`

Independent School District Number 252

 

 

 

2006 - 2007

Annual Report on Curriculum, Instruction and Student Achievement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2006-2007 Annual Report on

 Curriculum, Instruction and Student Achievement – Cannon Falls Area Schools

 

 

 

 

 

1.     School District Advisory Committee

 

The formation of an advisory committee, entitled “District Curriculum and Instruction / Grad Rule Committee” was approved at the July 17, 2000 Cannon Falls Area School District Board meeting. The purpose of the District Advisory Committee is to recommend to the school board district-wide education standards, assessments, and program evaluations.  Names of teachers, students, and parents representing all three school district schools, the school board, non-parent residents, and the business community were then publicly sought for consideration for committee membership.  The committee membership is approved at the annual September School Board meeting.  It is comprised of 4 teachers and 1 principal representing each of the System’s two schools; the 7-12 counselor; 2 Board members; and four other citizens.  Annually, the Committee holds its first organizational meeting on the fourth Monday in each September.  Following the organizational meeting, the committee meets monthly during the school year.   The Committee membership for the 2006 – 2007 school year was as follows:

 

Name                              Category                                   Term Expires

Pat Senjem                                High School Counselor                                        6/2/07

Neil Koven                                 Elementary Principal/Parent                                 6/2/07

Steve Fredrickson                       High School Principal                                          6/2/07

Beth Giese                                 7-12 Assistant principal/parent                            6/2/07

Laurie Turner                             Elementary School Teacher/Parent                      6/2/07

Jennifer Alwin                            Middle School Teacher                                        6/2/07

Steve Clark                                High School Teacher                                           6/2/07

Katie Lecy                                  Special Education Teacher/Parent                        6/2/07

Lisa Miller                                  Paraprofessional/Parent                                      6/2/07

Cathy Banks                             School Board Member/Parent                                6/2/07

Pat Dougherty                            School Board Member/Parent                              6/2/07

Tracy Bennett                            Parent                                                               6/2/07

Rick Anderson                            Parent                                                               6/2/07

Therese De Langhe                    Parent                                                               6/2/07

Roger Risty                                Non-Parent Community Member                          6/2/07

 

2.     Student Achievement Goals For Meeting State Graduation Standards

 

Students entering ninth grade after 1996 (graduating class of 2001) and thereafter must pass the Math, Reading and Writing Basic Skills Tests (BST’s) with a scale score of 600 or higher and complete a minimum of 24 credits in coursework at the high school level as approved by the Cannon Falls School Board.

 

3.     Results of 2006 Statewide Standardized Testing

 

Two different types of assessments are given to public and charter school students annually throughout the state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Comprehensive Achievement Tests (MCA’s) are given in grades 3- 11, except 9^th grade. The MCA test results are used by schools to assess individual school curricular needs as measured against student performance and to assess individual student performance against State-approved curriculum standards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         

Grade 11 Minnesota Comprehensive Achievement Math Test

 

2007 46% of eligible students earned passing scores

 

Grade 10 Basic Skills Writing Test

 

2005          90% of eligible students earned passing scores

 

2006          96% of eligible students earned passing scores

 

2007     96% of eligible students earned passing scores

 

Grade 10 Minnesota Comprehensive Achievement Reading Test

 

2007          73% of eligible students earned passing scores

 

A total of 3 students on Individualized Education Plans (IEP’s) in grades 11-12, passed the Basic Skills Tests on an individualized basis.  An additional 7 students on IEP’s have passed the tests without individualization.

 

Grade 9 Minnesota Comprehensive Achievement Tests

GRAD  (Graduation Required Assessment for Diploma) written Composition

 

(2007)     93% of eligible students earned a passing score

 

Grade 8 Minnesota Comprehensive Achievement Tests

 

Achievement Level          Level I     Level II      Level III      Level IV                

               

Math         (2007)          6%             11%         62%            21%

    

            Reading    (2007)           10%           13%         57%            20%

 

Grade 7 Minnesota Comprehensive Achievement Tests

 

Achievement Level          Level I     Level II      Level III      Level IV                

               

Math         (2007)          10%           29%         48%            13%

    

            Reading    (2007)           4%            28%         39%            29%

 

 

Grade 6 Minnesota Comprehensive Achievement Tests

 

Achievement Level          Level I     Level II      Level III      Level IV

 

Math        (2007)            15%         23%         50%           12%

 

Reading    (2007)           4%           28%          39%          29%

 

Writing      (2007)    As of this report’s date, no scores have been received from the MDE

 

 

 

 

Grade 5 Minnesota Comprehensive Achievement Tests

 

Achievement Level          Level I     Level II      Level III      Level IV                

               

Math         (2007)          40%           31%         22%             8%

     

            Reading    (2007)           14%           22%         51%            13%

 

Grade 4 Minnesota Comprehensive Achievement Tests

 

Achievement Level          Level I     Level II      Level III      Level IV                

               

Math         (2007)          10%           23%         48%             18%

    

            Reading    (2007)           14%           15%         38%            33%    

 

Grade 3 Minnesota Comprehensive Achievement Tests

 

Achievement Level          Level I     Level II       Level III      Level IV           

 

Math         (2007)           2%            12%         48%            38%

    

            Reading    (2007)           5%           6%           28%            62%

 

 

Descriptors of Achievement Scoring Levels

 

Student scores are divided into 4 overall levels

 

Level I – Does not meet grade level standards

 

Level II – Partially meets state grade level standards

 

Level III –Meets grade level standards.

