Monday, April 8, 2013
Thank you
We are thrilled for the Renaissance Design Team and the students and families of the Gomes School. We know how hard they have all worked to make the Renaissance School a reality and the passion they have for improving education here in New Bedford. We are disappointed that the School Committee could not come together to create a path for Esperanza School of Language and Culture. Despite this we hope that students and families in New Bedford will have the option of dual language immersion in the near future. A big thank you to Michael Shea and his team in Central Administration, members of the community, WBSM and The Standard Times, fellow colleagues, and our families and friends who all helped us to get this far.
Your View: Innovation schools bring change that can be managed
The Standard Times - April 8, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130408/OPINION/304080309/
Robert Massoud lives in New Bedford.
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
I can't imagine anyone — including every single member of the innovation school planning teams — is opposed to providing the same services to every single student in the New Bedford school system. The problem is that change of that magnitude is rarely — if ever — successful.
A "yes" vote should come with a clear mandate that both schools produce clear, accurate and timely reports on their progress, and that the future of each school — and whether their models can influence all of New Bedford schools — is based on those results.
A "no" vote sends the opposite message; that we are not willing to try something that might make a difference because we can't have an impact on everyone at the same time. Is that the message we want to send to our children? That if they can't fix everything, don't even bother trying?
One final thought: It seems the catch-phrase of the opponents of the innovation schools is that accepting the proposals will establish a culture of "haves and have-nots." But isn't that exactly what we have today, and have had for way too long? A system where barely 50 percent of the students who attend our schools "have" a diploma, and the rest of the nearly 50 percent "have not."
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130408/OPINION/304080309/
Robert Massoud lives in New Bedford.
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
I can't imagine anyone — including every single member of the innovation school planning teams — is opposed to providing the same services to every single student in the New Bedford school system. The problem is that change of that magnitude is rarely — if ever — successful.
A "yes" vote should come with a clear mandate that both schools produce clear, accurate and timely reports on their progress, and that the future of each school — and whether their models can influence all of New Bedford schools — is based on those results.
A "no" vote sends the opposite message; that we are not willing to try something that might make a difference because we can't have an impact on everyone at the same time. Is that the message we want to send to our children? That if they can't fix everything, don't even bother trying?
One final thought: It seems the catch-phrase of the opponents of the innovation schools is that accepting the proposals will establish a culture of "haves and have-nots." But isn't that exactly what we have today, and have had for way too long? A system where barely 50 percent of the students who attend our schools "have" a diploma, and the rest of the nearly 50 percent "have not."
Fate of innovation school proposals to be decided tonight
The Standard Times - April 8, 2013
www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130408/NEWS/304080327/
By Natalie Sherman, Writer for The Standard Times
nsherman@s-t.com
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Innovation schools, as envisioned by [Governor Deval] Patrick, would be part of the district — overseen and funded by the School Committee and staffed by union teachers — but have independence from district policies in areas such as budget, staffing and curriculum.
Two years of organizing, research and School Committee votes produced two teacher-led proposals, which would provide opportunities for foreign language and integrated arts education currently unavailable in the district in one of the city's poorest — and poorest performing — neighborhoods.
The School Committee will vote on the schools — the Renaissance Community School for the Arts to be housed at Gomes Elementary and a bilingual immersion Esperanza School of Language and Culture, which would take over part of Roosevelt Middle School — for a final time tonight. The meeting is at 6 p.m. in the Keith Middle School auditorium.
School Committee member Marlene Pollock, a participant in the original UIA working group and a supporter of the proposals, said false rumors had circulated about teachers losing jobs or losing bargaining rights; schools running without School Committee oversight; and money being taken from other schools to fund the new ones.
"It's simply not true," she said. "I wish the opponents would do their homework. ... You can't be in denial."
School Committee member Larry Finnerty, who also participated in the UIA working group, called the tone of the debate "disgraceful," pointing to personal online attacks.
"Everyone will vote their conscience and when we're done with the vote, everyone needs to support the new superintendent and the public schools in our effort to improve academic performance and educational outcomes," Finnerty said.
Note from Esperanza School Design Team:
The Esperanza School will not simply offer foreign language classes to K-8 students. Spanish-dominant and English-dominant speakers will be integrated into a two-way dual language immersion program. Students will be learning language as well as content in English and Spanish, our partner language.
www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130408/NEWS/304080327/
By Natalie Sherman, Writer for The Standard Times
nsherman@s-t.com
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Innovation schools, as envisioned by [Governor Deval] Patrick, would be part of the district — overseen and funded by the School Committee and staffed by union teachers — but have independence from district policies in areas such as budget, staffing and curriculum.
Two years of organizing, research and School Committee votes produced two teacher-led proposals, which would provide opportunities for foreign language and integrated arts education currently unavailable in the district in one of the city's poorest — and poorest performing — neighborhoods.
The School Committee will vote on the schools — the Renaissance Community School for the Arts to be housed at Gomes Elementary and a bilingual immersion Esperanza School of Language and Culture, which would take over part of Roosevelt Middle School — for a final time tonight. The meeting is at 6 p.m. in the Keith Middle School auditorium.
School Committee member Marlene Pollock, a participant in the original UIA working group and a supporter of the proposals, said false rumors had circulated about teachers losing jobs or losing bargaining rights; schools running without School Committee oversight; and money being taken from other schools to fund the new ones.
"It's simply not true," she said. "I wish the opponents would do their homework. ... You can't be in denial."
School Committee member Larry Finnerty, who also participated in the UIA working group, called the tone of the debate "disgraceful," pointing to personal online attacks.
"Everyone will vote their conscience and when we're done with the vote, everyone needs to support the new superintendent and the public schools in our effort to improve academic performance and educational outcomes," Finnerty said.
Note from Esperanza School Design Team:
The Esperanza School will not simply offer foreign language classes to K-8 students. Spanish-dominant and English-dominant speakers will be integrated into a two-way dual language immersion program. Students will be learning language as well as content in English and Spanish, our partner language.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Your View: Need for innovation schools grows more each day
The Standard Times - April 7, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130407/OPINION/304070308/
Les T. Hull lives in New Bedford.
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
As a parent in New Bedford I am concerned about the New Bedford Public Schools District. There have been positive changes like making attendance a priority and the hiring of Dr. Pia Durkin. The proposals of the innovation schools are also a positive.
This could be an amazing time in our city's history. It's a time when two schools can show how we can bring the arts and physical education back into the schools (like when most of us were in school) and how to better integrate English and Spanish into the curriculum teaching them concurrently to both Spanish-only- and English-only-speaking students. Our children will not only learn but be prepared to meet the challenges of today and the future by knowing two languages.
This is a time where we can decide to move forward, to make New Bedford a place where families want to come and live and flourish. Voting "YES" for the innovation schools gives hope to all the families that call New Bedford home.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130407/OPINION/304070308/
Les T. Hull lives in New Bedford.
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
As a parent in New Bedford I am concerned about the New Bedford Public Schools District. There have been positive changes like making attendance a priority and the hiring of Dr. Pia Durkin. The proposals of the innovation schools are also a positive.
This could be an amazing time in our city's history. It's a time when two schools can show how we can bring the arts and physical education back into the schools (like when most of us were in school) and how to better integrate English and Spanish into the curriculum teaching them concurrently to both Spanish-only- and English-only-speaking students. Our children will not only learn but be prepared to meet the challenges of today and the future by knowing two languages.
This is a time where we can decide to move forward, to make New Bedford a place where families want to come and live and flourish. Voting "YES" for the innovation schools gives hope to all the families that call New Bedford home.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Your View: New Bedford's innovation schools will spread the light
The Standard Times - April 6, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130406/OPINION/304060314/
Dr. Laurie Robertson-Lorant is an English department adjunct at Bridgewater State University.
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
The argument that Innovation Schools will create "haves and have-nots" didn't get very far because, as everyone knows, there are "haves and have-nots" in the schools right now.
At no time did the opposition raise substantive objections to the actual content of the Innovation School proposals themselves — either because they hadn't actually read them, or because they have no flaws in them.
The accusations, name-calling, threats and redundant emotional appeals voiced by the opposition during the two recent public hearings had no pedagogical weight and undermined the credibility of the opposition. Any legitimate questions or objections are meant to be answered in the next phase of the process.
As a member of the Education Department at UMass Dartmouth for five years, I supervised and mentored student teachers in dozens of SouthCoast public schools, including some in New Bedford, and I wholeheartedly support the Esperanza School of Language and Culture and the Renaissance Community School for the Arts. They will be transformative additions to the educational and cultural landscape of the city whose motto is "Lucem diffundo" — "I spread the light."
I urge the mayor and the School Committee to live up to this motto by supporting these exciting Innovation Schools.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130406/OPINION/304060314/
Dr. Laurie Robertson-Lorant is an English department adjunct at Bridgewater State University.
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
The argument that Innovation Schools will create "haves and have-nots" didn't get very far because, as everyone knows, there are "haves and have-nots" in the schools right now.
At no time did the opposition raise substantive objections to the actual content of the Innovation School proposals themselves — either because they hadn't actually read them, or because they have no flaws in them.
The accusations, name-calling, threats and redundant emotional appeals voiced by the opposition during the two recent public hearings had no pedagogical weight and undermined the credibility of the opposition. Any legitimate questions or objections are meant to be answered in the next phase of the process.
As a member of the Education Department at UMass Dartmouth for five years, I supervised and mentored student teachers in dozens of SouthCoast public schools, including some in New Bedford, and I wholeheartedly support the Esperanza School of Language and Culture and the Renaissance Community School for the Arts. They will be transformative additions to the educational and cultural landscape of the city whose motto is "Lucem diffundo" — "I spread the light."
I urge the mayor and the School Committee to live up to this motto by supporting these exciting Innovation Schools.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Our View: Approve innovation schools, cooperate to make them work
The Standard Times - April 5, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130405/OPINION/304050309/
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Members must decide whether the fears of creating a district of haves and have-nots are legitimate, or if they are being made by a vocal group who don't see the current disparity in the schools: from students in schools more than 100 years old, to those in schools with principals and teachers who are unable to effectively marshal resources obscured by years of administration in an antiquated business office.
But she [Dr. Pia Durkin] was in no way ambivalent in her support for what they represent: choice, initiative and people not satisfied with the status quo who want to create solutions. Yes, she said, the schools must conform to the rules, but we need to "encourage the entrepreneurial ideas for healthy, fruitful competition where kids can succeed and which we can replicate."
We believe that the arguments in favor of greater opportunity for New Bedford students — improved literacy in two languages at the Esperanza School of Language and Culture planned for Roosevelt Middle School and holistic arts integration at the Renaissance Community School for the Arts at Gomes School — make a favorable vote by every member of the School Committee for both schools a necessity.
We have to start somewhere, and if it takes a courageous vote by the School Committee despite the vocal opponents, so be it.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130405/OPINION/304050309/
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Members must decide whether the fears of creating a district of haves and have-nots are legitimate, or if they are being made by a vocal group who don't see the current disparity in the schools: from students in schools more than 100 years old, to those in schools with principals and teachers who are unable to effectively marshal resources obscured by years of administration in an antiquated business office.
But she [Dr. Pia Durkin] was in no way ambivalent in her support for what they represent: choice, initiative and people not satisfied with the status quo who want to create solutions. Yes, she said, the schools must conform to the rules, but we need to "encourage the entrepreneurial ideas for healthy, fruitful competition where kids can succeed and which we can replicate."
We believe that the arguments in favor of greater opportunity for New Bedford students — improved literacy in two languages at the Esperanza School of Language and Culture planned for Roosevelt Middle School and holistic arts integration at the Renaissance Community School for the Arts at Gomes School — make a favorable vote by every member of the School Committee for both schools a necessity.
We have to start somewhere, and if it takes a courageous vote by the School Committee despite the vocal opponents, so be it.
Group rallies for innovation schools before Monday vote
The Standard Times - April 5, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130405/NEWS/304050330/
By Natalie Sherman, Writer for The Standard Times
nsherman@s-t.com
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Roughly 200 people rallied Thursday in support of innovation schools in an effort to convince School Committee members to vote in favor of the controversial proposals.
Parent Denis Rodriguez, speaking in Spanish, called on the committee to approve the schools, saying the district needs "new ideas" to better serve its children.
"I am sure that the Esperanza School is one of those," he said.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130405/NEWS/304050330/
By Natalie Sherman, Writer for The Standard Times
nsherman@s-t.com
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Roughly 200 people rallied Thursday in support of innovation schools in an effort to convince School Committee members to vote in favor of the controversial proposals.
Parent Denis Rodriguez, speaking in Spanish, called on the committee to approve the schools, saying the district needs "new ideas" to better serve its children.
"I am sure that the Esperanza School is one of those," he said.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Your View: Esperanza School opens the world for students
The Standard Times - April 4, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130404/OPINION/304040338
Cynthia Yoken, New Bedford
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
As a retired foreign language teacher from the New Bedford Public Schools, I am happy that the Esperanza School will soon offer the children of New Bedford the opportunity to be bilingual and to learn two languages. It is a win-win situation for the children from Spanish-speaking homes to learn English in the same classroom with native-born students who will have the opportunity to learn Spanish.
Now, with a formal program in place as the Esperanza School, it will be even better to have our own English-speaking students have the opportunity to learn Spanish and to continue it through high school along with their Spanish-speaking peers. The friendships that will develop from the interactions between the English-speaking child and the Spanish-speaking child will be wonderful, as each child will help the other to learn about American culture and Spanish or Latin American culture.
I applaud the designers of the Esperanza School, who have worked hard to set up such a fine model for our young people in New Bedford.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130404/OPINION/304040338
Cynthia Yoken, New Bedford
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
As a retired foreign language teacher from the New Bedford Public Schools, I am happy that the Esperanza School will soon offer the children of New Bedford the opportunity to be bilingual and to learn two languages. It is a win-win situation for the children from Spanish-speaking homes to learn English in the same classroom with native-born students who will have the opportunity to learn Spanish.
