School board to discuss kindergarten program
October 30, 2009 4:19 PM
The Corvallis School Board is scheduled to make a decision about the future of the district's all-day kindergarten enrichment program after the 2009-10 school year at its Dec. 7 monthly board meeting.
Board meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. at the district office, 1555 S.W. 35th St.
The following Q & A will hopefully answer many of the questions surrounding the all-day kindergarten issue:
Q. How has the district operated its all-day kindergarten program in the past?
A. For 15 years, our schools offered a full-day kindergarten option on a self-supporting basis by charging tuition since the state only funds a half-day of kindergarten instruction. When there were more applicants than spaces available at a particular school, a lottery was held. The district set a tuition amount to fully pay for the program by allocating a certain number of seats for families paying the full tuition fee, as well as a certain number of seats for those needing a full or partial scholarship.
Q. What caused the district to change its kindergarten program?
A. Two years ago, the Oregon Legislature received a complaint about the legality of charging tuition for a full day of kindergarten instruction. The Attorney General's Office rendered an opinion that school districts could not charge tuition for students to receive direct kindergarten instruction. Based on this interpretation, the district ended its tuition-based, full-day kindergarten program and moved to a half-day enrichment program. The new program requires that instruction of state and district standards occur during the regular half day of kindergarten and that the tuition-supported hours include only enrichment experiences.
In addition, it was clarified for the district that all students eligible for either free or reduced lunches must also be eligible for a full scholarship in kindergarten tuition programs. To comply with this ruling, the district began using a lottery process for available seats in which all students requesting the all-day enrichment program were included without consideration of whether a student would receive the services for free or by parent-paid tuition.
Q. Why is the program in jeopardy?
A. Because of these changes, the cost of the enrichment program now is not fully paid by the tuition fees. Extending full scholarships to all eligible students added about $50,000 to the annual cost of this program.
This year, the Corvallis Public Schools Foundation provided the additional $50,000, but it's unlikely that the foundation will be able to continue this subsidy into the future. With the slow economic recovery, more students are eligible for scholarships and the cost to the district will grow. Additionally, if a student has special needs, the cost of providing the necessary services during kindergarten enrichment time increases the cost.
Q. How does the Title 1 status of Garfield and Lincoln impact the situation?
A. Title 1 is a subsection of federal law that provides for resources to support the education of children growing up in poverty. Garfield and Lincoln schools paid for their all-day kindergarten programs with Title I federal grant money. Less federal grant funds will be available in the 2010-2011 school year and these schools may not be able to continue to provide free all-day kindergarten. If the district were to cover the cost of all scholarships at all schools, including Garfield and Lincoln, the cost of the program would exceed current tuition charges by about $250,000 to $300,000.
Q. What are the "unknowns" that will factor into the school board's decision?
A. One is that the Legislature is not expected to consider possible legislative changes related to full-day kindergarten programs until the 2011-12 school year. Secondly, state school funding forecasts are likely to remain grim, depending on the outcome of the tax measures on the Jan. 26 ballot and how long it takes for Oregon's economy to recover. Adding the expense of kindergarten scholarships, or any new costs, to the district's budget at this time would require cutting other areas of the budget.
District hires new business director
October 29, 2009 6:13 PM
The Corvallis School District has named Roy Burling of Springfield, Ore. as its new director of Business Services.
Burling will replace Kathy Rodeman who is retiring in December after serving as the district's business director since 1991.
No stranger to school finances, Burling comes to Corvallis having spent the last two years as manager of the capital construction department at the University of Oregon. He also served as the chief financial officer for the Tigard-Tualatin School District from 2002 to 2007.
Burling earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and political science from Hastings College in Hastings, Neb. in 1979. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and has over 20 years of financial management, accounting and auditing experience.
Burling has worked as a senior accountant for the city of Eugene (1990-96), assistant finance manager for the Lane Transit District in Eugene (1996-2000) and as the budget and treasury officer for the City of Springfield (2000-01). Early in his career, Burling also worked in a variety of financial positions with the County of San Bernardino (Calif.) and a private CPA firm.
