“Now it’s time to do the work,” Superintendent Dr. Katie Ralston said.

The state Education Department designated the Silver Creek Central School District as a targeted district with its accountability data. The classification was issued with a highlight of the Native American students within the district, especially at the middle school level, which is the specific building highlighted in the classification.

The district was tabbed to receive Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) based on the 2022-23 school year results. The Native American population of students in the middle school triggered the designation because of performance in English Language Arts and Mathematics scores. Chronic absenteeism figures were not included in the evaluation for targeted districts.

Silver Creek has been labeled as a “Focus District” in the past, but new leadership at the district is viewing the designation this time differently. Director of Curriculum and Instruction Michelle Helmer called the designation “an opportunity to work and improve this system through the resources that State Ed. is giving us.”

OBSERVER Photos by Braden Carmen Michelle Helmer, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at the Silver Creek Central School District, called a Target District designation from the State Education Department “an opportunity” for the District to improve.

NYSED has made funding available for targeted schools, with the potential of up to $40,000 available to a district such as Silver Creek.

Ralston noted that she was pleased to see that NYSED said the purpose of improvement was not for a “rubber stamp” but rather to improve the school community as a whole. Ralston said, “It does take a lot of people and it takes a lot of conversation and planning to make it purposeful, not just something we’re completing to complete.”

The District is developing committees of school leaders, teachers, and parents to develop the plans, with a specific focus on including individuals with direct interaction with Native American students. The District will also aim to make sure other subgroups in the student population are also represented on the committees. Student interviews, parent surveys, and staff surveys will be part of the plan to better assess the school’s needs.

The District will implement a District Comprehensive Improvement Plan, which will be submitted to NYSED by July 31 for implementation next school year. Additionally, a School Comprehensive Education Plan will be developed specifically for the middle school for implementation next school year, as well. The District will focus on how to address all of its students better, not just its Native American population.

Ralston said, “The plan has to be inclusive of everyone because we can’t get in the cycle of a new subgroup gets added. … It has to be work that is applicable and purposeful for all students.”

Among the focuses of the District include student safety, family engagement and perspective, and academic improvement. The District will also evaluate how to address chronic absenteeism, despite it being excluded from the classification as a targeted district.

Middle School Principal Bethany Brown noted that during equity walks the District has recently held to evaluate school culture, strong relationships between middle school students and teachers were consistently highlighted. The District now hopes to find ways to make those strong relationships apparent throughout the building and through the school community, rather than just in the classroom.

Regarding the classroom, multiple new courses have been created for students in the District. Among them is a middle school language course beginning at Grade 6 where students are exposed to both Spanish and Seneca language programming. The course was designed by Janelle Lesher and Allison Smith. Lesher said the course was designed to give students “the chance to take more ownership of their learning.”

Another course has been designed for transcribing and translating the Seneca language. In the course, students will utilize recordings of Seneca elders to interpret the language and create documentation to further preserve the language for generations to come.

“From the cultural perspective, this is something that is highly valued and extremely close to their hearts,” High School Principal Kyle Yelich said.

Another proposed course focuses on the art and craft of translation in Spanish and English. The lone non-language-based course recently presented to the Board of Education was a course centered around civic engagement. The District offers the NY Seal of Civic Readiness as a formal recognition for students to earn upon graduation.

Through its newly established course, aimed at upperclassmen, the District will offer students an opportunity to research and discuss civic engagement through dedicated time and space with peer review and instruction.

“I am thrilled to see that Silver Creek has put the foot on the accelerator and we’ve got this as part of what we feel is important,” said Silver Creek Board of Education member Stephen Boothe.