Literally
Notes from 10/20/2021 BOE meeting
Kudos to Ms. Terlecky, the new PK-5 Principal, and Mr. Reese, the new Assistant Superintendent/High School Principal, for the trajectory they are on. The focus of their course is academics.
At the regular board meeting on 10/20/2021, Ms. Terlecky and Mr. Reese gave a presentation. Path to the Top 100. Ms. Terlecky began with the Student Report Card. It was a snapshot on how the Tuxedo students in the elementary school did in math and ELA on the NY State assessment tests. The assessment is from 2019, the most current data on the NY State report card for our district. We are 60% proficient in math within Orange County, the rest of Orange County is 43% proficient. In NY State we are 60% proficient in math with the rest of the state at 47%. In ELA we are 61% proficient in Orange County with the rest of Orange County at 39%. In NY State we are 61% proficient in ELA with the rest of the state at 45%. It was noted that we still have room for improvement. Mr. Reese stated that the results are not bad, but they are not good enough or where we want to be.
Only 36 of our students (less than 1/2 of our students) took the assessment test. This is a very low number and it could be a result from the “opt-out” movement.
The assessment tests are not a perfect analysis of how our district is doing as many different caveats are within the make-up of the percentage ranking and over-all scores. The assessment tests are designed not to specifically assess the student, but to assess the district. It is not something that goes into the students records. The tests are created so districts can better pin-point where their academic focus should be. If there are low math scores, the district can plan and formulate different initiatives in order to help the students achieve greater understanding and success within that subject.
Part of the plan is the hiring of new educators. Now Tuxedo has 3 new administrators, a new Pre-K teacher, looking for ENL and Special Education teachers, want to reinstate a STEM specialist in GGM, 6th grade Math, Art, Music, and reinstatement of a reading specialist which should take place in the next few weeks. Mr. White stated that this is building the team that will do the job. All this is being done without adding staff as they are re-positioning teachers and other teachers have retired.
Tuxedo UFSD has now created
- a Curriculum Council to review what and how things are being taught
- a Scheduling Committee to address schedule constructions, and hiring a scheduling expert, Dr. Kussin. Objectives will address 9 period day issue and what is the best schedule for students at Tuxedo. (maybe this will solve the study hall issue)
- College in the Classroom which will include Lincoln Tech, St. Thomas Aquinas, SUNY Orange, Syracuse University, and UHS Albany (Spanish). With this our students will get a head start with college experience as well as credits. This will make Tuxedo more attractive to students who are on a college track as well as career readiness. If a student has a college path or a trades path, Tuxedo will be able to accommodate both.
- Proposed Academic Activities & Co-Curriculars. This includes elementary level Spelling Bee, secondary level Science Olympiad, Odyssey of the Mind, Reinstate Drivers Ed, and Additional New Club and Activities. All of these additions will elevate and increase academic standings within the district.
- Proposed Faculty & Professional Development
- Current Online Programs/Evaluation Tools. This includes Scholastic, Go Math, Social Studies Weekly, “Elevate” – pilot program, K-12 STEM Program, Stem Scopes, Engineering by Design, Castle Learning, and Online resources.
- Ongoing & Current Certifications. Including STEM Certification, National Institute for STEM Education Campus Certification. (the district is not yet STEM certified and it is projected to receive certification by January 1, 2022).
- and Under Consideration are teacher credentials such as National Teacher Certification and Google Level 1 Certification. The district is investigating credentials for “Blue Ribbon Schools”. Mr. White mentioned that it is statistically proven that students that study under a National Certified Teacher they perform better. He also noted that in order to gain Blue Ribbon standing there are many bench marks and it will take a few years to attain.
This is the vision the district so desperately needs. It would benefit the district to retain Mr. Reese, for the minimum the rest of this school year, to see these bulleted items come to fruition.
As I end this post I wanted to say it was great to see Mr. Reese supporting the Tuxedo volleyball team at the league game Monday night.
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