Dorchester 2 seeks to excel
Plans aim to revive high levels of achievement
SUMMERVILLE — Students in Dorchester District 2 achieved higher Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test scores last year than their peers in Charleston and Berkeley counties in every grade level and subject tested.
But that success isn't enough for leaders of the Summerville district, who have noticed disturbing trends in recent years. The suburban district's state report card rating has dropped from "good" to "average." Test scores are falling short of national benchmarks. Math scores, in particular, are causing concern as district officials also fret about the long-term impact of Dorchester County's massive population boom.
Dorchester District 2 Superintendent Joe Pye said rapid growth finally has affected the district's quality of education. At a Monday school board workshop, Pye and other instructional leaders put forth a series of academic plans aimed at boosting achievement levels again.
Principals now are required to visit every classroom in their school once a week, a new assistant superintendent is developing five-year curriculum plans to guide instruction, math improvement has become a focus, and officials hope to hire high school reading teachers.
Another more innovative — and costly — proposal calls for piloting a student laptop program at the new Ashley Ridge High School, where every student would receive a personal computer.
"We don't only want to be a regional powerhouse," said Pye, in his ninth year as superintendent. "We want our district to be above the national average. We're concerned that our test scores are not moving as fast as they could be."
Some initiatives proposed at the workshop are in place at schools this year, while others only can happen if the district receives enough money in its 2008-09 budget. The laptop idea, for example, could cost an expensive $4,000 per student.
Although some of Pye's proposals were short on specifics and costs, he was honest in briefing board members on some of the challenges facing the district.
With so many new students moving into the district, it's difficult for instruction to remain consistent, Pye said. He used the example of Fort Dorchester Elementary School, where only 17 out of 175 current fifth-graders have been enrolled at the school since kindergarten. A literacy model for kindergarten through third-grade students won't help those who only arrive for fourth grade, Pye said.
Despite the obstacles, Pye and the new assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, Glenn Huggins, said they are pleased with some strides made by schools this year. District leaders have conducted "data conferences" at all 20 schools where principals have identified each grade level's strengths and weaknesses and devised an action plan for improvement. Pye also said he's now enforcing a long-standing policy that asks principals to be visible by checking in on every classroom in their school at least once per week.
"I can't imagine anything better for improving morale in a school," board Vice Chairwoman Fran Townsend said. "It lets a teacher know that she's important."
Huggins showed initial versions of five-year curriculum guides for social studies, math and other subjects. The plans will provide a clearer focus about what's expected, he said. Huggins said he hopes to complete the math curriculum guide first, with the five-year plan beginning this fall. Pye said he's upset with the district's "stagnating" math scores and wants to develop a new math model spanning from pre-kindergarten to adult education classes.
Another area of concern is high school reading, and district officials acknowledge that a portion of students remain functionally illiterate. District leaders hope to find enough money in the budget to hire five reading teachers spread across the district's three high schools. These instructors would not teach English language arts; instead, they would lead a "how-to-read" class required for students with low reading scores.
Reach Mindy B. Hagen at 937-5433 or mhagen@postand courier.com.
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Comments
theronce (anonymous) says...
Principals should be educators first. However, they are managers also, dealing with custodial, maintenance, social, health, environmental, and political issues. Now we want to add the requirement of visiting each classroom once per week...to what concrete end? Picking a high school with 100 individual courses breaks down into averaging 20 visits per day for the principal. 6 class periods X 50 minutes per class = 300 class minutes. 300 class minutes / 20 visits = 15 minutes per class. I am not sure what a principal can accomplish in less than 15 minutes per class, but the principal's day is pretty well used up. Also, considering the daily crises and near miss crises, I do not know how long the principal can keep that schedule up. This seems impractical to me. I would like to suggest that groups of parents (or other volunteers)(if you can find them) would likely get much of the same result, as it is improved student discipline that the teachers need most. Another alternative would be to have professional managers in the schools to deal with all of the non-educational responsibilities. Each manager should be able to handle several schools.
February 26, 2008 at 8:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Nonsense (anonymous) says...
The solution is to put a stop to all the building of new subdivisions in the S'ville District 2 area, which are destroying the quality of education, not to mention making traffic a nightmare. The infrastructure is not keeping up with the growth, and it needs to be slowed down, if not stopped.
February 26, 2008 at 9:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyeinthesky (anonymous) says...
They have Assistant Principals!!!!
February 26, 2008 at 9:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DCartisan (anonymous) says...
Did he say they had to stay for the entire class? I would think the principal would stop be for a few minutes to let everyone know he/she's there for them. I can't imagine them staying in a class in its entirety.
February 26, 2008 at 9:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jscampb (anonymous) says...
"With so many new students moving into the district, it's difficult for instruction to remain consistent, Pye said. He used the example of Fort Dorchester Elementary School, where only 17 out of 175 current fifth-graders have been enrolled at the school since kindergarten"
Looks like alot of 5th graders have also moved out of the district as well.
February 26, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyeinthesky (anonymous) says...
They get the new school.. new facilities.... new everything... and they get FREE laptops!!!!! Give the laptops to Fort Dorchester... or why not Summerville????
February 26, 2008 at 10:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LifetimeLearner (anonymous) says...
Every teacher in the district has a laptop that they use for instruction. So eyeinthesky, that DOES include Fort Dorchester AND Summerville! Along with the new schools. Every classroom has a SmartBoard. Principals will peek their head in and say hello to the class. They also do evals, which require them to stay in the room for 20 minutes or more. Classes are extremely overcrowded and you do not want to even SEE the cafeteria at lunchtime, or the crowd when thay have school programs! Yikes...too many kids!
February 26, 2008 at 11:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyeinthesky (anonymous) says...
yes but they want to GIVE each STUDENT a Laptop!!!!
