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Half of schools miss test goals
Found: 2 Months 1 Week 4 Days 15 Hours 34 Minutes ago
Union News & Republican - Half of all public schools across the state have failed to meet federal achievement goals on the MCAS exam and could face sanctions.By JEANETTE DeFORGE
jdeforge@repub.com
Half of all public schools across the state have been cited for failing to meet federal achievement goals on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam and could face sanctions, state officials announced Friday.
The rate was a dramatic increase over the 37 percent identified as needing improvement last year and included schools in affluent suburbs such Hampden-Wilbraham for the first time.
In response to the fact 88 districts and 828 schools failed to meet goals on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment exams children took this spring, Mitchell D. Chester, commissioner of the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, pledged to restructure his office to give teachers greater support. "I want the state to address the issue of mobility," Holyoke Superintendent Eduardo B. Carballo said. "I don't think the state has an answer, and I don't think the country has an answer."
This year all nine city schools were cited for failing to meet achievement targets, even though the city has been working with the state on a plan to improve poor scores since it was declared underperforming in November 2004.
The number of children who speak limited English, are homeless or move frequently continues to rise, making it difficult to improve. At least three schools this year have a transient rate nearing 40 percent and one-third of students at one school are homeless, Carballo said.
As the population grows more challenging, the achievement goals grow more ambitious every year, he said.
Adequate Yearly Progress goals are set by the federal No Child Left Behind law and call for all children to score proficient on the MCAS by 2014.
Schools or districts which do not reach goals in math or English two years in a row are identified for improvement. After four years of missing goals they move to corrective action. If they continue to fail they move to restructuring.
Subgroups of students identified by race, as learning disabled, low-income and learning English must also meet goals for districts to pass, state officials said.
Identified schools may be required to provide tutoring, allow parents to transfer children to other schools and those in restructuring could face state takeovers.
Six districts in Western Massachusetts have been listed as needing improvement or in the more serious corrective action category.
Springfield and Holyoke have been cited for corrective action in the aggregate for both subjects. Chicopee and Westfield have been named for corrective action in subgroups for both subjects. Agawam has been listed as needs improvement for subgroups in both subjects and Greenfield has been listed as corrective action in subgroups in math.
There was some good news. Amherst and Ludlow school districts improved enough to be removed from corrective action. Five other districts in other parts of the state also reversed poor performance and no longer need improvement.
But in Amherst three schools were cited for improvement.
"The point I want to get across is we definitely care about the data," said interim superintendent Alton G. Sprague. "We are making incremental steps in the right direction."
Schools sometimes have a one-year turnaround but rarely sustain it so Sprague said he favors steady progress that comes with improving curriculum and teaching.
Amherst has been lauded for having a strong arts program, but lagged behind in matching its curriculum to state standards in math and English.
It is also difficult to make improvements in the era of budget cuts which Amherst faced this year, Sprague said.
In Springfield, 38 of the 44 schools were cited for needing improvement. Some have been on the list for six years in both subjects, but others, such as the Sumner Avenue School, was cited for the first time.
Liberty School was one of 25 standouts in the state which made goals after failing in previous years. Other area schools recognized for no longer needing improvement were the Hugh Scott Streiber School in Chicopee, the Glenrook Middle School in Longmeadow, Ludlow High School and Anne T. Dumphy School in Williamsburg.
Liberty School teachers received support from administrators and a grant allowed educators to buy new materials that helped with instruction, said John P. Doty, principal.
"This was the hard work of the teachers and the students working with a dynamic curriculum that resulted in higher scores," he said. ...
$9 million from state benefits arts
Found: 2 Months 3 Weeks 16 Hours 14 Minutes ago
Union News & Republican - A state agency is releasing almost $9 million worth of grants for local organizations.
By DAN RING
dring@repub.com
BOSTON - A state agency is releasing almost $9 million worth of grants for organizations, communities, and schools across the state - including about $1 million for the three counties in Western Massachusetts.
The state Cultural Council plans to unveil the grants during a statewide tour starting on Sept. 18 in Lowell.
COMMUNITY GRANTS
Springfield$111,400
Chicopee$32,300
Holyoke$29,600
Amherst$24,100
Westfield$19,200
Northampton$12,000
Agawam$11,200
West Springfield$10,900
Greenfield$9,700
Ludlow$9,300
Palmer$6,100
"Our state's commitment to public support for the arts and culture allows us to deliver vital support for the organizations, local cultural councils, schools, and artists that are the foundation of our state's thriving creative economy," said Anita Walker, executive director of the council, this week.
