LOCKPORT SCHOOLS
Board, looking forward, plans retreat
LOCKPORT—Lockport School Board members, looking ahead to next year, are planning a retreat to tackle issues that will affect the district in the future.
The retreat, currently scheduled for Aug. 12 at a site yet to be determined, will be the setting for the board to review its long-term curriculum and instruction plans, School Superintendent Terry Ann Carbone told the board Wednesday night.
“If these are our achievement goals for the next five years, where we want our students to be in 2014, what do we have to do to get there?” Carbone said. “Those kinds of things should be discussed in a good process so every voice can be heard.”
The district’s overall focus will be to continue increasing academic achievement, she said.
“We have very good teams in line to focus on student achievement. We have a strong strategic plan,” Carbone said.
Identifying the needs of students earlier in their education will be emphasized across the district, she said.
“The highest priority will be to increase the graduation rate and decrease the dropout rates,” Carbone said. “A child starts dropping out emotionally at the end of second grade when they can’t read.”
The board also will focus on creating a better transition for students from middle school to high school, said Michelle Bradley, assistant superintendent for learning and assessment.
Some areas in which the district will seek improvement are freshmen orientation, peer mentoring and smaller class size to better assess individual student needs.
The district also will adopt a new reading series for students through fifth grade to meet the district’s literacy goals, she said.
“I think Lockport is an outstanding small-city school district,” Carbone said. “We benefit from a diverse population.”
While the district continues to evolve, Carbone said students are maintaining success in areas from academics and athletics, to fine arts, technology and vocational education.
“We have highly talented students in all areas of our district,” Carbone said.
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