The first city-wide forum on the Achievement Gap is scheduled for Saturday, April 28 at the CRLS auditorium.
If you are interested in understanding how Cambridge defines the Achievement Gap, the context of the problem nationally, what progress has been made, and what's left to do, mark your calendars and plan to attend!
Here's the press release and the poster about the upcoming series of forums planned for April through October. A subcommittee of the School Committee has been working to plan this series since January.
Read my prior January 19 post about this series here.
We need help with outreach to make this as successful as possible. If you are interested in helping, please e-mail me at nancy@nancywalser.org or call 617-876-4582. Thanks!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
King School in the NYT
The Martin Luther King Jr. School was featured in the New York Times for it's innovative extended learning program.
Too bad the headline doesn't apply to the King. It's not a "failing" school in Massachusetts. Given the state's high standards, it should probably be among the lists like those the Education Trust puts out of schools that are doing well by a diverse student body.
Too bad the headline doesn't apply to the King. It's not a "failing" school in Massachusetts. Given the state's high standards, it should probably be among the lists like those the Education Trust puts out of schools that are doing well by a diverse student body.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
See Our "Prep Caliber" Arts
In Reason #6 of my last post, I mentioned how Boston Magazine wrote about the arts programs at CRLS as "prep caliber."
If you want to see why, there are two chances coming up soon.
The CRLS drama club made it to the state finals this year for the first time in six years. They perform "Charlotte's Web" this Friday night at the Back Bay Center in Boston.
Next Wednesday and Thursday night, the CRLS Modern Dance Co. performs new dances by students, faculty and guest artists in the CRLS auditorium. Both performances start at 7:30 p.m. and admission is free.
The Modern Dance Co., BTW, was just selected in a competitive process to be one of only seven student groups from across the country performing at the National School Board Association's annual conference in April. They will be travelling to San Francisco and will perform Monday evening April 16 in the Mascone Center. Dance teacher Mila Thigpen submitted the winning portfolio including a DVD of their work.
If you want to see why, there are two chances coming up soon.
The CRLS drama club made it to the state finals this year for the first time in six years. They perform "Charlotte's Web" this Friday night at the Back Bay Center in Boston.
Next Wednesday and Thursday night, the CRLS Modern Dance Co. performs new dances by students, faculty and guest artists in the CRLS auditorium. Both performances start at 7:30 p.m. and admission is free.
The Modern Dance Co., BTW, was just selected in a competitive process to be one of only seven student groups from across the country performing at the National School Board Association's annual conference in April. They will be travelling to San Francisco and will perform Monday evening April 16 in the Mascone Center. Dance teacher Mila Thigpen submitted the winning portfolio including a DVD of their work.
Monday, March 26, 2007
20 Reasons to Chose Cambridge Schools
The School Committee passed the 07-08 school budget last week and sent it to the City Council for final approval on May 9. As far as I’m concerned, there are many reasons for Cambridge parents and taxpayers alike to celebrate.
If you agree, after reading this post, please call or e-mail the City Council and urge their unanimous support of our school budget and thank them for their generous support for our schools.
While major expenses for next year are increasing between six and nine percent (energy, transportation, health insurance), the school budget is growing by only 1.8 percent. This is the third year in a row that the budget has increased less than two percent--proof of an efficient, well-managed department. Things that were no longer needed (like training for the transition to the block schedule at the high school) were reallocated to cover cost increases and to fund 18 new initiatives both small and large.
But the picture in school districts around us could not be more different. Due to the increasing reliance on property tax to fund education, among other factors, towns and cities all over the Commonwealth are imposing and/or increasing fees, narrowing their curriculum by eliminating programs that don’t directly relate to MCAS (art, music, sports, librarians etc.), increasing class sizes and gearing for overrides. It’s so bad, the Boston Globe has even started a blog to document all the woes called Override Central.
Cambridge children, on the other hand, are enjoying the stability of low class sizes, increased training for teachers and principals and a well-rounded education filled with updated curricula and programs that many districts just can’t afford anymore --or couldn't even dream of starting. And all without notorious fees that block equal access.
It’s time to count our blessings and make a list of all the reasons why we should feel pretty good about our investment in education in Cambridge and why young families should seriously consider getting involved in our schools.
This list also doubles as an explanation for that perennial question of “Why do we spend so much in Cambridge?” The answer is pretty self-evident as you read below.
This list also explains why folks in other districts are becoming more vocal in saying: “We should be spending more.”
