Reading was a major topic at last week’s meeting of the Winslow School District Governing Board.
Elementary school aides Corri Havlicek and Janice Arnold gave a presentation on the outcomes of using the Fast ForWord reading program.
The information presented shows a marked increase in reading skills for those students in the first and second grades. The program is used for all students at Washington Elementary School and for those students struggling with reading concepts at Jefferson Elementary School. According to Arnold, the program has been in use for the past two years and it has made a significant difference for those students who have used it.
In a discussion with Arnold after the meeting, she explained that at Jefferson, first graders enrolled in the program showed an improvement of more than twice that of experienced students not enrolled in the program, but noted that was somewhat misleading, because the students not enrolled in the program were already reading more words than the others.
“It may be a more realistic picture in the second grade, where the students started out on a more level playing field,” explained Arnold.
The figures for the second grade at Jefferson showed the students in the programs improved by about one-third.
When asked why only the students who struggled with reading were enrolled in the program at Jefferson, while all the students at Washington and even Bonnie Brennan had access to the program, she explained it was about technology. “We just don’t have the technology available at Jefferson as of yet to provide it to all the students, but we are working on it,” she said.
Arnold also explained that while the Fast ForWord program had a big impact, the program alone did not account for all the improvements. “It’s a combination of having the students in reading groups, working on phonograms and the Fast ForWord program that has helped the kids be successful,” said Arnold, adding that reading makes all the difference in a student’s life. “If you can help someone to be a successful reader, they can do anything. Reading is a part of everything they will do in life,” she said.
Due to the success of the program, the schools will continue to utilize it in the coming year.
Prior to the regular meeting, a public hearing was held regarding the adoption of the 2014-15 expenditure budget. There was no public comment and the board approved the revision.
During the regular session, the board approved the hiring of Jessica Dauphinais as a special education teacher at Washington Elementary School and Linda Evans, third grade teacher at Bonnie Brennan School. At the Winslow High School, those hired included Brittain Davis, math and science teacher; Owen Kerr, math teacher; Dennis Verrett, English teacher and speech coach; Amy Arend, student council sponsor; Kelsey Connair, Honor Society sponsor; Scott Corum, head boys’ varsity basketball coach; Nate Velez, assistant boys’ varsity basketball coach; Venton Nelson, boys’ junior varsity basketball coach; and Matthias Wilson, assistant football coach.
The board also approved the transfer of Jeff McCrickard from painter for the district to maintenance at Bonnie Brennan School; Deana McKinney from art teacher at the high school to academic coach; and Kathy Schlesinger from high needs special education aide at Jefferson Elementary School to Washington Elementary School.
In other action May 6, the board:
* Approved the resignation of Tiffany Beard as parent liaison at Washington Elementary School; Heather Carrell, library technician, Bonnie Brennan School; Gloria “Molly” Jackson, library technician, Winslow Junior High School; Berkley Hendricks, seventh grade social studies teacher, WJHS; and Sarah Schlesinger, part-time classroom aide, Jefferson Elementary School.
Those resigning from WHS included Vincent Hood, math and science teacher; Todd Hunt, Career and Technical Education teacher; Andrew Watson, alternative education teacher; Nathan Brady, volleyball coach; Chelsea Parks, speech coach; and Allyson Ropes, Spiritline coach.
* Approved travel for three employees and 14 students to Los Angeles, Calif., for the WHS Honor Society Senior Trip scheduled May 22-24.
* Approved the purchase of 300 refurbished Dell laptops from Everyday PC for a total of $79,200.
