Arkport discusses benefits of primary school grade retention
ARKPORT — Parents have started conversations about primary school teachers’ decisions to keep students in the same grade for another year, Kindergarten-six principal Caitilin P. Dewey told the Arkport School Board this week.
The primary school decision-making team noted Arkport and Canaseraga schools have no policy about the issue and practice has been to accept parents’ decisions, despite teacher recommendations, she said.
The consequence of those decisions is that some students in fifth and sixth grades are “academically and socially well behind their peers,” Dewey said.
“Some kids in the seventh grade definitely are not ready and would have benefited from retention in primary school,” she said.
But for them “it’s now too late,” Dewey said.
Consensus of the decision-making team is that an administration policy with “teeth to support teachers would benefit students in grades pre-kindergarten through third grades, Dewey said.
Historically Arkport Central has accepted students into kindergarten, even if screening results show they may not be ready, the principal said.
Dewey recommended a policy that “is clearly written and articulated": Grade retention decisions must be based on anecdotal information, growth, standards-based report cards, attendance, retention scale results and screening data.
The policy would only apply to grades prekindergarten through third, Dewey said.
“Primary school years are now more intense, more rigorous so students will be more successful in their academic careers,” the principal said.
Principal Josie Steiner told board members that goals for grades 7-12 are building a sense of belonging and community, development of problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, promote teamwork and collaboration, engage students with the community, teach real-life transferable skills, empower students to be successful and contributors.
Steiner said students will be encouraged with grade events and competition plus guest speakers to discuss such issues as distracted driving and bullying with social media safety and responsibility.
December students activities involved writing letters to troops, she said.
January activities included academic trivia, distracted driving and problem solving, she said.
February included winter-Olympic themed grade competition, team-building plus problem-solving, the principal said.
Other activities will include mini-lessons about citizenship, responsibilities with social media and technology, and strategies to prevent and address bullying, she said.
Additional focus on problem solving and critical thinking will include elementary school classes, allowing leadership opportunities for high schools students and growth and engagement for elementary school students.
In another issue, the final eight mascot candidates for the Arkport-Canaseraga athletic teams are wolf, bear, warriors, raptors, nighthawks, titans, falcons and dragons, said Arkport Superintendent Jesse Harper.
He also told school board members this week that the five candidate school colors combinations chosen to date are green and blue, teal and black, grey and yellow, maroon, grey and purple plus blue and green,
More than 90 percent of the students from kindergarten through grade 12 from both schools have participated in team mascot and color voting, Harper said.
Harper credited 16 members of the Athletic Council with creating the Mascot Madness format “to generate enthusiasm for the selection process. Kids are already lobbying for their favorites,” he said.
The eight members of the Athletic Council from each school include parents, teachers, administrators and board of education members, the Arkport superintendent said.
Within the past three years the two districts have informally provided students at both schools “shared opportunities to compete in athletic endeavors, special education programs and transportation as needed,” Canaseraga Superintendent Chad C. Groff said at a recent meeting.
A lopsided May 2016 survey response where 80 percent of Canaseraga voters and 78 percent of Arkport voters said they would support another study of the potential unification of the districts resulted in the athletic union and the merger effort. The 2016 survey comments included diverse statements such as “Over the years I have always been in support of a joint merger between the two schools.”
The summary statement of the comments was “Take the best of both districts and build on each,” Groff and Harper said.
State regulations mean the soonest the two districts could officially merge is July 1, 2019. If progress continues without significant voting hiccups, boards of education for the two schools could vote this fall and, if board votes are affirmative, each community could schedule a so-called “straw poll” and binding referendum.
http://www.eveningtribune.com/news/20180317/arkport-discusses-benefits-of-primary-school-grade-retention
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