She noted that these groups suffered from the pandemic after it made Direct Instruction, smaller, face-to-face classes, an impossibility.
Crimmins specifically mentioned that Efland-Cheeks Global Elementary and Hillsborough Elementary – schools that have consistently implemented Direct Instruction programs five days a week – have shown the highest level of growth in reading for EC students.
According to Crimmins, it is all of the directors’ goal to find the proper balance between Direct Instruction programs and general education for students with disabilities.
“That means adapting – as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child – the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to address the unique needs of that child,” Crimmins said.
The board also discussed the breakdown of disciplinary actions for student demographics.
They broke down the disciplinary actions by the type of referral – attendance, aggression and classroom interactions – and by grade. – can we put in these stats?
Meghan Doyle, chief of schools and achievement for Orange County Schools, said that the most common referral among elementary and middle schoolers was physical aggression and fighting.
She said that it is important to create a clear definition of aggression to prevent bias.
“It’s really important that at the school level we do some work to systematically define and consistently reinforce what the definitions of these infractions are so that we’re not inadvertently being biased in how we name the incident as well as the consequences for those incidents,” Doyle said.
The data also showed that Black and multi-racial students were disciplined at a disproportionate rate compared to the percent of their makeup of the student body. – put in specific stats
Doyle said that this is an overrepresentation that cannot be overlooked.
She said that it is important to look at both the frequency of incidents and where there is disproportionality in how similar incidents are handled. The next step, according to Doyle, is to educate teachers, staff and students to recognize microaggressions.
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“Our superintendent has really been pushing on this issue and ensuring that our staff is providing that framing,” Doyle said.
She said the school system plans to combat this issue through staff training and one-on-one meetings with all school leaders about this problem.
Sherita Cobb, director of student support services for Orange County Schools, emphasized that students need an environment in which they feel they’re treated fairly and have access to support systems.
In a panorama survey of Orange County students from sixth to 12th grade, only 32 percent said that they feel understood by people in their school. This is an 11 percent drop from the prior school year.
Cobb said this is crucial in highlighting the need to build stronger relationships within the school, and the implementation of a district-wide social-emotional learning program.
