School
Profile
The
Town of Milton is a residential suburb south of Boston, which is comprised as a
middle to upper class community of approximately 26,5000 people.
Based on the 1990 U.S. census, the local unemployment rate is 4.5% and 3
percent of the population is below the poverty level.
Local resources, predominantly property taxes, are responsible for 88% of
the educational funding.
Milton
Public Schools is comprised of six public schools, which includes one high
school, one middle school and four elementary schools. Milton High School has a
grade nine through twelve population of 980 students, Pierce Middle School has a
grade six through eight population of 880 students and the elementary schools have a
grade Kindergarten through five population of 1000 students divided among the
four elementary schools. There are
400 teachers including two reading LD teachers and a Title 1 coordinator as well
as 100 support personnel and custodians within the public school system.
The racial makeup of the school district changed significantly in the
early 1900's but has remained fairly constant since 1994.
Currently the population is 76.2 % white, 19.6 % black, 2.1 % Asian and
2.1% Latino. The two-year average
dropout rate is 1.2%. The
attendance rate for students is 93.4% and for teachers 96%.
The
New England Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools accredits Milton High
School. Milton High School has been cited by the United States
Department of Education as an excellent high school through their Secondary
School Recognition Program. The
results of the fourteen criteria of effective schools, Milton High School was
awarded the flag of Outstanding Progress in Excellence in Education.
Significant
indicators of student performance include the high graduation rate, the college
acceptance rate, and performance on College Board tests and MCAS.
The class of 2001 reported that eighty-one percent (81%) graduates attend
four-year colleges, 10% attend community or two-year colleges, 2% enter the
military, 3% enter the work force, and the remaining 4% are undecided.
Participants
The
participants for this study were three sophomore students in a high school Special
Education Reading class. According
to the Woodcock-Johnson Achievement Test, the students reading and writing
subtest scores were below grade level (grade 7/8) falling in the low average
range.