HANNIBAL -There were plenty of reasons to celebrate when Dennis M. Kenney faculty and staff members gathered in September to usher in a new school year.
In addition to welcoming teachers and staff members, Principal Dee Froio announced that the New York State Education Department removed DMK from its focus school rating and deemed it as a “School in Good Standing.”
The focus school designation, which is part of the New York State Education Department’s School Accountability Status Report, had been in place since the 2007-2008 school year.
That rating reflected student proficiency gaps in language arts. However, in recent years, the district has placed an emphasis on achievement in that subject area, and the efforts did not go unnoticed.
“Common Core was a big piece in helping us get off the list,” said Superintendent Donna Fountain. “Data is the best indicator of success and we are seeing that now. We got here through a systemic approach of doing things.”
Fountain noted that DMK’s status as a School in Good Standing is a reflection of a team approach.
“Success has a trickle-down effect,” she said. “It starts with teachers, the administrative team and support staff, and their coordinated efforts are passed on to the students. Everybody went into this with optimism and a lot of hard work.”
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