2011 - Blue Ribbon Schools Program
A Private School
School Type (Public Schools):
(Check all that apply, if any) /
Charter /
Title 1 /
Magnet /
Choice
Name of Principal: Mrs. Anita Nagel
Official School Name: Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School
School Mailing Address: / 1320 Hearst Drive NEAtlanta, GA 30319-2711
County: Dekalb / State School Code Number: N/A
Telephone: (404) 364-1902 / E-mail:
Fax: (404) 364-1914 / Web URL: www.olaschool.org
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. Diane Starkovich Superintendent e-mail:
District Name: Archdiocese of Atlanta District Phone: (404) 888-7800
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: Mrs. Lori Beranek
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.
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PART I - ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATION / 11PV150The 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 2010-2011 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 2005.
6. The nominated school has not received the Blue Ribbon Schools award in the past five years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 or 2010.
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 DATA / 11PV150All data are the most recent year available.
DISTRICT
Questions 1 and 2 are for Public Schools only.SCHOOL (To be completed by all schools)
3. / Category that best describes the area where the school is located: / Suburban with characteristics typical of an urban area4. / Number of years the principal has been in her/his position at this school: / 5
5. / Number of students as of October 1, 2010 enrolled at each grade level or its equivalent in applying school:
Grade / # of Males / # of Females / Grade Total / # of Males / # of Females / Grade Total
PreK / 14 / 16 / 30 / 6 / 23 / 35 / 58
K / 30 / 21 / 51 / 7 / 14 / 14 / 28
1 / 25 / 26 / 51 / 8 / 14 / 16 / 30
2 / 23 / 35 / 58 / 9 / 0 / 0 / 0
3 / 27 / 26 / 53 / 10 / 0 / 0 / 0
4 / 21 / 30 / 51 / 11 / 0 / 0 / 0
5 / 33 / 36 / 69 / 12 / 0 / 0 / 0
Total in Applying School: / 479
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6. / Racial/ethnic composition of the school: / 0 / % American Indian or Alaska Native2 / % Asian
2 / % Black or African American
9 / % Hispanic or Latino
0 / % Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
87 / % 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 2009-2010 school 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, 2009 until the end of the school year. / 10
(2) / Number of students who transferred from the school after October 1, 2009 until the end of the school year. / 3
(3) / Total of all transferred students [sum of rows (1) and (2)]. / 13
(4) / Total number of students in the school as of October 1, 2009 / 469
(5) / Total transferred students in row (3)
divided by total students in row (4). / 0.03
(6) / Amount in row (5) multiplied by 100. / 3
8. / Percent limited English proficient students in the school: / 0%
Total number of limited English proficient students in the school: / 0
Number of languages represented, not including English: / 4
Specify languages:
French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish
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9. / Percent of students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: / 1%Total number of students who qualify: / 6
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-priced school meals program, supply an accurate estimate and explain how the school calculated this estimate.
10. / Percent of students receiving special education services: / 5%
Total number of students served: / 43
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 Impairment
0 / Deafness / 20 / Other Health Impaired
0 / Deaf-Blindness / 29 / Specific Learning Disability
0 / Emotional Disturbance / 4 / Speech or Language Impairment
0 / Hearing Impairment / 0 / Traumatic Brain Injury
0 / Mental Retardation / 0 / 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 Staff
Full-Time / Part-Time
Administrator(s) / 2 / 0
Classroom teachers / 28 / 1
Special resource teachers/specialists / 3 / 3
Paraprofessionals / 2 / 13
Support staff / 6 / 5
Total number / 41 / 22
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: / 17:1
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13. / Show the attendance patterns of teachers and students as a percentage. Only high schools need to supply graduation rates. Briefly explain in the Notes section any student or teacher attendance rates under 95% and teacher turnover rates over 12% and fluctuations in graduation rates.2009-2010 / 2008-2009 / 2007-2008 / 2006-2007 / 2005-2006
Daily student attendance / 97% / 97% / 97% / 96% / 98%
Daily teacher attendance / 97% / 97% / 97% / 97% / 97%
Teacher turnover rate / 14% / 11% / 15% / 29% / 27%
High school graduation rate / 0% / 0% / 0% / 0% / 0%
If these data are not available, explain and provide reasonable estimates.
Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School is fifty-nine years of age with employees ranging from zero to forty-one years of service. OLACS values both experienced and novice teachers and attempts to maintain a balance between the two. Although teachers are dedicated, the turnover rate is a result of pregnancies, relocation, and retirement.
14. / For schools ending in grade 12 (high schools): Show what the students who graduated in Spring 2010 are doing as of Fall 2010.
Graduating class size:
Enrolled in a 4-year college or university / %
Enrolled in a community college / %
Enrolled in vocational training / %
Found employment / %
Military service / %
Other / %
Total / 0 / %
PART III - SUMMARY / 11PV150
Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School (OLACS) was established in 1951 by the Archdiocese of Atlanta and staffed by the Sisters of Mercy, known for their unique fourth vow of service. OLACS is celebrating its fifty-ninth anniversary and is currently overseen by the Society of Mary, the Marists. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, OLACS is set in a residential portion of the city. Approximately sixty-two percent of the student body is from the OLA parish community. The remaining Catholic students represent eighteen other local parishes, and approximately ten percent of the student body is non-Catholic. Eighty-seven percent of the student body is Caucasian; nine percent is Hispanic; two percent is African American; and two percent is Asian.
OLA Catholic School’s mission — to create a nurturing environment grounded in the Catholic faith, which provides for the spiritual and academic development of each child — is the heart and soul of the school community. Mission, faith, and culture are intertwined through acts of mercy, prayer, and respect, and all participants remain dedicated to providing service on a local, national, and global scale. The school exists to enrich academic performance, provide spiritual development, and promote strong minds and bodies while teaching the beliefs and practices of the Catholic faith. Worship, service, respect, dignity, and weekly Masses are part of the school’s faith instruction and support a commitment to honor the traditions and vision of the Sisters of Mercy, the Society of Mary, and the mission of OLACS.
One hundred percent of the faculty is certified by the state of Georgia and is visionary in meeting the needs of all students in the classroom. Many of the faculty have graduate degrees; some of these are financed through teacher endowment funds. The faculty and staff participate in global, national, and state-level conferences. The high level of commitment to education demonstrates that education is valued and exists to meet the individual needs of the students.
Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School continues to accept students with a variety of learning differences, which demonstrates a commitment to fulfilling the mission. Therefore, OLACS employs the largest support staff for students in the Archdiocese. The resource personnel include a counselor, a school psychologist, and resource teachers. A theme throughout the years at OLACS is to provide a Catholic education for those students whose individual needs can be met and for those students who can be successful within the academic program. Expansion of the resource department has occurred over the years in order to be inclusionary and meet the needs of the students and of Catholic families.
Budgeted monies, awards, and scholarships provide funding for educational programs, student resources, and ethnic scholarships. It is noteworthy that a portion of all fundraising is factored into the budget to reduce the cost of Catholic education for all who attend. A $25,000 award to the school’s art teacher broadened the art program, and OLACS received a Goizueta grant of $498,000 for the resource program and for scholarships to Hispanic students. Offering a Catholic education to all Catholic families supports the mission of OLACS.