2010 - Blue Ribbon Schools Program
Type of School: (Check all that apply) / []Charter / []Title I / []Magnet / [X]Choice
Name of Principal: Mrs. Barbara Dalmut
Official School Name: St Ambrose Catholic School
School Mailing Address:
3827 Woodburn Road
Annandale, VA 22003-2257
County: Fairfax State School Code Number*: N/A
Telephone: (703) 698-7171 Fax: (703) 698-7170
Web site/URL: www.stambroseschool.orgE-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*: Sister Bernadette McManigal
District Name: Diocese of Arlington Tel: (703) 841-2519
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: N/A
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 2003.
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)
Does not apply to private schoolsSCHOOL (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
[ X ] Suburban
[ ] Small city or town in a rural area
[ ] Rural
4. 2 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 / 0 / 6 / 9 / 14 / 23
K / 9 / 4 / 13 / 7 / 9 / 6 / 15
1 / 9 / 8 / 17 / 8 / 12 / 9 / 21
2 / 7 / 12 / 19 / 9 / 0
3 / 10 / 14 / 24 / 10 / 0
4 / 8 / 12 / 20 / 11 / 0
5 / 4 / 15 / 19 / 12 / 0
TOTAL STUDENTS IN THE APPLYING SCHOOL / 171
6. Racial/ethnic composition of the school: / 0 / % American Indian or Alaska Native
18 / % Asian
4 / % Black or African American
12 / % Hispanic or Latino
0 / % Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
62 / % White
4 / % 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: 3%
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. / 3
(2) / Number of students who transferred from the school after October 1 until the end of the year. / 3
(3) / Total of all transferred students [sum of rows (1) and (2)]. / 6
(4) / Total number of students in the school as of October 1. / 211
(5) / Total transferred students in row (3)
divided by total students in row (4). / 0.028
(6) / Amount in row (5) multiplied by 100. / 2.844
8. Limited English proficient students in the school: 6%
Total number limited English proficient 10
Number of languages represented: 2
Specify languages:
Korean, Spanish
9. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: 0%
Total number students who qualify: 0
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: 1%
Total Number of Students Served: 2
Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to conditions designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Do not add additional categories.
0 / Autism / 0 / Orthopedic Impairment0 / Deafness / 1 / Other Health Impaired
0 / Deaf-Blindness / 0 / Specific Learning Disability
0 / Emotional Disturbance / 0 / Speech or Language Impairment
0 / Hearing Impairment / 0 / Traumatic Brain Injury
0 / Mental Retardation / 1 / Visual Impairment Including Blindness
0 / Multiple Disabilities / 0 / 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) / 1 / 0
Classroom teachers / 9 / 7
Special resource teachers/specialists / 0 / 1
Paraprofessionals / 1 / 3
Support staff / 2 / 1
Total number / 13 / 12
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 14 :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 / 96% / 96% / 96% / 96% / 97%
Daily teacher attendance / 96% / 97% / 97% / 96% / 97%
Teacher turnover rate / 25% / 25% / 38% / 19% / 33%
Student dropout rate / 0% / 0% / 0% / 0% / 0%
Please provide all explanations below.
The teacher turnover rate can be attributed to the transient nature of the region, teacher retirements, and teacher pregnancy. Due to the small size of the faculty, loss of only a few teachers will result in a seemingly large 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
Saint Ambrose School is a small school with a big heart.The faith-based education offers a nurturing and challenging academic environment for children in kindergarten through eighth grades.The diverse student body is represented by children from five of the seven continents. Students are welcomed from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.The shared vision of the Catholic faith promotes unity and appreciation for each person's unique gifts, encouraging understanding and cooperation within the student body.Weekly Mass, daily prayers, and a shared culture of faith build a true community.
St. Ambrose School is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary.The faculty is both dedicated and accomplished. Two-thirds ofthe teachers hold post-graduate degrees. The teachers’ belief in the value of education is modeled daily by their attitude and dedication as life-long learners. In order to facilitate learning, teaching assistants are assigned to each of the primary classrooms.The Resource Teacher also assists in the planning and implementation of classes in all grades. Dedication to the success of each child is a hallmark of St. Ambrose.The overall student-teacher ratio is 14:1. Students cannot slip through the cracks in such a close-knit environment. Student Assistance Teams meet to evaluate student progress and to explore the need for resourceswhich are available withinthe school or in the public school system.
The Parent Teacher Organization is a vital part of the school. Each year the PTO raises funds to help defray the cost of tuition so that finances will not be a hindrance to families who want a Catholic education. Parents serve as moderators forthe successful Chess Club, basketball, track and cross-country teams, andthe award-winning yearbook. Students have a wide variety of enriching faculty-sponsored activities, including Choir, Voice for Life, Band, Battle of the Books, Crochet USA, and Student Council.
Our academic program is enhanced by use of Activboards and a state-of-the-art computer network. All students attend computer classes weekly inthe Computer Lab. In addition, grades 4-8 have weekly hands-on Science classes inthe new Science and Art Lab. Classes are split so that the teacher can work with small groups of students.St. Ambrosetaught Spanish tothe middle school students before the Diocese of Arlingtonmandated such classes.The Spanish curriculum has since been expanded to encompass students in the first through eighth grades.Last year, 88% ofSt. Ambrosegraduates passed the Foreign Language Exemption Test for high schools in the diocese.
St. Ambrose teaches service as a natural part ofschool life. The Student Council takes leadership in organizing and carrying out a Thanksgiving food drive, Christmas toy collection, penny drive for a school in Haiti, and a baby shower for young mothers in need.Theseprojectsinstill in the students a sense of mission and concern for others.For three years, the Crochet USA Club has met weekly and crocheted over 30 blankets for wounded soldiers. Older students have a “buddy” in a younger class and participate in activities with them. Through these activities,students learn to serve as an active member ofthe community, and thus grow in faith and maturity.Our graduates continue this spirit of service in high school and college.
The staff, parents, and students work together to promote an atmosphere of respect and responsibility.St. Ambrosegraduates have been accepted into the challenging college preparatory programs of Bishop Ireton, Bishop O’Connell, and Paul VI High Schools in the Diocese of Arlington, the private high schools of Gonzaga College High School, Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, and Oakcrest School, and the prestigious Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.
PART IV - INDICATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS1. Assessment Results:
In keeping with the mission of St. Ambrose Catholic School to challenge all students to reach their full academic potential, St. Ambrose administers the TerraNova CTBS Complete Battery to all students in grades two through seven. The tests are designed to obtain accurate information about each student's current achievement in reading comprehension, vocabulary, math reasoning, computation, spelling, language mechanics, and language composition.Additionally, social studies and science tests are given to students in grades four and six. As mandated by the Diocese of Arlington, the tests are given in April.This timing provides the opportunity for the current year teacher as well as the follow-on teacher to observe both strengths and weaknesses of the class in general and of individual students. A criterion-referenced score is also derived from the testing data, which enumerates specific objectives and each student's level of mastery.