SCS Closer to Plan to Get off State Improvement List

SCHOHARE- An in-depth District Comprehensive Improvement Plan for Schoharie Central school is almost ready for school board approval. 

Matthew Wright, the district Director of Curriculum and Pupil Personnel Services, outlined the report for school board members at their May board meeting.

The improvement plan is necessary because the district is a state "district in need of improvement" in special education on the middle school level.

The district, Mr. Wright said, received a $188,000 grant to help implement the plan and its improvement. The plan needs to be approved by the district by July 1. Another update will be given to the board at their June meeting.

Mr. Wright noted that the district cannot get off the school of improvement list in the first year and has to have two years of improvement in order to get off.

The improvement, he added, has to be shown in scores among middle school special education students in math and English. The number of students is small, sometimes only seven in a grade level, "but we always can do something better," Mr. Wright said. The improvements would "be a win for everybody."

One more meeting was planned with the state Education Department liaison and the final draft is almost ready for submission, Mr. Wright told school board members. The building-level plans still have to be finalized.

State Ed-developed surveys were sent to planning committee members, district leadership, and teachers.

Survey results included: Need for clarity: roles and responsibilities, support for teacher leaders (department leads, curriculum coordinators), consistency in policy and procedure implementation, time and space to talk about teaching and learning, continued development of MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports), support for absences (staff and student), vertical alignment, and continued development of the district wide data protocol and using data to inform instruction.