COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS RACE IN EDUCATION Wednesday, March 30, 2011 (4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.) Lower Merion High School Cafeteria Meeting Agenda I. Welcome and Introductions .................................. Dr. Christopher McGinley II. S.P.I.E.S ................................................................................. Shawn Bernatowicz III. Secondary Summer Programs ......... Steve Barbato and Dr. Deitra Spence IV. Princeton Review Program pilot and college visits ......... Dr. Deitra Spence V. College Board Conference – “A Dream Deferred: The Future of African American Education” – April 11-12, Philadelphia .... Andrea Wilson-Harvey VI. Agenda Items for 4/27 Meeting ............................................................ C.A.R.E Next Meeting Date: April 27, 2011/Lower Merion High School Cafeteria I. Welcome and Introductions .................................................................................. Dr. Christopher McGinley II. S.P.I.E.S .............................................................................................................................Shawn Bernatowicz S. Bernatowicz, the principal for the program this year, shared information regarding the S.P.I.E.S. (Succeed – Progress – Improve and Enjoy your Summer) program. Program Basics: The program is open to all Pre K - 5 students living in Lower Merion Township. This is a six week program that starts the last week in June and ends the first week of August. The day begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 1:00 p.m. Last year 200 students attended the program. This year the S.P.I.E.S. classes will be held at Penn Valley Elementary School. S. Bernatowicz is the principal for the program. A typical day includes: 150 minutes of reading and writing; 30 minutes of mathematics; 30 minutes of activities involving computers, music, and the library; 30 minutes remaining are used for lunch and morning and afternoon activities. Students needing attention in math, reading or writing are scheduled for additional support services. In addition to the academic schedule, students will have the opportunity to participate in field trips at no additional cost. Transportation: Provided by Lower Merion School district. Highlights of the Program: Reinforce skills learned over the year. The student will gain valuable math skills to help support his/her math knowledge for the upcoming year. The student will see math as a fun and interactive interdisciplinary process. Through a balance of reading, writing, listening and speaking we will work to strengthen comprehension. Instructors are Lower Merion teachers. There are some student teachers and instructional assistants. Also there is always a nurse available. Registration Information: Registration may be done online. There is a SPIES link on all of the elementary school sites. The fee is $575.00 for six weeks and a $50.00 registration fee. The brochure is available on the District web site: http://www.lmsd.org/documents/academics/spies_brochure.pdf Questions may be directed to S. Bernatowicz. Concerns: Program ends at 1:00 p.m. which is a concern for working parents. III. Secondary Summer Programs ..................................................................... Steve Barbato and Dr. Spence S. Barbato: YES Academy (Youth Experiencing Success): o This program is offered for eligible middle school students and will be held at Welsh Valley Middle School. o Students are selected and invited upon their previous performance on PSSA reading and math tests, other standardized tests and a review of their achievement during the past school year. o The program usually has 40-50 students. o YES is to maintain and strengthen students’ skills in reading, writing, mathematics and science so they may reach proficiency in these areas. o The program is taught by experienced Lower Merion teachers. o There are no fees for the program. o Contact person: B. Bartholomew, 610.658.3920. Summer Math Academy: o This program is offered for selected students who need extra enrichment. The focus is on building stronger mathematical foundations. o The program will be held at Harriton High School. o This program is offered for selected students who need extra enrichment. The focus is on building stronger mathematical foundations. o The Academy will offer Problem Solving I and Problem Solving II. o Problem Solving II is to reinforce the critical concepts learned in Algebra I and introduce important skills needed for Geometry for the upcoming school year. o The program usually has 35-40 students. o Contact person: J. Rider-Bertrand, 610.645.1913. SMART: o This program is available to 9th, 10th and 11th grade students requiring assistance with the summer math packets and grade level reading assignments. o This program is held at Harriton High School and Lower Merion High School two weeks before school opens. o Counselors and reading specialists will be asked to recommend students from each high school for the program. o Contact person: J. Maguire, 610.645.1929. D. Spence: Summer Bridge Program: o This program is for 8th grade students going into 9th grade. o The goal is to build an educational “bridge” to help students make a successful transition from middle school to high school. o Ninth grade teachers, counselors, student mentors, and administrators will provide the students with an orientation to the high school setting, skill development, career exploration, a review of their textbooks and how to adjust to the expectations and demands of high school. o This program gives the students a head start on making the transition to high school. o Contact person: D. Spence, 610.645.1992. IV. Princeton Review Program pilot and college visits ................................................................. Dr. Spence D. Spence: The Princeton Review Pilot Program: o This pilot program between Lower Merion School District and The Princeton Review provides SAT test preparation. o Students within the District will receive a $150 discount off of the regular course tuition. The District will offer partial scholarships for those who qualify. o Program is geared to approximately 20 eleventh graders with the ability to adhere to the time commitment the course requires. The course includes; 18 hours of classroom preparation focusing on important concepts, skills and strategies needed to test with confidence and score higher; 4 full-length practice SAT tests to provide the students with the practice needed; Score improvements are guaranteed; Free extra help with instructor and access to the Online Student Center; Discounted tuition for LMSD students. o Letters were sent to the parents/guardians of 36 students and we have already heard from 5. o If you know of any juniors who may be interested please contact us. o Course starts first week in April. o The goal is to expand this program to include more students during the 2011-2012 school year. o Contact person: D. Spence, 610.645.1992. College Visits: o Visits are about to start. o High School teachers are organizing. They are targeting first generation students but will involve others. o There are more trips scheduled this year and more students to take advantage of the visits. o Below are the scheduled visits: Lower Merion: . 3/31 Kutztown University . 4/1 Lehigh University . 4/7 Millersville University . 4/13 Philadelphia University . 4/28 Temple and Drexel Universities . TBD St. John’s University Harriton: . 4/6 Penn State, Brandywine and Arcadia Universities . 4/11 Montgomery County Community College . 4/26 Widener and Neumann Universities . TBD Delaware State University . TBD University of Delaware V. College Board Conference – “A Dream Deferred: The Future of African American Education” April 11-12, Philadelphia........................................................................ Andrea Wilson-Harvey D. Spence: o Lower Merion School District has eight people presenting at the conference o A. Wilson-Harvey & C. Coleman: . Presenting information about the Dream Club Dream c\Club represent-leadership progress of the students involved Students will be presenting at the conference o Where present they have been; where they are going o Discuss their own achievements o How to give back to community Reach out to the community-service is important Reviewed the data of the students involved in the Dream Club o Looked at the progression from 10th grade to present o Currently 11 of the 12 students are taking honor classes; last year one student took an honor class. Announcements: D. Spence: o Other handouts available on table; o Interschool Council of LMSD arranged for presentation by Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, “Building Resilience in Children and Teens,” presentation on 4/14/2011 at LMHS 7:00 p.m. Admission is free o Howard University Center for Insurance Education (HUCID) . Free three-week summer program at Howard University. Eligibility: high school juniors completing 3 years of math by June 2011. Program seeks students with mathematics PSAT scores of approximately 60 (SAT 600) or higher, excellent high school grades, and a strong recommendation from the math chairperson or teacher. Primary purpose of program is to train well-qualified students in insurance and actuarial science. Curriculum for program is centered on statistics and probability, matrices and life contingencies. DVMSAC Family-Community-School Partnership Task Force o Scheduled for Wednesday, April 13 from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the University of Pennsylvania, 3440 Market Street, 5th Floor Conference Suite. Lunch at noon. o Focus this year has been on processes