Agenda - 11-10-1998 - Attachment #10

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individual attention received by students and their families. This includes students who are high achieving, differently - abled, and those who have not demonstrated grade level proficiency. All public schools have limited resources and, within those resources, must delicately balance their desire to meet both the individual needs of each student as well as the basic needs of all students. No school system is wealthy enough to succeed completely at the former challenge and none is satisfied to address only the latter. The low- achieving child may not receive the same academic support and role models for academic achievement that are a part of the home life of the more successful student. The school setting of six hours a day, nine months a year, beginning at age five may not be able to compensate fully for the social differences. Pre- school, after - school and community based mentoring programs, however, may enhance the efforts that are structured into the school day. Unrecognized physical and mental health problems may significantly interfere with the education process for many students. The signs of such problems are often first recognized by teachers and school staff due to their extended contact with students and extensive experience with children of the same age. Studies have demonstrated that student achievement can be significantly improved when the schools are able to assess such signs of physical and mental health problems and, when indicated, pursue, in conjunction with the family, appropriate further medical evaluation and treatment. This capacity is an important dimension of meeting the needs of all students. In our efforts to maximize student achievement as measured by standardized achievement tests, it is essential that our definition of excellence embrace a wider range of measures. Excellence in the arts, leadership, interpersonal skills, and athletics should be valued by the community and educators alike. For the schools to enjoy the full support of the entire community requires that each family feel that its children's needs are being met. The perception that the schools are failing to meet the needs of any group of students will undermine this support and fuel sentiments for vouchers, charter schools and school choice. Efforts, therefore, must be made to personalize the education process for each student as much as possible to ensure that each student is being fully challenged and receiving all the resources needed to achieve at his or her best. This requires a great deal of support from parents as well as teachers and school administrators. Summary • The schools should support efforts in the community to strengthen pre- school and Head Start programs as well as early intervention programs in elementary schools for children who are developmentally delayed or likely to have difficulties later in their academic careers. • Greater efforts need to be made to personalize the education of each student, within the budgetary constraints of the system. Reducing class size will enable teachers to better meet students' individual needs. • Teachers, staff and the curricula need to reflect the wide diversity of talents in our students and cultivate and reward successful accomplishments in those diverse activities. Standards should be broadened, not lowered, to achieve this appreciation of our diversity. • The schools should continue with vigor to stamp out intolerance and discrimination at all levels. 3. Ensure a high quality teaching staff Inadequate teacher salaries and excessive class sizes were identified as high priority weaknesses needing to be addressed in our current system. A declining interest in the teaching profession along with our inability to adequately reward and retain teachers were threats that were perceived to be of great significance to the Task Force. Among the opportunities and strategies that were given great importance were taking steps to hire and retain highly qualified and committed 10