Valley Central teachers present classroom research; board approves BOCES budget and consent items

Valley Central School District teachers presented results of classroom “mentor” research projects at the board’s special meeting April 24, showing short-term gains on literacy, music literacy, social-emotional learning and engagement strategies across grade levels. The Board also approved routine district business, including the Orange-Ulster BOCES administrative budget and three BOCES board vacancies.

The presentations — drawn from a teacher-mentoring program in which educators tested classroom interventions and tracked pre-/post- measures — ran through projects in kindergarten, elementary music, first-grade phonics, social-emotional learning, physical education technology, inclusion and project-based learning at the high school. Presenters described short, targeted interventions and shared classroom data and reflections about next steps.

The research matters to district instruction because it documents classroom-scale techniques teachers can replicate or scale. “The end goal is that he will be able to identify the letters in his name and make the primary sound for that letter,” said Emma Feeney, a kindergarten teacher at Walton Elementary, describing a multisensory intervention that paired sand writing and Play-Doh to improve one student’s letter and sound recognition. Feeney said the student showed gains in letter identification and, later in the intervention, sound knowledge.

Caroline Zanetti, a music teacher at Walden Elementary, described work to build early musical literacy in kindergarten through second grade. “There’s a lot of sound before sight,” Zanetti said, summarizing her use of mnemonic devices, hand staves and floor-tape games; she reported group gains of 46% to 74% on timed recognition tasks and reflected that untimed post-tests might capture stronger growth.

At Berea Elementary, first-grade teacher Andrew Omberg presented on the UFLI phonics program and its use as both a whole-class and MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports) intervention. He said benchmark and NWEA data showed progress for students his classroom targeted for additional support. “I do strongly believe that it did” foster growth for his focus student, Omberg said.

Cameron McCarthy and other classroom teachers summarized social-emotional learning interventions that included daily emotional check-ins, tiered supports and reward systems. McCarthy said students who received tiered interventions showed increased peer connection and classroom participation. “Social emotional learning does not have to be a separate entity from academic curriculum, but rather should be intertwined into the fabric of classroom management and academic,” McCarthy said.

Several presenters described classroom uses of technology and student-centered instruction to increase activity and engagement. Robert Satriano, who teaches at the district’s ALC, presented data from a portable golf simulator used in physical education and said most classes showed increased high-level participation after the device was introduced. High-school teachers described project-based learning, peer teaching, collaborative problem solving and attendance interventions; Bria Austin, a high-school social studies teacher, said project-based tasks produced higher assessment outcomes and stronger engagement than prior lecture-based units.

Support staff presentations linked classroom engagement and attendance. Arlene Nunez, the district attendance teacher, described home visits, weekly check-ins and other outreach that she said improved attendance and allowed students to reconnect with teachers and supports. “When educating the minds of our youth, we must not forget to educate their hearts,” Nunez told the board.

The meeting closed with brief routine business. The board approved the Orange-Ulster BOCES administrative budget for 2025 in the amount of $9,638,064, a 2.95% increase from last year, filled three BOCES board vacancies and adopted the consent agenda (including an addendum). The board then moved back into executive session for personnel and adjourned without taking further public action.

Votes at a glance - Orange-Ulster BOCES administrative budget ($9,638,064; 2.95% increase): motion made and seconded; outcome: approved. (Motion text: “consideration of the Orange Ulster BOCES Administrative Budget in the amount of $9,638,064.”) Vote details: not specified in transcript beyond the chair’s “All in favor? Aye.” - Orange-Ulster BOCES vacancies (three candidates named: William Boss, Edwin Estrada, David Eaton): motion made and seconded; outcome: approved. (Transcript recorded the result as unanimous; transcript line: “Opposed? 5 0.”) - Consent agenda (including addendum): motion made and seconded; outcome: approved. (Transcript recorded result as unanimous: “Opposed? Okay. 5 0.”) - Executive-session motions: The board moved out of an earlier executive session to open the meeting and later voted to return to executive session for personnel and adjourn; the later motion proceeded with votes recorded verbally and then private session; no public action followed the executive session.

The presentations offered teachers’ short-term data and reflections rather than district-wide policy proposals; presenters generally described next steps such as extending lesson length, adjusting assessments (for example, untimed post-tests), or expanding interventions to additional students or classrooms.