Fallsnewspress.com - Falls takes next step in academic improvement

by Steve Wiandt

Reporter

Cuyahoga Falls -- The Falls schools need to merge regular education and special education students to improve academic performance throughout the district, said Superintendent Dr. Edwin S. Holland.

"If we want all of our children to be the best and have the highest quality of education, we have to look at all children together," he said at a recent School Board meeting. Holland told the Board all students should get the same information, and when there are those who need added attention, they should get it.

Holland said next school year the district will implement Response to Intervention, which began in Ohio and is now used at districts throughout the country. Response to Intervention is the new name for the Ohio Integrated Systems Model, a comprehensive, school-wide prevention and intervention model that provides support systems that address the academic and behavioral needs of all students.

"What can we do to reduce the number of dropouts or reduce the number of at-risk students and provide high quality education to all children? That's what we're looking at," said Holland at the April 16 School Board meeting. Holland said the school district needs "large-scale, sustainable reform and improvement ... I am talking about systems transformation."

Over the past 12 months, Cuyahoga Falls school administrators have been attending seminars and conducting meetings to determine how to improve academic performance.

Dr. Phil Martucci, director of pupil services and special education, remarked that special education programs would not be eliminated in a merger with regular education, only that special education students would get the "core curriculum with extra support."

Richardson Elementary School Principal Frank Margida had integrated this model into his building, Holland said, when he was principal at Newberry Elementary School. Newberry closed in June 2005.

"They had much success with this. It's not a thing that was a secret, but it's something that takes a huge cultural shift," Holland said.

"We have to allow our children to master the material," Holland said. "So when Johnny can't catch up, we have to create some [form of] intervention ... whether in the classroom or [by] a change in the curriculum."

Holland said the district is in the process of forming building-level teams to establish ways to improve academic results. Each building team comprises the principal and three to four teachers.

The Ohio Integrated Systems Model has an academic side and a behavioral side, Holland said. A well-rounded system is needed, he said. If the behavioral side is failing, academic achievement will suffer, he said.

Holland said educational leadership is important. "We have to provide the consistent leadership and holding everyone's feet to the fire to make sure the plan is implemented according to plan," he said.

Assistant Superintendent Walter Davis said he will present to the Board on May 21 a proposal for staff and resources needed in the RTI process.

He said he hopes to kick off RTI in August.

E-mail: swiandt@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3915