Middle School to Get New Program of Studies

The revised Program of Studies at Whisconier Middle School (WMS) will include the establishment of a detailed electronic file for each student that will serve as a “resume” through the remainder of their career in the Brookfield schools.

WMS Principal Deane Renda told the Board of Education (BOE) at its May 18 meeting that the guidance counselors at the school will include the students’ career goals in the portfolio, chart their academic progress and include possible choices for classes when they start attending Brookfield High School (BHS).

During his presentation on the revised Program of Studies, the principal also said that instruction for fifth grade students in Spanish would begin during the next academic year, which would result in a slight decrease in their class time in Social Studies.

Renda said teachers are studying how interdisciplinary projects could be created to link the two subjects together.

He said under the revised Program of Studies, starting during the next academic year, all eighth grade students “will be taking some form of algebra.”

On another topic, the BOE plans to have its Curriculum And Program Evaluation (CAPE) Subcommittee engage in further deliberations next month on the possible elimination of the T1 transitional first grade program at Center Elementary School (CES).

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CES Principal Carrie Kilian told the BOE at its April 27 meeting that the “consensus” of a study group at CES has recommended that the T1 program be eliminated, partly because its findings indicated that students that are retained in such classes” rarely” close the achievement gap with students in their grade.

T1 is an extra-year program for students that have been deemed by the kindergarten teacher to not quite be ready for first grade.

Kilian said the kindergarten teachers usually made recommendations about placing students in the T1 class about halfway through the academic year.

She told the BOE last month that for a variety of reasons only four parents indicated that they planned to enroll their child in the program.

Since , Kilian said the study was organized to study the T1 program and a consultant, Amy Sevell-Nelson, helped facilitate three meeting, which were held in November, January and March.

She told the BOE last month that research indicated that Brookfield is the only district in its District Reference Group (DRG) that has a T1 program.

The DRGs, which are assigned by the state Board of Education, consist of about 20 school districts that have similar demographics. The DRGs are used, for example, to compare results on state standardized exams.

“There are a lot of other programs now,” Superintendent Anthony Bivona said last week regarding additional options that have been developed through the years for students who appear to not be fully prepared for first grade.

“It can be beneficial to students,” BOE Vice Chairman Rob Gianazza said of the transition program.

“It’s a significant change for this town,” BOE Chairman Ray DiStephan said regarding a possible elimination of the longstanding option. “I want to be sure on this one,” he added.

Assistant Superintendent Genie Slone recommended that if the BOE members wanted to get further insight on possible options another presentation could be made at the June meeting of the CAPE Subcommittee.