Correction to Herald Article in Oct. 28 Edition

By DR. BETSY BAKER

For the Herald

In the October 28, 2021, edition of the Herald, an article was published which called into question “the board’s decision [on October 18] to add three more online programs to the curriculum”, the rationale behind them, security/accessibility concerns, the selection process, etc.

To clarify, the Board did not approve any new online programs or courses on October 18. The Spring Cove School District does offer a cyber education program, called Spring Cove Cyber, for families who elect to enroll in a full-time online educational program. Students who are enrolled at Central High School, Spring Cove Middle School, Martinsburg Elementary School, and Spring Cove Elementary School are taught, in-person, by Spring Cove teachers using a variety of resources including textbooks, workbooks, videos, websites, etc. in addition to direct teacher instruction, classroom dialogue, etc. Resources used for classroom instruction are approved by the Board in public meetings, assuring transparency for the school community, AFTER appropriate review by school staff. The selection process involves research by the teaching staff, school principal, and, if applicable, the technology department, before being recommended to the superintendent and then to the Board.

As discussed during the Board Meeting on October 18, approval of three, no-cost websites, as resources for instruction, was recently requested by the Spring Cove Middle School English Language Arts Department, and their request was ultimately approved by the Board at the October 18 meeting. SCMS ELA teachers learned about the websites through the September eblast, an electronic professional development newsletter through the PA Department of Education, which recommended the websites as resources for teachers for text-dependent analysis instruction and practice. Text-dependent analysis involves reading a text or passage and using the text to support their answers to questions, citing evidence from the text while also demonstrating reading comprehension and analysis of literary elements or text structure. Text-dependent analysis is a complex skill and its development requires extensive teacher modeling and student practice. The three websites which were approved provide access to free articles and videos which can be used for this critical skill development. Use of the websites is under the direction and supervision of the teacher to support classroom instruction and assignments. These resources add to the teachers’ toolbox to support student learning in connection with direct instruction and are, in no way, designed as a stand-alone online program or as a substitute for teacher instruction.

According to SCMS Principal Breanne Venios, “Our ELA teachers meet every other week to review data and resources in order to provide the best instruction possible to our students. During this time, they review the eblast from PDE, which is specifically for curriculum, assessments, and instruction. During the month of September, they reviewed five of these resources and decided that three would be appropriate resources to supplement their lessons.” The ELA teachers determined the resources would be strong additions to their board-approved curriculum because these websites 1) offer differentiation and enrichment for students with IEPs and GIEPs and when students are grouped for specific skill development based upon pre-test data and other diagnostic assessment, 2) allow students to choose articles of personal interest (which makes learning more relevant and engaging for them), and 3) engage students in meaningful use of 21st-century technology. These websites were also reviewed by the technology department and administration before being recommended to the Board.

SCSD teachers incorporate the use of Chromebooks, websites, and other technology within their instruction in the same manner that they utilize other instructional tools and resources, such as calculators, rulers, textbooks, workbooks, etc. To not use electronic resources would be a disservice to our students. Use of these tools and resources helps us to appropriately equip our students for success in future post-secondary training, college, and/or careers. In our ever-changing world, it is imperative that students are prepared with the requisite STEM knowledge/skills to solve problems, to make sense of information, and to gather/evaluate evidence to make decisions. Teachers are intentional with planning interactive lessons and assignments. Students are not asked to merely access websites or watch videos with no learning purpose attached. The use of electronic resources is closely monitored by SCSD teachers and administrators. The district’s technology structure allows teachers to view and restrict what students are accessing on their Chromebooks, filters sites or content that are inappropriate, and notifies the building administrator when students are attempting to access filtered sites or content. Our highly qualified teaching staff plan for the effective use of electronic resources and appropriately balance such use with that of other non-electronic activities. Providing our students with the best possible education, while keeping them safe– including when utilizing online resources– are always our top priorities.