Finally, lest anyone accuse me of overstating, all this is offered with the caveat that nothing is perfect and we, like districts across the nation, have serious work left to do to close the achievement gap among other tasks.
20 Reasons to Choose Cambridge Public Schools
1. Free full-day kindergarten with increasing public preschool options.
[Arlington now charges $1,500 for kindergarten, plus assorted fees for sports and instrumental music with increases possible for next year.]
2. Choice of schools and free transportation outside walk zones. [Makes socioeconomic balance possible; allows families to choose between schools that teach to same standards, yet offer different themes or teaching philosophies or that have longer school days, no matter where they live in the city.]
3. Low average class size (17.5).
4. Updated, enhanced core curricula: the latest, balanced math and literacy curricula (TERC, Connected Math, Literacy Collaborative). Science Initiative updated labs and curricula, started a middle school science vacation camp, high school internships and Earthwatch trips.
5. Foreign language in elementary school (Spanish) beginning in 6th grade and earlier in some schools i.e. Chinese at the King; Italian at Haggerty, etc. [Lexington had to eliminate foreign language in elementary schools last year and some high school honors courses and is looking at eliminating even more programs unless an override passes.]
6. Arts of all sorts: Art lesson 1-8; music K-8; drama integrated into curriculum. Choral/instrumental program in middle school. High school visual/performing arts options that rival area private schools according to Boston Magazine. [Newton SC is trying to restore art and music in elementary school through a possible override.]
7. State certified vocational program in 10 areas. [Many students have to travel to regional vocational schools to take advantage of these types of programs, like engineering, commercial design or culinary.]
8. College Prep, Honors and AP courses, dual enrollment in undergraduate classes at Harvard College and/or Harvard Extension classes at the high school level.
9. Homework help, after-school programs in every school; free clubs and sports at the high school. [Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association estimates that two-thirds of school districts now have athletic fees.]
10. Full-time librarians and technical assistants in every school. Family liaisons in every school and for non-English speaking families.
11. Cutting-edge nutrition and health programs: City Sprouts gardens in eight out of 12 elementary schools; physical fitness “report cards” sent home; special p.e. programs like 5/6 ballroom dancing, middle school intramural competitions.
12. Myriad of programs to support children academically: Jump Start summer school for elementary students; Harvard-run summer school for high school students; special classrooms and supports for special education students; alternative high school program.
13. AVID program to support motivated students in taking honors and AP courses at the high school.
14. Homeroom advisory program at high school pairs students with same homeroom teacher and guidance counselor for four years.
15. Diverse student body that is celebrated in the culture and the curriculum of the schools. [Ability to communicate and collaborate with others is considered a 21st Century skill.]
16. One of the lowest drop-out rates in the state.
17. All subgroup scores on MCAS surpassed those of the state in 2006.
18. SAT scores of students in the top two-fifths of their class have surpassed their state and national counterparts. [SAT averages are lower because CRLS encourages students in the bottom two fifths of the class to also take the test].
19. Ninety-two percent of CRLS class of 2006 enrolled in two or four year college, university or technical school. One out of four enrolled in the nation’s top 100 colleges and universities. Here's the matriculation list for 2006.
20. Lowest residential taxes in the area ($7.38 per $1,000 value vs. $11.34 in Arlington; $11.17 in Watertown; $11.20 in Boston; $9.55 in Brookline; $11.11 in Lextingon and $10.53 in Somerville).
If you agree, after reading this post, please call or e-mail the City Council and urge their unanimous support of our school budget and thank them for their generous support for our schools.
While major expenses for next year are increasing between six and nine percent (energy, transportation, health insurance), the school budget is growing by only 1.8 percent. This is the third year in a row that the budget has increased less than two percent--proof of an efficient, well-managed department. Things that were no longer needed (like training for the transition to the block schedule at the high school) were reallocated to cover cost increases and to fund 18 new initiatives both small and large.
But the picture in school districts around us could not be more different. Due to the increasing reliance on property tax to fund education, among other factors, towns and cities all over the Commonwealth are imposing and/or increasing fees, narrowing their curriculum by eliminating programs that don’t directly relate to MCAS (art, music, sports, librarians etc.), increasing class sizes and gearing for overrides. It’s so bad, the Boston Globe has even started a blog to document all the woes called Override Central.
