Citing a “staggering number” of requests for course changes that threatened the balance of class assignments, the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School Board, will discuss whether to change the course selection guide and admission criteria for high school AP and honors classes on Tuesday, November 22.
At the board meeting on November 8, Richard Kaye explained the underlying concerns.
“Over the past few years we’ve studied students’ course placement requests, the number of schedule changes, the number of overrides into honors and AP classes, plus the reasons for overrides and the impact of the overrides on developing the master schedule. After considering all of these factors we had to devise a course selection process. What is being proposed is a process that will help us become more objective and consistent so we can build common assessments. We’ll be able to have a database to show us the rates at which we are helping young people meet their targets that we believe can be reached.”
Kaye said the major factor in this conversation is parental overrides, of which there were 1,840 in honors courses in the two high schools during 2010-’11, “is a staggering number that compromised the selection system and criteria.”
Kaye said this was to blame for an imbalance in course selection. Data indicated that many of the overrides were unwarranted. While parents may have pushed for students to take advanced courses, when students had trouble with the more rigorous AP classes they would make requests to transfer to the standard class. Once students start an AP or honors course, they may not get out.
“A dilemma is that classes can be filled by just people who requested them. Now we have young people requesting a change and they have no option but to remain in a course that they find inappropriate to them after the fact. They then have trouble trying to meet the requirements — and this occurs both for regular and special education students — and even if we give them every kind of support possible, the level of intensity and speed of learning puts those young people at a great disadvantage when they’re not on track,” Kaye said.
Kaye added that for special education students the overrides “undermine the collaborative individualized education program process” since parents can unilaterally override the decision of the IEPT, or individualized educational planning team.
The board of education is set to review the parental override process, and Kaye said with the recommended changes the final decision for eligibility for AP and honors would be left to administrative and professional staff with students and parental input.
As part of the district’s overall plans it is moving towards common assessments in every possible area. Assessment happens to be the forte of the incoming assistant superintendent, Martin Smith, who is scheduled to begin at WW-P on November 28. Kaye said common assessments are “owed” to every student in the district.
“This will allow us to look at where we are as a district working for the education of individual students and groups of students,” Kaye said.
For curriculum committee updates Kaye said “special education and social studies program reviews are very close to completion of their homework.”
Within the next month or two the board expects to receive more input from internal and external review committees. Presentations to the curriculum committee and the community are being planned with a series of recommendations on how the board of education should move forward in both areas based on data that was collected.
#b#Field Trip Policy#/b#
At the November 8 meeting, Kaye also outlined the situation that changed the district’s approach regarding national conference field trips.
“One of the things that happened with the defeated budget last year was that we made the decision to remove the $150 contribution for a student’s participation in national competition. We opened that conversation again to consider the impact of that decision on the young people involved and it requires us to have a thorough conversation understanding that many of these national, quote, conferences are money-makers for organizations that bring in a lot of profit by sponsoring this and schools and families pay a premium to go.
“We are looking and questioning again and informing parents that if students are lucky enough to be invited to attend, that letter could be used as part of a resume and a description of their achievements but you don’t necessarily have to attend and pay the money to get that as you already were invited. We want to let parents know these are money-making operations too,” Kaye said.
Kaye also said the addition of French 3 honors was recommended.
“A growing number of students in French who have demonstrated a mastery of French 2 were surveyed about their interest and approximately 65 percent of them want to pursue a more challenging language opportunity. There would be no anticipated increase in the number of sections because this would require just the reorganization of the total number of sections.
Kaye said the same pool of French students would be split among two offerings: honors and college preparatory. No increase in cost would happen either.
The curriculum committee has also recommended the district’s renewal of its annual subscription with Custom Computer Systems for the Infinite Campus District Edition, WW-P’s student information system. The new software license would go from December 1, 2011 to November 2012. The dollar amount is based upon enrollment and it can change year to year, but for the upcoming year it would cost $140,869 based on enrollment (no higher than the system’s per-pupil cost last year).
#b#In other Board of Education news:#/b#
— The board rescinded its approval of four overnight field trips: High School North’s Junior Statesmen of America visit to Parsippany from November 20-21 as well as its trip to Washington, D.C., from February 11-13, plus two scheduled Model United Nations trips for North: to Rutgers University from November 10-13 and Boston between February 23-26.
Instead North’s Model UN will make two trips to college campuses: Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore from February 9 to 12, at a cost of $350 per student, as well as Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, between March 7-10, at a cost of $325 per student. Also approved was a trip for North’s Special Olympics to Wildwood from March 31 to April 1, at no cost.
— A STARTALK grant application in the amount of $99,250 was submitted to the state for Hindi/Urdu Summer Immersion Camp. WW-P will serve as the lead district and while Richard Kaye said there would be no cost to the district the district’s general fund bills list of November 2 includes $1,000 for STARTALK.
— The school board approved a shared services and membership agreement for CJPRIDE (Central Jersey Program for the Recruitment of Diverse Educators) for 2011-’12 at a cost of $50. WW-P will serve as the facilitating district for the following school districts in the area: Robbinsville, East Windsor, Hamilton, Montgomery, Franklin Township, Hillsborough, Lawrence, Hopewell Valley, Princeton, South Brunswick, Jackson, Ewing, and Middlesex County vocational and
technical schools.
