Question:  The goal of differentiated instruction - how is the district supervising and enforcing this type of instruction?
 
Answer:  As a district goal, differentiated instruction is emphasized by our district's supervisory staff.  Teachers are provided with staff development in this area, and supervisors also provide resources and materials to help teachers design and implement lessons that address the diverse learning profiles of the students in their classrooms.  Similarly, teachers are encouraged to further their knowledge and skills in this area through course work, conferences, sharing effective practices and looking at exemplary student work products.
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As part of our Annual Professional Performance Review Plan (APPR), teachers are observed and evaluated in four major areas, called "domains" of teaching.  These domains include planning and preparation, the classroom environment, instruction, and professional responsibilities.  Each domain is divided into specific components that form the elements of good teaching. The domains of planning/preparation and instruction include components reflecting the goals of differentiated instruction.  In the supervisory process, our administrators look for evidence of differentiated instruction in a teacher's lesson plans and in the instruction that takes place in the classroom. Findings are reflected in observation reports and annual evaluations.  If improvement is needed, the administrator then provides specific feedback and suggestions for this area.


Question:  Do we know if the LIRR is or plans to transport hazardous materials along the rail line behind our middle school? If yes, please address evacuation and safety procedures.

Answer:  The LIRR, through the NY & Atlantic Railway (a freight company), at times does transport hazardous materials, including propane, on the rail line behind the middle school.

Both the LIRR and the school district have in place response plans for emergencies resulting from hazardous materials. The LIRR’s response plans include notification of the local police and governmental entities and strategies for containment and clean-up.  The school district also has building-specific emergency plans that include provisions for the evacuation or sheltering of students in case of emergency.  While each school in the district conducts emergency drills during every school year, we select one school each year for a full-scale exercise.  The Middle School was chosen for just such a purpose last year.  The drill was unannounced and involved the evacuation of all students and staff to another location, in this case the St. Paul’s field house. The evacuation drill was conducted in cooperation with the Garden City Police and Fire Departments, and by all accounts was deemed to be highly successful.  The entire building was safely evacuated within a few minutes, emergency responders arrived rapidly to assess the situation and provide direction, and the process was subject to a wide-ranging analysis after its completion that provided insights for strengthening safety procedures not just at the middle school but throughout the entire district.  We plan to continue these drills and maintain our cooperation with the Police and Fire Departments to make certain that the Garden City Public Schools will remain well-prepared for emergencies that may arise both within the buildings and in the surrounding areas.


Question:  Why are our high school students not ranked?  All college applications ask you for your class ranking.  I feel that works against a student getting accepted over other competitive students who rank in the top 10% of his/her class.

Answer:  Many high performing school districts have eliminated the use of class rank, concluding that it actually does not enhance the chances of their students to gain admission to outstanding colleges. The shift away from class rank began with private schools known for challenging programs.  These schools recognized that many of their students had strong SAT scores and high academic averages.  As a result, a student who did quite well might nevertheless fail to place in the top 10%; simply ranking students by average in such an instance would actually paint a misleading portrait of how much the student had achieved, and it would create unnecessary questions about the student’s ability to do well in college.

The situation is similar in Garden City and comparable schools. Frequently, we find that students are separated in class rank by a few hundredths of a point in a four-point grading system.  In a competitive, high performing school district like ours, we do not want to have these very slight distinctions cloud the picture for college admissions.  In our district, a given graduating class could have 30% obtaining strong SAT scores and averages in the 90s.  Ranking for this group would provide no advantage. In fact, because our best students do so well, ranking them could actually hurt their chances of acceptance.  Our transcripts instead show weighted and unweighted grade point averages (GPAs) for the purpose of distinguishing among the rigorous programs offered to students.  It is important to note that college admissions offices understand the decision of schools to eliminate ranking; each college generally develops its own matrix for evaluating student achievement.


➢    Question:  What is the ERB Wrap Test?  What does it cover?  When is it given?  To what grade?  Does/will it take the place of another test that is currently given?

➢    Answer:  “ERB WrAP” stands for the Educational Records Bureau’s Writing Assessment Program.  ERB is a well-respected organization that has been conducting standardized testing for a good number of years. Many private schools use ERB’s tests to assess student progress. 

