By Michael Short

With classroom grants and needs-based scholarships, a local organization has launched a major campaign to improve schools.

The Quiet Resorts Charitable Foundation has reached out to local taxpayers to help the Indian River School District.  Education has always been a  top prioity for the QRCF with scholarships and grants among its many programs.

Since 2001, the QRCF has distributed $115,000 in grants and scholarship monies to Indian River School District students.

But there’s still too many needy students and not enough money. So, the “Back Our Schools” initiative was launched this fall. With the “Back Our Schools” program, people can contribute to a fund that will be used for scholarships and for grants that go directly to the classroom teacher.

A letter went out to residents last month and within 24 hours, contributions were starting to come in. There’ still too many needy students and not enough money, but organizers say the community has  warmly embraced the idea.

QRCF normally works in the Bethany Beach and Fenwick Island areas, but has decided to reach out to the entire Indian River School District. QRCF Secretary Mary Franz said that better schools mean a better work force, higher property values and better communities.

“We have 600 teachers and I bet everyone of them needs something,” she said.

The program won’t buy paper or chalk. But it might help pay for field trips, dictionaries or bulbs for overhead projects for smart boards because the money will be used for items not already paid for by federal, state or local dollars.

“The sky is the limit,” Franz said.

A letter sent to taxpayers in the school district said the program will directly impact students because it goes straight to classroom teachers. Building principals verify that the request is a real need.

But after that, it will “directly” impact classroom teachers, according to that letter. “We remove the bureaucratic red tape and make a direct impact on our students and our schools.”

“We were adamant that we wanted the money to get to the kids,” Franz said.

QRCF President Diane Comolli said “the best and strongest communities are the ones where schools have partnerships.”

“People in our community will be able to see exactly where their money is going. It is transparent,” she said. “It’s going to move schools forward. Consequently, it moves communities forward.”

Franz said the goal is to ensure that “every child is as successful as we can help make them be.”

In addition to the classroom grants, the program will also be used to fund needs-based scholarships for students.

“The Quiet Resorts Charitable Foundation (QRCF) is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Bethany-Fenwick and surrounding areas by providing financial aid resources and other assistance in support of programs, individuals and organizations that enhance our community for both residents and visitors alike,” according to the group’s website.

The QRCF held one of its’ major events on Saturday, Dec. 4. The annual Caribbean Christmas benefited The Wellness Community-Delaware, The William O. Murray Scholarship Fund, Camp Barnes and community grant and scholarship funds.

To make a tax-deductible donation or to find out more about the Back to School initiative, go to www.qrcf.org or email info@qrcf.org. You may also call 537-7723.

By Michael Short

The Lewes Public Library has hired a new director who will begin work on January 3.

Ed Goyda will come on board as the library faces a crossroads.

The library, a showplace when it was built in 1988, is simply no longer large enough. Rising population and increasing usage have meant Lewes is simply running out of space.

Libraries have not become smaller as the digital age advances. In fact, the opposite has often happened because many library users, including children, still prefer to read a book they can hold in their hands, according to the Lewes Library website.

Libraries can also be reluctant to invest in the latest digital technology because it changes so rapidly and becomes obsolete so quickly.

It would be very expensive to do repairs and try to expand the current  library location.  The City of Lewes has also said that it does not want the library to encroach any further on the adjacent Stango Park.

That leaves the library with some difficult decisions to make in the coming months, including finding a location for another site. In August, the Library Board of Trustees voted unanimously to search for another location for the library rather than trying to renovate and expand the existing building.

The current building is owned by the City of Lewes and is leased for $1 per year to the Public Library.

“The library itself is at capacity and the back room staff/work areas are far beyond capacity. Our five full and 13 part-time staff members are working in a space that was designed for four people,” according to a frequently asked question section of the Lewes Library website, leweslibrary.org.

The Library serves not just Lewes, but the rapidly growing coastal area. Currently, there are some 18,900 residents in the area. But that number is expected to reach 30,000 in the next two decades.

Goyda will replace Chrys Dudbridge, who is retiring after more than a decade as the library director. The library usage grew steadily during her time at the helm and is expected to continue a dramatic increase.

