2010 - Blue Ribbon Schools Program
Type of School: (Check all that apply) / []Charter / [X]Title I / []Magnet / []Choice
Name of Principal: Mrs. Sandi Jones
Official School Name: West Side Elementary
School Mailing Address:
PO BOX 631
1002 Sunset ST
Jacksonville, TX 75766-2199
County: Cherokee State School Code Number*: 037904104
Telephone: (903) 586-5165 Fax: (903) 586-6196
Web site/URL: www.jacksonvilleisd.org/west_side_elementary1.htmE-mail:
I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2 (Part I - Eligibility Certification), and certify that to the best of my knowledge all information is accurate.
Date
(Principal‘s Signature)
Name of Superintendent*: Dr. Joe Wardell
District Name: Jacksonville ISD Tel: (903) 586-6511
I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2 (Part I - Eligibility Certification), and certify that to the best of my knowledge it is accurate.
Date
(Superintendent‘s Signature)
Name of School Board President/Chairperson: James Houser
I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2 (Part I - Eligibility Certification), and certify that to the best of my knowledge it is accurate.
Date
(School Board President‘s/Chairperson‘s Signature)
*Private Schools: If the information requested is not applicable, write N/A in the space.
The original signed cover sheet only should be converted to a PDF file and emailed to Aba Kumi, Blue Ribbon Schools Project Manager () or mailed by expedited mail or a courier mail service (such as Express Mail, FedEx or UPS) to Aba Kumi, Director, Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Office of Communications and Outreach, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Room 5E103, Washington, DC 20202-8173
The signatures on the first page of this application certify that each of the statements below concerning the school‘s eligibility and compliance with U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) requirements is true and correct.
1. The school has some configuration that includes one or more of grades K-12. (Schools on the same campus with one principal, even K-12 schools, must apply as an entire school.)
2. The school has made adequate yearly progress each year for the past two years and has not been identified by the state as “persistently dangerous” within the last two years.
3. To meet final eligibility, the school must meet the state’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirement in the 2009-2010 school year. AYP must be certified by the state and all appeals resolved at least two weeks before the awards ceremony for the school to receive the award.
4. If the school includes grades 7 or higher, the school must have foreign language as a part of its curriculum and a significant number of students in grades 7 and higher must take the course.
5. The school has been in existence for five full years, that is, from at least September 2004.
6. The nominated school has not received the Blue Ribbon Schools award in the past five years, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 or 2009.
7. The nominated school or district is not refusing OCR access to information necessary to investigate a civil rights complaint or to conduct a district-wide compliance review.
8. OCR has not issued a violation letter of findings to the school district concluding that the nominated school or the district as a whole has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes. A violation letter of findings will not be considered outstanding if OCR has accepted a corrective action plan from the district to remedy the violation.
9. The U.S. Department of Justice does not have a pending suit alleging that the nominated school or the school district as a whole has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes or the Constitution‘s equal protection clause.
10. There are no findings of violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in a U.S. Department of Education monitoring report that apply to the school or school district in question; or if there are such findings, the state or district has corrected, or agreed to correct, the findings.
PART II - DEMOGRAPHIC DATAAll data are the most recent year available.
DISTRICT (Questions 1-2 not applicable to private schools)
1. Number of schools in the district: (per district designation) / 4 / Elementary schools (includes K-8)1 / Middle/Junior high schools
1 / High schools
0 / K-12 schools
6 / TOTAL
2. District Per Pupil Expenditure: 4517
SCHOOL (To be completed by all schools)
3. Category that best describes the area where the school is located:
[ ] Urban or large central city
[ ] Suburban school with characteristics typical of an urban area
[ ] Suburban
[ X ] Small city or town in a rural area
[ ] Rural
4. 3 Number of years the principal has been in her/his position at this school.
5. Number of students as of October 1 enrolled at each grade level or its equivalent in applying school only:
Grade / # of Males / # of Females / Grade Total / Grade / # of Males / # of Females / Grade TotalPreK / 32 / 35 / 67 / 6 / 0 / 0 / 0
K / 44 / 46 / 90 / 7 / 0 / 0 / 0
1 / 55 / 35 / 90 / 8 / 0 / 0 / 0
2 / 53 / 51 / 104 / 9 / 0 / 0 / 0
3 / 50 / 30 / 80 / 10 / 0 / 0 / 0
4 / 45 / 38 / 83 / 11 / 0 / 0 / 0
5 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 12 / 0 / 0 / 0
TOTAL STUDENTS IN THE APPLYING SCHOOL / 514
6. Racial/ethnic composition of the school: / 0 / % American Indian or Alaska Native
1 / % Asian
11 / % Black or African American
59 / % Hispanic or Latino
0 / % Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
29 / % White
0 / % Two or more races
100 / % Total
Only the seven standard categories should be used in reporting the racial/ethnic composition of your school. The final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting, and Reporting Racial and Ethnic data to the U.S. Department of Education published in the October 19, 2007 Federal Register provides definitions for each of the seven categories.
7. Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year: 20%
This rate is calculated using the grid below. The answer to (6) is the mobility rate.
