|
District fails to make AYP
By Patrick Tepoorten
Local legislators visited the North Branch School Board last Thursday, to deliver the good news and bad news of the last session of the state legislature, and discuss the next session, which will be a state budget session.
In discussing the future of education funding, Sen. Rick Olseen (DFL - Harris) cautioned the board that the state will be facing at least $1 billion in deficits next year while needing $1 billion in new money for schools. Addressing both could be a challenge he said, adding, “I don’t know how we’re going to do it.” He added though, that he would be working hard to improve school funding.
Kalin echoed that sentiment, saying, “The School Funding Reform bill has to happen.”
Board Chair Kim Salo brought up the subject of state assessment testing and noted that three-quarters of state students did not pass the math test. Both Kalin and Olseen noted efforts to address assessment testing that were met with opposition from Gov. Tim Pawlenty, prompting Superintendent Deb Henton to reply, “I don’t care about governors vetoes, I care about juniors passing the test.”
Henton placed much of the responsibility for poor math test scores at the doorstep of the Minnesota Department of Education, which, she said, has been unable to inform districts what will be on the tests.
In other words, it is impossible for districts to put a curriculum in place that will prepare students for the test. “We have nothing from the state to help us with these kids.”
Both Kalin and Olseen said they would work toward improving the situation; Kalin through making school funding a top priority, and Olseen through enacting policy to address the situation.
Henton made it clear that she is not looking for lower standards, but rather proper advance warning from the state. At present, she said, the state has unrealistic expectations that have been placed on one group of kids - juniors, who must pass state assessment tests as a requirement for graduation - and called it an inequity that is “screaming out.”
Districtwide, North Branch did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) in 2007. At a site level, the primary school, Sunrise River School, and distance learning program did make AYP, the middle school did not make AYP in the special education reading proficiency sub-group, the high school did not make AYP in the special education math proficiency sub-group, and the Area Learning Center did not make AYP in math proficiency.
Students who will be juniors this year are the first group that must pass the MCA II test in reading, writing and math, as a graduation requirement.According to Director of Teaching and Learning Jan Ashlin, a number of those students will need to retake the reading test in order to pass.
At the board meeting, Henton announced the district was putting in place “Read 180,” a targeted reading program to help those students.
This year those students must pass the math test and district officials are hopeful the state will offer some guidelines for passing later this summer.
Ashlin is expecting the individual MCA II test results at the end of July and will likely present all the results to the school board in August.
In other news:
• Kirsten Bouwens resigned her position as assistant principal at the Sunrise River School. Dr. Carol Beckerleg will fill the position while remaining the Special Education director. Lori Zimmerman, who had been slated to become the middle school assistant principal, will return to the alternative learning program, oversee transition programs, and also be in charge of the Northgate program, now called Gateway. The district will hire to replace Zimmerman at the middle school.
• Also departing the district is Community Relations Coordinator Sara Thompson. Henton said the district is currently reviewing the position and will likely replace her, but with a new job description.
 |