The grants, approved by the council board last month for the current fiscal year, include $4.3 million for almost 400 cultural organizations, $2.9 million for 329 municipal cultural councils, $1.1 for education in schools and communities, and $645,000 for the state Foundation for the Humanities.
The cultural councils use the money to provide grants to local organizations.
Councils in smaller communities generally receive $4,300 grants.
Some education grants in Western Massachusetts include $17,950 for Amherst-Pelham Regional schools to design and put into effect poetry curricula that builds on an existing program involving Emily Dickinson; $22,200 for Holyoke schools to extend a project that helps fifth grade students in science and theater arts; $12,375 for Northampton schools to support professional development, curriculum design and arts teaching in three elementary schools and $5,530 for the Alfred G. Zanetti Montessori Magnet School in Springfield to help students develop musical and leadership skills.
Some other grants include $11,200 for the New World Theater in Amherst for a multi-cultural program that uses workshops, arts education based in hip-hop and youth exchanges; $11,200 for the Youth Action Coalition Inc. in Amherst for young people to produce their own video productions and $13,600 for Seeds of Solidarity in Orange to teach youths through work in a solar greenhouse and through recycling and composting initiatives.
The council also provided numerous grants to support organizations in Western Massachusetts include $33,000 for Historic Deerfield Inc., $9,000 for the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, $20,000 for the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, $7,800 for the Smith College Museum of Art in Northampton $5,600 for the Young at Heart Chorus Inc. in Northampton and $4,200 for the Country Dance and Song Society in Williamsburg.
Other grants include $6,800 for the Chester Theatre Co., $10,000 for the Community Adolescent Resource and Education Center in Holyoke, $8,300 for the Enchanted Circle Theater in Holyoke, $20,000 for the Community Music School of Springfield, $17,700 for The Springfield Museums, $11,700 for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and $7,400 for the Springfield City Library. ...
Western Mass. to get $1 million of $9 million issued statewide in ...
Found: 2 Months 3 Weeks 1 Day 11 Hours 49 Minutes ago
Union News & Republican - New cultural grants spur the state's creative economy.
CULTURAL GRANTS
Here are some of the grants for local cultural councils
• Springfield, $111,400
• Chicopee, $32,300
• Holyoke, $29,600
• Amherst, $24,100
• Westfield, $19,200
• Northampton, $12,000
• Agawam, $11,200
• West Springfield, $10,900
• Greenfield, $9,700
• Ludlow, $9,300
• Palmer, $6,100
By DAN RING
dring@repub.com
BOSTON - A state agency is releasing nearly $9 million in grants for organizations, communities and schools across the state including about $1 million in three counties in Western Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Cultural Council plans to formally unveil the grants during a statewide tour that will begin Sept. 18 in Lowell.
"Our state's commitment to public support for the arts and culture allows us to deliver vital support for the organizations, local cultural councils, schools and artists that are the foundation of our state's thriving creative economy," Anita Walker, executive director of the cultural council, said in a prepared statement.
The grants, approved by the council's board of directors last month for the current fiscal year, include $4.3 million for nearly 400 cultural organizations, $2.9 million for 329 municipal cultural councils, $1.1 for education in schools and communities and $645,000 for the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities.
The cultural councils use the money to provide grants to local organizations.
Councils in smaller communities generally received $4,300 grants.
Some education grants in Western Massachusetts include $17,950 for Amherst-Pelham Regional schools to design and put into effect poetry curricula that builds on an existing program involving Emily Dickinson; $22,200 for Holyoke schools to extend a project that helps fifth grade students in science and theater arts; $12,375 for Northampton schools to support professional development, curriculum design and arts teaching in three elementary schools and $5,530 for the Alfred G. Zanetti Montessori Magnet School in Springfield to help students develop musical and leadership skills.
Some other grants include $11,200 for the New World Theater in Amherst for a multi-cultural program that uses workshops, arts education based in hip-hop and youth exchanges; $11,200 for the Youth Action Coalition Inc. in Amherst for young people to produce their own video productions and $13,600 for Seeds of Solidarity in Orange to teach youths through work in a solar greenhouse and through recycling and composting initiatives.
