Tel.( 803 ) 732-8100
Fax( 803) 732-8074
Website/URL wwwlex5.kl2.sc.us/ihs/ Email www.lex5.kl2.sc.us
I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2, and certifyjhat to the best of my knowledge all information is accurate.
(Principal's Signature)
Private Schools: If the infor?nation requested is not applicable, write NIA in the space.
U.S. Department of Education November 2003
Name of Principal Mr. Gerald Witt
(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other) (As it should appear in the official records)
Official School Name
Irmo High School
(As it should appear in the official records)
School Mailing Address 6671 St. Andrews Road
Columbia SC 29212-2198
city State Zip Code+4 (9 digits total)
Name of Superintendent
Dr. Dennis McMahon
(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other)
District Five of
District Name Lexington & Richland Counties
Tel. (go-3 ) 732-8000
I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2, and certify that to the st of my knowledge it is accurate.
Date
(Superintendent's Signature)
Name of School Board President/Chairperson
(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other)
I have reviewed the information in this package, 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)
2002-2003 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program Cover Sheet
PART II DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
DISTRICT (Questions 12 not applicable to private schools)
1. Number of schools in the district: 11 Elementary schools
4 Middle schools
____ Junior high schools
3 High schools
18 TOTAL
2. District Per Pupil Expenditure: 7,137
Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: 7,275
SCHOOL (To be completed by all schools)
3. Category that best describes the area where the school is located:
[ ] Urban or large central city
[ Ö ] Suburban school with characteristics typical of an urban area
[ ] Suburban
[ ] Small city or town in a rural area
[ ] Rural
4. 7 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 enrolled at each grade level or its equivalent in applying school:
Grade / # of Males / # of Females / Grade Total / Grade / # of Males / # of Females / Grade TotalK / 7
1 / 8
2 / 9 / 267 / 229 / 496
3 / 10 / 224 / 221 / 445
4 / 11 / 233 / 192 / 425
5 / 12 / 170 / 198 / 368
6 / Other
TOTAL STUDENTS IN THE APPLYING SCHOOL / 1734
6. Racial/ethnic composition of 69 % White
the students in the school: 26 % Black or African American
1 % Hispanic or Latino
3 % Asian/Pacific Islander
1 % American Indian/Alaskan Native
100% Total
7. Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year: 11.83 %
(This rate includes the total number of students who transferred to or from different schools between October 1 and the end of the school year, divided by the total number of students in the school as of October 1, multiplied by 100.)
(1) / Number of students who transferred to the school after October 1 until the end of the year. / 79(2) / Number of students who transferred from the school after October 1 until the end of the year. / 139
(3) / Subtotal of all transferred students [sum of rows (1) and (2)] / 218
(4) / Total number of students in the school as of October 1 / 1842
(5) / Subtotal in row (3) divided by total in row (4) / .11834
(6) / Amount in row (5) multiplied by 100 / 11.83
8. Limited English Proficient students in the school: .009 %
18 Total Number Limited English Proficient
Number of languages represented: 10
Specify languages: Spanish, Bulgarian, Vietnamese, Ukranian, Korean, Indian (2 types), Chinese, Russian, and Mandarin.
9. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: 14.24 %
247 Total Number Students Who Qualify
If this method is not a reasonably accurate estimate of the percentage of students from lowincome families or the school does not participate in the federallysupported lunch program, specify a more accurate estimate, tell why the school chose it, and explain how it it arrived at this estimate.
10. Students receiving special education services: 8.6 %
158 Total Number of Students Served
Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to conditions designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
3 Autism 1 Orthopedic Impairment
0 Deafness 6 Other Health Impaired
1 Deaf-Blindness 111 Specific Learning Disability
0 Hearing Impairment 0 Speech or Language Impairment
28 Mental Retardation 1 Traumatic Brain Injury
1 Multiple Disabilities 1 Visual Impairment Including Blindness
6 Emotionally Disturbed
11. Indicate number of fulltime and parttime staff members in each of the categories below:
Number of Staff
Full-time Part-Time
Administrator(s) 5 2
Classroom teachers 115 2
Special resource teachers/specialists 15 1
Paraprofessionals 15 ______
Support staff 52 ______
Total number 205 ______
12. Student-“classroom teacher” ratio: 19/1 .
13. Show the attendance patterns of teachers and students. 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 and drop-off rates.
2001-2002 / 2000-2001 / 1999-2000 / 1998-1999 / 1997-1998Daily student attendance / 99% / 98% / 98% / 97% / 97%
Daily teacher attendance / 93.8% / 93.6% / 96.4%
Teacher turnover rate / 10.4% / 10.6% / 12.6%
Student dropout rate / 2.4% / 1.1% / 1.2% / 1.3% / 1.3%
Student drop-off rate / 6.5% / 26.4% / 28.5% / 24.31% / 26.57%
14. (High Schools Only) Show what the students who graduated in Spring 2002 are doing as of September 2002.
Enrolled in a 4-year college or university / 70 %
Enrolled in a community college or
Enrolled in a vocational training / 18 %
Found employment / 10 %
Military service / 2 %
Other (travel, staying home, etc.) / _____%
Unknown / _____%
Total / 100 %
PART III – SUMMARY
Welcome to Irmo High School, Columbia, South Carolina, an educational community where excellence is never compromised. As you stroll across our campus, you’ll see a sampling of activities challenging our students to meet the global demands of the 21st century.
In the media center, a published author in town for the book festival is giving a group of interested readers and writers some tips on how to become published authors themselves. Down the hall, the Stinger staff is putting the finishing touches on next month’s student newspaper. Meanwhile, the broadcast journalism class is recording daily announcements and putting together commercials to advertise Foreign Language Week. Lagniappe staffers pore over submissions of poetry, prose, and art for this year’s literary magazine. Around the corner, the student council leadership class is hard at work planning the field day events. Humanities classes, studying literature and culture of the Middle East, are sampling authentic Middle Eastern dishes prepared by a local restaurant.
Upstairs, the science labs are humming. A ninth grade pre-chemistry class is busy measuring the thickness of aluminum foil. In a math class, co-teachers from the math and learning strategies departments use manipulatives to teach math concepts to a basic level math class. Teacher Cadets are sharing their field experiences with their classmates – going to the circus with second graders, reading to first graders, analyzing air quality with sixth graders. Students in the reading lab are catching up on the news reading daily newspapers, and a government class is preparing for the voter registration drive they are conducting with the assistance of a local elementary school.
In the “west wing,” the smell of chocolate chip cookies wafts through the building – the Sting Deli, with its Grade A restaurant rating, is preparing lunch for faculty members, giving the students practice in developing life skills as they prepare and deliver the food. The auto collision repair class is getting hands-on experience, too. The drama class is rehearsing “The Importance of Being Earnest” for their upcoming show, and the foreign language classes plan the fashion show and dance exhibition for Foreign Language Week activities. Students design web pages and learn both basic and advanced technology applications in graphic design and desktop publishing classes.
Our tour concludes in the newest area on campus, our expanded arts complex and gymnasium. There you’ll find art students putting together portfolios for Advanced Placement, and preparing for a display at the community library. The award-winning Bands of Irmo, the chorus, and the strings orchestra fill the air with music. The weight room is buzzing with activity, as is the basketball court. On the track, the physics class is putting their catapults to the test, while the Air Force JROTC cadets drill nearby.
Seventy-five years ago, we dared to dream. Today, our dream embraces diversity and unity, instills integrity and character, and provides opportunities for leadership and teamwork for all of our students.
PART IV – INDICATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS
The South Carolina High School Exit Examination was first administered in 1986 and became a requirement for a high school diploma in 1990. The exit exam, which includes subtests in the subject areas of mathematics, reading, and writing, is first administered to students in the spring of their tenth-grade year. The reading and math subtests are composed of multiple choice questions; the writing subtest requires students to produce a writing sample based on an assigned topic. Students who do not pass all sections of the examination are given four opportunities to retake any subtests they do not pass. For comparison, the data in the attached tables are for tenth grade students who are attempting the exit exam for the first time. The current state assessment only includes one criterion (passing or not passing) and is a major component of the state accountability system.
Since 2001, any student who meets the definition of a tenth grader must be tested. Before that time, students could be excluded from testing if an IEP specified that the exit exam was inappropriate for the student. Accommodations and modifications are available for students with disabilities, but must be specified in their IEP or 504 plan.
The testing data which follows is given for three areas: math, reading, and writing, one area per page. The upper portion of each table divides Irmo High School’s population into various subgroups. The lower portion of each table divides the state’s scores into corresponding subgroups. Scores are reported for the most recent five-year period. Comparing percentages in each subgroup in each of the three areas makes it clear that Irmo High School ranks far and above the state in every subgroup for every year reported.
While we would like to take full credit the job being done with these students, we must share with our feeder schools. Our entire district, from grade K to grade 12 is committed to “all children can learn,” or as we say today, “No child left behind.” This demand for excellence is present in all schools throughout this district. Children here learn because they are expected to learn -- by teachers, administrators, and the students’ fellow peers.
IV-2.
Since there is an abundance of assessment data amassed on our students, we use the data in a number of ways to help us understand and improve student and school performance. Exit Exam scores help us identify students who need additional help, which we provide through reading, writing, and math labs. These scores are also used in determining the graduation status of our seniors.
Classroom teachers use PSAT and PLAN scores as one of the factors in determining course level recommendations during the registration process, including placement in AP courses. This information is also helpful in helping students select electives. Departments analyze test results to determine curriculum strengths and weaknesses so that modifications may be made to enhance classroom instruction.
Guidance uses the PSAT and PLAN data to help students assess their preparedness for college and to determine which entrance exam is most appropriate for individual students. This information is useful as well in individual conferences helping students evaluate career choices and related course selection.
IV-3.
We’re proud to be a part of a community that values education, and we think it’s important to maintain open lines of communication with students, parents and the community.
Parents receive copies of their students’ test results and interpretations through the mail, and evening sessions explaining test results are held for all major testing. In addition, students may attend daytime sessions on test interpretation conducted by guidance counselors, who have also produced an informative video that may be used in homeroom sessions. The school website and a marquee in front of the school publicize academic as well as athletic events and accomplishments.