2006-2007 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools Program
U.S. Department of Education
Cover Sheet Type of School: (Check all that apply) [√] Elementary [ ] Middle [ ] High [ ] K-12 [ ] Charter
Name of Principal Mrs. Patricia A. Welte
(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other) (As it should appear in the official records)
Official School Name J.W. Smith Elementary
(As it should appear in the official records)
School Mailing Address 3300 Gillett Drive NW
(If address is P.O. Box, also include street address.)
Bemidji MN 56601- 5668
City State Zip Code+4 (9 digits total)
County Beltrami State School Code Number* 31-040
Telephone (218) 333-3290 Fax (218) 333-3296
Web site/URL http://jwsmith.bemidji.k12.mn.us/ E-mail
I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2, and certify that to the best of my knowledge all information is accurate.
Date______
(Principal’s Signature)
Name of Superintendent* Dr. James Hess
(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other)
District Name Bemidji Area Schools ISD #0031 Tel. (218)333-3100
I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2, and certify that to the best of my knowledge it is accurate.
Date
(Superintendent’s Signature)
Name of School Board
President/Chairperson Mr. John Pugleasa
(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other)
I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2, 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.
PART I ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATION
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 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. To meet final eligibility, the school must meet the state’s adequate yearly progress requirement in the 2006-2007 school year.
3. If the school includes grades 7 or higher, it has foreign language as a part of its core curriculum.
4. The school has been in existence for five full years, that is, from at least September 2001 and has not received the No Child Left Behind – Blue Ribbon Schools award in the past five years.
5. The nominated school or district is not refusing OCR access to information necessary to investigate a civil rights complaint or to conduct a districtwide compliance review.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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 DATA
All data are the most recent year available.
DISTRICT (Questions 12 not applicable to private schools)
1. Number of schools in the district: 6 Elementary schools
1 Middle schools
0 Junior high schools
1 High schools
6 Other
14 TOTAL
2. District Per Pupil Expenditure: $9,358
Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: $8,680
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. 13 Number of years the principal has been in her/his position at this school.
If fewer than three years, how long was the previous principal 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 / 29 / 8 / 37 / 7
K / 28 / 26 / 54 / 8
1 / 23 / 19 / 42 / 9
2 / 20 / 30 / 50 / 10
3 / 21 / 26 / 47 / 11
4 / 25 / 21 / 46 / 12
5 / 18 / 29 / 47 / Other
6
TOTAL STUDENTS IN THE APPLYING SCHOOL ® / 323
[Throughout the document, round numbers 1 or higher to the nearest whole number.
Use decimals to one place only if the number is below 1.]
6. Racial/ethnic composition of 65 % White
the school: 2 % Black or African American
3 % Hispanic or Latino
0.4 % Asian/Pacific Islander
30 % American Indian/Alaskan Native
100% Total
Use only the five standard categories in reporting the racial/ethnic composition of the school.
7. Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year: 19 % (includes students transferring between schools)
[This rate should be 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 the end of the year / 29(2) / Number of students who transferred from the school after October 1 until the end of the year / 25
(3) / Total of all transferred students [sum of rows (1) and (2)] / 54
(4) / Total number of students in the school as of October 1 / 323
(5) / Total transferred students in row (3) divided by total students in row (4) / .17
(6) / Amount in row (5) multiplied by 100 / 17%
8. Limited English Proficient students in the school: 0 %
0 Total Number Limited English Proficient
Number of languages represented: 2
Specify languages: English & Ojibwe
9. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: 75 %
Total number students who qualify: 218
If this method does not produce an accurate estimate of the percentage of students from lowincome families, or the school does not participate in the federally supported lunch 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: 15 %
49 Total Number of Students Served
Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to conditions designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Do not add additional categories.
4 Autism 0 Orthopedic Impairment
0 Deafness 6 Other Health Impaired
0 Deaf-Blindness 8 Specific Learning Disability
9 Emotional Disturbance 19 Speech or Language Impairment
0 Hearing Impairment 0 Traumatic Brain Injury
3 Mental Retardation 0 Visual Impairment Including Blindness
0 Multiple Disabilities
11. Indicate number of fulltime and parttime staff members in each of the categories below:
Number of Staff
Full-time Part-Time
Administrator(s) 0 1
Classroom teachers 13 1
Special resource teachers/specialists 7 2
Paraprofessionals 13 0
Support staff 5 5
Total number 38 9
12. Average school student-classroom teacher ratio, that is, the number of
students in the school divided by the FTE of classroom teachers, e.g., 22:1 20:1
13. Show the attendance patterns of teachers and students as a percentage. The student dropout rate is defined by the state. The student drop-off rate is the difference between the number of entering students and the number of exiting students from the same cohort. (From the same cohort, subtract the number of exiting students from the number of entering students; divide that number by the number of entering students; multiply by 100 to get the percentage drop-off rate.) Briefly explain in 100 words or fewer any major discrepancy between the dropout rate and the drop-off rate. Only middle and high schools need to supply dropout rates, and only high schools need to supply drop-off rates. Also explain a high teacher turnover rate.