Usage increased from 81,000 visitors per year to more than 149,000 visitors per year during her tenure.

“We chose Ed Goyda following a national search,” said Library Board President Beckie Healey. “He is a very talented young man who has handled a broad range of responsibilities while managing three different libraries.”

Goyda, who has a Masters of Library Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh, most recently has been assistant manager of the largest branch of the Cape May County Library in Villas, New Jersey.

Prior to that, he was the director of libraries in Boyerstown and Brownsville, Pennsylvania.

Goyda said the need for more capacity may be the biggest challenge facing the library. “We definitely do need more space.”

He said the biggest opportunity may be to expand and continue the library’s role as a community center for Lewes. Goyda said that he  has been impressed by the number of supporters, volunteers and connections that the library has with the local community.

“We feel that Ed Goyda will help us successfully adapt to new technologies, procedures and instruments as the board explores the future of library services in Lewes,” according to Healey.

At the direction of the Delaware Division of Libraries, the Board of Trustees of the Lewes Public Library has been engaged in discussions about where and how library services can best be provided over the next several decades.

“This is a critical topic for the library and we look forward to Mr. Goyda’s input,” she said. “The library will soon be at capacity and our back room administrative offices are well beyond that point. Now is the time to start planning for the future.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity for both Ed and the Lewes Public Library to move forward together,” she added.

The current library building opened in 1988, following a local fundraising campaign.  Prior to that, the library was located in  a wing of Lewes City Hall after being housed for some 30 years in the upstairs of the Zwaanendael Museum.

“By 1961, the museum collection was expanding and needed the space occupied by the library. Arrangements were made with the city commissioners to use a wing of the newly built town hall,” according to the Sussex County Department of Libraries website. “In 1988, the library moved into its present location at Kings Highway and Adams Avenue. And on October 14, 2000, the Lewes Public Library officially opened two new wings: the Barbara Moon Children’s Wing and the Florence Coltman Research Wing. The $1 million additions and renovations nearly doubled the size of the library, which now measures close to 14,000 square feet.”

By Michael Short

Cape Henlopen High School hosted the most recent and final state conversation about “stronger schools” on Tuesday, Dec. 21.

Governor Jack Markell and Delaware Education Secretary Lillian Lowery were at the high school to promote Delaware’s plans to revamp its’ education system and to get public input on how to prepare Delaware students for a wildly different job market.

The  governor told the audience of teachers, community members and several state representatives that many Delaware companies have roots elsewhere. ING, for example, is based in Holland. Astra Zeneca is based in England.

“This is the new world,” he said.

Delaware’s attempts to revamp education have focused on several areas. One of the most significant is raising the bar when it comes to the state testing standards, meaning that more will be expected of Delaware students.

Those new test results will make it seem that Delaware students are doing worse. But Markell and Lowery said that is not the case. “Our kids have been practicing basketball essentially with an eight foot basket,” Markell said, searching for an analogy to explain the difference. “When the game is based on a ten foot hoop, then our kids are going to be in trouble.”

For  example, 76 percent of Delaware fourth graders are  now considered proficient at reading. But on the new test, that is expected to drop to only 48 percent.

The lower results are expected to be unpopular and to, at least initially, make Delaware students appear to be doing poorly. “It doesn’t mean they know one thing less,” Markell said.

In addition to tougher standards, Delaware is also revamping its’ testing system to allow students to take the test more than once, removing some of the all or nothing pressure associated with the previous system.

The testing will also be designed so that it can better show student progress, rather than getting results too late to help a student achieve more, Lowery said.

Markell stressed that educators have a place at the table and are listened to. It’s not like other states where teachers and state officials are often at odds, he said. He even went so far as to call the situation in New Jersey “a holy war.”

Data coaches to help teachers interpret data and efforts to target low-achieving schools for improvement are other elements of Delaware’s plan. Those  low-achieving schools must develop plans for improvement.

Audience members raised several issues at the end of the tenth and last “Conversation About Stronger Schools.”

Dr. Roni Posner of the Cape Henlopen School Board asked about the use of textbooks and technology and was told that for some students, a textbook worked best. For others, a book that could be read on a computer screen may be a better teaching tool.

