To: Dr. Kelvin Adams, School District Administrators, Principals, Teachers, and Support Staff:
The organizers of this online journal would like to conclude 2008 with the following message:
We wish Dr. Kelvin Adams, his school district administrators, principals, teachers, and support staff a happy, prosperous, and productive 2009.
We stand with you in your glowing quest to raise student achievement and regain accreditation for St. Louis Public Schools. The organizers of this online journal intend to stand with you through thick and thin.
Our overarching goal is to support you and share with the public, the inestimable contributions you all make to our children.
We thank all our online visitors and wish them a Happy New Year as well.
Supporters of Dr. Kelvin Adams and St. Louis Public Schools.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Dr. Kelvin Adams Visits Classrooms
"Classroom visits stir action by new schools chief"
"St. Louis — He arrives unannounced, checks in with the principal and then slips into a random classroom to keenly observe the way children are being taught in the St. Louis Public Schools.
Kelvin Adams hopes the time he has allotted to evaluating teacher performance isn't construed as an example of a new district superintendent playing gotcha.
"I'm not trying to show anyone up," said Adams. "I just want to see what the kids see everyday.
"Adams gives mixed reviews to what he has seen in the 25 schools he has visited through two months on the job.
He rates teachers highly for structuring classrooms to promote orderly learning.
In Adams' estimation, the disconnect in the classes he has observed occurs in the actual process of conveying lessons to students.
"We can do a lot better," he said.
When classes resume in January, Adams will push teachers in that direction by assigning administrative staff from the district's downtown headquarters to act as scholastic monitors in every elementary and middle school in the district.
The monitoring program is one of several initiatives, some still in the discussion stage, advocated by Adams as he quietly puts his imprint on the 26,000 students in the city's school system.
Working closely with building principals, the monitors will use test-based data to help pinpoint the deficiencies and strengths of individual students.
Benchmark tests that measure student progress, along with past scores on the Missouri Assessment Program standardized tests, will provide principals and monitors with data that generally have been available but underused in the city.
The idea, based on education research, is designed to move the data from district administrative offices to classroom teachers.
"It's just not enough for it be on a computer," Adams said.
Aggressive, data-based intervention with low-performing students, Adams believes, is essential to the district reclaiming the state accreditation it lost 18 months ago.
"We have a lot of challenges to do things differently," said Adams. "And one of those is how to deliver instruction to students more effectively.
" Teachers will learn more about how to use the data through mandatory training sessions, he said.
Adams is a reform-minded administrator whom the Special Administrative Board brought in from New Orleans. He said the initiative in the elementary grades is the first step in the long process of reversing years of subpar performance in St. Louis.
At a meeting Monday, Adams asked that the board make a decision on several other items on his reform agenda after the first of the year.
The proposals include coordinating after-school programs with the district's academic objectives and setting aside available space in two schools with low enrollment to educate third- through fifth-graders who are discipline problems at their current schools.
Adams said in an interview last week that he plans to spend part of the winter break consulting with high school principals.
Responding to the district's 22 percent dropout rate last year, Adams hopes to turn much of the focus next school year to the social and academic support necessary to move ninth-graders into the 10th grade.
Studies show that student success in the ninth grade is the linchpin for graduation.
"I'm not sure what it will look like, but the devil is in the details," Adams said of the changes in store for first-year high school students.
He promised: "There will be a plan to address it." Courtesy of Steve Giegerich, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 12/23/2008.
Our Perspective: We applaud and support the superintendent's visits to classrooms. It shows all stakeholders, including principals and teachers, that he is a "hands-on" person. He takes time from amidst his busy schedule to visit where teaching and learning takes place-the classroom. Dr. Adams has hit the ground running. That is why this blog has been sharing his leadership qualities for the stakeholders to know him upfront. Please stay tuned for more.
Parents and Citizens of St. Louis City who Support the Superintendent, Teachers and Students of St. Louis Public Schools. Our slogan is "Support Destination Accreditation." Please pass this blog to others.
"St. Louis — He arrives unannounced, checks in with the principal and then slips into a random classroom to keenly observe the way children are being taught in the St. Louis Public Schools.
Kelvin Adams hopes the time he has allotted to evaluating teacher performance isn't construed as an example of a new district superintendent playing gotcha.
"I'm not trying to show anyone up," said Adams. "I just want to see what the kids see everyday.
"Adams gives mixed reviews to what he has seen in the 25 schools he has visited through two months on the job.
He rates teachers highly for structuring classrooms to promote orderly learning.