Cambridge children, on the other hand, are enjoying the stability of low class sizes, increased training for teachers and principals and a well-rounded education filled with updated curricula and programs that many districts just can’t afford anymore --or couldn't even dream of starting. And all without notorious fees that block equal access.
It’s time to count our blessings and make a list of all the reasons why we should feel pretty good about our investment in education in Cambridge and why young families should seriously consider getting involved in our schools.
This list also doubles as an explanation for that perennial question of “Why do we spend so much in Cambridge?” The answer is pretty self-evident as you read below.
This list also explains why folks in other districts are becoming more vocal in saying: “We should be spending more.”
Finally, lest anyone accuse me of overstating, all this is offered with the caveat that nothing is perfect and we, like districts across the nation, have serious work left to do to close the achievement gap among other tasks.
20 Reasons to Choose Cambridge Public Schools
1. Free full-day kindergarten with increasing public preschool options.
[Arlington now charges $1,500 for kindergarten, plus assorted fees for sports and instrumental music with increases possible for next year.]
2. Choice of schools and free transportation outside walk zones. [Makes socioeconomic balance possible; allows families to choose between schools that teach to same standards, yet offer different themes or teaching philosophies or that have longer school days, no matter where they live in the city.]
3. Low average class size (17.5).
4. Updated, enhanced core curricula: the latest, balanced math and literacy curricula (TERC, Connected Math, Literacy Collaborative). Science Initiative updated labs and curricula, started a middle school science vacation camp, high school internships and Earthwatch trips.
5. Foreign language in elementary school (Spanish) beginning in 6th grade and earlier in some schools i.e. Chinese at the King; Italian at Haggerty, etc. [Lexington had to eliminate foreign language in elementary schools last year and some high school honors courses and is looking at eliminating even more programs unless an override passes.]
6. Arts of all sorts: Art lesson 1-8; music K-8; drama integrated into curriculum. Choral/instrumental program in middle school. High school visual/performing arts options that rival area private schools according to Boston Magazine. [Newton SC is trying to restore art and music in elementary school through a possible override.]
7. State certified vocational program in 10 areas. [Many students have to travel to regional vocational schools to take advantage of these types of programs, like engineering, commercial design or culinary.]
8. College Prep, Honors and AP courses, dual enrollment in undergraduate classes at Harvard College and/or Harvard Extension classes at the high school level.
9. Homework help, after-school programs in every school; free clubs and sports at the high school. [Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association estimates that two-thirds of school districts now have athletic fees.]
10. Full-time librarians and technical assistants in every school. Family liaisons in every school and for non-English speaking families.
11. Cutting-edge nutrition and health programs: City Sprouts gardens in eight out of 12 elementary schools; physical fitness “report cards” sent home; special p.e. programs like 5/6 ballroom dancing, middle school intramural competitions.
12. Myriad of programs to support children academically: Jump Start summer school for elementary students; Harvard-run summer school for high school students; special classrooms and supports for special education students; alternative high school program.
13. AVID program to support motivated students in taking honors and AP courses at the high school.
14. Homeroom advisory program at high school pairs students with same homeroom teacher and guidance counselor for four years.
15. Diverse student body that is celebrated in the culture and the curriculum of the schools. [Ability to communicate and collaborate with others is considered a 21st Century skill.]
16. One of the lowest drop-out rates in the state.
17. All subgroup scores on MCAS surpassed those of the state in 2006.
18. SAT scores of students in the top two-fifths of their class have surpassed their state and national counterparts. [SAT averages are lower because CRLS encourages students in the bottom two fifths of the class to also take the test].
19. Ninety-two percent of CRLS class of 2006 enrolled in two or four year college, university or technical school. One out of four enrolled in the nation’s top 100 colleges and universities. Here's the matriculation list for 2006.
20. Lowest residential taxes in the area ($7.38 per $1,000 value vs. $11.34 in Arlington; $11.17 in Watertown; $11.20 in Boston; $9.55 in Brookline; $11.11 in Lextingon and $10.53 in Somerville).
Saturday, March 17, 2007
More Kindergarten News
As I have written before, there are now two elementary schools in Cambridge that have longer school days than the others -- the King School and the Fletcher-Maynard Academy.
This has put a new wrinkle into the mandatory assignments for kindergarten.
Last week, the question of longer hours for young children came up from some parents who had been mandatorily assigned and were looking at these schools, but were concerned about the additional two hours their four or five year-olds would have to attend.
Since the state does not require school attendance until age six, the question was: Could younger children opt out of the longer hours?
