Intervention programs aim to reduce retention

Angelique Flores

A year after the state abolished social promotion, new intervention

programs are continuing to evolve to better meet the needs of at-risk

children.

Among the three local elementary school districts, 866 students were

held back last year -- roughly 7% -- but school officials want to lower

the number.

Though intervention programs differ from district to district -- and

even school to school -- officials say one thing is common: More of it is

needed.

“Intervention is the key to this policy, not retention,” Fountain

Valley School District Supt. Marc Ecker said.

The method for identifying which students are at risk of being

retained also vary widely, but in all cases several factors are taken

into consideration, such as test scores, reading comprehension and

grades.

The Fountain Valley district plans to increase its before- and

after-school programs starting this fall. Last year, the remedial help

didn’t start until in January.

Fountain Valley’s strong programs are remedial math and reading before

and after school, which will be continued along with the homework clubs.

A new effort that concluded last week was Running Start, which aided

second-, third-, sixth- and seventh-graders who were having problems last

year.

Running Start gives students a boost by reviewing the fall’s

curriculum.

District officials are also creating a program that will monitor

students who were retained.

“We can’t just retain them and forget about them,” Ecker said. “We

need to watch them . . . . Once we retain them, we have an obligation to

them.”

The Ocean View School District is fulfilling its obligation to

students as well. The district will continue its remedial programs, again

attacking reading comprehension.

Students will be placed in small groups according to their

comprehension level, and schools will stock up on more books.

Staff members are also sharpening their methods of assessing students.

Other remedial programs the schools offered last year, such as

after-school tutoring, will continue.

“We’re refining what we’ve done,” Supt. James Tarwater said.

The Huntington Beach City School District officials also say they will

explore how to improve the district’s intervention programs.

Like Fountain Valley, the district expects to get the ball rolling by

mid-fall. Homework clubs and remedial instruction in small groups will

continue in class and after school, said Lynn Bogart, the district’s

director of curriculum and instruction.

A major addition is Jennifer Shepard, an intervention specialist who

will meet with retained students and their teachers. Shepard will be on

special assignment at schools throughout the district to assist teachers

in monitoring students’ progress and demonstrate methods and strategies

to improve the intervention programs.

Besides help from the staff, students are pitching in to help fellow

classmates. Last week, Students Teaching Arithmetic To Students brought

out 56 students at Dwyer Middle School. The weeklong program matched

older students with sixth-graders for math tutoring.

“Everyone became a partner in working with the students,” Bogart said.

NEED FOR PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

Now that students have been retained, parents and students are paying

closer attention.

“I think they know we’re serious,” Ecker said. “Everyone knows someone

who’s been retained.”School officials have all reported an increase of

parent involvement and awareness at the schools.

“Parents need to be part of the process,” Ecker said.

Fountain Valley has parents who were not always active in their

children’s education.

“Both parents work, or there are single-parent homes,” Ecker said.

But the lack of involvement is changing in all of the districts.

Fountain Valley is providing a leadership team that informs parents about

programs available to students, teaches them how to interpret Stanford 9

scores and offers training for parents who don’t speak English.

In February, for the third year, the Huntington Beach City School

District will offer a Parent Empowerment Academy. The academy, which will

emphasize literacy, will include speakers, a community forum and provide

parent education.

“We’ll continue to monitor communication with families at home,”

Bogart said.

The key is everyone working together -- teachers at school, parents at

home, peer tutors -- instead of squarely placing responsibility on

students, she said.

Tarwater agreed.

“A partnership with parents has significantly made improvements in our

test scores,” he said.

Ocean View schools will send information to parents on how to work

together with their children at home. With the district’s new Internet

system, the Lightspan Network, parents and teachers also will be able

boost communication through e-mails.

OVERCROWDING AT SCHOOLS

Although most schools will be able to easily accommodate the retained

students, some schools in the Ocean View district have added portables.

Oak View Elementary will receive three portables. Lake View, Hope

View, Sun View and Star View elementaries will each receive one, together

costing the district $563,000. The district also will hire seven teachers

to handle the overflow.

Other districts have lower numbers of students retained and will not

need to add portables or teachers, officials said.

SOCIAL EFFECTS

School officials agree that retention may have an emotional effect on

students. In addition to academic intervention, schools will also offer

counseling to students who were held back.

“Self-esteem issues have to be addressed,” said Duane Dishno, the city

district’s superintendent.

Ecker agreed that retained students may feel ostracized, embarrassed

or judged as failures. He wants to pair retained students with a mentor

who could curb those problems for students.

“They have to understand it’s a second opportunity and not a

punishment,” Dishno said.

But changing the taboo of being held back will take a shift of

perception from the whole community, Tarwater said.

Although students may face emotional and possibly social trials,

school officials still believe the students will be better off if they

are held back.

“Do you want them not to be retained, but maybe potentially look at

academic failure, or do you want them to be successful? Which will affect

their self-image more?” Tarwater asked.

Despite the obstacles school officials, students and parents have to

face, the superintendents are still pleased with the state policy.

“It has provided a better atmosphere for achievement,” Tarwater said.