In Adams' estimation, the disconnect in the classes he has observed occurs in the actual process of conveying lessons to students.
"We can do a lot better," he said.
When classes resume in January, Adams will push teachers in that direction by assigning administrative staff from the district's downtown headquarters to act as scholastic monitors in every elementary and middle school in the district.
The monitoring program is one of several initiatives, some still in the discussion stage, advocated by Adams as he quietly puts his imprint on the 26,000 students in the city's school system.
Working closely with building principals, the monitors will use test-based data to help pinpoint the deficiencies and strengths of individual students.
Benchmark tests that measure student progress, along with past scores on the Missouri Assessment Program standardized tests, will provide principals and monitors with data that generally have been available but underused in the city.
The idea, based on education research, is designed to move the data from district administrative offices to classroom teachers.
"It's just not enough for it be on a computer," Adams said.
Aggressive, data-based intervention with low-performing students, Adams believes, is essential to the district reclaiming the state accreditation it lost 18 months ago.
"We have a lot of challenges to do things differently," said Adams. "And one of those is how to deliver instruction to students more effectively.
" Teachers will learn more about how to use the data through mandatory training sessions, he said.
Adams is a reform-minded administrator whom the Special Administrative Board brought in from New Orleans. He said the initiative in the elementary grades is the first step in the long process of reversing years of subpar performance in St. Louis.
At a meeting Monday, Adams asked that the board make a decision on several other items on his reform agenda after the first of the year.
The proposals include coordinating after-school programs with the district's academic objectives and setting aside available space in two schools with low enrollment to educate third- through fifth-graders who are discipline problems at their current schools.
Adams said in an interview last week that he plans to spend part of the winter break consulting with high school principals.
Responding to the district's 22 percent dropout rate last year, Adams hopes to turn much of the focus next school year to the social and academic support necessary to move ninth-graders into the 10th grade.
Studies show that student success in the ninth grade is the linchpin for graduation.
"I'm not sure what it will look like, but the devil is in the details," Adams said of the changes in store for first-year high school students.
He promised: "There will be a plan to address it." Courtesy of Steve Giegerich, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 12/23/2008.
Our Perspective: We applaud and support the superintendent's visits to classrooms. It shows all stakeholders, including principals and teachers, that he is a "hands-on" person. He takes time from amidst his busy schedule to visit where teaching and learning takes place-the classroom. Dr. Adams has hit the ground running. That is why this blog has been sharing his leadership qualities for the stakeholders to know him upfront. Please stay tuned for more.
Parents and Citizens of St. Louis City who Support the Superintendent, Teachers and Students of St. Louis Public Schools. Our slogan is "Support Destination Accreditation." Please pass this blog to others.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Dr. Kelvin Adams Meets the Parent Assembly of St. Louis
The Parent Assembly of St. Louis Public Schools will meet on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at Metro High School, 6:30-9:00 pm. The presenter will be Dr. Kelvin Adams, Superintendent of the St. Louis Public Schools.
Come One Come All. Please show your support for the Superintendent of schools. Be an active stakeholder in the education of your children.
Source: Parent Assembly of St. Louis Public Schools Electronic Newsletter.
Parents and Citizens of St. Louis City who Support the Superintendent, Teachers and Students of St. Louis Public Schools. Our slogan is "Support Destination Accreditation." Please pass this blog to others.
Come One Come All. Please show your support for the Superintendent of schools. Be an active stakeholder in the education of your children.
Source: Parent Assembly of St. Louis Public Schools Electronic Newsletter.
Parents and Citizens of St. Louis City who Support the Superintendent, Teachers and Students of St. Louis Public Schools. Our slogan is "Support Destination Accreditation." Please pass this blog to others.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
lmplementation of the St. Louis Public Schools Comprehensive Long Range Plan.
"Special Administrative Board of St. Louis Public Schools announced the implementation of the Comprehensive Long Range Plan. It focuses on 12 most critical and urgent objectives to get every child to perform at or above grade level in reading and math within the next five years and to regain full accreditation.
Dr. Kelvin Adams, Superintendent of Schools, said that it’s his job to put the strategies into action.“The district had already started implementing the plan in many areas prior to my arrival,” Adams said. “For instance, we have hired attendance monitors at the high schools to improve attendance, increased our Advanced Placement course offerings, hired additional English as Second Language teachers and dedicated more resources to our Parents as Teachers program.”
