South Country Schools
Bellport High School Climate Committee
JULY 27, 2005
Compiled by
Dawn Castellano (Co-Chair)
Jacquelyn Schwicke (Co-Chair)
Robin Williams
Cassandra Pinckney-Oudkerk
Nicole Lundin


At the conclusion of the High School Climate Committee presentation last year we asked the Board to support our continued work through the 2004-05 school year. We wanted to monitor progress at the high school throughout the `04-05 and insure that high school and district administration followed through with promised improvements to mend school climate at Bellport High School.

The school year started with great promise, but the attached surveys will clearly communicate that continued deterioration of improvements took place over the course of the school year. In order to create a vibrant, thriving high school where our students experience success, we will need to make a safe, respectful, intellectually rich environment and we will all need to work together.

This presentation is a reflection of the current climate and contains our suggestions for the future. It's a fresh start-much like raising children-we must begin every day with optimism and instill hope for tomorrow.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
 Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead
American Anthropologist

We enthusiastically offer our thanks to the South Country Board of Education for your continued support.

Sincerely,
Members of the Bellport High School Climate Committee



Bellport High School Teacher & Staff Survey

The Teacher and Staff survey at the High School was completed by 42
with 27 people providing additional comment and wish lists.

 

1- Has staff morale improved this ear?

NO - 90%

2- Did you see an improvement in school safety and security with

NO - 52%

the measures that were implemented during the end of the 2004

 

school year?

 

3- Do you believe the security measures that were put in place are

NO - 76%

still effective?

 

4- There is adequate communication between Building

FALSE - 92%

Administration and staff.

 

5- Building Administration is responsive to crises that take place at

FALSE - 80%

BHS.

 

6- Building Administration provides consistent, appropriate

FALSE - 92%

discipline to students who violate the Code of Conduct.

 

7- Serious violations of the Code of Conduct have gone without

TRUE - 84%

appropriate disciplinary action.

 

8- If true, how many students do you know have not received

1 to 3 - 26%

appropriate disciplinary action?

4 to 6 - 26%

 

7 to 9 - 22%

 

10 or more - 26%

9- Do you still find that too much of your instructional time is being

YES- 55%

sent dealing with behavior problems?

 

10- If yes, has administration taken steps to rectify this problem?

NO - 88%

11- The Assistant Principals and Deans are supportive of

FALSE - 69%

teachers' concerns about student behavior and attendance.

 

12- There are regularly scheduled meetings to discuss our

FALSE - 76%

concerns about students academic and/or behavior issues (ex.

 

IST meetings).

 

13- The attendance policy and improved processing of cutting

FALSE - 85%

referrals made an improvement in this area of classroom

 

management since last year.

 

14- Has the implementation of the attendance/cutting policies

NO - 85%

remained consistent throughout the ear?

 

15- Cutting has decreased or remained the same- since last year.

Increased - 23%

 

Decreased -16%

 

Remained the same since

 

last year 64%

16- My 9th  period extra help class is used:

Daily -14%

 

Frequently -19%

 

Occasionally - 34%

 

Never - 33%

17- Central Administration understands the needs of the

FALSE - 92%

professionals at the building level.

 

18- Central Administration is responsive to the needs, suggestions

FALSE -100%

and ideas of the staff at BHS

 

19- There is accurate information presented to the BOE regarding

FALSE - 97%

events and issues at the building level.

 

20- Are you expressing your concerns to the appropriate venues

YES - 90%

(i.e.: BTA, PTSA, Administration, CO)?

 



Bellport High School Student Survey

The student survey was completed by 817 9th -12th grade students
with 243 students providing additional comments and wish lists.

1- I like going to school this year.

FALSE

- 50%

2- This school feels like a safer place this year.

FALSE

- 72%

3- I see an improvement in school safety and security with the

FALSE

- 61

measures that were implemented at the end of the 2004 school

 

 

year.



4- I think the principal has an important impact on the safety,

FALSE

- 62%

security and positive climate of this school.

 

 

5- I think the assistant principals have an important impact on the

FALSE

- 54%

safety, security and positive climate of this school.

 

 

6- I think the deans have an important impact on the safety,

FALSE

- 59%

security and positive climate of this school.

 

 

7- I am learning all the academic skills I need to succeed.

TRUE -

61 %

8- M teachers believe I can learn want me to do my best.

TRUE -

74%

9- M teachers make learning fun and interesting,

FALSE

- 60%

10- This year there is less violence in school.

FALSE

- 78%

11- I see that violations of the Code of Conduct are followed up

TRUE -

50%

with consequences.

 

 

12- Consequences are consistent for all students, regardless of

FALSE

- 70%

gender, ethnicity or social group.

 

 

13- I believe there is an atmosphere of respect between students

FALSE

- 55%

of different ethnic groups.

 

 

14- Fewer students are using alcohol and/or drugs during and/or

FALSE

- 76%

in school.

 

 

15- The conditions in the bathrooms have improved this year-

FALSE

- 79%

cleaner, soap, towels.

