The Desegregation of the Little Rock School District Preliminary Plans (Revised) December 1, 1989 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Demographics II. Schools III. Instruction IV. School Climate V. Staffing VI. Student Assignment Plan VII. Staff Development VIII. Parent and Community Support IX. Monitoring and Evaluation X. Funding XI. Critical Events Calendar Appendices A. Long-Range District Goals B. Administrative Organization of the Little Rock School District I A Message to Our Community
V Three days after the Supreme Court's decision in Brown . Board of Education, the Little Rock School Board issued . a formal statement of its intent to comply with the requirements of the Constitution. The statement read as follows: It is our responsibility to comply with Federal Constitutional requirements, we intend to do so when the Supreme Court of the United States outlines the method to be followed. and Three and a half decades later the issue of school desegregation remains unresolved in our city. No matter what strategies have been attempted, no matter how many plans have been proposed, the desegregation of the Little Rock School District has remained a goal which we have not yet achieved. Even more disquieting is the fact that despite hundreds even thousandsof hours of remedial education for students and technical assistance for teachers. the academic achievement of black and white students continues to reflect wide disparities. On standardized achievement tests last year, a difference of over 25 percentile points separated the average achievement of black and white students in our schools. It is painfully clear that not only has the District been unable to achieve racial balance, it has also been unsuccessful in educating many of its black students. 1 When one pauses to consider the reason why II separate but equal"schools were declared unconstitutional in the first place, the gravity of this failure becomes even more appalling. A desegregation plan that does not succeed in reducing the disparity in educational achievement between minority and nonminority students cannot be successful. One must ask why a community that has struggled with this issue for so long has not yet been able to accomplish the desegregation of its schools. One reason is the loss of white students from the District, a loss which has occurred over the years because of enrollment in private schools. movement of middle class families to surrounding districts, and a decline in the birth rate of white children. At the same time that the District has dealt with the effects of dwindling numbers of white students, it has also had to educate an increasing number of minority students, who. as we know. are disproportionately represented among the poor and disadvantaged. Whatever the reasons for the District's inability to desegregate its schools, it is clear that until our community realizes the importance of attaining this goal and commits to making it happen, school desegregation will never become a reality. The Federal Court can, and will. issue orders which protect the constitutional rights of school children
however, the Court cannot change the hearts and minds of people, and that, in the end, will determine the degree and quality of any community's efforts to desegregate its schools. i iOnce again we have an opportunityperhaps our lastto achieve quality desegregated education in Little Rock. What we accomplish, or fail to accomplish, during the next few months will determine whether we enter the 21st century with excellent schools for all children or whether we are forced to retreat, perhaps permanently, into the backwaters of educational roediocrity. We must not leave, as our legacy to our children, inferior, mediocre schools in a system worse than it was when this litigation began, only unthinkable but also unconscionable. To do so is not In the weeks ahead our patrons, staff, and students will have opportunities to discuss the ideas contained in these preliminary plans. Many of the proposals have come from you. Others seem like good ideas to us, but you may find reasons why things should be done differently. Also, you may think of other ideas. We invite your comments and opinions
we want and need your support. We will be working hard to write a constitutional plan to desegregate our schools and stabilize our community. In the end we want to be proud of what we have accomplished and confident that we have done our very best for all of our children. We believe we can do that if together we commit ourselves to the task and support each i i iother in our efforts to attain once-and-for-all the goal stated so eloquently by the Little Rock School Board over thirty-five years ago. Ruth Steele Superintendent of Schools November 1, 1989 i VI. DEMOGRAPHICS A. Enrollment Trends in the Little Rock School District B. Population Trends in Little Rock C. Population Trends in Pulaski County D. Implications I. DEMOGRAPHICS The purpose of this section is to review the demographics of the Little Rock School District. As a result of the focus on interdistrict transfers in Pulaski County, some attention will also be given to the demographics of the North Little Rock and Pulaski County School Districts. The Little Rock School District covers ninety-one square miles. Until the recent Chenal Valley annexation, the boundaries of the Little Rock School District were coterminous with the boundaries of the city of Little Rock. Although the population of the city of Little Rock is approximately two-thirds white, the District's enrollment (25,972 students) is 64 percent black. The North Little Rock School District is on the northern boundary of the Little Rock School District. The North Little Rock School District covers twenty-six square miles and comprises nearly all of the city of North Little Rock. The North Little Rock School District has approximately 9,500 students and is 44 percent black. Both districts are surrounded by the Pulaski County School District which covers 729 square miles and approximately 22,000 students. The Pulaski County Special School District is approximately 25 percent black. This section will review three areas related to the demographics of the Little Rock School District: 1. Enrollment trends in the Little Rock School District 2. Population trends in Little Rock -2- 3. Population trends in Pulaski County A. Enrollment Trends in the Little Rock School District For several years the Little Rock School District has been under federal court order to maintain racial balance within its schools. The racial composition of the school district has shifted slowly in the past several years as a result of a gradual increase in the number of black students attending Little Rock schools and in their proportion of the total enrollment. In 1980-81, black enrollment totaled approximately 13,000 or 63.6 percent of the total enrollment of 20,500 students. By the 1986-87 school year, the number of black students had grown to almost 13,800 or 71.3 percent of the total enrollment of 19,300 students. During the period from 1980 to 1987, the District's black enrollment experienced a 6 percent increase. During the same period. however, the total enrollment experienced a 6 percent decrease in students. The District's black enrollment has continued to grow since annexation in 1987. During the period from October 1987 to October 1988, the black enrollment increased from 16,268 to 16,684 students. This represents a 2.5 percent increase in black students. The black enrollment increased by five students from October 1988 to October 1989. During the period from October 1987 to October 1989, the total enrollment experienced a 3 percent decrease in students. The steady decrease in total enrollment during a period of growth for the black enrollment can be attributed to a -3- steady decrease in the District's white enrollment. The white enrollment decreased by 7 percent (655 students - excluding 1987-88 twelfth graders) from October 1987 to October 1988. The white enrollment decreased by 5 percent (416 students - excluding 1988-89 twelfth graders) from October 1988 to October 1989. It is apparent that the District will have to reverse this trend in order to effectively desegregate its schools. The October 1989 kindergarten enrollment appears to be the first sign of change in the pattern of declining white enrollment. The white kindergarten enrollment experienced a 10 percent decline from October 1987 (634 white students) to October 1988 (570 white students). However, the white kindergarten enrollment increased by 10 percent (59 students) from October 1988 (570 students) to October 1989 (629 students). This growth can be attributed to the use of attendance zones and, to some degree, the new mandatory kindergarten attendance law, a law which still gives parents the option to waive kindergarten attendance or attend private/parochial kindergarten. It should also be noted that the District's four-year-old program is approximately 32 percent white. The new attendance zones, the mandatory kindergarten attendance law, and the success of the four-year- old program are good indicators of an upswing in white enrollment. -4- B. Population Trends in Little Rock During the last three decades, Little Rock has experienced a 1.5 to 2.0 percent annual average population increase. However, most of the increase has been caused by annexation rather than new residents. Approximately 0.5 percent of the average annual population increase was related to new residents. The 1.5 to 2.0 percent growth rate is expected to continue through 2010. According to the City of Little Rock, the northwest sector of the city has experienced the largest population growth since 1980. This section includes the area around Pleasant Valley, Rock Creek, Highway 10, and 1-430. The growth in northwest Little Rock can be traced to new residents in this area. The secondary growth area of the city is in southwest Little Rock. In both northwest and southwest Little Rock, some of the growth can be attributed to movement from central and east Little Rock. However, southwest Little Rock has received most of the movement from central and east Little Rock. Unlike northwest Little Rock, annexation has not been a significant factor in the growth of southwest Little Rock. The downtown area (central and east Little Rock) has experienced a decline in population since 1980. As indicated above, relocation continues to occur from central and east Little Rock in northwest and southwest Little Rock. The density of the downtown area is too high for new c developments, unless existing structures are removed. As a result, central and east Little Rock are expected to experience decline in the future. Some of the residents in central and east Little Rock are relocating in west central Little Rock near 1-630. The black percentage is gradually increasing in neighborhoods in the area of Kanis, Barrow Road, and 36th Street. Also, neighborhoods around 12th Street, Fair Park Boulevard, and UALR have changed from predominantly white to predominantly black populations in the last two decades. Unlike central and east Little Rock, growth in west central Little Rock has been aided by the availability and construction of apartment complexes and homes for first-time homeowners. Metroplan's 1986 population estimates indicate substantial new residential construction in much of the annexed territory, and considerable increase in population as well. Most of the homes sold recently in the annexed territory are in Mabelvale. Also, substantial growth is expected to occur on the city's western borders. There are still several large tracts of undeveloped land now prime for development. A number of major residential, commercial. or institutional construction projects are currently being completed or were recently completed. It is apparent that the city has three distinct demographic areas: northwest Little Rock, southwest Little Rock, and the central, east, and west central area of Little Rock (also referred to as the 1-630 Corridor). In terms of -6- racial populations, northwest Little Rock is predominantly white
southwest Little Rock is majority white but has more integrated neighborhoods than the other sectors of the city
and the 1-630 Corridor is predominantly black in the east and experiencing considerable black migration in the west. It is also apparent that more growth is expected in northwest Little Rock and southwest Little Rock. The downtown Little Rock area is expected to continue to experience a decline in population. C. Population Trends in Pulaski County Pulaski County is expected to experience substantial growth during the next two decades. UALR projects the population of Pulaski County to reach more than 441,000 by the year 2000, an increase of more than 100,500 or 29.6 percent over the 1980 population of 340,600. Metroplan has a somewhat higher projection. The County is expected to reach more than 474,000 persons by 2000 (an increase of 39.3 percent over 1980), and 530,000 by the year 2010, a gain of over 189,000 persons or 55.6 percent in just thirty years. In regard to areas of growth, the population growth rate is slightly higher for areas north of the Arkansas River. In 1970, the population north of the River accounted for 38.4 percent of the County's population. By 1980, the population north of the River was 40 percent of the County. Areas of large gain north of the River include portions of Sherwood and Jacksonville. -/- Another area of growth in Pulaski County is the area immediately west of the Little Rock School District's western border. Some of the growth in northwest Little Rock referred to earlier will actually occur in areas outside of the Little Rock School District. For instance, the Chenal Valley development is expected to be a major community in the next 10-20 years. The westward expansion of Pulaski County is also evident in the Crystal Hill and Maumelle areas. The Pulaski County Special School District feels that the school population in Crystal Hill and Maumelle is large enough to justify another school building to serve these areas. At present, the black population constitutes approximately 24 percent of the population in Pulaski County. By the year 2000, blacks are expected to constitute 33.7 percent, or one-third, of the Pulaski County population. The steady in-migration of blacks from rural areas in Arkansas will have a direct impact on the growth rate of blacks in Pulaski County. Most of these persons are expected to reside in the Little Rock School District. As stated earlier, the black enrollment in the Little Rock School District has experienced a steady increase over the past decade. The growth trends in Pulaski County merely reaffirm the need for more interdistrict transfers in Pulaski County. -8- D. Implications The three demographic areas in Little Rock make it easy to understand the strategies that the Little Rock School District must employ to comply with desegregation reguirements. First, the District must reverse the trend of declining white enrollment in order to effectively desegregate all of its schools. Recruitment efforts directed toward private and parochial students will be futile if the District cannot maintain its present white population. A continuation of the recent increase in white kindergarten and four-year-old enrollments will not result in an overall net growth if the white population is not maintained at the upper grades. Second, although the downtown Little Rock population is expected to decline, the high density in this area will continue to be a problem for school assignments. The