Schools set plans to deal with students in poverty

from The Statesman Journal

Almost half of Salem-Keizer kids get free or reduced-price meals

TRACY LOEW
Statesman Journal

The number of Salem-Keizer students in poverty has grown from 14,000 to 19,700 in the past four years. That's nearly half the district's enrollment, Superintendent Sandy Husk told about 30 people at forum on poverty Wednesday night.

Those students are more likely to start school academically behind their more well-off peers, Husk told the group. And about 16 percent of students come to the district speaking a language other than English.

"We need to figure out ways to organize our work to meet the needs of those students," she said. "As our demographic population has changed and we have a wider range of needs and issues, it's more important that we're able to individualize instruction."

The district has two major initiatives under way to accomplish that goal, Husk said.

First, it is implementing a "formative assessment" system that will help teachers figure out what a particular child knows and needs to learn.

Second, it's stepping up professional development for teachers.

"What we have to focus on is having a highly trained teacher that's well supported in every classroom," Husk said.

The school district defines "students in poverty" as those who receive free or reduced-price meals. That's different than the poverty level defined by the federal government.

Using that measure, according to recently released Census figures, 17.7 percent of school-age children in the Salem-Keizer boundary came from families living in poverty in 2005. That's about the same as the state and national rates.

Children from families making up to 185 percent of the federal poverty line qualify for reduced-price lunches.

Husk said she hopes to move the community conversation beyond the data and whether the numbers are good or bad. For educators, she said, they are simply a demographic that influences instructional strategies.