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Date: 3/8/2022
HOLYOKE – Although much has been done to improve the Paper City’s schools, there is much more to be done.
That was the overall message from school Superintendent/Receiver Anthony Soto who discussed the results of his six-month entry plan process with the School Committee on March 1.
Soto said in the report, “The ultimate purpose of the entry plan is for me to build a deeper understanding of our district in order to set a clear path forward for our community that is inclusive of input from all stakeholders.”
The report included important metrics that put Holyoke’s schools into perspective at this time. The district has a 72.2 percent graduation rate; a 3.4 percent dropout rate; 24 percent of its Grade 3 students reading at/above grade level; 44.6 percent of students completing MassCore; 45 percent of students in advanced coursework; 23.7 percent of students are chronically absent; a 92.3 percent attendance rate; and 26 percent of teachers are people of color. Some of these statistics are from 2019 due to the effects of the pandemic, the report noted.
He praised the district’s teachers, staff and administrators. “We have a ton of dedicated and passionate educators,” he noted to the School Committee.
Out of his efforts, he arrived at the three significant challenges the School Committee and the district is facing:
Soto ticked off the number of voices he heard, as well as classrooms he visited. He listened to 499 staff voices; 174 student voices; 380 family voices; and 101 community voices. He visited, 29 elementary classrooms; 23 middle school classrooms; 16 pre-K-7 or pre-K-8 classrooms; and 24 high school/transitions classrooms.
In his remarks to the School Committee he said, “Holyoke Public Schools is doing a good job expanding [opportunities] at the high school level.”
He said programs that have kept students in school instead of dropping out are working and the district has been successful in its dual language program.
Another good sign is the number of principals who are staying on the job with the district. “We are not turning over principals as much as we used to,” Soto said.
When speaking of getting students grade level ready, Soto said, “We still have a lot of work to do.” He added the district must strengthen its support for special education students, 40 percent of which are English language learners.
In the report Soto wrote, “Holyoke needs to develop a systematic, sustained approach to reading and writing in the early grades to ensure that all children are reading proficiently by the end of third grade, which research shows that can be a make-or-break benchmark in a child’s educational development. By the end of third grade, children need to make the shift from learning to read to reading to learn, where they apply their literacy skills to “gain more information in subjects such as math and science, to solve problems, to think critically about what they are learning, and to act upon and share that knowledge in the world around them.”
In terms of academics, he also wrote, “HPS also needs to create and implement a systematic approach to mathematics instruction. Numeracy is an essential life skill; we use numbers in our personal and professional lives daily.”
But grade level concerns do not only apply to third graders as the report noted, “Holyoke must ensure incoming ninth graders are ready for high school and receive strong counseling during high school. Many incoming ninth grade students are not academically ready for high school since they haven’t consistently received the appropriate support to reach grade level expectations in core content areas.”
Soto also said in his remarks, “We must do a better job creating a positive learning environment.” In the report, he wrote, “Holyoke must design and implement a holistic, effective approach to middle level education that values young adolescents and meets their academic and social emotional needs.
Survey results reveal that 61 percent of middle school students feel like they belong in their school, but only 21 percent said their school has opportunities and activities that fit their interests and needs.”
Soto said that out of his conversations he doesn’t believe teachers are being given enough time for planning.
Although he praised the efforts the facility management staff in maintaining the present school buildings, improvements must be done. “I want students to be proud of going to a school,” he said.
He also believes the district need to support families better. “We need to be providing more opportunity for families to be involved in their student’s education.”
The report noted, “Some families indicated that school-to-home and home-to-school communication is an area for improvement. Some families are looking for information about what their child is learning, how they can support learning at home, and their child’s strengths and areas for growth. Similarly, elementary, and middle school leaders have suggested re-establishing set days for parent-teacher conferences. Others indicated that the district and schools need to find more effective ways to communicate with families of students who are English Learners and that although interpretation and translation services are offered, there are other barriers that limit predominantly Spanish-speaking families from engaging with the district.”
Soto said there will be meetings scheduled for all school principals as well as parents, teachers, and others.
“This strategy has to be a Holyoke plan,” he said.
To read the full report, go to https://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/.