By Amanda McGregor
SALEM — Saltonstall School could become one of the state's first new "readiness schools."
The school department has received a $10,500 grant to craft a plan in partnership with Salem State College.
Saltonstall is targeted as an "Alliance elementary school conversion," one of three types of schools in Gov. Deval Patrick's new readiness school initiative. Those schools will team with an academic partner — in this case, Salem State — to design an innovative program, operating under a contract that sets specific goals for student performance and school improvement.
"(It's) an initiative taken in an environment where charter schools are increasingly seen as a solution to all the problems in public schools," Superintendent William Cameron said.
Readiness schools aim to provide "powerful opportunities to promote innovation, close achievement gaps, and give students and families more choices in public education," Patrick said in a press release.
Salem was approached to apply for the grant, and the district saw two natural choices: Saltonstall or the Horace Mann Laboratory School, both of which already collaborate with Salem State, according to Assistant Superintendent Alyce Davis.
"Saltonstall is already extended-year and extended-day," Davis said, "and with the expansion to K-8, a lot of the structure is already in place."
A team of 15 — including Davis, Salem State College staff, Saltonstall teachers, a parent and a School Committee member — have been meeting to develop a plan to submit to the secretary of education.
"It's been an interesting process," Davis said. "We've had some really interesting discussions about what constitutes the viability of school programming and the structure that's in place at Saltonstall."
Cameron and members of the School Committee say the readiness school concept needs to benefit the whole school district.
"What I see as the greatest benefit is a much closer working relationship with resources and staff at Salem State College," said Cameron, citing opportunities for educational research and a relationship with the college's School of Social Work.
"I see dropout prevention as one of the most serious issues we have to address in this district," Cameron said, "and those problems begin in elementary and middle school."
Last year, Salem's four-year graduation rate was less than 68 percent, and the five-year graduation rate was 77 percent.
"I see the readiness school activities as being experiments," Cameron said, "and as experiments, they can be replicated in other schools if they're successful."
In order for Saltonstall to become a readiness school, which the state aims to implement in the 2010 school year, the Salem Teachers Union, the School Committee and other affected parties would need to sign off, Cameron said.
Salem is among 16 districts statewide — 22 schools in all — to be awarded readiness schools planning grants. Salem and Lynn are the only North Shore districts.
