First grade tutoring, classroom technology use study on the horizon
Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson reports to the School Committee. Photo by Christian Uva
Student representative Emily Brundage, right, tells School Committee Chair Geoffrey Swett, left, and member Roger Bonin, center, about the updated digital hall pass system. Photo by Christian Uva
Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson reports to the School Committee. Photo by Christian Uva
Student representative Emily Brundage, right, tells School Committee Chair Geoffrey Swett, left, and member Roger Bonin, center, about the updated digital hall pass system. Photo by Christian Uva
Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson is already moving forward on her goals for her first year in charge of Wareham Schools.
She announced at the Sept. 17 School Committee meeting that 60 first graders will start one-on-one English tutoring starting in early October. She said that they will be tutored daily throughout the school year.
She said 90 first graders were tested using the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills assessment. Those 90 students were chosen based on literacy standardized test scores from the previous year. Soon, 60 of those students will be selected for tutoring.
“We’re very excited about that,” Hartley-Matteson said.
Hartley-Matteson said at a Sept. 3 School Committee meeting that improving elementary school literacy was one of her primary goals for the upcoming year.
She said another goal was “responsible technology” after School Committee Chair Geoffrey Swett asked about Chromebook usage in class. As part of that goal, the district will study how much time students spend on screens during school and how much devices like Chromebooks help learning. After the study, she will make a recommendation about screen use in class. “But we have to understand what it is first,” she said.
Student representative Emily Brundage announced that Wareham High School changed the digital hall pass system. Instead of taking a lanyard with a pass, classrooms use a system called Minga which tracks student attendance.
Brundage described the system bureaucratically, with the teacher having to approve the pass, then the hall monitor having to approve it, and then both would have to approve the student returning to class.
“All of the time, it would just be crazy,” Brundage said.
Now, students are allotted five minutes to leave and return the class after the teacher issues the pass. They’re responsible for signing themselves in.
Brundage said the revamped system has been “effective” and prevents students from wandering the halls as often.