"Kathy Rodeman's retirement leaves very big shoes to fill in the district," said Superintendent Dawn Tarzian. "I believe that Roy brings the unique set of skills, experience and commitment that the district has come to depend upon.
"Through the hiring process, Roy's knowledge and integrity rose to the top over and over again," she said. "When asked about making hard decisions during times of diminished resources, he responded by saying, 'In the end, people come to the top and in our business, those people are the children.'"
CHS teacher to share 'best practices'
October 29, 2009 2:30 PM
Julie Williams, a social studies teacher at Corvallis High School, has been selected from a national pool of nearly 120 educators to participate in the Conference on "Best Practices in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)" hosted by Fulbright Japan. The meeting takes place Nov. 1-5 in Portland.
Williams is one of 15 teachers chosen from across the country in order to reflect the rich cultural, institutional and regional diversity of the United States. Fifteen teachers from Japan also were selected to take part in this innovative event.
The sharing of "Best Practices" from both countries is designed to raise awareness of ESD-oriented school programs and enhance ESD-related curricula in both countries. Organizers also hope to deepen a sense of global interconnectedness between teachers in Japan and the United States in four vital areas of ESD focus: food and sustainable nutrition; environment; energy and resources; and international understanding and cooperation.
"I'm very fortunate to work in a school district that is so open to innovation and creativity in the classroom and to be in Corvallis where the Sustainability Coalition and City of Corvallis have put such a high priority on sustainability issues," said Williams. "I also feel blessed to work with students with such great commitment to sustainable practices for a brighter future.
"I think it was this combination of realities that put me in this honored position, to get to share what we are doing in Corvallis around sustainability and to find out what other schools are doing," she said.
The "Best Practices" conference is jointly sponsored by Fulbright Japan (the Japan-U.S. Educational Commission), the Institute of International Education in Washington, D.C., the Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau of the U.S. Department of State and the Japanese Government's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Garfield School receives national recognition
October 20, 2009 3:52 PM
Garfield Elementary School has been named a 2009 National Title 1 Distinguished School based on its success in closing the academic achievement gap between student groups.
Two schools in every state are chosen as examples of superior Title I programs in one of two categories: a school that has exceeded its adequate yearly progress for two or more years, or a school that has significantly closed the achievement gap between student groups. Garfield was chosen to represent Oregon in the latter category.
The school was notified of the award at a "surprise" staff meeting on Friday, Oct. 16. The honor comes with a $5,000 cash award to help support the school's continued work in closing achievement gaps. Three of the Garfield staff also will travel to Washington, D.C. in January to accept the award at the National Title 1 Conference.
Schools chosen for this award must have a poverty rate among students of at least 35 percent for the selected year. They also must have demonstrated high academic achievement for two or more consecutive years and met or exceeded state standards for making adequate yearly progress (AYP) for two or more consecutive years.
Garfield is one of two schools in the district that offer a Dual Language Immersion program and it is an English as a Second Language magnet school. Of the 376 students that attended Garfield in 2008-09, 62 percent were eligible for the federal Free and Reduced Price Meal Program.
Over the past two school years, the increase in the percentage of Garfield students meeting achievement goals in reading and math has generally been two to four times higher than required AYP growth targets. This has been true of the overall student population, as well as for most subgroups including the economically disadvantaged, students with limited English proficiency, students with disabilities and those of Hispanic origin.
Superintendent Dawn Tarzian described the honor as "exciting news." She said, "I couldn't be happier about this recognition for a very dedicated and hard-working staff. For the last several years, they have challenged themselves to develop the skills and curriculum needed to support and challenge each and every student at Garfield. They are an inspiration to all of us who work to make a difference for children."
Garfield Elementary also has been accepted into the International Spanish Academies Program by the Kingdom of Spain's Ministry of Education. This program, which emphasizes the value of a multicultural education, includes some of the nation's oldest and best Dual Language Immersion schools.
District prepares for brunt of flu season
October 16, 2009 3:03 PM
Parents throughout the Corvallis School District will be receiving a letter by email today, or early next week, from the district office explaining how school officials are responding to several cases of suspected H1N1 flu absences this week.