The council also provided numerous grants to support organizations in Western Massachusetts include $33,000 for Historic Deerfield Inc., $9,000 for the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, $20,000 for the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, $7,800 for the Smith College Museum of Art in Northampton $5,600 for the Young at Heart Chorus Inc. in Northampton and $4,200 for the Country Dance and Song Society in Williamsburg.
Other grants include $6,800 for the Chester Theatre Co., $10,000 for the Community Adolescent Resource and Education Center in Holyoke, $8,300 for the Enchanted Circle Theater in Holyoke, $20,000 for the Community Music School of Springfield, $17,700 for The Springfield Museums, $11,700 for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and $7,400 for the Springfield City Library.
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Chicopee glass artist featured at Springfield gallery
Found: 2 Months 3 Weeks 1 Day 13 Hours 27 Minutes ago
The Reminder Online - Chicopee glass artist featured at Springfield gallery...
State begins series of meetings to address heating oil costs
Found: 2 Months 4 Weeks 9 Hours 35 Minutes ago
Union News & Republican - The state is projecting that heating costs for the average household will be double what it was two winters ago. By PATRICK JOHNSON
pjohnson@repub.com
SPRINGFIELD - Members of the state's Winter Energy Costs Task Force convened today for the first of five statewide meetings.
The aim is to gather ideas on the growing crisis of home heating costs.
The group met for two hours to hear from homeowners, city officials, community organizations, and utility companies.
The group is charged with presenting to Gov. Deval S. Patrick a proposal for ways to help state residents cope with the expected high costs of energy next winter.
State Sen. Michael S. Knapik, R-Westfield, said people are looking to the state for aid, though the state has its own financial problems.
"We're struggling as much as you're struggling," he said.
The state previously gave an $800 tax credit to residents for heating oil assistance, and it cost the commonwealth about $27 million in lost tax revenue, Knapik noted.
Last month, the state allocated $10 million in heating assistance money, one-third of the assistance offered last year, he said.
The governor's office is projecting that the average cost of heating a home will be $3,750 next winter, more than double two years ago.
Task force member Steven Carvalho, chief of staff for the state Department of Housing and Community Development, said the hearing enabled homeowners, local officials, and service agencies to express concerns about the soaring costs. The volatile nature of heating fuels has many people frightened about how they will survive the winter, he said.
Andrea Llamas, the town administrator for Buckland, said her town hall staffers are being called daily by residents seeking assistance.
"We're frightened that (town hall) is going to become a social services agency on top of the other services we provide in Town Hall," she said.
Steven Herzberg, the town administrator for Williamsburg, said the expected cost of oil will affect many people, as it will throughout the state.
"There are a bunch of people who are going to die because they are going to be heating their homes with sources not recommended by the Fire Department or the building inspector," he warned.
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Larry Hennessy, Villanova hoops great, dies at 79
Found: 3 Months 1 Week 1 Day 11 Hours 10 Minutes ago
Boston Herald - VILLANOVA, Pa. - Larry Hennessy, an All-American at Villanova who played in the NBA, has died. He was 79.Hennessy died Wednesday in Williamsburg, Va., according to a statement......
Teens gain guiding role at libraries
Found: 3 Months 1 Week 4 Days 19 Hours 10 Minutes ago
Boston Globe - Imagine a library designed by teens: Rather than stern warnings to be quiet, there would be cheers in a Nintendo Wii video game competition. The room would feature a few colorful beanbags and funky chairs, thousands of bestsellers, and no time limit on the computers....
NASHOBA VALLEY TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL MORNING BUS ROUTES
Found: 3 Months 1 Week 5 Days 10 Hours 54 Minutes ago
Sentinel And Enterprise - BUS ROUTE - 1
GROTON
6:08 - LEAVE LOT
6:15 - 37 WEST STREET
6:18 ROUTE 40 AT FLAVELL ROAD
6:19 ROUTE 40 AT MCCARTHY DRIVE
6:24 - LOST LAKE AT WHITEWOOD ROAD
6:25 - 243 LOST LAKE
6:26 - LOST LAKE AT REDSKIN TRAIL
6:31 - 460 LOWELL...
NY hosts 9 bicycle racks designed by David Byrne
Found: 3 Months 1 Week 5 Days 21 Hours 29 Minutes ago
WWLP 22 News - Associated Press - August 19, 2008 11:04 PM ET NEW YORK (AP) - Musician, artist and bicycling enthusiast David Byrne has designed nine unusual bike racks that have been installed around New......
