Reconfiguration: Questions and Responses

1. How will the new configuration benefit our students?

The following are ways that the new configuration would benefit our students…

a. Response: Provide more equalization to class size to begin the school year, allow more flexibility for absorbing significant numbers of students throughout the school, and decrease the likelihood that classes sizes would become unmanageably large during the course of the year.   

Explanation: At the beginning of this year we started kindergarten in Elizabeth with 23 students. This figure has fluctuated several times during the year. Space in Elizabeth school does not permit the opening of another kindergarten class, nor does it allow us to absorb significant numbers of students who may move in during a school year. A similar situation occurred with last year’s Fifth grade class at Elizabeth. That class had 28 students. Similar situations have occurred in other places throughout the district, however, Elizabeth is the least flexible since it can house only one classroom per grade level. At the start of this school year, class sizes in the district ranged from 13 – 26 students in one grade level alone.

b. Response: The new configuration would allow more flexibility of scheduling of classes and activities.

Explanation: Currently, all 5 of the elementary buildings share itinerant teachers. In order to ensure that all 5 buildings receive the same services, daily schedules are built around the itinerant teachers’ schedules, providing little flexibility and variability across grade levels and schools. For example, everyone receives the same amount of library, physical education, art, and music time regardless whether some grades may need more or less time according to their developmental levels. Working around these schedules enables less flexibility in the other areas of the curriculum (reading, math, social studies, science) as well.

c.    Response: The new configuration would allow more variation in the way that we purchase equipment and materials.

Explanation: In our current situation, in order to ensure that all 5 elementary buildings receive the same equipment, materials software and services, those kinds of instructional tools that are shared such as library books, science kits, software programs, et cetera, must be purchased for all 5 buildings. For example, in the case of library books, the same kindergarten books would be purchased for all 5 libraries, the same 1^st grade books would be purchased, and so on up through the 6 elementary grades. Replicating the same purchase limits the amount of variety and developmentally appropriate materials and services that can be purchased.

d. Response: Having at least two or more teachers per grade level in a building increases opportunities for those teachers to share ideas, strategies and knowledge with one another.  It also increases the opportunity for district leaders to provide professional development programs that are targeted to specific grade levels or to the needs within a building.

Explanation: It is well documented that one of the greatest influences on student achievement is when teachers are provided with opportunities for collaboration and ongoing training. Often the training needs of a primary level teacher (K-3) are different from that of an intermediate (4-5) level teacher. In fact, in the next several years, the PA Department of Education will discontinue issuing an elementary certification and instead require that teachers who teach at the primary level have a “primary” certification and teachers who teach at the intermediate level have an “intermediate” certification. Teachers who are in close proximity who share the same students and/or grades have significant advantages over those who are not able to collaborate on a regular basis.

e.  Response: The instructional focus of a building can be directed more specifically to the developmental needs of the students.  Scheduling, materials, programs, et cetera can revolve around those targeted developmental areas.

Explanation: At the primary level, the focus needs to be on an intensive development of reading and math literacy skills. All areas of the curriculum, science, social studies, art, et cetera need to incorporate, and emphasize literacy development. At the intermediate level, with literacy skills essentially in tack, these skills, rather than being the focus of instruction become useful tools for learning new information in science, social studies and other aspects of the curriculum. Students begin to learn how to solve complex problems that integrate a variety of skills, they begin to plan, organize and think critically about information. It is at this time the curriculum also focuses on having students take more personal responsibility and working independently.

2. How will class size be affected in this new configuration?

Response: Class sizes will be more consistent with less chance that any would grow to be unmanageably large.  Class size at the start of school will range from approximately 17-22  and in most cases 18-20 depending on what boundary lines are used whereas, class sizes at the start of this current year ranged from 13-26.

  Explanation: The more classrooms per grade level, the easier it is to equalize class size and ensure that classrooms do not grow too large throughout the school year. The only way to ensure that class sizes are almost identical is to place students of one grade level all in one building. On the other hand, the more buldings there are that house a grade level, the greater the variability in class size. The most significant problems arise when there is only one classroom per grade level. If enrollment grows throughout the year, there is no place other classroom in the building that can absorb the climbing numbers of students.

3. Would the proposed plan for opening PreKindergarten classrooms in Elizabeth, shut down the private PreK programs that operate in the Elizabeth Forward area?

Response: The intention is to offer PreK programs to students who would otherwise not be able to afford to attend a PreK program.  Furthermore, some parents are now forced to send their Preschool aged children to programs outside the district because local programs cannot accommodate them.  Funding for preschools encourages partnerships to be developed with district-run programs and private programs.  It would be this district’s goal to increase collaboration with these other local programs and offer services such as training that they may not otherwise be able to offer to their employees and parents.

4. Why has the plan changed from last year?

Response: The modifications that were made were in direct response to the feedback we received last year from parents and teachers.

Explanation: Our goals have always remained the same: to equalize class size and ensure that classrooms would more easily accommodate students who may move into the district throughout the year, to utilize resources more efficiently, maximize these resources, provide more developmentally appropriate programs and to address existing busing problems throughout the district. Both last year’s and this year’s proposals addressed these goals. However, this year’s program allows Central elementary students to experience the same educational benefits as students from all other elementary buildings.

5. Why was Elizabeth chosen as the community learning center rather than Mt. Vernon or Greenock since these two schools are so close to one another?

Response: Both Mt. Vernon and Greenock are approximately double the size of Elizabeth.

6. Since students often have difficulty transitioning from elementary to middle school, wouldn’t it be more detrimental to add another transition between the primary grades and the intermediate grades?

    Response: We believe that more frequent smaller transitions are better than one large transition that involves stark differences between the two environments.

Explanation: Currently, students transitioning from the elementary schools to the middle schools experience a drastic change in culture and organization of the school. Some students are able to make that transition without any problems; a significant number of other students have difficulty. District-wide test scores demonstrate this fact to an alarming degree. It is also known that these differences between the middle school and elementary environments are greatest between Elizabeth Elementary and the Middle School. By placing all intermediate level students in one school, it allows us the opportunity to prepare all students equally and gradually for the level of independence they will need to be successful in sixth grade, while at the same time maintaining an elementary-type organization. Students will continue to relate primarily to one or two teachers who are very familiar with their strengths and needs. Similarly, students transitioning from a primary building to the Intermediate level building will notice small incremental differences rather than the large differences they now experience when transitioning to the middle school.

7. Why rush this decision?

Response: The district has been studying the reconfiguration of its elementary buildings for two years.  The process began last year as part of the development of the district’s strategic plan. Teachers, parents, community members, board members and borough council members were among those who participated in that process.  Community meetings were held and feedback was gathered in a variety of formats. Visitations were made both within our district as well as outside the district.  The information gathered has been reviewed extensively.  Realizing that no plan will ever be a perfect fit for all affected and that there will always be a need to give up something in order to get something, the issues are not likely to change given more time.  We are now at a point where continuous study and discussion are likely to impact other areas of importance to the district.