Our interest in the WrAP Test stems from our belief that the district could benefit from an objective assessment of student writing achievement. Beginning this spring, students in grades 3, 7 and 9 will participate in the test.  The exam utilizes a rubric and rating criteria very much like those presented in our Write Traits program. Significantly, the WrAP also provides two sets of scores: a criterion-based score for each of the six scoring categories (overall development, organization, support, sentence structure, word choice and mechanics), and a normative score that shows how our students compare to their peers in similar suburban schools.  We will use the WrAP results to identify student strengths and needs in the area of writing as well as to establish benchmarks for our writing program as a whole and set goals for program enhancement.

The assessment will be administered as follows:
Grade 3        April 8th & 9th
Grade 7        April 30th & May 1st
Grade 9        January, at the end of midterm week

Please note that the WrAP is not meant to replace existing district or state assessments.


➢    Question:  Newsday recently had an editorial about artificial turf and associated safety concerns.  Please comment on this – Do we see different kinds of injuries?  Especially skin abrasions?  (MRSA?)  How is it maintained or cleaned? 

Answer:  We believe the installation of the turf field at Warren King Field at the high school has benefited both the students and the greater Garden City community.  The turf field allows for play during a variety of weather conditions and provides a consistent and even surface on which to conduct a great number of athletic contests.
The turf field at GCHS is a second generation turf product, and it is much softer than the earlier varieties.   Our Athletic Department has found that the consistent nature of turf actually aids in reducing injuries as compared to grass, as turf does not contain surface pits or rocks which often lead to unstable footing.  In addition, the surface is much more “forgiving” upon impact.

The surface of the turf field is maintained through periodic grooming which may involve the repair of any areas where some of the underlying rubber and sand surface material may have been depleted. The district also keeps a close eye of the surface to ensure that no tears develop; should they develop, we look to repair the problem in a timely fashion.

Recently, district staff attended a seminar held by the Nassau County Department of Health’s Division of Environmental Health on the subject of MRSA.  According to the County DOH, sunlight and weather serve to reduce the possibility of survival of bacteria on artificial turf. In addition, artificial turf itself is not considered to be a reservoir for MRSA, although cuts and abrasions sustained on turf—or on any field—can provide a portal of entry for bacteria.

There have been some concerns voiced recently about the safety of the rubber granules used as component materials in turf fields.  However, the results of a long-term study indicate that the rubber granules used in the construction of artificial turf fields pose no threat to the environment or human health.  Aliapur, the leading French government body responsible for used tires, along with Ademe, the French Agency for Environment and Energy Management, completed a scientific study that aimed at evaluating possible environmental impact from the rubber granules in sports fields. The main goal of the study was to determine the quality of water transferred into the natural environment after passing through the rubber granules and other infill materials from the artificial grass sports fields. In addition, the study obtained a detailed analysis and evaluation of the gas emissions generated by these fields.  In both questions, turf fields were judged safe.  As you can imagine, turf fields also result in significant reductions in water use.


➢    Question:  What happens when parents and the administration are on opposite sides of the fence regarding an issue be it a teacher or a program?  What does the administration do to ensure that the parents get the information and answers they need so everyone is on the same page?

➢    Answer:  We believe that most issues are resolved through good communication.  In our experience, actually, it is rare that administrators and teachers do not agree with parents on overall goals for student progress.  As they say, however, “The devil is in the details.” 
When we have disagreements, we try to understand in detail the parent’s view as a first step.  Next, we conduct a thorough and thoughtful review of the situation, relying on data (things that are observable) to the greatest extent possible.  Our goal in such efforts is problem-solving, that is, putting into place a plan that serves the best interest of the child. 

We believe that the best decisions are made with the input of those who are closest to the issue under consideration. Therefore, the district expects that parents will follow the “chain of command” by initiating discussion with the teacher directly involved in an issue before bringing it to the attention of a supervisor.  We have found that this approach works in the overwhelming percentage of cases.  If resolution is not reached at this stage, parents should feel free to voice concerns to the appropriate administrator. It is important to remember that educational issues are often complex; some problems resist quick solutions.  In all cases, it is important for all parties to keep talking so that everyone remains invested in improving the situation.

It should be noted that the administration has devoted effort to developing a “client-centered” orientation and culture.  Our highest priority is facilitating student growth, and we accept our responsibility to help ensure that home-school relationships, an essential ingredient of student success, are positive.  In this regard, we have also worked to improve communication within the organization so that parties involved in problem-solving have opportunities to contribute to discussions, receive accurate information and understand their roles in making implementing changes.  Accordingly, we place great value on feedback from parents because it helps us determine if we have been successful in meeting our goals.