Just weeks after being named a school in need of improvement by the state Education Department, East Middle School in Auburn has unveiled a plan to increase student achievement.

From strategy to initiative, the Comprehensive Educational Plan, already being implemented, will attempt to raise student achievement in English Language Arts for students with disabilities.

One of the things teachers and administrators will be looking to do is create a consistent approach to short responses in all subject areas, said Carolyn Hirst-Loucks, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

The district has taken a holistic approach to student learning, instituting a uniform system for short answer questions across subject lines. This could include requiring students to use the planning pages for a social studies document-based question and establishing expectations for students answering an open-ended question in science, she said.

“We are hopeful, by that approach, that student achievement will go up,” she said.

Academic Intervention Services and special education teachers will accompany students with disabilities in the classroom to provide additional and individualized help, guidance and support.

Earlier this year several faculty members were hired through funding provided by Contract for Excellence, part of Gov. Eliot Spitzer's education reform which provides extra funding to districts in need of improvement. These faculty members - a literacy coach, ELA supervisor and subject matter facilitator - will lead departments across grade levels to develop a logical scope and sequence of skills, Hirst-Loucks said.

Last month, East Middle School was added to the Education Department's list of schools needing improvement as it failed to meet state standards in English Language Arts for its students with disabilities subgroup. Placement on the list was based upon results on the state assessment tests.

East Middle School has also developed an after-school program designed to provide additional support and educational enrichment for struggling learners.

“That after-school program has really, actually, mushroomed,” said Principal Diane Dolcemascolo during the Auburn Board of Education meeting on Tuesday. “We have about 45 students involved right now and they really are doing very well to catch up and make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing.”

The program, run by three teachers and a teacher aid, gives students time to receive extra help on homework and English skills in the afternoon hours, while also getting time to do some reading, do some research or engage in fun educational games and activities, said Dolcemascolo,

While reviewing critical issues that may impact student performance, administrators noticed that the attendance rate has fallen over the last three years, the number of students who are tardy has increased significantly, and while the out of school suspensions have decreased, the number of in school suspensions has increased.

As part of the improvement plan, administrators have issued a 95 percent attendance benchmark; for the month of December attendance at East was 93.55 percent.

To increase the attendance rate, the district will use parent notification solutions to help reach out to parents if their child is absent from school. Administrators will continue to offer activities as incentives to motivate students to have better attendance while exploring different consequence for discipline and behavior that does not remove a student from class time.

For students tardy to school, East has designed a 20 minute lunch group in the middle of the day to provide those students an opportunity to catch up on instruction and information that had missed.

“We know that absents certainly impacts a child's academics,” said Dolcemascolo, “so this is a way to catch students up that are absent.”

Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at alyssa.sunkin@lee.net or 253-5311 ext. 239