Howell schools prepare to welcome pupils on Sept. 6

BY LARRY HLAVENKA JR.
Staff Writer

HOWELL - On Sept. 6, buses will deliver 7,228 pupils to the Howell K-8 School District's 13 buildings for the first day of the 2006-07 academic year.

Embarking on the new year has Superintendent of Schools Enid Golden excited.

"The beginning of each school year represents a fresh start for teachers, students and administrators," she said.

As for what parents and students can expect for the upcoming year, district administrators will continue to move forward with their objectives under the banner of Strategic Plan 2005. The plan pertains to student achievement, technology, community relations, professional staff development, school facilities, safety and finance.

Among the initiatives, the Board of Education has adopted the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), developed by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA).

Students in kindergarten through eighth grade will be assessed using MAP, which is a computerized assessment designed to help educators differentiate instruction based on the individual learning needs of students.

The assessment will adapt to the child's academic level during the course of the test.

During the 2006-07 school year, students will be tested in the fall and spring in the core content areas. The results of this assessment will be maintained over time to help teachers make decisions regarding instructional and curriculum planning.

With MAP in place, administrators have discontinued the Terra Nova test for first-graders and second-graders.

Golden believes MAP is a positive development.

"MAP is the new district assessment which will help the teaching staff better evaluate individual student growth at all grade levels," she said. "In addition to providing timely feedback to the teaching staff, MAP will help us continue with our differentiated instruction initiative, which focuses on teaching each child based on their developmental needs. Students will be taking the test on-line, which integrates the use of technology. A large portion of the district's professional development will be focused on the MAP program."

A new math program which was implemented for the 2005-06 school year - "Everyday Counts Calendar Math" - will continue in first, second, and third grade classrooms. The program provides daily supplementary math instruction through an interactive math bulletin board.

Another interactive program, the Criterion Writing Pilot, which is an on-line writing program, will be used in grades four through eight to analyze students' writing samples. This program will help teachers develop a class profile based on the strengths and weaknesses of students.

A program aimed at building leadership skills and teamwork in middle school physical education students - Project Use - returns as well.

Also, the Howell Township Education Foundation (HTEF) will offer additional grant opportunities for teachers for the development of new programs and initiatives.

Finally, the district plans to conduct a communication audit with residents, followed by a thorough communication plan. Administrators are hoping the plan will help district officials communicate more efficiently with residents.

Golden said the district has been able to accomplish these new initiatives, despite various issues.

"New programs for this school year have been somewhat limited due to state mandates and limited funding," she said. "While we're pleased that we were able to maintain our technology and athletic programs due to the passage of this year's budget, the constraints of [a state school funding law] are still in effect. Due to the limited funding, we were not able to refresh our computers or continue our effort to lower class sizes. This reinforces the importance of community support."

The superintendent also discussed updates and repairs to the schools, adding that in addition to annual painting, carpet repairs and tile repairs, Ardena's library was redone with new floors, painted walls, an improved ceiling and new furniture; Land O' Pines, Aldrich, and Griebling schools saw their gym ceilings and floors replaced; Ardena and Taunton schools' gym floors were refinished; and cafeteria windows were replaced at Land O' Pines, Taunton, Griebling and Ramtown schools.