Published: October 29, 2009 09:45 am      

State outlines strengths, concerns for school district

CLINTON — The Clinton Community School District has successfully gathered community input and increased teacher involvement in curriculum development, but needs to make the public more aware of problems facing the district and create a more conversational learning environment, according to a state assessment.

Representatives from the Iowa Department of Education gave a nearly hour-long report to district officials Wednesday after a three-day visit to Clinton’s schools. The district is assessed by the state every five years as part of the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan.

In a meeting Wednesday afternoon at the Roosevelt Administration Center, the state department provided highlights of strengths and weaknesses they found in the district. Superintendent Richard Basden, Assistant Superintendent Deb Olson, school board president Jim McGraw and vice president Mercia Wolf attended the meeting, along with other district officials and school faculty members.

As part of the school improvement plan, a 17-person team of representatives from the state department spoke to students, parents and faculty at the district’s eight schools and conducted reviews of educational practices, as well as of accreditation and curriculum standards.

The state team found that the district stands out in offering building-level PTAs and a citywide PTA, and has excelled in creating multiple opportunities for involvement to parents. Representatives leveled some criticism toward the district regarding communication, telling administrators to be more forthright with faculty and community members about Clinton’s status as a District in Need of Assistance so the district can face problems with the involvement of staff, parents and students.

The team also encouraged the district to have a greater sense of urgency in including more faculty in data analysis.

Team members noted that teacher involvement in curriculum development has doubled since its last visit in 2005, and praised the district for making its curriculum available to the public online. Representatives said the curriculum’s structure was solid, but added that it was not quite reaching the promise of “an engaging curriculum” in the district’s mission statement.

According to feedback from interviews at all grade levels in the district, students said some teachers rely heavily on packets, written assessments and lectures. Students expressed a preference for more active, hands-on styles of learning, with more conversation in the classroom.

Representatives said more emphasis needs to be placed on tailoring instruction to the district’s varied student population. Because the district’s demographics are changing, team members said acceptance of cultural diversity needs to be thoroughly introduced to staff and students.

According to an equity report, the district has made progress with the English Language Learners and its homeless students, but needs to improve its ties to minority communities to help bring down the district’s high number of suspensions among black students.

State representatives praised the district’s counseling program and its focus on student guidance as an essential part of the system rather than just an add-on program. Team members also noted the success of the district’s voluntary preschool program in providing services to parents with limited resources.

This year’s state report was more exhaustive than those in years past, with the state giving assessments of district equity, preschool and special education in addition to its school improvement plan.

“This process offers schools a chance to look at themselves,” said Basden, who worked with similar state assessments while serving as a superintendent in Illinois before coming to Clinton last year. “We always welcome an outside perspective.”

Basden said a team headed up by Deb Olson prepared for the state visit for about a year, and added that he is proud of the district’s accomplishments.

The Iowa Department of Education plans to release a detailed report on the district by the end of the year.