If nothing else, a lesson in acronyms

Combined Pupil Services & Education Committee Meetings, August 13:

In attendance: Board President Vince Murphy, Pupil Services
Chair Dr. Maria Pimley and Pupil Services/Education Committee members Mrs.
Snook and Mrs. Tiernan. Personnel Committee Chair Ms. Miller was also in
attendance.   In the absence of Education Chair Mrs. Adsett, Dr.
Pimley  rose to the task  of providing  professional and
time-efficient leadership of both meetings. 

Pupil Services meeting begins with summary of Special
Education ESY (extended school year) program by WCASD Special Education
supervisors Mrs. Shacklady-White and Mrs. Phifer. The ESY program services
50-60 students per year and the accomplishments of our students in this
program, along with the dedication of District staff were highlighted. 
Two-fold question from Mrs. Snook:  How many full-time teachers are
utilized in this program and how are “benchmarks” met?  Answer: 7 at
elementary level, 8 at middle and 4 at high. ESY program is not about
“benchmarks” – it is a “maintenance of skills” program for our
students.   

Meeting continues with a  brief  Gifted and ELL (English Language Learner) Curriculum Alignment presentation by Gifted K-8/ELL  Program Supervisor Mrs. Verbovsky.  She reports  WCASD administration and staff are “working on” curriculum alignment for common core standards/Keystone exams.  Mrs. Verbovsky has received training from WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) to aid in her supervision of curriculum alignment in district. 

Education Committee Meeting:

Assistant Superintendent/Director of Secondary Education Dr.
Bertrando provides update on PA Common Core Standards/Keystone exams, topics most recently discussed at May’s Education Committee meeting.  For
refresher on PA common core standards, visit http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/current_initiatives/19720/common_core_state_standards/792440

As in May, we hear from Supervisor of Mathematics, Mr. Kerr,
who is joined by Supervisor of English Language Arts (ELA) Mrs. Elliott. 
Dr. Bertrando introduces both administrators  as “thought leaders”, not
only in the WCASD, but also on a state level, explaining that Mr. Kerr and Mrs.
Elliott  have spent much time in Harrisburg during the past months,
discussing implications of common core/Keystone exams  with their peers on
a state level.  Apparently, Mrs. Elliott is also an educational 
“thought leader” on a national level and we are fortunate to have her and Mr.
Kerr in our district.   Both administrators  provide summaries
and a  “Common Core Standards Fact Sheet” was distributed  as well
as  Keystone Exams timeline (http://static.pdesas.org/Content/Documents/2012_Assessment_Transition_PowerPoint_v2.pdf).

Astute public comment questions Keystone timeline and
wonders why the state is not recommending that non-11th grade students, who
have completed Algebra 1 and Biology, take the Keystone Exam sooner instead of
waiting until 11th grade.   For example, this year's sophomore class
will have an entire year of no Biology and most  will have  3- 4
years of no Algebra 1.  In addition, there are current 8th grade students
who took Algebra 1 in 2011-2012 who will not  have that particular
Keystone exam until their junior year. Administration agreed this is certainly
something the District will need to take into consideration in preparing our
students for these tests.

 For the sake of comparison, those in attendance were shown
examples of PSSA and Keystone
exam questions in both English Language Arts and Math.   Most noted
there was more reading involved in the Keystone questions, both ELA and
Math.  Dr. Pimley, while she appreciated the need to increase 
“rigor”, questioned how we get a “bell curve” with the Keystone exams:
will  there be questions that “99% of kids” can answer?  Interesting
question,  and no one really had a definitive answer for her.

On August 15, Andrew Porter, Dean of Graduate School of
Education at University of PA was on NPR (National Public Radio),addressing
the question, “Why do we keep re-inventing  education?” (http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/2012/08/15/the-common-core-standards-for-public-education/).

Porter feels that the United States tries something new in
education every 10 years or so and is uncertain if we ever really give any
strategy enough time to fully develop.  Interestingly, he spoke of common
core standards as a “crazy idea” for the United States, commenting that the US
Department of Education basically “bribed” states into adopting common core
standards through Race To The Top (RTTT) funding.  He is surprised there
has not been more public outcry on this “state’s rights” issue, and jokes with
his interviewer that perhaps there will be after we begin to take the tests.

