School District shifts alternative education

Monday, Jan. 12, 2004 | 8:45 a.m.

In an effort to cut costs and bolster student achievement, Edward Goldman, a regional superintendent, will take over the Clark County School District's alternative education program effective today.

Superintendent Carlos Garcia appointed Goldman to streamline the alternative education program and to work directly with him to improve the cost-effectiveness of other programs in the district.

The move is a major shift from Garcia's 2001 reorganization of the district, which divided the district into five regions, each with a regional superintendent in charge of their own alternative education programs.

Garcia said the consolidation under Goldman, head of the Southeast Region, might be the first of many such moves aimed at saving money for the most worthwhile programs.

"(Goldman) will work with me to see what other things we need to look at to really streamline the system to reduce costs," Garcia said. "The last several years we have been cutting and cutting programs (because of a budget deficit). Now, we want to look at which programs are effective, which ones are not effective, and see what we can make more effective."

Distributing responsibility for alternative education among the different regions led to multiple programs with too few bodies per teachers expended, Garcia said. It also drew the administrators' attention away from regular classes.

"By freeing them up to focus on the actual school sites, we think this will help raise test scores overall," Garcia said.

Goldman will oversee education services, which includes the district's credit retrieval program for students missing credits, sunset high school programs for students who work during the day, adult education services to students with behavioral problems.

"(Goldman) has done a really good job with some of the alternative education in his region," Garcia said. "He's had some really great ideas and I think he will do more for us districtwide and be able to do it more cost effectively."

The function of alternative education is to help students prepare for the proficiency test and to make up credits they need to graduate, Deputy Superintendent Agustin Orci said.

The proficiency tests, a longtime requirement for graduation, are now also a measure of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

"It's one of the criteria used to measure success or nonsuccess of a given school, if test scores are not high enough the school ends up a watch list or needs improvement list," Orci said.

Currently, the district has been spending $17 million on alternative education, or about $10,000 per student. Garcia said streamlining the program would save about $2 million a year.

One of Goldman's main responsibilities will be to research alternative education programs throughout the country to possibly find a better model for Clark County to follow.

"This does not mean we do not think (alternative education) is a good program. It is a fabulous program, and we have great people working for it," Garcia said. " But we can't afford a program that doesn't have larger class sizes. We have to make sure it is economically feasible.

Garcia compared the alternative education classes to advanced placement, which also need to be filled for the district to be able to offer them.

One possible change may be more influence on independent study for alternative students, Garcia said.

Goldman's new position also consolidates two previous administrative slots that had gone unfilled, Garcia said, so the job fits within the current budget. Assistant Southeast Region Superintendent Lauren Kohut-Rost will fill Goldman's former post effective today, Garcia said.

Carla Steinforth was also appointed to serve as the Northwest Region superintendent, filling the vacancy left by Len Paul, who retired.