Now, with a formal program in place as the Esperanza School, it will be even better to have our own English-speaking students have the opportunity to learn Spanish and to continue it through high school along with their Spanish-speaking peers. The friendships that will develop from the interactions between the English-speaking child and the Spanish-speaking child will be wonderful, as each child will help the other to learn about American culture and Spanish or Latin American culture.
I applaud the designers of the Esperanza School, who have worked hard to set up such a fine model for our young people in New Bedford.
Great divide remains on innovation schools
The Standard Times - April 2, 2012
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130402/NEWS/304020341/
By Natalie Sherman, Writer for The Standard Times
nsherman@s-t.com
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
"New Bedford must change as a district. To obtain that change we must begin somewhere," said Andrea Galipeau, a design team member for one of the proposals. "If these schools are not approved, what is your plan?"
The School Committee will vote next week on the two proposals: one for the bilingual, immersion Esperanza School of Language and Culture and another for the Renaissance Community School for the Arts.
The schools would receive about $4,200 per pupil in district funding — the average of other elementary schools in the district — in exchange for autonomy over areas such as staffing and curriculum.
They would offer options — foreign language classes in the elementary and middle school grades and integrated arts programming — that are currently unavailable in the district and would share space inside the Roosevelt Middle and Gomes Elementary, respectively. (To hear more about the plans, visit the Editorial Board Audio on SouthCoastToday.com.)
Notes from the Esperanza Team:
The school would not receive the per-pupil-expenditure "in exchange for" any autonomies. In writing the innovation school plan, all available autonomies were requested. The autonomies are listed in Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71, Section 92, Subsection b.
Also, all schools in the district will have a site-based budget. Each school will have its own budget based on per-pupil-expenditure to pay for salaries and materials. The PPE allocated to the innovation schools is an average of the PPE at six New Bedford elementary schools. The legislation cited above states: "An Innovation School shall receive each school year from the school committee the same per pupil allocation as any other district school receives."
Lastly, the Esperanza School of Language and Culture is proposing the implementation of a two-way dual language immersion program. For more information about this program model, click the "for_parents" or "para_padres" labels on the right.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130402/NEWS/304020341/
By Natalie Sherman, Writer for The Standard Times
nsherman@s-t.com
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
"New Bedford must change as a district. To obtain that change we must begin somewhere," said Andrea Galipeau, a design team member for one of the proposals. "If these schools are not approved, what is your plan?"
The School Committee will vote next week on the two proposals: one for the bilingual, immersion Esperanza School of Language and Culture and another for the Renaissance Community School for the Arts.
The schools would receive about $4,200 per pupil in district funding — the average of other elementary schools in the district — in exchange for autonomy over areas such as staffing and curriculum.
They would offer options — foreign language classes in the elementary and middle school grades and integrated arts programming — that are currently unavailable in the district and would share space inside the Roosevelt Middle and Gomes Elementary, respectively. (To hear more about the plans, visit the Editorial Board Audio on SouthCoastToday.com.)
Notes from the Esperanza Team:
The school would not receive the per-pupil-expenditure "in exchange for" any autonomies. In writing the innovation school plan, all available autonomies were requested. The autonomies are listed in Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71, Section 92, Subsection b.
Also, all schools in the district will have a site-based budget. Each school will have its own budget based on per-pupil-expenditure to pay for salaries and materials. The PPE allocated to the innovation schools is an average of the PPE at six New Bedford elementary schools. The legislation cited above states: "An Innovation School shall receive each school year from the school committee the same per pupil allocation as any other district school receives."
Lastly, the Esperanza School of Language and Culture is proposing the implementation of a two-way dual language immersion program. For more information about this program model, click the "for_parents" or "para_padres" labels on the right.
Your View: Give the students of New Bedford the opportunity they deserve
The Standard Times - April 3, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130403/OPINION/304030313/
Shana Silva, New Bedford
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Other cities and states have embraced the dual immersion program, and it is imperative that New Bedford does the same. Education is transforming, and it is crucial that New Bedford keeps up with the times. We must not be left behind.
I would like to mention the fact that I have conducted a substantial amount of ethnographic qualitative research at a dual immersion school in Roxbury. During my time in Roxbury, I witnessed firsthand the extremely positive and dynamic effects that the program can have on its students and its community. The community was extremely tight knit and involved in the program, and the students, both the native English-speaking students and the native Spanish-speaking students, were all bilingual by the time they were in the fifth grade.
Students gained a sense of respect for one another's cultures and beliefs. They learned to be sensitive to cultural differences. The native English-speaking children understood and respected the Latino culture, and the native Spanish-speaking students reciprocated that level of appreciation and respect for American culture.
This level of tolerance, understanding and cooperation among different cultures would be an exemplary model in which the entire community could learn from.
Esperanza school will not only make a positive difference in the lives of our students, but it will also have a tremendous impact in our community. Esperanza school will provide the English and Spanish speaking students of New Bedford with the advantage they deserve.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130403/OPINION/304030313/
Shana Silva, New Bedford
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Other cities and states have embraced the dual immersion program, and it is imperative that New Bedford does the same. Education is transforming, and it is crucial that New Bedford keeps up with the times. We must not be left behind.
I would like to mention the fact that I have conducted a substantial amount of ethnographic qualitative research at a dual immersion school in Roxbury. During my time in Roxbury, I witnessed firsthand the extremely positive and dynamic effects that the program can have on its students and its community. The community was extremely tight knit and involved in the program, and the students, both the native English-speaking students and the native Spanish-speaking students, were all bilingual by the time they were in the fifth grade.
Students gained a sense of respect for one another's cultures and beliefs. They learned to be sensitive to cultural differences. The native English-speaking children understood and respected the Latino culture, and the native Spanish-speaking students reciprocated that level of appreciation and respect for American culture.
This level of tolerance, understanding and cooperation among different cultures would be an exemplary model in which the entire community could learn from.
Esperanza school will not only make a positive difference in the lives of our students, but it will also have a tremendous impact in our community. Esperanza school will provide the English and Spanish speaking students of New Bedford with the advantage they deserve.
Letter: Don't delay proposals, for students' sake
The Standard Times - April 2, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130402/OPINION/304020302/
Ken Hartnett, New Bedford
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
We can only hope that the New Bedford School Committee embraces the hard work of the dedicated professional educators who have crafted the Innovation Schools proposals, concrete symbols of an authentic commitment to education reform. The easy way out is to delay action yet again by simply tossing this imaginative and modest reform package atop the cluttered in-basket on the desk of a new superintendent.
That might be an expedient step; it would also mean more delay, more discouragement of the grass-roots impulses behind the innovation ideas and more top-down management of the school system.
But again and again in times past, we have hesitated to experiment because we hesitated to change because of political arrangements we know all too well.
Bureaucrats and politicians have all too often failed to connect the dots between the drop out rate and student reality. Here is a low-risk way to start making those connections. The clock is ticking. Mayor Mitchell ran as a champion of change. Awaiting is an opportunity to assert his credentials as a change agent.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130402/OPINION/304020302/
Ken Hartnett, New Bedford
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
We can only hope that the New Bedford School Committee embraces the hard work of the dedicated professional educators who have crafted the Innovation Schools proposals, concrete symbols of an authentic commitment to education reform. The easy way out is to delay action yet again by simply tossing this imaginative and modest reform package atop the cluttered in-basket on the desk of a new superintendent.
That might be an expedient step; it would also mean more delay, more discouragement of the grass-roots impulses behind the innovation ideas and more top-down management of the school system.
But again and again in times past, we have hesitated to experiment because we hesitated to change because of political arrangements we know all too well.
Bureaucrats and politicians have all too often failed to connect the dots between the drop out rate and student reality. Here is a low-risk way to start making those connections. The clock is ticking. Mayor Mitchell ran as a champion of change. Awaiting is an opportunity to assert his credentials as a change agent.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Your View: Innovation Schools offer opportunity, not divisions
The Standard Times - April 1, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130401/OPINION/304010339/
By Kate Fentress
Kate Fentress is executive director of the Women's Fund at the Community Foundation of Southeastern Mass.
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
These schools, located within public schools in the New Bedford system, were created to increase options within a district that values diversity of educational choices.
In a system that was moments away from state takeover, this argument makes no sense to me. The New Bedford Public Schools district needs more evidence-based creative approaches to education within the system, not fewer.
My understanding is that the per-pupil cost for a student in an Innovation School is exactly the same as the per-pupil cost the district receives for students in all other classrooms — the money is in the district. Teachers are union teachers who accrue the same benefits as all other teachers in the New Bedford system.
It seems to me that we owe our students more than they have gotten in the past. In the Innovation School smaller "community" with more individual attention, parents as partners, and higher expectations, the rules of the game can be changed and all students can be successful. I urge a vote in favor of the Innovation Schools as a step forward in offering positive choices within the system to maximize learning and optimize opportunity. I also hope that teachers will reconsider their position and try to see this as the beginning of a process that will empower them to do better in a system that is a wonderful work in progress.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130401/OPINION/304010339/
By Kate Fentress
Kate Fentress is executive director of the Women's Fund at the Community Foundation of Southeastern Mass.
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
These schools, located within public schools in the New Bedford system, were created to increase options within a district that values diversity of educational choices.
In a system that was moments away from state takeover, this argument makes no sense to me. The New Bedford Public Schools district needs more evidence-based creative approaches to education within the system, not fewer.
My understanding is that the per-pupil cost for a student in an Innovation School is exactly the same as the per-pupil cost the district receives for students in all other classrooms — the money is in the district. Teachers are union teachers who accrue the same benefits as all other teachers in the New Bedford system.
It seems to me that we owe our students more than they have gotten in the past. In the Innovation School smaller "community" with more individual attention, parents as partners, and higher expectations, the rules of the game can be changed and all students can be successful. I urge a vote in favor of the Innovation Schools as a step forward in offering positive choices within the system to maximize learning and optimize opportunity. I also hope that teachers will reconsider their position and try to see this as the beginning of a process that will empower them to do better in a system that is a wonderful work in progress.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Public Hearing - Part 1
We would like to thank our supporters who made it to the Keith Auditorium on Wednesday, March 27th. With such a large turnout and a two hour time limit to the meeting, it unfortunately wasn't possible for everyone to speak.
We were particularly moved by one speaker who said she supported both innovation schools even though her own children wouldn't be eligible because they didn't live in the Taylor, Hannigan, or Gomes areas.
Some Spanish-speaking parents talked about the difficulty they experience when they can't communicate with teachers and other staff their children's schools. This is similar to the stories that were shared at a meeting for parents in July 2012.
Please join us again on Monday, April 1st at the Keith Middle School Auditorium at 6 pm for a continuation of the Public Hearing. Only those who signed up on March 27th will be able to speak.
We were particularly moved by one speaker who said she supported both innovation schools even though her own children wouldn't be eligible because they didn't live in the Taylor, Hannigan, or Gomes areas.
Some Spanish-speaking parents talked about the difficulty they experience when they can't communicate with teachers and other staff their children's schools. This is similar to the stories that were shared at a meeting for parents in July 2012.
Please join us again on Monday, April 1st at the Keith Middle School Auditorium at 6 pm for a continuation of the Public Hearing. Only those who signed up on March 27th will be able to speak.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
PowerPoint Presentation to School Committee
Last week, the New Bedford School Committee held a Special Meeting to allow both proposed innovation schools to present their school plans and answer questions. You can view the Esperanza School PowerPoint by clicking the link below. You can also watch the Special Meeting on New Bedford's Cable Access.
Esperanza School Presentation to the New Bedford School Committee on March 20, 2013
Please join us at the Public Hearing tonight, March 27th. It will be in the Keith Middle School Auditorium at 6 pm. If you will be speaking, please arrive early to sign up. There is a 3 minute limit for each speaker.
Esperanza School Presentation to the New Bedford School Committee on March 20, 2013
Please join us at the Public Hearing tonight, March 27th. It will be in the Keith Middle School Auditorium at 6 pm. If you will be speaking, please arrive early to sign up. There is a 3 minute limit for each speaker.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
New Bedford’s Innovative [sic] Schools Discussed
WBSM
http://wbsm.com/new-bedfords-innovative-schools-discussed/
By Jack Peterson, WBSM News Director
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
The designers of the Renaissance and Esperanza Innovation School proposals appeared before the New bedford [sic] School Committee Wednesday night to make presentations and answer questions.
It was the first of two public hearings on the innovation school plans. The designers were grilled for nearly an hour with questions from School Committee members. Their proposal would see a school that teaches its students both English and Spanish.
Note from the Esperanza Design Team:
Please read the post entitled Upcoming Meetings for a clarification regarding the meetings on March 20th and March 27th.
http://wbsm.com/new-bedfords-innovative-schools-discussed/
By Jack Peterson, WBSM News Director
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
The designers of the Renaissance and Esperanza Innovation School proposals appeared before the New bedford [sic] School Committee Wednesday night to make presentations and answer questions.
It was the first of two public hearings on the innovation school plans. The designers were grilled for nearly an hour with questions from School Committee members. Their proposal would see a school that teaches its students both English and Spanish.
Note from the Esperanza Design Team:
Please read the post entitled Upcoming Meetings for a clarification regarding the meetings on March 20th and March 27th.
Innovation schools spark public debate in New Bedford
The Standard Times - March 21, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130321/NEWS/303210361/
By Natalie Sherman, Writer for The Standard Times
nsherman@s-t.com
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Innovation school advocates made their case before the School Committee Wednesday night, facing questions about budget, enrollment and how their schools would fit into the district's current buildings.
"There are inequities everywhere in the district. ... Just because it's not sharing a space doesn't mean it's not there," said Jennifer Clune, one of the members of the Renaissance design team, who said there were many examples elsewhere of different schools successfully sharing space.
