School Connection
October 25, 20022003 Goal: By 2003, 95 percent of students tested will be at or above grade level as measured by NC End-of-Grade testing at grades 3 and 8.
FINALISTS NAMED FOR PRINCIPAL AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
OF THE YEAR
Finalists for the Wake County Principal and Assistant Principal
of the Year have been selected. Finalists for Principal of
the Year include Terri Cobb of Lockhart Elementary, Kevin
Hill of Wildwood Forest Elementary, Marge Ronco of Ballentine
Elementary, Andre Smith of Wake Forest-Rolesville High, and
Claude Willie of West Lake Middle. Finalists for Assistant
Principal of the Year include Robin Moore of Wake Forest-Rolesville
High, Susan Spivey of Cary Elementary, Althea Taylor of East
Wake Middle, Pat Tolley of Brooks Elementary, and Bob Umstead
of Swift Creek Elementary. The Wake County Principal and Assistant
Principal of the Year will be named Nov. 7.
MAGNET SCHOOLS FAIR SET
Parents and students will get the opportunity to explore the
Wake County Public School System's unique magnet offerings
during the Magnet Schools Fair scheduled for Saturday, Nov.
2 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Southeast Raleigh High School.
The Magnet School Fair is open to the public and provides
prospective magnet families the opportunity to learn more
about the system's 44 magnet schools and the various program
options.
Representatives from each magnet school, student assignment
and transportation will be available to answer questions and
discuss magnet school options for the 2003-2004 school year.
Visitors to the Magnet Fair will also receive information
about upcoming magnet school open houses and information on
the application process. Applications will be available at
all schools in January.
"The Magnet Fair is a great place for parents and students to come and get all their questions answered under one roof," said Caroline Massengill, senior director of magnet programs for WCPSS. "Each school will have its own display, so parents and students can see for themselves the types of programs offered at the different schools and get a feel for what individual programs are really like."
BOARD OF EDUCATION HOLDS HEARING ON HEALTHFUL LIVING CURRICULUM
Approximately 600 people filled the gym of Millbrook High
Monday (Oct. 21) for a public hearing on the recommended changes
to the Healthful Living Curriculum. The recommendations include:
1. Enhance the school system's implementation of the state
Abstinence Until Marriage curriculum for grades 7 through
9 with updated scientific information and additional units
on healthy decision-making and refusal skills; healthy relationships;
and the impact of values, personal goals, and family expectations
on teenage behaviors.
2. Offer a new high school elective course in Healthful Living
for grades 10 through 12. The course would be offered in the
2003-04 school year after the curriculum is developed. Students
may register for elective courses with a parent or guardian's
consent.
3. Amend Board Policy 5120.4 to permit school nurses, counselors,
or social workers to work with students and their families
on individual confidential concerns, while forbidding school
employees from distributing contraceptives or providing information
to any student about where to obtain abortion referral services.
At the 2.5 hour public hearing, speakers shared their views
on the proposals with board members. The public has had the
opportunity to view the proposals on the school system website
and at several community and school libraries. Comments on
the proposals continue to be received over the Internet at
http://www.wcpss.net/feedback/issue-tracker/healthful-living/
. The board will consider the proposal at its Nov. 5 meeting.
POPULATION GROWTH KEY TO STUDENT ASSIGNMENT
Less than one quarter of one percent of Wake students over
the last four years were reassigned for socio-economic reasons.
Associate Superintendent Walt Sherlin and Ramey Beavers, senior
director for growth management, described the last four years
of assignments to the Board of Education at its Tuesday (Oct.
22) meeting. Rapid population growth in Wake County has added
about 3,000 students annually to the schools for the last
ten years. In response, new schools have been built and students
have been moved to fill them. They told the board 5,055 students
were moved for 1999-2000, 3,651 for 2000-2001, 1,385 for 2001-2002,
and 4,157 for 2002-2003. During that time period Wake opened
nine elementary, five middle, and three high schools. Of the
14, 248 reassigned over the four years, Sherlin and Beavers
explained that 975 were reassigned for socioeconomic diversity.