building capacity in the downtown area must be increased to reduce the burden of busing on black students. Third, the heavily-populated white areas in northwest and southwest Little Rock must be targeted for possible assignments to schools in the 1-630 Corridor. Both of these areas are expected to grow in the future. Fourth, the total number of white students enrolled in the Little Rock School District must increase if all of the schools in the 1-630 Corridor are going to comply with desegregation requirements. This means that the Little Rock School District must succeed in attracting private and -9- parochial students. These students must be recruited to attend area schools as well as schools in the 1-630 Corridor. Finally, the Little Rock School District cannot expect to meet desegregation requirements by relying solely on white students living in District boundaries. Pulaski County is expected to grow considerably during the next ten years. Interdistrict assignment procedures such as magnet assignment, majority-minority transfers, and Act 609 transfers are already in place for further development. Act 609 (the new choice law) will allow students outside of Pulaski County to attend the Little Rock School District. The Little Rock School District long-term desegregation plan must use every opportunity available to benefit from the demographic trends in Little Rock, Pulaski County, and central Arkansas. -10- II. SCHOOLS A. School Organization B. Types of Schools Interdistrict Schools of Choice Intradistrict Magnets Incentive Schools Area Schools Specialty Schools C. Publicity and Information -11- II. SCHOOLS A. School Organization The present organizational configuration of schools in the Little Rock School District is as follows: K-6 elementary schools 7-9 junior high schools 10-12 senior high schools Also, there are four-year-old programs in operation in five elementary schools: Franklin, Ish, Rockefeller, Stephens, and Washington. Additionally, all five high schools have kindergarten programs in conjunction with their Child Development classes. The Little Rock School District Early Childhood Task Force will be asked to recommend whether or not the high school kindergarten classes should be phased out in order to provide more continuity in the educational experience for young children. Initially, much thought was given to the elimination of the junior high school and the creation of K-8 schools or 6- 8 middle schools. For several reasons such a substantive organizational change is not now proposed: first, another change of this magnitude would not only be very expensive but it would also create additional instability for the community at a time when the perception of stability and continuity in our schools should be increased. Second, there will be a worsening capacity problem at the junior and senior high level for at least the next two or three years, especially when Dunbar becomes an interdistrict school. -12- Instead, an internal reorganization of the junior high schools is proposed, beginning in 1990-91, using grades seven and eight for block scheduling, teaming, and other features of the "school within a school" concept which has functioned so successfully in the middle school. Grade nine will be a pre-high school program which thoroughly prepares students for their high school experiences. A seven-period day at the junior high schools will also be instituted. beginning in 1990-91. In 1992-93 the junior high school program will be evaluated, space needs identified, and the usefulness and the effectiveness of the junior high school structure reconsidered. By that time the benefit of studies and evaluations done by the New Futures Initiative will help make a more thorough assessment of the junior high school program. Except for these internal changes, the creation of a pre-K through 9 university laboratory school, and an expansion of early childhood programs in some schools (discussed below), the organizational structure will remain the same, at least through the 1992-93 school year. B. Types of Schools Several types of schools are proposed in this plan. They include the following: Interdistrict schools of choice Intradistrict magnets Incentive schools -13-Area schools Specialty schools Detailed descriptions for these types of schools are in the following sections. -14- Interdistrict Schools of Choice There will be three interdistrict schools of choice, with proposed student ratios of 60 percent black and 40 percent white and one. Central High School, as a limited school of choice. They are described below: Washington Basic Skills/Math-Science (Pre K-6): This school will open in 1990-91 for students who learn well in a highly-structured setting
who are motivated by competition which is fostered in academic, physical, and social behavior
and who are interested in math and science. The instructional activities will be presented through teacher-centered classrooms, large-group instruction, disciplined classroom management, and standard basal textbooks. A computer lab, a math lab, a science lab, field trips, guest speakers, and specific math/science projects (math Olympiads, Invention Convention, Science Fair, and the Young Astronaut Program) will enhance the mathematics and science core programs. The goals of the Washington School will be: -to develop the highest possible competence in academic skills and concepts
-to nurture the student's mental processes
-to foster self-discipline
-to develop task commitment and self-motivation
-to develop an understanding of the relationship between the scientific process, applied mathematics, and other curriculum areas
-to equip students at an early age with the interest and educational skills to live in the technological world of tomorrow. Washington Basic Skills/Math-Science School will be characterized as a school which will highlight the best of the past, present, and future educational values. These values will be included as concepts in developing positive learning. This school will also emphasize traditional American values in education, such as patriotism. Classroom teachers (K-6) will use the Young Astronaut Program to encourage further study in math and science, channel student interest into the pursuit of the studies To required for the exploration and settlement of other worlds, to make school work less forbidding by dramatizing that it is the key to the universe beyond, to attract students to the disciplines that are prerequisite to tackling the challenge of the starsthese are the objectives of the Young Astronaut Program. Students will be regularly scheduled to go to the computer lab, math lab, and the science lab which will be -15- staffed by certified specialists. Instructional assistants will assist the math and science specialists and regular classroom teachers with coordination and implementation of the specialized instructional program. The principal of the school will be the primary administrator of the program with an assistant principal to help with administrative duties. Specific skills and concepts from various subject areas will be emphasized at each grade level. To be eligible for academic promotion at Washington, the student must: -master these targeted skills and concepts with 85 percent accuracy
-perform daily academic activities with 85 percent accuracy
-spend a minimum time each night on assigned homework: 30 minutes for students in grades one and two, 45 minutes for students in grade three, and one hour for students in grades four, five and six
and -complete all assignments according to specified time frames. Specific rules and regulations regarding academic performance and social behavior will be strictly but fairly enforced. A major component of the philosophy of the Washington Basic Skills/Math-Science School will be that the education of a child is the responsibility of both the school and the parents. Enrollment at Washington will be open to students from Pulaski County and North Little Rock based on M-M provisions and on the provisions of Act 609 of 1989 ("School Choice" law). Dunbar International Studies/Talented and Gifted (7-9): Dunbar Junior High School will open in the fall of 1990 as an Interdistrict Specialty School for International Studies and for Talented and Gifted Education. First preference will be given to current students at Dunbar and to sixth graders at Gibbs International Studies Magnet School. An active recruitment effort will be planned for the spring of 1990 to recruit the incoming seventh grade class. The balance of the seventh orade class will La grade be recruited from the Dunbar attendance zone and from the Pulaski County Special School District and the North Little Rock School District. Majority-to-Minority transfers will be the vehicle by which interdistrict students may come to Dunbar. If recruiting from Gibbs, the attendance zone, and interdistrict transfers fails to fill the school to capacity, other students from junior high schools will be recruited through the vehicle of desegregation transfers. New students who live in the attendance zone or students who are enrolled at Dunbar during the 1989-90 school year will not be required to attend Dunbar if they have no interest in the speciality program. If over -16-capacity problems develop among LRSD junior high schools, they shall be resolved by mandatory interdistrict assignments. Students who wish to participate in the talented/gifted component at Dunbar will enter the school through the same recruitment vehicles outlined above. Talented/gifted students need only to have been identified and recommended for placement in order to qualify for talented/gifted classes at Dunbar. At Dunbar Spanish, French, Russian, Japanese, German, and Latin will be offered. Other courses will be developed in interdisciplinary approaches. Introduction to Languages, International Studies Survey, World Issues, the United Nations, and Introduction to Cultures are among the new courses to be provided. Additionally, other courses, e.g. social studies, science, physical education, and English, will be internationalized through emphasis on the commonalities of the human experience, the contribution of diverse ethnic groups, and the interrelated nature of the world community. Current affairs of an international nature will be continually used, including print media and programming from AETN, The Discovery Channel, and Cable News Network. A comprehensive competitive sports program will be provided with soccer as the dominant sport. A seven-period day will be provided at Dunbar in order to allow students to take full benefit of the international studies and TAG programs. advantage of the A.M. and P.M. Options. Also students could take The P.M. Option would be a supervised study hall held in the media center, thus allowing students to use library and computer The A.M. Option could be a supervised study hall or a regular class. resources. Course requirements and electives for the Dunbar program are described in the Curriculum Overview below. CURRICULUM OVERVIEW OF DUNBAR INTERDISTRICT SPECIALTY SCHOOL FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AND GIFTED AND TALENTED EDUCATION All students at Dunbar will be required to participate in the international studies curriculum. The following courses are available to satisfy the international studies requirement. Foreign Language - Full-year foreign language study will be available beginning in grade seven. will be available: French I, II, III German I, II, III Japanese I, II, III Latin I, II, III Russian I, II, III Spanish I, II, III The following courses -17-In foreign language study students will learn the vocabulary and grammar of the language and the history and culture of the people who use it. Students who do not choose to study a specific foreign language may choose to enroll in Introduction to Language. This full-year course is available to students in grade seven, eight, or nine, and introduces students to the culture and conversational rudiments of six different languages: Japanese, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. French, German, The course will give students an understanding of the nature of foreign language study and will help students choose a language they may wish to pursue in later grades. International Studies - Beginning with grade eight, the international studies requirement may be met with the International Studies Curriculum rather than with a foreign language, if one chooses. Available in grades eight and nine. International Studies choices will consist of a series of courses on varying topics. , The International Studies Choices Curriculum will consist of the following courses: Grades 7 and 8 Physical Geography This course will include extensive computer-enhanced instruction and topics such as cartography, natural phenomena, and ecology presented as global concerns. World Issues This course will involve a thematic approach to continuing and current global issues. It will utilize current media information sources including Cable News Network's Discovery. "Newsroom" and the Discovery Channel's "Assignment The course will include individualized projects and presentations. II Arkansas's World Connections This course will investigate the state's ties with the international community emphasizing economic, developmental, and financial connections. -18-Grade 9 United Nations This course will include the history, structure, and functions of the United Nations emphasizing current issues before its organization. Leaders of the Twentieth Century This course investigates the lives and impact of 20th century leaders including Gandhi, Mao, Hitler, Churchill, and Roosevelt as well as contemporary societal and political leaders. Students will project characteristics of leaders needed for the 21st century. International Skills community. This course includes practical skills designed to help students become responsible participants in the adult Components include driver's education culminating in an Arkansas driver's license and an international driver's license, a safety program including emergency procedures and CPR resulting in International Red Cross certification, and instruction in procedures and protocol for foreign travel. Students who express interest in this course would be selected on the basis of the number of semesters at Dunbar, attendance record at Dunbar, and citizenship grades. International Sports This course includes team and individual sports popular in other societies such as soccer, taekwando, and tennis. The programs of studies for each of the three grades are outlined below to illustrate the required courses and the electives available for students at Dunbar. -19-7th Grade Program of Studies 7 Period Day Required Courses 1. 2. 3 . 4 . 5. English Mathematics World Geography Life Science {Exploratory Studies - 1 semester) Music/Art 6. (Practical Arts - 1 semester) Home Economics or Industrial Arts Introduction to Languages or Foreign Language I 7. (French I, German I, Japanese I, Latin I, Russian I, Spanish I) Special Programs (Reguired for students needing assistance in reading, math, or English) PAL English, PAL Math, PAL Combination, or Learning Lab Students not reguired to enroll in special programs may select an elective from the following: Elective Courses Physical Geography World Issues Arkansas's World Connections Art Choral Music Physical Education Band Orchestra -20-Sth Grade Program of Studies 7 Period day Required courses 1. 2 . 3. 4. 5. 6, 7. English Mathematics American History Earth Science Health/PE (9 weeks each) Career Orientation (1 semester) Introduction to Languages or Foreign Language I or II (French I, II
