PSS explains SARC at Rotary Club meeting

The School Accountability Report Card was introduced by the Education Commissioner Dr. Lawrence Camacho while serving as guest speaker during the Rotary Club of Saipan meeting last Tuesday at Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan.

In a video presented by Camacho, Alisa Pangelinan and Romolo Orsini introduced SARC’s goal of providing information about the performance of the entire school. It will include data on student proficiency in reading and math, attendance rates, and graduation rates.

“The school accountability report card will give us a gauge of students’ performance based on Star Reading Proficiency, Star Math Proficiency, attendance rates, and graduation rates for high school,” said Pangelinan.

The SARC helps identify schools that needs improvement and those schools that are excelling. It serves as a tool to highlight schools for improvement and celebrate achievements. It plays a crucial role in supporting schools and students’ success. In addition, it was mentioned in the video that the Public Schools System is committed to transparency and improvement.

“As a school district that receives federal funding, it is our responsibility to be transparent with all their stakeholders on how our schools are serving our students. We should also have performance report available for everyone to see. This way, our community can help us with our shared goal, which is to provide high quality education to all our students,” added Pangelinan.

Furthermore, Camacho discussed how PSS plays an important role in preparing students for their future. He said schools should ensure students’ stability, enjoyment, and success. Various programs and initiatives are implemented to showcase student achievements and overall school progress.

Camacho mentioned that they are currently working on six strategic priorities that include student success, accountable high-performing systems, effective operations, self-care, exclusives and communication, and community. What he is working on now with the board and key management is the transformation of the strategic master plan invite and the direction of the school system or school district.

PSS also focuses on the learner’s journey from kindergarten to eight grade by identifying gaps and implementing interventions to ensure student success.

According to Camacho, students should learn to read between first and third grade, if they can’t read at a comprehensive level by third grade, they may struggle in fourth grade and beyond.

Camacho provided an education system overview and said that CNMI PSS is a very complex organization with 9,000 students, and more than a thousand employees that includes 20 schools—nine elementary, five middle schools, four high schools, and two combined junior and senior/middle and high, and 10 Head Starts.

Camacho mentioned about the positive impact of Head Start on kindergarten readiness as it involves 3- to 5-year-olds and data shows that children who went to Head Start perform better academically in grades 1 to 3 compared to those without pre-school experience.

Camacho added that Head Start prepares the students for the classroom environment and social interactions. They work with organizations to provide support and resources.

According to Camacho, PSS’ special education program serves over a thousand students in the school district. The program aims to provide equitable education for students with disabilities. They are implementing interventions to support their learning and independence.

Camacho discussed the functioning of a special education program wherein the central office ensures that every school principal has the necessary resources. The central office provides legal counsel and other support to the schools.

Other topics discussed during the presentation include the preparation needed to meet certain conditions before the school opens and emphasizing the importance of tracking and reporting student outcomes.

Rotary Club of Saipan president Joann Aquino presented a certificate of appreciation to Camacho at the close of the meeting.