Document Story

With the accountability framework recently released for Washington state public schools, educators at Franklin Elementary School say they are prepared for the added pressure of meeting standards as a new Title 1 school.

“In the last few years we have been above standard in math and reading state requirements,” Principal Brian Moore said, “But there is a little more attention paid to Title 1 schools, and we are aware of that.”

The document draft was released from The Washington State Board of Education on December 1st with the title, “Draft Accountability Report, December 2009”. The document introduces new audit and school monitoring standards. The SBE’s Accountability framework includes a document emphasizing Washington state educators’ active plan to monitor and examine schools’ progress and identify schools in need of intervention as well as identifying exceptional schools deserving praise. The framework includes federal and state standards and records progress and a plan of action from schools, especially those receiving federal funds. This would include Title 1 schools like Franklin Elementary School that became school-wide Title 1 this year.

Moore said the school has in the past been monitored by the Adequate Yearly Progress report, part of the No Child Left Behind Act set forth by the Bush Administration. Moore said standards are the same for Title 1 schools, but Title 1 schools are the first to be looked at and closely monitored for student progress.

School district Superintendent Paul Strum said, “Public schools and public districts that receive federal funds are required to comply with the accountability laws and policies of both the federal government and their state government, currently being the No Child Left Behind Act.”

Moore said that since becoming school-wide Title 1 extra funds have provided a little more leisure for accountability processes. Moore said the funds help create more resources needed for helping students who are struggling in reading or math.

“We have been able to receive about $100,000 of extra funds, which has been huge in creating programs designed to help struggling students.” Moore said.

Title 1 is a Federal Education Program designed to provide funds for programs that specifically adhere to students struggling to meet state standards in subjects such as reading and math. There are two types of schools in Title 1, target-schools and school-wide. Target-schools receive funds for programs to help the students most-in-need of extra tutoring to meet state standards. However, school-wide Title 1 allows enough funds for all students to benefit from specialized programs, not just those who are considered below the standard. To become school-wide Title 1 requires at least 40% of students to be on free or reduced lunch.

Franklin Elementary is currently at 42% of students with free or reduced lunch, a number Moore said has gradually increased due to the inflation of population in areas of Pullman.
Moore said the Sunnyside area of Pullman has increased in new houses being built, subsequently building up the student body at Sunnyside Elementary School. Because of this more families located near college hill have had to switch to Franklin Elementary School.

“It’s not so much an increase in the poverty level, rather it’s a shift in the concentration of low-income students,” Moore said, “ Many families living on college hill are considered ‘temporarily low-income’, usually because the parents of these students are also college students, and now instead of these students being distributed between the elementary schools, they have all transferred here.”

The Title 1 program at FES is currently ran by Sue Schell, along with other para-professionals. Schell said part of the accountability is tracked by assessments made in the classroom for all Title 1 students.

“We usually do some sort of short weekly assessment, then we graph the results to track and monitor individual progress as well as school progress.” Schell said.

Schell said they are currently using a program called DIBELS, which apparently still has a few kinks to work out.

“Some of the grade-leveled assessments are tricky because one student will be above the grade-level and another student well below grade-level, it’s not a continuum of results, and the way the assessments are set up make it difficult to pinpoint where some students fall in progress.” Schell said.

Moore said when it comes time to be audited; the faculty at Franklin Elementary School is positive and proud of the student progress they have seen since becoming school-wide Title 1.

Sources:

Paul Sturm: psturm@psd267.wednet.edu

Brian Moore: 509-334-5641

Sue Schell: 509-334-5641

online story

Forget waiting for your 10-year high school reunion to find former friends, there’s a new way to reconnect with past classmates. Janos Szablya, who graduated from Pullman High School in 1972, began the Pullman High School-Vintage Edition facebook page in order to reconnect with other alumni, and through networking discovered generations of post-grads.