Posner agreed both are needed and said we need to “listen to teachers crying out for books in their classrooms.”

Other audience members asked about financial accountability for state funds, raised concerns about losing librarians  and broached the subject of extending classroom time.

One parent called for more creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, saying that should not be sacrificed for better test scores.

Markell agreed that creativity must not be sacrified, saying “the U.S. continues to be the best in innovation.”

“People came, spoke their minds and shared their thoughts about our move to raise student standards on what’s considered proficient in math and reading and our efforts to tie performance more closely to results. What teachers, business leaders and administrators, parents, students, school board members, senior citizens and senior officials all made clear is how critical teamwork is in making real reform possible,” Markell said about the Stronger School meetings.

“The holidays will soon be over and kids will be headed back to class,” he continued.  ”While the presents their parents worked so hard to get and so hard to wrap for them may be forgotten-if our conversations keep going and we keep making progress together-what out kids learn when they are back in the classrooms will keep on giving to them and to the state’s economy for years and years to come.”

“For our state’s long term economic health and prosperity, it’s clear the most critical thing we can do is make sure we have some of the best public schools in the country,” he said last fall. “We need to know our kids are graduating ready to compete and  ready to win-against anyone in the world.”

Feedback and ideas are welcome, according to a handout at the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting. Those ideas can be shared at http://ideas.delaware.gov. There’s a special section deveoted to strenghening schools.

Senator Tom Carper (left) and Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Collin O'Mara examine one of the newly retrofitted Cape buses.

By Michael Short

The Cape Henlopen school bus fleet is among several in Delaware that’s being upgraded so that its’ diesel engines produce almost no air pollution.

School buses in Delaware are being refitted with filters and other equipment that supporters say will create good American jobs and help the environment while protecting our health.

Fifteen buses at Cape Henlopen have received the makeover under legislation signed into law on January 4.

“We are all here today because we are passionate about  our Delaware community and passionate about keeping our community healthy,” said Deb Brown of the American Lung Association, during a press conference on Tuesday. “With modern pollution control technology, the emissions from a diesel engine can be cut by 90 percent.”

The Clean Diesel Retrofit Program provides loans, grants and rebates to reduce diesel emissions. Senator Tom Carper and Senator George Voinovich were main sponsors of the legislation in 2005 and it was re-authorized on Tuesday afternoon.

Closed crankcase filtration systems and diesel particulate filters made from ceramic are installed on buses under the refitting program. The result can be an almost total elimination of diesel emission.

Carper was among those at the press conference at the Cape Henlopen School District. Buses in Capital School District and Providence Creek Academy, trash trucks in Dover and Wilmington and diesel engines at the Port of Wilmington are other recipients of the new technology.

“The people of Delaware sent me to Washington to find ideas that will work, ideas we can all agree on to make our country even better,” Carper said. “It’s going to make life a lot better.”

Compared with traditional gasoline engines, diesel engines are more efficient, last longer and without the proper technology, have greater, deadlier emissions,” according to Carper’s office. “Diesel exhaust is a mixture of vapors and fine particles, many of which can cause cancer. Chronic exposure to these toxins can lead to cancer and death. This is why poor air quality caused by old dirty, diesel engines can lead to higher-than-average cancer rates for those living along heavily traveled interstate highways, like I-95 in Delaware. . . dirty diesel emissions are linked to 21,000 premature deaths, hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks and numerous other health impacts every year.”

“Reducing diesel pollution is a win for jobs, a win for health and a win for climate,” said Brooke Suter of the Clean Air Task Force. She said that diesel particles cause a seven times greater danger of lung cancer than other emissions and also increase the threat of global warming.

About 109 school buses in Delaware have already been re-fitted under the program. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Secretary Collin O’Mara said “there is no more  sacred trust”  for government than keeping water and air clean.

The program leverages federal dollars so well that for each $1 spent, there are more than $13 in benefits, according to Carper.

“We are excited that Senator Carper has decided to come to the Cape Henlopen School District and has recognized our diesel emissions reduction program in the district as a best practice,” said Cape Henlopen Superintendent Dr. David Robinson.

