District 13 pushes technology

District 13 will look to use technology even more in the future, school officials said during the annual educational planning meeting on Nov. 14.

By the end of this year, every classroom in the district should have a laptop, projector and SMARTBoard, Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Lison said. Because of the expanded use of technology, Lison said she would like to add an additional staff member in the department for next year and plans to propose that in her budget.

District officials also say that more teachers are creating their own Web pages. They use it to post homework assignments, class calendar, photos, extra help times and contact information. Teachers are finding it a great way to communicate with parents, noted Linda Alessi, the district’s technology specialist.

Right now, teacher Web pages are optional, however it could become mandatory in the future. Lison said the district is in the midst of planning its 2010-13 technology plan and that could include the requirement. 

Board of Education member Bill Stris noted that it would constitute a change in working conditions so mandating a teacher Web page would have to be negotiated into a contract.

Also down the road, parents will be able to go online and view their child’s assessment data. Lison said this would be available through the district Web site. The plan is to have that component up and running for the 2011-12 school year.

For next year’s superintendent’s conference day, Lison would like to have a series of workshops focusing on technology. She said that she wants to have District 13 and Central High School District students lead some of the programs.

Lison also noted that there are numerous opportunities for teachers to learn ways to better use technology in the classroom, including in-house training sessions. “Technology has certainly changed the face of education in our school district,” she said.

Testing

The district has been getting scores back from the state tests in a reasonable time over the past few years, officials say, but they expect that to change. The English Language Arts test is being moved from January to May and the math test from March to May. “We’re expecting a nightmare for next year,” Lison said. “We don’t know when those results will be back.”

Lison said that results do affect the district’s planning ability because some students must be placed into Academic Intervention Services if their performance is low. If scores come in late, then schedule changes need to be made last-minute.

The district does generally know how well its students do before the results come back, noted Linda Roth, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. District teachers grade the tests immediately after.

But that will change this year. With the ELA and math tests so close, Roth said they will send out the English exams in grades 4 and 6 to be scored. She said grades 3 and 5 will still be scored in-house because those tests are shorter and each of those only take a day to mark.

Lison said it will cost more to outsource the work than to pay $100 a day for substitutes, but district officials want to keep teachers in the classroom to help students prepare for the math test.

The company that will do the grading, Educational Vistas, uses` certified practicing and recently retired teachers with experience scoring these assessments.
Board of Education member Frank Chiachiere said there really is no ideal way to score the tests. “You either lose half your faculty for grading or or you outsource the work,” he said.

The district’s goal is to have 100 percent of students pass each test. “Our plan is to get there,” Lison said. “We have more work to do.”

School officials also said they are increasing their early intervention testing to find out if young students have any reading or writing deficiencies. Several people in attendance noted the challenge presented by students coming into kindergarten with different English Language Arts skills. The district does not have a pre-kindergarten program but board members noted that the educational planning meeting is often where discussions for new ideas start.

Stris said that ideas are unlimited, but the district’s resources are not. He said the time will come in a few months when the board has to put together its budget for next year and will have to make some tough decisions. “The pie is only so big,” he said. “We have to put together a budget we hope the community will pass.”

Other programs

This is the second year the district is using two new math programs, one for grades K-5 and the other for sixth-grade. A committee, led by Roth and Darren Gruen, principal of the James A. Dever School, will evaluate how effective these programs are. A report will be available for the Board of Education in the spring.

In science, a new program will be piloted in December for all grades. Wheeler Avenue School Principal Christine Zerillo said it will be tested in various classrooms throughout the district and has physical, life and Earth science components.

After a few “rough years,” Lison said that parents now seem generally happy with the wellness program. She said that most have come to understand why the district has banned treats for classroom celebrations. “Our children and parent communities have learned to celebrate without food,” she said.

Next year, the district will consider changing its staffing in special education classes. Lison said several of the self-contained classes have one teacher and two aides. She is exploring the possibility of replacing the two aides with one teaching assistant.

Lison said that aides assist teachers with managing students but cannot be alone with kids, while teaching assistants are allowed. They also have an educational background. She said the decision will be on a class-by-class basis depending on if behavioral or educational needs are greater. Because teaching assistants receive benefits and aides do not, there would be little or no cost difference.

Lisa Sells-Asch, director of special services, said they are looking to make the ESL program work more closely with the general education program. She said some students are out of the classroom up to 360 minutes a week for English as a Second Language instruction. She would like to have the ESL teachers in the regular classrooms more to work with the students who need the service, then pulling the children out.

Lison said that district officials have high expectations for both students and teachers in District 13. The focus is not on teaching, but rather on learning. “We can’t do it alone,” she said. “We’re very proud of the relationship we have with the community.”