The idea to create the page came about when a reunion photo was in the works for all former students who had been in the old building of Pullman High School. Although Szablya’s class size was not large, about 125 people, those coordinating the event found it difficult coming up with a way to get everyone involved, especially those that had been foreign exchange students, or locals that have since moved abroad.

“Without the university students Pullman has a very small community, when I went to high school everyone in the school knew everyone, your families all knew each other,” Szbalya said, “ Everyone was very much a part of everyone else’s lives, I felt that those who have moved away should still have the opportunity to be involved.”

Thus, Janos Szablya began a facebook page to spread the word about the photo opportunity. Szablya said he was surprised by the amount of people in his generation who were using the technology, and the sites’ membership number increased quickly. Now with 201 members, the facebook page has become a source for reconnecting, sharing, and supporting classmates ranging from the 1930s -1970s, Szablya said.

The page has eliminated the need for stashing old phone numbers in a shoebox, a method Szablya used up until he began the site, which is also the way he was able to contact the first members.

Most updates on the pages’ wall include general inquiries such as what became of a certain person or personal information posts, but recently support from old-friends to former student Gloria “Glo” Wiley, who has since died, have dominated the space. In her last days Szablya began frequently commenting on the site giving updates on Wiley’s health and inviting former friends to call or visit her in the hospital.

“The support and responses from others have been amazing,” Szablya said, “Gloria was very well liked in high school, and people do care.”

Another event included invitations to the former high school’s basketball coach Ray Hobbs’ 80th birthday party.

“A lot of people wouldn’t have made it to that party if I hadn’t written about the party, he died shortly after, and people were grateful I posted the information and that they were able to be there.” Thornton said.

But the older generations aren’t the only ones using facebook to stay connected with other classmates; the Pullman High School class of 2009 has a page as well. With posts concerning senior skip day and dates of departure for college, students of the 2009 class are a little less excited about finding peers online.

“Younger people already have their own pages and are pretty well connected, this was new for us.” Szablya said.

As for current students, Pullman High School has begun using the course management system Moodle to help keep students and teachers connected. Moodle is similar to Blackboard and Angel learning, used by WSU faculty and students, said Principal Joe Thornton of Pullman High School.

“With facebook, the faculty can’t manage it, there’s an upside and a downside to groups on facebook for students.” Thornton said.

Thornton said the upside to a facebook page for current students can be keeping connected with peers on school-based events, the downside being that students may tend to write inappropriate messages that are then associated with the school. Because negative messages may be conveyed outside of school, the school cannot take disciplinary action on the students who writes it, Thornton said.

“I’ve come across some pages with hateful language about other students or staff members, and it’s unfortunate.” Thornton said.

However, Szablya said he has opened the page to all alumni of Pullman High School, not only to include newer generations, but also to help connect the dots with former classmates’ families who may now be in high school.

“I have six brothers and sisters, and that’s the case for a lot of other families I knew, that’s almost 10 years of having siblings in high school, so the more generations I include, the more people I can ultimately reconnect with.” Szablya said..

Sources:

Janos Szablya: 484- 620-3360

Joe Thornton: 332-1551 ext. 202

Trend Sources

Dr. Laurie Smith: 335-6388

Jamie Smart: 334-3411

Jon Downing: jd1101@wsu.edu

Erin King: erin_king@wsu.edu

Ericia: private, will give to Ben if needed.

Trend: Sexual Orientation: taboos in middle and high schools

Although grade schools in Pullman boast having progressive sexual education programs that promote abstinence and include contraception information, the cultural aspect is still lagging. In fact, there is an entire demographic that is almost completely ignored during the sex-education process, the gay community.

“We try and keep things very broad,” said Jamie Smart, the Healthy Living teacher at Lincoln Middle School, “There are so many different opinions about that topic, we tend to avoid any details.”.

Smart said if students ask specific questions concerning sexual orientation, she could legally answer them, but instead tries to keep neutral and simple about the matter. Most middle and high schools do not differ from Smart’s tactics, in some cases; sexual orientation is not allowed to be part of the curriculum.

