Race to the Top Brings New Requirements, Teacher Evaluation

Superintendent Bernard DiLullo explained the new standards at Tuesday's School Committee meeting.

Administrators will set specific curriculum requirements and more closely evaluate teachers as part of the Johnston School District's paticipation in the Race to the Top initiative. Superintendent Bernard DiLullo presented the new standards at a School Committee meeting Tuesday, explaining that administrators will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their teachers and set professional development goals, as well as student learning goals. Tim Ward from the Department of Education will assist this systems’ implementation. The district will move toward common core standards before the 2014 school year. The standards are benchmarks in educational instruction and curriculum requirements, DiLullo said. A state trainer will be working with …

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Your Government Handbook

School Committee Meeting — Nov. 15

An update on the work to replace the aging boilers at Johnston High School is on tonight's school committee agenda.

School Supt. Dr. Bernard DiLullo is scheduled to give an update to the work to replace the boilers at Johnston High School at tonight's scheduled school board meeting, to be held at N.A. Ferri Middle School. The public session is set to start at 7 p.m. A copy of tonight's agenda is attached to this article. At a special joint session of the town council and school board on Oct. 21, each panel approved contracts for replacement of the two aging boilers and removal of asbestos insulation and an oil tank. (See a view of what the boiler room looked like on Oct. 24.) During its budget hearings in the spring, the school committee considered replacing just the burners and switching from oil to gas to fuel the boilers, which are original to …

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Science Scores Up, DiLullo Announces

Johnston Supt. Dr. Bernard DiLullo told the school committee on Sept. 28 that local students' science scores have improved "across the board."

At the Sept. 28 school committee meeting in the Nicholas A. Ferri Middle School library, Supt. Dr. Bernard DiLullo announced some encouraging news regarding district NECAP scores in the sciences.  “There have been improvements across the board,” DiLullo said. “Grade four has risen to 60 percent proficient, grade eight to 27 percent proficient and grade 11 to 20 percent proficient.” In the 2009-2010 school year, Johnston's scores were 59 percent proficient in grade 4; 21 percent in grade 8; and 12 percent in grade 11. (Those numbers represent the combination of students scoring at Level 3, or "Proficient," and Level 4, or "Proficient with distinction" under the NECAP scoring guidelines. Copies of the district's science scorecards for the …

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Board OKs Free Dental Care For Students

The Molar Express will bring free dental care to students; six faculty additions were approved, as well as 10 bus monitor positions.

At its Sept. 13 meeting, the Johnston School Committee voted to bring in the Molar Express, a no-cost mobile dental clinic, to the district. The Molar Express program is sponsored and operated by West Bay Smiles. “The Molar Express continues to be an extremely effective program at brining no-cost dental care to children 21 and under,” said Tara Pratt, a representative from West Bay Smiles. Pratt explained the program has a high enrollment in communities such as Cranston, Warwick and Coventry — and actually makes children want to go to the dentist. Committee members discussed hosting an open house on a date to be determined. Also during the session: The next school committee meeting is scheduled for Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. in the N.A. Ferri …

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Porricelli Named Ferri Asst. Principal

New department heads for business and special education were also appointed by the school committee.

On August 16, the Johnston School Committee voted unanimously to appoint Steven Porricelli as Assistant Principal at the Nicholas A. Ferri Middle School. Despite the district being level-funded for a fourth consecutive year, Supt. Dr. Bernard DiLullo said he felt that having a new assistant principal was critical to improving the department's system of evaluating teachers. “We have a lot of work to do with teacher evaluations [and] Mr. Porricelli is certified in all content areas," DiLullo explained. "Not only will he fill the role of assistant principal, but he will be able to improve teacher effectiveness with his background." DiLullo also noted that the district can afford the new position because Dr. Sandra Barboza, formerly principal …

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Co-Op Hockey Plan Scores Extension

The school committee deferred decisions on a new bus contract and budget changes until July 21.

At its meeting on July 12, the Johnston School Committee extended the district's co-op varsity high school hockey agreement with North Providence for two more years. The two towns' high schools will continue to share the costs of travel, ice time, and equipment, according to committee Chairwoman Janice Mele. The team, known as the Cougars, are coming off a season that saw them defeat Mt. Hope High to capture the state’s Division III championship in just their second season of operation as a co-op squad. Also on July 12, a decision regarding the district’s new three-year bus contract was tabled until the board's next scheduled meeting, on July 21. “The importance of the bus company and the children’s safety is too important to rush,” Mele …

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School Committee Honors Baseball Champions

The Johnston school board also approved a number of contracts and recalls for teachers who had been given layoff notices.

The honors continued for the Division II champion Johnston High School varsity baseball team on June 29, as the local school committee recognized the squad for their achievement. “I’d like to congratulate the boys, they all did very well. I’m very impressed with their sportsmanship awards as well,” said member Lorraine Iafrate. The committee members individually issued citations to the players who reside within their respective districts. After starting the season with 11 straight wins, the Panthers lost to Woonsocket, 5-4, on April 6, then secured the top seed in the playoffs with a 5-1 record down the stretch. The Villa Novans met Johnston in the semifinals, with the Panthers winning the best-of-three series two games to one. Johnston …

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Your Government Handbook

School Committee Meeting — June 29

The Johnston School Committee is scheduled to meet tonight at 7 p.m. at Ferri Middle School.

Following an executive session that was scheduled to start at 4:30 this afternoon, the Johnston School Committee is expected to open the public portion of its meeting at 7 p.m. at Ferri Middle School. Among the items scheduled for tonight's meeting are: A copy of the agenda for the session accompanies this article.

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Schools Get $100K From Landfill Powerplant

A group from Johnston's General Assembly delegation announced the donation from Broadrock Renewables.

The Johnston School Committee accepted a check for $100,000 from the Central Landfill power plant at its June 14 meeting in the Nicholas A. Ferri Middle School library. State Sen. John Lombardo and Reps. Stephen Ucci, Deborah Fellela, and John Carnevale attended the meeting to ceremoniously receive the check issued by Broadrock Renewables, LLC. “Fortunately for us, Broadrock Renewables came along and came up with a plan with the landfill, that they were going to put in an entirely new methane collection system at the landfill,” Ucci said. That gas will then be piped to a new, high-efficiency power plant. Randy Holmes, Chief Executive Officer for Broadrock Renewables, LLC said: “There has been a lot of excess gas at that landfill for many, …

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