Gov. Jack Markell (D-Delaware) announced the state’s latest effort to improve its worst performing schools Thursday morning.
The state will set aside nearly $6 million over four years for its “Priority Schools” initiative. The funds will target six schools, all in the city of Wilmington, that are at bottom of proficiency in state testing.
Those schools are Bayard Middle and Bancroft and Stubbs Elementary in the Christina School district and Warner Elementary, Shortlidge Academy and Highlands Elementary in Red Clay School District. Each of those schools had less than 40 percent student proficiency in two of the last three years.
State officials acknowledge these schools face poverty and language barriers issues and may take time to improve, but Markell says with this funding results are expected.
"We expect to see growth and is growth toward proficiency similar to other schools in the state," said Markell. "Schools here in Delaware have proven, schools serving a very high poverty population have proven that this can work and we expect the same results out of these schools.
The state has made other attempts to turnaround its struggling schools, most recently the Partnership Zone program that was part in Delaware’s Race to the Top plan. That program, which included Bayard Middle School received mixed grades in the latest federal review of state’s race to the Top progress in March.
Education Secretary Mark Murphy says lessons learned from the Partnership Zone and other programs around the country will help in developing this effort.
"We are building this approach to makes sure that number one that we have phenomenal school leadership leading our schools. Number two, that they have the resources that they need to drive the work forward on behalf of their children. And third, that they have the flexibility and autonomy that they are choosing the types of programs and the types of curriculum, and the types of school schedules that are actually completely tailored to the needs of the children," said Murphy.
Markell placed specific emphasis on putting the best leadership in place at each school.
"The expectation here is that we will identify great leaders for these schools and the leaders will be very involved in developing the plans. We are going to provide funding for each school to hire a planner to work in conjunction with their new school leader. You know, a great school leader with a with a great school plan can do a whole lot – but the two have to be very much connected.”
School plans are due to the Dept of Education for approval by December 31st. The remainder of this school will be used for planning with changes implemented at the six schools next fall.
Funding for the Priority Schools comes from a variety of sources, including the federal School Improvement Grant and leftover money from state's Race to the Top grant.