German I, II
Japanese I, II
Latin I, ll
Russian I, II
Spanish I, II) or International Choices Curriculum (Physical Geography, World Issues, Arkansas's World Connections) Special Programs (Required for students needing assistance in reading, math, or English) PAL English, PAL Math, PAL Combination, or Learning Lab Students not required to enroll in Special Programs may select an elective from the following: Elective Courses Physical Geography World Issues Arkansas's World Connections Art Choral Music Band Orchestra Physical Education -21- 9th Grade Program of Studies 7 Period Day Required Courses 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. English Mathematics Civics Physical Science Computer Science (1 year) or Computer Literacy (1 semester) and Any Semester Elective (1 semester) Introduction to Languages or Foreign Language I, II, III {French I, II, III
German I, II, III
Japanese I, II, III
Latin I, II, III
Russian I, II, III
Spanish I, II, III) or International Choices Curriculum {United Nations - 1 semester. Leaders of the Twentieth Century - 1 semester, International Skills 1 semester, 7. International Sports - 1 semester) Special Programs (Required for students needing assistance in reading, math, or English) PAL English, PAL Math, PAL Combination, or Learning Lab. Students not required to enroll in Special Programs may select an elective from the following: Elective Courses United Nations (1 semester) Leaders of the Twentieth Century (1 semester) International Skills (1 semester) International Sports (1 semester) Exploratory Business Physical Education (1 year) Health (1 semester) Home Economics Industrial Technology II Art Choral Music Band Orchestra -22- University Laboratory School (Pre-K-9): Interest has been expressed in a university laboratory school which would demonstrate state of the art technigues in teaching and school leadership. ' It would be located on or near the campus of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Students from Pulaski County and North Little Rock would be invited to enroll according to M-M regulations and Act 609. Bale Elementary and Southwest Junior High may be considered as a site for the University Lab School. The Little Rock School District proposes to open such school in the 1991-92 school year. The remainder of this a year and the 1990-91 school year would be planning years in which District and University staff would plan the curriculum and theme for the school. Little Rock Central High School (10-12): Approximately 200 spaces are presently unfilled at Little Rock Central High School. These seats will be opened to students from North Little Rock, Pulaski County, and other neighboring districts at the beginning of the 1990-91 school year. The flagship program of choice at Central will be its extensive foreign language program. Other specialty areas around an international studies theme will be planned and developed according to a five-year schedule by Central High staff members and administrators and curriculum specialists from the three school districts in Pulaski County. -23-Intradistrict Magnets While the LRSD will continue to invite students from neighboring districts to enroll in intradistrict magnets, the purpose of these schools will be primarily to attract students who reside in Little Rock. Four intradistrict magnets are proposed with ratios of 60 percent black and 40 percent white. Aviation and Transportation/Math-Science Magnet (7-9): The Aviation and Transportation/Math-Science Magnet will be constructed at or near the airport in cooperation with the planned Arkansas Aviation Museum and will open in 1991-92. In 1992-93 grade 9 will be added. Also during the 1991-92 school year, students will be surveyed to determine their interest in pursuing a high school program as part of the aviation and transporation magnet. If sufficient interest is shown, a specialized high school program will be implemented. In the Aviation and Transportation Magnet High School a competitive comprehensive activities program will probably not be provided since high school enrollment in the Aviation and Transportation Magnet will be small and the program highly specialized. It will integrate science, mathematics, technology, engineering, and social studies around an aviation and transportation theme. The study of aviation and transportation will cross many disciplines, including history, geography, communications, physics, engineering, design, mechanics, computers, and navigation. Various human-oriented services will also be included. The instructional program at this magnet school will make students aware of the available careers in the major industrial fields of aviation, shipping, and transportation. Courses at the Aviation and Transportation/Math-Science Magnet will include such titles as: Avionics Communications Navigation History of Transportation Geographic, Social, Economic, and Cultural Developments Due to Transportation Physics of Flight Modern Transportation Transportation Engineering Human Services Aspects of Transportation Field experiences will be provided with the following local transportation authorities: Adams Field Falcon Jet Arkansas Highway Department Little Rock Port Authority McClellan-Kerr Navigation System Union Pacific Railroad -24-Union Pacific Railroad Local trucking companies Local aviation companies The core disciplines for the Aviation and Transportation Magnet School will be science and mathematics. Each student will take science lab minicourses that focus on the scientific method and explore a variety of topics in science. Students will be expected to display their mastery of the scientific method by completion of a project that shows application of scientific processes and principles of mathematics. Students will have available courses in algebra I, algebra II, and geometry. Thematic courses in the area of aviation and transportation will utilize science and mathematics skills. The Vocational Education modules, Technology Education, II "Exploring Industrial thematic magnet courses. will form the basis for one or more several ways to meet program needs. The modules can be combined in Flight simulators. hydraulics, construction technology, electronics, and other modules will support the program quite well. State vocational funding can be obtained for these courses. In addition, a social science course and a physics/engineering course will complete the curriculum. Cocurricular activities will include field trips to Adams Field, Murray Lock and Dam, and other appropriate sites. Professionals from the transportation industry will be invited to participate as guest lecturers at the school site. The school will have a seven-period day to create time for the addition of specialty courses. A small number of specialists will be hired and trained/retrained in the specialty subject they will teach. These employees will need to take course work or attend staff development sessions during the summer of 1990. Students will meet District and State program requirements and will take a small number of required courses in the specialty area. Other specialty courses will be electives. Environmental Sciences and Basic Skills Magnet (Pre-K-6)
Much interest has been expressed in the concept of an environmental sciences magnet (popularly referred to as the "Zoo" magnet). If property can be purchased or used near the Little Rock Zoo, an environmental sciences magnet for students in grades pre K-6 will be built, to be opened in 1991-92. If property cannot be purchased, Franklin Elementary School will become the environmental science magnet. To expand the environmental sciences theme into the junior high school, the science curriculum will be reviewed and new courses proposed for Forest Heights Junior High School students who may be interested in pursuing studies in environmental sciences. 1992-93 school year. Such courses will be added by the -25- is The theme of the school, environmental education, __ ideal for developing a magnet program that will not only be a powerful drawing card for students but will also focus on a current topic that involves science and technology, addresses ethical concerns, has a sense of global urgency, and requires interdisciplinary approaches to solving problems. A recent national report funded by the National Science Foundation stated about K-6 science, "An integrated, hands-on approach is needed, which focuses on the relationship between humans and the total environment. II This and other reports focus on the need to integrate science and technology with societal issues. Learning should start with things that students are familiar with, such as their environment, and proceed to use that experience base to introduce other, more abstract, concepts. The Environmental Sciences and Basic Skills Intradistrict Magnet Elementary School will address needs currently being communicated at the national level. At the same time, the school can combine available community resources with an inherently interesting topic to create program that attracts a diversity of students. a The Environmental Sciences and Basic Skills Magnet Elementary School has the following goals: Students will learn in a multicultural setting that includes representation from all three Pulaski County school districts and neighboring districts. A. Community environmental resources (such as the Zoo, Museum, Game and Fish Department, etc.) will enhance educational experiences for children. B. etc.) will enhance Environmental education will be an interdisciplinary theme around which much of the instructional program will be delivered. C. D. ouuueuu learning outcomes tor the instructional program will include major environmental education concepts from all three learning domains: Student for 1. 3 . 4. 5. E. Knowledge of basic environmental concepts and facts Understanding the relationship between humans and the natural world Acquire a "caretaker" attitude toward earth Understand and appreciate all forms of life Apply nurturing skills to care for plants and animals The School Plant will include facilities needed for environmental studies such as a greenhouse and science laboratory. Staff specialists will be employed to operate the greenhouse/science laboratory. 2. Staff specialists and regular classroom teachers will work to develop an interdisciplinary curriculum with environmental education as the organizing theme. 1 _ and State content guides and objectives will be used to make District -26-National sure that all skills are included in the program. _________ curricula such as Project WILD, Project Learning Tree, Project Zoo, and other programs that might become available will be utilized. In addition to normal classroom activities, students will spend time weekly in the science laboratory and greenhouse conducting experiments, culturing plants, and caring for animals. Frequent excursions to the Zoo will give students an additional living laboratory to study. Curricular activities will include such things as wildlife clubs, garden clubs, and Zoo docent training. A contract with the Zoo and other community resources will be developed to detail the working relationship between the parties. Montessori Magnet (Pre-K-6): Garland Elementary School, one of the District's a current incentive schools, will eventually become Montessori Magnet School. The plan is to provide a program for youngsters ages 36 by the 199293 school year and to expand it for youngsters ages 7-12 in 1993-94. This will provide Garland with two years in which to function as an incentive school and to begin to recruit white families to the school for the Montessori program. Rpmine Gifted-Talented/Cooperative Learning School (Pre-K-6) The goals of Romine School will be: to develop the highest possible competence in academic skills and concepts to develop task commitment and self motivation to foster self-discipline talents, and to discuss/foster special interests, talents, and abilities of students and provide opportunities to develop areas of interest to nurture the students' mental processes to foster student participation, effective cooperative learning, and the development of strong interpersonal skills to enable students to learn to work together in a world in which they will live together Romine Gifted-Talented/Cooperative Learning School's curriculum will increase effective participation in lifelong learning. The wider the range of intellectual stimulation to which students are exposed, the greater the chances are that all of the diverse potentialitiesboth within a group of students and within a single studentwill be brought to fruition. The gifted/talented component will provide a very broad and challenging curriculum for the diverse student body. This school will utilize the cooperative theme in teaching basic skills as well as enriched courses. -27-Incentive School Plan The purpose of the Incentive School program is to promote and ensure academic excellence in schools that have been difficult to desegregate. It is believed that the Incentive School Program will not only compensate the victims of segregation but will also serve as a tool for promoting meaningful and long-lasting desegregation in these schools and in the entire District. In order to be successful, the Incentive Program must address the academic, social, and emotional needs of all student participants. The Incentive Program must also serve as a recruitment tool for meeting the desegregation requirements in these schools. With the proper resources and expectations, the Incentive School Program will serve as a model of excellence for the county, state, and nation. The success of the Incentive School Program is directly related to the success of the long-term desegregation plan in the Little Rock School District. Opportunities for academic achievement are enhanced by commitment, high expectations, a strong belief that all children can learn, and broad-based community support. When these ideals are coupled with the availability of financial resources, educational excellence prevails. It is certainly the belief of the District that all of these ideals will be evident in each incentive school. In the incentive schools all children, to the extent possible, will be a part of the mainstreamed instructional program. Content will be delivered in a manner that enhances positive self-concept for all students, but especially for those students who have been identified as special-needs students. Also, all students will have equitable access to educational materials, resources,and appropriate instructional delivery. Further, in the incentive schools, the overall school enrollment, all classes, all programs, all activities, and all teaching and supervisory staff (to the maximum extent possible) will be racially balanced and numerically racially representative. Students will be encouraged to pursue post secondary schooling. Each Little Rock School District (LRSD) student enrolled in the Incentive School Program will be eligible for post secondary scholarships. A plan which will make post-secondary educational experiences feasible will be implemented commencing with the 1990-91 school year. -28- The following schools will provide the Incentive Schools Program: - Garland - Ish - Mitchell - Rightsell - Rockefeller - Stephens Program Goals: 1. 2. 3. 4 . 5. 6. 7 . 8 . 9 . 10. 11. To provide the most rigorous, demanding, and challenging curricular and instructional opportunities within the Little Rock School District (LRSD). To focus on the mastery of a core curriculum of worthwhile knowledge, important skills, and sound ideas. To promote the concept that school desegregation/ integration and guality education are inseparable. To promote the concept of learning, personal and human growth and development, positive self-esteem, and concern for other people and property. To promote improved human and civil rights for all people through the development of human relations skills within the schools. To incorporate in the incentive school core curriculum a systematic approach for exploring the history, culture, and diversity of all ethnic groups of the school population. To promote language development and computation skills through varying experiences. To deliver curricular content in a manner that minimizes the need to label students as special learners. To create and maintain a learning environment which is substantially free from overt manifestation of socioeconomic disparity among students. To provide an opportunity for the schools to become learning and community centers for parents and community organizations. To facilitate strategies for students to establish personal goals for achievement and success. -29- Curriculum Areas
