for one of their three contractual days they must fulfill each year.
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