SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORTcurriculum highlights

Updates:

Budget

Facilities

Student Achievement

Response to Intervention (RtI)is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs.

CHALLENGE: Professional development needs to be imbedded and ongoing for teachers on the RtI process, as well as for recommended strategies and interventions

SUCCESS: The RtI plan for math and ELA in grades K-8 is complete. SED requires all school districts to establish RtI policy and procedures for students K-4 in literacy and math, the KCSD ALSO includes our middle school students. Progress is being made. Principals are reporting that their percentage of students at tiers 2 and 3 has decreased. One elementary principal cited that she had 16 students in grade two at tier 3; she now has 5.

Project Based Learning is the extended process of inquiry in response to a real life question, problem or challenge. Students in Gr. 6-8 take PBL courses.

CHALLENGE: More resources/materials need to be available for the projects. Technology is available, but we want to be sure that teachers are using it purposefully. Future PBL courses should include more community involvement in terms of the school as well as the Kingston community at large.

SUCCESS: In addition to engaged students who have achieved a high quality of work, PBL has yielded unprecedented collaboration and sharing of best-practices between teachers and buildings. The curriculum for this course was authored by KCSD teachers, and there has been continual sharing throughout the year about the programs challenges and opportunities.

The Foreign Language Exploratory Program (FLEX) is designed to introduce students to different languages and cultures, foster an appreciation for world cultures, as well as reinforce language development and social studies curriculum. All fifth and sixth grade students at Bailey and Miller Middle School are enrolled in the FLEX program.

CHALLENGE: During the pilot phase of the program, there was one curriculum for both fifth and sixth grade students. Next year, the sixth grade curriculum will be modified to include a greater focus on the development of oral and written foreign language skills.

SUCCESS: Students are engaged and enthusiastic about the program. Students have also expressed a desire to move beyond the written curriculum, and teachers have modified (where appropriate) further exploration of other cultures not originally included in the curriculum.

The Peaceful School Bus Program works to change the social dynamics on the school bus by building strong, positive relationships among students and by teaching students to take responsibility for their “bus route group” and what happens on the bus.

CHALLENGES: Full implementation of the Peaceful School Bus program, or a modified curriculum, has been delayed until the 2014-2015 school year. Peaceful School bus liaison and school social worker Nancy Herbert reports that there will be a need to modify and adapt the original Peaceful Bus curriculum in order to fit it into an already rigorous academic schedule.

Another challenge is the legal and practical issues that surround hosting bus meetings which include contract drivers.

The Kingston City School District is currently awaiting approval of an Extended Learning Time (ELT) grant from the New York State Education Department in order to provide enhanced academic opportunities, enrichment, and a longer school day to students and families in dire need of these services. As currently envisioned, all students attending both middle schools—Bailey and Miller—will see their school days increased by 100 minutes (a 29% increase).Kingston City School District Students attending KCSD’s elementary schools—JFK, Chambers, Edson, and George Washington—will experience 125 minutes of extended learning time daily, Monday through Thursday (a 25% increase). .

Elementary school literacy coaches work in the classroom, directly supporting teachers and students.

CHALLENGE: Although we have made major inroads for building consistency in instruction, there is still work left to be done and our teachers will continue to rely on the support of the literacy coaches. It is a major instructional shift for some. We are no longer teaching skills in isolation, but rather embedding them in a holistic approach.

SUCCESS: Development of a comprehensive curriculum K-4 (by literacy coaches) that focuses on literacy and integrates the Social Studies Framework for K-8 and the Next Generation Science Standards. Curriculum is customized to the needs of the KCSD population

The Advisory program teaches students social and emotional skills. Topics like resisting peer-pressure, social media strategies, and goal-setting are all covered. The curriculum includes music and physical activities and the major learning styles—visual, auditory, and body-kinesthetic—are all addressed.

CHALLENGE: The advisory curriculum adds to an already challenging schedule for school support staff. In the 2014-2015 school year, the KCSD will put in place greater administrative supports at the building level to help with the increased workload.

SUCCESS: The routine exposure to school support staff has fostered positive relationships between students and guidance counselors/psychologists, and is especially helpful as it facilities a positive mentor/mentee relationship between these groups.

