The Echo

I've devoted some posts this week to the CSD's (Christina School District's) AVID program (Achievement Via Individual Determination) in response to the recent News Journal article chronicling some methods used by districts downstate to positively affect high school graduation rates.

After reading that article I felt it was important to investigate the specifics of Christina's programming, how we target our students, and how successful our interventions are. Dr. Lyles, CSD superintendent, provided me with a list of programs that our district utilizes and I have been diligently culling information that I believe is useful to parents and our tax-paying public.

The honest truth is that I know that I have much to learn to be an effective policymaker for our district. In keeping with my mission statement to this blog, I am hoping to educate as I learn.

The following information is from:

Electronic Draft FY08 Report November 30, 2008
Evaluation of Federal and State Program
Goals and Objectives
Included in the Consolidated Application
Fiscal Year 2007-2008
Submitted by Dr. Lillian Lowery, then CSD superintendent and now Delaware's Secretary of Education to Gov. Markell.

The full text of this application is available at:
http://www.christina.k12.de.us/BudgetFinance/ConsolidatedGrants/FY08-ExecSummary.pdf

Goal 5 of the Consolidated Grant reads:

Improve School Climate and Student/Staff Relationships


"The Delaware School Climate Survey shows that middle and high school parents and teachers have a higher satisfaction with school safety than students by at least 12 percentage points. It also shows a higher satisfaction with middle school safety than high school safety. Only 52.9% of high school students feel safe in their schools.

In addition, the Delaware School Climate Survey puts more emphasis on student-teacher relationships in ways that help teachers to expand their capabilities for positive engagement with students. Professional development and implementation efforts include: (a) Continue to support and expand PBS, (b) Investigate and potentially implement other complementary classroom management programs,(c) Provide coaching for teachers on classroom management techniques, (d) Implement student success plans, (e) Provide resource books on potential intervention strategies to support students, and (f) Continue to focus coaching on adult behaviors to de-escalate issues. These efforts started in FY08 and should continue in FY09. Part of the intent is to develop an intensive support system for students who exhibit severe behavioral issues.

Strengths
The AVID program provides the district with an inherent broad focus on accelerating the academic achievement of students at all performance levels. Because AVID is for middle performing students from historically underrepresented groups, it increases the assurance that improvement efforts will be at their inclusion rather than at their expense. AVID is a program that touches Goals 1-5. It also requires a high Level of encouragement to students from teachers."

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Why did I choose to include this particular section in my blog? I frequently hear from parents of the in-between kids that their children are being left behind. They consider their children, bright, some with learning differences, or maturation issues, who are not the highest achievers (gifted/talented) nor the poor or lowest achievers. Sometimes we see these children as the half-hearted learners, those who may not apply themselves to the best of their ability, or at the other end of the spectrum, those children who work their hardest yet may never see a 100% on a test or paper, but through their diligence stay well above failing. I highlight this application of AVID because it speaks to these children as a program that may keep them engaged in their learning environment. It is a practical application that seems to apply specifically to this population.

In the coming weeks and months I will visiting our schools. I look forward to seeing AVID in our middle and high schools in action.