The School Connection
March 23, 2007 |
GROWTH DRIVES SUPERINTENDENT'S PLAN FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
In the Plan for Student Success presented to the Board of Education at its meeting March 6, Superintendent Del Burns said the school system is seeking to meet the impact of dramatic student enrollment growth and state-mandated increases.
Dr. Burns said the funding of new initiatives were limited recognizing 1) the significant investment Wake County citizens made by approving the November 2006 bond referendum for school construction and 2) any recommendations for change in academic programs will follow completion of the recently approved independent curriculum management audit.
“My vision is that working as a community of educators with the support of the broader community, we will ensure that every child educated in our school system graduates on time, prepared for the future,” said Burns. “It is our duty to aspire to high expectations and standards.”
Dr. Burns said the school system is seeking to keep pace with thousands of new students entering the schools. Enrollment grew by 7,500 for 2006-07 and is projected to increase by more than 8,000 for 2007-08.
The largest increase in funding is in response to growth. The plan includes $16.5 million to open seven new schools and meet the needs of an additional 8,000 students. The new schools opening for 2007-08 include East Garner Elementary, North Forest Pines Elementary, Sanford Creek Elementary, East Cary Middle, Wendell Middle, East Wake School of Engineering Systems and East Wake School of Arts, Education and Global Studies.
Legislative changes for salary increases and employer's matching benefit changes require the school district to spend an additional $9.6 million.
The plan includes $4.6 million in savings, removing one-time costs from the previous year and budget reductions.
The school system receives 61 percent of its funding from the state, 33 percent from local government and six percent from the federal government. The county appropriation that provides most of the local funding totals $305.3 million. That includes the school system request for an increase in the county appropriation of $29.4 million.
PREPARATIONS ARE BEING MADE FOR CURRICULUM AUDIT
The process for the Curriculum Audit is well underway. When presenting the mid-year report card for the school system in January, Superintendent Burns called for an outside audit of school system instruction. Dr. Roseanne Stripling, the Dean of Arts, Sciences, and Education at Texas A&M has been named the lead auditor. Dr. Stripling is very experienced in this process and is described as one of the best lead auditors available. She has now assembled a team of 25 others who will assist with the audit. The site visit for the Curriculum Management Audit will take place May 6 through May 11. The team will visit each WCPSS school. This week, WCPSS Evaluation and Research started meeting with focus groups from parents, support staff, teachers, and principals to gather information.
BOARD APPROVES LETTER FOR LOCAL REVENUE OPTIONS
At its Feb. 20 meeting, the Board of Education agreed to send a letter to the Wake County Delegation of the N.C. Legislature in support of a menu of local revenue options for school construction funding.
BOARD APPROVES CHANGES TO SCHOOL SYSTEM POLICY
At its March 6 meeting, the Board of Education approved minor revisions to a series of school system policies regarding student conduct including 6400, 6410, 6420, 6425, 6427, 6429, 6500 and 6529. In policy 6410, the change clarifies the policy by now listing repetitive tardies, skipping class, leaving campus without permission and being in an unauthorized area as types of noncompliance that could result in a student facing short term suspension.
BOARD HEARS UPDATE ON ACADEMICALLY GIFTED PROGRAM
At its March 6 meeting, the Board of Education heard from Joyce Gardner and Dan Turner of the WCPSS Academically Gifted Program. The Academically Gifted Program currently serves nearly 22,000 children identified as Academically Gifted.
Gardner explained how academically gifted teachers in schools provide opportunities for high growth for all students, professional development and support in the differentiation of instructional strategies for classroom teachers and direct and consultative services for students.
Academically Gifted certified teachers provide group and individualized assessments in aptitude and achievement for potentially gifted students from all populations. Careful attention is given to students from underserved populations. Additionally, individual assessments may be administered by a psychologist for potentially gifted students (as needed) with specific learning needs. AG nurturing programs seek and identify students who demonstrate potential for high-level performance, focusing on students from all backgrounds including underserved populations.
