Amherst School Board updated on literacy council
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

The Amherst Central School Board was updated on the district's literary council at the Dec. 18 business meeting.

Tom Ferraina, the district's director of curriculum and staff development, told the board the main goal of the literacy council is to increase student achievement.

To keep attaining that goal, he said the council must explore and implement staff development models, identify and model instructional strategies and development support materials, research and refine the roles of literacy coaches, and increase the access of literacy throughout the district.

The literacy council is a K-12 district initiative that began a few years ago to encourage literacy in all subjects. A new literacy council made up of 29 teachers and building administrators was recently formed. Forty percent of the council is new.

"At each of the buildings, we made some determinations working with our staff and building principals and teachers to get representation from various levels and content area," said Dan Lewis, principal of Windermere Boulevard Elementary's intermediate education center. "I think we have a good mix from people at different levels."

Mary Lavin, Windermere's early childhood center principal, said the best way to see if student achievement is increasing would be to look at scores on state assessment tests and feedback from surveys for staff members that ask what their strengths and weaknesses are in teaching literacy.

In another matter: Mark Whyle, the district's assistant superintendent - administrative services, said the first planning phase of its $16.8 million capital construction project, a roofing project, has been submitted to the state Education Department for approval.

Whyle thinks the first phase will have a "quick turnaround" by the state and hopes construction will begin by the spring or the summer at the latest.

The second phase of the capital project, which includes an expansion of the kitchen and cafeteria at Windermere and art and science rooms at the middle school, is under review by architects at the Thomas Group.

Whyle said the district's architects will provide the board with a monthly timeline on the progress of the projects.