Pearl River Schools Offer Common Core Seminar

Parents in Pearl River and the rest of the state continue to raise questions about New York State assessments for grades three through eight and the Common Core standards they are based upon.

Lower numbers of students reaching proficiency on the 2013 assessments created some of the concern, though parents are now also talking about difficulties their children are having in the classroom this fall.

The Pearl River School District has responded by sending out information on the standards and the assessments, speaking about those issues at board of education meetings and in an upcoming Parent University set for next week. 

Pearl River School District Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Sue Wheeler will speak about the state's Common Core Learning Standards for Math in grades K-4 at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 16 at Evans Park Elementary School.

Wheeler will be speaking at a Parent University, a program co-sponsored by the district's continuing adult education program and Pearl River's PTA groups to provide free seminars to all parents, not just those in Pearl River. No registration is required to attend. 

Wheeler will provide an overview of the Common Core standards for each grade level and speak about related instructional strategies. She will demonstrate accessing and utilizing parent resources. 

Wheeler also spoke about the issue at Tuesday's board of education meeting, going through a presentation regarding the history of New York State Assessments. She said she plans to discuss shifts in English Language Arts and Math at the next board of education meeting. Oct. 23. 

Superintendent Dr. John Morgano also pointed out that the the New York State PTA is holding a Town Hall to discuss the Common Core Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Spackenhill High School at 112 Spackenhill Road in Poughkeepsie. Participants will be able to submit questions in writing and make two-minute statements. Either New York State Education Department Commissioner John King or a representative of his department is expected to attend. There are upcoming sessions in Garden City Oct. 15, Clifton Park Oct. 16, Williamsville Oct. 24 and New Hartford Oct. 30, but none are scheduled for Rockland or Westchester County at this time. 

Check back with Patch for more on the discussion of New York State assessments and standards from Tuesday night's meeting, including specific concerns raised by parents.