Wednesday, December 13, 2000
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Wednesday, December 13, 2000 |
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New program aims to help faltering students
By PAT NEWMAN
Will extra instructional time make a difference for students struggling with reading and math? A state-funded remediation program set for implementation in Fayette County's elementary, middle and high schools the second week in January may provide the answer. The new program will provide 20 extra days, or 120 hours, of instructional time for students who are behind grade level or fall below the 50th percentile on standardized test, according to Dr. Pam Riddle, director of elementary operations for Fayette County schools. Teachers are now being courted to fill the estimated 40 slots needed to start working with students after class. Elementary schools will offer an extra hour of reading instruction three days per week and math instruction two days a week. The middle and high schools will focus solely on reading and writing skills, Riddle explained. "We will be offering an hour at the middle schools four days a week and two hours at the high schools four days a week," she said. Directives for implementing the remedial program were handed down last month from the state Department of Education with funding provided through House Bill 1187, also known as the A+ Education Reform Act. The state earmarked about $30 million for the program, about $600,000 of that amount channeled to Fayette County. In addition to after school tutorials, the plan calls for a four-week summer school for students in kindergarten through eighth grade and a special four-week remedial program at the high school level for upper grade students who have failed the state graduation test. Riddle estimates that more than 100 teachers may need to be hired to get the program off the ground, depending on the number of students who choose to take advantage of the extra help. About 40 math and 40 reading teachers may be needed at the elementary level, about eight teachers for the high schools and 20 more at the middle schools, Riddle said. "This is an idealistic plan," Riddle admitted. Working out the logistics is another matter, she explained. At the elementary level, for instance, educators must take into consideration that students will need a snack and may need transportation, two items the state has failed to cover in its funding package. While each school district can mold the remedial program to fit the needs of its constituency, the parameters are still pretty strict, Riddle noted. "The intentions are good if they work out all the bugs," Riddle said, referring to the creators of this program.
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