image description
Principal Tara Barnes, right, reviews the school's PARCC scores with the School Committee on Thursday. Clarksburg was rated a Level 1 school by the state.
image description
Barnes pointed out that there are still gaps - between the blue line and red dot - that have to be closed.
image description
The new report cards for Grades K-5 will be based on numbers correlating to skill levels.

Clarksburg School Attains Level 1 Status

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Clarksburg School has achieved a Level 1 status based on last spring's standardized tests.

"Staff and teachers really worked hard over a number of years to reach this level," Superintendent Jon Lev said at Thursday's School Committee meeting.

The levels, running from 1 to 5, are based on the percentage of students mastering proficiency levels in English-Language Arts and math in the lower grades. Level 1 is the highest that can be achieved.

Clarksburg has been administering the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers tests, or PARCC, for the past two years. Some students also took the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests.

In a letter sent home to parents this week, Principal Tara Barnes said, "after many years of Level 2 status at Clarksburg, this is a great accomplishment to move to Level 1. It reflects the many years of hard work by the entire school staff and the perseverance of our students to meet high expectations. ...

"I think our test scores reflect our commitment to provide a high-quality educational experience for all of our students."

The school also earned extra credit for reducing the percentage of students failing and increasing the percent advancing.

Barnes told the committee that she felt that student preparation and creating a positive environment surrounding the tests were critical to the higher scores by helping reduce anxiety.

"That helps a lot, just setting the tone, which I thank the Student Council for and the staff," she said, but added, "We can really celebrate a lot of success but we're not done, we're not done until every student meets their goal."

The state sets that goal, Barnes said, showing the committee members the percentages as calculated by the state. A blue line showed progress and a red square the goal; in some cases they met, in others, the blue line passed the square. But there were still areas where the line didn't quite reach.

"This shows some of the gaps. We still have to move and grow but I think we're in a really good spot. ... we're trying to close any gaps we have and meet that red dot."



The school has developed or adopted a number of programs, including one last year for math, that seem to be paying off.

"I think we have definitely done something to make a difference," Barnes said. "A lot of it was just fantastic teaching at Clarksburg."

 The state is expected to offer what's being called MCAS 2.0, a combination of PARCC and the current system, this spring.
 
 "We feel we're very well prepared having taken PARCC for two years for whatever they come up with for MCAS," she said.

In other business, Barnes updated the committee on the recent parent open house designed to inform parents about curriculum, policies, technology in use at the school and other aspects of the school year.

Among those updates is the change in the way report cards are done. Currently handwritten on carbon paper, the reports will be handled through the school's new online Rediker management system. Grading up to Grade 5 will also change from a mix of checks and letter grades to numbers of 1 through 4, with 4 "exceeding expectations."

"We were really defining standards last year so we can put it in our report cards ... for this skill are they meeting their expectations at that grade level," the principal said. "It's been a lot of work and the teachers have really taken this one and done a wonderful job with this."

Grades 6-8 will continue receiving a percentage grade.

The Berkshire Family YMCA will be offering afterschool programs at the school and will hire teachers or assistants interested in working the programs. The fees will be on a sliding scale and families can opt to have their children attend the Y in North Adams in cases of school closures. Barnes said they will also be able to get memberships.

The School Committee will take up the subject of substitute teacher-assistant pay at its next meeting at the request of a sub. The school union raised wages for substitute teachers last year.


Tags: Clarksburg School,   MCAS,   PARCC,   standardized testing,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

North Adams Regional Reopens With Ribbon-Cutting Celebration

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

BHS President and CEO Darlene Rodowicz welcomes the gathering to the celebration of the hospital's reopening 10 years to the day it closed. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The joyful celebration on Thursday at North Adams Regional Hospital was a far cry from the scene 10 years ago when protests and tears marked the facility's closing
 
Hospital officials, local leaders, medical staff, residents and elected officials gathered under a tent on the campus to mark the efforts over the past decade to restore NARH and cut the ribbon officially reopening the 136-year-old medical center. 
 
"This hospital under previous ownership closed its doors. It was a day that was full of tears, anger and fear in the Northern Berkshire community about where and how residents would be able to receive what should be a fundamental right for everyone — access to health care," said Darlene Rodowicz, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. 
 
"Today the historic opportunity to enhance the health and wellness of Northern Berkshire community is here. And we've been waiting for this moment for 10 years. It is the key to keeping in line with our strategic plan which is to increase access and support coordinated county wide system of care." 
 
Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, under the BHS umbrella, purchased the campus and affiliated systems when Northern Berkshire Healthcare declared bankruptcy and closed on March 28, 2014. NBH had been beset by falling admissions, reductions in Medicare and Medicaid payments, and investments that had gone sour leaving it more than $30 million in debt. 
 
BMC was able to reopen the ER as an emergency satellite facility and slowly restored and enhanced medical services including outpatient surgery, imaging, dialysis, pharmacy and physician services. 
 
But it would take a slight tweak in the U.S. Health and Human Services' regulations — thank to U.S. Rep. Richie Neal — to bring back inpatient beds and resurrect North Adams Regional Hospital 
 
View Full Story

More Clarksburg Stories