Winooski – Getting to Know You

21st Century Community Learning Centers

Grant Application

Submitted by:

Winooski School District

60 Normand Street

Winooski, VT 05404

November 22, 2002

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Ned Caron, SuperintendentDean Jill Tarule, UVM College of

Education and Social Services

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Thomas Fleury, PresidentBob DiMasi, Winooski Parks and

Board of School TrusteesRecreation

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Bob Pequinot,PrincipalJeff Thompson, Burlington

John F. Kennedy Elementary SchoolBoys and Girls Club

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Mary Woodruff, PrincipalRobert L. Marshall

Winooski Middle SchoolDirector of Student Ministries,

Community Bible Church

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Brian Hoover, Principal

Winooski High School

This proposal seeks funding to create after school, weekend, and summer programs that target nearly achieving students (and the parents of these students) in grades four through twelve to improve academic performance in math, reading, and language arts. These out-of-school programs, entitled Winooski - Getting to Know You, will provide motivating, technology-enriched learning experiences and will employ thematic, multidisciplinary approaches to celebrate the unique characteristics and heritage of the people and places in Winooski Vermont as a context for learning basic skills.

Program Need and Description

Winooski – Getting to Know You

The Winooski School district serves families of children in grades pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. Currently, the district enrolls 872 students located in one building on a single campus (434 in grades pre-kindergarten through grade five; 215 in grades six through eight; and 223 students in grades nine through twelve).

The Winooski School District is a designated Title I school district. At least 61% of its students qualify for free or reduced breakfast and lunch, approximately 16% require Individual Education Plans, and approximately 12% receive services in English as a second language. Nearly 35% of the student body transfer out or into the district each year. (Report 2002)

The Winooski community provides a tremendous wealth of experiences and backgrounds that are unique to Vermont. It also provides challenges and opportunities to the Winooski School District (WSD) to meet its mission “to provide the best possible education for all eligible members of the community.” Winooski’s mission states that “the schools should educate each student as part of the community, stressing individual worth, while realizing there are diverse capabilities in every human being.” (Report 2002) Even though Winooski is working hard to achieve its mission for all students, it is clear from recent State assessments that many students are falling short of realizing their individual worth and potential. In recent years, Winooski Middle/High School was identified by the Vermont Department of Education as a district in need of technical assistance. Although no longer on technical assistance, much work remains as is clearly shown in the following table:

Act 60 Accountability Indicators

(Based on 2002 Student Assessment Results)

NSRE – New Standards Reference Exam

Basic Skills Indicators
(At least 60% of all students must meet or exceed the standard) / Grade / Yes / No
Vermont Developmental Reading Assessment / 2 / X
NSRE Reading Basic Understanding / 4 / X
8 / X
10 / X
NSRE Writing Conventions / 4 / X
8 / X
10 / X
NSRE Mathematics Skills / 4 / X
8 / X
10 / X
Higher Order Thinking (Analytical) Skills Indicators
(At least 50% of all students must meet or exceed the standard) / Grade / Yes / No
NSRE Math Concepts / 4 / X
8 / X
10 / X
NSRE Mathematical Problem Solving / 4 / X
8 / X
10 / X
NSRE Reading: Analysis and Interpretation / 4 / X
8 / X
10 / X
NSRE Writing Effectiveness / 4 / X
8 / X
10 / X

These assessments indicate that additional assistance is needed in mathematical concepts and problem solving, reading, and language arts. In response to these needs and in compliance with State and Federal legislation, the Winooski School District has developed the following No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Student Performance Goals:

  1. All students will reach high standards, at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading and mathematics by 2013-14.
  2. All limited English proficient students will become proficient in English.
  3. By 2005-2006, all students will be taught by highly qualified teachers.
  4. All students will be educated in learning environments that are safe, drug free, and conducive to learning.
  5. All students will graduate from high school. (Report 2002)

The Winooski School District has developed local action plans to achieve these goals during the regular school year and during the summer (See Appendix). With 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding, the Winooski School District will be able to offer more learning opportunities to students who need extended time to develop and improve basic reading, math, and language arts proficiencies.