Emphasis/Expansion in Curriculum Areas
Though the K-6 core curriculum currently in use in the Little Rock School District will remain the basis for the incentive school curriculum, significant emphasis, modification of existing instructional techniques, and the introduction of new educational delivery systems will be required. In addition changes or modifications in the core curriculum will be indicated. In recent years in the Little Rock School District, students in kindergarten through grade 3 have not been exposed to any kind of comprehensive or detailed science curriculum. Some children who will be serviced in the incentive schools have had no concentrated science instruction. The design of an expanded science curriculum will approach the teaching of elementary science from two different perspectives
(1) the inclusion of comprehensive science instruction at all levels, and (2) the utilization of innovative instructional techniques which are not in common use in most of the District's elementary schools. The curriculum for physical education will be directed toward achieving individual competencies in health-related fitness, skill-related fitness, fundamental movements and body management, psychosocial foundations (attitudes associated with well-being), and visual/motor manipulatives. Instructional Delivery
The instructional approach to teaching each subject area in the incentive schools will place a greater emphasis on active student involvement in the instructional process. This will be accomplished by the utilization of the following instructional strategies
1. Student Team Learning - Utilization of the Slavin model, which places strong emphasis on cooperative learning and individual achievement through group interaction, will be used to facilitate this approach. Specifically, the District will use a model developed by Robert Slavin and associates at the Johns Hopkins University titled "Student Team Learning" to help teachers implement successful group work within the Student Team Learning classroom setting. The success of Student Team Learning for achieving increases in student achievement has been carefully researched by Slavin and others the past 10 years and offers documentation for its success with high and low achievers of all ethnic over groups. LRSD has several trainers (administrative and teacher) already prepared to conduct staff development for teachers in the incentive schools on the Slavin model of Student Team Learning. -30-2. Whole-group Instruction - Experiences will be developed to meet program objectives through whole-group instruction. Opportunities will be provided for students to interact in skills related activities. Higher Order Thinking Skills - Higher Order Thinking Skills can be utilized at almost any level of instruction. Teachers in the incentive schools will be trained in developing lessons and questioning techniques that solicit objective student responses and encourage imaginative problem solving. Teachers will 4. 5. use this process as an integral part of their instructional approach to teaching the core curriculum. One-to-One Instruction - Since research has conclusively shown that direct one-to-one instruction is the most effective learning model, the adult-to-student tutoring approach utilizing direct instruction will be employed whenever possible. Learning Styles Inventory - All incentive school students will undergo a learning styles inventory to assist teachers in diversifying their teaching styles to match the learning styles of the students. Any 6. teacher who has not undergone a reliable learning styles inventory over the past three years will also participate in an identified learning styles inventory. Student Education Plans - The incentive schools will 7. make use of Student Education Plans for all students. Homework - All homework in the incentive schools will be used to reinforce instruction, to aid retention, and to assist students in transferring and relating concepts to the learning process, given in isolation. Homework will not be 3. Content Area Modifications
SCIENCE Extended Opportunities - Field trips will be used to enhance learning, to broaden cultural experiences, to provide hands-on experiences for knowledge of the world, and to assist in the development of coping skills for students as well as encouraging a better understanding of science and its related components. Field trips will be designed so that children in the incentive schools are not deprived of field experience opportunities because of socioeconomic status.In addition, field trips will involve teachers in preparation and transfer activities for the extended learning opportunities both before and after the trip. All field trips must be related to and/or interwoven into class instruction and follow-up. Additional Resources - Other approaches for enhanced learning opportunities in the science curriculum will involve the use of realistic and modern visuals, one-to-one instruction (may be peer to peer, retired personnel to -31- student, aide or student teacher to student, teacher to student, specialist to student), intermittent student conferences, varied instructional approaches to the effective deliverance of higher order thinking skills, and the use of peers and retired personnel as tutors for students in incentive schools. Curriculum Changes - The present LRSD science curriculum will be used along with the complementary objectives in the March 23, 1989, Little Rock School District Proposed Desegregation Plan, Volume II, which include the following: - Instruction will utilize a hands-on discovery and exploration approach to the learning of scientific concepts (K-3). - Classroom and textbook work will be supplemented with practical demonstration and experiments that reinforce the principles of scientific method and suggest the applications and possibilities of the sciences. - Emphasis in the upper grades will be on life sciences and physical sciences (4-6). - Mastery of concepts should culminate with an annual etc. project
i.e.. Invention Convention, Science Fair, - Homework assignments will include prepared information packets describing experiments parents and students can do together to reinforce what has been taught in the classroom. The curriculum discussed above, aligned with the additional components listed below, will encourage student success through the Incentive School Program. 1) 2) 3) Instructional Technology - All incentive schools should have available the most modern instructional technology for use in specialized laboratories and/or in individual classrooms. The computer laboratory in each incentive school will also be used for science. Study and Test Taking Skills - The incentive schools will integrate the teaching of the study skills, taking skills, and reinforcement of scientific test vocabulary with the teaching of science in both the laboratory setting and the regular science instructional time block. Students will be provided with opportunities to practice test taking skills using content and formats similar to standardized tests for their age/grade level. SOCIAL STUDIES Though the current core curriculum should remain in place, a number of important modifications are necessary to the success of the social studies program. -32-1) 2) Realistic Visuals - The use of professional, updated models, materials, bulletin boards, textbooks, etc., are critical to giving children a sense of place in an ever-changing world. Cultural Diversity - The Little Rock School District's 3) current instructional material does not accurately reflect the cultural or racial diversity evident in the student population of the incentive schools. It is critical to make every effort, including the use of supplemental materials in addition to regular textbooks, to ensure that the incentive school social studies program corresponds with the goals and objectives of the Incentive School Program relative to ethnicity. It is 4) Clarification and Related Approaches The proactive techniques once utilized by the Little Rock School District, including but not limited to I'm OK, You're OK (transactional analysis), Values Clarification, Project Aware, and the Green Circle Program, should play a vital role in actively involving students in instruction that allows them to grapple with ideas, concepts, and values critical to an understanding of how society works. Verbal Skills - The utilization of activities designed to encourage oral expression has not received enough emphasis at the elementary level. it is critical that students be taught the skills that will allow them to clearly articulate their thoughts and provide them the self-confidence so critical to a positive self-image. The following activities will place a renewed emphasis on this all important skill: a) Debate - By reintroducing this standard of the traditional curriculum, the incentive schools can increase the speaking and writing skills of students while building their confidence. Even more important, students can learn effective ways to deal with disagreements and can be taught conflict resolution and cause and effect on a Even more important 5) b) c) practical and academic level. Show-N-Tell - This important aspect of the traditional curriculum will be utilized on a regular and systematic basis to facilitate self-concept, verbal skills, and selfconfidence . Current Events - A greater emphasis should be placed on the integration of current events into the curriculum for all grade levels at the incentive schools. This is imperative if students are to become active citizens in their community and the world around them. Field Experiences - A creative and more systematic utilization of field trips of greater length and -33-6) variety will be one of the unique aspects of the social studies program at incentive schools. Though traditional sites such as the zoo and museums will certainly be visited, the focus should be expanded to include government agencies, factories, colleges, historical sites, places of business, etc. Every effort will be made to organize the trip in conjunction with the current program of studies. Study Skills Laboratory - Critical to success in subject, particularly social studies, is the any establishment of a skills laboratory which places emphasis on the "how-to's" of research, test taking, and book analysis. This area has been long neglected to the detriment of student performance on MAT-6 and the Minimum Performance Test. A comprehensive approach to these and other basic skills is required. MATHEMATICS Though the current core curriculum should remain in place, a number of important modifications are necessary for the success of the mathematics program. 1) 2) 3) Mathematics Laboratory - The study of mathematics in a laboratory setting will be an integral part of the curriculum for the incentive schools. Laboratory instruction will place emphasis on concreteness (kinesthetic and tactile activities), manipulatives (hands-on activities), problem solving, realistic pictures, materials, and resources. By providing students with opportunities for hands-on experiences and positive attitudes, laboratory opportunities will contribute to an improved academic self-concept. Instructional Technology - Instructional technology will be incorporated in the mathematics program for all grade levels to develop skills in problem solving, reasoning, and communication. Various technological equipment/materials will include up-to-date computers, calculators, video cassette recorders, supplemental textbooks, films, manipulatives, and realistic visuals. Parent/Child Learning Kits - Essential skills in mathematics should be reviewed and strengthened at each grade level to individualize the learning process for children. Prepared parent/child learning kits will be provided to foster home involvement of parents with child. These kits will include basic mathematics 4) information, manipulatives, and problem solving. Problem Solving - Problem solving activities will be integral part of the mathematics program. Emphasis will be placed on building confidence, developing strategies for understanding, and fostering logical th i nk i ng. ----*- - an Mathematics manipulatives used will include Versa-Tiles, cuisenaire rods, attribute blocks, base 10 -34-blocks, geoboards, tangrams, pattern tiles, unifix cubes and pattern blocks. PHYSICAL EDUCATION/HEALTH The physical education program will provide for the needs of all students in achieving individual competencies in motor skills, knowledge, and attitudes. 1) Curriculum Guide - Educational skills related to the physical education program will be outlined in a course content guide, K-6. Systematic utilization of the 2) guide will be emphasized in the incentive schools. Intramural Program - Intramural programs will be established at each of the incentive schools. The 3) 4) fundamental purpose of the program will be to develop enjoyment of team sports and lifelong leisure skills. This program will provide competitive physical education games and activities in addition to class activities. Specialized Equipment - Specialized equipment will be needed to implement the essential physical education skills. The equipment will include items such as trampolines, balance beams, balls, hoops, ropes, and other psychomotor materials. Health Related Fitness - Fundamental and developmental skills in health related fitness will be an integral component of the physical education program. Opportunities and experiences will be provided to include family life education, human development, fitness exercises, and understanding of and respect for the handicapped. FINE ARTS (MUSIC/ART) The current core curriculum will remain in place with a number of important modifications which are necessary for the success of the fine arts program. 