SPRINGFIELD
14 — THE CHRONICLE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2019
Springfi eld Public School Superintendent Todd Hamilton spoke at the Springfi eld
City Club luncheon on Oct. 17. VICTORIA STEPHENS/THE CHRONICLE
SCHOOL continued from 13
Hamilton focused on one of these 28
programs, the Student Investment Account,
which will use half of those funds. That
$500,000 is set aside better address students’
mental and behavioral health needs and to
promote equity in traditionally underserved
populations throughout the 197 school districts
in the state.
The goal is to reduce academic disadvan-
tages among low-income, racial, ethnic and
other minority groups, students with disabilities
or students where English is not their primary
language, foster students and homeless students,
as well as other groups that have traditionally
experienced academic disparities.
These goals align with Springfi eld Public
School System’s values of removing inequities,
providing a safe, healthy, engaging environment
and promoting inclusion.
To help find answers to that question,
Hamilton had attendees participate in an exer-
cise to determine which skills in one of four
areas they thought was most responsible for their
success – critical thinking and problem solving,
content knowledge, ownership of learning and
self-management and navigation of life tran-
sitions.
Hamilton said the point is that success is not
always based knowledge but often on these
softer skills.
This exercise mimicked outreach efforts
being held throughout the community. Parents
and community members have been partici-
pating in a similar exercise in efforts to iden-
tify what is needed for students to succeed.
Hamilton emphasized that content knowledge
is just a small piece of the puzzle.
Another focus area he mentioned to promote
student success was the Early Learning
Alliance, a program aimed to reach children and
families from the time of birth to kindergarten.
The idea behind this program is that problems
often begin at home.
Attendance is a critical area of success in
school and parent education is necessary to
establish routines at home so children can get
to school, he said. Family resource coordinators
will be hired to help with that parent education
process.
Hamilton said that United Way is doing the
“heavy lifting” with that birth to K pre-school
entry program. Kids in Transition to School
(KITS), a school readiness program, developed
by the Oregon Social Learning Center, is part
of that parent education and outreach program.
Additional goals of the Student Investment
Account are to promote a well-rounded educa-
tion, reduce class sizes, increase instructional
time, promote health and safety in support-
ing social and emotional learning, mental and
behavioral health and to hire more school health
professionals. Benchmarks for student success
include reading by third grade and ninth graders
being on track for graduation by having 25 % of
their required 24 credits completed.
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