Red Bank reverses primary school drain

Curriculum cited

as a factor in

student retention

BY SARAH KLEPNER

Staff Writer

Red Bank Schools Super-intendent Laura Morana announced last week that for the first time in a number of years, the rate of attrition of students between prekindergarten and kindergarten has gone down.

At the same time, enrollment in these grades is increasing, resulting in the addition of two classes to the Red Bank Primary School's early education program.

This year, only five children will be leaving Red Bank schools after prekindergarten, down from seven or eight in years past, Morana said at a meeting with members of the press last week.

In addition, enrollment in kindergarten has increased from outside the school. There are 13 children who were not in this year's pre-K class who will be in next year's kindergarten class, she said.

As a result, the primary school is adding a pre-K class and a kindergarten class.

"We have made every effort to communicate with families and the community about our goals for the 2007-2008 school year," Morana said.

"We are thrilled and delighted [that more children are staying on]."

She attributes parents' opting to keep their children in Red Bank schools to the quality of the pre-K program.

Red Bank implemented the Tools of the Mind curriculum in prekindergarten three years ago, and is introducing the same program now to kindergartners.

"We want to provide continuity at the kindergarten level," said Morana.

On May 14 and 15, classroom teachers and assistants, as well as administrators, were being trained in the curriculum for kindergarten.

"Parents are feeling more and more confident and knowledgeable about the instructional program."

According to Morana, both parents and teachers have expressed how happy they are with the prekindergarten curriculum, which, she said, is not just memorization, but about cognitive and social skills.

"It is tailored to the individual's needs - from the bright student to the child who is just beginning to read. The [new] kindergarten curriculum is demanding, but it involves learning through play, looking at the whole child," she said.

This is a "highly innovative, developmentally appropriate curriculum," Morana said.

The Tools of the Mind program is based on the theory that self-regulation is as important to school readiness as knowledge of letters or numbers.

The benefits of the curriculum are social and emotional, as well as academic, Morana said, emphasizing that classroom assistants will be playing enhanced roles.

"[We asked] how do we utilize our resources?" she said. "We'll be training kids to focus longer on tasks. You'll see kids' habits changing, becoming more independent and more focused.

"By the end of December, the kids will be setting goals ... [and] becoming more aware of their strengths and weaknesses."

Along with independent learning, children will be working together in groups.

Teachers then will be able to tailor instruction to the needs of individuals and small groups.

The designer of this curriculum will be in attendance at the kindergarten parent orientation May 31, at 6:30 p.m., at the primary school on River Street.

The district is also introducing a program aimed at boosting achievement among students in the middle school.

AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination, is one of the new academic programs being introduced. According to Red Bank Middle School Principal Terence Wilkins, it has been in use internationally for 26 years.

He explained that the program focuses on eighth-grade students who are not otherwise being prepared for college.

"It's targeted toward average students who have potential but need that push," he said.

Red Bank Schools Superintendent Laura Morana said, "We don't want students to wait until their junior year in high school to start thinking about college."

She said the program is aimed at students who are not being challenged and for whom there are not high expectations.

The program combines academic instruction with group work. It teaches organizational and study skills, as well as strategies for working collaboratively with peers for success in rigorous academic environments.

The program also includes speakers and field trips designed to motivate students to pursue college education.

Wilkins pointed out that in families where parents have not gone to college, students can benefit from early introduction to strategies for handling college course material.

Participation in the program can also open doors for students who would not otherwise be recommended for honors programs in high school, Morana said.

The initial group will be 20 or 22 students, but Wilkins explained that the program is going to be felt throughout the school, and that it will be expanded in coming years.

Several teachers will be trained over the summer in implementing the AVID curriculum, while there will be one key teacher monitoring the progress of the group, Morana said.

The mission of AVID is to ensure that all students not only will succeed academically and increase enrollment in four-year colleges, but "become educated and responsible participants and leaders in a democratic society," according to materials presented at a May 9 information session for parents.

Red Bank is the first district in Monmouth County, and one of 10 districts in the state, to introduce AVID.

To gain entry, students must apply to the program.

The application process is presently under way, and will be completed by the end of May, Wilkins said.

Students have to fall into one of several categories: being the first in their family to attend college or in a demographic that is historically underserved at four-year colleges; or having free or reduced lunch eligibility, or other special circumstances.