Wake's 125 schools have a total enrollment of 104,373 students
this year.
EIGHT NEW PLAN 2000 SCHOOLS WILL OPEN IN WESTERN WAKE
School administrators presented plans for opening eight new
PLAN 2000 schools over the next four years in western Wake
County. Ramey Beavers, senior director for growth management,
told the Board of Education at its Tuesday (Oct. 22) meeting
that three of the schools will operate on the year-round calendar.
In 2003, Wake will open Holly Ridge Elementary and Holly Ridge
Middle. In 2004, Carpenter and Turner Creek elementary schools
and Reedy Creek and Salem middle schools would open. Carpenter,
Turner Creek and Salem Middle would operate on the year-round
calendar. Cedar Fork Elementary would open in 2005, and Highcroft
Elementary in 2006.
Some of the new facilities would be used to house students
from other schools while their campuses undergo major renovations.
Beavers recommended the Highcroft campus serve as a ninth-grade
center for two years for Green Hope High to meet the projected
growth in the western Wake high school population.
Administrators will present their final recommendations to
the board on Nov. 5.
PROJECT ACHIEVE PROVING SUCCESSFUL
Wake County public schools participating in the first year
of the Project Achieve program showed significant academic
improvement in 2001-2002, reporting higher rates of academic
growth.
Karen Banks and Nancy Baenen of the WCPSS Department of Evaluation and Research presented preliminary results from their evaluation of Project Achieve during the Committee of the Whole meeting of the Board of Education Tuesday (Oct. 22).
The Project Achieve program, which board member Susan Parry described as a "high-intensity, best practices power-boost," uses daily focus lessons, additional remediation or enrichment time, and regular assessments to improve student performance. Project Achieve is closely modeled on a similar program in the Brazosport Independent School District southwest of Houston, Texas.
The Wake County schools in Project Achieve in 2001-2002 included Cary, Creech Road, Hodge Road, Rand Road, Smith, and Vance elementary schools, and East Wake and East Garner middle schools. Aversboro and Swift Creek elementaries, and North Garner Middle have volunteered to join Project Achieve in 2002-2003.
Project Achieve elementary schools provided the most significant gains, exceeding the system's average growth rate among all students, including those performing at the highest level (Level IV). All six elementary schools in Project Achieve met North Carolina's standard for "High Growth," compared to three in 2001. From 79.5 to 91 percent of students in the six schools were at or above grade level in 2002, up from 73 to 83 percent in 2001.
Both Project Achieve middle schools also met the High Growth standard, showing significant achievement compared to WCPSS among students initially performing below grade level, students receiving free and reduced lunch, black and male students.
More parents reported that the educational program at their
child's school was of high quality, and more staff members
cited higher expectations of students, work satisfaction,
and positive school climate.
"One of the hidden secrets that we have going for us
is the expectation that our schools will rise to the occasion,"
said Superintendent Bill McNeal.
NOMINATIONS BEING RECEIVED FOR HEALTHY SCHOOLS TASK FORCE
The deadline for nominations to the Healthy Schools Task Force
is Oct. 25. To be considered for appointment to the Healthy
Schools Task Force, one must be a citizen of Wake County,
willing to meet monthly for the duration of the Task Force,
have a proven interest in the issues affecting the school
system, be student-focused, and be prepared to approach these
complex issues using fact-based decisions and an open mind.
Superintendent McNeal recommended the Healthy Schools Task
Force be composed of 18 to 25 members reflecting the county's
geography and demography. The task force will be asked to
examine a list of issues determined by the school board including
academic success for all Wake County students, capacity utilization
of existing and future facilities, high academic standards,
diversity in schools; development of the magnet program, frequency
of reassignment, facilities equity, neighborhood schools,
school safety, and community expectations of our public school
system.
The task force will produce a written report and recommendations
to the Board of Education. The recommendations will ensure
continued growth in student achievement, increase the satisfaction
of parents and key constituencies, address facility issues
including decisions related to PLAN 2004, and increase community
support for the Wake County Public School System.
