ECS board approves extended program requests

By Thomas Wilson
STAR STAFF
twilson@starhq.com

   The Elizabethton Board of Education approved the 2002-2003 Extended Contract Proposal Program at Tuesday's board meeting. The annual state-funded program extends contract allocations to teachers who provide tutoring, extra course offerings, and a variety of enrichment activities to students.
   Director of Schools Judy Blevins told the board that more than one-third of city students took advantage last year of extended program offerings. "Some of those students take advantage of more than one opportunity," she said.
   The city schools' administration proposed a base allocation of approximately $155,000 for the 2002-2003 school year and 2003 summer school for the Extended Contract program.
   In 2001-2002, the Extended Contract program reported $117,792 in payments from Extended Contract funds.
   Extended learning opportunities, which range from remediation and tutoring for Gateway exams to a variety of enrichment programs, are offered to city students during the school year and summer school.
   The program requires extended contracts for teachers involved in the courses in enrichment, tutoring and developmental offerings.
   During the 2001-2002 program year, over 3,800 hours were spent on remediation programs serving 786 elementary students and 21 students in grades 9-12, according to the ECS analysis report of the Extended Learning Program.
   The analysis reported 285 students in grades 9-12 and 120 elementary students took part in enrichment program offerings during the previous school year.
   Enrichment activities include academic teams, choral groups, music, and counseling services for students. Twenty-seven educators received the full amount of the extended contract requested last year, according to the ECS report.
   The remediation program provides after school tutoring at the middle and high school level during the school year geared to improving basic skills in the Gateway areas.
   Remediation classes require resources of teachers at the elementary, middle school and high school levels during the school year and during summer school.
   The Board voted 5-0 to approve the Extended Program proposal.
   In other business, the board voted 5-0 to approve the purchase of 11 Dell OptiPlex computers for T.A. Dugger Junior High School.