SAD 70 starts work on action plan

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HODGDON — Faced with the designation of being one of 10 “persistently low achieving schools” in Maine, officials at Hodgdon High School gathered Wednesday evening for a special public meeting to address the matter.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
TASK AT HAND — Hodgdon High School Principal Clark Rafford chats with Leitha Karnes during last week’s public workshop on ways the district can improve.
    “I thought we had a pretty productive meeting,” SAD 70 Superintendent Bob McDaniel said. “I felt the members of the community, staff and board members that were there offered good input on what was working and what we needed to improve upon.”
    Recently, the Department of Education released a list of the state’s 10 “persistently lowest-achieving schools.” That list was based on three-year averages on SAT scoring. Schools included on the list were eligible to apply for a share of $12 million in federal school improvement grants, if they agreed to take certain steps for those improvements.
    The SAD 70 school board voted not to pursue those grant funds since it would have required that the district fire its principal. Instead, the board extended the contract of Rafford as a sign of confidence in their principal.
    Neighboring SAD 29 followed suit two weeks ago when it voted not to pursue the federal grant money. Houlton High School was also among the 10 schools on the list.
    McDaniel said the information collected at the meeting would be reviewed over the next week and incorporated into an action plan being developed by high school principal Clark Rafford.
    “The recurring theme we saw quickly from the public comments was that we need to do a better job of getting the students to take a more vested interest when taking the SAT exams,” McDaniel said. “Basically, the SAT is a measure of how well you will do in college. A lot of kids blow off that test because they are not planning to go on [to college.]”
    A group of about 50 parents, teachers and school board members attended last Wednesday’s meeting. Those in attendance listened to opening remarks by McDaniel and then split up into sub-groups tasked with putting into writing which items they felt the district needed to improve upon and which items they felt the district was already doing well.
    “We need to find even more ways to get the parents more involved,” McDaniel said.
    Next up, McDaniel said students and staff members would be polled to hear their thoughts on the subject. All of the data will then be compiled and an action plan created to move the district forward in a positive manner.
    “We want to have a plan of action put in place based on some of the suggestions we receive,” McDaniel said. “Once we have that plan, I’ll bring it to the school board and get their input as well.”
    McDaniel added if there were residents who were unable to attend last Wednesday’s meeting, but still wanted to offer their input, they should stop into the central office, located across from the high school or call 532-3015.