The answer is: Yes.
Administrators contacted the state about the requirements of the Extended Learning Time (ELT) grant, which funds the additional hours at both schools. They were told that although kindergartners are "highly encouraged to stay," it is possible for parents to pick them up early if they do not want them to attend school for the entire eight hours.
This pilot program is being very closely watched by educators and policy makers who believe more time is needed during the school day to close the achievement gap and provide an enriching, engaging education for all students, given Massachusetts' ambitious state curriculum frameworks. These two schools opted to expand their hours after both faculty and parents voted in favor.
For more information on the state program, contact Mass2020. To learn more about the Cambridge program, call the principals at King and Fletcher-Maynard.
This has put a new wrinkle into the mandatory assignments for kindergarten.
Last week, the question of longer hours for young children came up from some parents who had been mandatorily assigned and were looking at these schools, but were concerned about the additional two hours their four or five year-olds would have to attend.
Since the state does not require school attendance until age six, the question was: Could younger children opt out of the longer hours?
The answer is: Yes.
Administrators contacted the state about the requirements of the Extended Learning Time (ELT) grant, which funds the additional hours at both schools. They were told that although kindergartners are "highly encouraged to stay," it is possible for parents to pick them up early if they do not want them to attend school for the entire eight hours.
This pilot program is being very closely watched by educators and policy makers who believe more time is needed during the school day to close the achievement gap and provide an enriching, engaging education for all students, given Massachusetts' ambitious state curriculum frameworks. These two schools opted to expand their hours after both faculty and parents voted in favor.
For more information on the state program, contact Mass2020. To learn more about the Cambridge program, call the principals at King and Fletcher-Maynard.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Adding (Not Cutting) Arts K-8
King Open parents are starting a new after-school theater program like the one at Graham & Parks. The Globe featured the plans for a new King Open theater program in a story this past weekend.
I saw "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" at the G&P a year or so back and if the KO productions come close to this one, it means some serious acting experiences for kids and audiences. At G&P, the kids acted/sang the whole Broadway play, built amazing sets, the whole nine yards.
This new program will enhance an already robust arts curriculum at KO where art projects often tie in with something being studied in humanities (History/English). The 3/4s traditionally put on skits during the Renaissance Fair and the 5/6 classes put on a full-length play by Shakespeare. The K curriculum routinely includes art in class. (I still have the cardboard costume my son wore as the ladybug in his classroom production of "The Grouchy Ladybug" because I can't yet bring myself to throw it out.)
That's not even mentioning all the mural projects the entire school--kids, staff, parents alike--has worked on. Just drive by KO on Cambridge Street and you'll see what I mean.
Of course, any discussion of the arts K-8 has to include the Peabody School, which adopted a Kodaly music program. Boston Magazine featured the school's program in a 2005 article.
District-wide, CPS expanded art classes downward to include 1st grade about three years ago. Next year, the proposed budget would expand music at the 7/8 level by eliminating general music to offer more choral/instrumental opportunities.
Other town/cities are having to fight to retain or restore arts at the elementary level. (Newton is one example featured in the papers recently.) In Cambridge, thankfully, the trend has been the opposite.
I saw "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" at the G&P a year or so back and if the KO productions come close to this one, it means some serious acting experiences for kids and audiences. At G&P, the kids acted/sang the whole Broadway play, built amazing sets, the whole nine yards.
This new program will enhance an already robust arts curriculum at KO where art projects often tie in with something being studied in humanities (History/English). The 3/4s traditionally put on skits during the Renaissance Fair and the 5/6 classes put on a full-length play by Shakespeare. The K curriculum routinely includes art in class. (I still have the cardboard costume my son wore as the ladybug in his classroom production of "The Grouchy Ladybug" because I can't yet bring myself to throw it out.)
That's not even mentioning all the mural projects the entire school--kids, staff, parents alike--has worked on. Just drive by KO on Cambridge Street and you'll see what I mean.
Of course, any discussion of the arts K-8 has to include the Peabody School, which adopted a Kodaly music program. Boston Magazine featured the school's program in a 2005 article.
District-wide, CPS expanded art classes downward to include 1st grade about three years ago. Next year, the proposed budget would expand music at the 7/8 level by eliminating general music to offer more choral/instrumental opportunities.
