M E E T I N G M A T T E R S
AshburnhamWestminster SCHOOL COMITTEE SEPT 12.
Compiled by Caitlyn Kelleher

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Elementary school principals David Marble and Candace Wright presented data to the school committee showing students are averaging above level reading scores in first grade.

The principals presented data to the school committee using the Developmental Reading Assessment

DRA) and the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) to show the difference between the students who have had full-day kindergarten and half-day kindergarten in the district. The average reading scores for were above for those who had participated in the full-day program.

But the principals and Superintendent Michael Zapantis said that this is only one indicator because it is only one group of students. The principals plan to continue to collect the data.

"I think it will be real interesting to track these kids," Marble said.

The DRA assessment is done on a one on one basis between a teacher and a student. In this the student reads aloud to the teacher until they reach their reading level. In the DIBELS tests a student's ability to blend letters together to recognize unfamiliar words.

"We need to offer lots of different ways for kids to learn to ready by the end of first grade," Marble said. The school officials hope to continue to track the

students who have had full-day kindergarten in the pilot year 2004-2005 through their elementary schools years as well as continue to evaluate the students in upcoming classes.

The district has offered limited full-day kindergarten programs on a tuition basis for the last two years.

Marble said the other goal is to track other aspects of the children's development including social development differences.

In other news:

 Zapantis told the committee that a design for the renovated athletic field is done and that it includes options for both the synthetic field and the natural grass. He said the goal is to prepare a request for proposal by October and then have construction start in November.

 The preliminary numbers indicate that the district has a larger number of students this year then last year. Meetinghouse School had 11 new students register for first grade over the summer.

"We haven't had a number like that in a while," said Principal David Marble.

 Committee member Gwen Farley expressed continued concern about the deficit that the food services program ran last year.