WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. September 13 & 28, 2005: The City School District Director of Research, Testing and Evaluation, Larry Kilian, giving a report September 12 to the Board of Education on how White Plains is using its Federal No Child Left Behind money, announced New York State will be administering new English Language Arts and Math State Achievement Tests to elementary and middle school grades previously not tested by the state in January and March. He also noted that approximately 30% of White Plains students are receiving some form of Academic Intervention Services in the last year for which figures were available.
Larry Kilian, Director of Research, Testing, and Evaluation for White Plains City School District, addressing the Board of Education, September 12. Photo by WPCNR News.
Kilian reported the District will be spending a total of $12,675,853 to uplift academically challenged students not achieving state academic standards (Levels 3 and 4 on state achievement tests) in school year 2005-2006. $1.6 Million of these funds come from the federal government. The balance of $11.1 Million is paid for directly by White Plains taxpayers.
29% Received Academic Intervention Services in 2003-04.
WPCNR in the last week asked Kilian how many students were receiving Academic Intervention Services. Kilian reported Monday, that in the most recent academic year in which figures on the number of students receiving Academic Intervention Services were available, 2003-2004, 1,930 students (29%) out of 6, 618 students in the City School District, were receiving some form of Academic Intervention Services. Kilian said that disabled students are included in that figure, but did not have a percentage of how many made up the total, or what the overall figure was for this year.
In 2003-2004, the last year where figures are available, of the 1,930 White Plains students receiving intervention services, 1,442 were in Grades K through 8, and 488 were enrolled in grades 9 through 12. The projected enrollment for the 2005-2006 year in the White Plains Schools is 6, 935 students.
He told WPCNR the figures for 2004-2005 had not been determined yet, and was in process.
ELA - Math Tests to test new grades in Jan/March
Kilian reminded the District that the State Board of Regents is preparing ELA and Math tests to measure the year-to-year progress of elementary schoolers in 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th grades. Up until this year, elementary school students were tested for Math and English achievement only in 4th Grade, and Middle School Students were tested for Math and English in 8th Grade, with results posted statewide by district, to provide the School District Report Cards measuring how good a job each district statewide is doing.
The district has not seen the tests for these grades yet, Kilian added. The new Math and ELA tests were being developed for those four new grades by CTB/McGraw-Hill, conceivers of the Math and ELA 4th and 8th grade tests. According to Kilian the new ELA tests would be administered in January to the five grades, 3,4,5,6,7,8, and the Math tests in March. Previously they had been administered later in the year, now Killian said the state is moving them up.
Though the tests have not yet been created, sample test questions for the new grades to be tested could be found on the New York State Education Department website.
Using Federal Monies on Academic Intervention Services in White Plains
Kilian’s written report presented at the Board of Education detailed how the City School District is spending the $1,575,853 the district is receiving for the 2004-2005 School Year under the terms of the No Child Left Behind Act. Kilian told me that not all of the monies are spent exclusively on teaching students who receive Academic Intervention Services, that some is spent on teaching clinics and other services dedicated to improving overall instruction and curriculum.
Title I Funds totaling $1,050,419 are being used to hire 7 full-time teachers to provide direct instructional support to students identified as needed Academic Intervention Services. The funds also support extended day and summer programs and Project Early Read. $10,000 is reserved for services to homeless children. $60,000 is devoted to professional development through university programs and consultants.
Title IIA funds coming to $273,292 have hired 4 additional teachers to reduce class size in early grades.
Title IID funds of $19,047 are being used to purchase technology to support staff development efforts in technology.
Title III funds totaling $180,959 will be spent to deliver instruction for Limited English Proficient students, allowing assignment of a teacher parttime in the Newcomer Center plus after-school tutoring, bilingual testing, parent involvement programs, summer school, summer screening , Regrents prep courses, and additional use of a Bilingual Social Worker and teaching assistants and professional development. A portion is also used to support the PACE Centro Hispano Outreach Program where college students tutor Limited English Proficient Students at the high school during the school day.
Title IV Funds in the amount of $43,161 support programs to promote safe schools and prevent drug and alcohol abuse. Title V monies totaling $8,975 support the Arts-In-General-Education programs, allowing professional artists to work with classroom teachers to enrich instruction.
Killian’s report said the District uses local funding of an additional $3.4 Million in direct teaching support in literacy; $3.1 Million more for instructional support for Limited English Proficient Students; $900,000 for the Summer School program, and $3.7 Million more dollars for “implementation of our instructional technology plan this year.”
The local funds, his report said, “support the backbone of our professional development efforts – 7 instructional specialists who provide direct assistance to the classroom teachers.” No figure was given for the expense of those 7 instructional specialists.
In his preamble paragraph, Killian wrote:
“The White Plains City School District will use the funds allocated under the No Child Left Behind Act to provide direct instructional support to students who are not yet achieving State academic standards, and high quality professional development to their teachers and administrators. Our efforts are guided by the (federal) required needs assessment process that involves reviewing the achievement data for racial/ethnic groups, economically disadvantaged, disabled and limited English Proficient students. Instructional strategies and programs are selected considering scientifically-based research. Our elementary and middle schools prepare school-wide plans to coordinate all activities (regardless of funding source) to improve achievement.
