TRACKING, THE SAGA CONTINUES

SCHOOL UPDATE FROM CRANSTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBER STEVE STYCOS, 12/13/06...

Last week, Cranston East principal Sean Kelly generated an uproar in a meeting with the East faculty. I was not present, but was told by several teachers that Kelly stated that starting in September 2008, due to state high school reform, the college preparatory and comprehensive tracks would be combined, leaving only an honors track and an "everybody else" track. He also allegedly said that this decision had already been made by the school committee.

I have also been told that West faculty were given a similar message last year.

If the two principals did say these things to faculty, they were in error. There is no state requirement to end high school tracking and the school committee has not acted on this issue.

After talking with parents and teachers, I called the Rhode Island Department of Education to ask about the state's requirements. I spoke with Sharon Lee, a senior high school reform fellow. She explained that the key requirement is that high school graduates meet state established standards, regardless of whether they are honors, college preparatory or comprehensive students. The entire high school reform package is described at www.ride.ri.gov. Then click on "middle/high school reform" and go to "Diploma System Technical Bulletin-February 2005.

The grade level expectations are also listed at www.ride.ri.gov. Go to "Instruction" and then you will find "grade span expectations" for various subjects.

The regulations require that courses must help students move toward the grade span expectations, Lee explained, adding that the days of "general math" or "sports math" are over. A progression of courses must lead students to achieving the expectations. She also said other districts were addressing this issue in two main ways. First, by giving slower students more time to learn the material. While college preparatory students might take a year of algebra, for example, comprehensive students might take two years to learn the same material. The second approach is to put college preparatory and comprehensive students together in a class, but give the comprehensive students a second or remedial period of math, so to help them learn the material.

After talking with Lee, I spoke with Superintendent Rick Scherza who confirmed, 1) That changes had to be made, but there were no requirements that tracks be combined, and 2) That the school committee has not acted on this issue, but would have to ultimately vote on whatever plan is proposed. He said he is currently trying recruit faculty to serve on a committee to devise a proposal to bring Cranston into compliance with the state high school reform rules.

What does all this mean?

Something is going to happen and everyone needs to stay alert to make sure the result is an improvement.

MORE MONEY PROBLEMS

According to information presented at last night's meeting between the city council and school committee, a new state law bars the school department from submitting a budget which is more than 5.25 percent higher than this year's budget.

The school administration, however, presented a budget projection for next year that is eight percent higher than this year. The leading causes of the increase are a five percent increase in wages (caused by contracts which generally provide a 3.5 percent general increase and an additional step for top paid employees), a ten percent increase in the cost of health insurance and a 12 percent increase in pension costs. Superintendent Scherza will present a proposed and detailed budget to the school committee in late January. Tuesday January 9 he will deliver a state of the schools address which will certainly touch on finances at 7PM at Western Hills Middle School.