Number
080787
Version
ORIGINAL
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. ZIELINSKI and HAMILTON
Title
Resolution relating to a pilot program to improve academic performance in Milwaukee Public Schools.
Analysis
This resolution calls on the Milwaukee Board of School Directors (or any successor entity responsible for operation of public schools in Milwaukee) to create a pilot program to address the problem of habitually disruptive students in Milwaukee Public Schools classrooms. Under this program, which would initially be offered in one middle school and one high school, a teacher would be authorized to identify habitually disruptive students in his or her classroom and to assign these students to an alternative learning program. The emphasis of the alternative learning program would be on providing family preservation support specialists and other related professionals who would work intensively with both disruptive students and their parents to understand the root causes of the students’ behavioral issues. The goal of the program would be to eventually re-integrate these students in regular classrooms upon successful completion of the alternative learning program.
Body
Whereas, The overall academic performance of Milwaukee Public Schools (“MPS”) students is poor, as exemplified by the low percentages of MPS 10th graders rated as proficient or above on the most recent state standardized math and English tests (28.7% and 39.0%, respectively); and
Whereas, MPS is also plagued by a high truancy rate (46% of students were habitually truant during the 2006-07 school year) and a low high school graduation rate (in the range of 46% to 58%); and
Whereas, These statistics indicate that MPS is failing to produce the well-educated workforce that Milwaukee and its businesses need to remain economically competitive; and
Whereas, Chronic disruptive behavior in many MPS classrooms creates a huge burden on MPS teachers who are trying their best to give students a sound education,...
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