Other town/cities are having to fight to retain or restore arts at the elementary level. (Newton is one example featured in the papers recently.) In Cambridge, thankfully, the trend has been the opposite.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Kindergarten Registration Moves Forward
The School Committee voted Tuesday night to tweak the existing controlled-choice policy so the lottery can be run and parents can be notified soon about which school their children will be assigned to for kindergarten in September.
The amended policy will provide enough seats and minimize the number of mandatory assignments for families who don't qualify for free or reduced lunch. This is the group that has disproportionally been wait-listed for the 10+ years I've been following school issues.
This vote is good news.
The amended policy will also provide more flexibility to move families seeking transfers in grades 1-8 off those wait-lists.
Although I was hoping for a policy that would be more responsive to the demographics of in-coming families, I realize there were outstanding questions about the first vote.
The first vote we took on a policy change would have based assignments on the demographics of families who registered in the first cycle. Although the great majority of families do register during this cycle (the month of January), this way of doing the assignments wouldn't factor in the demographics of families registering later in the year right before school opened.
What might make more sense going forward is to base the definition of balance on the demographics of the previous year's entire pool of registrants. That means the kindergarten class would be more representative of in-coming families as recently as the year prior.
The policy we voted Tuesday still bases the apportionment of seats on the demographics of the entire K-8 population. And I still think that is a problem.
Even though we added some flexibility to get by through this year, we have to look at the basis of the problem: the demographics of young families entering the school system appears to be very different than the K-8 population. (Another piece of evidence: traditionally, the majority of applicants who register for kindergarten after cycle 1 are eligible for free/reduced lunch. But already in cycle 2, this is not true; the majority are "pay" families, according to administrators who spoke on Tuesday.)
We will be discussing this policy again in the fall after school begins. It is very complex and there are a lot of divergent opinions.
But, in addition to the policy, we'll certainly be talking about another piece of the picture: schools that are not attracting a diverse pool of choices. This is a problem that has been, and can continue to be, addressed by putting in new programs to attract whichever demographic is not choosing a school.
The superintendent's idea to transform the Tobin into a Montessori school is a great example of what can be done. According to surveys done in Cambridge, this program choice was seen as attractive by both low-income and "pay" families. And, indeed, unlike the recent past at the Tobin, the Montessori drew a balance of families from both categories for its first year of operation this fall.
But it is also possible to put in smaller programs and other services to attract either middle/high income families or low-income families to existing school programs that are imbalanced in one way or another.
The amended policy will provide enough seats and minimize the number of mandatory assignments for families who don't qualify for free or reduced lunch. This is the group that has disproportionally been wait-listed for the 10+ years I've been following school issues.
This vote is good news.
The amended policy will also provide more flexibility to move families seeking transfers in grades 1-8 off those wait-lists.
Although I was hoping for a policy that would be more responsive to the demographics of in-coming families, I realize there were outstanding questions about the first vote.
The first vote we took on a policy change would have based assignments on the demographics of families who registered in the first cycle. Although the great majority of families do register during this cycle (the month of January), this way of doing the assignments wouldn't factor in the demographics of families registering later in the year right before school opened.
What might make more sense going forward is to base the definition of balance on the demographics of the previous year's entire pool of registrants. That means the kindergarten class would be more representative of in-coming families as recently as the year prior.
The policy we voted Tuesday still bases the apportionment of seats on the demographics of the entire K-8 population. And I still think that is a problem.
Even though we added some flexibility to get by through this year, we have to look at the basis of the problem: the demographics of young families entering the school system appears to be very different than the K-8 population. (Another piece of evidence: traditionally, the majority of applicants who register for kindergarten after cycle 1 are eligible for free/reduced lunch. But already in cycle 2, this is not true; the majority are "pay" families, according to administrators who spoke on Tuesday.)
We will be discussing this policy again in the fall after school begins. It is very complex and there are a lot of divergent opinions.
But, in addition to the policy, we'll certainly be talking about another piece of the picture: schools that are not attracting a diverse pool of choices. This is a problem that has been, and can continue to be, addressed by putting in new programs to attract whichever demographic is not choosing a school.
The superintendent's idea to transform the Tobin into a Montessori school is a great example of what can be done. According to surveys done in Cambridge, this program choice was seen as attractive by both low-income and "pay" families. And, indeed, unlike the recent past at the Tobin, the Montessori drew a balance of families from both categories for its first year of operation this fall.
