According to the New York State Department of Education, Saratoga
Springs High School and Ballston Spa High School are among 499 schools
and 35 districts state-wide that are in need of improvement.
Through the No Child Left Behind act and state education standards, a district could be added to the list if a subgroup of students - students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged or ethnic minorities - fails to meet test score requirements or graduation rates. Once a district is added to the list, it must make measurable improvements two years in a row to get off the list.
This is the first year Ballston Spa Central School District has been added to the list because students with disabilities had a low graduation rate.
"We've developed individual plans for students with disabilities and have put a tremendous amount of energy into English Language Arts (ELA)," said Ballston Spa High School Principal Kristi Jensen.
The high school has also implemented a co-teaching model in which there is a subject teacher and a special education teacher both teaching a heterogeneous class with no more than 20 students. The district has also hired a guidance counselor to serve the needs of students with disabilities.
This is the second time Ballston Spa Central School District has been added to the list. In 2005 the district was added to the list and was taken off after two years of adequate improvement.
"Our goal is to develop a process to track students' successes and failures. The responsibility is on all faculty and staff to understand a student's need for help and to address the issue," Jensen said. "There are a lot of things that the district is doing well; we are just adjusting to the different needs of the students."
Saratoga Springs City School District made adequate yearly progress this year; however it takes two years of adequate improvement to get off the list. Students with disabilities struggled with ELA two years ago, but the school made progress.
"We are waiting for this time next year so hopefully we can celebrate getting off the list," Superintendent of Schools Janice White said. She added that the district improved the graduation rate for students with disabilities in four years improved from 46 percent to 63 percent in one year.
"It's challenging for a lot of these students to earn a diploma so we have to make sure students have access to extra help and accommodations to help them succeed," White said.
Like Ballston Spa, Saratoga Springs High School has implemented a dual-teacher model in the classrooms; one content specialist teacher and one special education teacher in a classroom with both traditional students and students with disabilities.
"With a high student to teacher ratio students will get individualized attention in class and can get extra help when needed," White said.
Schools that were added to the list of needing improvement must submit an action plan by September 30 to prove to the board that the school is working towards a plan to help the success of the students.
This is the first year Ballston Spa Central School District has been added to the list because students with disabilities had a low graduation rate.
"We've developed individual plans for students with disabilities and have put a tremendous amount of energy into English Language Arts (ELA)," said Ballston Spa High School Principal Kristi Jensen.
The high school has also implemented a co-teaching model in which there is a subject teacher and a special education teacher both teaching a heterogeneous class with no more than 20 students. The district has also hired a guidance counselor to serve the needs of students with disabilities.
This is the second time Ballston Spa Central School District has been added to the list. In 2005 the district was added to the list and was taken off after two years of adequate improvement.
"Our goal is to develop a process to track students' successes and failures. The responsibility is on all faculty and staff to understand a student's need for help and to address the issue," Jensen said. "There are a lot of things that the district is doing well; we are just adjusting to the different needs of the students."
Saratoga Springs City School District made adequate yearly progress this year; however it takes two years of adequate improvement to get off the list. Students with disabilities struggled with ELA two years ago, but the school made progress.
"We are waiting for this time next year so hopefully we can celebrate getting off the list," Superintendent of Schools Janice White said. She added that the district improved the graduation rate for students with disabilities in four years improved from 46 percent to 63 percent in one year.
"It's challenging for a lot of these students to earn a diploma so we have to make sure students have access to extra help and accommodations to help them succeed," White said.
Like Ballston Spa, Saratoga Springs High School has implemented a dual-teacher model in the classrooms; one content specialist teacher and one special education teacher in a classroom with both traditional students and students with disabilities.
"With a high student to teacher ratio students will get individualized attention in class and can get extra help when needed," White said.
Schools that were added to the list of needing improvement must submit an action plan by September 30 to prove to the board that the school is working towards a plan to help the success of the students.
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