The superintendent noted that he is working side-by-side with the SAB to ensure that the plan moves forward successfully.“The Special Administrative Board has already formed an accountability committee to review our implementation efforts,” Adams said. “This committee consists of representatives from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; the Missouri School Boards Association, the Cooperating School Districts and St. Louis Public Schools.” The Comprehensive Long Range Plan also has the strong support of Rick Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer of the SAB, and Melanie Adams, SAB Vice President." Source: www.slps.org
Our Perspective: Now that the superintendent and his teachers and support staff have the enormous task of implementing "The Comprehensive Long Range Plan", all the stakeholders of St. Louis Public Schools (elected leaders, parents, business owners, teachers' union, the clergy, and the non-profit) should extend their full support and help to the school district. We strongly believe Dr. Adams is assembling a strong team to improve the academic standards and regain accreditation.
Parents and Citizens of St. Louis City who Support the Superintendent, Teachers and Students of St. Louis Public Schools. Our slogan is "Support Destination Accreditation." Please pass this blog to others.
Dr. Kelvin Adams, Superintendent of Schools, said that it’s his job to put the strategies into action.“The district had already started implementing the plan in many areas prior to my arrival,” Adams said. “For instance, we have hired attendance monitors at the high schools to improve attendance, increased our Advanced Placement course offerings, hired additional English as Second Language teachers and dedicated more resources to our Parents as Teachers program.”
The superintendent noted that he is working side-by-side with the SAB to ensure that the plan moves forward successfully.“The Special Administrative Board has already formed an accountability committee to review our implementation efforts,” Adams said. “This committee consists of representatives from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; the Missouri School Boards Association, the Cooperating School Districts and St. Louis Public Schools.” The Comprehensive Long Range Plan also has the strong support of Rick Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer of the SAB, and Melanie Adams, SAB Vice President." Source: www.slps.org
Our Perspective: Now that the superintendent and his teachers and support staff have the enormous task of implementing "The Comprehensive Long Range Plan", all the stakeholders of St. Louis Public Schools (elected leaders, parents, business owners, teachers' union, the clergy, and the non-profit) should extend their full support and help to the school district. We strongly believe Dr. Adams is assembling a strong team to improve the academic standards and regain accreditation.
Parents and Citizens of St. Louis City who Support the Superintendent, Teachers and Students of St. Louis Public Schools. Our slogan is "Support Destination Accreditation." Please pass this blog to others.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
We need to curb the skyrocketing high school dropout rate and increase graduation rate.
To all St. Louis Public Schools Stakeholders:
"Nearly a fourth of the high school students in St. Louis Public Schools dropped out last school year, according to data to be released by the state today. At 22 percent, it is the single largest spike in city school dropout rates in the last five years, and an 88 percent increase from the prior year. It's a very disappointing piece of information," said St. Louis district CEO Rick Sullivan. Sullivan added that the district has taken several steps this year to address the problem, and he has seen some results already." Courtesy of David Hunn and Steve Giegerich, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 9, 2009.
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education calculates dropout rate as the number of high school students, grades 9-12, who stopped going to school in one year and had not re-enrolled by the following fall. Dropout rate is widely considered a key measure of the academic success of a school district.
Our perspective: There has to be a conserted effort by all the stakeholders of St. Louis Public Schools to define the priorities and formulate action plans for sustainable solution to the dropout rate. One of the stakeholders who has a proven track record in reducing dropout rates and raising graduation rates is Dr. Kelvin Adams. He reduced dropout rate and increased graduation rate in the Recovery School District in New Orleans. "He steered the completion of the development of the high school redesign and with a new managed instructional program, increased graduation from 39% to 67% in one year."
The elected leaders, parents, teachers, the clergy, the business community, and all other citizens of St. Louis City must support and work with the superintendent, teachers, and support staff of St. Louis Public Schools to reduce the dropout rate. Our students must stay in school, graduate, and enroll in college. It is a moral obligation. It is important for the economic and social fabric of St. Louis.
Parents and Citizens of St. Louis City who Support the Superintendent, Teachers and Students of St. Louis Public Schools. Our slogan is "Support Destination Accreditation." Please pass this blog to others.
"Nearly a fourth of the high school students in St. Louis Public Schools dropped out last school year, according to data to be released by the state today. At 22 percent, it is the single largest spike in city school dropout rates in the last five years, and an 88 percent increase from the prior year. It's a very disappointing piece of information," said St. Louis district CEO Rick Sullivan. Sullivan added that the district has taken several steps this year to address the problem, and he has seen some results already." Courtesy of David Hunn and Steve Giegerich, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 9, 2009.
