Ongoing Concerns About Teen Pregnancy

The North Adams Public Schools, through grant funding from the Department of Public Health, is providing a nationally recognized health unit to eighth graders. Quoting from the letter sent to eight-grade children’s parents, ” “Making Proud Choices” is an eight hour, research-based program that has proven to be successful in encouraging teens to behave in ways that reduce their risk of unintentional pregnancy and infection with HIV and other sexually transmitted illnesses.

The curriculum encourages participants to take pride in themselves and their communities, to behave responsibly for their own sake as well as for the sake of their family and their community, and to consider their goals for the future and how unhealthy behavior might thwart those goals.

The curriculum acknowledges that abstinence is the most effective way to eliminate the risks associated with sexual activity. It also provides factual information that will help students who do not choose abstinence to practice safer sex.

“Making Proud Choices” contains eight class lessons on topics ranging from setting life goals, to attitudes and beliefs about HIV/AIDS and condom use, to the consequences of sexual activity, to helping students build their refusal and negotiation skills to help them deal with the pressures that teens inevitably feel.”

Teenage pregnancy continues to be a serious issue in North Adams. The Pittsfied School District is also doing the “Making Proud Choices” program.

Anything that addresses teen pregnancy is a step in the right direction. What would you recommend the North Adams School District do to further address this important issue?

Sullivan Elementary School Receives High Marks

In 2005-2006 Sullivan School was ranked in the top three schools of the Massachusetts Reading First project for its success in increasing the percentage of students who moved from the fall 2005 rating of "low average" to the spring 2006 rating of "average or above".

Cheryl Liebling, Ph.D., Director of Reading and Language Arts for the Massachusetts Department of Education, has informed the North Adams School District that Sullivan School was one of three schools selected to participate in the Reading First case narratives for 2006-2007.

This year's best practice sites were selected because of their expertise in using data from the Reading First assessments to inform instruction. The purpose of the 2006-2007 case studies is to highlight best practices in schools that are targeting instruction to meet the needs of students as identified by Reading First assessments.

N Adams District Out of Watch Status

The North Adams School District received notification from Joe Rappa, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office of EQA (Educational Quality and Accountability), that the Educational Management Audit Council, after reviewing the February, 2006 audit report - which indicated the scope and depth of the changes that have occurred in the past two years - the council voted to remove North Adams Public Schools from "Watch Status", despite some continuing concerns about Conte Middle School.

The North Adams School District was one of the first in Massachusetts to be placed in Watch Status and received a lot of negative publicity as a result - some warranted. Now you'll find a "Watch Status" school district in your neighborhood wherever you live in the state.