Friday, August 1, 2003

Fulton County Schools to return with changes, improvements

This is the third in a series of articles outlining the changes in our schools beginning with the 2003/2004 school year.

M-to-M Transition Begins­ The 2003-04 school year marks the first year under the system's new unitary status. The change is the result of an agreement reached between the school system and plaintiffs in the long-running Hightower v. Westschool desegregation case.

With the settlement, the Fulton County School System has now been granted unitary status. A unitary school system is one in which the segregative practices of the former dual system are no longer evident and no longer affect current operations.

Terms of the settlement include phasing out the district's majority-to-minority (M-to-M) program over the next nine years, with the end coming at the close of the 2011-12 school year. The program allows African American students to transfer, with free transportation provided, from a school in which their race is in the majority to a school in which their race is in the minority. As of the 2005-06 school year, new students would not have the right to enroll in the program. The settlement also calls for a task force to study race-neutral alternatives to the M-to-M program.

Other terms of the settlement call for the district to analyze enrollment and other data relating to advanced placement, foreign language, and the Talented and Gifted Program and to take steps aimed at increasing enrollment in these courses in southFulton schools. Student discipline practices and data also will be examined and a committee will be formed to look at alternatives to the M-to-M program that would still provide an opportunity for south Fulton students to attend north Fulton schools.

CRCT Used for Fourth Grade Promotion ­ In 2003-04, third grade students are part of the first group in Georgia required to pass a state test in order to be promoted to the next grade. According to the new law, third grade students must score at or above grade level in reading on the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT), to be given in April 2004, in order to be promoted to fourth grade.

The school system expects that most students will meet or exceed the minimum requirements. However, parents are encouraged to be aware of the new law, to pay attention to their child's reading assignments, and to provide as much assistance as possible in increasing reading achievement.

Beginning with the 2004-05 school year, fifth grade students will be required to perform at or above grade level in reading and mathematics in order to be promoted to sixth grade. Beginning with the 2005-06 school year, the same rules apply to eighth graders moving to ninth grade.

ITBS Testing Moved to Fall­ In addition to the Spring CRCT that will determine promotion to fourth grade, third grade students, along with fifth and eighth graders will take the norm-referenced Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Usually given in the spring, the ITBS will be conducted in the fall this year. This change removes some of the testing burden for elementary and middle schools in the spring, allows for more efficient management from the testing office, prevents "test burnout," and allows norm-referenced test data to be available in November. Second graders also will be tested in 2003-04, for that year only.

Emergency Plan Information­School resource officers are now required to present emergency preparedness information to parents through a PTA meeting at each school. Topics include how the school will communicate with parents and steps that would be taken to resume normal school operations.

Cell Phones at School ­The school system's Student Discipline Code of Conduct (Board Policy JD) has been revised to allow middle and high school students to bring cell phones, pagers, or other personal electronic communication devices on the school campus, providing the devices are not used during the regular school day. Students who violate the policy will have their cell phones and pagers confiscated.

AdditionalSchoolResource Officers ­The school system has applied for a federal C.O.P.S. grant to provide additional school resource officers at each high school and middle school.

Peer Mediation Programs ­Middle schools are implementing a new program that teaches students how to use interpersonal skills and non-confrontational techniques to aid in conflict resolution. Students learn how to analyze situations, balance consequences, and make positive choices.

Defibrillators at High Schools­Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are being placed in each high school to assist with CPR during an emergency. In addition, the system has developed a Health Services Emergency Preparedness Plan Checklist, which includes first aid management protocol and guidelines, for schools to follow during a crisis or emergency.

Prevention Measures ­ The first step to safety is prevention,which includes a safety plan that is communicated to students, staff, and parents.

To that end, the school system has implemented these measures:

·Students sign out when leaving the school with a parent or designated adult. High school students must have a note from their parents or guardian.

·Visitors and staff sign inand wear identification badges.

·School resource officers are members of the staff at all middle and high schools. Elementary schools have access to officers from neighboring schools, as needed.

·The Office of School Safety, led by Deputy Chief Marquenta Sands, provides assistance to schools and administrators in areas of safety planning and training.

·Emergency/crisis plansare updated at each school every year. Preparedness includes securing doors and lockdown procedures; use of emergency communications, two-way radios, call-back intercom system in every classroom, megaphones, and telephones; and practice drills (fire, tornado, and intruder alert). At the beginning of the school year, principals inform staff, students, and parents of their alternate site, crisis communication plan, and safety precautions.

·Security equipmenthas been placed in all schools and on some buses. Two Resource Officers are assigned to the Transportation Department to ensure safety on the buses.

·Counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, and resource officersare available at all schools to help students build relationships and cope with school issues. Students are encouraged to report any activities that are out of the ordinary or that threaten people or property. School psychologists have been trained on the National Organization of Victims Assistance Crisis Intervention Model to be better equipped in caring and responding to students' emotional needs.