by Thaddeus Flint
A presentation by Questar III BOCES of their report on the District’s learning environment was the subject of most of the September meeting of the Berlin School Board last Tuesday.
The study, which began in March 2015, was conducted with the purpose of “maximizing student achievement” in the District, according to Jane King, one of the members from the Questar III team who documented their findings in the District. [private]
“We have to look ahead,” said District Superintendent Dr. Stephen Young. “We have to look where we want our kids to be three, five, eight years out.”
The report was compiled through months of observation, interviews and data gathering by representatives of the District’s schools as well as the Questar III team. In addition, over sixty faculty members responded anonymously to detailed questionnaires. Findings were broken down into three sections: District/School leadership, Curriculum Development, and Teacher Practices and Decisions. Strengths, challenges, and opportunities for growth in each section were highlighted.
Under District/School leadership, the report showed that “District leaders…have a shared desire for providing educational experience that meets the needs of all students.” However, District goals were found to be “very general in nature, with few measurable targets.” Much of administrator time is taken up with “student conduct issues” as well as Annual Professional Performance Review mandates, and thus there is “simply not enough time within the day to accomplish everything needed.” Focus group data also found that “there is a perception that responsiveness to the needs of students with disabilities translates into a co-teaching model that is inconsistently delivered.”
Bullying was also found to exist, though the District has made strides in recent years to address such harassment. “Students at all levels indicate they have bullying/behavior concerns,” said the report. It was also noted that students in focus groups felt that “a relatively small number of students…consistently interfere with the learning environment.”
Under Curriculum Development, the report found that the “District offers a wide range of academic programs designed to meet the needs of students.”
This was especially noted by King in the High School. “Your High School kids love this place,” she said. The District’s School-Within-A-School programs was highlighted as a particular success in keeping at-risk students on track to graduation.
However, “detailed, aligned curriculum maps, partnered with detailed unit plans do not exist in many areas,” the report found. Some facilities are outdated and lack storage, with some science facilities described as being “outdated” and needing “new technology…and up to date lab facilities.”
Under Teacher Practices and Decisions, the report found “high levels of student engagement were evident in many classes” and that “students at all levels indicate a strong belief that their teachers care deeply about their success.” However, there is “no comprehensive District plan for data-driven instruction.” Co-teaching in the class room was found to be in need of review as its use and effectiveness varied throughout the District’s schools. “Many teachers indicate a lack of comfort with co-teaching and are not adequately prepared to successfully use this model,” the report said.
It was also found that “many” teachers in the High School and Middle School also “voiced strong concerns about the placement of special education students in certain classes.”
These are just a few of the observations from the Questar III team and should not be taken as a complete summary of the report, which is quite detailed.
“It’s the difficult conversations that often result in the most progress,” said King.
Dr. Young said that the Board as well as Administrators would need to “take several weeks to read through it and digest it, before coming up with a plan for the future.”
Board President Frank Zwack said it would probably be a “minimum three year plan” and that it was necessary to make sure that whatever plan that does come about continues to keep going forward.
“Let’s not put this on a shelf and let it collect dust,” he said. “If we implement this correctly, it will keep moving forward.”
Further discussion of the report as a guideline for the future is planned at the next roundtable meeting which will be held October 1st at 7:15 pm at the High School. [/private]