Cable television customers upset by changes in service
Found: 4 Months 2 Weeks 5 Hours 55 Minutes ago
Union News & Republican - Comcast moved eight channels, including New England Cable News, from its analog to digital service on Wednesday. By KEN ROSS
kross@repub.com
HOLYOKE - Some cable television subscribers are criticizing their cable companies for changes that force them to rent new equipment and pay higher fees to keep channels they currently receive.
Those who do not switch to the higher-priced digital packages to retain these channels will still pay the same monthly fee, but receive fewer channels on their current analog service.
But Comcast and another area cable provider, Charter Communications, insist that the push towards digital programming over analog is fueled by customer demand for more high definition, digital programs.
"Our customers are telling us we want more HD channels," Thomas P. Cohan, director of government relations for Charter, said Thursday.
On Wednesday, Comcast moved eight channels from the analog to digital service: New England Cable News, Tru TV (formerly Court TV), Eternal Word Network, Inspirational, Hallmark Channel, CN8, TV Guide Network and PIN. This means subscribers without digital service can no longer view these stations.
Holyoke resident Paula G. Brunault said she fears many older residents on fixed incomes will not be able to watch EWTN anymore since it will cost them $53.99 more to get basic digital cable television.
"There's a big elderly population who watches this channel," Brunault said.
Charter, which provides cable service to nine area communities, plans to cut one station this fall. Starting Sept. 1, the Oxygen network will cease to be offered in analog and will only be offered on the more expensive Charter digital cable package. Charter has already moved stations such as Bravo and Hallmark to the digital service.
Charter and Comcast officials said they are making the changes simply because analog channels require more bandwidth than digital channels. They say people want more digital programs and those in high definition.
"To deliver this enhancement and continue to introduce advanced digital services and faster Internet speeds, we are adjusting the carriage of a small number of analog cable networks, moving them to our digital lineup," said Laura Brubaker, senior manager of public relations at Comcast.
Holyoke City Councilor Kevin A. Jourdain, who heads the council's cable commission, said he has received several complaints about the programming changes. Jourdain said some residents are upset by the elimination of EWTN from the basic analog cable package.
"That's not going to be a real solution for us," Jourdain.
Jourdain talked to Comcast officials about the elimination of EWTN from basic analog cable. Jourdain said Comcast did not make any promises, but he hopes the company can offer EWTN on one of the city's three, public access channels. But in order to do that, Jourdain said Comcast told him it would have to offer EWTN to all Comcast customers region wide as part of its basic, analog package.
That sounds just fine, Jourdain said. "That to me is the low-cost alternative," he said.
In 1997, more than 3,000 Holyoke residents signed a petition to persuade Comcast to offer EWTN to the city as part of its basic, analog cable package, Jourdain said.
Brunault, who was one of the residents who lead the petition drive, noted that EWTN is provided for free to Comcast.
A copy of bill provided by a Holyoke Comcast customer dated May 22 outlined the changes which went into effect on July 16.
In Holyoke, EWTN used to be offered as part of the city's low-cost, basic analog package, which has fewer channels and costs less than expanded basic analog cable. So in order for Holyoke residents to still get the religious-based network as part of a digital starter package, they now have to pay $29.99 per month for the first six months instead of the current $4.64 per month fee. After six months, digital starter customers pay $58.63 per month in Holyoke.
As for other communities serviced by Comcast, fees are similar but vary for each package for each community.
But like Cohan, Brubaker insisted the changes are being made simply because analog programming takes up more space than digital programming on electronic transmission lines.
"Because of the strong demand for additional HD programming, we have committed to offer more than 1,000 HD choices by the end of this year," Brubaker said.
Comcast provides cable television to these other communities in Western Massachusetts, too: Agawam, Amherst, Bernardson, Buckland, Chester, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Granby, Granville, Greenfield, Hardwick, Hatfield, Huntington, Longmeadow, Monson, Montague, Northampton, Northfield, Palmer, Pelham, Shelburne, South Hadley, Southwick, Springfield, Sunderland, West Springfield, Ware, Warren, Westfield, Westhampton, Whately and Williamsburg.
Charter provides cable to Belchertown, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Easthampton, Hadley, Hampden, Ludlow, Southampton and Wilbraham.
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