August 6, 2009

Dear CHAD Parents, Grandparents, and Guardians—

We’re writing to you as a requirement of the Federally mandated No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education renewal program. This program requires the state, school districts, and individual schools to meet specific achievement targets in math, reading and science, as well as a set of other academic indicators. [Eventually, there will be required achievement targets in all school subjects.] All students must meet these targets, including the following populations: major ethnic groups, special education students, limited English-proficient students, and low-income students. In addition, at least 95% of students enrolled in schools must participate in the State assessments (PSSA) and schools must show improvement in attendance and graduation rates. Collectively, these targets are known as Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

I am very pleased to report that CHAD met the 2009 NCLB requirements for AYP via the “Safe Harbor” guidelines because we brought our scores up in Math by 69% and our scores up in Reading by 24%. We are still, however, not where we need to be so we will continue for another year in “School Improvement” and aim for a second successful year of meeting AYP, building upon those programs we established in 2008-2009, especially (1) the Tutoring Center, (2) The “Red Flag Program” ** and (3) frequent comprehensive data-driven assessments.

The NCLB program requires that we notify you of our AYP status. NCLB also provides funding for your child to receive extra academic support during the 2009-2010 school year. This free tutoring program is called Supplemental Educational Services (SES). [Please note that this SES program is NOT the same as CHAD’s Tutoring Center or the tutoring CHAD requires for students in academic difficulty or who have not yet met proficiency in the PSSA exams.] A list of approved outside tutoring programs is distributed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. These programs will provide your child with tutoring that is coordinated with the CHAD curriculum. You may choose a free tutoring program that best suits the needs of your child but you must select an approved PDE provider to receive the tutoring. I should tell you that CHAD parents have had very good experiences with the Sylvan Learning Center, which has facilities in the Curtis Center, directly across from CHAD on Sansom Street. A percentage of CHAD’s Title I funding is set aside to cover the costs of the outside tutoring program. If it turns out that the Title I funds are not sufficient to cover the supplemental educational services for all the students who choose to participate, participation will be prioritized on the basis of academic need as determined by CHAD.

With this letter, you will find an information sheet on tutoring services and directions to download a list of approved SES providers, both of which will be helpful if you choose to use these services. Please complete the “Provider Selection Form” and return it to CHAD in the enclosed pre-addressed and stamped envelope AND call CHAD Principal and Director of Academic Services, Donna Costello (215-351-2900 ext. 5508) to make arrangements for the use of outside tutoring. We will respond promptly with specific information about whether your child has been selected to participate in the program and when tutoring will begin.

Thank you for your continued support of and belief in CHAD. We made great progress in the 2008-2009 school year and we are eager to extend this progress to the 2009-2010 school year.

Gratefully,

Peter Kountz, Ph.D. Head of School

Enclosures:
Click here to download Provider Selection Form
Click here to download SES Tutoring Information Sheet

Nb: re. The “Red Flag Program” --by creating individual data-driven student profiles, including a complete analysis of performance in class work and on standardized examinations, we have been able to identify students who are struggling academically and who may be at risk for semester failure (s). The “Red Flag List” is the list of those students in academic difficulty and it allows us to provide individualized support and instruction much more quickly and efficiently.