Porter’s professional opinion as to whether the common core
standards are truly  “ratcheted up toward higher order thinking’’: 
the math common core standards involve “about the same” higher order thinking
as the average current state standards, whereas ELA common core standards are
“a little more” higher order thinking than average current
standards.   He is asked: “Are they too tough?  While Porter
never directly answers this question, he laughingly states  he is “sure”
that common core standards will “not be implemented in a way that is too
tough”.    

So what exactly does common core  “implementation” look
like in WCASD?  In contrast to Porter’s above remark, WCASD appears to
continue to unveil quite a “tough” implementation  strategy. In the past
months, we recall that WCASD has updated two textbooks to better align with
common core standards.  At present,  district-wide committees are
being formed, in both ELA and Math, to evaluate current resources and revise
District curriculum to align with common core standards.  Committees will
consist of  K-12 representatives, building principals, instructional
coaches, ELL, Gifted and Special Education staff. In addition, all WCASD teaching
staff will receive training through utilization of in-service days.  Keep
in mind that ALL of this “implementation” is being accomplished by the WCASD
staff during a “normal” school year.  We are grateful to all involved for
ensuring our students are well prepared for this major educational
“reinvention”.

Activity Fee Update -  communications have been
distributed electronically, through newsletters, building principals, etc., so
everyone participating in District activities should have Activity Fee
information.  Some activities have started and payments are already being
received.  Public comment asking for clarification:  if payment is
not received by deadline,  District will contact family of student to
assess reason, and not simply ban student from activity, true?  True, and
if there is an  issue, family will be encouraged to apply for scholarship
(the fund is now nearly $2000).  Follow up question:  if payment is
late,  is  the coach the person who would contact family for
payment?  No, responsibility would fall to school principal. Member of
public remarks that is a lot to ask of principals who already have quite a lot
of other responsibilities.   Duly noted.

Question from public:  realizing and respecting the
great amount of work the District and Community task force put into the
adoption of pay-to-play system, is it “too late to stop”?  Questioner
reasoned that the activity fee is ultimately a “tax”, stating something to the
effect that increasing revenue alone “never works”.  Dr. Pimley graciously
explains that the activity fee was the result and decision of a Community Task
Force and was voted on by full Board. She explains there was time for public
comment on this matter before that vote was taken months ago. Questioner still
asks for “two minutes of public comment” and Board President Mr. Murphy
accommodates.  In those remarks, questioner cleverly manages to work in
incendiary words/phrases such as  “negotiations”, “giving teachers raise”,
etc.  Dr. Pimley calmly and professionally brings the meeting back to
task, clarifying for the questioner that no one has been “given” ”anything and
gently reminding him that  the Board and the West Chester Area Education
Association are still in  “negotiations”.   Dr. Scanlon closes
the activity fee discussion commenting that, at this point, the only way to
“stop” the activity fee would be a full Board vote to revoke the system. 

Director of Elementary Education Dr. Missett ends the
meeting with a discussion of 2012/13 district enrollment.  We are given
both projected and actual enrollments as of August 8:  Elementary is
projected at 5130, actual is 5016. Middle school is projected at 2786, actual
2764.  High school  is projected at 3899, actual 3857.  Staffing
allocations reflect variance at all levels.  Dr. Missett admits there are
a couple of “hot spots” in District, i.e., classes that may go over limit and
require formation of additional section, and they are keeping an eye on the
numbers.   There is a question  concerning  “six new
teachers”.  Dr. Missett clarifies that the six positions are “open” -
vacant due to teacher retirement and resignations – not “new”. Open positions
will hopefully be confirmed by August Board meeting.

Agenda nears end with a question from Mrs. Snook to Dr.
Bertrando concerning  field trip costs:  would it be possible,
without too much trouble, to get a listing of how much the District spends on
field trips?  Dr. Bertrando admits it may not be an easy task because the
District does not actually fund field trips.  Field trips are most often
subsidized by student and/or volunteer fundraising.  The real cost to the
District is the cost of providing substitute teachers during field trips. 
Someone mentions the DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America, an
association of marketing students) trip and Dr. Bertrando notes that DECA is a
District student group and any District costs associated with that trip 
could certainly be supplied to Mrs. Snook.  Mrs. Snook is still curious
and “down the road” would like to see a cost breakdown of District field
trips. 

And for that "road", one final acronym: NAEP (National Association of
Educational Progress).   East, Fugett and Peirce were chosen to take
these tests during the 2012/13 school year.  Busy, busy.