FUQUAY VARINA HIGH HOSTS BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING
Fuquay-Varina High hosted the Tuesday (Oct. 22) meeting of
the Board of Education. The student string orchestra led by
teacher Margo Holliman greeted board members, school administrators,
and others attending the meeting with Bach, Beethoven and
contemporary music. The school chorus led by Merle Pendleton
sang several songs, "Gloria In Excelsis," "Elijah Rock," and
"I Hear America Singing" as the meeting began. Several times
a year, the board meets at schools outside Raleigh to provide
the opportunity for the public to attend board meetings. Fuquay-Varina
Mayor John W. Byrne and Town Manager John Ellis attended the
meeting.
BOARD APPROVES CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS FOR NEW SCHOOLS
At its Tuesday (Oct. 22) meeting, the Board of Education approved
construction documents for two new PLAN 2000 schools, Highcroft
Drive Elementary and Turner Creek Road Elementary. Pearce,
Brinkley, Cease, and Lee PA prepared plans for both schools.
NORTH RIDGE TEACHER HONORED
Cathy Lowry, the PE teacher at North Ridge Elementary, has
been selected as the North Carolina Elementary School Physical
Education Teacher of the Year for 2002 by the North Carolina
Alliance for Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation
and Dance (NCAAHPERD). Lowry will be presented with the award
at a luncheon in Greensboro on Nov. 22 during their convention.
ENLOE TEACHER HONORED
Julia Williams of Enloe High has been named this year's ExplorNet
North Carolina Teacher of the Year for 2002. As a pilot teacher
for Network Essentials, Julia had several students pass the
Net+ certification exam. She showed great enthusiasm for the
program and shared a lot of resources that she had developed
with the other pilot teachers. Williams was honored at the
annual Knowledge Nova conference, sponsored by NCEITA and
ExplorNet, in Winston-Salem.
WAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS FARE WELL IN STATE FAIR COMPETITION
Wake schools earned eight of the top nine ribbons awarded
to schools for art and photography at the 2002 North Carolina
State Fair.
In the elementary school division, Farmington Woods earned
a first-place blue ribbon, Brooks earned a second-place red
ribbon; and Olds earned a third-place white ribbon. Combs,
Joyner, and Pleasant Union finished fourth through sixth,
and Fuller earned an honorable mention.
In the middle school division, Martin earned a first-place
blue ribbon, Dillard Drive earned a second-place red ribbon;
and Ligon earned a third-place white ribbon.
In the high school division, Apex earned a second-place red
ribbon; and Enloe earned a third-place white ribbon. Southeast
Raleigh placed fourth and Broughton sixth.
Each school presented a series of five or six paintings to
be judged. The winning entries and artwork from other schools
in Wake and other districts are on display in the Kerr Scott
Building at the fair.
STUDENT SAFETY PROGRAM AIRS ON TV
WTVD ABC 11 will present a program entitled "A Time to
Tell" about when and how young people should report information
regarding potential violence or possible life-threatening
problems. The program will contain four segments: 1) about
the Threat Assessment program that WCPSS has initiated this
year, 2) about alcohol and drug abuse, 3) about self-harm
and suicide, and 4) about runaways.
Each segment will be followed by a panel discussion in which
students who are involved with S.A.V.E. (Students Against
Violence Everywhere) in their schools talk about when they
would feel the need to tell an adult about problems their
friends are having and how they would feel comfortable reporting
this information. They will also discuss the implications
of "telling on a friend."
At the conclusion of the program, student viewers will have
the opportunity to e-mail student panel members and receive
information on how to make their schools safer.
The program will be hosted by Frances Scott and Steve Daniels
and will air at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2002, on WTVD
ABC 11.
