Presented to the

Scotia-Glenville Board of Education

Monday, March 28, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Members of the K-5 Instructional Organization Advisory Committee

 

SCOTIA-GLENVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOLS

K-5 Instructional Organization Advisory Committee Recommendation

 

March 28, 2005

 

The Charge

 

In June 2004, at the request of the Board of Education, a K-5 Instructional Organization Advisory Committee was formed with the charge to look at the current structure for instruction in grades K-5 across the district. The primary consideration of the committee was to determine if a more efficient, effective and consistent delivery of program instruction could be found. The charge also included a request for the committee to study the balancing of class sizes in order to provide equity.

 

Activities included, but were not limited to:

• Meet with the Facilities Advisory Committee to examine current census reports and plans for residential development in order to determine classroom needs for future enrollments.
• Analyze as many planning options as possible, including
• Continuing with current kindergarten and elementary grade programs
• Full day kindergarten
• Grade level centers
• Closing an elementary school
• Redistricting of current K-5 student population to balance class sizes
• Any other planning options may be discussed
• Review current research on all planning options under consideration.
• Study classroom, transportation, and operations and maintenance needs evolving from current and future requirements for all instructional designs considered.
• Recommend proposals to the Board of Education by December 12, 2004.
• Upon acceptance of a proposal by the Board, assist in the development of community acceptance

 

The Process

 

There was an informational meeting held on June 22, 2004. Over fifty people expressed an interest in participating. The charge from the Board and the proposed timeline was discussed at this initial meeting. Approximately 35 people became part of the committee; a diverse group including parents, teachers, administrators and members from the community at large; with representation from all four elementary schools.

 

The original committee decided to divide into two sub-groups – efficiency and effectiveness. A steering committee was formed to help plan agendas, organize information and facilitate meetings. The steering committee consisted of 9 members from the general membership. Facilitators and recorders for the efficiency and effectiveness sub-committees were selected from this steering committee. Monthly meetings were scheduled, beginning in July 2004, and a tentative goal for a public hearing and report to the Board of Education was set for early 2005. Agendas and meeting minutes were posted on the website.

 

During the monthly meetings we read and discussed several research articles and heard from several guest speakers. We analyzed current academic testing results, reviewed the proposed and approved plans for residential development, and studied current research on grade level centers and neighborhood school concepts. The delivery of kindergarten instruction was also investigated.

 

As work progressed, the efficiency and effectiveness sub-groups had many areas of overlap. The sub-groups realigned to study grade level centers and neighborhood schools. As decisions were made it was determined that both these sub-groups should work together for the remainder of the process. The full committee studied balancing class size, closing an elementary school, redistricting current attendance zones and altering the delivery of kindergarten instruction. The attached minutes provide a description of the work that was completed.

 

 

The Recommendation:

 

Maintain the current model of the transitional kindergarten schedule.

• Only in its fourth year district wide, the committee advises that ample time has not been given to determine the long range effectiveness of the model.
• This model is a developmentally appropriate for kindergarten age children.
• There are defined educational advantages.
• This program has been embraced by the community.
• Based on information received regarding transportation costs, it was determined that educational advantages outweighed potential savings.

 

Maintain the current configuration of neighborhood schools.

• During the research phase, data could not be found to clearly support either grade-level centers or neighborhood schools based on student achievement.
• Research supports limiting transitions for children in elementary levels.
• After reviewing elementary school maps and grade level enrollment, it was decided that there is no practical configuration for grade level centers for our existing buildings.
• Significant renovations to buildings would be necessary and cost prohibitive.
• There would be significant transportation issues.
• Loss of Title I funding creates the possibility of negative financial impact.
• Current test data for the district indicates that our children are doing well on State assessments and this is due, at least in part, to our current delivery of curriculum.

 

Keep the four current elementary schools open.

• After studying the current maps of all four buildings for space usage it became clear that three buildings would not allow enough space for the current population of elementary children in any configuration.
• Residential development indicated the possibility of additional space needs within the district.

 

Investigate swing zones/redistricting

• Balancing class sizes became the overriding focus of this committee and therefore investigating swing zones/redistricting would be the next step.
• Swing zones may offer the best a long-term solution to balancing class sizes.
• The educational advantages of balanced class sizes should outweigh the possible additional costs of restructuring the current attendance zones.

 

 

Attachments

 

 

• Agenda and Charge to the K-5 Instructional Organization Advisory Committee [dated June 26. 2004]
• Meeting Minutes – K-5 Organization Advisory Committee
• Meeting Minutes – Steering Committee
• Attendance sheet
• K-5 Advisory Committee Member Packet [dated August 10, 2004]
• Subcommittee and Leadership Groups
• “What Offers the BEST Educational Value?” Flow Chart
• Elementary School Class Size – Update Memo from Michael Marcelle [dated June 28,2004]
• Grade Level Center Research Articles
• Grade Configuration: Who Goes Where? By Request…July 1997
• Grade Level Center Feasibility Study. Prospect Heights School District 23, Prospect Heights, Illinois. February 4, 2003
• School Configuration Trends
• Research Roundup 16, 3 (Spring 2000). Grade Span by Ron Renchler
• Research Summary on Grade Level Configurations
• Grade-Span Configurations by Craig B. Howley
• Elementary School Grade Span Configuration: New Evidence on Student Achievement, Achievement Equity, and Cost Efficiency by Kathy Gregg
• Class Size in Elementary Classrooms [ November 25, 2002]
• Literature review of school configuration trends
• Kindergarten Advisory Board Recommendations [ May 11,1998]
• School Maps
• Residential development plan [ February, 2005]
• Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central School Swing Zone Policy
• Public Hearing Meeting Minutes