IBM recently awarded Chittenden Central Supervisory Union (CCSU) a $10,000 Community Impact Grant for Essex High School (EHS) and Albert D. Lawton Intermediate School (ADL) to support student learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

Both schools have been exploring ways to increase student access to STEM learning.  In fall 2012, the EHS STEM Academy will be launched and, similar to the EHS Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (AVPA), will support individual student pursuits in specific areas while still participating in the EHS comprehensive program.

The IBM Community Impact Grant enables both EHS and ADL to expand STEM opportunities for students, including the implementation of integrated STEM units beginning in grade six. These integrated units of study in science and math classes will sometimes be taught in conjunction with IBM volunteers, and will empower students with engineering and problem-solving skills.  In addition, the funds from the grant would be used in procuring additional instructional materials and equipment for the STEM units.

“This grant helps us fund our work currently underway in STEM and increasing access to more middle and high school students,” CCSU Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Amy Cole said.  “We are very grateful to our IBM community partners in their continued support of our students and teachers in this work.”

Essex High School (EHS) Teacher Maria Ung had no idea she would receive a national award when she came to work on Monday, October 17 – but what seemed to be an ordinary assembly, turned into an extraordinary surprise.  Recommended by the VT State Department of Education, Ung received the Milken Educator Award, part of a national program recognizing preeminent teachers.

Ung was selected based on her exemplary educational talent, accomplishments beyond the classroom, and for her engaging and inspiring presence motivating students, colleagues, and the community.

A resident of Essex Junction, Ung is a St. Michael’s graduate who currently teaches Conceptual Chemistry at EHS.  She has been an EHS science teacher since 2007, having previously taught at Milton and Rochester.  In addition, she is the EHS cheerleading coach and is multi-lingual.  Her credentials have placed her as one of Vermont’s Highly Qualified Teachers in the areas of math and science.

The Milken Educator Award, launched by Lowell Milken in 1982, is designed to celebrate exemplary K-12 educators in their early to mid-career work.  Each recipient is awarded $25,000, to spend as they choose.

Heralded as the “Oscars of teaching,” up to 40 recipients will be awarded this honor nationwide, with Ung being the sole Vermont recipient this year.

Superintendent Michael Deweese applauded Ung as Milken’s choice, “Maria exemplifies the very best of teaching, which is evident each day in her classroom.  Her passion for her content is exceeded by her love for her learners, translating to high quality instruction and learning.  We are all so very proud of her.”

More information about the Milken Educator Award can be found at http://www.mff.org/mea/.

• Click here to read the article in the Oct. 17 edition of the Burlington Free Press.

Ms. Amy Cole will begin her new role as Chittenden Central Supervisory Union’s (CCSU) Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment on July 1.  She follows Ms. Linda Skelding (Keating) in the position; Ms. Skelding will assume another administrative opportunity in St. Albans.

Cole is a veteran Vermont administrator, with past experience in Chittenden South Supervisory Union as its Curriculum Director.  More recently, while working toward her doctorate in Montreal, she has concurrently been active as a curriculum consultant to schools throughout the region.

“Ms. Cole comes very highly recommended to us,” CCSU Superintendent Michael Deweese said.  “Her direct experience in curriculum, instruction, and assessment leadership in a neighboring supervisory union is a true asset for CCSU.  As both a parent and resident of the district, Amy brings good familiarity with our system into her new role.  A particular value-add for us is Amy’s liaison work on behalf of Vermont with the New England Secondary Schools Consortium, which offers a rich network of resources to our teachers.  We are very pleased to have Amy join us to further advance our district’s strong work in the areas of teaching and learning.”

“I am thrilled to be joining CCSU as a new member of the administrative team, and I look forward to working with the teachers, students, families and community members from each of the CCSU communities,” Cole said.  “It is my sincere hope that my experience and expertise will complement the good work that CCSU has accomplished in curriculum, instruction and assessment and that I can be of service in supporting the future work that lies ahead.”

Click here to view the new April 2011 Curriculum Calendar

The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) sets school accountability targets that are measured by Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). These targets increase overtime, with the goal of 100 percent student proficiency in the areas of reading and math by 2014.

Schools must make AYP for all students, including those in four identified sub-groups, ranging from race, socio-economic status, English language learners, and students with disabilities. Schools must have at least 40 students in each sub-group in order for AYP to be measured.

A school, or school district, that doesn’t meet AYP for two consecutive years for the same sub-group and subject enters “School Improvement” status, requiring specific actions that must be taken to improve student achievement. If AYP isn’t met for four consecutive years for the same sub-group and subject, the school, or school district, enters “Corrective Action,” and the Commissioner of Education recommends to the State Board of Education improvement steps specific to that school. After two years of meeting AYP, schools are no longer in the “School Improvement” status. Each school needs to reach 100 percent student proficiency in reading and math by 2014.

Student proficiency is measured by the reading and math scores from the fall 2010 New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP), which measures students’ academic knowledge and skills. The Vermont Department of Education uses the NECAP results to make AYP decisions.

According to the NECAP results, 80 percent of students throughout Chittenden Central Supervisory Union (CCSU), which includes the Essex Junction, Westford, and Union #46 school districts, scored “proficient” or above in reading.

Even though reading scores have remained steady, the Essex Junction School District (EJSD) as a whole, along with Albert D. Lawton (ADL), Fleming, and Essex High School (EHS), did not meet AYP for reading. This is the third year EJSD did not meet AYP for students with disabilities and for those participating in the free and reduced lunch program. ADL, Fleming, and EHS did not meet AYP only for students participating in the free and reduced lunch program.