1) 2) 3) Realistic Visuals The use of professional activities, models, materials, bulletin boards, and textbooks should reflect mankind's heritage in music and art. Cultural Diversity - Emphasis will be placed on cultural diversity in basic, developmental, and extension skills in music and art. Each fine arts experience should provide conditions for students to recognize, understand, and appreciate differences in people, traditional beliefs, and uniqueness of cultural styles. Field Type Experience - More systematic utilization of field trips of greater length and variety will be one of the unique aspects of the fine arts program. Students will be provided opportunities for active participation in group and individual performances. -35-4) Exhibits and field type experiences will be used to reinforce the learning of concepts in music and art. The focus of field experiences should be expanded to include museums, art galleries, commercial advertisement offices, concerts, plays, recitals, and ballets. Creative Expression - Enjoyment of music and art should be emphasized in the earlier grades (K-3) through the creation of music, painting, and crafts. Creative expression should be expanded at the intermediate level to include an understanding of cultural and historical differences. Opportunities should be provided for 5) students to share, display, and demonstrate their abilities through performances, plays, exhibits, programs, and fairs. Clubs/Events - Special interest clubs in music and art should provide opportunities for students to enhance learning, to broaden cultural experiences, and to receive special training in addition to the regular class. Students should be encouraged to participate in 6) vocal and instrumental ensembles and appropriate art exhibits. Fine Arts Resource Center - An area should be designated within each incentive school for storing materials, activities, and equipment for music and art. These resources related to fine arts skills and concepts development should be available for students to use at home, following: These resources should include the a) b) Music - musical instruments, records, tapes, books, sheet music, videos, and pictures. Art - drawing paper, construction paper, crayons, markers, paint brushes, modeling clay, pictures, books, paints, lettering sets, and various craft items. READING The developmental approach to teaching reading will be applied in the incentive schools. Neither age nor class designation will be a factor in determining the cognitive developmental needs of a child at any given time. This approach will require frequent and on-going formative assessment to determine the child's immediate instructional needs. More time on task to include teaching and reteaching, utilizing alternative instructional techniques, will characterize the reading program. Teaching of reading will not be confined to the reading block of time, but will be meaningfully incorporated in all areas of the curriculum. Teaching of reading instructional approach will be applied in the reading program, reinforced by reteaching, identified small group instruction, and individual tutoring. This approach will be facilitated by limiting the teacher- The "whole-group" -36-pupil ratio to 20:1 in the primary grades (K-3) and 25:1 in the intermediate grades (4-6). An instructional aide will be provided for each forty (40) students, constituting a .50 aide per classroom. To utilize teacher strengths/skills and maximally meet the individual student needs, team teaching at grade levels will be employed in the incentive schools. Peer tutoring, involving students from grades 5 and 6 as well as students from nearby secondary high schools, will serve to further extend learning time for primary children (K-3). Field trips designed to extend classroom objectives and to broaden student experiences will be incorporated as a major component of the reading program. To maximize the field trip experience, the teacher will develop and teach pre and post field trip lessons. Instructional technology, to include the use of the computer, will be employed as a teaching tool, focusing on teacher interaction with students, and providing immediate feedback and reinforcement to the student. This procedure utilizes the computer as a visual vehicle for instruction and is not intended to replace laboratory computer instruction. Homework will provide opportunities for further mastery of skills/concepts taught in the classroom. Students will be permitted to take the basal reader and other library resources home for specifically designed homework assignments. Under no circumstances will homework be required of a child who has not demonstrated mastery of the homework content at the comprehension level. To facilitate the use of background experiences in the development of vocabulary and comprehension, story mapping will be a common practice. Critical thinking skills will be taught at all grade levels, including among others, drawing conclusions, predicting, inferences, analysis, and evalua-tion. Social development as well as cognitive reading skills will be enhanced by the inclusion of multicultural literature, audio-visual materials, and resource persons from various cultural groups. Focus on oral language development will be a high priority in the incentive school. Opportunities to develop oral fluency will include speaking, storytelling, chanting, imitating, debating, dramatics, and choral reading and reciting. LANGUAGE ARTS The Little Rock School District believes that all students can become proficient users of language by learning strategies of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The language arts programs of the District reflect these goals in a multicultural curriculum designed to nurture and -37- expand the developing literacy, speaking, and writing abilities of all students. The following guides will be used for the language arts program in the incentive schools: - Curriculum Objectives (K-6) and Core Curriculum Charts - Multicultural Materials (Selection and Use) - Core Literature List (K-6) - Multicultural Vocabulary (Teacher and Student Lists) - Curriculum Materials/Activities/Resources Effective oral and written communication skills are fundamental to an individual's success in academic activities, social development, professional performance. and personal fulfillment. The incentive schools will develop and infuse multicultural education in all grade levels of English language arts. The goals of this program are to enable each student to develop: - Clarity, fluency, and precision in standard oral and written communication
- The ability to give structure to thoughts
- The ability to analyze and discuss
- A consciousness of linguistic patterns and structure
- A pride in, appreciation for, and sensitivity for standard language and an awareness of nonstandard language
and - Creative thought and expression. The core curriculum, concept, skills, and behavioral objectives have been clearly defined in the Little Rock School District curriculum guides, which form the foundation for the language arts programs in the incentive schools. English usage will be taught in spoken and written context. The teaching of English usage will be made relevant and meaningful to the student by utilizing the student's spoken and written language as an instructional vehicle to clarify new concepts/skills. Oral language will be facilitated by providing varied opportunities for the child to practice speaking in meaningful settings such as dramatic play, giving directions, making plans for activities, talking about experiences in school, community, etc., making announcements, debating, orations, telling riddles, dramatizing stories, traveling experiences, telephone meetings, etc. conversations, making introductions, conducting club . Fluency will be acguired through practice. The concept of writing to read will be incorporated in the language arts program. Written language is concerned with the child's efforts to express his/her ideas in -38-writing. Ideas are in abstract form until they "flow through a pencil or pen" to the paper. To create this flow, in the incentive schools, the child will be provided many techniques and skills necessary for fluency, ques to be utilized are: Some techni- - Journal writing - Poetry - Reports - Letters - business and friendly - Plays - Riddles - Biographies - Stories - Newspaper articles - Books are such. Language arts, speaking, reading, writing, and spelling all interdependent disciplines and will be taught as It is essential that the child understands the relationship of these disciplines. The student's valuing of each discipline will be enhanced as he/she becomes aware of the relationship between writing and spelling, speaking and reading, and reading and writing. The functional importance of nonverbal communication cannot be minimized. Consequently, this area of communication will be a part of the language arts curriculum in the incentive schools. Recent research identifies nonverbal communication as a valuable means of communication. The development of telecommunication technology and the elimination of communication barriers have created a need for greater understanding of all forms of communication. COMPUTER LITERACY The Little Rock School District does not have a comprehensive computer literacy program in operation at the present time for elementary school children. The elementary schools in Little Rock are equipped with computer laboratories which are used for remediation and enrichment. The incentive schools will continue to use the computer In laboratories with their present design and scope. addition, the Little Rock School District incentive schools will offer computer-supported, individual, and group-based instruction for elementary school reading, mathematics, social studies, science, art, etc. Participation, instruction, practice, feedback, and monitoring will be the keys to unraveling the computer for elementary students in the incentive schools according to the following objectives : -39-1) 2) The computer will be used to enhance student participation, feedback, and performance as well as monitoring in classroom and laboratory settings. The computer program experience for students in the incentive schools will involve the students from an orientation stage to a mastery stage. (Inextricably interwoven in the mastery will be the advent of 3) 4) elementary instruction in keyboarding and/or typing). The computer will involve students in active instructional tasks, active learning, and opportunities for providing and receiving explanations. The computer literacy program will help to encourage teachers in actively involving students in an ongoing program that: a) b) c) d) e) f) begins in kindergarten, follows a scope and sequence similar to other subj ects, pursues grade level mastery annually, masters the keyboarding skills needed for efficiency, utilizes intermediate level programming skills necessary for proficiency, and produces a computer literate student by 6th grade who: 1) 2) recognizes and appreciates the ability of a computer and understands and is able to demonstrate command of the computer before entering the 7th grade. Keyboarding will be offered from 4th grade through 6th grade, utilizing the following format: Beginning in the 4th grade, the incentive program will offer an entire nine weeks/grading period for students to learn practical standard keyboarding practices while still allowing them access to computers in other settings during the first grading period. The remaining three grading periods will offer support and reinforcement for the keyboarding as well as an introduction to basic programming. For students who may have advanced skills, advanced programming will be offered. In order to qualify for advanced instruction, students must have demonstrated mastery of basic programming before being placed in an advanced programming class. In instances where the computer will be used to provide students with higher levels of participation, feedback, and performance monitoring, instructional software directed toward immediate ability for student response will be used. (Example: The software used should allow for immediate reliable feedback from the teacher and the software. -40-The use of the computer will allow the teacher more time for direct instruction because: 1) 2) 3) The teacher will not be free or released during computer instruction. The teacher will be involved with the students during training, practice, and follow-up. The regular classroom teacher may or may not be the computer teacher (May vary depending on teacher skills, willingness to acquire skills, specialists available, etc.) Personnel directly involved in computer instruction will require prior training or extensive training in the operation and care of the computer. The computer-teacher programmer will be a professional who has also been trained to teach. The computer teacher and/or computer-teacher programmer will require training on specific software packages to be used at the different grade levels. These individuals will also be trained in discipline and classroom management, in group process, and in Student Team Learning. Support Programs: The focus, function, and guiding process of the incentive schools will be to provide excellence in an environment of academic support. Research indicates that parent and community involvement are critical to academic achievement. In particular, support programs are capable of enhancing both compensatory and enrichment activities, addition to the various support strategies used by the In Little Rock School District, the following support programs will be available in each incentive school: HOMEWORK CENTERS - Each incentive school will offer an after school homework center for students who are in need of specific help with class material. one teacher and aide will operate the center. At least The teacher will also be responsible for conferring with regular classroom teachers concerning individual student needs. PEER TUTORING - Peer tutoring will be selected from among a group of self-nominated and teacher-nominated students. The role of peer tutors will not be limited only to those students with outstanding academic grade point averages but will also be open to other students who have mastered the subject matter and can verbalize an understanding of the subject matter to be covered. RETIRED TEACHER PROGRAM Retired teachers will be recruited to come into the incentive schools and work with individual students as tutors. Retired teachers will be involved in different types of -41- individual and small group activities that address the academic, social, and developmental needs of the students. PARENT PROGRAMS - The Incentive School Program will In particular, parents/guardians and focus on the use of extended family members as tutors, aides, etc. In particular, parents/guardians and grandparents will be used on a regular basis in All classrooms and other school activities (advisors, evaluators of programs, activity sponsors, etc.), incentive school activities will reflect the philosophy that parents/guardians are the first teachers of children. Parents will be regarded as learning partners in the educational process of their children. In some cases, a number of parents/guardians will be employed as aides with the expectation that they will complete college teaching degree programs leading to certification and possible career opportunities in the District. The incentive schools will also support the needs of parents. These schools will become learning and community centers accessible to parents and community organizations after regular school hours. Parent support workshops will be provided on a periodic basis throughout the school year (at least one workshop each quarter). These workshops will be directly related to the instructional activities in the classroom and will address topics such as: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) Reading skills Adult literacy (i.e. GED program, etc.) Math instruction skills Parent/child advocacy skills Use of community agencies and resources Counseling services Career opportunities Use of standardized tests Computer literacy Higher education oppportunities In addition to the parent support workshops, the incentive schools will use various strategies to increase the accessibility of the schools to parents and community members. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION - Community participation in the incentive schools shall be encouraged by the involvement of community organizations, employers, civic and social organizations, and public agencies. Each school will participate in the Partnerships in Education Program and will maintain at least one business partnership. These organizations will be trips. engaged in programs which extend learning experiences beyond the classroom. For instance, field trips, onsite career awareness opportunities, Saturday -42-enrichment activities, and role model programs will be supported by business partners and/or various community organizations. The use of support programs is critical to the success of the Incentive School Program. In addition to the use of external monitoring sources, the building principal will be directly responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of all support programs. The effectiveness and progress of these programs will be prepared by the building principal and submitted to the Superintendent's office (including the Associate Superintendents) on a quarterly basis. Monitoring instruments used by external monitors will also address the effectiveness of support programs. Staff Selection Criteria