— A contract between WW-P and Douglass Outreach at Rutgers University was approved for special education counseling services for $13,050 plus mileage and tolls for a total of 87 hours. The contract is in effect until June 15, 2012.
— The board voted to increase speech therapist Jean Lovejoy from 1.5 days per week to five days a week for compensation of $400 a day between November 1 and December 23, not to exceed 27 days of service.
— The board approved a Capital Projects Bill List run on November 2 in the amount of $285,462.97.
— A contract for $2,288 per bus was awarded to A-1 Limousine for transportation for the High School South band trip to Annapolis, MD. Two buses were used.
— The board voted to cancel a student transportation contract of $5,400 awarded to First Student on September 27 due to changes in transportation requirements.
#b#Change orders enacted included the following:#/b#
— Boiler replacement at Wicoff Elementary School will include insulation for new headers and abated pipe in the boiler room by Performance Mechanical Corp. for a cost of $8,675, which will not increase the contract amount of $286,252.
— Authorization of a general construction contract with Halecon Inc. for restoration on the hard surface play area at Maurice Hawk, including investigation of the lime tank for $1,860; installing three hopscotch games for $900 as well as filling cracks on the basketball court at High School North for $2,240. The total allowance of $5,000 did not increase the contract amount of $75,850.
— An allowance for $1,617 for clock and sound system upgrades at High School North and Millstone River by Open Systems Integrators. North’s two gymnasiums were found to have deficiencies in their paging systems and work will be performed on each of their remote audio systems. At Millstone River four outside speaker horns will be installed around the perimeter of the building at a total cost of $3,974. Neither of the allowances increases the contract amount of $274,000 with Open Systems Integrators but a paging microphone which will be installed at Millstone River for $1,760 increases the contract amount to $276,560.
— The Bank of Princeton has been added as a school district depository of funds as the Board secretary and its treasurer of school moneys officially opened a new bank account.
The board voted to appoint Amanda Barclay as a 40 percent elementary teacher at Maurice Hawk Elementary at a prorated salary of $20,000.
Kimberlee Holleran and Hope Gray were appointed as part-time instructional assistants. Holleran replaces Leah Parker Housel who accepted a position a 40 percent elementary teaching position. Gray replaces Jennifer Klose, who resigned. Another instructional assistant, Heather Jones, officially started on October 13.
Six teachers are set to return to the district after taking leaves of absence. They include South physical education teacher Beth Fitzpatrick at a prorated salary of $82,050; North special education teacher Gabrielle Biancosino at a prorated salary of $56,945; Grover science teacher Susan Milman at a prorated salary of $76,050; Community Middle School social studies teacher Maria Pyle at a prorated salary of $59,400; Grover special education teacher Sheryl Morro at a prorated salary of $87,170, and Dutch Neck special education teacher Kathryn Koscuk at a prorated salary of $53,990.
With the exception of Fitzpatrick, who returned November 9, all the others will be back to lead classrooms immediately after Thanksgiving break.
Leaves of absence for four other teachers were approved: North special education teacher Jennifer Bard from July of this year to January 2; Town Center first grade teacher Jennifer Knoblock from April 28 to June 30, 2012; Wicoff second grade teacher Gerald Pinner from January 10 to February 16; and Community math teacher Dana Smith from May 5 to June 30.
Other approved personnel items included payments to 24 PSAT proctors at High School South and 25 at High School North at $82.75 each for standard time. Six who worked extended time were paid $128.39 and four coordinators (two at each school) received $260 each.
After 10 years on the job speech and language specialist Bonnie Lee has retired.
Supervisor of Special Services Thomas Sullivan was paid $3,555.81 for unused vacation days, per contract terms.
Sidney Friedenberg has been reappointed as a Continuing Education Adult Instructor at a rate of $22 per hour.
For 2011-’12 Erin Conrad, Jennifer Terhaar-Dore, and Heather Orlando will each receive $47.09 per hour (not to exceed 40 hours) for creating new performance-based assessments for Biology.
At Dutch Neck Elementary Jeff Elkelberner and Martin Hobaugh will each be paid stipends of $730.50 for their roles as special projects coordinators in charge of Dutch Neck Gardens.
Valentine Barnaby will receive a stipend of $2,895 for the strength and conditioning summer camp at High School North.
Robert Schurtz, the new boys’ golf coach at High School South, will receive $3,55.30, paid in June, 2012.
South’s new assistant swimming coach, Heather Peoples, will receive $4,740.40 to be paid in March.
At High School North winter track assistant coach Gary Leonhardt will be paid $3,318.28.
Four dance chaperones for Grover Middle School were approved for a rate of $49.93 per event.
The WW-P district will participate in American Education Week by permitting open-door parent visits at the following schedules:
— At Community Middle School and Grover Middle School visitation hours are planned for Wednesday, November 16, between 7:40 a.m. noon. Contact the main office of each school to schedule a visit. Community 609-716-5300 and Grover 609-716-5250.
— Wicoff Elementary School will also host parents on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 15 and 16. Contact the school at 609-716-5450.
— Village School plans for each class to host parents. Teachers sent letters home with students outlining the specific dates and times.
