Archives: 2010-2011 Bulletin Board
• (Visit the Old Colony Archives to read Old Colony Bulletin Boards from past years).
Notes of Interest for the Old Colony Community
2010-2011 News --------------------------- - Old Colony's "Adequate Yearly Progress 2009" Report Issued
- NCLB Teacher Quality Standards
- Old Colony offers Night School Programs
- CIS students help Acushnet with museum project
- Old Colony in compliance with EPA / AHERA
2010-2011 Bulletin Board Announcements
Old Colony's "Adequate Yearly Progress 2009" Report Issued
Adequate Yearly Progress 2009
Dear Parent or Guardian:
We are pleased to enclose our school "report card" for the current year. It contains important information about teacher qualifications, student achievement on Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests, and the progress we are making toward helping all students become proficient in English language arts and mathematics. The information in the report card is divided into three parts:
- Part I: Teacher Qualifications
- Part II: Student Achievement
- Part III: School Accountability
Part I provides information about the qualifications of the teachers in our school and district.
Part II summarizes how our school's students scored in English language arts and mathematics in the last two years of MCAS examinations.
Part III indicates whether or not our school is on target to meet the goal of all students reaching proficiency in English language arts and mathematics by 2014, a fundamental goal of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). In accordance with NCLB, schools that do not make sufficient progress toward this goal are identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring.
Our school's 2009 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) report shows that the Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School has made AYP for the following subject areas and subgroups:
- Math
- English
As a result of these determinations, Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School is not identified for Improvement/Corrective Action/Restructuring.
These findings are an important part of your right to know how well our school is helping all students to reach proficiency in English language arts and mathematics. Schools receiving federal Title I funds that do not make AYP for two consecutive years must allow parents the opportunity to transfer their child to another school in the district that is performing satisfactorily. Schools that have not made AYP for three years in a row--in addition to offering parents the right to choose a new school--must also offer parents a chance to access supplemental educational services for their children. Supplemental services allow eligible children to be tutored after school or participate in classes aimed at boosting academic achievement in English language arts and mathematics.
We are happy to help you if you have further questions about what this report card means. Please feel free to call me directly if I can be of additional assistance to you.
Sincerely yours,
Patricia Foskett
Principal
NCLB Teacher Quality Standards
Dear Parent or Guardian:
The federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act defines new standards for teacher quality. Under NCLB, teachers must be licensed, have a bachelor’s degree, and demonstrate subject matter knowledge, either through a state test or by majoring in the subject in college. NCLB standards apply to the subject matter taught by teachers: a teacher may be qualified to teach one subject, but not another. With this in mind, we are doubling our efforts to make sure all teachers at our school are appropriately assigned to teach classes that reflect their degrees.
NCLB requires that parents/guardians of children enrolled in Title I schools be notified if their child has been taught for four consecutive weeks by a teacher who does not meet the federal standard.
If you have any questions regarding qualifications, please feel free to contact me. For additional information about the federal highly qualified teacher requirements and Massachusetts policies related to them, please visit the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Web site at www.doe.mass.edu/nclb.
Sincerely yours,
Patricia Foskett
Principal
Old Colony offers Night School Programs
Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School is pleased to announce that Night School Programs will once again be in progress at its Rochester, MA, campus starting in September 2010. This is a great opportunity to train for a new career! Check back for more information regarding class programs and sign-ups.
- To learn all of the details, visit our Night School Programs page.
- For more information, please call 508-763-8011 (x220), or email us at nightschool@oldcolony.us
- All Night School Programs will be held at Old Colony RVTHS, 476 North Avenue, Rochester, MA
CIS students help Acushnet with museum project
Old Colony students will be involved in a project titled, "Town of Acushnet's Long Plain Museum Inventory Project." Thanks to a $3,000 grant provided by The Delta Kappa Gamma Educational Foundation, students will be provided with the equipment and the means to properly inventory the museum's artifacts.
Students in the Computer Information Systems (CIS) vocational shop will travel with their instructor, Karen Guenette, two times per week to photograph and record descriptions of all items using software, computers, and a camera provided by the grant funds.
Ms. Guenette initiated the grant application and will be responsible for overseeing the project that will begin in September 2010. The project is expected to be ongoing at least throughout the 2011-2012 school year. Ms. Guenette will also be responsible for regularly reporting the progress of the project, including its final stages.
Old Colony in compliance with EPA / AHERA
Since June 1998, the Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School has been in full compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). The inspection findings and asbestos management plans have been on file in the office of the Superintendent-Director since that time.
The public is welcome to view the AHERA Management Plan by contacting Gary Brown at 508-763-8011, ext 116, or by email at gbrown@oldcolony.us.