Posted 12/12/11

Gloversville Middle School and Boulevard Elementary designated as Schools in Need of Improvement

 

The New York State Education Department has designated Gloversville Middle School and Boulevard as Schools in Need of Improvement (SINI) Year 1. Gloversville High School was identified last year and now is in Year 2 of the designation. Schools were notified of their status in October, following the release of the New York State Report Card results.

The SINI designation means that the school has failed to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) in one area for two years in a row as measured by the New York State assessments.

Gloversville Middle School missed AYP on the English Language Arts assessment for the Students with Disabilities and the Economically Disadvantaged subgroups. GMS also missed AYP on Math assessments for Students with Disabilities subgroup.

Boulevard was identified for missing AYP in the areas of Math and ELA for both subgroups: Students with Disabilities and Economically Disadvantaged.

The high school is in the second year of its SINI title for both Math and ELA. This year all subgroups of high school students were identified as not meeting AYP.

Once a school has been identified, a School Quality Review team must be formed to identify findings and recommendations in six different areas. They include: Collection, Analysis and Utilization of Data; Teaching and Learning; School Leadership; Infrastructure for Student Success; Professional Development; and Facilities and Resources.

The teams, made up of school administrators and teachers, submit their findings for approval by the Hamilton Fulton Montgomery County BOCES superintendent. Once approved, the school will submit to the State Education Department a CEP (Comprehensive Education Plan) that includes the specific action steps the schools will take to improve student achievement.

The high school has already completed this process and is currently reviewing its plan to see if any amendments need to be made. Both GMS and Boulevard have been tackling this task since October.

SINI schools are given two years to remove themselves off the list, if they still don’t achieve AYP for a third year the school is then placed on a Corrective Action Plan by the State.

Another requirement of schools that are designated as SINI schools is to provide Supplemental Educational Services (SES) to all eligible students. These services include free-tutoring to students who qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch program, regardless of whether or not they partake in the lunch program. Click here for more information on SES and on how to sign your child up for these services.