The School Committee is considering two proposals for innovation schools, which are part of the district but have autonomy in areas such as budget, personnel and curriculum. The committee will vote on the plans in April.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130321/NEWS/303210361/
By Natalie Sherman, Writer for The Standard Times
nsherman@s-t.com
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Innovation school advocates made their case before the School Committee Wednesday night, facing questions about budget, enrollment and how their schools would fit into the district's current buildings.
"There are inequities everywhere in the district. ... Just because it's not sharing a space doesn't mean it's not there," said Jennifer Clune, one of the members of the Renaissance design team, who said there were many examples elsewhere of different schools successfully sharing space.
The School Committee is considering two proposals for innovation schools, which are part of the district but have autonomy in areas such as budget, personnel and curriculum. The committee will vote on the plans in April.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Tonight's Special Meeting of the School Committee
At tonight's meeting, the design teams for both proposed innovation schools presented information about their schools and answered questions from members of the School Committee.
The Esperanza School design team's presentation included the following topics:
We would like to thank the members of the audience who congratulated us on a quality presentation and engaged in conversation with us about the issues discussed tonight.
The Public Hearing will be held next Wednesday, March 27th at 6 pm in the Keith Middle School Auditorium. This is an opportunity for members of the community to share their thoughts regarding the Esperanza School of Language and Culture with the members of the New Bedford School Committee.
The Esperanza School design team's presentation included the following topics:
- challenges within New Bedford Public Schools
- how dual language instruction can address those challenges
- an explanation of the benefits of dual language, specifically two-way immersion
- research on the educational impact of dual language instruction on various subgroups (ELLs, African American, low-income, special education, etc)
- the effect of dual language instruction on the graduation rate
- an explanation of innovation schools and how they maintain local control
- the requested autonomies
We would like to thank the members of the audience who congratulated us on a quality presentation and engaged in conversation with us about the issues discussed tonight.
The Public Hearing will be held next Wednesday, March 27th at 6 pm in the Keith Middle School Auditorium. This is an opportunity for members of the community to share their thoughts regarding the Esperanza School of Language and Culture with the members of the New Bedford School Committee.
School Committee meets tonight to question New Bedford innovation schools
The Standard Times - March 20, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130320/NEWS/303200336/
By Natalie Sherman, Writer for The Standard Times
nsherman@s-t.com
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
The city's two proposed innovation schools would receive about $4,200 per student to spend toward salaries, teaching materials, copying supplies, additional school supervision and field trips under the terms of a plan between the innovation schools and the district.
The figure is based on the average cost per student at six comparable elementary schools in the district, minus the cost of oil, gas, electricity and custodial services.
The figure also takes into account the cost to the district of teacher benefits and other services, including administration, transportation, special education and the school nurse.
"As we prepared this, we tried to be as fair as we could because we recognize as an administrative team that those are our kids," Haskell said.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130320/NEWS/303200336/
By Natalie Sherman, Writer for The Standard Times
nsherman@s-t.com
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
The city's two proposed innovation schools would receive about $4,200 per student to spend toward salaries, teaching materials, copying supplies, additional school supervision and field trips under the terms of a plan between the innovation schools and the district.
The figure is based on the average cost per student at six comparable elementary schools in the district, minus the cost of oil, gas, electricity and custodial services.
The figure also takes into account the cost to the district of teacher benefits and other services, including administration, transportation, special education and the school nurse.
"As we prepared this, we tried to be as fair as we could because we recognize as an administrative team that those are our kids," Haskell said.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Impact Statement Submitted on March 15th
The following is directly from Subsection h in Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71, Section 92 (this text is also included in New Bedford Public School's RFP):
The screening committee shall review the prospectus for the purpose of determining whether the prospectus: (i) presents a sound and coherent plan for improving school performance and student achievement; (ii) supports or enhances existing educational efforts in the district; and (iii) reasonably can be expanded into a comprehensive innovation plan. In the case of a new school, the committee will prepare an impact statement describing how the new school will affect the children and faculty in the district. Within 30 days of receiving a prospectus, the screening committee shall decide, on the basis of a two-thirds vote, to accept or reject the prospectus, or return the prospectus to the eligible applicant for revisions.
The screening committee met in August 2012 and voted 2-to-1 to approve the prospectus for Esperanza School without needing an impact statement at that time. The design team developed the innovation school plan and submitted it to Superintendent Shea in December 2012. In January and February 2013, representatives of the Esperanza School and the New Bedford Educators Association (NBEA) negotiated and signed a Memorandum of Agreement requiring an impact statement at this later stage in the process.
The Esperanza School team submitted the following impact statement to Superintendent Shea on Friday, March 15, 2013.
For the launch year, families may enroll children in grades K-2; students enrolling in grades 1-2 may enroll from other district schools. Enrollment will be voluntary; no student will be involuntarily enrolled in the school. In subsequent years, enrollment will continue annually at the kindergarten level, while students in the uppermost grade will graduate into the subsequent grade until eighth grade is reached. Students may voluntarily transfer into upper grades if there are open slots available, and they meet language proficiency requirements.
NBEA faculty in other schools may apply for open positions at the Esperanza School, but will not be guaranteed a position. No NBEA member may be laid off as a direct result of the creation of the Esperanza School.
The New Bedford Public Schools will provide the Esperanza School with a lump sum per pupil budget that includes all federal entitlement and other applicable funds, and that is equitable to the students served and the budgets that other NBPS schools in the same grade span receive. The school will be expected to not exceed its approved budget plus any external funds that are raised by and for the school. As specified by the New Bedford Public Schools RFP for Innovation Schools, the budget will be cost-neutral with respect to the impact on the District's finances.
The screening committee shall review the prospectus for the purpose of determining whether the prospectus: (i) presents a sound and coherent plan for improving school performance and student achievement; (ii) supports or enhances existing educational efforts in the district; and (iii) reasonably can be expanded into a comprehensive innovation plan. In the case of a new school, the committee will prepare an impact statement describing how the new school will affect the children and faculty in the district. Within 30 days of receiving a prospectus, the screening committee shall decide, on the basis of a two-thirds vote, to accept or reject the prospectus, or return the prospectus to the eligible applicant for revisions.
The screening committee met in August 2012 and voted 2-to-1 to approve the prospectus for Esperanza School without needing an impact statement at that time. The design team developed the innovation school plan and submitted it to Superintendent Shea in December 2012. In January and February 2013, representatives of the Esperanza School and the New Bedford Educators Association (NBEA) negotiated and signed a Memorandum of Agreement requiring an impact statement at this later stage in the process.
The Esperanza School team submitted the following impact statement to Superintendent Shea on Friday, March 15, 2013.
Esperanza School of Language and Culture - Impact Statement
NBEA faculty in other schools may apply for open positions at the Esperanza School, but will not be guaranteed a position. No NBEA member may be laid off as a direct result of the creation of the Esperanza School.
The New Bedford Public Schools will provide the Esperanza School with a lump sum per pupil budget that includes all federal entitlement and other applicable funds, and that is equitable to the students served and the budgets that other NBPS schools in the same grade span receive. The school will be expected to not exceed its approved budget plus any external funds that are raised by and for the school. As specified by the New Bedford Public Schools RFP for Innovation Schools, the budget will be cost-neutral with respect to the impact on the District's finances.
Budget Submitted on March 15th
The Esperanza School understands that as an Innovation School, the district intends for the school to be cost-neutral. The proposed use of budget autonomies is necessary to achieve the school’s mission, so that the leadership can make real-time decisions on critical matters that directly affect teaching and learning for its students. Esperanza School will seek budgetary autonomy and flexibility over its resources in order to fully implement the proposed dual language immersion mission and maximize services and support for its students. While the Esperanza School will receive a lump sum per pupil budget for FY 2014, the school looks forward to working with the District toward increased budget autonomy that examines central discretionary costs to best meet the needs of students.
The Esperanza School expects a large portion of its budget will be allocated for staffing. One area of autonomy requested is to budget staff based on actual salaries rather than average salaries. As the amount for actual salaries will not be known until staff is hired, the budget being submitted for the purposes of this plan is based on average salaries. The team was instructed by the Business Manager to use the same $4174.79 per pupil amount to calculate the budget for years 1, 2 and 3. It is understood that there will be increases in salaries due to contractual agreements as well as increases in per pupil allotment once the District has a clearer understanding of its fiscal expenditures.
In year 1, Esperanza School will focus most of its per pupil expenditure on staff salaries. It will seek external funding through Innovation School Implementation grants awarded by the Executive Office of Education and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for instructional supplies, language proficiency assessments and professional development. Also, as enrollment increases, the school will gain greater budget flexibility to build in these costs into district fund expenditures.
Breakdown of Per Pupil Expenditure and Estimated Title 1 Funds
Year 1:
156 students x $4174.79 = $651,267.24
114 students (75%) x $111 = $12,654 (Title 1)
Total: $663,921.24
6 teachers
Year 2:
208 students x $4174.79= $868,356.32
156 students (75%) x $111 = $17,316 (Title 1)
Total: $885,672.32
8 teachers
Year 3:
252 students x $4174.79= $1,052,047.08
189 students (75%) x $111 = $20,979 (Title 1)
Total: $1,073,026.28
10 teachers
The Esperanza School expects a large portion of its budget will be allocated for staffing. One area of autonomy requested is to budget staff based on actual salaries rather than average salaries. As the amount for actual salaries will not be known until staff is hired, the budget being submitted for the purposes of this plan is based on average salaries. The team was instructed by the Business Manager to use the same $4174.79 per pupil amount to calculate the budget for years 1, 2 and 3. It is understood that there will be increases in salaries due to contractual agreements as well as increases in per pupil allotment once the District has a clearer understanding of its fiscal expenditures.
In year 1, Esperanza School will focus most of its per pupil expenditure on staff salaries. It will seek external funding through Innovation School Implementation grants awarded by the Executive Office of Education and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for instructional supplies, language proficiency assessments and professional development. Also, as enrollment increases, the school will gain greater budget flexibility to build in these costs into district fund expenditures.
Esperanza School of Language and Culture Budget for Salaries
FY ’14, FY’15, FY ‘16
| Line Items |
Total Salaries for FY ‘14 |
Total Salaries for FY ‘15 |
Total Salaries for FY ‘16 |
| Total Per Pupil Revenue | $663,921.24 (per pupil + Title 1) |
$885,672.32 (per pupil + Title 1) |
$1,073,026.28 (per pupil + Title 1) |
| Principal | 80,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 |
| Classroom Teachers | 360,000 | 480,000 | 600,000 |
| English Language Development Teacher/ Literacy Coach (FTE .7 -Year 1 ) |
42,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 |
| Special Education Teacher | 55,000 | 55,000 | 55,000 |
| Paraprofessionals (1 per grade) |
75,000 | 100,000 | 125,000 |
| Clerk | 33,000 | 33,000 | 33,000 |
| Specialists (art, music, phys.ed) | 18,000 FTE .5 (1/2 of FTE .4 provided by district and 1/2 of FTE .4 plus FTE .1 provided by Esperanza) |
23,700 FTE .63 (1/2 of FTE .47 provided by district and 1/2 of FTE .47 plus FTE .16 provided by Esperanza) |
29,700 FTE .79 (1/2 of FTE .59 provided by district and 1/2 of FTE .59 plus FTE .2 provided by Esperanza) |
| Total Amount Allocated | $663,000.00 | $831,700.00 | $982,700.00 |
Breakdown of Per Pupil Expenditure and Estimated Title 1 Funds
Year 1:
156 students x $4174.79 = $651,267.24
114 students (75%) x $111 = $12,654 (Title 1)
Total: $663,921.24
6 teachers
Year 2:
208 students x $4174.79= $868,356.32
156 students (75%) x $111 = $17,316 (Title 1)
Total: $885,672.32
8 teachers
Year 3:
252 students x $4174.79= $1,052,047.08
189 students (75%) x $111 = $20,979 (Title 1)
Total: $1,073,026.28
10 teachers
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Audio: Esperanza School of Language and Culture
In July 2012, the Esperanza School design team met with the editorial board of The Standard Times. Audio clips of the discussion are available at:
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130312/OPINION/130319970/
The following topics are listed:
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130312/OPINION/130319970/
The following topics are listed:
- failure of English immersion
- identifying ELL students
- motivation for designers
- the plan
- parents' response
- languages in the city
- Esperanza school committee
- how will success be measured?
- the student body
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Upcoming Meetings
The School Committee determined the following key dates at last night's meeting.
Special Meeting - Presentations on Innovation Schools
Wednesday, March 20th at 6 pm
The teams for Esperanza School of Language and Culture as well as Renaissance Community School for the Arts will present to the School Committee and answer their questions. Since it is a special meeting, there is no public comment.
Public Hearing
Wednesday, March 27th at 6 pm
This is the final required step prior to voting to approve innovation schools (as detailed in Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71, Section 92, Item m). The entire meeting will be centered on listening to the city's residents and parents. Members of the New Bedford community can make their voices heard!
Vote
Monday, April 8th at 6 pm
The School Committee will vote at the regularly scheduled April meeting. In order for either innovation school to be implemented, at least four School Committee members must vote yes.
At this time, all meetings are at Keith Middle School (225 Hathaway Blvd, New Bedford).
Special Meeting - Presentations on Innovation Schools
Wednesday, March 20th at 6 pm
The teams for Esperanza School of Language and Culture as well as Renaissance Community School for the Arts will present to the School Committee and answer their questions. Since it is a special meeting, there is no public comment.
Public Hearing
Wednesday, March 27th at 6 pm
This is the final required step prior to voting to approve innovation schools (as detailed in Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71, Section 92, Item m). The entire meeting will be centered on listening to the city's residents and parents. Members of the New Bedford community can make their voices heard!
Vote
Monday, April 8th at 6 pm
The School Committee will vote at the regularly scheduled April meeting. In order for either innovation school to be implemented, at least four School Committee members must vote yes.
At this time, all meetings are at Keith Middle School (225 Hathaway Blvd, New Bedford).