NEW DRIVING SAFETY PROGRAM LAUNCHED
Athens Drive and Green Hope high schools sent representatives
to the National Student Safety Conference last summer at the
recommendation of the Wake County Schools Driver Education
Program and Jordan Driving School. Both schools have now established
clubs with a mission to encourage and assist students as they
initiate and implement safety activities within the school
and community. The program fosters awareness that students
have the power to unite against the growing menace of highway
fatalities. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause
of death for 15-20 year olds. According to the National Student
Safety Program, there are 6,000 teen highway deaths each year,
16 teen deaths each day, 1 teen death every 3 hours, and 1
teen injury every second. The student clubs at Athens Drive
and Green Hope are thought to be the first clubs of their
kind in North Carolina.
CHARACTER EDUCATION WORKSHOP SET
The Wake County PTA Council is sponsoring a free workshop
on character education Nov. 8, which will include keynote
speakers from the N.C. Center for Character Education. There
will be resources for parents, strategies for individual classroom
use and available tools for schools as well as discussions
on the issues of closing the achievement gap, securing safe
and civil schools and retaining quality teachers.
The workshop runs from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Wake Education
Partnership offices, 706 Hillsborough St., Raleigh. Space
is limited. Reserve a seat by sending e-mail to Liza Weidle,
Wake County PTA Council Character Education Program coordinator,
at familyfilter@nc.rr.com.
INSIDE THE NEWS
U.S. Department of Education reports on "Letter
Released from U.S. Education Secretary Paige to State School
Chiefs on Implementing No Child Left Behind Act"
; "Hansen
Releases New Guide to Federal Education Funding"
; and "National
Character Counts Week, 2002"
NC Department of Public Instruction reports "Price
Named DPI Associate Superintendent for Financial and Business
Services"
State of North Carolina reports "Gov. Easley Launches Teach4NC Initiative"
Education Week reports "Unsafe
Label Will Trigger School Choice"; "'Tool
Kit' Offers Ideas
For Redesign of Districts"; and "State
Boards Worried About ESEA's Impact"
The Washington Post reports "Schools Shaken by Threat but Won't Shut Down"
The National Association of Secondary School Administrators reports "Metlife Survey Shows Students Need More From School, Home And Community"
The Beacon of LEARN NC reports on education
CNN reports on education
The National School Board Association reports the School Board News
ANSWERMAN: PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS
Question: I want to know about the various preschool
options offered within the Wake County Public School System.
How can I find out if there is a program for my child?
Answer: This is a difficult question in that the callers
present such a vast array of needs. Some are looking for half-day
programs, others full day. Some are looking for Special Education
services, others for after- hours programs and yet others
for publicly-funded programs. Knowing that the school system
does not provide for all of these situations, we have partnered
with a non-profit group called Child Care Resource and Referral
of Wake County (CCR&R). Their mission is to inform parents
of preschool options in Wake County. They have an abundance
of information about services offered by our school system
as well as many other programs throughout the county. We refer
callers to this organization to get a thorough explanation
of any options available for their child. Their phone number
is 832-7175. Once reached, extension 3009 will take the caller
to a helpful counselor.
The Answer Man is Jeff Nash, who directs the Wake County Schools
Customer Service Center. If you have questions about the school
system, call the Customer Service Center at 850-1600.
CALENDAR
|
Nov. 5 |
2 p.m., Board Committee of the Whole; and 4 p.m., Board Meeting, Board Room |
|
Nov. 7, 6 p.m. |
Principal of the Year named at Exploris |
|
Nov. 17 |
American Education Week begins |
|
Nov. 19 |
2 p.m., Board Committee of the Whole; and 4 p.m., Board Meeting, Board Room |
|
Nov. 20 |
12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., Joint Luncheon, Board Conference Room; and 2 p.m., Facilities Committee Meeting; and 3:30 p.m., Program Committee Meeting |
|
Nov. 28-29 |
Thanksgiving holiday |
You can find more information on school events at http://www.wcpss.net/Calendars
School Connection is published electronically every other week for everyone interested in the Wake County Public Schools. Is what you read in this edition helpful? What information would you like to see in future editions? Contact me by calling 850-1829 or e-mailing bposton@wcpss.net.
Bill Poston
Wake County Public School System
Communications Department
3600 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
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