MCAS board members seek grant for school improvement, By Lois Tomaszewski Staff Writer |
MCAS board members seek grant for school improvement, By Lois Tomaszewski Staff Writer |
Jul 25 2012, 05:05 PM
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 445 Joined: 24-August 07 From: Kissimmee, FL Member No.: 546 |
QUOTE MCAS board members seek grant for school improvement By Lois Tomaszewski Staff Writer Published: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 5:07 PM CDT MICHIGAN CITY — In anticipation of what may be low marks for four Michigan City Area schools, the board of trustees approved applying for a $1.3 million grant to improve student performance. The Innovative School Improvement Plan is available only to schools that earn a grade of D or F, Director of Curriculum Jan Radford said. The four schools that have the potential for this low grade are Niemann and Pine Elementary, Elston Middle and Michigan City High schools. "The really wanted us to look very systematically at what we were doing," Radford said. Although the district could apply for a maximum of $2 million, Radford said the smaller amount may help MCAS' chances in obtaining the funding. At Elston, Niemann and Pine, the focus will be on making principals accountable with performance reviews and monitoring; coaching classroom teachers; hiring of a school social worker for the elementary schools; hiring a dean of students at the middle school; improving technology; offering after-school remediation and having consultants monitor data and instruction. Making families more involved is also a component of the plan at these levels, Radford said. For the high school, the plan calls for improved supervision of teachers; additional professional development opportunities, especially in algebra; and instituting a freshman academy of 100 students, with a freshman attendance counselor and part-time academy director. "Our freshman struggle once they get to high school," Associate Superintendent Xavier Botana told the board. The cost for implementing these improvements is about $300,000 to $400,000 per school, Radford said. There is no time indicated as to when a decision will be made, Botana told the board. Radford suggested that the granting agency, the United States Department of Education, is likely waiting until the grades are determined and released, which is expected to be in August. In unrelated action: • The board approved an agreement between A.K. Smith Career Center and WorkOne, which allows the agency to provide employment services to students enrolled at the school. Services are provided at no cost and are employment- and career-related. "This agreement is not to provide services to outside clients," A.K. Smith director Audra Peterson said. "It is to work with the students in the Adult Education component." The service is provided at no cost to MCAS and mirrors services offered at other sites. Peterson said among the benefits to the school and students is a commitment from WorkOne to take on the responsibility of organizing a career fair and future career expo, two popular events initiated at A.K. Smith. "We no longer have a career specialist," she said. • The board approved the text book fee schedule presented by Radford at the July 10 board meeting. Elementary fees range from $46 to $72. Middle school fees are assessed by subject, with a low of about $4.50 to a high of $23 for Language Arts textbooks. High school fees are also charged by course, with accounting carrying the heftiest price of $48. I thought the Supt was quoted saying test scores at MCHS were on the rebound? Why hasen't the state taken over yet??? You can't have it both ways. You can't say to at School Board meetings that "we're doing great" while behind the scenes you know the wheels have not only come off the bus but are miles (yes miles) back. Just like I screamed and shouted 4 and 5 years ago when running for School Board. This is just the beginning. Welcome to the Michigan City Area Schools, we are over budget, over paid, overwhelmed ... |
Jul 25 2012, 09:28 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 101 Joined: 12-September 09 Member No.: 954 |
I thought the Supt was quoted saying test scores at MCHS were on the rebound? Why hasen't the state taken over yet??? You can't have it both ways. You can't say to at School Board meetings that "we're doing great" while behind the scenes you know the wheels have not only come off the bus but are miles (yes miles) back. Just like I screamed and shouted 4 and 5 years ago when running for School Board. This is just the beginning. You've chosen to move to Florida, your hands are washed of everything you didn't want to be a part of anymore. Why do you feel the need to continuously rail against a superintendent who wasn't even in Michigan City when you ran for School Board? Yes, the school system has problems. She's trying to fix them. Things may get worse before they get better. Then again, they've been bad for a while. Go play with Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto or something... Stop wasting your time complaining about a community you chose to leave... |
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