 

Level IV – Exceeds State grade level standards

 

Any student scoring at level 3 or 4 is considered proficient at the skill being assessed.

 

 

4.     District Improvement Plans

 

A. Staff attended workshops to develop the skills necessary to use data-driven decision-making to improve teaching and learning.

B. High School staff focused on the acquisition of differentiated of instruction skill development though workshops and video productions

C.  School system staff plan to integrate NWEA test results into curricular decisions in the classroom settings through the use of differentiated instructional techniques derived from data-driven decision making.

D.  The school district staff development committee authorized the curriculum writing during the summer hours in all curriculum areas, learning communities, career education, and technology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Progress on Previous Improvement Plans

 

A.      The school district continued the implementation of using the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) computerized testing as a means of pre- and post-testing students in grades 2-8 to longitudinally assess individual student growth in the areas of reading and math and to facilitate greater differentiation of instruction.

B.       The Curriculum and Instruction Advisory Committee formed in September 2000, continued to meet on a monthly basis. This advisory committee will continue to meet during 2007-2008 under the new leadership of Steve Fredrickson.

C.      The Elementary school continued to recognize its students for their outstanding efforts on a monthly basis.

D.      The Elementary School continued to offer Book Buddies program for weekly adult mentoring of first graders.

E.       The High School continued to offer Advanced Placement testing.

F.       The School District continued to offer a mentoring program for new teachers with expanded emphasis placed upon long term mentoring of all non-tenured staff.

G.      Implementation of new reading series in grades 1-5 at elementary school in 2007.

 

6.  Mandatory District Reporting Requirements

 

Results of Basic Skills Tests by Grade

 

Class     Enrollment      Passed Reading     Passed Math     Passed Writing   Exempt

 

2008            91                   84                         87                           89            1

 

2009          111                   107                      106                         103           1

 

2010         100                                                                          96               E

 

7.  District Testing Program

 

            Grades 2-8                    Northwest Educational Assessments in Reading and Math

 

Grades 3-8 and 10          Minnesota Comprehensive Achievement Reading Tests

 

Grades 3-8 and 11          Minnesota Comprehensive Achievement Math Tests

           

Grade 10                       Basic Standards Writing Test

 

            Grade 9             Standardized Career Test

            Given to students during their career unit.  The results are used along with an interest inventory to guide an interest in future career planning.

            Graduation Written Composition test

             

Grades 9-12                   Retests of Minnesota Basic Skills Tests in Reading, Math,

and Writing.

 

Grade 10                       The PLAN Test is given to all students on a voluntary basis.

The test is used as a lead-up to the ACT College Entrance Exam and career study.

 

Grade 11                       PSAT test is given on a voluntary basis.  The students pay the

Fee.

 

Grade 12                       ACT and SAT tests are available as college entrance exams.

 

 

8.  Public Notice of Report

 

A copy of this report was presented to and approved by the Cannon Falls Area School Board during the week of September 24^th-28^th, 2007

 

A second copy of this report will be published before October 15, 2007, in the Cannon Falls Beacon, the official newspaper of record, as designated by the Cannon Falls Area School Board.

 

 

 

 

Parent Notification Letter for Identified School District

 

October 1, 2007

 

Dear Parents or Guardians:

 

Under the Federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Cannon Falls Area School District was identified by the Minnesota Department of Education, in accordance with Federal Law 107-110, as a school district in need of improvement.  The identification was due to our 2007 MCA test participation rate for Special Education students in the area of reading.

 

In the fall of 2006, a district support team analyzed all available assessment information to pinpoint the District’s strengths and weaknesses.  These areas were addressed through professional development and a review of the curriculum during the 2006-2007 school year.  Based upon all currently available data from the 2006 testing period, the Cannon Falls Area School District has now been removed from the “Needs Improvement” category.

 

We encourage all of our community members to become actively involved in improving the quality of education in our School District through your participation on a school and/or district-level committee, communicating with your child’s teacher on a regular basis or by contacting the School District Office for more information at (507) 263- 6800 option 8.

 

Sincerely,

 

Todd Sesker

Superintendent of Schools   

 

 

 

For further information about this report, the Curriculum Committee’s work or becoming a member of the curriculum advisory committee, please contact Steve Fredrickson, Chairperson of the Cannon Falls Area School District Curriculum and Instruction Committee at (507) 263-6800 option 5.