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Your View: Innovation schools would demonstrate city's resolve to improve
The Standard Times - March 2, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130222/OPINION/302220304/
By Sister Marianna Sylvester
Sister Marianna Sylvester serves at Our Lady of the Assumption Church.
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
As Mayor Mitchell stated in his Education Agenda — The Time to Act is Now: "We will move our school system and our city forward only if we recognize the need to change and to collaborate toward mutual goals."
A tangible sign that the city school district is moving forward comes in the form of a grant for $20,000 from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the design teams of the Renaissance Community School for the Arts and the Esperanza School of Culture and Language. The attainment of this grant money is a vote of confidence, and a reason for the district to be proud of the hard work that is being put forth by teachers and administrators.
Let us agree that "The Time to Act is Now!" The mayor and the School Committee have demonstrated their willingness to move the New Bedford Public Schools forward by seeking a new superintendent; two design teams have taken up the challenge to present excellent proposals; the state has allocated start-up grant money for these schools; the city is planning for a future with small neighborhood learning communities in the South End; and children need every opportunity to be successful now. A yes vote from the School Committee to support the creation of the Renaissance Community School and the Esperanza School of Language and Culture in 2013 will give credence to the reputation of a school district that states it is ready to grow and change.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130222/OPINION/302220304/
By Sister Marianna Sylvester
Sister Marianna Sylvester serves at Our Lady of the Assumption Church.
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
As Mayor Mitchell stated in his Education Agenda — The Time to Act is Now: "We will move our school system and our city forward only if we recognize the need to change and to collaborate toward mutual goals."
A tangible sign that the city school district is moving forward comes in the form of a grant for $20,000 from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the design teams of the Renaissance Community School for the Arts and the Esperanza School of Culture and Language. The attainment of this grant money is a vote of confidence, and a reason for the district to be proud of the hard work that is being put forth by teachers and administrators.
Let us agree that "The Time to Act is Now!" The mayor and the School Committee have demonstrated their willingness to move the New Bedford Public Schools forward by seeking a new superintendent; two design teams have taken up the challenge to present excellent proposals; the state has allocated start-up grant money for these schools; the city is planning for a future with small neighborhood learning communities in the South End; and children need every opportunity to be successful now. A yes vote from the School Committee to support the creation of the Renaissance Community School and the Esperanza School of Language and Culture in 2013 will give credence to the reputation of a school district that states it is ready to grow and change.
Legal Requirements Regarding the Final Vote on Innovation Schools
Yesterday's blog post presented quotes from an article about the budgets for the innovation schools. It was stated that the School Committee needed to make a decision on the innovation plans within 60 days of receiving them. Both Esperanza School of Language and Culture as well as Renaissance Community School for the Arts are following the same timeline regarding the innovation schools process, as set out in the legislation (see below).
The plans were turned into Superintendent Shea in mid-December. A period of negotiation with the New Bedford Educators Association followed, and a Memorandum of Agreement (detailing the waivers and modifications to the Collective Bargaining Agreement) was signed by the required parties for each school.
The School Committee officially received copies of both plans at their February 13th meeting. According to the 60 day timeframe, the latest possible date for a vote is Sunday, April 14, 2013. Currently, the votes for both schools are scheduled to take place at the April School Committee Meeting on Monday, April 8, 2013.
The dates for the public hearings have not yet been determined, but will be held in late March.
The following is directly from the Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71, Section 92 (this text is also included in New Bedford Public School's RFP):
(m) Upon receipt of an innovation plan regarding an Innovation School, a school committee shall hold at least 1 public hearing on the innovation plan. After the public hearing, but not later than 60 days after the receipt of the innovation plan, the school committee shall, on the basis of the quality of the plan and in consideration of comments submitted by the public, undertake a final vote to authorize the Innovation School for a period of not more than 5 years, subject to subsection (n).
The plans were turned into Superintendent Shea in mid-December. A period of negotiation with the New Bedford Educators Association followed, and a Memorandum of Agreement (detailing the waivers and modifications to the Collective Bargaining Agreement) was signed by the required parties for each school.
The School Committee officially received copies of both plans at their February 13th meeting. According to the 60 day timeframe, the latest possible date for a vote is Sunday, April 14, 2013. Currently, the votes for both schools are scheduled to take place at the April School Committee Meeting on Monday, April 8, 2013.
The dates for the public hearings have not yet been determined, but will be held in late March.
The following is directly from the Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71, Section 92 (this text is also included in New Bedford Public School's RFP):
(m) Upon receipt of an innovation plan regarding an Innovation School, a school committee shall hold at least 1 public hearing on the innovation plan. After the public hearing, but not later than 60 days after the receipt of the innovation plan, the school committee shall, on the basis of the quality of the plan and in consideration of comments submitted by the public, undertake a final vote to authorize the Innovation School for a period of not more than 5 years, subject to subsection (n).
Friday, March 1, 2013
For innovation schools, devil in the (budget) details
The Standard Times - March 1, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130301/NEWS/303010351/
By Natalie Sherman, Writer for The Standard Times
nsherman@s-t.com
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Innovation schools are in-district public schools with additional autonomy over areas such as curriculum. They receive funding through a per-pupil allocation and must contribute to parts of the district's overall budget — such as maintenance or costs of the central administration — but have the power to opt out of other services.
Members of the design teams said they first asked the district for the information this fall, as early as September in the case of the Esperanza School, to supply the information they need — such as what the district will require from them in terms of administrative or maintenance costs.
"The School Department didn't have a business manager for most of the fall. ... That's my understanding of the main cause of the delay," said Kerry DeJesus, one of the members of the Esperanza School design team, repeating the explanation provided by the district and a member of the Renaissance design team.
"I do hope that the mayor does understand that the reason why the budget has not been submitted is due to no negligence on the part of the design teams," DeJesus added. "We have done everything possible to get the information we need."
Renaissance Art School design team member Jennifer Clune said under the terms of the state innovation school statute the School Committee must consider the proposals in April, within 60 days of receiving the plans.
"I totally understand that people want to see a cost-neutral budget," she said, adding that some of the answers to St. John's questions are in the plans.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130301/NEWS/303010351/
By Natalie Sherman, Writer for The Standard Times
nsherman@s-t.com
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Innovation schools are in-district public schools with additional autonomy over areas such as curriculum. They receive funding through a per-pupil allocation and must contribute to parts of the district's overall budget — such as maintenance or costs of the central administration — but have the power to opt out of other services.
Members of the design teams said they first asked the district for the information this fall, as early as September in the case of the Esperanza School, to supply the information they need — such as what the district will require from them in terms of administrative or maintenance costs.
"The School Department didn't have a business manager for most of the fall. ... That's my understanding of the main cause of the delay," said Kerry DeJesus, one of the members of the Esperanza School design team, repeating the explanation provided by the district and a member of the Renaissance design team.
"I do hope that the mayor does understand that the reason why the budget has not been submitted is due to no negligence on the part of the design teams," DeJesus added. "We have done everything possible to get the information we need."
Renaissance Art School design team member Jennifer Clune said under the terms of the state innovation school statute the School Committee must consider the proposals in April, within 60 days of receiving the plans.
"I totally understand that people want to see a cost-neutral budget," she said, adding that some of the answers to St. John's questions are in the plans.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Our View: It's time to approve innovation schools
The Standard Times - February 24, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130224/OPINION/302240302/
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
We see no reason the schools should not be approved.
The bottom line, however, is that the New Bedford school system is in deep trouble. And while we are now seeing some signs of a possible turnaround, decades of failure suggest that evolutionary gains occur too slowly. Time is running short. And there is so much to be gained.
New Bedford teeters on the edge of state takeover. Its graduation rate, astoundingly, hovers close to 55%, far below the state average of 85 percent and even well off Fall River's 69 percent. To say some kids are falling through the cracks is a gross understatement.
The innovation schools aim to catch them, while also offering some of our most gifted students a real chance to soar.
The Esperanza School of Language and Culture — with its dual-language immersion program — would be situated at Roosevelt Middle School and would serve students from the South End. Parents would apply through a lottery and the student body would be split evenly between English and Spanish speakers.
Small, autonomous schools offer the ability to adapt to the precise needs of the neighborhoods they serve. It's an opportunity for grass-roots educational policy that puts the day-to-day decisions about student needs and success in the hands of those closest to the students.
Let's give them the green light and get this show on the road.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130224/OPINION/302240302/
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
We see no reason the schools should not be approved.
The bottom line, however, is that the New Bedford school system is in deep trouble. And while we are now seeing some signs of a possible turnaround, decades of failure suggest that evolutionary gains occur too slowly. Time is running short. And there is so much to be gained.
New Bedford teeters on the edge of state takeover. Its graduation rate, astoundingly, hovers close to 55%, far below the state average of 85 percent and even well off Fall River's 69 percent. To say some kids are falling through the cracks is a gross understatement.
The innovation schools aim to catch them, while also offering some of our most gifted students a real chance to soar.
The Esperanza School of Language and Culture — with its dual-language immersion program — would be situated at Roosevelt Middle School and would serve students from the South End. Parents would apply through a lottery and the student body would be split evenly between English and Spanish speakers.
Small, autonomous schools offer the ability to adapt to the precise needs of the neighborhoods they serve. It's an opportunity for grass-roots educational policy that puts the day-to-day decisions about student needs and success in the hands of those closest to the students.
Let's give them the green light and get this show on the road.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
'This was an opportunity to put innovation on steroids'
MTA Today - Winter 2013
http://www.massteacher.org/news/archive/2013/~/media/Files/PDFs/MTAT/13winter.pdf
By Laura Barrett, Communications Specials for Massachusetts Teachers Association
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Amanda Bell, a teacher at the Winter Hill Innovation School in Somerville, said staff members had to decide quickly if they wanted to convert to a new educational model.
“Prior to Tony coming to us,” she said, referring to Superintendent Anthony Pierantozzi, “I don’t think any of us had heard of Innovation Schools. It was quite interesting at our first meeting hearing he wanted us to do it and if we agreed then we had to make a decision very quickly because there was a grant available.
“This was an opportunity to put innovation on steroids,” added Jackie Lawrence, president of the Somerville Teachers Association.
The innovation plan also calls for more common planning time — carved out of the existing schedule — and staff-driven professional development. The school is also introducing a therapy dog program for special needs students.
In the end, the teachers agreed the Innovation School process is not just about raising test scores, though they hope that happens. Mostly, they want their school to be a welcoming community that addresses both the learning and social-emotional needs of their students.
http://www.massteacher.org/news/archive/2013/~/media/Files/PDFs/MTAT/13winter.pdf
By Laura Barrett, Communications Specials for Massachusetts Teachers Association
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Amanda Bell, a teacher at the Winter Hill Innovation School in Somerville, said staff members had to decide quickly if they wanted to convert to a new educational model.
“Prior to Tony coming to us,” she said, referring to Superintendent Anthony Pierantozzi, “I don’t think any of us had heard of Innovation Schools. It was quite interesting at our first meeting hearing he wanted us to do it and if we agreed then we had to make a decision very quickly because there was a grant available.
“This was an opportunity to put innovation on steroids,” added Jackie Lawrence, president of the Somerville Teachers Association.
The innovation plan also calls for more common planning time — carved out of the existing schedule — and staff-driven professional development. The school is also introducing a therapy dog program for special needs students.
In the end, the teachers agreed the Innovation School process is not just about raising test scores, though they hope that happens. Mostly, they want their school to be a welcoming community that addresses both the learning and social-emotional needs of their students.
More Districts Try Innovation Schools
MTA Today - Winter 2013
http://www.massteacher.org/news/archive/2013/~/media/Files/PDFs/MTAT/13winter.pdf
By Laura Barrett, Communications Specialist for Massachusetts Teachers Association
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Innovation Schools are similar to Horace Mann Charter Schools and to Boston’s Pilot Schools, though there are differences in implementation. Innovation Schools have more flexibility and autonomy than most district schools with regard to curriculum, staffing, budget, scheduling, professional development and district policies.
Staff members at these schools still belong to their local associations and are often very involved in the design and implementation of changes. Some plans require negotiating waivers to the union contract, while others do not.
Innovation School plans may be proposed by teachers, unions, district administrators, community residents or other interested parties. Applicants may seek a planning grant from the state. The local school committee must approve the plan before it can move forward, and the district oversees the school as it would any other district school. Innovation Schools are supposed to receive the same per-pupil allotment as other schools, although — like any school — they can apply for grant money.
In Worcester, there were concerns about the voting process at Worcester Technical High School. Despite those concerns, Leonard Zalauskas, president of the Educational Association of Worcester, said that Innovation Schools can be “magic” when they work, giving teachers a chance to transform their own schools and generating excitement and creativity among the staff. Worcester has eight Innovation Schools, including a dual-language program, an accelerated magnet program and two that emphasize science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“Down here there are a lot of charter schools and school choice districts,” [President of the Dennis-Yarmouth Educators Association, Erin] Porter said. “We know we have to do something that’s a little different to appeal to our customer base — the parents. The teachers are working very hard on this and are dedicated. It may be a little too quick, but I think we will succeed.”
[MTA President Paul] Toner said he hopes that expansion of successful Innovation Schools will help convince legislators and the public that they do not have to lift the cap on charter schools to promote new ideas and choice in public education. Systems are already in place for Innovation Schools to share their ideas with other schools that want to replicate their practices.
http://www.massteacher.org/news/archive/2013/~/media/Files/PDFs/MTAT/13winter.pdf
By Laura Barrett, Communications Specialist for Massachusetts Teachers Association
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Innovation Schools are similar to Horace Mann Charter Schools and to Boston’s Pilot Schools, though there are differences in implementation. Innovation Schools have more flexibility and autonomy than most district schools with regard to curriculum, staffing, budget, scheduling, professional development and district policies.
Staff members at these schools still belong to their local associations and are often very involved in the design and implementation of changes. Some plans require negotiating waivers to the union contract, while others do not.
