News
Mohonasen continues to
show improvement
State report card released Monday, August 11, 2008
Aug. 11, 2008
On Monday, August 11, the New York State
Education Department
released the school report cards for the 2006-07 school year. As
in years past, Mohonasen showed improvement in many areas.
One of these areas, which was a heavy focus statewide by the Regents
chancellor and education commissioner, was graduation rates. In
2006-07, 79 percent of Mohonasen seniors graduated by August 2007.
This is more eight percent higher than the state average of 71
percent of seniors graduating by August.
In 2004-05, the graduation rate for Mohonasen
High School was 73 percent.
“We’re continuing to show improvement,” Assistant Superintendent for
Curriculum and Instruction Patrick McGrath said. “Our goal is to
follow every student who walks through our doors and make sure that
each one graduates.”
McGrath expects to see graduation rates continue to increase thanks
to programs like the middle school’s Success is Required program and
the high school’s transition team and try, try again policy.
The Success is Required program consists of three elements:
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Essential Tasks – Every class that Draper students take has a list of Essential Tasks – tasks that MUST be completed satisfactorily in order to receive credit for the course.
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens – This book, by Sean Covey, is studied and discussed in middle school classes throughout the year helping students gain the personal work habits and attitudes necessary for success.
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The Child Success Team – This team, made up of educators and professionals from the school, works to remove barriers and bridge the gaps that may be preventing individual students from succeeding academically, socially and behaviorally.
At Mohonasen High School, the transition team
works with ninth-grade and tenth-grade students who are considered
to be “at-risk” of not graduating on time. For the first two years
of high school, identified students work with the transition team
and after their sophomore year take all of their 9th and 10th grade
Regents Exams. The goal, McGrath said, is to keep “at-risk” students
on track and help them be as successful as possible.
Similarly, the try, try again policy at the high school insists that
students take all Regents Exams up to three times in an effort to
make sure that most students receive at last a 65 percent on all
their exams.
Even through these programs, and several others, seem to be working
for many students, Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Spring said the
district is continually looking for ways to help all students find
success in school.
“Currently, we are looking at adding Universal Pre-K and full-day
kindergarten to our district,” Spring said. “These are programs that
research shows help students get a stronger start in school, which
will help them all the way until graduation day and beyond.”
The district is also considering adding a high-tech wing at
Mohonasen High School – a way to make learning more relevant and
teach skills that are increasingly necessary in today’s changing
world. If built, Spring said this new wing would help students
prepare for careers in high tech industries in the Capital Region,
such as nanotechnology and biotechnology.
“If we can strengthen our programs and offer more opportunities for
students, we will be able to spark interests that could be the
difference between dropping out and graduating,” Spring said.
All four district schools in good standing
District wide, Mohonasen’s students continue
to show improvement on state assessments. All four district schools
are considered in “good standing” entering the 2008-09 school year.
For the 2006-07,
according to the state report card, 66.8 percent of students in
grades 3-8 scored a 3 or above on the state’s ELA exam (3 is
considered at/or above proficiency). This was a five percent
increase over 2005-06. In math, 75.8 percent of students scored a 3
or above – a more than seven percent increase over the prior year.
Slight increases were also seen on the 4th and 8th grade science
exams and on the English and math Regents exams.
When the 2007-08 ELA and math scores are released, McGrath said he
expects to see more improvement district wide.
“Our goal is to improve year after year,” he said.