February 26, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
katrenavantassle (anonymous) says...
Dorchester District 2 School is a big joke! If they are so great, why is it that my child never brings home any books? And his teacher gives him the answers and he makes 100's on them, but when he gets home he doesn't even know how to do the same test material or understand anything about it? He just knows what answer to write down to get it correct. THEN when the progress report comes home it shows how he passed with 100's on classwork, but failed a few tests just enough to give him a total passing grade for that subject so he is promoted to the next grade!!! THIS IS HOW OAKBROOK ELEMENTARY IS TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN!!!! They will not be prepared when they go to the middle school and then they will get into trouble and the stupid state of SC wonders why so many middle schoolers are having difficulty and why they are so many SC HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS!!! Oakbrook Elementary has what they call the newest technology and use SMART BOARDS in each classroom....eliminating the need for books????????????????HOW IS A PARENT SUPPOSE TO HELP THEM AT HOME WITHOUT BOOKS? AND AS FAR AS CHILDREN NEEDING "LAPTOPS" THAT IS TOTALLY REDICULOUS WHEN 3/4 OF THEM DO NOT HAVE PROPER READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS or COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE TO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY OF THE OPERATING SYSTEM OF A PC. THEN OUR TAX DOLLARS WILL BE USED AGAIN TO REPAIR AND REFURBISH THESE LAPTOPS IN ABOUT 6 MONTHS AFTER USE.
DORCHESTER DISTRICT 2 IS RUSHING THESE CHILDREN THRU THE SYSTEM TO HURRY THEM OUT AND IT IS HURTING OUT CHILDREN TREMENDOUSLY. PARENTS IF YOU EXPECT YOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGED CHILD TO SUCCEED IN MIDDLE SCHOOL THEN BY GOD YOU BETTER BE TEACHING THEM YOURSELVES EACH NIGHT LIKE I DO, OR ELSE YOUR CHILD WILL NOT BE READY AND WILL NOT HAVE THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO ENROLL INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL!! I GIVE THE TEACHERS ALL CREDIT FOR TRYING TO DO A JOB THAT THEY ARE NOT PREPARED FOR BY COLUMBIA, AND FOR NOT HAVING ALREADY JUMPED OFF THE NEW BRIDGE IN SHAME TO SAY THEY ARE A SC TEACHER!!! THANK GOD THIS IS AN ELECTION YEAR!! WE NEED TO GET SOME OF THESE PEOPLE IN CONTROL OF SC SCHOOLS WHO THINK THIS WAY WORKS, OUT OF COLUMBIA!!
SHAME ON YOU DORCHESTER DISTRICT 2!! AND SHAME ON COLUMBIA FOR ALL OF SC SCHOOLS!!!
KATRENAVANTASSLE
LADSON, SC
February 26, 2008 at 12:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
katrenavantassle (anonymous) says...
ONE MORE THING, I HAVE BEEN LIVING IN DORCHESTER COUNTY FOR 30 YEARS, AND I WONT VOTE TO INCREASE TAXES TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOLS BY RAISING MY TAXES. LET THE NEW COOKIE CUTTER HOMEOWNERS WHO MOVED INTO DORCHESTER COUNTY PAY THE NEW TAXES NEEDED. IF IT WASN'T FOR THEM WE WOULDN'T BE OVER-CROWDED IN THE SCHOOLS AND OVER-CROWDED ON THE HIGHWAYS. WHY NOT GET SOME OF THAT SC EDUCATION LOTTERY FUNDING PUT TO SC SCHOOLS AND NOT JUST COLLEGE LIKE EVERYONE WHO VOTED FOR IT THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO DO ANYWAYS...ANOTHER SC MISLEADING THE PUBLIC TRICK....
KATRENAVANTASSLE
February 26, 2008 at 12:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyeinthesky (anonymous) says...
Do not hold back KAT.... tell us all about it!!! :)
Lets throw more money at the problem! ;(
V O U C H E R S!!!!!!
February 26, 2008 at 12:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
highclass (anonymous) says...
katrenavantassle- I do not know what school your child attends but both of mine go to DD2 schools and they have plenty of homework. Maybe you should stop by the school and find out what the problem is. This late in the school year I wonder why you haven't already. The teachers and staff at Flowertown Elem and Alston Middle are devoted and caring people. They work very hard to give my children the best they have. I wish they had more resources and less non- English speaking children to deal with, so that they might be able to work on the children of tax payers of DD2.
February 26, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
notafan (anonymous) says...
Seems to me that someone should be a little more involved with their children and not posting pointless ramblings on dumb blogs.
Oh wait she lives in Ladson. Enough said.
February 26, 2008 at 4:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scwendy (anonymous) says...
katrenavantassle- Wow, I don't have any children attending Oakbrook Elementary, but my son attends DuBose Middle School and my daughter attends Summerville High School and they bring home books daily. In fact, a couple of my daughter's classes (Calculus and AP European History, if I recall correctly) provide students with a book to keep at home as well as the one they use in the classroom.
Overcrowding and all, I can honestly say that I am very satisfied with the education my children are receiving and they are have no trouble competing with students from across the country for spots in leadership conferences and the like.
February 26, 2008 at 8:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SPEAKTHETRUTH (anonymous) says...
I think it is absolutely ridiculous for you to call out an entire school of teachers with ridiculous accusations. The teachers at OES are as dedicated to teaching as any others in the area. I have met several teachers from around the district, and they all seem to have the same goal. TEACHING your children. There are bad people in every profession, please keep it in perspective that you cannot make a generalization about a whole group of people. You are just wrong and offensive.
February 26, 2008 at 9:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
magoo (anonymous) says...
Kat thats your problem scwendy's kids get 2 books for each class maybe thats why your kids have no books to bring home.
February 27, 2008 at 12:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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