According to the NECAP results, 72 percent of CCSU students throughout CCSU scored “proficient” or above in the area of math; improving steadily over the past several years. However, EJSD did not meet AYP in this subject for students with disabilities, students receiving free and reduced lunch, and for students who are white. As a result, EJSD is now in “Corrective Action,” and will take more rigorous steps to improve achievement scores. EHS, Fleming and ADL are in their first year of not meeting AYP for students receiving free and reduced lunch (ADL was also identified in the white student sub-group).

“The ideals of NCLBA are wonderfully audacious. Our community is justifiably proud of continued growth in NECAP scores,” CCSU Superintendent Michael Deweese said. “Yet, it’s not enough for us to generalize school results, but to dig more deeply into individual students and student sub-group scores. These data are important to our schools as our educators strive to meet the needs of all learners.”

For more information about curriculum, instruction, assessment, NECAP and AYP, visit http://www.ccsuvt.org/curriculum-instruction-and-assessment/.

Click here to view the new March 2011 Curriculum Calendar

Students in the Essex Junction, Westford, and Union #46 school districts (the member school districts of Chittenden Central Supervisory Union, or CCSU), continue to achieve comparatively high on the 2010 New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) tests.

The NECAP reading, math, and writing tests measure students’ academic knowledge and skills relative to Grade Expectations, which represent the knowledge and skills students should have achieved by the end of the previous school year. NECAP performance is categorized into four levels of achievement: Proficient with Distinction, Proficient, Partially Proficient, and Substantially Below Proficient.

Currently, educators throughout CCSU are reviewing the fall 2010 NECAP results to measure continuous improvement, monitor individual student performance, and analyze trends within specific content areas and grade levels. Results are analyzed against two-year performance targets published in each school’s Action Plan.

“We have begun setting two year performance targets so that schools can reach achievable rigorous goals based on analysis of performance trends and can make critical mid-course adjustments in their action steps to facilitate continuous improvement,” CCSU Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Linda Skelding said.  “Having multi-year Action Plans allows educators to focus in on framing the right questions for data analysis and feel confident about the decisions we make concerning our next steps.

At the high school level, only11th-grade students take the NECAP.  At Essex High School (EHS), 85 percent of students scored proficient or higher in reading, 63 percent of students scored proficient or higher in math, and 65 percent of students scored proficient or higher in writing.  “I am pleased that EHS shows improvement from year to year,” EHS Principal Rob Reardon said. “I remain concerned that the, “at risk,” populations continue to struggle with their performance.”

In the elementary and middle school grades, the NECAP reading and math tests are administered to students in grades three through eight.  The writing portion is only administered to grades five, 8, and 11.

“Westford Elementary School continues to make progress towards its performance targets for the year 2011 as measured by the NECAP scores from the fall of 2010,” Westford School Principal David Wells said.  Eighty-five percent of students scored proficient or higher in the area of reading, and 81 percent of students scored proficient or higher in math.  In the area of writing, half of the fifth grade students scored proficient or higher and 85 percent of the eighth grade students scored proficient or higher.

At Albert D. Lawton Intermediate School (ADL), 74 percent of students scored proficient or higher in reading, 64 percent scored proficient or higher in math, and 58 percent scored proficient or higher in writing.  “ADL results this year were a mixed bag, so to speak,” ADL Principal Laurie Singer said.  “As a school, we will collectively scrutinize the data to create both school and individual student action plans to address areas of strength and need.”

Thomas Fleming Elementary School continues to experience improvement in NECAP scores.  Seventy-nine percent of students scored proficient or higher in reading, 82 percent scored proficient or higher in math, and 56 percent scored proficient or higher in writing.  “We note and celebrate a growing data trend of increasing numbers of students scoring at the proficient with distinction performance level in math,” Fleming Principal Daniel Ryan said.  “Student performance in reading improved for both last year’s fourth and fifth graders and our school is on target for meeting the 2011 growth performance target for reading in our School Action Plan.”

At Summit Street School, 78 percent of students scored proficient or higher in reading, and 82 percent of students scored proficient or higher in math.  “It is rewarding to note that 45 percent of Summit students earned “proficient with distinction” in the NECAP Math test.,” Summit Street School Principal Mary Hughes said.  ”In reading, analysis and interpretation continues to provide the greatest challenge to our students and will continue to be an area of emphasis in our instructional programming for our students.”

Hiawatha School results are also very positive, with 75 percent of students scoring proficient or higher in both reading and math.  “With the exception of 2006 math scores, student performance in both math and reading has steadily increased,” said Hiawatha Principal Tom Bochanski.  “That said, our staff will continue to review and refine all areas of the learning-instruction dynamic, including support of students with significant disabilities, scaffolding of classroom activities throughout all grade levels, and alignment of implemented standards and indicators.”

In looking at CCSU scores as a whole, 80 percent of students scored proficient or higher in reading, 73 percent of students scored proficient or higher in math, and 63 percent scored proficient or higher in writing.  All data will be used for school improvement and accountability, as framed by the CCSU Comprehensive Plan for Continuous Improvement and aligned with each school’s action plan.  These plans are all available online at http://www.ccsuvt.org/curriculum-instruction-and-assessment/action-planning/.  Complete NECAP results can be accessed at the VT Department of Education’s web-site (www.education.vermont.gov).

Click here to view the January Curriculum Calendar

Click here to view the December Curriculum Calendar

Click here to view the November Curriculum Calendar

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