HVRHS receives passing grade

FALLS VILLAGE — At the March meeting of the Region One Board of Education, Gretchen Foster, Housatonic Valley Regional High School principal,  reported that the Commission on Public Secondary Schools had removed the high school from “warning†status.

A letter dated Feb. 19, 2010, from NEASC director Janet Allison states that the commission voted to accept a progress report from HVRHS and to continue the school’s accreditation. Allison cited “significant progress in addressing identified concerns.â€

A 2007 report from the commission, which is part of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, a private, nonprofit accreditation agency that operates independently of state education departments, found HVRHS to be deficient in key areas, including a “schoolwide rubric,†a tool to measure student progress “toward meeting the school’s academic standards.â€

The 61-page report also found insufficient correlation between the school’s written curriculum and what was actually taught in classrooms. “The ‘taught’ curriculum is based primarily on individual teacher determination.â€

And the commission was critical of teaching styles. “For many teachers … the dominant approach to instruction is teacher-centered and textbook-based. Students in many of these classes do not appear to be challenged or engaged in the lesson.â€

The report also found that “the lines of communication and the process for decision-making at the high school need to be clearly delineated so that the principal has sufficient autonomy to lead the school.â€

“The current [i.e., 2007] organizational patterns interfere with the development of a true sense of community among all stakeholders.â€

The school responded with a two-year progress report in October 2009. This 73-page document describes in detail measures taken to correct the identified problems.

Foster said the complex job of implementing the commission’s recommendations is about 55 percent complete, with the remaining 45 percent in progress — distinctions that are clearly made in the progress report.

A follow-up report to NEASC is due in August.

In an interview after the Region One board meeting, Foster was quick to credit the faculty and staff for their work on the commission’s concerns.

 â€œThere was no pushback,†she said. “We need to continue to develop our professional skills and make sure we are reaching all the students.â€

 The HVRHS two-year progress report — an extensive response to the commission’s concerns — states the school is developing separate rubrics for academic expectations in reading, writing, public speaking and problem-solving, and committees of teachers in various disciplines have met to work on curricular improvement and to identify benchmarks for measuring student progress.

The progress report notes that “currently, evaluators and department chairpersons ensure that the taught and written curricula are aligned. This is accomplished through formal and informal observations by both parties; the department chairperson’s review of midyear, final and common assessments; and the analysis of student work in department meetings.â€

Making sure the written and taught curricula are aligned is also now part of the job description for department heads.

The school is working toward what is known as “student-centered learning†and away from the familiar “teacher and textbook†style the commission found lacking. “Particular attention has been paid to student-centered instruction that allows for differentiation according to learning styles,†according to the school’s progress report.

Changes are being made in the school’s administration, with clarification of the principal’s role and a “decision-making method†for faculty meetings, which clearly spells out who is responsible for what.

In the Feb. 19 letter, Allison commended the school for making “significant progress†in 23 areas and acknowledged positive developments in 17 others.

NEASC accreditation standards go “well beyond what is being requested by state and federal assessments,†according to the organization’s Web site, and “provide significant scrutiny of a school’s processes and practices related to teaching and learning and the support of teaching and learning.

“Accreditation examines not only the work of the students but also examines the nature of the contributions of the school staff.â€

The Web site also contains a statement that of 655 participating schools, at any given time some 100 to 110 schools are on warning.

And college admissions offices pay attention to NEASC’s assessments.

At the Region One board meeting, Foster said she is proud and grateful for the “tireless effort†thus far and thanked Linda DiCorleto, chair of the Follow-Up Committee, in particular.

 â€œNow we have to sustain it,†she said.

All the NEASC-related documents are available as pdf files on the school’s Web site, hvrhs.org. The NEASC Web site is cpss.neasc.org.

Vendors invited to March 28 fair

FALLS VILLAGE — The 18th annual Tri-state Chamber of Commerce Festival of Trades, Arts and Crafts happens Sunday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Housatonic Valley Regional High School. Businesses, arts and crafts experts and food vendors of all kinds take part. The Steve Dunn Band will provide entertainment.

The festival is an opportunity for networking and seeing friends and neighbors.

Exhibition space is limited, but anyone interested in taking part in the festival and reserving a booth should contact Susan Dickinson at 860-393-9171 or by e-mail at sdickinson@tristatechamber.com. The deadline to register as a vendor is March 12.

Attendance to the festival on March 28 is free and open to the public.

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