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education calculates dropout rate as the number of high school students, grades 9-12, who stopped going to school in one year and had not re-enrolled by the following fall. Dropout rate is widely considered a key measure of the academic success of a school district.
Our perspective: There has to be a conserted effort by all the stakeholders of St. Louis Public Schools to define the priorities and formulate action plans for sustainable solution to the dropout rate. One of the stakeholders who has a proven track record in reducing dropout rates and raising graduation rates is Dr. Kelvin Adams. He reduced dropout rate and increased graduation rate in the Recovery School District in New Orleans. "He steered the completion of the development of the high school redesign and with a new managed instructional program, increased graduation from 39% to 67% in one year."
The elected leaders, parents, teachers, the clergy, the business community, and all other citizens of St. Louis City must support and work with the superintendent, teachers, and support staff of St. Louis Public Schools to reduce the dropout rate. Our students must stay in school, graduate, and enroll in college. It is a moral obligation. It is important for the economic and social fabric of St. Louis.
Parents and Citizens of St. Louis City who Support the Superintendent, Teachers and Students of St. Louis Public Schools. Our slogan is "Support Destination Accreditation." Please pass this blog to others.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
"There is still much work to do," said St. Louis Superintendent Kelvin Adams in a statement-St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 18, 2008.
All Stakeholders:
St. Louis Public Schools is governed by an appointed school board since the state revoked its accreditation in 2007. The city schools did show some improvement in accreditation. In 2007, the district met only two performance standards, the lowest achievement level in the state. In 2008, St. Louis Public Schools attained four accreditation points, which is an improvement over the previous year.
Missouri's 14 benchmarks emphasize student performance on state standardized testing while also figuring attendance, dropout and graduation rates, ACT scores, college placement and other criteria into the equation. Districts meeting between six and eight standards are considered to be provisionally accredited.
Read more about SLPS accreditation report and performance using the following links:
MSIP Review AQ Report (MSIP Third Cycle Information). This is a downladable report in Microsoft Word.
Frequency Distribution Report (MSIP Third Cycle Information)
St. Louis Public Schools is governed by an appointed school board since the state revoked its accreditation in 2007. The city schools did show some improvement in accreditation. In 2007, the district met only two performance standards, the lowest achievement level in the state. In 2008, St. Louis Public Schools attained four accreditation points, which is an improvement over the previous year.
Missouri's 14 benchmarks emphasize student performance on state standardized testing while also figuring attendance, dropout and graduation rates, ACT scores, college placement and other criteria into the equation. Districts meeting between six and eight standards are considered to be provisionally accredited.
Read more about SLPS accreditation report and performance using the following links:
MSIP Review AQ Report (MSIP Third Cycle Information). This is a downladable report in Microsoft Word.
Frequency Distribution Report (MSIP Third Cycle Information)
2007-08 St. Louis School District Accountability Report Card. We'll provide the 2008-2009 Accountability Report Card as soon as it is made available by DESE.
We leave you with a quote from St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent:
"While the St. Louis Public School District is pleased to see improvement in our Annual Performance Report, there is still much work to do," said St. Louis Superintendent Kelvin Adams in a statement. Courtesy of Steve Giegerich, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 11/18/2008.
We solicit support from the citizens of St. Louis City for our school district and its superintendent and school administrators and teachers in their quest to regain accrediatation and give our children first class education.
Parents and Citizens of St. Louis City who Support the Superintendent, Teachers and Students of St. Louis Public Schools. Our slogan is "Support Destination Accreditation." Please pass this blog to others.
Monday, December 1, 2008
New SLPS Superintendent Talks About Plans
"In late September, Kelvin Adams was named the new superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools. He arrived in St. Louis about a week ago. Adams is now the eighth superintendent to lead the city school district since 2003. He visited to tell us his plans for the future of the district." MyFox St. Louis News, Friday, 07 Nov 2008.
Click the following link to watch a video as Dr. Kelvin Adams shares some of his his plans with MyFox St. Louis News.
New SLPS Superintendent Talks About Plans (double click the play button of the video).
Parents and Citizens of St. Louis City who Support the Superintendent, Teachers, and Students of St. Louis Public Schools. Our slogan is "Support Destination Accreditation." Please pass this blog to others.
Click the following link to watch a video as Dr. Kelvin Adams shares some of his his plans with MyFox St. Louis News.
New SLPS Superintendent Talks About Plans (double click the play button of the video).
Parents and Citizens of St. Louis City who Support the Superintendent, Teachers, and Students of St. Louis Public Schools. Our slogan is "Support Destination Accreditation." Please pass this blog to others.
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