Writing And Research The Focus Of Work Session

By Stephanie Petrellese

The Garden City Board of Education listened to a presentation by a district research committee, and then turned the focus on a curriculum review of the library and media center, during a June 9th work session.

The research committee was formed to enrich the writing experiences of students in grades six through twelve by engaging them in more meaningful research assignments. "I think clearly the board...sees the imperative of doing these things, and the importance and the value, not only to our kids immediately, but down the road, in college and as citizens," said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Feirsen.

Dr. Teresa Prendergast, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, explained that it is essential that students learn how to think critically and solve problems with the information they gather. "It's not enough for our students to be able to do the research and to come up with facts and data. We really wanted to ultimately be able to make sure that our kids could take that information and transfer it."

This year students in grades six through twelve are involved in various types of writing processes. "While we felt this was really and truly a step in the right direction, we did find that there were some gaps along the way," Dr. Prendergast said. "While we're looking to enhance student writing skills, we really have to look at skill development."

The committee was chaired by Bernadette Arnone, English coordinator, and Jeannette Balantic, social studies coordinator. The committee goals included reflecting on current research practices, reviewing the placement of research and writing assignments at each grade level, revising the research manual at the middle and high schools and coordinating efforts with the library curriculum review committee.

"The overall goal is to engage students in meaningful research," explained Balantic. "It really became clear to us that we needed to think about a more systematic way to teach research and the skills that go along with it...The skills needed for research are applicable across the board in all subjects, and kids need to realize that."

Next year the district plans to implement quarterly benchmarks in grades six through eleven, which may include a portfolio with samples of writing from the analytical, narrative, persuasive and creative genres. The district also plans to adopt a grammar text series for grades six through eight. The analysis of results from the ERB writing assessments will continue, as well as the use of the Write Traits program. The committee would like to see increased use of the writing center, where students are able to work in smaller groups and revise their work.

The committee's formal recommendations include a request for more student access to computers to meet the growing demand for research opportunities. The possibility of offering a writing and research course in grade eight or nine, as well as developing a writing center in the middle school, are two options worth exploring, according to the committee.

Another goal of the committee is to help students write strong research papers that can be submitted to colleges with their application, and to prepare students for the general academic rigors of college courses. "The kids have to understand about depth, the importance of reading and understanding the depth in a piece of literature or whatever they're reading and to be able to analyze it so that they can go to college because they're going to be expected to do that right on day one," said School Board Trustee Angela Heineman.

School Board President Colleen Foley is concerned that students clearly understand what constitutes plagiarism. "That really is a very big deal. It's academic suicide almost at a graduate or a college level," she said. This issue is even more relevant since the district looks to increase the number of college-level courses offered at the high school.

Plagiarism will receive a greater emphasis when the research guide is revised over the summer, said Arnone. The guide will be available on the district's Web site.

Students are also required to sign a plagiarism contract. However, part of the problem is that students are often not aware that they are plagiarizing someone's work when they paraphrase from another written piece without proper attribution. Many teachers utilize software and Web sites such as turnitin.com as a teaching tool to uncover plagiarized writing.

The superintendent asked Dr. Prendergast to provide the board with an update on the research and writing program by the end of this year or the beginning of 2010. "The next step is the hardest part, which is the implementation," Dr. Feirsen acknowledged. "Who's doing what? Who's responsible? How will we track it? How will we evaluate it? Those are the nitty-gritty details that often befuddle almost every educational initiative."

After the discussion on research and writing, the school board turned its attention to a curriculum review of the library and media. As part of their review, a library media curriculum committee comprised mostly of the district's school librarians and library media specialists made site visits to Great Neck South High School, Herricks High School, Jericho Middle and High School and Friends Academy and administered four surveys to Nassau County school librarians and students and teachers in the Garden City School District.

Committee members observed that in general students' reading habits change as they get older as they get more of their information online as opposed to printed materials. Teachers and students find it difficult to find time for recreational reading, research and discovery due to curriculum restraints.

The survey of Nassau County school librarians revealed that the majority (60 percent) teach library skills in the context of content area as opposed to isolated skills. A research project is given in the majority of elementary schools in fifth grade. Seventy percent of respondents said research projects are given to students in all grade levels at the middle and high school.

When Garden City teachers of grades six through twelve were surveyed, 75 percent of respondents named the internet as their most utilized resource. Half of the faculty do not use the school library as a resource for their class assignments due to lack of time, curriculum inflexibility, and limited library access due to its use for non-library purposes.

The majority of those responding to the student survey are in seventh and eighth grade. The majority find it welcoming, comfortable, safe and user-friendly. They tend to utilize the library before and after school, during lunch and in study halls. The internet and non-fiction books are most often used by these students.

The curriculum committee recommended aligning and implementing the district's research scope and sequence with that of the Nassau BOCES School Library System Scope and Sequence. More emphasis will be placed on the library during the teacher orientation held before the first day of school. Student reading will also be encouraged more through the use of book clubs, reading contests, student book reviews. The library will also try to purchase more books based upon student recommendations.

Since starting as superintendent in 2005, one of Dr. Feirsen's goals has been to find a systematized way of looking at curriculum to ensure that it is aligned with what is learned in the classroom. Several things influence curriculum, including budget, state mandates, developmental needs, what we know about learning, college/work requirements, community expectations and standards.

Dr. Feirsen has been integrating five phases of the curriculum cycle into the school district. The first phase, which is known as the "spotlight year," is a time to collect and organize information. In phase II, the data is reviewed and analyzed and a strategic plan is established. The third phase involves actual implementation. In phase IV, implementation continues, but is closely monitored and adjustments are made. Phase V is a time to evaluate and reflect.