Innovation School plans may be proposed by teachers, unions, district administrators, community residents or other interested parties. Applicants may seek a planning grant from the state. The local school committee must approve the plan before it can move forward, and the district oversees the school as it would any other district school. Innovation Schools are supposed to receive the same per-pupil allotment as other schools, although — like any school — they can apply for grant money.
In Worcester, there were concerns about the voting process at Worcester Technical High School. Despite those concerns, Leonard Zalauskas, president of the Educational Association of Worcester, said that Innovation Schools can be “magic” when they work, giving teachers a chance to transform their own schools and generating excitement and creativity among the staff. Worcester has eight Innovation Schools, including a dual-language program, an accelerated magnet program and two that emphasize science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“Down here there are a lot of charter schools and school choice districts,” [President of the Dennis-Yarmouth Educators Association, Erin] Porter said. “We know we have to do something that’s a little different to appeal to our customer base — the parents. The teachers are working very hard on this and are dedicated. It may be a little too quick, but I think we will succeed.”
[MTA President Paul] Toner said he hopes that expansion of successful Innovation Schools will help convince legislators and the public that they do not have to lift the cap on charter schools to promote new ideas and choice in public education. Systems are already in place for Innovation Schools to share their ideas with other schools that want to replicate their practices.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Your View: Time is near to rally around innovation schools
The Standard Times - February 22, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130222/OPINION/302220304/
By Warren Berube
Warren Berube is a former founder and executive director at the Global Learning Charter Public School. He lives in New Bedford.
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Innovations schools, by definition, are designed to construct a new way of doing educational business by creating a culture that welcomes teachers, children, parents, administrators and community to work together. Large, staid, complex organizations, such as the school department, move toward fundamental organizational change very slowly. In fact, they tend to find ways to subvert rather than support. They tend to ignore and starve innovation out of existence. It is the classic nodding of the head of consent while failing to follow up with positive support and resources.
I suspect that the innovation schools will experience some of the same hardship that Global Learning faced as a "start-up" in a large, complex and sometimes hostile school system. If, or when, innovation schools are opened, success for students and families will be closer to reality when all of the parties rally around this new educational effort.
Innovations sometimes work and sometimes fail, but the only true way to know if they are effective is to support them, not subvert them.
Charter schools are held to a high standard. If they ultimately fail, their charter can be revoked. So it is, I assume, with innovation schools.
[Note from Esperanza School Blog Writers - Read more about the evaluation process for innovation schools.]
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130222/OPINION/302220304/
By Warren Berube
Warren Berube is a former founder and executive director at the Global Learning Charter Public School. He lives in New Bedford.
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Innovations schools, by definition, are designed to construct a new way of doing educational business by creating a culture that welcomes teachers, children, parents, administrators and community to work together. Large, staid, complex organizations, such as the school department, move toward fundamental organizational change very slowly. In fact, they tend to find ways to subvert rather than support. They tend to ignore and starve innovation out of existence. It is the classic nodding of the head of consent while failing to follow up with positive support and resources.
I suspect that the innovation schools will experience some of the same hardship that Global Learning faced as a "start-up" in a large, complex and sometimes hostile school system. If, or when, innovation schools are opened, success for students and families will be closer to reality when all of the parties rally around this new educational effort.
Innovations sometimes work and sometimes fail, but the only true way to know if they are effective is to support them, not subvert them.
Charter schools are held to a high standard. If they ultimately fail, their charter can be revoked. So it is, I assume, with innovation schools.
[Note from Esperanza School Blog Writers - Read more about the evaluation process for innovation schools.]
Letter: Innovation schools report provides vital insight
The Standard Times
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130222/OPINION/302220303/
Irene Buck, Westport
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
At long last the tale of innovation schools in New Bedford is more than "sound and fury" because we have the insightful writing of Charis Anderson in Sunday's news ("The lesson plan: Renaissance School would spread the arts across whole student experience," Feb. 17).
I applaud The Standard-Times for letting in sunlight on the extensive planning, the teachers and their community partners and, most significantly, recording answers to a complex and well-thought-out innovation school proposal.
Thank you for giving everyone a focused look at the idea and process behind the proposed innovation schools in New Bedford this year. The article provides us vital information on the work of New Bedford's pioneering teachers and their community partners. You have encouraged everyone to ask questions and encouraged thoughtful discussion.
Fear grows in darkness and shadows. There are always risks in transforming what we have always known into what might be. By opening doors and looking at what might be possible in this article, we reimagine ways to help every student find the success they deserve.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130222/OPINION/302220303/
Irene Buck, Westport
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
At long last the tale of innovation schools in New Bedford is more than "sound and fury" because we have the insightful writing of Charis Anderson in Sunday's news ("The lesson plan: Renaissance School would spread the arts across whole student experience," Feb. 17).
I applaud The Standard-Times for letting in sunlight on the extensive planning, the teachers and their community partners and, most significantly, recording answers to a complex and well-thought-out innovation school proposal.
Thank you for giving everyone a focused look at the idea and process behind the proposed innovation schools in New Bedford this year. The article provides us vital information on the work of New Bedford's pioneering teachers and their community partners. You have encouraged everyone to ask questions and encouraged thoughtful discussion.
Fear grows in darkness and shadows. There are always risks in transforming what we have always known into what might be. By opening doors and looking at what might be possible in this article, we reimagine ways to help every student find the success they deserve.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Accountability for Innovation Schools
Innovation schools must be evaluated at least once a year by local school officials. The Superintendent shares his/her evaluation with the School Committee. They can then require modifications to the school's plan or even close the school if it has failed to meet its goals.
This all happens at the local level. Innovation schools in New Bedford will be evaluated by the New Bedford Public Schools Superintendent and the New Bedford School Committee.
A template for these annual evaluations can be found on the Innovation Schools webpage (part of the Executive Office of Education site)
The following is directly from the Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71, Section 92 (this text is also included in New Bedford Public School's RFP):
(n) All Innovation Schools authorized under subsection (m) shall be evaluated by the superintendent at least annually. The superintendent shall transmit the evaluation to the school committee and the commissioner of elementary and secondary education. The purpose of the evaluation shall be to determine whether the school has met the annual goals in its innovation plan and assess the implementation of the innovation plan at the school. If the school committee determines, on the advice of the superintendent, that the school has not met 1 or more goals in the innovation plan and that the failure to meet the goals may be corrected through reasonable modification of the plan, the school committee may amend the innovation plan as necessary. After the superintendent assesses the implementation of the innovation plan at the school, the school committee may, on the advice of the superintendent, amend the plan if the school committee determines that the amendment is necessary in view of subsequent changes in the district that affect 1 or more components of the plan, including, but not limited to, changes to contracts, collective bargaining agreements or school district policies; provided, however, that an amendment involving a subsequent change to a teacher contract shall first be approved by teachers at the school under the procedures in subsection (l).
If the school committee determines, on the advice of the superintendent, that the school has substantially failed to meet multiple goals in the innovation plan, the school committee may: (i) limit 1 or more components of the innovation plan; (ii) suspend 1 or more components of the innovation plan; or (iii) terminate the authorization of the school; provided, however, that the limitation or suspension shall not take place before the completion of the second full year of the operation of the school and the termination shall not take place before the completion of the third full year of the operation of the school.
This all happens at the local level. Innovation schools in New Bedford will be evaluated by the New Bedford Public Schools Superintendent and the New Bedford School Committee.
A template for these annual evaluations can be found on the Innovation Schools webpage (part of the Executive Office of Education site)
The following is directly from the Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71, Section 92 (this text is also included in New Bedford Public School's RFP):
(n) All Innovation Schools authorized under subsection (m) shall be evaluated by the superintendent at least annually. The superintendent shall transmit the evaluation to the school committee and the commissioner of elementary and secondary education. The purpose of the evaluation shall be to determine whether the school has met the annual goals in its innovation plan and assess the implementation of the innovation plan at the school. If the school committee determines, on the advice of the superintendent, that the school has not met 1 or more goals in the innovation plan and that the failure to meet the goals may be corrected through reasonable modification of the plan, the school committee may amend the innovation plan as necessary. After the superintendent assesses the implementation of the innovation plan at the school, the school committee may, on the advice of the superintendent, amend the plan if the school committee determines that the amendment is necessary in view of subsequent changes in the district that affect 1 or more components of the plan, including, but not limited to, changes to contracts, collective bargaining agreements or school district policies; provided, however, that an amendment involving a subsequent change to a teacher contract shall first be approved by teachers at the school under the procedures in subsection (l).
If the school committee determines, on the advice of the superintendent, that the school has substantially failed to meet multiple goals in the innovation plan, the school committee may: (i) limit 1 or more components of the innovation plan; (ii) suspend 1 or more components of the innovation plan; or (iii) terminate the authorization of the school; provided, however, that the limitation or suspension shall not take place before the completion of the second full year of the operation of the school and the termination shall not take place before the completion of the third full year of the operation of the school.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Esperanza School's Autonomies as an Innovation School
The following descriptions of our requested autonomies can be found on pages 3 & 4 of our Innovation School Plan.
Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
Esperanza School requests autonomy and flexibility in the areas of curriculum, assessment and instruction in order to effectively implement a two-way dual language immersion model in English and Spanish. To develop bilingual, biliterate, and multicultural students, Esperanza School must ensure that its curriculum, resources, language objectives, instructional pedagogy, and assessments are aligned to the process of teaching and learning in two languages.
Budget
The school is seeking budgetary autonomy and flexibility over its resources in order to fully implement the proposed educational program to meet the unique needs of our students. Flexibility in budgeting will enable the school to allocate resources as needed to implement this new educational approach in the district. For example, the school will need to allocate a significant portion of the budget for professional development and instructional materials and resources for Spanish language development as well as English, especially in the first two years. While the school will elect to purchase some discretionary services through the district, approved contracted services will be used in other cases when deemed appropriate and cost-effective. Further, the school may opt out of certain services, such as the district’s allocation to technology, textbooks or other materials.
Schedule and Calendar
The school will use its autonomy and flexibility to determine its school schedule and calendar in order to maximize learning and instruction time for our students and staff. Having the opportunity to rethink the typical school day will enable staff to best address the needs of families in supporting their children’s education by offering an extended school day as well as before and after school enrichment opportunities. In order to ensure increased achievement for students, the schedule will allow for increased collaborative planning time and professional development opportunities for teachers to analyze data to inform curriculum and instruction and provide individualized support for students.
Staffing
The school will benefit from the autonomy and flexibility of staffing to meet the specific qualifications of teaching and working in a school that is dedicated to developing bilingual, biliterate and multicultural students. Esperanza School will employ a quality instructional team that sets the highest academic expectations for our students and is committed to the concept of bilingualism and multiculturalism. All Esperanza staff will understand and embrace the principles of working within a culturally diverse community, will understand the challenges and best practices in supporting students in acquiring two languages, and will appreciate the cultural and community contexts in which our students and families live.
Professional Development
The school will use autonomy and flexibility to ensure that staff has the tools and resources to implement a two-way dual language immersion model. To this end, increased professional development for all staff is essential to carrying out the school’s mission and vision. Esperanza will use its autonomy to schedule professional development that provides staff with the necessary tools to achieve the highest standards inside the classroom and schoolwide.
District Policies and Procedures
The school will use its autonomy to establish a system of shared leadership and cooperation designed to achieve all of its goals. Above all, this system will promote and expect participatory leadership from all stakeholders. All faculty members at the Esperanza School will work as instructional leaders to share decision-making responsibilities in order to provide professional leadership, expertise, and the hands-on-experience needed to ensure high student growth and achievement. All decisions will be based on the needs of the students. Esperanza will share a commitment to involve and consider appropriate stakeholders in the decision-making processes and agree to be transparent about how different types of decisions will be made. Making decisions in schools can be challenging, time-consuming, and stressful. We commit to seeking a balance of garnering input while making decisions in an efficient and time-conscious manner.
Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
Esperanza School requests autonomy and flexibility in the areas of curriculum, assessment and instruction in order to effectively implement a two-way dual language immersion model in English and Spanish. To develop bilingual, biliterate, and multicultural students, Esperanza School must ensure that its curriculum, resources, language objectives, instructional pedagogy, and assessments are aligned to the process of teaching and learning in two languages.
Budget
The school is seeking budgetary autonomy and flexibility over its resources in order to fully implement the proposed educational program to meet the unique needs of our students. Flexibility in budgeting will enable the school to allocate resources as needed to implement this new educational approach in the district. For example, the school will need to allocate a significant portion of the budget for professional development and instructional materials and resources for Spanish language development as well as English, especially in the first two years. While the school will elect to purchase some discretionary services through the district, approved contracted services will be used in other cases when deemed appropriate and cost-effective. Further, the school may opt out of certain services, such as the district’s allocation to technology, textbooks or other materials.
Schedule and Calendar
The school will use its autonomy and flexibility to determine its school schedule and calendar in order to maximize learning and instruction time for our students and staff. Having the opportunity to rethink the typical school day will enable staff to best address the needs of families in supporting their children’s education by offering an extended school day as well as before and after school enrichment opportunities. In order to ensure increased achievement for students, the schedule will allow for increased collaborative planning time and professional development opportunities for teachers to analyze data to inform curriculum and instruction and provide individualized support for students.
Staffing
The school will benefit from the autonomy and flexibility of staffing to meet the specific qualifications of teaching and working in a school that is dedicated to developing bilingual, biliterate and multicultural students. Esperanza School will employ a quality instructional team that sets the highest academic expectations for our students and is committed to the concept of bilingualism and multiculturalism. All Esperanza staff will understand and embrace the principles of working within a culturally diverse community, will understand the challenges and best practices in supporting students in acquiring two languages, and will appreciate the cultural and community contexts in which our students and families live.
Professional Development
The school will use autonomy and flexibility to ensure that staff has the tools and resources to implement a two-way dual language immersion model. To this end, increased professional development for all staff is essential to carrying out the school’s mission and vision. Esperanza will use its autonomy to schedule professional development that provides staff with the necessary tools to achieve the highest standards inside the classroom and schoolwide.
District Policies and Procedures
The school will use its autonomy to establish a system of shared leadership and cooperation designed to achieve all of its goals. Above all, this system will promote and expect participatory leadership from all stakeholders. All faculty members at the Esperanza School will work as instructional leaders to share decision-making responsibilities in order to provide professional leadership, expertise, and the hands-on-experience needed to ensure high student growth and achievement. All decisions will be based on the needs of the students. Esperanza will share a commitment to involve and consider appropriate stakeholders in the decision-making processes and agree to be transparent about how different types of decisions will be made. Making decisions in schools can be challenging, time-consuming, and stressful. We commit to seeking a balance of garnering input while making decisions in an efficient and time-conscious manner.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Innovation schools are catching on
The Boston Globe - March 8, 2012
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2012/03/08/innovation-schools-slated-for-gloucester-haverhill-lynn-malden-and-somerville/5g70rD3CKM6nqEk5PqqahP/story.html
© 2013 The New York Times Company
Innovation schools are catching on
New schools slated for Gloucester, Haverhill, Lynn, Malden, and Somerville
By Steven A. Rosenberg, Globe Staff
[Note from Esperanza School Blog Writers - This article is almost a year old and therefore contains dated information about the status of specific innovation schools. It is being posted to inform readers about innovation schools in general and what they are achieving with students in Massachusetts.]
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Since the Paul Revere became the first innovation school in Massachusetts more than a year ago, educators from across the state have made it one of their first stops as they try to find a better way to teach and prepare students to enter society. The schools were created by Governor Deval Patrick two years ago to give educators flexibility inside the classroom. Similar to charter schools, the innovation schools are allowed to set their own curriculum, schedule, and calendar, and choose their own staff.
While the schools are still funded by their home districts, policies are set by a governing board - staffed by educators, administrators, and parents. Schools also can raise money for programming, take on corporate partners and create educational collaboratives, and set their own budgets. The program requires approval from the district School Committee and the school’s teachers’ union.
As charter schools have spread throughout the state - and focused on changing everything from traditional curriculum to the hours students spend in school every day to boost academic achievement - some urban public schools have faced increased pressure to change the way they teach. Many district superintendents, such as Revere’s Paul Dakin, say innovation schools allow for a better learning environment for teachers and students.
At the Paul Revere school, teachers helped craft the curriculum, restructured their schedules to allow for an extra eight hours of extracurricular activities a week while remaining within the guidelines of the union work week, and have introduced an Open Circle time in the classroom.
In just one year, the school has also seen success with MCAS scores. Last year, it outperformed the state average on six of the seven tests.
“Our commitment to providing every student in our school district with the support and structure to succeed both academically and in the real world is a charge that we take very seriously,’’ said [Somerville Superintendent Tony] Pierantozzi. “While we have seen incremental improvements in many areas, we understand that incremental change may not be enough. We must be willing to move beyond the boundaries of what we know, and explore opportunities that might lead to exponential growth. The Innovation Schools initiative provides exactly that type of opportunity.’’
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2012/03/08/innovation-schools-slated-for-gloucester-haverhill-lynn-malden-and-somerville/5g70rD3CKM6nqEk5PqqahP/story.html
© 2013 The New York Times Company
Innovation schools are catching on
New schools slated for Gloucester, Haverhill, Lynn, Malden, and Somerville
By Steven A. Rosenberg, Globe Staff
[Note from Esperanza School Blog Writers - This article is almost a year old and therefore contains dated information about the status of specific innovation schools. It is being posted to inform readers about innovation schools in general and what they are achieving with students in Massachusetts.]
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Since the Paul Revere became the first innovation school in Massachusetts more than a year ago, educators from across the state have made it one of their first stops as they try to find a better way to teach and prepare students to enter society. The schools were created by Governor Deval Patrick two years ago to give educators flexibility inside the classroom. Similar to charter schools, the innovation schools are allowed to set their own curriculum, schedule, and calendar, and choose their own staff.
While the schools are still funded by their home districts, policies are set by a governing board - staffed by educators, administrators, and parents. Schools also can raise money for programming, take on corporate partners and create educational collaboratives, and set their own budgets. The program requires approval from the district School Committee and the school’s teachers’ union.
As charter schools have spread throughout the state - and focused on changing everything from traditional curriculum to the hours students spend in school every day to boost academic achievement - some urban public schools have faced increased pressure to change the way they teach. Many district superintendents, such as Revere’s Paul Dakin, say innovation schools allow for a better learning environment for teachers and students.
At the Paul Revere school, teachers helped craft the curriculum, restructured their schedules to allow for an extra eight hours of extracurricular activities a week while remaining within the guidelines of the union work week, and have introduced an Open Circle time in the classroom.
In just one year, the school has also seen success with MCAS scores. Last year, it outperformed the state average on six of the seven tests.
“Our commitment to providing every student in our school district with the support and structure to succeed both academically and in the real world is a charge that we take very seriously,’’ said [Somerville Superintendent Tony] Pierantozzi. “While we have seen incremental improvements in many areas, we understand that incremental change may not be enough. We must be willing to move beyond the boundaries of what we know, and explore opportunities that might lead to exponential growth. The Innovation Schools initiative provides exactly that type of opportunity.’’
Monday, February 18, 2013
At Esperanza School, students will be 'immersed' in two languages
The Standard Times - February 18, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130218/NEWS/302180317/
By Charis Anderson, Staff Writer for The Standard Times
canderson@s-t.com
[Note from Esperanza School Blog Writers - Formatting has been added to this article to aid the reader.]
NEW BEDFORD — Debate has been raging for months over the two innovation schools that have been proposed in the city's school district.
Opponents claim the schools — which would be in-district schools that enjoy certain autonomies from the broader district — would create a system of haves and have-nots, with some students enjoying the additional services proposed by the schools' design teams and others not.
Proponents argue that the schools would target areas of specific need in the district and would provide much-needed choices for parents and students.
Complete plans for both schools were submitted to the school district in mid-December, and both groups recently completed negotiations with the New Bedford Educators Association on necessary changes to the collective bargaining agreement.
The next step is for the School Committee to hold a public hearing on the proposals. That hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Amid all the rhetoric and the claims of what the schools would or would not do, there's been a shortage of discussion about what the schools would actually look like if they were approved.
The Standard-Times has reviewed both school plans, which were submitted in mid-December, and interviewed the educators behind the proposals to answer some frequently asked questions about the schools. On Sunday the plan for Renaissance Community School for the Arts was highlighted.
ESPERANZA SCHOOL OF LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
The Esperanza School of Language and Culture would be located in space within Roosevelt Middle School, located at 119 Frederick St., and would serve students from the South End of New Bedford.
The school would operate a two-way, dual-language immersion program in which instruction would be conducted in both English and Spanish and the student body would be split equally between native English speakers and native Spanish speakers.
What is a two-way dual-language immersion program?
In a two-way, dual-language immersion program, native English speakers and speakers of a partner language are immersed in two languages — English and Spanish, in the case of the Esperanza School — through academic instruction that is conducted in both languages.
The goal is for all students to become proficient in both languages over their years in the program.
What autonomies did the school request?
Under the state's Innovation Schools statute, design teams can request autonomy in any (or all) of the following areas: curriculum, budget, school schedule and calendar, staffing, district policies, and professional development.
The Esperanza School requested autonomy in all six areas.
How many children would the school serve, and how would they be selected?
If approved, the school would open for the 2013-14 school year with about 156 students in kindergarten through second grade. The school would grow by one grade a year for six years until it reached full enrollment in the 2020-21 school year with about 425 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Students would be selected for the school through a lottery into which parents must enter their children's names and indicate whether their children speak primarily English or Spanish. All students would need to complete a language screening before the lottery is conducted.
The student body would be evenly split between native English and Spanish speakers, according to the school's plan.
The school does not plan to accept new students into the later grades — Grade 3 and up — because those new students would be very far behind in acquiring a second language, whether English or Spanish, according to Kerry DeJesus, one of the school's design team members.
"We want to make sure that the students are able to keep up academically in the Spanish, and when they come in from kindergarten, in kindergarten through Grade 2, the predominant language will be Spanish so they'll have a strong base," said DeJesus, who said students without that background would struggle in the school's later grades.
What would the school's teaching staff look like?
In Esperanza's first year, the school would have six classroom teachers, all of whose primary instructional language will be Spanish.
For other key positions — principal, special education teacher, school receptionist — the school would plan to hire people who are bilingual in English and Spanish, while for many of the specialist and paraprofessional positions, the school's preference would be for staff who are either bilingual or have Spanish as a primary language.
According to the plan, the school plans to recruit staff from both inside and outside the New Bedford school district.
How will the school be funded?
Just like the Renaissance School, the Esperanza School would receive per-pupil funding from the district comparable to what other district schools receive. The total amount of funding would be determined by how many students were enrolled.
According to Andrea Gallipeau, one of the design team members, the plan for the school was developed with the intent of keeping its budget within the per-pupil funding provided by the district.
However, in the future, the school will likely explore both fundraising and grant-writing opportunities, she said.
In other dual-language schools the group researched, it was parents who really took on the fundraising challenge, according to Gallipeau.
"They're really the ones who grab the bull by the horns, so to speak," said Gallipeau.
What would a school day look like for students?
At Esperanza, the school day for students would be slightly longer than the day in traditional New Bedford schools. Four days a week — Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday — school would start at 8:05 a.m. and run until 2:45 p.m., about 25 minutes longer than the district's elementary school day. (The Esperanza day is the same length as the district's middle school day, according to the district's teachers contract.)
On Wednesdays, students would be released early, at 12:30 p.m., to allow for teacher planning and professional development. (The district has an early release day on Fridays, when students finish school at 1 p.m.)
Across the length of the week, Esperanza students would spend about 80 more minutes in school than students in traditional district elementary schools.
For younger students — kindergartners through second-graders — about 90 percent of each day's instruction will be delivered in Spanish.
The initial emphasis on Spanish is necessary in order to get the school's native English speakers up to speed on the second language, according to DeJesus.
Starting in third grade, students will spend about half their time learning in Spanish and the other half in English, although exactly how that split will happen has yet to be decided, according to school officials.
"It will be determined by the faculty, because it works differently for every group," said DeJesus.
According to DeJesus, some dual-language programs alternate languages every three days, others do it by semester and still others do a whole year in one language before switching to the other.
She said she thought it was likely Esperanza would end up with a three- to five-day alternating schedule, but it really needed to be determined by the specific needs of the school's students.
What would a school day look like for teachers?
The school day for teachers would run from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., a work day that is about 25 minutes longer than the work day in traditional district elementary schools and about 15 minutes shorter than the middle-school work day for teachers, according to the district's teachers contract. Under the plan submitted in December, teachers would not receive a stipend for the additional time.
On the four, full-length days each week, Esperanza teachers would receive 70 minutes of prep, or planning time, while on the early release days, teachers would receive 35 minutes of prep time.
Wednesday afternoons, after the students are dismissed, teachers would spend more than two hours on professional development activities, data analysis and common planning.
What type of partnerships do the schools have with community organizations?
The Esperanza School has garnered support from a number of organizations that have committed to helping the school in a range of ways, including providing volunteers, acting in an advisory capacity and advocating for the school.
Among the organizations that have committed to offering direct services are the Immigrants' Assistance Center, New Bedford Community Connections Coalition and The Education Alliance at Brown University.
Information in this story was taken both from the plan for the Esperanza School and from interviews with the school's planning team.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130218/NEWS/302180317/
By Charis Anderson, Staff Writer for The Standard Times
canderson@s-t.com
[Note from Esperanza School Blog Writers - Formatting has been added to this article to aid the reader.]
NEW BEDFORD — Debate has been raging for months over the two innovation schools that have been proposed in the city's school district.
Opponents claim the schools — which would be in-district schools that enjoy certain autonomies from the broader district — would create a system of haves and have-nots, with some students enjoying the additional services proposed by the schools' design teams and others not.
Proponents argue that the schools would target areas of specific need in the district and would provide much-needed choices for parents and students.
Complete plans for both schools were submitted to the school district in mid-December, and both groups recently completed negotiations with the New Bedford Educators Association on necessary changes to the collective bargaining agreement.
The next step is for the School Committee to hold a public hearing on the proposals. That hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Amid all the rhetoric and the claims of what the schools would or would not do, there's been a shortage of discussion about what the schools would actually look like if they were approved.
The Standard-Times has reviewed both school plans, which were submitted in mid-December, and interviewed the educators behind the proposals to answer some frequently asked questions about the schools. On Sunday the plan for Renaissance Community School for the Arts was highlighted.
ESPERANZA SCHOOL OF LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
The Esperanza School of Language and Culture would be located in space within Roosevelt Middle School, located at 119 Frederick St., and would serve students from the South End of New Bedford.
The school would operate a two-way, dual-language immersion program in which instruction would be conducted in both English and Spanish and the student body would be split equally between native English speakers and native Spanish speakers.
What is a two-way dual-language immersion program?
In a two-way, dual-language immersion program, native English speakers and speakers of a partner language are immersed in two languages — English and Spanish, in the case of the Esperanza School — through academic instruction that is conducted in both languages.
The goal is for all students to become proficient in both languages over their years in the program.
What autonomies did the school request?
Under the state's Innovation Schools statute, design teams can request autonomy in any (or all) of the following areas: curriculum, budget, school schedule and calendar, staffing, district policies, and professional development.
The Esperanza School requested autonomy in all six areas.
How many children would the school serve, and how would they be selected?
If approved, the school would open for the 2013-14 school year with about 156 students in kindergarten through second grade. The school would grow by one grade a year for six years until it reached full enrollment in the 2020-21 school year with about 425 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Students would be selected for the school through a lottery into which parents must enter their children's names and indicate whether their children speak primarily English or Spanish. All students would need to complete a language screening before the lottery is conducted.
The student body would be evenly split between native English and Spanish speakers, according to the school's plan.
The school does not plan to accept new students into the later grades — Grade 3 and up — because those new students would be very far behind in acquiring a second language, whether English or Spanish, according to Kerry DeJesus, one of the school's design team members.
"We want to make sure that the students are able to keep up academically in the Spanish, and when they come in from kindergarten, in kindergarten through Grade 2, the predominant language will be Spanish so they'll have a strong base," said DeJesus, who said students without that background would struggle in the school's later grades.
What would the school's teaching staff look like?
In Esperanza's first year, the school would have six classroom teachers, all of whose primary instructional language will be Spanish.
For other key positions — principal, special education teacher, school receptionist — the school would plan to hire people who are bilingual in English and Spanish, while for many of the specialist and paraprofessional positions, the school's preference would be for staff who are either bilingual or have Spanish as a primary language.
According to the plan, the school plans to recruit staff from both inside and outside the New Bedford school district.
How will the school be funded?
Just like the Renaissance School, the Esperanza School would receive per-pupil funding from the district comparable to what other district schools receive. The total amount of funding would be determined by how many students were enrolled.
According to Andrea Gallipeau, one of the design team members, the plan for the school was developed with the intent of keeping its budget within the per-pupil funding provided by the district.
However, in the future, the school will likely explore both fundraising and grant-writing opportunities, she said.
In other dual-language schools the group researched, it was parents who really took on the fundraising challenge, according to Gallipeau.
"They're really the ones who grab the bull by the horns, so to speak," said Gallipeau.
What would a school day look like for students?
At Esperanza, the school day for students would be slightly longer than the day in traditional New Bedford schools. Four days a week — Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday — school would start at 8:05 a.m. and run until 2:45 p.m., about 25 minutes longer than the district's elementary school day. (The Esperanza day is the same length as the district's middle school day, according to the district's teachers contract.)
On Wednesdays, students would be released early, at 12:30 p.m., to allow for teacher planning and professional development. (The district has an early release day on Fridays, when students finish school at 1 p.m.)
Across the length of the week, Esperanza students would spend about 80 more minutes in school than students in traditional district elementary schools.
For younger students — kindergartners through second-graders — about 90 percent of each day's instruction will be delivered in Spanish.
The initial emphasis on Spanish is necessary in order to get the school's native English speakers up to speed on the second language, according to DeJesus.
Starting in third grade, students will spend about half their time learning in Spanish and the other half in English, although exactly how that split will happen has yet to be decided, according to school officials.
"It will be determined by the faculty, because it works differently for every group," said DeJesus.
According to DeJesus, some dual-language programs alternate languages every three days, others do it by semester and still others do a whole year in one language before switching to the other.
She said she thought it was likely Esperanza would end up with a three- to five-day alternating schedule, but it really needed to be determined by the specific needs of the school's students.
What would a school day look like for teachers?
The school day for teachers would run from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., a work day that is about 25 minutes longer than the work day in traditional district elementary schools and about 15 minutes shorter than the middle-school work day for teachers, according to the district's teachers contract. Under the plan submitted in December, teachers would not receive a stipend for the additional time.
On the four, full-length days each week, Esperanza teachers would receive 70 minutes of prep, or planning time, while on the early release days, teachers would receive 35 minutes of prep time.
Wednesday afternoons, after the students are dismissed, teachers would spend more than two hours on professional development activities, data analysis and common planning.
What type of partnerships do the schools have with community organizations?
The Esperanza School has garnered support from a number of organizations that have committed to helping the school in a range of ways, including providing volunteers, acting in an advisory capacity and advocating for the school.
Among the organizations that have committed to offering direct services are the Immigrants' Assistance Center, New Bedford Community Connections Coalition and The Education Alliance at Brown University.
Information in this story was taken both from the plan for the Esperanza School and from interviews with the school's planning team.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Patrick-Murray Administration Awards Planning Grants to Eight Potential Innovation Schools Across the Commonwealth
Press Release from Governor Deval Patrick - February 6, 2013
http://www.mass.gov/governor/pressoffice/pressreleases/2013/0206-innovation-schools-grants.html
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete press release.)
"I am extremely proud of the progress we’ve made on the Innovation School initiative as more and more schools step up to provide improved educational opportunities for Massachusetts students," said Governor Deval Patrick. "This robust and diverse group of schools demonstrates what can be achieved when local school communities are given the flexibility to be creative in their approach to helping all students achieve at high levels."
A signature component of Governor Patrick’s Achievement Gap Act of 2010, Innovation Schools are in-district, charter-like public schools that use inventive strategies and creative approaches to education while keeping school funding within districts. Innovation Schools can utilize greater autonomy and flexibility with regard to curriculum, staffing, budget, schedule/calendar, professional development and district policies.
There are currently 44 operational Innovation Schools across Massachusetts. If these eight plans are fully approved, over 50 Innovation Schools could be up and running by fall 2013. The Administration awarded over $850,000 in Innovation School planning and implementation grants last year. Funding for Innovation School planning and implementation grants have been made available as part of a total of $2 million in support from the state's successful Race to the Top proposal and additional support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“It is exciting to see a school community, like the Blackstone School, that has made significant academic progress with its students, using the Innovation School model to sustain the gains made by seeking autonomies and flexibilities to continue to meet the needs of its students,” said Education Secretary Matthew Malone.
For more information about Innovation Schools, please visit www.mass.gov/edu/innovationschools.
http://www.mass.gov/governor/pressoffice/pressreleases/2013/0206-innovation-schools-grants.html
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete press release.)
"I am extremely proud of the progress we’ve made on the Innovation School initiative as more and more schools step up to provide improved educational opportunities for Massachusetts students," said Governor Deval Patrick. "This robust and diverse group of schools demonstrates what can be achieved when local school communities are given the flexibility to be creative in their approach to helping all students achieve at high levels."
A signature component of Governor Patrick’s Achievement Gap Act of 2010, Innovation Schools are in-district, charter-like public schools that use inventive strategies and creative approaches to education while keeping school funding within districts. Innovation Schools can utilize greater autonomy and flexibility with regard to curriculum, staffing, budget, schedule/calendar, professional development and district policies.
There are currently 44 operational Innovation Schools across Massachusetts. If these eight plans are fully approved, over 50 Innovation Schools could be up and running by fall 2013. The Administration awarded over $850,000 in Innovation School planning and implementation grants last year. Funding for Innovation School planning and implementation grants have been made available as part of a total of $2 million in support from the state's successful Race to the Top proposal and additional support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“It is exciting to see a school community, like the Blackstone School, that has made significant academic progress with its students, using the Innovation School model to sustain the gains made by seeking autonomies and flexibilities to continue to meet the needs of its students,” said Education Secretary Matthew Malone.
For more information about Innovation Schools, please visit www.mass.gov/edu/innovationschools.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Academic Performance in TWI Programs
en español
Within TWI [two-way immersion] programs, how does the academic performance of native English speakers compare to that of English language learners?
Native English speakers typically achieve at higher levels in English than do English language learners (Howard, Sugarman & Christian, 2003). By middle school, native English speakers on average score above grade level in standardized achievement tests of reading and math, while English language learners on average approach grade level. However, students who begin elementary school as English language learners and develop full oral and reading and writing proficiencies in English often have a mean performance that is as high as or higher than that of native English speakers.
Parents' Questions about Two-Way Immersion (TWI). (2005). In E. R. Howard, J. Sugarman, M. Perdomo, & C. T. Adger. The two-way immersion toolkit. Washington, DC, and Providence, RI: Center for Applied Linguistics and The Education Alliance at Brown University. p. 177. Reproduced with permission.
http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/twi/pdf_files/toolkit_all.pdf
Within TWI [two-way immersion] programs, how does the academic performance of native English speakers compare to that of English language learners?
Native English speakers typically achieve at higher levels in English than do English language learners (Howard, Sugarman & Christian, 2003). By middle school, native English speakers on average score above grade level in standardized achievement tests of reading and math, while English language learners on average approach grade level. However, students who begin elementary school as English language learners and develop full oral and reading and writing proficiencies in English often have a mean performance that is as high as or higher than that of native English speakers.
Parents' Questions about Two-Way Immersion (TWI). (2005). In E. R. Howard, J. Sugarman, M. Perdomo, & C. T. Adger. The two-way immersion toolkit. Washington, DC, and Providence, RI: Center for Applied Linguistics and The Education Alliance at Brown University. p. 177. Reproduced with permission.
http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/twi/pdf_files/toolkit_all.pdf
Rendimiento Académico en Programas de Inmérsion Recíproca
in English
En los programas de inmersión recíproca, ¿hay diferencias entre el rendimiento académico de los hablantes de inglés y los hablantes de lenguas minoritarias?
Los alumnos cuya lengua materna es el inglés generalmente alcanzan niveles más altos de inglés que los no nativos (Howard, Sugarman, & Christian, 2003). Para cuando llegan a la escuela media, los hablantes de inglés generalmente alcanzan niveles por encima de su grado correspondiente en tests estandarizados de matemáticas y lectura, mientras que en general los hablantes de una lengua minoritaria se aproximan al nivel correspondiente a su grado. Sin embargo, en este último grupo aquellos que consiguen altos niveles de expresión y alfabetización en inglés frecuentemente demuestran un rendimiento medio tan alto, sino más alto, que los hablantes de inglés.
Preguntas de los Padres sobres los Programas Bilingües de Inmersión Recíproca. (2005). In E. R. Howard, J. Sugarman, M. Perdomo, & C. T. Adger. The two-way immersion toolkit. Washington, DC, and Providence, RI: Center for Applied Linguistics and The Education Alliance at Brown University. p. 189. Reproduced with permission
http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/twi/pdf_files/toolkit_all.pdf
En los programas de inmersión recíproca, ¿hay diferencias entre el rendimiento académico de los hablantes de inglés y los hablantes de lenguas minoritarias?
Los alumnos cuya lengua materna es el inglés generalmente alcanzan niveles más altos de inglés que los no nativos (Howard, Sugarman, & Christian, 2003). Para cuando llegan a la escuela media, los hablantes de inglés generalmente alcanzan niveles por encima de su grado correspondiente en tests estandarizados de matemáticas y lectura, mientras que en general los hablantes de una lengua minoritaria se aproximan al nivel correspondiente a su grado. Sin embargo, en este último grupo aquellos que consiguen altos niveles de expresión y alfabetización en inglés frecuentemente demuestran un rendimiento medio tan alto, sino más alto, que los hablantes de inglés.
Preguntas de los Padres sobres los Programas Bilingües de Inmersión Recíproca. (2005). In E. R. Howard, J. Sugarman, M. Perdomo, & C. T. Adger. The two-way immersion toolkit. Washington, DC, and Providence, RI: Center for Applied Linguistics and The Education Alliance at Brown University. p. 189. Reproduced with permission
http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/twi/pdf_files/toolkit_all.pdf
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Research Review - The Astounding Effectiveness of Dual Language Education for All
Collier, V.P., & Thomas, W.P. (2004). The astounding effectiveness of dual language education for all. NABE Journal of Research and Practice, 2(1), 1-20.
PDF available at http://njrp.tamu.edu/2004/PDFs/Collier.pdf
Abstract:
Our longitudinal research findings from one-way and two-way dual language enrichment models of schooling demonstrate the substantial power of this program for enhancing student outcomes and fully closing the achievement gap in second language (L2). Effect sizes for dual language are very large compared to other programs for English learners (ELLs). Dual language schooling also can transform the experience of teachers, administrators, and parents into an inclusive and supportive school community for all. Our research findings of the past 18 years are summarized here, with focus on ELLs’ outcomes in one-way and two-way, 50:50 and 90:10, dual language models, including heritage language programs for students of bilingual and bicultural ancestry who are more proficient in English than in their heritage language.
Background:
These researchers have extensive experience examining bilingual/ESL program models and their effectiveness. At the time this article was published, they had conducted research covering 23 school districts in 15 states with over 2 million student records. (Later research included over 6 million student records.) These school districts were in urban, suburban, and rural areas and included both large and small districts.
This particular paper highlights results from two specific areas: Houston Independent School District and two school districts in northern Maine. The latter were in rural areas near the border with Canada. Houston implemented a dual language program with Spanish as the partner language. French was the partner language in the Maine school districts. In both cases, those students in dual language programs showed high levels of academic achievement in English while also increasing proficiency of the respective partner language to a high degree.
Key Quotes: (emphasis added)
"In every study condicted [sic], we have consistently found that it takes a six to eight years, for ELLs to reach grade level in L2, and only one-way and two-way enrichment dual language programs have closed the gap in this length of time. No other program has closed more than half of the achievement gap in the long term." (p. 5)
"With the stimulus of native-English-speaking peers in two-way bilingual classes, groups of English learners typically reach grade level achievement in second language by 5th or 6th grade, reaching an average of the 61st NCE [normal curve equivalent] or the 70th percentile by the eleventh grade.
