The Old Rochester Regional School Committee on January 13 reviewed the data from the state’s 2015 school Accountability Report, which showed the numbers behind the high school’s return to a Level-1 school and the junior high’s steady progress towards meeting its goal.
Narrowing proficiency gaps in all categories and areas, said ORR High School Principal Michael Devoll, propelled Old Rochester Regional High School back up to a Level-1 status after one “down year” in 2014 when MCAS scores dropped, bringing the school down to a Level-2.
Highlights of the Accountability Report for the high school include a performance index score of 77 for the all-students category, exceeding the target of 75 points. The high-needs group was right on target at 75.
The junior high, although it fell short of its target in all categories, demonstrated growth even with the switch from the MCAS to the more rigorous PARCC exam.
Principal Kevin Brogioli said students did particularly well in Math, where the school scored the highest, and reduced the number of students in the warning level, thus earning it extra credit points.
The important thing, said Brogioli, is that the school keeps progressing at a steady rate.
“If we repeat what we did this year, next year we would be Level-1,” said Brogioli. “I can’t promise that … but I was very happy with last year’s accountability results.”
In other matters, ORR High School approved two new English Language Arts courses that Devoll proposed for next year.
The two new half-year ELA elective courses are entitled “Sports Media” and “Creativity, Inspiration, and Innovation.”
“Both are courses we are excited about offering,” Devoll said. “We try to give our students as much of an offering as possible.”
Last year, the school added genealogy as an elective, which was a big hit with students, and with February being the time of year when students begin selecting next year’s courses, Devoll wanted to get these new ones approved and posted as soon as possible.
Also during the meeting, school committee members made haste in approving a $5 increase in pay for substitute teachers and paraprofessionals effective immediately, as well as an additional increase effective September. A shortage of substitute teachers in all four Tri-Town school districts prompted the pay raise. A raise in the state minimum wage to $10 was also a factor in the decision.
“We have not increased our substitute pay rate since 2002,” said Superintendent Doug White. “By bringing it up a little bit, we may have better luck filling some of those positions.”
Paraprofessionals were earning $60 per day, but they will now earn $65 and then $75 in September. Non-licensed teachers will go from $65 to $70 and then $80 in September; certified teachers have gone from $70 per day to $75, then up to $85 next school year.
The next meeting of the Old Rochester Regional School Committee is scheduled for February 10 at 6:30 pm in the ORR Junior High School media room.
By Jean Perry