 

 

16- The food in the lunch program has improved this year.

TRUE-

- 69%

17- I am proud to tell people that I am a student at Bellport High

TRUE -

- 61%

School.

 

 

18- Do you attend 9th Period Extra Help class?

DAILY-11%

FREQUENTLY

 

-19%

SOMETIMES - 50%

 

NEVER

- 20%

19- How many students daily violate the Code of Conduct without

1-0  -6%

consequence?

1- 2 to 5 - 25%

 

 3-6 to 10

10 - 23%

 

4-10 OR MORE - 46%

20- I participate in the following after school activities:

CLUBS

-18%

 

SPORTS - 36%

 

MUSIC-11%

 

 

WORK

-18%

 

NONE

-17%

 

Bellport Middle SchoolTeacher & Staff Survey

 
The Teacher and Staff survey at the Middle School was completed by 52 people
with 32 people providing additional comment/wish lists.

1- Has staff morale improved this year?

NO - 84%

2- Did you see an improvement in school safety and security with the measures

NO - 66%

that were implemented during the end of the 2004 school year?

 

3- Do you believe the security measures that were put in place are still effective?

NO - 80%

4- There is adequate communication between Building Administration and staff.

FALSE - 84%

5- Building Administration is responsive to crises that take place at BMS.

FALSE - 46%

6- Building Administration provides consistent, appropriate discipline to students

FALSE - 85%

who violate the Code of Conduct.

 

7- Serious violations of the Code of Conduct have gone without appropriate

FALSE - 65%

disciplinary action.

 

8- If true, how many students do you know have not received appropriate

1 to 3 - 20%

disciplinary action?

4 to 6 - 20%

 

7 to 9-15%

 

10 or more - 45%

9- Do you still find that too much of your instructional time is being spent dealing

NO - 74%

with behavior problems?

 

10- If yes, has administration taken steps to rectify this problem?

NO - 80%

11- The Assistant Principals and Deans are supportive of teachers' concerns

FALSE - 78%

about student behavior and/or attendance.

 

12- It seems as if the administrators turn a "blind eye" to persistent "hallway

TRUE - 65%

issues" (Code Yellow compliance, 9th period accountability, 10th period dismissal,

 

"lingerers" .

 

13- There are regularly scheduled meetings to discuss our concerns about

FALSE - 65%

students academic and/or behavior issues ex. IST meetings).


14- Do you know whom to seek out for questions/concerns about students and/or

YES - 65%

work-related issues (ie: the chain of command)?


15- Some are saying that it seems as if administrators use this school as a

NO - 91

stepping stone in their careers: do you feel Central and Building Administration

 

are invested in the long term growth and development of SCSD?

 

16- Central Administration understands the needs of the professionals at the

FALSE - 86%

-building level.

 

17- Central Administration is responsive to the needs, suggestions and ideas of

FALSE - 91 %

the staff at BMS.

 

18- There is accurate information presented to the BOE regarding events and

FALSE - 82%

issues at the building level.

 

19- Are you expressing your concerns to the appropriate venues (i.e.: BTA,

YES - 82%

PTSA, Administration, CO)? If no, why not? Please use the comments section to

 

elaborate on our experiences.

 

20- 1 feel appreciated for the work I do at Bellport Middle School.

NO - 78%

 

CONCLUSION

  As we stated in the beginning of this presentation, our concerns are a reflection of the surveys completed by teachers, staff and students throughout the High School and Middle School. We want to thank them for taking time to give us their honest and thoughtful answers. Please read all of the comments from teachers, staff and students, because these contain valuable information that the Board may also want to address.

Many issues were not addressed during this presentation, because they will be addressed by the District in Need of Improvement Committee. This committee supports the High School Administration, teachers, staff and students in improving our School Safety, Code of Conduct, Morale and Leadership, Mentoring Program, and Parental Involvement and Communication.

In order to create a safe, respectful, intellectually rich environment where students experience success, we depend on you to be consistent when the measures we have suggested are put into place. You must constantly measure and analyze successes and failures in order to transform our schools into more positive learning environments.

Our collective attitude must be that if something works-let's keep it going. If something has failed--we must change it, now. We must all constantly be asking ourselves, "How are we doing?" We must always be listening for the answers and be willing to act immediately.

Finally, we depend on you to encourage our building Administrators to meet regularly with teachers, staff, students, and parents. Minutes of these meetings have to be recorded and reported to the Board directly so that the lines of communication are kept open and accurate. Board of Education members as well as members from this committee should attend those meetings in order to show support as well as to learn and listen to the problems first hand.

This committee is proud to have served the school district during the last two school years. We respectfully request that the Board continue to support the High School Climate Committee. We will monitor progress made at Bellport High School and report to the Board and Community as necessary. This is a way of keeping the Community involved and keeping our lines of communication open. 

We would like to thank the SCSC Board of Education for all of your constant hard work and commitment to our community. Thank you as well for allowing us the opportunity to serve a community that is so precious to all of us.

 

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