In Bringing Education to After-School Programs, a report released in 1999 by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement of the U.S. Department of Education, after school programs are shown to be effective in improving reading, math, higher order thinking skills, and in closing the digital divide in the use and application of technology. In reading, “studies show that sustained individualized attention through extended learning time, when combined with parental involvement and quality school instruction can raise reading levels.” In mathematics, extended out-of-school programs enable students to build the mathematical foundations necessary to succeed in advanced courses and in future careers in the work force. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Education show that “low-income students who take algebra, geometry and chemistry go on to college at rates 44 percent higher than their low-income peers who do not take these courses, yet low-income students are far less likely to enroll in them. Recent data show that only 46 percent of low-income students take algebra and geometry compared to 81 percent of high-income students.” Success in mathematics should be achieved in the primary and middle school grades so that students will be adequately prepared for higher level coursework in high school. Out-of-school programs that combine reading, language arts and mathematics with motivating, authentic, hands-on projects that use computers and other forms of technology can improve students’ conceptual understanding and expand their knowledge base. The intent of the Winooski – Getting to Know You 21st Century Community Learning Centers is to provide these out-of-school opportunities to its students.

John F. Kennedy Elementary School

Reading and Math Clubs/Summer Adventure Camps

John F. Kennedy Elementary School will develop after school and Saturday reading and math clubs and summer adventure camps devoted to reading and math. In accordance with JFK local actions plans, the objectives of these programs will be:

  • to increase the reading levels of all students, targeting at-risk students
  • to increase the areas of conceptual understanding in math for all students
  • to help all children attain proficiency or better in reading/language arts and math
  • to assist all limited English proficient students (12%) in the proficiency of the English language which will allow access to all aspects of their education.
  • to increase the number of students leaving the fifth grade motivated to learn and on grade level.
  • to increase teacher knowledge base in reading and math and technology use to ensure we continue to impart student learning and decrease our percentage of student not achieving the standards.

These programs will be developed by JFK teachers with consultation from UVM College of Education and Social Services faculty. Incentives for successful readers, mathematicians, and parents will include topic-related field trips coordinated with Winooski Parks and Recreation and the Boys and Girls Club of Burlington. Field trips will be held on Saturdays to augment and support the direct instruction provided during the reading/math clubs and will involve families of these students to support and sustain their learning. Students and parents will learn about and apply computer and telecommunications technology to extend their learning through the use of reading, presentation, and multimedia software, spreadsheets, graphing and programming software, electronic mail and supplementary resources found via the World Wide Web.

JFK After School Reading Club

Fluency, comprehension, motivation to read, and English as a second language will be the focus of need for the majority of children who attend the JFK Reading Club. The JFK Reading Club will be held 60 minutes a day, three times a week, for 20 weeks throughout the school year. The club will be open to all students in grades four and five with approximately 50 students participating. Research shows that “throughout the elementary school years, students’ attitudes toward reading decline.” (McKenna, Ellsworth & Kear, 1995) This program will ensure that students have increased opportunities to read independently, orally, and at home with their parents. At all times, children will be reading material at an independent level (95%). During direct instruction, children will be reading at an instructional level (90-94%). Running records will be a bi-weekly part of the program to ensure children are reading appropriate material.

To build motivation to read, especially with Limited English Proficient (LEP) students, adults will also spend time reading to students. Research shows that reading skills improve when books are read aloud to children. “Engagement with books is the primary means whereby English language learners will increase their vocabularies and comprehension.” (CIERA 1998; Elly, 1992).

The objectives of these planned reading clubs will be to encourage appropriate book selection and group interaction about a book. Research, done by Gambrell in 1996, showed that the “factors related to increased motivation to read were: a teacher who models reading; a book-rich classroom environment; opportunities for choice; social interaction about books; familiarity with books; and literacy-related incentives that promote the value of reading.” With those goals in mind, JFK will train adults to help children make appropriate book choices, lead book discussion groups, provide children with exciting read alouds and story telling experiences. We will also provide books to children for reading at home through the development of book theme bags, which the children will keep for a week to develop the habit of reading at home and then return to share with others.

To further engage all the children, we will also use computer reading programs based upon the research of Dr. John Schacter. Schacter has identified a handful of reading programs that have research demonstrating their effectiveness in helping students learn to read. Additionally, students will apply their reading skills by publishing critiques and writing their own books about Winooski, using multimedia programs like KidPix, Big Book Maker, Easy Book, and Microsoft Word. These publications will be shared with students, parents, friends, and educators.

JFK After School Math Club

After School Math Club will be offered 60 minutes a day, three times a week, for twenty (20) weeks with approximately 50 students participating. Basic skills, concept development, and problem-solving using activity-based strategies will be the focus of the program. Individual units of study will be designed to cover a two-week period in understanding of numbers and operations, algebra, data analysis and probability and geometry and measurement. Students will have opportunities to explore mathematical ideas, build conceptual understanding, experience open-ended questions and participate in mathematical discussions. These problems will be based on our theme Winooski – Getting to Know You so students will have an application for their skills. In developing fluent mathematical thinkers who are efficient, accurate, and flexible and can communicate their conceptual understanding, we will see student achievement on State and local assessments increase.