The principal will demonstrate: - knowledge of elementary curriculum. - a commitment to being a leader in staff development by initiating, participating in, monitoring, and maintaining inservice activities. - competency in interpersonal relations with faculty, students, parents, administration, community, and support staff. - a knowledge of and commitment to the differences and similarities among various socioeconomic, gender, and cultural groups. social, - the ability to apply the principles of child growth and development with faculty, students, parents, administrators, community, and support staff. - the ability to apply the concepts inherent in the principles of learning with faculty, students, parents, administrators, community, and support staff. - a knowledge of current educational theory/practices and the ability to make appropriate application in the development of the school population. The certified staff will demonstrate: - competency in the total teaching act. - commitment to the philosophy of the incentive school. - a commitment to participate in staff development activities and apply skills in the classroom. - the ability to teach to differences as evidenced by daily planning and delivery of instruction. - sensitivity to cultural differences as evidenced by the physical features of the classroom which should reflect the society (population) that it serves. Lead teachers will demonstrate the same competencies other certified teachers in addition to the following: as -43- - the ability to work with diverse cultural groups of students and parents. - the ability to accept change and adapt readily to new learning situations. - the ability and willingness to share successful teaching strategies with other teachers and students. - the ability to accept constructive criticism from fellow educators. - a strong interest in research. Lead teachers are those who model effective teaching strategies and are selected to serve as coaches for preprofessionals, student teachers, and peers. In addition to certified teachers and lead teachers, each incentive school will also have a permanent substitute teacher, the Little Rock School District will consider hiring administrator to coordinate and/or supervise the Also, an implementation of all programs at the incentive schools, schools of choice, and intradistrict magnet schools. The administrations and faculties in all incentive schools will be vacated. The process for reconstituting the administrations and faculties will include parents. students, teachers, and administrators. Staff Development: Although LRSD expects to assign to the incentive schools exceptionally qualified personnel, specific inservice will be necessary to implement the unique instructional program, following: Basic inservice will include the Mission and purpose of the incentive schools (1 day) Curriculum refinement (10 days) -Identification of desired learning outcomes -Identification of concepts and skills to be taught at each grade level -Delineation of the sequence of teaching topics for each grading period Overview of Program for Effective Teaching (PET)(1 day) Expectation Theory (Accepting Differences) (1 day) Student Team Learning (3 days) Developing Higher Order Thinking (1 day) Classroom/Discipline Management (2 days) Planning for Achievement Difference within the Whole Group Theory of Lesson Planning (1 day) Computer Training (1 day) Instructional Aide Inservice (1 day) Clerical Aide Inservice (1 day) Developing Parents as Partners Implementing the Homework Center Program for Accelerated Learning -44- During the 1990-91 school year, maintenance activities for summer 1990 staff development activities will be conducted. Additional Staff Development Activities will include the following: PET (1 cycle) Developing Peer Tutors (2 days) Developing Adult Tutors (2 days) Teacher Expectations and Student Achievement (TESA) An annual assessment of staff development needs will be conducted. Inservice activities will be scheduled based on needs related to implementation of the Incentive School Program. The staff development department will coordinate inservice activities. Recruitment: Aggressive marketing and recruitment are essential to the overall success of the Incentive School Program. Careful marketing of the Incentive School Program is the first step toward an effective recruitment program. marketing campaign for the Incentive School Program will The focus on two major strategies. First, all parents in the three school districts will be informed about available in the incentive schools. programs Second, in order to desegregate the incentive schools, various neighborhoods throughout Pulaski County will be targeted. In each case. the marketing strategies will emphasize the unique learning opportunities available at the incentive schools. All of the schools designated as incentive schools beginning in the 1990-91 school year currently have (as of October, 1989) racial percentages ranging from 84 to 99 percent black. The black percentage at Rockefeller is 84 percent black and the black percentage at Stephens is 99 percent black. The acceptable range, or desegregation requirement, for all elementary schools in the Little Rock School District is plus one-eighth and minus one-fourth the total black percentage at the elementary level. This formula, which is within the guidelines established by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, results in a range of 51 to 76.5 percent black. The purpose of the recruitment program is to comply with the desegregation requirements in each incentive school. The recruitment program will encourage voluntary assignments that will not have an adverse effect on the desegregation requirement at each incentive school. Of course, the use of voluntary measures will necessitate long-range goals for full compliance with the desegregation requirement by the beginning of the 1996-97 school year. The annual goals for the number of white students needed to meet the desegregation requirements at each incentive school -45- are listed on the attachment, Desegregation Requirements. "Annual Goals To Meet II The incentive school recruitment program will focus on three objectives: 1) 2) 3) To provide information to the community about the incentive school program. To use specific recruitment strategies for predominantly white neighborhoods throughout Pulaski County. To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the recruitment program for the incentive schools. As stated earlier, the various recruitment strategies will emphasize the unique learning opportunities at the incentive schools, on the following: In particular, emphasis will be placed 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) Extended day learning opportunities Scholarships for post high school educational opportunities Foreign language instruction An individual education plan for each student Academic competition Homework Centers Computer literacy instruction Attractive facilities Low teacher/pupil ratios Emphasis on higher level thinking skills Permanent substitute teachers Saturday enrichment opportunities Each school-based Biracial Advisory Committee will be primarily responsible for implementing recruitment strategies. The school-based Biracial Advisory Committee consists of the building principal, teachers, parents, and students. The parent recruiters in the Little Rock School District Student Assignment Office will assist each schoolbased committee in developing and implementing specific recruitment activities. Although the parent recruiters will provide central office support for certain recruitment activities, it is believed that the most effective recruiting comes from the parents, students, and building staff. In addition to the specific recruitment activities implemented at the school level, the parent recruiters will conduct the following activities to meet the objectives of the incentive school recruitment program: -46- A. To provide information to the community about the Incentive School Program. 1) 2) Information booths at prominent shopping centers and malls throughout Pulaski County. Develop highlight sheets and distribute to all elementary students in Pulaski County. Highlight B. 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) sheets will also be displayed in local businesses. Insert highlight sheets in bills of utility companies. Conduct information sessions with special audiences (i.e. PTA Council, PAC Council, Junior League, League of Women Voters, Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, Realtors Association, etc.) Develop and distribute generic public service announcements (PSA's) to all media. Public service announcements will be a part of an ongoing media blitz to heighten public awareness regarding incentive schools. Billboards, bus benches, etc., will also be used to advertise generic information about incentive schools. Produce short videocassette recordings to be used in public presentations (i.e. PTA meetings, realtors, etc.) Seek incentive school endorsements from local celebrities. Conduct individual and small group recruitment meetings with potential parents. In addition to the above. The Little Rock School District Offices of Desegregation and Communication will be responsible for the following: a) b) c) Hire a marketing expert to develop and implement a multi-year marketing campaign. Conduct an ongoing media blitz that focuses on the positive aspects of the incentive school program. Highlight incentive schools in all district publications. To use specific recruitment strategies for targeted neighborhooods throughout Pulaski County. 1) Assist school-based committees in targeting geographic areas/neighborhoods for informational blitz regarding specific incentive schools. Information will also stress group preference 2) an assignment option. Assist schools in developing small group as tl Information II tours to acquaint parents, For Your grandparents, businessmen, realtors, etc., with the incentive schools. -47- C. 3) 4) 5) Conduct meetings with NLRSD and PCSSD parents and PTA groups to encourage M-M transfers to incentive schools. Work closely with student assignment offices in NLRSD and PCSSD and the Magnet Educational Team (MET) to target specific neighborhoods for recruitment activities. Assist each incentive school in establishing and scheduling a speaker's bureau. The parents of white students enrolled in the incentive schools will be encouraged to serve on the bureau along with celebrities, teachers, students, etc. To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the recruitment program for the incentive schools. The Little Rock School District Biracial Advisory Committee will also serve as the steering committee for the incentive school recruitment program. The Little Rock School District Office of Desegregation will be responsible for compiling bi-monthly reports on the implementation and effectiveness of various recruitment strategies. These reports will be shared with the Little Rock School District Board of Directors, Joshua and Knight Intervenors, and the Metropolitan Supervisor. The bi-monthly reports will be developed by each school-based Biracial Advisory Committee. The Districtwide Biracial Advisory Committee will review each bi-monthly report and recommend to the Board of Directors and/or Office of Desegregation any changes needed in recruitment strategies/activities. The Biracial Advisory Committee will also appoint two ex-officio members with expertise in marketing/ advertising to advise the committee on recruitment strategies. The Districtwide Biracial Advisory Committee will visit the incentive schools once each quarter. Among other things, the committee will evaluate the recruitment program in each building. evaluation of the recruitment program will be addressed The in the quarterly monitoring/evaluation report for each incentive school. Post High School Scholarships
