Friday, June 17, 2011
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Sixteen first-graders at Harding Elementary School risk not advancing to second grade, despite a student-to-teacher ratio of 15-to-1.
The district followed the direction of an academic-recovery plan in hiring additional kindergarten and first-grade teachers to create that ratio in those grades.
Harding had 70 students enrolled in first grade in the school year that just ended.
Though Harding saw the highest number of first-graders in danger of being retained, it isn’t the only district elementary school to log double digits.
Of Taft’s 72 first-graders, 13 may not be promoted to second grade. At William Holmes McGuffey Elementary, 11 of 109 first-graders face the same possibility.
At Kirkmere, it’s six out of 46 first-graders; at Martin Luther King, six out of 104. At Paul C. Bunn, only one of the 60 first-graders at the school is in danger of not moving on to second grade, and at Williamson, the number is seven out of 61.
“We’ll investigate it to find out what’s going on,” said Superintendent Connie Hathorn.
At the same time, though, the district has increased the academic rigor, he said. The 15-1 ratio was designed to provide more individualized instruction.
“We need to make sure kids live up to expectations and to the content standards,” Hathorn said.
As kindergartners moved into first grade in the 2010-11 school year, most were reading at a skill-builder level, which is below what is considered a readiness level, such as reading short phrases and sentences, phonics and some word recognition, Karen Ingraham, the school district’s communication director, said in an email.
“With a small-group setting in first grade, students made significant growth in reading,” she said.
“The comparison scores showed that last fall only 2 percent of these students were on track for first-grade success. By spring, 80 percent of the students were reading at grade level.”
The 16 students at Harding who may be retained in first grade didn’t reach the skill level necessary to be successful in second grade.
“The decision to retain only happens after much discussion with parents and in staff team meetings,” Ingraham said in an email. “All students will be re-evaluated for reading-level gain or loss in the fall. Parents have been assured that if their child’s scores indicate preparedness for second grade, they will be reassigned.”
Each student could advance based on the knowledge or skills accomplished over the summer.
Parents also are aware of the skill sets each child needs to strengthen or acquire, and the principal says parents have committed to assisting their child during the summer and throughout the next school year, she said.
Harding Principal Diane Guarnieri said the school has a history of mainstreaming students to appropriate classes for success.
“This year alone, we had three kindergarten students who attended first-grade reading classes,” Guarnieri said in the email.
“This is done in each of the primary levels as determined appropriate. Closing the achievement gap takes a real commitment to assure student success. Our first-grade teachers in collaboration with parents have made that commitment.”
The principal said “changes in instructional strategies will occur through differentiated instruction, additional small-group instruction and targeting specific needs identified for each child.”