Carper paused during Tuesday’s event to praise Congressman Mike Castle, who was serving his last day in office, for “his exemplary service to the people of our state and country.”

By Michael Short

The Cape Henlopen School District has set a series of three meetings in November to decide what to look for in a new superintendent.

The three community meetings will be held in cooperation with the University of Delaware and are designed to help develop a leadership profile for a new Cape Henlopen Superintendent.

Dr. David Robinson is the interim superintendent, but has said he is not interested in becoming a permanent superintendent. The meetings are set for November 1, November 8 and November 15.

“We need everybody in the community to attend,” said School Board Member Dr. Roni Posner at the Oct. 14 school board meeting.

Posner said the three meetings are the first major step toward finding a new superintendent. “It is critical that we spread the word (about the community meetings).”

The public will consider issues like what characteristics the superintendent should have, what the district’s priorities should be and what the biggest challenges faced by the district are.

All three meetings are set for 7 p.m. The Nov. 1 meeting is at Milton Elementary School while the Nov. 8 meeting is  at Rehoboth Elementary School and the Nov. 15 meeting is at Cape Henlopen High School.

“The information gleaned from these meetings will help steer our search for the best candidate that can meet the educational needs of our community and set the direction for our District over the next several years,” according to a flyer announcing the three meetings.

School District officials also announced that they will hold a cornerstone ceremony and dedication for the new Cape Henlopen High School at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 7.  “This memorable occasion will include a look at the past, a window of the present and a vision of the future,” according to an announcement of the celebration.

In other news on Thursday night, Board Member Andy Lewis repeated his concerns that new testing standards will make Delaware school districts look bad. Standards are being raised and changed, which educators fear will lead to dramatic headlines about how many Delaware schools are failing.

Even if school test scores remain unchanged, many more  are expected to fail standards next year because of the changes. Lewis said schools are going to fail, despite “working harder and smarter and having schools improve. But it’s going to look like we’re not (improving).”

Lewis called the situation “a perfect storm.”

Posner said it’s important that the school district engage the community and make families and communities aware of the changes.

In other news, Milton Elementary School was honored by Nemours for improving the health of students. “It’s a great start that makes us very proud,” said Board Member Dr. Sara Wilkinson. Nemours gives awards to schools which are helping to improve the quality of life for students and Milton Elementary was honored for nutrition and for physical activity.

In another major step to transform the educational experience for Delaware students, school children across the state will start taking the first of a series of new tests which will monitor students’ progress toward college and career readiness like never before possible.

Schools will begin administering the new Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System (DCAS) online to replace the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) this week.  Based on higher student proficiency standards, DCAS will more accurately and more closely measure each student’s academic performance throughout the course of the year —not just at the end of the year— so schools can quickly identify areas of strengths and weaknesses to tailor instruction appropriately for each student.  The exams can be taken up to four times per year with results back within 48 hours.

The research-based assessment system was developed with input from education and business leaders, parents, and other community leaders across the state, with the goal being to provide teachers with critical information about where their students begin their classes and how much progress they are making towards Delaware’s new higher standards.

“This new test gives parents, teachers and schools a better barometer of student academic progress so we can better prepare them for the tougher demands and challenges that await them in future college courses and the workforce,” said Governor Jack Markell. “Delaware’s children deserve the highest quality education.  We must set higher expectations for our students and provide our teachers with timely and useful information about student progress.”

The DCAS Standard Setting Panel established higher expectations for students on the DCAS in the form of higher cut scores for demonstrated proficiency in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies.  The State Board of Education recently adopted the higher standards for students to be considered “proficient” on the assessment. As a result, the number of students with DCAS scores reaching the “proficiency” level is projected to be about 10 to 28 percentage points lower than with DSTP, which will more closely align with results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Scores are expected to gradually rise as students master the state’s more rigorous curriculum.

Initial Drop Expected in Percentage of Students Meeting Proficiency Level

With results back in just a couple days, teachers and parents will now have access to comprehensive performance data almost immediately after students take the test. “Results of the rigorous benchmark exams taken throughout the year will serve to closely track how students are performing so schools can immediately provide intensive support where gaps are found and build upon achievements,” Secretary of Education Lillian M. Lowery said.