Turner discussed WCPSS participation in Governor’s School, the statewide summer residential program for academically or intellectually gifted high school students. The program, which is open to rising seniors only, with exceptions made for rising juniors in the performing/visual arts area, is located on two campuses: Governor's School West at Salem College in Winston-Salem and Governor's School East at Meredith College in Raleigh.
BOARD HEARS UPDATE ON ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS
At its Feb. 20 meeting, the Board of Education heard from Assistant Superintendent Marvin Connelly and the principals of the WCPSS alternative schools. The mission for alternative schools, programs, and services is to support Goal 2008 by developing and providing comprehensive services for at risk, severely behaviorally impaired, and socially dysfunctional youth in safe, supportive, and structured environments. These programs promote academic, behavioral, and social success. Programs and services are available for students in grades kindergarten through twelfth.
The schools and programs include the Bridges Program serving 40 students in kindergarten to grade five; Mt. Vernon School serving 90 students in grades six through eight; River Oaks Middle serving up to 130 students in grades six through eight; Phillips High School serving 200 students in grades nine to twelve; and Longview School serving students in grades six through twelve.
BOARD APPROVES TITLE I SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
At its March 6 meeting, the Board of Education approved a contract with Sylvan Learning Center to serve as the Title I Supplemental Educational Service for Hodge Road Elementary as required under “No Child Left Behind” Legislation. NCLB requires that a Title I school that has not met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals for three consecutive years, must offer Supplemental Educational Services (SES) for all eligible students. Students are eligible if they qualify for free/reduced lunch. These services must be provided by a provider who is approved by the Department of Public Instruction. Parents select the provider from the approved list. Parents of approximately 130 students at Hodge Road Elementary selected Sylvan Learning Center as their SES provider. The state approved maximum allocation per student is $1,198. The total cost of the services for 130 students is $155,740.00.
BOARD APPROVES ADDITION TO EXTRA-DUTY PAY SCALE FOR BAND/ORCHESTRA TEACHERS
At its Feb. 20 meeting, the Board of Education approved an addition to the extra-duty pay scale for band/orchestra teachers. The board agreed to use $215,000 from its fund balance to make this adjustment. Chief Budget Officer David Neter and Elizabeth Grimes Droessler of WCPSS Instruction Services Division said the changes were needed to reconcile the inequities resulting from the adjustments to the Extra-Duty Pay Scale for 2006-07 which did not include high school band or strings teachers. The adjustment will mean two additional payments for band/orchestra teachers at their current pay level for the 2006-07 school year. A comprehensive review by a committee of teachers and staff will be completed in the upcoming months for a business case to be submitted in the fall of 2007 to address the entire extra-duty compensation package. (This corrects e-mailed newsletter's dollar figure and number of payments.)
BOARD APPROVES PARTNERSHIP WITH SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY
At its Feb. 20 meeting, the Board of Education approved a partnership between WCPSS and Slippery Rock University (SRU) in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, a nationally accredited teacher
education college. The partnership will enable elementary education and elementary/special education majors to complete field experiences and secondary education majors to complete student teaching in WCPSS year-round elementary and middle schools (existing, not converting year-round schools) during the summer of 2007.
Stipends for cooperating teachers and all costs for student housing and university supervision will be paid by Slippery Rock University. Considering national estimates for recruiting highly qualified teachers are as high as $5,000 - $11,000/teacher, the proposal provides excellent no-cost recruitment opportunities for WCPSS.
Pennsylvania has an oversupply of teachers and many Slippery Rock University graduates seek employment with WCPSS. The student teaching and field experiences will provide WCPSS administrators the opportunity to assess SRU student teachers for employability.
The presence of high quality Slippery Rock student teachers and field students in WCPSS classrooms will have a positive impact on student learning and increase opportunities for individualized instruction and co-teaching.
Bell Schedules and School Calendars
BOARD APPROVES BELL SCHEDULE FOR 2007-08
At its March 6 meeting, the Board of Education approved the bell schedule for 2007-08. The board action added five new schools and two high school ninth-grade centers that will open in 2007-08 and made no changes to the schedules of existing schools
Two of the new elementary schools - East Garner Elementary and Sanford Creek Elementary will operate from 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. North Forest Pines Drive Elementary will operate from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. East Cary Middle and Wendell Middle will operate from 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
The schedule for ninth-grade centers is tied to the high school's bell schedule. The Wake Forest -Rolesville High ninth-grade center will be 7:50 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. The Wakefield High ninth-grade center will be 7:36 a.m. to 2:06 p.m.