Though the district's overall absenteeism rate is still well within normal ranges for this time of year, a handful of schools have reported pockets of staff or students that have been ill with flu-like symptoms. After consulting with the Benton County Health Department, school officials have decided to send a district-wide communication. Notification letters will not be sent to the families of individual schools with suspected cases of swine flu.
According to the health department, it's likely nearly everyone in the community already has been exposed to the H1N1 virus. Exposure does not necessarily mean that people will become ill and the best protection against getting or spreading the flu is still frequent hand washing, protecting coughs and sneezes, and staying home when sick.
The district's letter urges parents to watch their children carefully for flu symptoms, especially a fever of 100 degrees or higher, and to keep them home if they are sick. It also states that if students become ill at school, parents or guardians will be called to come pick them up. Families of medically fragile students are encouraged to consult with their physicians to discuss a plan of action based on their individual needs and situation.
Based on the health department's recommendations, the district does not anticipate any school closures due to the H1N1 flu. Closure only would be necessary if there were too many staff out sick to be able to safely operate a building. However, the human resources department has worked to build a large pool of substitutes so a school closure for this reason is unlikely.
Most families subscribe to school or district-wide list servs; those who do not have Internet access will receive a hard copy of the letter. A flu "question and answer" sheet also will accompany the letter.
Work to begin on diversity action plan
October 14, 2009 1:11 PM
The Corvallis School District's Diversity and Inclusion Committee will reconvene Oct. 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the District Office Board Room to begin work on an action plan.
Last year, the 30-member committee focused on collecting and analyzing a variety of data in an effort to help identify diversity-related challenges and opportunities in 509J. Members reviewed the results of surveys completed by staff, parents and students and conducted school climate inventories at each school to determine how welcoming the physical environment each building is for all students and parents. Committee members also studied student achievement data, behavior data, demographics, student participation rates in advanced placement classes, quality of translation services and more.
The committee's goal this year is to develop an action plan which will help the district create a safer and more welcoming environment for all students, families and staff. The plan should also foster school cultures that embrace diversity and inclusion and ensure that all students have access to quality educational programs.
"We're eager to get to work again," said Jeanne Holmes, assistant superintendent. "The information we gleaned last year from our surveys, school visits, data analysis and public forums will provide a solid foundation for developing an effective diversity and action plan."
For details about the committee's work last year, click here.
District updates race, ethnicity data
October 13, 2009 12:08 PM
Because of new federal guidelines, Corvallis schools are asking staff and families to update information forms that identify their race and ethnicity according to more precise definitions.
The new approach to collecting this data will allow individuals to describe themselves by their ethnic or cultural background, as well as one or more racial categories. For example, a student whose mother is of of Asian descent and whose father is a native Hawaiian could identify herself as being both. A child whose mother is from Mexico and whose father is white could report his ethnicity as Hispanic even though he may report his race as white.
The data -- which is kept confidential according to rules regulating the privacy of student records and cannot be used to identify individuals -- is used by the government to gather more accurate information about the nation's ethnic and racial diversity and to evaluate civil rights compliance. The school district also uses racial and ethnic figures to evaluate program needs in order to provide better services to students. For example, student achievement data may be broken down by ethnicity to target subgroups that may need extra support.
Next spring's student registration forms have been revised to reflect the new categories which parents may choose between. Some schools are also sending a new information request home with students to gather the data this fall.
The Corvallis School District requests that parents and guardians report this information for their student(s). If a parent chooses not to identify their child's race and ethnicity, a school employee will provide the information on the required forms on their behalf.
The new reporting categories and race definitions are listed below.
Anyone with concerns or questions about the race and ethnicity questionnaire should contact their school office or email Kerry Richey at kerry.richey@corvallis.k12.or.us. A detailed explanation of how the U.S. Department of Education is requiring the data be collected and reported is available here.
Ethnicity Reporting Category
Is the person Hispanic or Latino? (Yes or No)
Definition: A Hispanic or Latino person is of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. The term "Spanish origin" can be used in addition to "Hispanic or Latino."
Race Reporting Category
What is this person's race? One or more race should be marked to indicate what this person considers himself/herself to be. Following are the reporting categories with definitions.
- An African American or Black person has origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
- An American Indian or Alaska Native person has origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.