This week, students will start testing in Reading and Math in third through tenth grades.  Schools have provided opportunities for students to take DCAS practice tests in advance of the first administration to become familiar with the exam’s adaptable format, which prompts questions for each student based on the mastery of knowledge and skills demonstrated in responses to prior questions.  English, Biology, U.S. History, Algebra and Integrated Math End of Course assessments will be field-tested starting in the spring semester and will be instituted next school year.

DCAS Replacing DSTP to Better Measure College and Career Readiness

The testing schedule is available for parents at their child’s school.  However, the windows for testing across the state are listed in the following page.

Calendar of DCAS Administration

For additional information about DCAS, please go to http://de.portal.airast.org/.

release from Delaware Department of Education

From left, Goose Creek District Manager Libby Bages, Phillip C. Showell Principal Laura Schneider, Selbyville Goose Creek Store Manager Lois Carroll and Phillip C. Showell Title I Specialist Debbie Buffington.

Phillip C. Showell Elementary School in Selbyville recently received a $750 grant from the ExxonMobil Educational Alliance program for the purchase of math manipulative kits for students in Grades 2-5.

The grant was one of 2,400 nationwide to schools served by Exxon or Mobil stations. Officials from Cato Gas & Oil and Goose Creek Food Stores visited the school on Friday, October 8 to present a check to Principal Laura Schneider.

The math manipulative kits contain hands-on tools such as fraction tower equivalency cubes and rainbow protractors. These tools allow for innovative instruction in the classroom and prepare students to achieve state performance standards.

The ExxonMobil Educational Alliance program is designed to provide Exxon and Mobil retailers with an opportunity to invest in the future of their communities through educational grants to neighborhood schools. ExxonMobil believes that, as members of the community, local retailers are best qualified to work with local educators to help identify schools and programs most in need of support.

In October, Indian River School District students in Grades 3-10 will begin testing as part of the new online Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System (DCAS).

DCAS replaces the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP), which was discontinued at the end of the 2009-2010 school year.

Initial assessments in reading and mathematics will begin on October 11 and continue through November 19. Each school will establish its own testing schedule within that window. This baseline assessment will help guide classroom instruction for the remainder of the school year.

A second, mid-year baseline assessment in reading and math will take place between January 5 and April 11.

Final summative assessments in reading and math for Grades 2-10 will begin on April 18 and continue through June 3. In addition, final summative assessments in science for Grades 5, 8 and 10 will be held from April 18 until June 3. Final assessments in social studies for Grades 4 and 7 will run from May 23 through June 3.

Each school will set its own testing schedule within the assessment windows and communicate those dates to parents.

The district will also conduct the field tests for end-of-course assessments in Algebra I, Integrated Math I, English II, Biology and U.S. History from May 2 through June 3.

DCAS was piloted in the Indian River School District and statewide last spring. The new online tests are administered on computers and adjust to each student’s knowledge and skills.

The main advantage of DCAS is that it provides immediate feedback on student performance. Teachers can use assessment results to identify each child’s areas of strength and weakness, and adjust instruction accordingly. Each year, students will have the opportunity to take two rounds of formative assessments in reading and math before the final summative assessments in the spring.

Training tests and other DCAS information are available on the state DCAS web portal: http://de.portal.airast.org. Users will need to install a free Mozilla Firefox browser on their computer before taking the practice test. A link to download this browser is available on the site.

For information about DCAS testing dates, please contact your child’s school. Testing schedules and additional information are also available on the Indian River School District web site: www.irsd.net.

Weeks of training culminate as athletes from local schools come together to compete against each other in Special Olympics Delaware’s annual Sussex County Soccer Skills Competition on October 12 at Howard T. Ennis in Georgetown.

Over 250 students will participate in basic and advanced soccer skills events, including: dribbling, passing and shooting. In addition, Young Athletes (students ages 7 and below) and Motor Activity Training Program demonstrations will be held.

Schools participating include:

• Banneker Elementary
• Chipman Middle School
• Ennis School
• Frankford Elementary
• Georgetown Elementary
• Lord Baltimore Elementary
• Milford High School Central Academy
• Rehoboth Elementary
• Seaford Autism Program
• Woodbridge High School