2005-2006 / 2004-2005 / 2003-2004 / 2002-2003 / 2001-2002Daily student attendance / 93% / 94% / 94% / 93% / 94%
Daily teacher attendance / 95% / 97% / 95% / 95% / 95%
Teacher turnover rate / 17% / 4% / 8% / 8% / 4%
Student dropout rate (middle/high) / NA / NA / NA / NA / NA
Student drop-off rate (high school) / NA / NA / NA / NA / NA
Increase in teacher turnover rate due to retirements.
PART III SUMMARY
J. W. Smith Elementary School is located in Bemidji, Minnesota. Bemidji is in the heart of northern Minnesota’s lakes and forests. It is the first city on the Mississippi River and home of the legendary Paul Bunyan. From Santa Lucia Festivals to Powwows, Scandinavian and American Indian cultures are woven into the tapestry of Bemidji’s history. It is the curling capital of the United States and home to the 2006 Olympic Bronze Medal Team. Bemidji is the educational, financial, governmental, medical, recreational, and cultural hub of north central Minnesota.
The mission of Bemidji Area Schools is “to empower each learner to succeed in our diverse and changing world”. For many years, Bemidji Area Schools has aligned the K-12 curriculum to the Minnesota Academic Standards and served as a model to other school districts.
J. W. Smith School is one of six public elementary schools serving the students of the Bemidji area. Built in 1954, the school is in the center of the community and adjacent to Bemidji State University. There are over 300 students with two sections each of pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Our educational program balances strong academics with the arts and physical education, providing a foundation of academic excellence. We provide an environment where everyone can feel valued and safe. Our school motto is “Success for Every Learner”.
J. W. Smith School is in its tenth year as a Schoolwide Title 1 program. Seventy-five percent of J. W. Smith School’s student population qualifies for free and reduced meals, far exceeding the Federal Schoolwide Title 1 requirement of 40%. J. W. Smith School averages 20% student mobility and 30% American Indian ethnicity. Teachers and support staff have received training in various areas of professional development, which are closely aligned with target goals set each year. The purpose of the School Improvement Plan is to establish processes to increase student achievement in academic, behavioral, and social areas of development and to improve school climate.
In February 2004, J. W. Smith School was awarded a No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Reading First grant, becoming one of the first schools to be included in this partnership with the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Education. The grant provided extensive, rigorous teacher training in scientifically based reading research for kindergarten through third grade. Along with training, this grant provided resources for guiding reading instruction with an emphasis on meeting the needs of all students through flexible grouping, consistent assessment, and data analysis. J. W. Smith’s staff is sustaining the grant’s initiatives and incorporating them into the continuing plan for school improvement.
Our school provides services in several categories of special education: speech/language, emotional/behavioral disorders, specific learning disabilities, other health disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and developmental/cognitive disabilities. Related services include fine and gross motor skill development from occupational therapy and adaptive physical education. The use of effective learning interventions, collaborative teacher partnerships, and the push-in model are important to the instructional delivery.
The school community strives to create a culture that promotes school pride through respect and support for students, staff, parents, and community. Parents, college students, and community members are actively involved in J. W. Smith School. The Foster Grandparent Program, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Bemidji State University, Junior Achievement of America, and Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) provide valuable people and resources for students and staff. The dedication of volunteers and generosity of the community contribute to our school’s success.
PART IV – INDICATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS
1. Assessment Results: The Minnesota Department of Education has developed an assessment system to measure student proficiency with the Minnesota Academic Standards. All tests are standardized and criterion-referenced. They provide summary data on student performance aligned and compared to grade-level standards. The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, reported as MCAs in 2002-2005 and MCA-IIs in 2006, are the state tests that help districts measure student progress toward achieving Minnesota’s Academic Standards and meeting the requirements of No Child Left Behind. The assessments are used to determine whether schools make adequate yearly progress toward all students being proficient in 2014. All third and fifth grade students (fourth grade was added in 2006) at J. W. Smith School are given this test every spring.
MCA Scoring (2002-2005)
Student results are reported as levels. Scores of 1420 and above indicate proficiency in 2002-2005.
Level I - students performing below grade level
Level II - students scoring slightly below grade level