Belleville High School’s new principal Michael Van Tassel told the school board on Monday that his school is in “a crisis mode right now.”
BHS was the only school in the district not making Adequate Yearly Progress, with the lists released last week. Also, a recent study showed in the ninth grade class of about 400, at least 100 have failed a core subject.
Van Tassel and Bonnie Riutta gave a presentation to the board that outlined their plans for crisis intervention, hammered out in the last 13 days.
Riutta, the wife of School Supt. Thomas Riutta, was hired as a curriculum consultant for BHS. She referred to her 35 years in curriculum, and said there are obvious student achievement problems and some students who are failing one or more classes.
“Some kids aren’t engaged,” she said, adding that “Not everybody is doing the same thing in teaching.
“We have to be focused on curriculum, based on data,” Riutta said, adding, “We need to have a crisis intervention plan and then a long-term plan.”
Van Tassel said many students fail because of attendance problems and they have to make kids come to school. The plan is for assistant principals to mentor these students and to reintegrate them into the same class.
If a student has failed one class, the administrators need more data to find out why and the counselor will determine what avenue to take.
If, for example, a student has failed the same class twice, such as algebra, they will create a different algebra class with different methods to help the student succeed.
If a student fails one or two classes as a senior, the push would be to get the student to graduate.
As to discipline problems, the assistant principal would create an action plan with suspension as the last resort, Van Tassel said.
“We’re both a little nervous about changing everything in three week’s time,” Riutta told the board.
Van Tassel said, “We’re in a crisis mode right now.” He said 94 ninth grade students have failed English Language Arts tests and 36 are not coming to school.
Board Vice President Bob Binert said a student will fail, if the student doesn’t have the background knowledge to build on.
“It’s what happens before they enter high school,” Riutta agreed. “We have to have data.”
“If they didn’t pass English 9, they are not taking English 10,” Van Tassel stated. “If we have to go five years, we’ll go five years. It makes no sense to go forward without the basics.” The days of social promotion are over, he said.
Riutta said for the 2010-11 school year, they have three goals: Math, English, and 9thGrade Pilot.
“Mike is working at changing the culture of BHS,” Riutta said.
Van Tassel said, for example, each math teacher will have a set of graphing calculators, “a first in BHS history.”
Riutta said they will be using the MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) assessment program with ninth graders, which gives instantaneous results, telling weaknesses that can be addressed at once.
Van Tassel summed it all up, saying they have found a lack of aligned curriculum and different executions in delivery. Also, there is a lack of student motivation and engagement.
“This is a good start for 13 days, but it’s not where we want to be,” Van Tassel said adding, “This has not been the best for student learning, but I promise it will be.”
“You called it a crisis and it is,” said Board Treasurer Martha Toth.
Deputy School Supt. Peggy Voigt reported that all the schools in the district passed Adequate Yearly Progress assessments, except for BHS.
“We have some work to do,” she said.
Toth pointed out that every sub-group at the school has to make progress and if they don’t the whole school suffers in the totals.
(Details of the recent state assessments are in the Extra Things I Know column on page 4 of today’s paper.)
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the board:
* Approved the low $124,873 quote of Davenport Brothers Construction to install a temporary, stone parking lot on the property leased from St. Anthony Catholic Church for the parking of 250 student cars during ongoing construction of the new BHS;
* Approved Board President David Peer’s one-year appointment of Trustee Brenda McClanahan as the board member on the RACY Board of Directors. The Belleville-Sumpter-Van Buren Area Substance Abuse Task Force has three representatives from each member group;
* Heard an update by Pam Smart on the proposed Commercial Purchasing “P” Card through JPMorgan Chase Bank that will be issued to 20 administrators to save money for the district, by cutting paperwork on bill handling and check writing. The board discussed safeguards and School Supt. Tom Riutta said a list of those proposed to get cards will be brought back to the board for approval;
* Approved the requested retirements of Willinda Fletcher, accounts payable in the administration building, after 28.5 years of service; Peggy Manners, North Middle School cook/manager, after 30.5 years of service; and Alene Knust, cook at Tyler, after 34 years of service;
* Approved the employment of Daniel LaMothe as groundskeeper at a salary of $16.94/hr.;
* Heard parent Elizabeth Verde ask about the artificial turf field that will be put on the BHS football field, with concerns about whether the band will get to practice on the field. Flat-bottomed shoes are hard on the field, but it will bounce back, said President Peer, quoting experts;
* Heard another parent with questions on construction of the swimming pool and timing devices. Sid Dotinga of Granger Construction said the system was designed by experts and he had confidence in the pool’s designer; and
* Went into executive session to discuss negotiations and an attorney’s written communication.