By BRETT R. WHITLING
Staff writer
Allegheny-Clarion Valley School District recently announced it is using Keystone to Opportunity grant money to purchase $109,521 worth of new technology hardware, software, training and support.
Director of Education Melissa Douglas said he was told by several people the district is in need of a heavy revision of the technology it provides to students.
Douglas worked diligently on the purchase to ensure the district has the technology it needs to further the education it provides.
The items included in the purchase are:
- 232 HP Chromebooks ($60,088)
- Six days of labor from Computer Support of Clarion ($3,120)
- Four Ultra-Light Intelligent Carts used to store and charge 30 Chromebooks or iPad’s at a time ($5,620)
- Two school site licenses for LDC (Literary Design Collaborative) Courses for two years ($11,600)
- Annual software subscription and services ($9,700)
- Five Epson BrightLink projectors with two year warranties ($9,995)
- 53 iPad Air 2 32GB ($19,837)
Douglas said most of the new technology will be placed within grades six through 12.
The KtO program is a federal grant program through the state to improve literacy for students up to twelfth-grade.
Keyboard efficiency
The technology committee at A-C Valley school district is also considering introducing a keyboarding teacher at the elementary school.
The high school currently has business and computer teacher Tracy Patton who is certified to teach keyboarding.
Superintendent David McDeavitt spoke to elementary principal Lori Sherman about bringing in a keyboard teacher.
“(Sherman) said if we brought someone into the school this year, she would have to restructure the entre schedule at the elementary school,” McDeavitt said. “If we thought about doing it next year, we could figure out a way to tie the class into the rotation which is how we are able to get some those special subjects in there.”
Board member Jennifer Feicht said, “The discussion came up with some of the teachers a saying it was frustrating with some of the kids not being very proficient in typing where they a lot of hunt and peck’ typing.”
Feicht also said she notices a big difference in the typing skills of her children between those who have had the class and those who have not.
“It is a skill they need; it is as essential as cursive writing was to us when we were in school,” Feicht said.
McDeavitt said, “As a member of the technology committee I think this is a great idea but a superintendent knowing the budget is $400,000 off, I don’t think this is a great idea for right now.”
McDeavitt suggested the school board hold off on the decision of adding the class until spring so it may be tied into the 2017-2018 budget.
“I’m torn; I understand the importance of having the class with being on the technology committee but working with the numbers in the business department every single day, I know it is a hefty expenditure to take on currently,” McDeavitt said. “Also I know the schedule is so tight right now at the elementary school where we don’t have a free period to use for the class.”
Currently, students at A-C Valley are not require to take the district’s semester long keyboarding class until tenth-grade.
Keystone Exams
McDeavitt expressed his concern over the results of the Keystone Exams from the 2015-2016 school year profiling the school to having one of the lowest overall scores for the schools in Clarion County.
The number is used for principal and teacher school evaluations at the end of the year.
During a previous board meeting, McDeavitt quoted state secretary Pedro Rivera who said, “Schools, teachers and communities are working hard to prepare Pennsylvania to graduate to be college and career ready and to be able to compete in a diverse job market.”
McDeavitt added, “I think that is not a true statement because we are not getting the kids ready for a career, we’re preparing them to take this test and that’s the struggle we have.”
McDeavitt feels disappointed in the state that around 90 percent of a SPP (student performance profile) comes from one particular test.
The school superintendent also expressed frustration for how the profiled within subgroups and the school has worked on underperforming students for several years.
“We are working hard (to improve) with great teachers, a great school board and administration that work’s with our wonderful group of students,” McDeavitt said. “But it’s difficult when we put all our eggs in one basket and assess the school district on one particular test because we are far better than that.”
McDeavitt made note on the schools very successful graduation rate and on the students who move off to higher education also do well.
McDeavitt said he was part of a SPP stakeholder meeting last year to make some modifications to the overall rating where several suggestions were offered.
One of those suggestions was to replace the end of the year Keystone Exams for the number of students who attend the Clarion County Career Center with the NOCTI (National Occupational Competence Test) Exam for students who attend vocational school.