Poorer but wiser

Twenty-one years ago, Jill Janet's kindergarten class at Clippard Elementary was very different from the students she sees today.

Today, there are more children from single-parent households, more non-English-speaking students and many more low-income students.

"Things were different back then," Janet said. "Children just didn't have to come with as many academic skills as they do now. That's something society has pushed us into."

The changes represent a shift of demographics in Cape Girardeau, but Janet doesn't necessarily see that as a bad thing.

"Diversity has been a positive thing for our school. We all need to learn to live with all kinds of people," she said. "I just take it as a challenge, and I love challenges. It makes me want to work harder."

Of all of the city's public elementary schools, Clippard's demographics have changed the most over the past five years.

Historically, schools on the south side of the city have had the largest number of students on free and reduced lunches, the figure used by the federal government to measure poverty.

At both Blanchard and Franklin schools, more than 70 percent of the students are low-income. Those numbers have been consistent for six years.

At Jefferson Elementary, free and reduced lunch numbers have ranged from 69 percent in 2000 to 92 percent in 2004 and then 85 percent in 2005. These are the highest figures in the school district.

Each of those schools has been dealing with the challenges of large low-income populations for years and has been receiving extra federal funds, known as Title I money, to help.

Clippard is also eligible for those funds because its free and reduced lunch numbers have risen above 40 percent. The school will officially become Title I next year.

For Clippard principal Sydney Herbst and her teachers, the growing population has meant some additional challenges in finding ways to meet the needs of some students.

"There is some challenge in home-school communication. It's more difficult with some parents working shifts," Herbst said. "Occasionally kids don't have what they need for a project or money for a field trip."

But other parents and even teachers have helped in those situations. And now, with the Title I money, the school will have an additional resource to provide services to not just low-income families but for all families at the school.

The federal money will pay the salary of a literacy coach and remedial reading teachers, which the district currently pays for, but will also help implement new programs such as family reading nights and additional professional development for teachers.

"Sometimes I think we get caught up in numbers, but kids are kids. It doesn't matter whether we have 10 percent or 90 percent, we'll still do good things for kids," Herbst said.

Receiving the Title I designation means the school will now fall under federal No Child Left Behind requirements for making adequate yearly progress on the state's annual student assessments. If Clippard doesn't meet the required annual levels of progress on math and communication arts tests, the school will face penalties such as allowing students to transfer to a higher-performing school within the district and offering tutoring services.

In the past, Clippard has met required annual yearly progress goals, and school officials don't expect this to change.

Cape Girardeau superintendent Mark Bowles said there was no hesitancy in becoming Title I, even with the possibility of penalties under No Child Left Behind.

"We consider all of our elementary schools accountable to those numbers. Teachers at all schools are determined to make AYP," Bowles said.

"The things we are doing -- the reforms we are initiating, the professional development we are providing -- are done districtwide to benefit all kids," he said. "That's an important mindset for us because if you take a child from Jefferson and bus him to Alma Schrader, those at-risk factors follow him."

cmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128