School System to Improve 10/2/05

School System Acknowledges Shortcomings, Plans to Improve

by Clare Whitbeck

     The Board of Education received a report on the proposed Master Plan update at its June 26 meeting. Mrs. Linda Dudderar, Director of Elementary  Instruction, Administration, and School Improvement told the Board there are successes and challenges for the school system based on last year assessments.  

      Successes:

There are improved SAT scores and increased advanced placement enrollment in the high schools.

Student showed increases in math scores with greater percentage increases being scored by students on Free And Reduced Meals (FARMS).

 Pre-kindergarten classes have caused a higher percentage of kindergarten students to be “fully ready” for kindergarten as measured on the Maryland Model for School Readiness, with FARMS students showing a greater percentage improvement.

English Language Learners have shown a great percentage improvement, and special education students with disabilities have shown improvement.

Greenview Knolls Elementary School is no longer a School in Improvement.

         Challenges:

St. Mary's County's male students are not graduating at the standard State rate, and have a higher dropout rate than females.  

African American and Special Education elementary students did not make adequate yearly progress.  

African American, Special Education, and FARMS middle school students also did not make adequate yearly progress.

St. Mary's County Public Schools is a School System in Improvement for special education reading.  

Spring Ridge Middle School and Carver Elementary School have been designated by the State of Maryland as Schools in Improvement, a title which refers to the fact that schools have missed the Annual Measurable Objective test score in math, reading, and/or graduation (high school) or attendance (middle and elementary schools).  

     Plans are in place to meet the challenges, Ms. Dudderer said.  The school system has assigned another special education teacher to Carver to implement individual interventions. Carver's classes now contain 16 or 17 students, and there are two extra resource teachers and a parent liaison person to increase parent involvement. There is a new sound field system at Spring Ridge Middle school language arts classes.  An academic dean has been assigned to Spring Ridge Middle along with an additional assistant principal, an additional counselor, and a Technical Assistance Team.  

     The school system plans to do formative assessments (tests) to collect information on how individual students are doing and will set up team action plans to assist students.  There will be extended day and extended school year opportunities to reteach as needed.

     Dr. John Martirano, Superintendent of Schools announced the purchase of a data collection system which will enable data analysis. “We have signed a contract with Performance Matters and are working with principals for a year long training process,” he said.   “We don't want to wait, and formative assessments involve looking at individual monitoring of students.  We can make adjustments immediately.”  He said he doesn't want to gloss over individualized instruction.