(1) / Number of students who transferred to the school after October 1 until theend of the year. / 60
(2) / Number of students who transferred from the school after October 1 until the end of the year. / 39
(3) / Total of all transferred students [sum of rows (1) and (2)]. / 99
(4) / Total number of students in the school as of October 1. / 491
(5) / Total transferred students in row (3)
divided by total students in row (4). / 0.202
(6) / Amount in row (5) multiplied by 100. / 20.163
8. Limited English proficient students in the school: 53%
Total number limited English proficient 271
Number of languages represented: 1
Specify languages:
Spanish
9. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: 87%
Total number students who qualify: 447
If this method does not produce an accurate estimate of the percentage of students from low-income families, or the school does not participate in the free and reduced-price school meals program, specify a more accurate estimate, tell why the school chose it, and explain how it arrived at this estimate.
10. Students receiving special education services: 10%
Total Number of Students Served: 50
Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to conditions designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Do not add additional categories.
5 / Autism / 3 / Orthopedic ImpairmentDeafness / 1 / Other Health Impaired
Deaf-Blindness / 13 / Specific Learning Disability
2 / Emotional Disturbance / 13 / Speech or Language Impairment
Hearing Impairment / Traumatic Brain Injury
5 / Mental Retardation / 2 / Visual Impairment Including Blindness
Multiple Disabilities / 6 / Developmentally Delayed
11. Indicate number of full-time and part-time staff members in each of the categories below:
Number of StaffFull-Time / Part-Time
Administrator(s) / 2
Classroom teachers / 26
Special resource teachers/specialists / 1
Paraprofessionals / 21
Support staff / 11 / 2
Total number / 61 / 2
12. Average school student-classroom teacher ratio, that is, the number of students in the school divided by the Full Time Equivalent of classroom teachers, e.g., 22:1 15 :1
13. Show the attendance patterns of teachers and students as a percentage. Only middle and high schools need to supply dropout rates. Briefly explain in the Notes section any attendance rates under 95%, teacher turnover rates over 12%, or student dropout rates over 5%.
2008-2009 / 2007-2008 / 2006-2007 / 2005-2006 / 2004-2005Daily student attendance / 97% / 97% / 97% / 96% / 96%
Daily teacher attendance / 98% / 98% / 98% / 98% / 98%
Teacher turnover rate / 1% / 1% / 1% / 10% / 1%
Student dropout rate / % / % / % / % / %
Please provide all explanations below.
In 2005 -2006there was a change in administration that effected teacher turnover rate.
14. For schools ending in grade 12 (high schools).
Show what the students who graduated in Spring 2009 are doing as of the Fall 2009.
Graduating class sizeEnrolled in a 4-year college or university / %
Enrolled in a community college / %
Enrolled in vocational training / %
Found employment / %
Military service / %
Other (travel, staying home, etc.) / %
Unknown / %
Total / %
PART III - SUMMARY
Nestled in the piney woods of East Texas, West Side Elementary is a rural neighborhood school located in Jacksonville, Texas. Once known as the “tomato capital of the world,” this small town is a community that places high importance on and takes pride in the education of its youth. Visitors traveling South on State Highway 69 from Tyler, Texas, are greeted by a billboard celebrating the success of Jacksonville students in 2008-2009 for establishing 3 Exemplary campuses and 2 Recognized campuses throughout the district. West Side set itself apart by becoming the first campus in JISD history to maintain an Exemplary rating for two consecutive years from 2007-2009.
The success of this school is best attributed to the belief, flexibility, determination, perseverance and passion of the campus community. The vision of West Side Elementary School is “Doing Whatever It Takes to Ensure Excellence for All.” This is not simply a slogan that hangs on the wall, but a core belief that all students deserve the highest quality education that can be provided. By developing and maintaining high expectations for students, ensuring that each student recognizes the capacity that they possess to learn and achieve, and showing them that they are shaping their future every day by the choices that they make, we provide students with the opportunity to build a foundation of success that far exceeds teaching the basics. Our mission statement is as follows, “West Side Elementary is dedicated to the development and success of each child. It is our goal that all students will learn and enjoy coming to school every day. We are committed to providing a rigorous and relevant academic environment ensuring that all students have a strong foundation and are provided extensive opportunities for challenge beyond the basics. Our approach to learning allows educators to teach in ways that excite and motivate students, encourage them to actively participate in the classroom, and take advantage of technological opportunities available to them.”
The commitment of administrators, faculty and staff to work collaboratively to develop a program of curriculum and instruction that best meets the needs of students and provides students with the opportunity to experience success has always been a tradition at West Side Elementary. Student success is consistently and collectively celebrated to motivate students and build their confidence. In addition to rewarding students for high achievement, we place a high priority on awarding student effort, progress and character. “Fabulous Feathers” are awarded to students daily and shared during morning announcements for displaying the campus character traits of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and good citizenship. During POW WOW ceremonies held at the end of every six-weeks period students receive awards for academic achievement, hard work and measurable improvement. Student success is celebrated on a daily basis by displaying student work, sharing success with parents by phone, allowing students to come to the office and show other staff members and administrators the progress they have made, and highlighting individual student success on our West Side Rock Star bulletin board. In each situation, students are reminded that they are successful because they worked hard and put forth their best effort.
Our theme for 2009-2010 is, “West Side Rocks!” In addition to raising expectations for student achievement this year, we are working to establish our campus as a “No Excuses University” by promoting college readiness beginning in Pre-Kindergarten and instilling the belief that all students can attend college, no excuses. Teachers build student interest and education about college by adopting a specific university to support by decorating the classroom with college colors and memorabilia, providing students with information about campus culture and traditions by visiting their websites, inviting alumni to campus to speak with students, introducing college vocabulary and showing support by wearing school colors each week on College Day. Our campus is a place where anything is possible.