This is truly astounding achievement when you consider that this is higher achievement than that of native-English speakers being schooled through their own language, and who have all the advantages of nonstop cognitive and academic development and sociocultural support. Native-English speakers’ language and identity is not threatened, because English is the power and status language and they know it, so they have a huge advantage in confidence that they can make it in school, from a sociocultural perspective. Yet English learners can outpace native-English speakers year after year until they reach grade level in their second language, when they are schooled in a high quality enrichment program that teaches the curriculum through their primary language and through English." (p. 11)
"The astounding effectiveness of dual language education extends beyond student outcomes, influencing the school experience of all participants. As the program develops and matures, teachers, administrators, and parents in formal and informal interviews all express an awareness that they are part of something very special. Most adults connected to the program begin to view it as a school reform, where school is perceived positively by the whole school community. The respect and nurturing of the multiple cultural heritages and the two main languages present in the school lead to friendships that cross social class and language boundaries. Teachers express excitement, once they have made it through the initial years of planning and implementing an enrichment dual language model, that they love teaching now and would never leave their jobs. They feel they have lots of support, once the staff development and teacher planning time is in place for this innovation. Teachers can see the difference in their students’ responsiveness and engagement in lessons. Behavior problems lessen because students feel valued and respected as equal partners in the learning process." (p. 11)
"How the program is implemented can influence the rate at which English learners close the gap. Important principles of dual language include a minimum of six years of bilingual instruction with English learners not segregated, a focus on the core academic curriculum rather than a watered-down version, high-quality language arts instruction in both languages and integrated into thematic units, separation of the two languages with no translation or repeated lessons in the other language, use of the non-English language at least 50 percent of the instructional time and as much as 90 percent in the early grades, and use of collaborative and interactive teaching strategies. How faithful teachers are to these principles can strongly influence the success of the program, and the principal is a key player in making the model happen as planned." (p. 13)
"Clearly dual language education is a school reform whose time has come. It is a school model that even the English-only advocates endorse, because it is an inclusive model for all students, and all student groups benefit from participating." (p. 18)
PDF available at http://njrp.tamu.edu/2004/PDFs/Collier.pdf
Abstract:
Our longitudinal research findings from one-way and two-way dual language enrichment models of schooling demonstrate the substantial power of this program for enhancing student outcomes and fully closing the achievement gap in second language (L2). Effect sizes for dual language are very large compared to other programs for English learners (ELLs). Dual language schooling also can transform the experience of teachers, administrators, and parents into an inclusive and supportive school community for all. Our research findings of the past 18 years are summarized here, with focus on ELLs’ outcomes in one-way and two-way, 50:50 and 90:10, dual language models, including heritage language programs for students of bilingual and bicultural ancestry who are more proficient in English than in their heritage language.
Background:
These researchers have extensive experience examining bilingual/ESL program models and their effectiveness. At the time this article was published, they had conducted research covering 23 school districts in 15 states with over 2 million student records. (Later research included over 6 million student records.) These school districts were in urban, suburban, and rural areas and included both large and small districts.
This particular paper highlights results from two specific areas: Houston Independent School District and two school districts in northern Maine. The latter were in rural areas near the border with Canada. Houston implemented a dual language program with Spanish as the partner language. French was the partner language in the Maine school districts. In both cases, those students in dual language programs showed high levels of academic achievement in English while also increasing proficiency of the respective partner language to a high degree.
Key Quotes: (emphasis added)
"In every study condicted [sic], we have consistently found that it takes a six to eight years, for ELLs to reach grade level in L2, and only one-way and two-way enrichment dual language programs have closed the gap in this length of time. No other program has closed more than half of the achievement gap in the long term." (p. 5)
"With the stimulus of native-English-speaking peers in two-way bilingual classes, groups of English learners typically reach grade level achievement in second language by 5th or 6th grade, reaching an average of the 61st NCE [normal curve equivalent] or the 70th percentile by the eleventh grade.
This is truly astounding achievement when you consider that this is higher achievement than that of native-English speakers being schooled through their own language, and who have all the advantages of nonstop cognitive and academic development and sociocultural support. Native-English speakers’ language and identity is not threatened, because English is the power and status language and they know it, so they have a huge advantage in confidence that they can make it in school, from a sociocultural perspective. Yet English learners can outpace native-English speakers year after year until they reach grade level in their second language, when they are schooled in a high quality enrichment program that teaches the curriculum through their primary language and through English." (p. 11)
"The astounding effectiveness of dual language education extends beyond student outcomes, influencing the school experience of all participants. As the program develops and matures, teachers, administrators, and parents in formal and informal interviews all express an awareness that they are part of something very special. Most adults connected to the program begin to view it as a school reform, where school is perceived positively by the whole school community. The respect and nurturing of the multiple cultural heritages and the two main languages present in the school lead to friendships that cross social class and language boundaries. Teachers express excitement, once they have made it through the initial years of planning and implementing an enrichment dual language model, that they love teaching now and would never leave their jobs. They feel they have lots of support, once the staff development and teacher planning time is in place for this innovation. Teachers can see the difference in their students’ responsiveness and engagement in lessons. Behavior problems lessen because students feel valued and respected as equal partners in the learning process." (p. 11)
"How the program is implemented can influence the rate at which English learners close the gap. Important principles of dual language include a minimum of six years of bilingual instruction with English learners not segregated, a focus on the core academic curriculum rather than a watered-down version, high-quality language arts instruction in both languages and integrated into thematic units, separation of the two languages with no translation or repeated lessons in the other language, use of the non-English language at least 50 percent of the instructional time and as much as 90 percent in the early grades, and use of collaborative and interactive teaching strategies. How faithful teachers are to these principles can strongly influence the success of the program, and the principal is a key player in making the model happen as planned." (p. 13)
"Clearly dual language education is a school reform whose time has come. It is a school model that even the English-only advocates endorse, because it is an inclusive model for all students, and all student groups benefit from participating." (p. 18)
Monday, February 11, 2013
Your View: Esperanza proposal offers language diversity
The Standard Times - February 11, 2013
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130211/OPINION/302110311/
By Dawn Blake Souza
Dawn Blake Souza lives in New Bedford. She is a retired New Bedford Public Schools principal.
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
American-born students seldom have a school experience where they can learn with and about their peers in a setting where language and culture are integrated, and English language learners rarely have an opportunity to do the same, as they are typically taught in isolation from native English speakers.
I am familiar with dual-language immersion programs where half of the students are native English speakers and half are native Spanish speakers. Instruction takes place in both languages, so that all of the children become proficient in both languages and learn, in the most natural way children do, how to understand and appreciate their similarities as well as their differences, with the emphasis placed on their similarities as members of a larger community.
This is the simple, well-tested concept of the proposed Esperanza Innovation School. This model of language learning is considered by those of us with experience in the field as one of the best practices that we should be implementing.
New Bedford can become a leader in this effort by supporting the Esperanza Innovation School as a model that can easily be replicated in other schools and expanded to all interested families.
It is time we recognized that we are living in a global society where being able to communicate in more than one language and being culturally literate is a decided advantage, not simply for economic gain, but for promoting real understanding within our human family.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130211/OPINION/302110311/
By Dawn Blake Souza
Dawn Blake Souza lives in New Bedford. She is a retired New Bedford Public Schools principal.
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
American-born students seldom have a school experience where they can learn with and about their peers in a setting where language and culture are integrated, and English language learners rarely have an opportunity to do the same, as they are typically taught in isolation from native English speakers.
I am familiar with dual-language immersion programs where half of the students are native English speakers and half are native Spanish speakers. Instruction takes place in both languages, so that all of the children become proficient in both languages and learn, in the most natural way children do, how to understand and appreciate their similarities as well as their differences, with the emphasis placed on their similarities as members of a larger community.
This is the simple, well-tested concept of the proposed Esperanza Innovation School. This model of language learning is considered by those of us with experience in the field as one of the best practices that we should be implementing.
New Bedford can become a leader in this effort by supporting the Esperanza Innovation School as a model that can easily be replicated in other schools and expanded to all interested families.
It is time we recognized that we are living in a global society where being able to communicate in more than one language and being culturally literate is a decided advantage, not simply for economic gain, but for promoting real understanding within our human family.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Comparando programas de inmersión recíproca con otros programas
in English
Comparados con alumnos de otros tipos de programas, ¿dónde situaría el nivel académico de los alumnos de programas de inmersión recíproca?
El rendimiento académico en matemáticas y lectura de los alumnos de programas de inmersión recíproca ha sido examinado por varios investigadores para determinar el impacto a largo plazo de este tipo de programas (por ejemplo, Cazabon, Nicoladis, & Lambert, 1998; Collier & Thomas, 2004; Howard, Sugarman, & Christian, 2003; Kirk-Senesac, 2002; Lindholm-Leary, 2001, 2005).
Estos estudios indican que en general tanto los alumnos que hablan una lengua minoritaria como los que hablan inglés como lengua materna demuestran un progreso significativo en ambos idiomas; ambos grupos obtienen por lo menos una puntuación correspondiente, si no superior, a su grado escolar en ambos idiomas cuando llegan a la escuela media (middle school); y su rendimiento académico es igual o superior al de alumnos de otros programas que hablan la misma lengua materna que ellos. Es decir, en tests estandarizados de lectura y matemáticas en inglés, los hablantes de inglés de programas de inmersión recíproca generalmente obtienen una puntuación más alta que los hablantes de inglés de programas educativos donde sólo se enseña en inglés. Por otra parte, los alumnos de lenguas minoritarias en programas de inmersión recíproca generalmente obtienen una puntuación significativamente más alta que los alumnos de lenguas minoritarias que estudian en otros programas en el mismo estado, y su puntuación es similar a la de los hablantes de inglés que estudian en programas monolingües donde sólo se enseña en inglés (Lindholm-Leary, 2004; Lindholm-Leary & Borsato, en prensa).
Preguntas de los Padres sobres los Programas Bilingües de Inmersión Recíproca. (2005). In E. R. Howard, J. Sugarman, M. Perdomo, & C. T. Adger. The two-way immersion toolkit. Washington, DC, and Providence, RI: Center for Applied Linguistics and The Education Alliance at Brown University. p. 188-189. Reproduced with permission
http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/twi/pdf_files/toolkit_all.pdf
Comparados con alumnos de otros tipos de programas, ¿dónde situaría el nivel académico de los alumnos de programas de inmersión recíproca?
El rendimiento académico en matemáticas y lectura de los alumnos de programas de inmersión recíproca ha sido examinado por varios investigadores para determinar el impacto a largo plazo de este tipo de programas (por ejemplo, Cazabon, Nicoladis, & Lambert, 1998; Collier & Thomas, 2004; Howard, Sugarman, & Christian, 2003; Kirk-Senesac, 2002; Lindholm-Leary, 2001, 2005).
Estos estudios indican que en general tanto los alumnos que hablan una lengua minoritaria como los que hablan inglés como lengua materna demuestran un progreso significativo en ambos idiomas; ambos grupos obtienen por lo menos una puntuación correspondiente, si no superior, a su grado escolar en ambos idiomas cuando llegan a la escuela media (middle school); y su rendimiento académico es igual o superior al de alumnos de otros programas que hablan la misma lengua materna que ellos. Es decir, en tests estandarizados de lectura y matemáticas en inglés, los hablantes de inglés de programas de inmersión recíproca generalmente obtienen una puntuación más alta que los hablantes de inglés de programas educativos donde sólo se enseña en inglés. Por otra parte, los alumnos de lenguas minoritarias en programas de inmersión recíproca generalmente obtienen una puntuación significativamente más alta que los alumnos de lenguas minoritarias que estudian en otros programas en el mismo estado, y su puntuación es similar a la de los hablantes de inglés que estudian en programas monolingües donde sólo se enseña en inglés (Lindholm-Leary, 2004; Lindholm-Leary & Borsato, en prensa).
Preguntas de los Padres sobres los Programas Bilingües de Inmersión Recíproca. (2005). In E. R. Howard, J. Sugarman, M. Perdomo, & C. T. Adger. The two-way immersion toolkit. Washington, DC, and Providence, RI: Center for Applied Linguistics and The Education Alliance at Brown University. p. 188-189. Reproduced with permission
http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/twi/pdf_files/toolkit_all.pdf
Comparing TWI to other educational programs
en español
How do students in TWI [two-way immersion] programs compare academically to students in other types of educational programs?
Several investigators have examined the reading and math achievement of students in dual language programs at late elementary or secondary levels to determine the long-term impact of TWI programs (e.g., Cazabon, Nicoladis, & Lambert, 1998; Collier & Thomas, 2004; Howard, Sugarman & Christian, 2003; Kirk-Senesac, 2002; Lindholm-Leary, 2001, 2005).
These studies showed that overall both English language learners and native English speakers made significant progress in both languages; both groups scored at or well above grade level in both languages by middle school; and both groups performed at comparable or superior levels compared to same-language peers in other educational settings. On norm-referenced standardized tests of reading and math achievement in English, native English speakers outscored their English-only peers in English-only classrooms. English language learners who had learned English in a TWI program scored significantly higher than their English language learning peers who had studies in other kinds of programs in the state and also performed on a par with native English speaking students in English-only classrooms (Lindholm-Leary, 2004; Lindholm-Leary & Borsato, in press).
Parents' Questions about Two-Way Immersion (TWI). (2005). In E. R. Howard, J. Sugarman, M. Perdomo, & C. T. Adger. The two-way immersion toolkit. Washington, DC, and Providence, RI: Center for Applied Linguistics and The Education Alliance at Brown University. p. 176. Reproduced with permission.
http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/twi/pdf_files/toolkit_all.pdf
How do students in TWI [two-way immersion] programs compare academically to students in other types of educational programs?
Several investigators have examined the reading and math achievement of students in dual language programs at late elementary or secondary levels to determine the long-term impact of TWI programs (e.g., Cazabon, Nicoladis, & Lambert, 1998; Collier & Thomas, 2004; Howard, Sugarman & Christian, 2003; Kirk-Senesac, 2002; Lindholm-Leary, 2001, 2005).
These studies showed that overall both English language learners and native English speakers made significant progress in both languages; both groups scored at or well above grade level in both languages by middle school; and both groups performed at comparable or superior levels compared to same-language peers in other educational settings. On norm-referenced standardized tests of reading and math achievement in English, native English speakers outscored their English-only peers in English-only classrooms. English language learners who had learned English in a TWI program scored significantly higher than their English language learning peers who had studies in other kinds of programs in the state and also performed on a par with native English speaking students in English-only classrooms (Lindholm-Leary, 2004; Lindholm-Leary & Borsato, in press).
Parents' Questions about Two-Way Immersion (TWI). (2005). In E. R. Howard, J. Sugarman, M. Perdomo, & C. T. Adger. The two-way immersion toolkit. Washington, DC, and Providence, RI: Center for Applied Linguistics and The Education Alliance at Brown University. p. 176. Reproduced with permission.
http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/twi/pdf_files/toolkit_all.pdf
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