CHS to eliminate lowest tracking level for freshmen

CHS Principal Doug Dias has announced plans to reduce the number of college preparatory tracking levels at the high school from two to one, while at the same time enhancing a student resource center with more money and staff from the major subject areas.

Dias, who presented the plan to the School Committee last Thursday, said the move is being done to help students achieve more academic success, focus earlier on individual learning problems, and also challenge students to move up to a higher academic level.

Initially, the move will impact 35 freshmen students next fall. Dias is meeting with teachers and department heads to iron out more details of the program.

School Superintendent Jeff Granatino and committee members Cindy Thomas, Jill Stevens, and Elizabeth Salisbury said they were very interested to hear initial details of the program, but they wanted to make sure that all CHS students were encouraged to seek help from the resource center. Committee members John Bonnanzio and Reuki Schutt were absent from the meeting.

Dias said he is working with department heads so that a teacher from each of the main curriculum areas of math, science, social studies and English will be available to staff the center on a rotating basis. The school has received a government grant, written by Student Services Director Debra Bromfield, to help operate the center.

“Our goal is to support all students and especially give the kids support and confidence in the college prep area,” said Dias. “We want to do this in early grades so they can get the help that’s needed. We don’t want to lower our standards. Our job is to figure out the students who are struggling and to help them.”

He added that in addition to core subject help, there will be staff to help students who have reading and instructional deficiencies. Dias said the added 35 students to the college prep level 1 courses will not dramatically impact class sizes.

In other news, the committee heard a second review of the school district’s updated concussion policy. Each community must detail its policy to the state departments of education and public health by March 1.

Under the policy, starting this fall, all freshmen and junior student-athletes will take a baseline test to measure their cognitive abilities. A student who suffers a concussion or other head injury will also take an impact test within 72 hours after suffering the injury. The policy requires written consent from a doctor before an injured student is allowed to return to play. It also includes a mandated education requirement for parents, either by attending an Athletic Department evening meeting for parents and students, or by taking an online education course. After the injury, coaches and trainers must provide parents with an information packet on head trauma symptoms.

In other news:

* Granatino announced Thursday night that representatives of Canton Little League intend to present a plan to upgrade the playing field at the Luce school to make it more suitable for a future softball field.

* Granatino announced that the late Aida Gladstone, a former Kennedy School volunteer, has left $5,000 in her will to go toward the Kennedy CAPT.

* School network administrator Mike Wentland reported that he has reduced the number of Canton school computer servers from 22 to four, with the latest network joining the servers of the Hansen, Luce, and Kennedy elementary schools. The Galvin Middle School server is expected to be active this week, with the Rodman building and high school to be completed this summer. Wentland hopes that student remote access will be completed in late April.

* Granatino also reported that a special diversity program involving CHS students will be held on March 8 with an evening program for parents.

* Although the School Committee will not meet until Thursday, March 8, the end of February will begin a busy budget period for the board. The committee is due to meet with selectmen on Tuesday, February 28, to discuss the parameters of the FY13 budget and will meet on March 13 to discuss the findings of the subcommittee on extracurricular activities.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Feb 22 2012. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.