- An Asian person has origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or Indian subcontinent. (Examples: Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, Vietnam)
- A Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander person has origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
- A White person has origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
Lincoln School earns environmental award
October 12, 2009 9:20 AM
Teachers and students in the middle school program at Lincoln K-8 School were honored with an "Excellence in Environmental Education" award during a ceremony at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland on Oct. 9.
The Environmental Education Association of Oregon chose Lincoln for the award in the "Schools" category because of the students' work last year restoring local waterways, including Marys River and Blair Creek.
Sixth, seventh and eighth grade students at Lincoln gathered data last year from a site along Blair Creek near Philomath and helped to develop and implement a restoration plan to improve the fish habitat. The plan was given to a landowner along the creek who partnered with the Marys River Watershed Council to restore the stream. Articles written by the students about the restoration work were featured in the Healthy Waters journal and their project also was featured in a film produced by Freshwaters Illustrated.
Environmental education is woven throughout the Lincoln middle school curriculum including science, math, writing, social studies, art and reading. The program, which moved to Lincoln when the Inavale School was closed in 2006, features a three-year curriculum cycle that covers rivers and oceans, mountains and forests.
The students participate in weekly field trips and occasional extended field trips to learn more about their community and the natural world around them. One of the many goals of the program is to empower students to be active participants in their communities and to advocate for environmental and social justice.
A school-wide assembly to celebrate the award is being planned, but a specific date has not yet been set.
District adopts new policy on gangs
October 7, 2009 2:47 PM
The Corvallis School Board signed off on a new policy for dealing with gang-related behaviors and activities at its Oct. 5 board meeting.
The policy was developed by an interagency Gang Task Force made up of representatives from each of the district's middle and high schools, local law enforcement agencies, the Boys and Girls Club and the Benton County Juvenile Department.
The new policy defines a gang as "a group of two or more that identifies itself through the use of a name, unique appearance or language (including hand signs), or the claiming of geographical territory, and includes the espousing of a distinctive belief system that frequently results in a disruption of the educational process up to and including criminal activity.
Under the policy, any students found behaving in a manner that represents gang influence, affiliation, behavior or activity will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including suspension or expulsion. School administrators must document all gang-related behaviors and if a student shows a pattern of behavior consistent with the guidelines of the new policy, they will conference with the student and parent(s) to address that behavior.
School also will gather data on students involved in gang-related behavior intervention to help ensure that no specific student group is targeted. This data will be shared with the superintendent each year to allow for district-wide review.
Corvallis students named chess 'all-stars'
September 30, 2009 9:43 AM
Thirteen students from the Corvallis School District have been named "chess all-stars" by the Oregon Scholastic Chess Federation.
The all-star list is published three times a year and contains the names of the best scholastic chess players in Oregon based on how well they competed at tournaments throughout the year. The players with the highest rating by grade level are invited to participate in the All-Stars Invitational.
This year's event will be held Oct. 9 at the Oregon State Capitol Building. The students will be grouped by rating and play in groups of four during the invitational tournament. Top finishers will receive a $50 gift certificate when games are completed.
There are nearly 2,200 rated scholastic players in Oregon according to tournament organizers. The all-star players represent the top 10 percent in the state and generally fall in the top 25 percent or better for the entire Pacific Northwest, according to the OSCF. A total of 180 players were named to the most recent all-star list.
The following students from Corvallis were included: Kevin Dai (Grade 1, Hoover Elementary), Carson Denison (Grade 7, Cheldelin Middle School), Paul Denison (Grade 2, Mountain View Elementary), Joe Kim (Grade 8, Cheldelin Middle School), John Omes (Grade 4, Mountain View Elementary), Neal Omes (Grade 2, Mountain View Elementary), Calvin Parnon (Grade 9, Crescent Valley High School), Cole Schneidecker (Grade 3, Hoover Elementary), Crystal Still (Grade 3, Mountain View Elementary), Leonardo Sun (Grade 2, Hoover Elementary), Maxwell Sun (Grade 4, Hoover Elementary), Ricky Thierheimer (Grade 9,Crescent Valley High School ) and Yang Yan (Grade 6, Cheldelin Middle School).