Technology integration will be an intentional strategy in after school math club to support conceptual understanding and problem-solving. In an upcoming report to the administration and faculty of John F. Kennedy Elementary School prepared by Dr. Maureen Neumann from the University of Vermont, Dr. Neumann notes that there is little evidence of technology being used in math lesson plans and instructional strategies and yet current research shows that technology can have a positive impact on learning. A 1998 study by Wenglinsky demonstrates the impact of using technology to improve academic achievement in mathematics. According to his study, when computers are used to perform tasks applying higher order concepts and when teachers are proficient in directing students toward productive uses, computers are associated with significant learning gains. Using guidance provided by other research surrounding the use of technology in mathematics (, JFK will carefully select and integrate computer software (such as Microsoft Excel, Geometers Sketchpad, and Logo) to accommodate students participating in this program. Professional development workshops (developed by the University of Vermont faculty and staff) that address best practices in mathematics instruction and the application of technology will be provided for all adults and teachers working with students in after school math club.

Summer Reading Adventure Camp

The goal of the Summer Reading Adventure Camp will be to provide direct reading instruction to targeted groups of students at specific reading levels and needs, even though all children in grades 4-5 will be invited to attend (approximately 50 students). This camp will provide a full day program (six hours a day, five days a week, for one and one-half weeks) with reading activities provided each morning by licensed teachers, a free lunch provided through the Winooski Parks and Recreation program, and an activity-based afternoon program coordinated with Winooski Parks and Recreation and the Burlington Boys and Girls Club. Each activity will have a direct connection to the reading content examined in the morning session and will illuminate the overall theme of Winooski – Getting to Know You.

During the morning session, a targeted group of children (i.e., any student reading below grade level) will leave the whole group to receive small group, direct instruction in their areas of need. This direct instruction will be funded through Title I summer school. JFK is currently in the process of negotiating with the University of Vermont to conduct these summer reading clinics for struggling readers at the JFK school. All children would be together for one hour daily to allow for theme building activities. The remaining three hours will be based on needs of groups of children.

University of Vermont faculty who specialize in literacy development will also train teachers to diagnose reading problems using highly effective techniques such as scaffolding, modeling, matching learning activities to the levels of students, and the use of scientifically-based researched materials. Technology will also be used to help students address individual needs, provide practice and remediation, and an avenue to share and apply what they have learned. They will be introduced to online “BookTalks” where they can write about the books they have read and share short reviews. They will develop their own stories that will be illustrated and written and printed to distribute to others. They will also learn and use desktop publishing tools to develop newsletters relating to their afternoon activities.

Summer Math Adventures Camp

The Summer Math Adventure Camp will be offered to all Winooski students following the Reading Adventures Camp. It will run six hours a day, five days a week, for one and one-half weeks, with approximately 50 students expected to attend. The JFK Summer Math Adventure Camp will include a variety of activities that focus on a specific unit of study. The students will work for 1 1/2 hours together on a particular theme and spend the rest of the morning in small group instruction based on individual need. Similar to the reading adventure camp, a Title I-funded summer school program would also occur during this time. A targeted group of children will receive small group instruction in their highest area of need (based on assessments and profile). JFK is in the process of negotiating with UVM to hold a summer math clinic where once again students will receive small group instruction, and teachers will deepen their understanding of the mathematical concepts they are teaching and how technology can be used to support the instruction and comprehension of mathematical concepts.

The morning session will be instructed by licensed teachers who are assisted by University of Vermont pre-service teachers. A free lunch is included. The afternoon session will be coordinated with services provided by the Winooski Parks and Recreation Department and Burlington Boys and Girls Club and will provide an activity-based event with a math focus. Aspects of understanding the community of Winooski will be used as a thematic approach to all instructional activities.

UVM pre-service teachers will work with small groups of students to provide personal and direct attention. All UVM pre-service teachers are required to take a computer literacy course and integrate technology into their plans and work with K-12 students. This project will provide additional field experiences for the college students as well as Winooski students. In a study by Gloria Wolpert (Winter 2001-2002), college students used technology to assess and remediate math and reading skills with at-risk children in the Bronx, and results showed increases in grade equivalent scores for math and reading as well as positive changes in attitudes toward learning. Other studies demonstrate how technology enrichment can effect students of low socioeconomic status (Page, M. 2002) to raise their self-esteem and promote their classroom status as learners. Technology tools can help the visual learner hear and read, the oral learners see and read, and the text-based learner hear and see.