The Scholars’ Academy separates the 468 freshman at Kingston High School from the general school population through a dedicated building (Myron J. Michael) that houses students, teachers, and a dedicated support team in-house of counselors, social workers, psychologists, and community partners working collaboratively under the leadership of Dr. Adrian Manuel and assistant principal Deborah Fitzgerald.

CHALLENGE: While most of the Scholars’ Academy classes take place within MJM, students must leave the building for art, physical education, and music. In addition, accelerated courses take place outside of MJM. This can lead to difficulty and confusion in scheduling when students in Grades 10-12 are called to the auditorium for special programs or assemblies.

SUCCESS: In addition to the positive school climate, the Scholars’ Academy is yielding positive academic results. At the end of the second quarter in 2013, 74 students were failing at least one course. This year, that population has been reduced to 64 students.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORTOther Goals

Updates:Budget

Facilities

Student Achievement

Facilities Goal: develop a meaningful and comprehensive public relations campaign to promote the 2nd Century Project

Facilities Goals

• We have continued the structured maintenance and renewal plan currently in effect for all district facilities

• We are in progress of developing a plan for the warehouse facility

• We have continued to pursue sale of unused facilities • Zena, Tillson, and Sophie Finn

are all under contract• The BOE chose not to sell

Meagher

Budget: Develop a Fiscally Sound Budget

• We have been actively working on developing a sound budget• We have begun the budget forum process

and community outreach. Upcoming forums will be held on March 10th and April 7th.

Student Achievement: 2010 cohort gradrate will increase by 5% for all students

Cohort Advancement Towards Graduation BenchmarksData Points 1st Semester2010 Cohort

Current Enrollment 12th grade 44011th grade 2210th grade 49th grade 0Ungraded 8Dropped 37GED 8Totals 519

% of potential 4 year graduates 86%

# of students needing to re-take a Regents Exam 85

# of students w/below 90% attendance 65

# of students failing 2 or more courses 81

# of students below benchmark credits 26

Questions?

KCSD Restructuring

KCSD Restructuring

What has changed in our schools?Laws, mandates, and regulations The number of students in povertyThe Internet and the way students learnNumber of special education studentsFamily lifeDemographics

The world has changed…and we must change the way we do business by increasing support for our teachers and our principals.

Continuing Challenges in the Kingston City School District

• Overall graduation rate of 77% in the 2012-2013 school year• 58% graduation rate for black students• 56% graduation rate for students’ with disabilities• 55% graduation rate for Hispanic students

Continuing Challenges in the Kingston City School District

• Data easily identifies early emergence of these challenges• Chambers Elementary School Grades 3 – 5 • African American/multiracial students make up roughly 26 percent of the

school and Hispanic students comprise about 22 percent of the student population • Approximately 84 percent of all students are not rated as ELA proficient • 89 percent of Chambers students were not proficient in Math

Continuing Challenges in the Kingston City School District

• Data easily identifies early emergence of these challenges• John F. Kennedy Elementary School Grades 3 – 5

• African American or multiracial students comprise roughly 31 percent of the school• Approximately 85 percent of all students are not rated as ELA proficient • 95 percent of JFK students were not proficient in Math

Continuing Challenges in the Kingston City School District

Special Education • Classification Rate - 23 % of our students are classified as students

with disabilities and must have Individualized Education Plans

• This rate of classification is 11 % higher than the New York State average

New Challenge – Annual Professional Performance Review

• Principals must adhere to a NYS education mandate to evaluate school faculty through the APPR process.

School Number of APPRs Non-3012c

Chambers 27 6

Crosby 27 4

JFK 25 6

GW 32 4

Edson 29 6

Myer 25 (Edson) 6

Graves 28 5

JWB 84 6

MCM 72 16

Current Structure in the Kingston City School District

Proposed Structure in the Kingston City School District

Current

Structure

Proposed

Structure

Four administrative positions merged into two positions.

• AS for CIA and AS for SS will be merged into one position: Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment & Student Services.

• AS for B and AS for PA will form a single job title: Deputy Superintendent for Business, Personnel, and Administration

Expansion of Support• Current Director of Humanities

will be replaced with an Assistant Superintendent of Humanities

• Director of Math, Science, and Technology will be replaced by an Assistant Superintendent of Math, Science, and Technology.

• Each of these Assistant Superintendents will have two assistant directors. A new position of Assistant Superintendent for Special Education will be created and will be supported by one director and two assistant directors.