BOARD APPROVES CHANGE TO CALENDARS FOR 2008-09
At its March 6 meeting, the Board of Education made changes to calendars for traditional and single-track year-round calendar schools for 2008-09. At the request of teachers, the board moved spring break on both calendars.
Board members agreed at the March 6 meeting to rescind the January 23 approval of the calendars to allow further discussion. The board then agreed to move spring break on the traditional calendar to the week of April 6-10 from the previously scheduled March 2-6. Additionally, the board changed the traditional calendar, making Nov. 26 a vacation day and Feb. 16 a teacher workday.
On the single-track year-round calendar, the board agreed to move a break for students to April 6-10 from March 2-6. This means students will now be on break Feb. 16-20 and April 6-17, instead of Feb. 23 to March 6 and April 13 to 17.
For the traditional calendar, the first day for students is August 25, and the last day is June 10. Winter break is Dec. 22 - Jan. 2 and spring break is now April 6-10. The second quarter ends Jan. 23. The traditional calendar contains 180 days of instruction for students, as well as 11 paid holidays and 10 paid vacation days. There will be a total of 14 teacher workdays. Nine are already scheduled and another five will be based on recommendations by the Division of Principals and Assistant Principals.
For the single-track year-round calendar, formerly known as the modified calendar, the first day for students is July 22, and the last day is June 3. Students will have breaks Sept. 1 to 5; Oct 20-31; Feb. 16 to 20; and April 6 to 17. Students will have holidays for Veterans Day Nov. 11, for Thanksgiving Nov. 26 to 28; for Winter break Dec. 22 to Jan. 2; for MLK Day Jan. 19; and on Memorial Day May 25. This calendar is used at Southeast Raleigh High, Centennial Campus Middle, Moore Square Middle, Carver Elementary and Partnership Elementary. This instructional calendar combines features of the traditional and year-round calendar.
BOARD APPROVES 2007-08 CALENDAR FOR WAKE EARLY COLLEGE
At its Feb. 20 meeting, the Board of Education approved the 2007-08 calendar for the Wake Early College of Health and Sciences. The school’s calendar meshes with the calendar of Wake Technical Community College. This enables the school to take advantage of course offerings at the college for acceleration purposes.
At the Wake Early College, the first day of school will be August 8 and the last day will be May 22. Quarters end October 10, December 19 and March 7. Winter break is Dec. 20 through Jan. 2. Spring break is March 17-21.
CALENDAR
| March 27 | 4 p.m., Citizens Facility Advisory Committee Meeting – Wake County Public Safety Center ground floor conference room |
| March 29 | 2 p.m., Board of Education Policy Committee Meeting - Board Conference Room |
| March 30 | 8 a.m., Wake Ed Power Hour to launch the Wake Ed ’07 – Join the Conversation Campaign. Registration required online by March 23 to jbrown@WakeEdPartnership.org |
| April 2-6 | Spring break |
| April 4 | Wake Regional Education Roundtable. Topic: Student Achievement; hosted by Wake Education Partnership and the Morrisville and Cary Chambers of Commerce. Registration required online by March 23 at http://www.wakeedpartnership.org/events/education_roundtable.htm |
| April 10 | 12 p.m., Board of Education meets as Committee of the Whole in Board Conference Room; 2 p.m., Board of Education meeting in board room |
| April 11 | 10:30 Board of Education Community Relations Committee meets in board conference room; 12:30 p.m., Board of Education Human Resources Committee meets in board conference room; 2:30 p.m., Board of Education Program Committee meets in board conference room |
| April 12 | 6:30 p.m., Wake County Teacher of the Year reception at NC Bar Association |
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School Connection is published electronically every other week for everyone interested in the Wake County Public School System. 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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