Superintendent’s message

“We are committed to ensuring that all

students attain academic success.”

Dear Community Members:

Accountability is a critical factor to continuous improvement for the Middletown Public Schools. If we are to make our students accountable for the effort we ask of them in school, then we must be willing to be held accountable for the quality of the educational experience we provide to them and the Town of Middletown. We must lead by example. Without question, our teachers and staff have raised the bar in terms of what we expect from our students and what we expect from ourselves as a school district. With that in mind, I am proud to present the second Accountability Report to the community.

This report documents the progress the Middletown School District has made toward achieving the goals articulated in our Strategic Plan. We persist in our commitment to ensure that all students experience academic success. Towards that goal, we are aligning our curriculum, instruction and assessments to high standards. Students at our high school have an opportunity to achieve the maximum level of recognition by earning a Certificate of Initial Mastery and enrolling in a variety of courses leading to career pathways. Our middle school students are challenged with diverse classes that support adolescent learning goals and which energize these young minds towards a lifetime of learning. In our elementary schools, students concentrate on reading and problem solving skills as well as learn the essential lessons taught through an environment that makes respect and human dignity a priority.

Our staff has dedicated themselves to the improved teaching and learning efforts of the district. The staff has been actively involved in professional development opportunities that support student-learning goals; in fact, the Gaudet SALT Report acknowledges professional development as a strength of the district. As we conduct Learning Walks in our schools, there is evidence of the impact that our commitment to Professional Development has made in student learning. Teacher’s pedagogical methods are guided by research-based practices such as Readers & Writers Workshop and Disciplinary Literacy.

While cities, towns and school districts across Rhode Island struggle with how best to fund education in these tough economic times, strong fiscal management and accountability are a focus here in Middletown. We have established guidelines that allow us to work with a lean budget without compromising the integrity of providing our students with a first class education.

Our Facilities Department over the past two years has done an incredible job in improving and upgrading our buildings and grounds with limited resources. Without question, we need to address the long-term financial issues facing our school district. But we are maintaining our core facilities and this is something we should be very proud of today. Furthermore, both Capital Improvement Projects and bond projects are completed in a professional and timely way.

Lastly, we have made a concerted effort to increase communication, collaboration and involvement in the district. Our web page, www.ri.net/middletown, the Middletown Standard, and workshops the School Committee and my office has conducted with various constituents in the community, all have added to increased communication. We will continue to look at new ways to better keep you informed in the months ahead.

We look forward to the opportunity to continue to work with you to make our schools the center of our community and vehicles by which all Middletown children can achieve their dreams.

Please take a few moments to review this report.

On behalf of everyone in the Middletown School District, thank you for your input, help and support.

Sincerely,

Rosemarie K. Kraeger

Superintendent of Schools