But it is also possible to put in smaller programs and other services to attract either middle/high income families or low-income families to existing school programs that are imbalanced in one way or another.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Budget in the News 1
The superintendent's proposed budget got a great initial reception last night. It was very user-friendly. Lots of great photos of things happening in the classrooms. Nice summary of what the school system has been working on/accomplishing in recent years. To access a pdf of the summary click here. I hope the presentation with all the photos will be posted soon.
The Harvard Crimson wrote a nice piece about it for their paper today.
More later ....
The Harvard Crimson wrote a nice piece about it for their paper today.
More later ....
Monday, March 05, 2007
Budget for 2007-08
The superintendent is unveiling his proposed '07-08 budget tomorrow night with the theme of "Building on Progress." Here are some quick highlights:
The '07-08 budget continues the trend in fiscal responsibility. As in recent years, the school budget is growing less than 2%, despite higher cost increases in major expenditures like health insurance (9%), transportation (7%) and energy (6%).
This budget also continues the trend of reallocating more than $1 million creatively to provide some new programs and initiatives -- a total of 18 initiatives at the school level, and six at the district level, both large and small.
This budget responds to requests from School Committee members and from the community over the past months to address needs/desires for a more robust music program in middle and high school, additional special education classrooms for children in the autistic spectrum, training for librarians and tech specialists, in-school teacher training (coaches) for major subject areas as well as health education, expanded opportunities for civic engagement and internships, enhanced RSTA programs, web access to student records for parents, mentoring to help students navigate the route to college, and expansion of City Sprouts gardening program to two more schools--among other things.
The budget also funds previous commitments to update curriculum and expand training in TERC math and the Literacy Collaborative, to open the new Montessori program at the Tobin, add additional kindergartens at Tobin and Haggerty to meet demand, expand AVID at the high school and the ISP program at the Peabody--among other things.
Central administration would comprise 5.7% of the budget as compared to 72.4% for expenditures in the schools -- far outpacing the 65% that some national advocates are calling for.
Unlike prior years, a relatively stable enrollment projected for next year means only four teaching positions are being eliminated in this budget due to enrollment declines--two at the high school through retirements and two at the elementary level.
As in the past, the superintendent's presentation will be posted on www.cpsd.us. The School Committee will hold a public hearing on the budget on Tuesday, March 13, with the vote scheduled for March 20.
The '07-08 budget continues the trend in fiscal responsibility. As in recent years, the school budget is growing less than 2%, despite higher cost increases in major expenditures like health insurance (9%), transportation (7%) and energy (6%).
This budget also continues the trend of reallocating more than $1 million creatively to provide some new programs and initiatives -- a total of 18 initiatives at the school level, and six at the district level, both large and small.
This budget responds to requests from School Committee members and from the community over the past months to address needs/desires for a more robust music program in middle and high school, additional special education classrooms for children in the autistic spectrum, training for librarians and tech specialists, in-school teacher training (coaches) for major subject areas as well as health education, expanded opportunities for civic engagement and internships, enhanced RSTA programs, web access to student records for parents, mentoring to help students navigate the route to college, and expansion of City Sprouts gardening program to two more schools--among other things.
The budget also funds previous commitments to update curriculum and expand training in TERC math and the Literacy Collaborative, to open the new Montessori program at the Tobin, add additional kindergartens at Tobin and Haggerty to meet demand, expand AVID at the high school and the ISP program at the Peabody--among other things.
Central administration would comprise 5.7% of the budget as compared to 72.4% for expenditures in the schools -- far outpacing the 65% that some national advocates are calling for.
Unlike prior years, a relatively stable enrollment projected for next year means only four teaching positions are being eliminated in this budget due to enrollment declines--two at the high school through retirements and two at the elementary level.
As in the past, the superintendent's presentation will be posted on www.cpsd.us. The School Committee will hold a public hearing on the budget on Tuesday, March 13, with the vote scheduled for March 20.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Changing Choice
This past week, the School Committee had to revisit its student assignment policy for unforeseen reasons.
After kindergarten registration closed for the first cycle at the end of January, the administration informed us that not only was there a large jump in the number of families registering (see "Kindergarten Registration Jumps"), but the percentage of middle-class families registering had also increased from 63 to 69 percent compared to last year.
These two factors meant that for the first time since we adopted socioeconomic (SES) balancing, the school system did not have enough seats to offer "paid" families, or those who do not quality for free or reduced lunch.
It meant that before the kindergarten lottery could be run, the Committee had to change its current policy known as "controlled-choice." This is the policy that governs how classrooms are balanced between "paid" and "free/reduced" seats for in-coming kindergartners and other transfers into CPS elementary schools. (A different, random process is used for assignments to the Small Learning Communities at the high school.)
