Pine Island, we have a problem
This past year, 46 percent of Pine Island eighth grade students failed to meet or exceed FCAT state reading standards. How can almost one-half of our island children read below grade level, the year before they enter high school, when Pine Island Elementary (PIE) school is rated as one of the best in the country? Dr. Richard Itzen, Director of Accountability, Research and Continuous Improvement for Lee County Public Schools provided the answer by tracking students from their last year at PIE, 5th grade, to their last year in middle school, 8th grade.
The 2006-07 fifth grade class had 53 students, with 87 percent meeting or exceeding state reading standards, compared to 73 percent district wide. Forty one of these original 53 could be identified in 2009-10 as 8th grade students in the Lee County Public School District. The other 12 students no longer attended Lee County Public Schools. Of these 42 Pine Island students, only 54 percent were now meeting or exceeding state reading standards, compared to 59 percent district wide. Dr. Itzen provides at least one reason for this precipitous drop in reading performance from the fifth to the eighth grade.
“Basically, I think this shows that Pine Island Elementary does much better than the district as a whole. But, when students move through middle school, either from Pine Island or district wide, they need continuing support because many of thee students who were meeting standards in elementary school, don’t do so by the time they reach 8th grade.”
What explains the change from 5th to 8th grade? Perhaps the difference in school environment between 5th and 8th grade is a major factor. At PIE, the young students have smaller class sizes and are surrounded by teachers, administrators and volunteers fully committed to providing a nurturing educational environment. However, middle school has larger classes, less individual attention and more independent studies, all surrounded by a rapidly expanding social network with multiple choices. Some young students don’t seem to handle this rapidly changing educational environment very well.
The educational process can be viewed as a three legged stool with successful students sitting on the stool. One leg is represented by teachers and the class room. The second is administration. The third leg is family and community support of the educational process. If all three legs are not of equal length and strength, the student will either slide off or must be endowed with inordinate strength if he or she is to stay on top of a badly tilted process.
Now we all know this is a situation where “one size does not fit all”. Many of us reading this were raised in an environment with three strong legs supporting their educational process. However, this may not be true for many of the children on Pine Island. If so, is this decline in school performance the first indicator of a trend that ultimately leads to school drop out, gang activity, drug and alcohol addiction, teen pregnancy, unemployment and the juvenile justice system? How can students be excited about the learning process if reading and understanding complex concepts is an every day struggle? How can we expect them to be productive citizens and human beings when every school day is a struggle?
It seems to me that we have pushed the adminastratoin and teacher legs to the point of diminishing returns. Superintendents turn over on average every three years, and many of our bet teachers express burnout and early retirement sentiments. That leaves the family and community leg as the best place to get the “most bang for our buck”. As Dr. Itzen said, “When children move through middle school, they need continuing support.”
Fortunately, on Pine Island, we have two things in our favor. First, there are numerous documented programs throughout the country, showing that improving the family and community support leg improves school performance and reduces risky social behavior, resulting in a more productive community. Secondly, we already have three organizations on Pine Island directing their efforts specifically at this problem.
One is the dedicated group of volunteers at PIE, assisting teachers by tutoring designated students in math and reading and also providing art, music and drama programs during the regular school day. Many island groups also donate directly to PIE.
The second is Students Achieving Success (SAS), an after school mentoring and enrichment program starting with fourth and fifth graders who have been identified by their PIE teachers as potentially benefitting from this type of program as they prepare to move on to middle school. These students, identified early in the fourth and fifth grades will be followed as they transition into sixth grade and progress through eighth grade with continuing after school mentoring and enrichment program, plus more emphasis on supervised, accountable, independent study and making good choices as they prepare for high school. This program started last spring and data is being collected to document it’s impact on students progress through elementary and middle school.
The third program is Pine Island Teen Success (PITS) and is focused on middle and early high school teenagers. PITS’ focus is providing constructive activities for these young people in the evening on on weekends, as they transition through the teen years to early adulthood.
All three programs are intent on extending adult/child interactions i a constructive manner and to bring together families and community to strengthen the third leg of this process. All three groups are also working with teachers and school administration to ensure that the final product, ie. our children, is greater than the sum of the individual programs.
Is this just PIE in the sky? Not really. Depending on your point of view, this problem is either a moral imperative or an economic necessity. The average cost to taxpayers has been estimated to be as high as $1.5 million over the life time of each high school dropout. There is something in this for everyone. What is needed is a little more money and a lot of volunteer tutoring, mentoring and enrichment time. If a significant number of adult volunteers would each give two to three hours per week to tutor students in the class room, provide mentoring and enrichment after school or provide teenage mentoring and guidance on weekends, all three of these programs would collectively get a much greater number of our children through high school and on to a more productive life. A win-win for all concerned.
If you are interested in any or all of these programs, please contact the following people for more information:
— Volunteering at PIE: Pam Anderson 283-0505
— Students Achieving Success (SAS): Kathy Lyons Kathyfscott@aol.com or Jim Cole 283-8934
— Pine Island Teen Success (PITS): Tonya Player 533-4361 Tonyaplayer@embarqmail.com or David Bradley 283-0030
Now is the time for us all to step forward and participate in the solution. Some ask,”How did we get into this mess?” I am not sure. However, this is one way to start getting out of it. Both our children and our community need whatever you can give.
— Your time: mentoring and tutoring students in the class room, after school or on weekends
— You talent: enrichment programs, share your job, hobbies, interesting life experiences. Things that have made a significant difference to you.
— You treasure: monetary donations to cover operating expenses
Our children and our community can not wait any longer.