The Echo

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20101005/NEWS03/10050362/1006/NEWS



Christina turnaround plans topic of meeting


By NICHOLE DOBO • The News Journal • October 5, 2010

The superintendent of the Christina School District will announce her recommendations for turning around two persistently low-performing schools with federal Race to the Top money today.
The school restructuring could bring staff changes, longer school days or new leaders. It comes as part of a state Department of Education effort called Partnership Zones, a program funded by $2.2 million of the state's $119 million Race to the Top grant.

State education officials selected Christina's Stubbs Elementary and Glasgow High schools to take part in the Partnership Zone. Two other schools also were selected: Positive Outcomes Charter School in Camden and New Castle County Vo-Tech's Howard High School of Technology in Wilmington.

The schools were selected based on student test scores in math and reading and their progress or regression from 2008 to 2010.

The Christina School Board will discuss Superintendent Marcia V. Lyles' recommendations at today's workshop meeting. Time will be set aside for public comment, and the board may vote on the recommendations today.

Each school selected for restructuring must choose one of four options: closure -- shutting down the school; restart -- handing over management to a private company or turning it into a charter school; turnaround -- removing the principal and at least half the teachers; or transformation, which has four components -- replacing the principal and increasing school leader effectiveness, instructional reforms, increasing learning time and creating community-oriented schools with operational flexibility.

Positive Outcomes is working on selecting a plan, but is leaning toward transformation and turnaround, said Ed Emmett, director of the school. The New Castle County Vo-tech board voted last week to use the transformation model at Howard High, said spokeswoman Kathy K. Demarest.

After selecting a model, school officials have until Nov. 15 to come up with a two-year plan to implement changes. If the school's stakeholders are unable to come to a decision, the state has the ability to step in. If that happens, only three options remain: closure, restart or charter management.

Critics say there's not enough research to show that any of the four models will be effective. One of Delaware's most vocal critics of Race to the Top is John Young, president of the Christina School Board. Board member Elizabeth Scheinberg says she is "more cautious than optimistic."

"In their infinite wisdom, the Department of Education, regarding Race to the Top, has committed two Christina schools to engaging one of four unproven and poorly-researched models for turnaround," Scheinberg said in an e-mail. "Therefore, as a board member, I must proceed cautiously and critically to ensure the greatest likelihood for success."

Contact Nichole Dobo at 324-2281 or ndobo@delawareonline.com.