It also meant that, unfortunately, despite our intention to move up the mailing of kindergarten assignments to March 1, we missed that goal. On the positive side, the jump in kindergarten numbers clearly indicates a vote of confidence in the Cambridge Public Schools, a reversal in falling enrollments, or both.
Let me try to explain what happened and how the School Committee has voted preliminarily to correct the problem. [Note: if the SC votes the new policy on "second reading" this Tuesday night, kindergarten assignments could go out in 5-10 business days.]
One of the problems is that the current policy is not sensitive to demographic changes in the entering school-age population, and Cambridge has been undergoing some demographic changes.
Kindergarten (and grade 1-8) seats are divided according to the SES balance in the CPS elementary population as a whole (+/-10%), which at this time is 55% paid and 45% free/reduced. This means that even though 69% of the registrants are in the paid category, only 55% of seats would be set aside for "paid" families.
Another problem is that despite the fact that the schools are more evenly chosen in recent years, there were some schools that were overchosen. Because of this, it appeared that 73 families would not get any of their three school choices and would receive a mandatory assignment instead. This number, 73, is unacceptably high. Mandatory assignments have ranged from a low of 24 to a high of 55 over the past six years.
The policy that was adopted on "first reading" last Tuesday would do three things:
1.) Align the apportionment of seats directly to the SES balance of in-coming families averaged over the past two years or 66% paid/34% free or reduced (+/- 10%) for '07-08.
2.) Reduce mandatory assignments for paid families from 72 to 26, while only slightly increasing from 1 to 6 the number of mandatory assignments for free/reduced lunch families. These are based on simulations run by the school department.
3.) Add an additional kindergarten in two highly-chosen schools, Haggerty and Tobin Montessori, while also allowing 10 percent more English speaking families into the Amigos kindergarten for next year. (Amigos is one of two programs where assignments are based on home language due to its language immersion model.)
There is some concern that the altered policy will leave too few free/reduced seats for the smaller (monthly) registration cycles after cycle one. During the meeting, administrators said they felt that there would not be a problem because more families in general were registering in the first cycle and that many in-coming families replace those who transfer out before the school begins.
After reading all this, you might ask, why do we bother with such a complicated assignment system?
The roots of controlled choice go back to the '80s when the city, believing in the importance of racial integration to the well-being of society, voluntarily desegregated its schools. More recently, with the emphasis on student achievement, the School Committee switched to using to SES, rather than race as a basis of assignments. According to national studies, low-income students do better in mixed SES schools than when isolated in high-poverty schools. (Cambridge has a recent history of isolating poor students in schools and two of these were closed during consolidation.) Middle-class families who advocate for balance believe their children get many benefits, too, from attending diverse schools. (See "How Not to Pick a School.")
Of course, the best way to create balanced schools is to make sure that existing schools have strong programs that are seen as viable and attractive by both middle class and low-income families. To me, one of the strengths of the new Montessori program is just that, and, indeed, the families who chose the new program for next year reflect a strong balance. But the Tobin is by no means the only school in our system drawing respectably from both free and paid categories. There are also several examples of Cambridge schools that changed their demographics dramatically, becoming more balanced, by adopting new programs and other means.
After kindergarten registration closed for the first cycle at the end of January, the administration informed us that not only was there a large jump in the number of families registering (see "Kindergarten Registration Jumps"), but the percentage of middle-class families registering had also increased from 63 to 69 percent compared to last year.
These two factors meant that for the first time since we adopted socioeconomic (SES) balancing, the school system did not have enough seats to offer "paid" families, or those who do not quality for free or reduced lunch.
It meant that before the kindergarten lottery could be run, the Committee had to change its current policy known as "controlled-choice." This is the policy that governs how classrooms are balanced between "paid" and "free/reduced" seats for in-coming kindergartners and other transfers into CPS elementary schools. (A different, random process is used for assignments to the Small Learning Communities at the high school.)
It also meant that, unfortunately, despite our intention to move up the mailing of kindergarten assignments to March 1, we missed that goal. On the positive side, the jump in kindergarten numbers clearly indicates a vote of confidence in the Cambridge Public Schools, a reversal in falling enrollments, or both.
Let me try to explain what happened and how the School Committee has voted preliminarily to correct the problem. [Note: if the SC votes the new policy on "second reading" this Tuesday night, kindergarten assignments could go out in 5-10 business days.]