Jon Downing, a member of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community at Washington State University, went to high school in Coeur d’Alene. “My sex-education teacher was a lesbian, openly, and she still wasn’t allowed to discuss sexual orientation,” Downing said, “I’m sure if someone spoke to her in private, she would answer any questions, but I also know most people wouldn’t be comfortable asking questions like that in front of a class.”

The cultural aspect of sex-education among schools has a large impact on the comfort-level of student’s seeking information about sexual orientation and the gay community. According to the Washington state Department of Health’s guidelines for sex-education, the curriculum must be both age-appropriate and culturally appropriate. But what does this mean? And who decides what is culturally appropriate? Apparently, any topic considered to be “uncomfortable” by the community, can therefore be nixed from the curriculum. However, the guidelines also state that sexuality (including sexual orientation) may be included in sex-education courses. So who then, decides whether or not it is culturally appropriate to discuss sexual orientation?

In short, the teacher has the power to decide whether or not to give information about sexual orientation and same-sex relationships. Parents also have the right to preview any material that will be used during sex-education.

One WSU student, Ericia, worked on a project for a Women’s Studies class that involved handing out fliers or pamphlets containing resources for the gay community.

“Our target was people in high school, we wanted to give out fliers containing information about local resources for gay students” Ericia said, “We were basically brushed off by the staff, we were told that Pullman High School didn’t have any openly gay students, so the information was irrelevant.”

But, as most people will notice, just because a person is not openly gay or lesbian, does not mean they do not exist in the schools. This assumption could be considered dangerous, as it pertains to the social stigma that being gay is not normal and makes people uncomfortable, and therefore should not be discussed unless asked about. Suppressing information about sexual orientation to young students therefore reinforces student’s to feel uncomfortable about the subject, creating a non-sequitor of cause and effect. Students will not be open about their sexual orientation because there is lack of information about it, and there is lack of information about the gay community because no one is open about it.

Smart argues that the age of the students at the middle school also deters her from discussing sexual orientation. However, studies show that people in the gay community report having noticed a difference from other students as far as attraction as early as eight or nine years old.

“I may not have known I might be a lesbian at the time, but I recognized that I didn’t have crushes on all the boys my friends did, and I just didn’t make that connection,” Ericia said, “If schools got the information out about sexual orientation earlier, the earlier people in that community could recognize, accept, and adjust personally, that goes for people who are gay and straight.”

Dr. Laurie Smith, a psychologist who teaches at WSU said there is around a 10 year gap between people recognizing they may be gay, and actually coming out to friends and family, which is usually in late adolescence or early adulthood. “Information about sexual orientation should be both discussed and encouraged earlier, sexuality is a big part of human development, it’s an uncomfortable topic because we are told it makes people uncomfortable, but the younger you teach diversity, the younger that will fade.” Smith said.

Smart also argues that the sex-education process tries to stick to technicalities, biology/anatomy, abstinence, and contraception being its biggest staple points. But even in its most technical aspect, same-sex relationships have just a great of risk of spreading STDs as opposite-sex relationships.

“I never heard about Dental Dam’s in High School, we learned about contraception, but for anyone who was a lesbian, it was like, ‘we don’t need contraception, no condoms, no pregnancy’, when lesbians can just as easily spread STDs.” WSU student Erin King said.

Overall, Dr. Smith suggests a well in-depth sex-education program is best suited for students, including sexuality, relationships, and anatomy/biology of sex.

“We all know that abstinence- only programs don’t work, never have, sexual orientation is just another aspect that needs to be examined and included in sex-education” Smith said

Math...

1. $7,885
2. 83%
3. mean: $67,500 Median: $40,000 neither
4. I have to ask my dad :)
5.25%
b. 25%

6. 10%
7. Median $207,000 Mean:
8. I would get 4 slices, everyone else gets three.
9.Pullman,
10. $150,000

peer edits

1.1. The 2,800 square-foot four bedroom house will be built on a concrete foundation.

2. Carlton, the owner of Palouse Synergy Systems, said eastern Washington could be transformed into a renewable energy leader if people understood the benefits.

