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November 22, 2009

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EDUCATION:

Rulffes wants more campuses ‘empowered’

Superintendent seeks to expand pilot program, even without full funding

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Walt Rulffes

Justin M. Bowen

Walt Rulffes

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Superintendent Walt Rulffes wants to add up to 20 campuses to the Clark County School District’s “empowerment” pilot program, even if most of them likely won’t get the extra funding that has previously come with participation.

The district currently has 17 empowerment schools, which receive extra per-pupil funding and more control over daily operations in exchange for meeting tougher accountability measures. In addition to district dollars, the empowerment schools receive financial support from private donors and community partners.

At a School Board work session today, Rulffes will recommend that up to 15 schools be allowed to apply for conditional empowerment status without extra funding, although they will be given preferential consideration if money becomes available. Additionally, the district plans to apply for a federal grant to convert five of its lowest-performing schools to empowerment campuses.

The U.S. Education Department is offering $3.5 billion — about $23 million would go to Nevada — to the lowest-achieving campuses in each state, provided they are converted using one of the approved models. The district’s empowerment initiative appears to meet the requirements, Rulffes said.

If the School Board supports moving forward, Rulffes said he will put out a call next week for applications from campuses interested in signing on. The selected schools would be announced in early January.

The additional empowerment money, which the campuses use for initiatives such as longer school days and professional development, has long been the pilot program’s biggest lure. Principals receive a 5 percent pay hike and teachers can earn bonuses for meeting a variety of benchmarks, including improving student achievement and receiving positive reviews from parents. Without those financial incentives to sweeten the deal, some schools might be more reluctant to take on the challenge.

The 2007 Legislature approved $9 million to support a statewide empowerment schools initiative, but it was eliminated in the first round of budget cuts the following winter. The Clark County School District expanded its own program even without state funding, and the principals of the newly named empowerment schools said they were willing to continue even without the extra money, Rulffes said. However, a pledge of $13.5 million from the Lincy Foundation, which oversees billionaire Kirk Kerkorian’s philanthropic endeavors, allowed the district to continue providing the extra funding.

Most of the empowerment schools have shown academic gains.

Of the four elementary schools — Adams, Antonello, Culley and Warren — that launched the empowerment program in 2005, all but Warren — which struggled in 2007-08 — steadily outpaced the districtwide average achievement gains.

Culley has posted the strongest gains, with nearly three-quarters of its students demonstrating proficiency in mathematics for the 2008-09 academic year, compared with less than a third in 2005-06. In reading and writing, Culley’s proficiency rate was 60 percent, up from 24 percent in 2005-06.

There has been criticism of the district for providing inconsistent and insufficient training to administrators and staff at some of the newer empowerment schools. Rulffes said he’s mindful of the concerns, and has made improved professional development, training and support a priority as the pilot program moves forward.

The School Board’s work session will begin at 9 a.m. at the Greer Education Center, 2832 E. Flamingo Road.

Discussion: 3 comments so far…

  1. By lvmachead
    10/7/09 at 6:44 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    I think you've done Warren a disservice. A little research would show that Warren has made AYP, exceeded district and state averages on the 5th grade written exams and had among the greatest improvement in math scores over the past two years. While Warren struggled the first year as a result of a significant change in program design, it has equaled or surpassed the other empowerment schools since.

  2. By pattina23581
    10/7/09 at 7:31 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Ya, but did Culley teachers get the bonus they were promised? NO. The formula was changed mid stream for awarding it. SSSSSSSOOOOOO, no bonus, or it ended up being less than anyone anticipated. Where did the money set aside go? No one seems to know. This should be investigated by the SUN.

  3. By vsestini
    10/8/09 at 7:54 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Empowerment schools or not the inservice courses offered by the CCSD are from, about and by district administrators or former ones. The input is nothing but the same old hash given again with a different menu.

    What should be done is bring in university experts from outside Nevada to teach the inservice. Inhousing the inservice does nothing to bring in new ideas...

    Science teachers need updated information about their field as do those in other academic areas. How many school district administrators are experts in science, math, technology, English literature, History and the many advancement in academic fields?

    District administrators regurgitate the same old garbage year after year in these inservice courses. Back a few years it was in vogue to have 'Assertive Discipline Training', a program costing millions to implement that went no where because there was any real administrative support for the program. Once teachers tried to implement it, it fell flat because building administrators would not follow through on enforcing the student discipline the program required. This is what happens with every new program that the district regards as innovative... sooner or later it fails from within because of the lack of support and follow through by administrators.

    In this district they really don't want excellence in education, innovation in teaching or creative lessons. They follow the same old mantra of demanding detailed lesson plans following the mandated district curriculum and allowing little variance or variation on the part of teachers.

    Lock step education within a department or subject area is the current mandate and mode of teaching. Everyone must be on the same page on the same day, doing exactly the same thing within that school and throughout the district. That is neither innovative, creative or educationally worthwhile. It is pure educational baloney promoted and enhanced by administratos who never were real educators themselves.

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