October Newsflash
At the SRC . . .
In September, the School Reform Commission approved the following:
-A new and stiffer promotion
policy for 2005-06
The District promises to review and get
public input before implementing a long-term
policy. The new policy specifies that
students in grades 2-8 who score in the
bottom quarter nationally on the TerraNova
standardized test will be required to
complete 120 extra hours of remedial instruction
after school and in summer school and
also pass a summer school exam to be promoted
to the next grade. An estimated 30,000
students are affected by this new requirement.
In addition, students who score below
the national norm on the TerraNova will
be encouraged but not required to attend
the 120 extra hours of instruction.
-Changes in TerraNova testing
The TerraNova reading and math exams are
being switched from the spring to October
for grades 3-8, with the results used
to trigger the mandated extra instruction,
which begins in January. The District
will also start to administer portions
of the TerraNova test that require written
responses. Grades 1, 2, 9 and 10 will
continue to be tested in the spring (Next
spring’s PSSA
testing will cover grades 3-8 and 11).
-Thomas Durham School property
authorized for sale
The former elementary school at 16th and
Lombard Streets closed in 2003 due to
low enrollment. As determined by District
staff to have no future use, the property
will be listed through December 2005 with
Allan
Domb. Final sale must be presented
for approval. SRC member Sandra Dungee
Glenn pushed for an option to drop sales
plans in the event that an upcoming master
plan for school construction being developed
for the SRC suggests a need for a school
building in the area.
-Commission-based contract
with Premiere Sports Marketing for Super
Site sponsorships
Premiere will secure advertising and sponsorships
for new “athletic super sites,”
state-of-the-art stadiums shared among
schools in a region. The one-year contract,
through August 1, 2006, provides a 20
percent commission to Premiere. Sponsorship
funds will be used for maintenance and
upkeep of five super sites, two of which
(Northeast and Germantown) have re-opened
after major improvements.
-$20.5 million from operating
budget/capital fund/categorical/grant
fund to SchoolNet
SchoolNet
will continue to provide teachers and
administrators with online access to student
data and instructional tools, will implement
web-based teacher professional development,
and will provide benchmark testing services
and support by SchoolNet subcontractors
Princeton Review through 2007. The
newest addition, known as “Familynet”
and in implementation this school year,
gives parents online access to student
information such as attendance, grades,
benchmark test results, and standardized
test scores.
-$175,000 from operating
budget for settlement in Matthew Gremo
case
Settlement to be paid to Matthew
Gremo, a former student who was the
victim of a November 2001 assault at George
Washington High School.
-$210,000 Categorical/Grant
Fund acceptance from Pennsylvania Department
of Education; $59,000 contact with Eastern
University for Lamberton High School
Project 720 grant from the state runs
through June 30, 2008, to support efforts
to establish Lamberton as an Early College
High School. Eastern will provide curriculum
development and teacher professional development,
in connection with the Early College initiative,
which, beginning in fall 2006, will allow
Lamberton students to earn up to two years
of college credit while in high school.
Contracts for educational services between
the District and K12,
Inc., Drexel, Chestnut Hill College,
West Chester University, Rosemont College,
St. Joseph’s, Lincoln, University
of the Arts, Arcadia, Holy Family, LaSalle,
and Academy of the Natural Sciences were
also ratified.