School officials look ahead to changes

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

Both districts plan to evaluate students on an individual basis as part of new educational plans.

YOUNGSTOWN — Administrators in two area school districts are looking to the future for a turnaround in the face of stagnant scores on the state’s latest school report card.

Youngstown City Schools and Warren City Schools both remain in the “academic watch” category in the state ranking.

There are six possible designations, based on student performance on achievement tests and other factors such as attendance and graduation rate — excellent with distinction, excellent, effective, continuous improvement, academic watch and academic emergency.

Youngstown schools have been in academic watch for three consecutive years. Warren, in continuous improvement the year before last, dropped to academic watch last year.

Of the 16 schools rated in Youngstown, four — Alpha School of Excellence for Boys, Athena School of Excellence for Girls, Hayes Middle School and East High School — received the academic emergency rating, which is the lowest possible rating.

Youngstown also had six schools — Chaney High School, Kirkmere, Taft, Paul C. Bunn, William Holmes McGuffey and Williamson — rated as academic watch. Harding Elementary, North Elementary and Volney Rogers Junior High received a continuous improvement rating, while Youngstown Early College received an effective rating.

The district overall met only one of the possible 30 standards on the state test.

Youngstown Superintendent Dr. Wendy Webb said Chaney High School slipped one place from its rating of continuous improvement the previous year. She said that and other performance issues in the city schools can be attributed, at least in part, to the instability in the district with changes in buildings, staff, students and staffing cuts.

“Our construction has been a good thing, but it also adds to the mobility issues and causes staff to be moved from one area to another. There is also high mobility in that families move as well,” she said. “Our idea is that within the next year and a half our construction will be over, and I have unveiled a plan that will create some positive changes.”

Webb is looking to introduce to the school board and community a “balanced calendar,” where students will attend classes for nine weeks then have three weeks off throughout the year. Students who need additional help will get that help during the three-week breaks.

“In urban districts, since we know our kids need more time on task, this is the way to do it. You still get spring break, winter break and a month off in August,” she said. “This is time-sensitive. Why let a child sit there and try to catch him up in summer school when we can intervene much earlier?”

Webb said the district also plans to implement mastery checks, where each child is evaluated to determine the learning level at which they are functioning. They’re then taught from that level and brought up to speed. She said such a teaching method can be challenging, but definitely doable.

The district, Webb said, will also work with parents to create a model in the home that expresses a value for education. She said most parents have a value for education, but some may need help expressing those values.

District leaders already have had community meetings to address the new ideas.

Webb said the district will evaluate what moved three schools up to continuous improvement — a move she attributes to a new part of the state testing called “value-added measures,” which takes into account the progress students make from year to year.

Of the six schools rated in Warren, three — Jefferson, Washington Alternative and Willard Avenue schools — received the academic emergency rating.

McGuffey K-8 received an academic watch rating, while Lincoln K-8 and Warren G. Harding were listed as continuous improvement. The district overall met only two of the possible 30 standards on the state test.

Kathryn Hellweg, Warren City Schools superintendent, said the district plans to make strides by using a new program that is piloted in only 16 districts across the state.

The Personal Development Grant program, she said, is set up to re-evaluate and redesign curriculums in those districts.

“We will continue to work with outside consultants and the state to monitor progress and work the plan,” she said. “The plan works basically in the areas of reading and math. Those are the most far-reaching with our students.”

Part of the plan includes an evaluation of each student on an individual basis to determine how to improve that particular student’s overall performance in the learning process.

Hellweg said other changes will include curriculum changes in the high school, additional instruction time for pupils in grades 6-8, additional help in the summer for pupils struggling in kindergarten and first grade, a summer reading program, intervention and Saturday enrichment programs, and a jump-start program for children entering kindergarten.

Hellweg said the district also will continue enhancing programs for advanced and gifted students.

“We knew it would take three to five years before we see any significant changes in our results, but we are seeing some growth,” she said. “We are really in the beginning of the process.”

jgoodwin@vindy.com