Each year GHAPS administrators prepare Climate and Perception Surveys which are given to staff and parents. What is interesting is that most teachers and parents want the same things.
Focus on teaching foundation skills
Hire more teachers
Implement smaller class sizes
Bring back trade/life skills
Deal with student behavior issues so we/teachers can focus on teaching
Both teachers and parents feel that teaching foundational skills should be emphasized and several made comments on this topic.
Teacher Comments
“We need to become more academic.”
“Give teachers adequate phonics training. Not just training on a curriculum but actual phonics.”
“Quality phonics instruction for Yk-2. Something that is solidly research based and that truly looks at how the brain learns to read.”
Parent Comments
“I feel a reading intervention program/curriculum would be beneficial. There are so many students who struggle in reading and from what I am seeing as a parent, there isn't a real program that is being followed. I could be wrong, but from what I witnessed with the online learning, reading interventions are extra reading groups and talking about a story. I highly recommend looking into Reading Mastery and Corrective Reading. These programs work on fluency and comprehension. I have personally seen a lot of success using both of these programs.”
“Grade k-5th really seemed to be pushing hard for academics that didn’t exactly seem right for their age like many algorithms to do math but not a lot of math fact practice.“
“Do they not teach spelling in elementary anymore?”
“More room in intervention groups for students on the cusp of needing support vs not needing support, more interventionists available, standards-based intervention groups. Push-in support during reading and math workshops.“
“Instead of policing mask policies, pushing DEI, pushing Pride activism, and inherent bias, principal's and teacher's time would be better spent teaching reading, writing, math, science, and history like they used to when we were younger. How about promoting the greatness of America and that we should be grateful to live here? “
Reading, writing, and math are foundational skills that enable students to learn all other subjects. If students are not proficient in these critical skills taught in early elementary school they will struggle throughout their academic careers and lives. Statewide only 41% of children can read at grade level and a sad 33% are proficient in grade level math.
In Grand Haven these numbers are better than the statewide average, but still disappointing. Only 64% of students are proficient in reading while 55% are proficient in math.
At Ferry Elementary School less than 50% of 3rd and 4th grade students are proficient in reading and math.
Large financial investments can be made into history and science programs, but if students cannot read, achievement throughout their academic careers and beyond will be hindered. Likewise, technology is nice, but one teacher asked how much the investment into Chromebooks has helped. According to the test scores above, it appears the $18.9 million one-to-one technology bond passed in 2014-15 is not having the desired effect. Another teacher suggested the district focus resources on student learning, and not on technology. Several teachers stated they have excellent technology resources and no idea how to use them.
Several teachers commented that there are so many new topics introduced (too much on their plates), but nothing is consistently implemented. Inconsistent accountability is frustrating. Another person commented, “quit paying for [curriculum] programs and spend more [money] on staff improvement for student performance.”
These comments coupled with the above test scores seem to indicate that GHAPS should focus on teaching foundational skills. Both teachers and students need time to focus on fundamentals without the distractions of mastering a continuous whirlwind of new resources and topics. Both teachers and parents want children to be successful and it’s interesting they both feel there should be a greater focus on foundational academics.