Schools embrace technology, add resource officer
As we move further into the 2018-2019 school year, our students are becoming more familiar with some of our new curricular and instructional initiatives.
At Howland Schools, we are committed to instructional technology. We understand the world is changing and we are staying at the forefront in terms of how we educate our students. This year, Howland Schools purchased and distributed Chromebooks to students in grades 5 and 9. Chromebooks are now in the hands of students in grades 5, 6, 9 and 10. All students in grades 5-12 will have individual Chromebooks beginning with the 2020-2021 school year.
We have rolled out NearPod, an interactive classroom tool for teachers to engage students with interactive lessons. NearPod offers thousands of ready-to-teach, online lessons delivered through an award-winning interactive learning platform that allows teachers to teach and K-12 students to learn in ways like never before. Parents can find more information at nearpod.com.
Also new to the school district this year are our school resource officers. For the last 17 years, Howland Schools has employed one, full-time school resource officer, who split time between the district’s six schools. At the Aug. 27 board meeting, the board approved my recommendation to hire a second school resource officer.
I worked closely with Howland police Chief Nick Roberts and Howland Township officials to finalize an agreement. Officer Mark Klaholz, a 22-year law enforcement veteran, and officer Brian Butto, a nine-year law enforcement veteran, are trained to fulfill several roles for the district. Not only will they be responsible for the safety and security of students, they will serve as positive role models. The school resource officers also will provide guidance on law-related issues to students and act as a link to support services. Officers Klaholz and Butto also will provide Howland Schools with additional educational resources by sharing their law enforcement expertise in the classroom.
Last month, the Ohio Department of Education released its district report cards. The Howland Local School District received a B for its overall grade. I am very pleased with our progress, particularly the gains we have made in Gap Closing. In one year’s time, we’ve gone from a D to an A. Gap Closing shows how well school districts meet the performance expectations of vulnerable student populations. Since the state first released its report card data last month, we’ve learned they made a significant error when assessing Glen Primary. The building actually received an A, not an F for overall grade. Springs Primary and North Road Intermediate also earned As for their overall grades. I am also very excited to share that Howland Schools has been ranked 27th in the state for its gifted program. The ranking is based on a number of factors, including gifted student performance on the AIR assessments and the percentage of students identified and served. This ranking is the highest among schools in Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties.
I, along with the Howland Board of Education, am committed to continually improving the Howland Schools. We have been working diligently on updating the district’s strategic plan and establishing new goals for the 2018-2019 school year. We will be posting our updated plans on the district website once they are approved.