The incentive school program is intended to provide both short-term and long-term opportunities for educational excellence. As incentive school students experience the short term benefits of high quality learning experiences in grades K-6, it is imperative that they have the resources needed to extend their educational careers to post high school learning experiences. To this end, a scholarship program will be provided for all LRSD incentive school students. -48-A trust fund will be established for each student who completes at least one full school year at an incentive school. Each student will earn $400 for each full year of enrollment in an incentive school. Each student will receive the amount deposited plus interest as the earned scholarship amount. Upon graduation or withdrawal from an incentive school, the total amount awarded for each full year of enrollment will be placed in a trust fund. The trust fund will be administered by a committee made up of two representatives from the Little Rock School District and one representative from the Arkansas Department of Education, Joshua Intervenors, and the Knight Intervenors. A student must enroll in a post high school institution within two years of graduation from high school in order to receive incentive school scholarship funds. Scholarship payments will be made directly to the post high school institution. -49- SUGGESTED TIME ALLOTMENT SCHEDULE FOR THE INCENTIVE SCHOOLS TIME: Regular Day 8:00-3:00 *7 hours Extended Day 3:00-5:00 -'2 1/2 hours Extended Saturday 8:00-12:00 4 hours ''6 hours( instruction) *2 hours (instruction) *3 1/2 hrs( instruction) 1 hour(lunch/break) 30 min.(snack/break) 30 min (snack/break) GRADES: Kindergarten - One - Two - Three/Regular Day 8:00 - 3:00 BLOCKS (Daily) TIME (Weekly) * Reading 90 min. Apx. 450 min. 'Language Arts - Spelling - Handwriting - Coimiunication (Oral/Written) - Literature - I.ibrary 90 min. Apx. 450 min. Mathematics 45 min. Apx. 225 min. 'Social Living - Science (Health-Safety) - Social Studies (History-Economics- Geography) 60 min. Apx. 300 min. Fine Arts/P.E. * - Art - Music - P.E. 45 min. Apx. 225 min. TOTAL 330 min. Apx. 1650 min. -tregular day 8:00 - 3:00 7 hours 6 hours (Instruction) 1 hour (Lunch/Recess) Exercises in Foreign Languages can be integrateed with any of these areas. -50-EXTENDED DAY (3:00-5:30) (2 HOURS/30 MIN.) [2 hours - Instruction [30 min. - Snack/Break Recreation: - Intramural Sports - Games 60 min. Apx. 300 min. Study Center: - Reinforce Basic Skills - Enhance Research Skills - Homework 30 min. Apx. 150 min. Creativity: - Dance/Drama - Arts/Crafts 30 min. Apx. 150 min. TOTAL 120 min. Apx. 600 min. EXTENDED SATURDAY (8:00-12:00) (4 HOURS) [3 hours - Instruction] [30 min. - Snack/Break] Field Type Experience: - In school experiences (outside resource persons/ materials) - Outside of school experiences 70 min. Creative Expression: - Reading/Writing - Listening/Speaking Clubs/Events: - Computer - Art - Dance/Drama - Intramural Sports TOTAL 70 min. 70 min. 210 min. -51- TIME: Regular Day 8:00-3:00 *7 hours Extended Day 3:00-5:30 * 2 1/2 hours Extended Saturday 8:00-12:00 *4 hours -f6 hours(instruction) * 2 hours(instruction) *3 1/2 hrs(instruction) 1 hour(Lunch/Recess) 30 min(snack/break) 30 min(snack/break) GRADES: Fourth - Fifth - Sixth/Regular Day 8:00 - 3:00 BLOCKS (Daily) TIME (Weekly) ^Language Arts: - Reading - Spelling - Handwriting - Communication(oral/written) - Literature - Library 150 min. Apx. 750 min. Mathematics 60 min. Apx. 300 min. -'Social Studies: - Geography - History - Economics 45 min. Apx. 225 min. Science: - Health - Safety 30 min. Apx. 150 min. Fine Arts/P.E.: - Art - Music - P.E. 45 min. Apx. 225 min. TOTAL 330 min. 1650 min. '"Exercises in Foreign Languages can be integrated with any of these areas. -52- EXTENDED DAY (3:00-5:30) (2 HOURS/30 MIN.) [120 Min. - Instruction] [ 30 Min. - Snack/Break] Recreation: - Intramural Sports - Games Study Center: - Reinforcement of Basic Skills - Enhancement of Research Skills - Homework Creativity - Dance/Drama - Arts/Crafts TOTAL 60 min. 30 min. 30 min 120 min. Apx. 300 min. Apx. 150 min. Apx. 150 min. Apx. 600 min. EXTENDED SATURDAY (8:00-12:00) (4 HOURS) [210 Min. - Instruction] [ 30 Min. - Snack/Break] Field Type Experience: - In school experiences (outside resource persons/ materials) - Outside of school experiences (field trips, etc.) Creative Expression: - Reading/Writing - Listening/Speaking Clubs/Events: - Computer-Art-Dance/Drama - Intramural Sports TOTAL 70 min. 70 min. 70 min. 210 min. -53- ATTACHMENT I ANNUAL GOALS TO MEET DESEGREGATION REOUIREMENTS (Number of White Students) Garland Ish Mitchel 1 Rightsei 1 Rockefeller Stephens Total 1989-90 14 7 19 17 35 1 93 1990-91 18 14 24 23 40 10 129 1991-92 28 20 33 29 45 19 174 1992-93 38 26 42 35 51 28 220 1993-94 48 32 51 41 57 37 266 1994-95 58 38 60 48 63 46 313 1995-96 68 44 69 56 73 58 368 1996-97 78 50 78 64 83 71 424 Capaci ty 310 200 310 255 330 285 1,690 -53a- Area Schools Schools where students attend based entirely on attendance zone identification and which are not designated as incentive schools are called area schools, the following: These include Area Schools Senior High Schools: J.A. Fair Hall McClellan Junior High Schools: Cloverdale Forest Heights Henderson Mabelvale Pulaski Heights Southwest Elementary Schools: Badgett Bale Baseline Brady Chicot Cloverdale Dodd Fair Park Forest Park Franklin Fulbright Geyer Springs Jefferson Mabelvale McDermott Meadowcliff Otter Creek Pulaski Heights Romine Terry Wakefield Watson Western Hills Wilson Woodruff The academic program in elementary area schools will concentrate on language arts, reading, mathematics, science, and social studies to help ensure that students master basic skills. Instruction will also be provided in health, physical education, practical arts, and the fine arts. All -54- elementary schools will be eguipped with a 28-station computer laboratory for remedial and enrichment opportunities. In the junior high schools, students will take required courses as well as electives from among choral, instrumental music, art, physical education, Spanish, French, and business courses. Regular and enriched classes in math, English, social studies, and science are offered to meet individual needs. The senior high schools will offer all courses required for high school graduation. Students may choose from various courses in the areas of foreign languages, mathematics, social studies, science, speech, journalism, fine arts, business education, and home economics. Regular, honors, and advanced placement courses are offered in various subject areas. In addition to the core curriculum, all of the area schools will offer the following special programs: Gifted and Talented Education Special Education Program for Accelerated Learning CARE Program (elementary only) DARE (Drug Alcohol Resistance Education) sixth grade classes Extracurricular activities all The area schools will receive the following as a result of the District's desegregation plan: All English, math, science, social studies, special education, foreign language, and music teachers will participate in cooperative learning, PET (Program for Effective Teaching), TESA (Teacher Expectations and Student Achievement), and classroom management training. Supplementary language arts, math, science, social studies, reading, and foreign language materials and supplies for multiethnic infusion will be provided at all area schools. All junior high area schools will offer journalism (newspaper and yearbook). Manipulatives will be provided for math instruction in all area schools. All area schools will be provided inservice training on the use of multiethnic curriculum guides. -55- Concrete "hands-on" science materials will be purchased for elementary science instruction. Library/media services will provide for an extension and enrichment of basic skills and will also accommodate the varied learning styles of students in different instructional groups. The District will continue to have at least one library clerk to implement the new library/media program. A 7-10 year A-V equipment purchase plan will be used to support this program. --Inservices for teachers and support staff on relevant, practical issues involving the education of handicapped students. District-wide parent support programs and access to the Learning Center that will provide parent training and assistance. Handicapped students utilize computers in the learning process in resource rooms at the elementary and junior high levels. A Community Based Instruction Program (CBI) is available for moderately/severely handicapped students. Academic Progress Incentive Grants: Academic success for all students is a primary goal of the desegregation/integration process. The Little Rock School District has developed and adopted several programs designed to increase student achievement. District-wide achievement data indicate the need for additional strategies to reduce the number of low achievers. Therefore, the Academic Progress Incentive Grants Program will be established, follows: The program goals are as 1. 2. To improve the education for all students To reduce the disproportion in academic achievement that is evident between groups formed on the basis of race, gender, and economic status. Local schools will develop non-competitive proposals to increase overall achievement and decrease academic disparity. The proposals should include strategies based on promising practices to enhance student achievement. Teachers, building administrators, and patrons shall participate in the development of the local school proposal. A grant writing inservice will be provided by the District. A request for proposals will be announced. -56- The non-competitive grant will be for one year with an option for two additional annual awards, annual grant shall not exceed $25,000. The amount of the Magnet schools and incentive schools will not be eligible for the Academic Progress Incentive Grants. Additionally, area schools will be given opportunities before magnet schools or incentive schools to receive additional assistance to establish II islands of excellence" or model classrooms in their schools. For example a school might wish to develop a model classroom in social studies. Additional resources and assistance from the central administration will be provided and a model classroom will be established. Teachers and administrators from other schools will be encouraged to visit the classroom to gain new ideas and insights into effective teaching techniques which they can then use in their schools and classrooms. Community Support Grants: The availability of extra resources in magnet and incentive schools continues to be an area of concern for many parents in the area schools. Although special funds have been earmarked for magnet and incentive schools, enhancement opportunities must be available in all schools. All schools must have the resources needed to offer quality desegregated learning experiences. In order for quality desegregated learning experiences to occur, all schools must have access to extra resources needed for program enhancement. Non-competitive Community Support Grants will be provided to address the recruitment needs of area schools. Community Support Grants will be used to support local efforts to improve desegregation. Emphasis will be placed on awarding grant proposals that have a positive effect on desegregation efforts. 1. 3. 5. 6. Grant-writing teams will consist of at least the building principal, two teachers, one noncertified staff member, and four parents. A Grant Writing inservice will be provided by the District. A central office committee made up of the Associate Superintendent for Desegregation Monitoring and Program Development and others appointed by the Superintendent will evaluate grant proposals. Grant proposals should avoid additional personnel costs, to the extent possible. The District will not assume responsibility for continuing costs that occur after the expiration of the funding period. Local businesses will be asked to help finance the Community Support Grant program. This will give 2. 4 . -57- 7, local businesses the opportunity to become actively involved in the District's desegregation efforts. Magnet schools, incentive schools, and schools of choice will not be eligible for Community Support Grants. Schools cannot fulfill desegregation requirements without the involvement of the communities which they Community Support Grants will serve. encourage entrepreneurship, ownership, and commitment to local desegregation efforts. The three-year grant awards (Academic Progress Grants and Community Support Grants) should provide sufficient time for the new strategies to become a part of the school culture. Certain changes are proposed for some of the area schools. These are outlined below. 1. Woodruff Elementary Expand the school by adding approximately two hundred students. - ' Some of these classrooms will be used for an early childhood education Also, an Extended Day Program will be offered to attract children of parents who work in the state government offices. program. A percentage of seats will be reserved in order to meet desegregation requirements. 2 . Western Hills Elementary Expand the school's capacity and eliminate the use of portables. Approximately one hundred children attend classes in portable buildings at Western Hills. This plan would expand the capacity of the school by two hundred students. Additional spaces will be available by 1991-92. 3. Cloverdale Elementary and Junior High School Expand each school's capacity by approximately one hundred students. 4 . Portable Buildings Eliminate portable buildings in a five-year period beginning in 1990-91. The schools having the largest concentration of portable buildings will be the first priority. -58-Specialty Schools Some of the District's area schools already have special themes, and nothing in this plan precludes their continuing to develop them. However, one specialty school, Badgett Elementary, is described in detail because it relates closely to the theme of the aviation/transportation magnet school to be located near the airport. Aviation/Transportation Specialty School: Badgett's instructional program will be structured around a transportation theme. interdisciplinary concept. Transportation is an It includes science, technology. history, geography, mathematics, international studies, and human services. A transportation theme would be ideal for the development and implementation of an interdisciplinary curriculum. The central Arkansas region has a wealth of transportation industries. Air, rail, trucking, and boat/barge transportation are all located in central Arkansas. These industries should serve as a resource for the Aviation/Transportation Specialty School. The Aviation/Transportation Specialty School has the following goals: A. B. C. D. Students will learn the District's basic curriculum through the theme of transportation. The instructional program will be enriched by field trips, guest speakers, and special events related to transportation. Concepts and skills about transportation will be mastered so that students will be prepared for the Aviation/Transportation Junior High School should they choose to apply. The thematic approach to the delivery of instruction will increase student learning through increased motivation and greater transfer of prior learning. The Aviation/Transportation Specialty Elementary School will utilize an interdisciplinary curriculum that emanates from the theme of transportation. Social studies will focus on the effect of transportation on the location of cities and communities. routes will be examined. Geographic influences on transportation History will be taught in the context of transportation's influence on human endeavors. Science will deal with the physics involved in transportation (e.g., mechanics of flight) as well as the inventions that had a major impact on society at the time (e.g., steam engine, airplane). Many basic science skills can be taught from a transportation reference point. Simple machines, sound, energy, and natural resources, for example, all relate to transportation. -59- To enhance the climate of the school, the transportation theme will be obvious to those who visit the school. Bulletin boards, hall displays, assembly programs. and other instructional activities will emphasize transportation, Guest speakers and field trips will frequently incorporate transportation ideas. One or more specialists will help deliver the school's instructional program. The specialists will coordinate efforts to develop an interdisciplinary curriculum with a transportation theme. They will head-up the curriculum development process and will assist in inservice for other staff members. Students will take field trips to local transportation industries such as Little Rock Municipal Airport, Falcon Jet, Central Flying Service, Arkansas Highway Department, Union Pacific Railroad, Terry or Murray Lock and Dam, and the Little Rock Port Authority. Speakers from the transportation industries will present programs in the classroom. Due to the proximity of Badgett and the Junior High Aviation and Transportation Intradistrict Magnet School, cooperative projects between the schools will be common. Junior high students can present lessons to the elementary students. Elementary students can do assembly programs (song, dance, skits) for the junior high students. Tutoring, mentorships, and other projects can also be worked out between the schools. Other specialty schools will be considered in the long range plan. For example, if it appears necessary to close an existing elementary building, other uses for the building will be sought including the creation of an alternative school for students in grades 10-12 or an early childhood and infant care center. Also, to extend the aviation and transportation theme, administrators in vocational education will begin working with the Arkansas Department of Education to establish programs at the Metropolitan Vocational Education Center to prepare students for careers in aviation mechanics and other transportation related areas, place by 1992-93. These programs will be in -60- C. Publicity and Information Often the success or failure of a school depends on the extent to which accurate, timely, and clear information is provided to parents and students about its programs and unique features. As the programs for schools of choice. intradistrict magnets, incentive schools, area schools, and specialty schools are planned and developed, parents will be encouraged to participate fully in the process by contributing their ideas and suggestions. The District will explain and publicize the programs available at each school to parents, students, and the general community through the use of the District's television channel, through printed brochures describing each school, and through ongoing contact with the education reporters for the local newspapers and television stations. Information coordinators (described in Chapter 8) for each school will assist in developing information brochures and obtaining publicity for their schools. -61-III. INSTRUCTION A. Equity in Academic Achievement B. Early Childhood Education C. Multicultural Education D. Special Education E. Gifted and Talented Education F. Guidance and Counseling G. Extracurricular Activities -62- III. INSTRUCTION A. Equity in Academic Achievement If the desegregation of a school district does not result in a superior education experience for all students, then it is not successful no matter how "balanced" schools may be. It is not acceptable to bring children to the doors of the school house only to resegregate them again in their classes and programs throughout the school day. This section of the plan identifies problems related to equity in the academic achievement of our students and proposes ways to address their problems. Problem One: Disparity in educational achievement between black and white students (as evidenced by grades and standardized tests) continues despite several years of awareness of the issue and efforts to deal with it. It is clear that the disparity in educational achievement between black and white students worsens as students move from grade to grade. It is necessary, therefore, that this desegregation plan address this very serious problem. The following solutions are proposed: 1. Conduct a "curriculum audit" of instructional programs and services during the next five years according to a prearranged schedule to determine their educational effectiveness for all youngsters. Programs to be audited include, but are not limited to: -63- Art Chapter I Reading and Math Drug Education Foreign Languages Four-Year-Old Program Gifted and Talented Education Guidance and Counseling Homework Centers Kindergarten Language Arts Learning Lab Library-Media Mathematics Music Physical Education, Health, and Nutrition Education Program for Accelerated Learning (PAL) Reading Science Social Studies Special Education Vocational Education The first programs to be audited will include Chapter I Reading and Math, Guidance and Counseling, PAL, Learning Lab, and Foreign Languages, The purpose of the review will be to -64- determine whether modifications in programs need to be made in order to increase their educational value to students. In some cases programs may need to be eliminated or drastically changed. 2. Seek assistance in establishing an Instructional Management System for every student. Technology now exists which can help us analyze a student's learning styles and achievement levels, predict success or failure in school based on a number of factors, and prescribe the necessary interventions in a timely manner. The District will immediately seek to work with experts in instructional technology to devise such a system. It should be noted that this approach is intended to benefit the successful as well as the unsuccessful student. The District will attempt to have this program in place by 1991-92. Begin immediately to develop a five-year schedule for the review of all courses and programs including incentive schools and magnet programs to determine whether their content is sufficiently challenging, relevant, and enriching to students. Require that curriculum supervisors review the use of the multiethnic curriculum guides and propose necessary revisions and modifications. This will 3. 4. -65- be done yearly so that problems which become apparent can be quickly solved. Problem Two: The District continues to have disproportionate representation of students by race in certain classes, programs, and activities. This is not a problem to be addressed by simplistic solutions such as quotas or percentages which are humiliating and frustrating to students. All students, both the gifted and the low-achieving, must be given every opportunity to excel, be challenged. contribute, and produce in school. This problem must be addressed first by being certain that a strong basic education is provided to all students beginning with kindergarten or before and that provision is made to concentrate on youngsters who need the enrichment experiences and activities to enable them to compete with more advantaged students and not lose ground as they move from grade to grade. These include additional or extended homework centers, summer learning programs, Saturday classes. Extended Day program, academic incentive programs, and tutorial services. In schools which lack these programs, the District will allocate funds to establish at least one such program in each school. To a large extent principals, teachers, and guidance counselors can positively impact this problem. However, they must be supported by a Board and an -66-administration which insist on optimum learning opportunities for all students. The extent to which staff development can assist teachers and administrators in dealing with this problem will be discussed in another section of this plan. Problem Three: In too many instances different expectations for the level of learning are expected from different students. Most students can learn most of what they should know. The research on this issue is irrefutable. The question is why students do not learn, and the answer has to do with what is expected from them. The District has already recognized the problem of different expectations and is attempting to provide training for all teachers in a program called Teacher Expectations and Student Achievement (TESA). As part of the long-term plan, TESA will be required and provided for all teachers, administrators, library media specialists, and guidance counselors. Additionally, Cooperative Learning, and the Program for Effective Teaching will be included. These programs and others will be discussed in the section on staff development (Chapter 7). Also, in instances where teachers have had success in teaching low-achieving students, the District will provide opportunities for other teachers to visit -67- B. "model classrooms" where successful teaching'and learningfor all students are occurring. Early Childhood Education Someone recently stated that the answer to the drug problem in society was not to build more prisons but to establish early childhood education programs in the schools. The Little Rock School District has experienced success with the HIPPY Program and its four-year-old programs at Washington, Ish, Franklin, Stephens, and Rockefeller. However, it is clear that such programs must be expanded. Their development (including the expansion of the three-year- old program) and implementation should occur following the District's review of final recommendations made by the Early Childhood Education Task Force. The District will add an additional program at Woodruff in 1990-91 and will initiate a Montessori program at Garland in 1991-92. In 1991-92 the Early Childhood Programs will be evaluated and plans to expand them to other schools will be submitted to the Board. The District will also establish Parent Centers at Washington and Franklin to provide assistance to the parents of children enrolled in the programs there. A major goal of the Little Rock School District's Parent Center component is to combine the special knowledge which parents have about their children with the expertise of the staff to improve services to children. -68- The Parent Center will be developed and implemented by local school staff, social workers, counselors, media center staff, and other related personnel to reinforce and maintain a strong linkage between home and school. Parents will be invited to attend the Center to share information, express concerns, make plans, and develop skills to assist in the education of their children. The Center will provide parent discussion groups. individual problem-solving sessions, and other topics of interest identified by the parents such as creative use of family time. A range of evening programs will be offered throughout the year on such topics as parenting, community resources, behavior management, study skills, and recreation and special seminars such as helping working and single parents to become more involved in spending quality time with their child. The District will include the Arkansas Parents: Partners in Learning Experience (APPLE) parent training material developed by the Arkansas Department of Education and other research-based programs. The Parent Centers will be evaluated by the District in 1991-92. The goal is to have early childhood programs and Parent Centers in at least half of the elementary schools by 1994-95 and in all elementary schools by 1998-99. The recommendations of the Little Rock School District Early Childhood Education Parent Committee are comprehensive and thorough and will provide the basis for an expansion of -69- the District's Early Childhood Education Program as a part of the District's desegregation plan. The District will work with the Early Childhood Education Task Force in analyzing these proposals, both in terms of the District's capacity to implement them and the costs of the programs. A detailed cost estimate, with final recommendations for early childhood education, will be provided to the Metropolitan Supervisor prior to December 31. C. Multicultural Education In its commitment to provide equal educational access for all students, the Little Rock School District included in its 1988-89 court mandated desegregation plan the development and implementation of a multicultural education program for grades K-12. Multicultural education seeks to ensure that male and female students, exceptional students, and students who are members of diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural groups will have an equal chance to achieve academically in school. In essence, multicultural education includes (1) the infusion of multicultural content when appropriate into the core subject matter areas
(2) the use of various instructional/learning strategies to address diverse learning styles of students
and (3) the demonstration of the attitude and belief that all students, regardless of cultural diversity, can learn. -70-Multicultural education has several goals: 1. The development of decision-making and social action skills. 2. The viewing of historical and contemporary events from diverse ethnic perspectives, clarifying students' own ethnic identities and helping them to function effectively within their own ethnic communities. 3. The development of cross-cultural competency
the ability to function within a range of cultures. 4 . Providing students with cultural and ethnic alternatives to problems. 5. Greater self-understanding by viewing one's self from the perspectives of others' cultures. 6. The reduction of ethnic, racial, and cultural conflict and discrimination through the expanding of students' conceptions of what it means to be human and the development of an appreciation for and sensitivity to the diversity of lifestyles. 7. Mastery of essential reading, writing, and computational skills. To achieve these goals the District is currently involved in the following six-year plan: Note: This plan modifies the multicultural program approved by the court in the 1989-90 Desegregation Plan Volume 1, January 31, 1989. Phase I (1987-88) - Awareness for district staff -71- members and input from cultural groups within the community. Phase II (1988-89) - Development of curriculum guides by committees of teachers of grades K-6 in the following content areas: English, fine arts, math, reading, science. and social studies. (1989-90) - Implementation of the above grades K-6 curriculum guides. Phase III (1989-90) - Development of curriculum guides by committees of teachers of grades 7-12 for art, music. English, reading, math, science, library-media, social studies (grade 7), and American History/Arkansas History (grade 8). Phase IV (1990-91) - Implementation of the curriculum guides for grades 7-12 for art, music, English, reading. math, science, and library-media. Phase V (1991-92) - Development of curriculum guides as follows: a) Civics (grade 9) b) American Government (grades 10-12) c) American History (regular - grades 10-12) d) American History (AP - Grade 11) e) Contemporary American History and Arkansas Studies (grades 11 and 12) Phase VI (1992-93) - Continued development of curriculum guides as follows: a) Sociology and Psychology (Grades 11-12) b) Any courses added to the social studies -72- curriculum (Grades 11-12) c) Refinement of existing course guides (if needed) (Grades 11-12) The Little Rock School District is on schedule according to the above six-year plan. Periodic review of the content of the guides and their use by teachers will assist in making modifications or in providing staff development to assist teachers in using the guides. D. Special Education Much work has been done to lower the over- representation of black students in special education classes. Efforts have focused on helping special education teachers, principals, and regular teachers do a better job of analyzing the needs of youngsters. Extensive training and follow-up are provided by the special education staff and these efforts will continue. Special inservice training has been provided to help teachers understand and cope with the vulnerability of black male children in society. Disproportion is a continuous issue, and tremendous progress has been made in addressing it in the District. Targeted goals for the Special Education Department include: 1. The development and implementation of a comprehensive sex education program for handicapped students. (1991-92) -73-3. 5. E. The expansion of the Learning Center concept to include a center at the junior high level. (1991- 92) Expansion of the use of the Consulting Teacher Model to provide indirect services to mildly handicapped students. (1990-ongoing) Expansion of vocational training for handicapped students that will enable them to meet current and future job market demands. (1991-1994) Expansion of research activities to determine the effectiveness of special education programs for different handicapped populations. (1991-1994) Gifted and Talented Education The Little Rock School District's Gifted and Talented Program offers services to its students through a design that
This project was supported in part by a Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives project grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Council on Library and Information Resoources.