SAU 61 - Farmington and Middleton School District

To the residents of Farmington and Middleton,

 

It is my privilege to submit my third annual report to you. 

 

As a district we are persisting in our efforts to meet the accountability requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the New Hampshire state education commissioner’s Follow the Child initiative. Teachers throughout the district are continuing to map our curriculum while assuring alignment to state and/or national standards for the purpose of tailoring programs to students’ needs. This process is becoming digitized as teachers and administrators use software designed to integrate with the state databases. Teachers will be able to access state standards, student achievement information, curriculum overviews and lesson plans in one place, allowing further differentiation for student learning styles and needs, and professional collaboration between teachers.

 

Efforts to bring our schools into compliance with state and national technology standards are ongoing. Extensive upgrades to systems and infrastructure have been made to support integration of technology in the curriculum as required by NH law. Students have begun creating digital portfolios of their work this year, demonstrating their competency in both computer and core content skills. Competency assessments for the high school will be used in all courses beginning with the 08-09 school year, as well. Thank you to all faculty who have worked so hard to create the curricular pieces for both these initiatives.  

 

Another major component of NCLB and Title grant funding has been professional development and teacher training. NCLB, Reading First, Title I, and Title IIA all require that teachers be “highly qualified.” To this end, part of my job is to coordinate efforts to provide teachers with professional development that is job-embedded, giving them an opportunity to learn and apply that knowledge for the benefit of their students. Our Professional Development Committee is coordinating professional development days to offer our teachers and staff quality time to hone their professional skills within our district and to collaborate with their colleagues locally, regionally, and nationally.   

 

As in the past, I continue to function as the district liaison for parents who choose to home school their students, helping them to access appropriate school programs and maintaining accountability files for the NHDOE. 

 

I am excited about the opportunities we are providing for our students, faculty, staff, and community. The addition of after school activities through the 21^st Century Community Learning Centers grant for grades 4-8 (the FAMEE program) will supplement those prospects, and new learning scenarios that take place beyond the traditional classroom walls are expanding the options for our students to experience education on many levels. Thank you for the privilege of working with a wonderful district team as we strive for excellence in our schools.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Ruth Ellen Vaughn

Asst. Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction