Eisenhower Elementary School 2004 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School Application (Msword)

U.S. Department of Education November 2002September 2003

2003-2004 No Child Left Behind—Blue Ribbon Schools Program

Cover Sheet

Name of Principal Mrs. Nancy E. Johnson

(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other) (As it should appear in the official records)

Official School Name Eisenhower Elementary School

(As it should appear in the official records)

School Mailing Address 1404 South Ash Street

(If address is P.O. Box, also include street address)

Ottawa ______Kansas 66067-3421

City State Zip Code+4 (9 digits total)

Tel. (785) 229-8040 Fax (785) 229-8049

Website/URL www.Ottawa.k12.ks.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* Mr. Jan Collins

(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other)

District Name U.S.D. 290, Ottawa Tel. (785) 229-8010

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 Mrs. Jeanette Lowry

(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)

*Private Schools: If the information requested is not applicable, write N/A in the space.

PART I ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATION

[Include this page in the school’s application as page 2.]

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 of Civil Rights (OCR) requirements is true and correct.

1.  The school has some configuration that includes grades K-12. (Schools with one principal, even K-12 schools, must apply as an entire school.)

2.  The school has not been in school improvement status or 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 2003-2004 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 1998.

5.  The nominated school or district is not refusing the OCR access to information necessary to investigate a civil rights complaint or to conduct a districtwide compliance review.

6.  The 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 the 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: 5 Elementary schools

1 Middle schools

_____ Junior high schools

1 High schools

_____ Other (Briefly explain)

7 TOTAL

2. District Per Pupil Expenditure: $7481.00

Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: $8894.00

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. 9 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:

6. Racial/ethnic composition of 87 % White

the students in the school: 4 % Black or African American

5 % Hispanic or Latino

2 % Asian/Pacific Islander

2 % American Indian/Alaskan Native

100% Total

7. Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year: 22%

(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.)

8. Limited English Proficient students in the school: . .7%

___1__Total Number Limited English Proficient Number of languages represented: 1

Specify languages: Russian

9. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: 48 %

67 Total Number Students Who Qualify

If this method does not produce 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 arrived at this estimate.

10. Students receiving special education services: 15%

20 Total Number of Students Served

Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to conditions designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

____Autism ____Orthopedic Impairment

____Deafness 3 Other Health Impaired

____Deaf-Blindness 8 Specific Learning Disability

____Hearing Impairment 6 Speech or Language Impairment

____Mental Retardation ____Traumatic Brain Injury

____Multiple Disabilities ____Visual Impairment Including Blindness

1 Emotionally Disturbed 2 Developmentally Delayed

11.  Indicate number of fulltime and parttime staff members in each of the categories below:

Number of Staff

Full-time Part-Time

Administrator(s) 1 ______

Classroom teachers 7 ______

Special resource teachers/specialists ____4______1____

Paraprofessionals ____2______

Support staff ____4______

Total number ____18______1___

12. Average school student-“classroom teacher” ratio: 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.)

Part III – Summary

Eisenhower Elementary School is located in Ottawa, Kansas, a rural community of 12,000. Eisenhower is one of five elementary schools in USD 290. Currently, 140 students are enrolled from kindergarten through fifth grade. Eisenhower staff members have an average of 18 years of teaching experience, with 40% holding a master’s degree.

Our mission is to create an educational environment that fosters the well being of all students and prepares them to function in an ever-changing society. We believe that all students should be challenged to achieve at their highest ability as they develop into responsible citizens and life-long learners.

In order to make our mission a reality, our staff has researched academic programs to meet the needs of our students. We try to find quality programs that bring about improvements. Through the inclusion program, students benefit from flexible grouping on a needs basis. All students receive small group instruction from teachers, paraprofessionals, and building aides.

Some pull-out is also used to meet student needs. This includes the Kansas Accelerated Literacy Learning Program, Title 1 Reading and Math, and special education.

Eisenhower was built in 1969 as an open-concept school without walls. The dated building design could be seen as a detriment. However, our staff has chosen to capitalize on the openness of the structure. Because of our close proximity we are aware of methods and strategies used in other classrooms. We have developed “strands” of skills to be taught at each grade level, developing continuity in our educational goals and instructional methods. This partner approach to education enhances the effectiveness of instruction and student achievement.

Eisenhower also partners with students, parents, and community. Parents serve on the Eisenhower Site Council, attend school activities, and volunteer in our classrooms. Ottawa University students contribute through work-study and teacher education programs. We have three volunteer tutors from the community. Our students work in the community with senior citizens. They also help at a local food pantry and contribute to the animal shelter.

It is the belief of the Eisenhower community that the foundation for a positive and safe school environment is an academic program that addresses the needs of children. It involves students, parents, and community in the learning process. We are very proud of the tremendous yearly progress that our students and school continue to make.

Part IV – Indicators of Academic Success

1. Eisenhower Elementary Assessments

The Kansas State Reading and Math Assessments are prepared by the Center for Educational Testing at the University of Kansas. Kansas uses five performance levels for both state assessments: Exemplary, Advanced, Proficient, Basic, and Unsatisfactory. Students are considered to have met the state standard when they perform at the Proficient and Advanced levels. This is equivalent to the national criteria for high achievement. The criteria for meeting the Standard of Excellence in both Reading and Math is at least 25% of students must be in the Advanced category and not more than 5% of students in the Unsatisfactory category.

The Kansas State Reading Assessment is administered to all 5th grade students. Eisenhower students’ scores have demonstrated a continued increase over the last three years in the number of students scoring at the Proficient level and above. We continue to make progress toward the Kansas State Standard of Excellence. In comparison with State data, Eisenhower students perform better than students across the entire state.

The Kansas Math Assessment is given to all 4th grade students in the state. Questions are grouped into four content areas: Numbers and Computation, Algebra, Geometry, and Data. A total math score is derived by equally weighing the Knowledge and Application indicators of each content area to form an average percent correct composite score. The State of Kansas awards the Standard of Excellence to schools when they meet the criteria for high achievement. Eisenhower has achieved this Standard of Excellence Award in Math for 2002 and 2003. One hundred percent of our 4th graders have scored at the Proficient level and above the last two years.

USD 290 district third graders take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills each spring. Eisenhower students consistently score in the average range in all areas.

Second Grade students in the district are given the Qualitative Reading Inventory II in the fall of each year to determine reading levels. They are again tested in the spring to determine levels of growth. This data is reported to the state. Eisenhower students have shown growth for the last four years. During the 1999-2000 school year, the percentage of students on grade level or above in reading grew from 60% to 83%. In the 2002-2003 year, the growth was from 71% to 95% of Eisenhower Second Graders reading on grade level or above.

First grade students are given the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test at the end of the year. Results of the past two years indicate that the students are improving in decoding and comprehension. The total score for decoding in 2002 was 62% and in 2003, 68%. The comprehension scores went from 55% to 62% and the total score from 60% to 67%.

2. Using Assessment Data

Teachers, administrators, counselors and parents work together to identify the needs of students by analyzing state assessment data, ongoing classroom assessment, daily performance, and by utilizing Student Success Team meetings. By looking at all the data, our goal is to understand and improve student performance and instruction. We have used the data to set our goals, determine staff development, and choose strategies to improve student achievement. We look at problematic areas and consider possible solutions. Assessment data is also used to identify and provide students with additional services, such as Title, Special Education, or Gifted instruction.