3. “I got a double with a full bath,” said John Gardner, WSU Vice President of Economic Development and Global Engagement. “I lived in Gannon-Golds for two years, and then I switched over here—[this is a] huge difference.”

4. PCEI is hoping to offer workshops similar to the artists’ studio roof, so that locals can value and know how to implement sustainable techniques, she said.

5. “The new dorm is likely to receive the silver rating,” Gardner said.

Everything we do has a consequence,” Englund said about sustainability methods, consumption, and ecological footprints. “We just have to be aware [of] the butterfly effect.”

6. He also raises money for student scholarships.

7. She said she has been ostracized in her dorm, and if things keep going like they are she might move to another hall.

8. Though helping to improve Pullman’s atmosphere, SEL doesn’t make Pullman immune from the recession, Sherman said.

profile edits

Katie Berger

Everyone recognizes Sue Schell as she walks through the halls of Franklin Elementary School. She greets students in their small reading groups and watches students sound out words and listen to stories. If it weren’t for Schell, these groups may not be in place.

Schell helps coordinate the school-wide Title 1 program that helps students who are struggling in academics, especially reading. Schell said it was a joint effort to get the ball rolling on Title 1, but it has been very beneficial.

“When you see students, even the ones who aren’t struggling too much, excel within these groups, you realize how important it is,” Schell said.

*Good background below. Here, though, gives us a quick sense of the news. Has spending on this program increased? Has it decreased? Is it at-risk? What’s new with this program?

Title 1 is part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provides financial assistance to states and school districts to meet the needs of at-risk students. Each year, Washington schools receive $xxx,xxx to provide extra instructional services to students in mathematics, reading and writing.

Schell became involved with the program 15 years ago, and has watched its progression from a target to school-wide program. Title 1 is federally funded with each state receiving funds. The State Educational Agency then awards certain schools funds based on the number of low-income students each school has.

Franklin Elementary School qualified this year to become a school-wide Title 1 school. This means that more than 40 percent of students are on either free or reduced lunch, which qualifies the school for more funding. This also allows for much more flexibility within the program, Schell said. Now, instead of teachers assessing students and only involving at-risk students in the Title 1 program, any students may qualify.

The program at Franklin includes four paraprofessionals. These are teachers specially trained in reading modules, comprehension, phonetics, and other reading tools. Throughout the day, these paraprofessionals, including Schell, meet with groups of four to six students in different grade levels to work extensively on areas where the students are struggling. The program works as a preventative tool to ensure that all students are meeting state standards in education. The earlier learning problems are addressed, the better the outcome, Schell said.

(transition) In Spokane, the program isn’t limited to Franklin. On a recent Tuesday at Sunnyside Elementary School, Lorna Bruya worked with …

“Can you sound out ‘H’?” Lorna Bruya said to a first grader during a reading session. Bruya is another Title 1 teacher at Sunnyside Elementary School. Lorna also has been involved with Title 1 for 15 years, and has worked closely with Schell on educating themselves on better techniques to teach reading.

“In 1995, Sue and I both volunteered to go to a two-week summer Reading Leadership workshop at Western Washington University,” Bruya said “Margaret Moody, from New Zealand, spoke at this workshop, and New Zealand has the most extensive knowledge about literacy and reading. It was very exciting.”
Bruya said it can be difficult to watch some students backslide over the summer. Remaining patient, staying optimistic, and giving plenty of praise for a student’s success helps stay in focus for the greater cause. (what are we trying to say here? Can we clarify?)

“sometimes, it takes a while for some things to click for students,” Bruya said, “but when it does, and when you see them get excited and talk to their friends about books they’ve read or want to read, it’s very rewarding then.”

Good. See notes in text. Need a stronger new angle. I only see 2 sources in the story. With a third, this is an ‘A’ paper. 88/100