One of the problems is that the current policy is not sensitive to demographic changes in the entering school-age population, and Cambridge has been undergoing some demographic changes.
Kindergarten (and grade 1-8) seats are divided according to the SES balance in the CPS elementary population as a whole (+/-10%), which at this time is 55% paid and 45% free/reduced. This means that even though 69% of the registrants are in the paid category, only 55% of seats would be set aside for "paid" families.
Another problem is that despite the fact that the schools are more evenly chosen in recent years, there were some schools that were overchosen. Because of this, it appeared that 73 families would not get any of their three school choices and would receive a mandatory assignment instead. This number, 73, is unacceptably high. Mandatory assignments have ranged from a low of 24 to a high of 55 over the past six years.
The policy that was adopted on "first reading" last Tuesday would do three things:
1.) Align the apportionment of seats directly to the SES balance of in-coming families averaged over the past two years or 66% paid/34% free or reduced (+/- 10%) for '07-08.
2.) Reduce mandatory assignments for paid families from 72 to 26, while only slightly increasing from 1 to 6 the number of mandatory assignments for free/reduced lunch families. These are based on simulations run by the school department.
3.) Add an additional kindergarten in two highly-chosen schools, Haggerty and Tobin Montessori, while also allowing 10 percent more English speaking families into the Amigos kindergarten for next year. (Amigos is one of two programs where assignments are based on home language due to its language immersion model.)
There is some concern that the altered policy will leave too few free/reduced seats for the smaller (monthly) registration cycles after cycle one. During the meeting, administrators said they felt that there would not be a problem because more families in general were registering in the first cycle and that many in-coming families replace those who transfer out before the school begins.
After reading all this, you might ask, why do we bother with such a complicated assignment system?
The roots of controlled choice go back to the '80s when the city, believing in the importance of racial integration to the well-being of society, voluntarily desegregated its schools. More recently, with the emphasis on student achievement, the School Committee switched to using to SES, rather than race as a basis of assignments. According to national studies, low-income students do better in mixed SES schools than when isolated in high-poverty schools. (Cambridge has a recent history of isolating poor students in schools and two of these were closed during consolidation.) Middle-class families who advocate for balance believe their children get many benefits, too, from attending diverse schools. (See "How Not to Pick a School.")
Of course, the best way to create balanced schools is to make sure that existing schools have strong programs that are seen as viable and attractive by both middle class and low-income families. To me, one of the strengths of the new Montessori program is just that, and, indeed, the families who chose the new program for next year reflect a strong balance. But the Tobin is by no means the only school in our system drawing respectably from both free and paid categories. There are also several examples of Cambridge schools that changed their demographics dramatically, becoming more balanced, by adopting new programs and other means.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
CPS in the News 3
The Fletcher-Maynard is featured in an AP story on the trend of extending the school day. F-M is one of two schools in Cambridge (the other is the King School) participating in this pilot program. Gov. Patrick has just proposed doubling state grants for this program.
The most interesting thing to me in this story is the quote by Education Commissioner David Driscoll, who has been a voracious champion of MCAS, to the exclusion of just about everything else. Cambridge has often felt his heat due to its ambivalence about using this test as the sole indicator of school quality. [It's well known that narrowing the curriculum to beef up test scores can put a damper on student's interest in school.]
In this story, however, Driscoll talks up the benefits of extending the school day because of the *enrichment classes* that can now be offered to students beyond the tested subjects.
The direct quotes from the AP story:
"Once [students are] engaged, they'll learn other lessons," Driscoll said. "I think the big mistake that everybody makes is they think that education is all about the academics."
All I can say is, it's nice to see the pendulum swinging back ....
The most interesting thing to me in this story is the quote by Education Commissioner David Driscoll, who has been a voracious champion of MCAS, to the exclusion of just about everything else. Cambridge has often felt his heat due to its ambivalence about using this test as the sole indicator of school quality. [It's well known that narrowing the curriculum to beef up test scores can put a damper on student's interest in school.]
In this story, however, Driscoll talks up the benefits of extending the school day because of the *enrichment classes* that can now be offered to students beyond the tested subjects.
The direct quotes from the AP story:
"Once [students are] engaged, they'll learn other lessons," Driscoll said. "I think the big mistake that everybody makes is they think that education is all about the academics."
All I can say is, it's nice to see the pendulum swinging back ....
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