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South Central Local Schools
An Historical Perspective of District Accomplishments since 2006-2007
Presented to the South Central Board of Education
Prepared by Superintendent Ben Chaffee, Jr.
January 2012
South Central Local Schools
An Historical Perspective of District Accomplishments since 2006-2007
Prepared by Ben Chaffee, Jr., Superintendent
January 2012
Each year, as Superintendent, I try to provide the Board of Education with a snapshot of recent district accomplishments. A variety of communication venues has been used over the past five years, from a board meeting powerpoint and printed brochures to an in-depth Assessment Report. It has been my goal to not only showcase the array of successes, but to also provide them in a variety of venues to meet the varied needs of our district stakeholders.
This year’s report will be a brief compilation of district accomplishments since my superintendency began in 2006. Oftentimes, when organizations are focused on change and improvement initiatives, it sometimes becomes clouded as to what has actually been, or is being, accomplished. “Going to the balcony” – stepping back and reviewing the work of the district – is just as important as continuing the work. I hope you find the following snapshot worthwhile, that it provides continued thinking of other district accomplishments (big and small) and that it continues to rejuvenate the board, and the district, for the work that remains ahead.
Setting a vision for the district, through involvement in the Ohio Improvement Process (OIP)
Beginning in 2008, the district became actively involved in the Ohio Improvement Process (OIP), with direct support from the State Support Team Region 2 of Lorain County ESC. A District Leadership Team was identified, which not only created a culture of leaders but also had the daunting task of completing a district Needs Assessment. The Needs Assessment identified the vision of the district, with focus on improving reading and math scores and improving the culture/climate of the district. Working with student subgroups (students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students) to close achievement gaps and meet Adequate Yearly Progress was also a focal point. In 2009-10, the elementary building did meet AYP, thanks, in part, to the hard work of the staff adopting the various school improvement initiatives of the district (curricular mapping, Wilson Reading and RTI, to name a few).
The District Leadership Team branched out to Building Leadership Teams, who were charged with creating action plans specific to the building needs. Teacher Based Teams were then cultivated, starting in the math department and chaired by district math coaches.
The OIP continues to drive the vision and work of the district. The process provides a structured and focused lens towards continued school improvement and increased student achievement.
Expanding teacher professional development opportunities
Teachers participating in professional development opportunities can provide immediate and positive impact on student achievement. District teachers have continued to be afforded professional development opportunities over the past several years, funded primarily through grants and federal Title programs. Teachers have attended state-level professional development: eTech Conference, Title I Conference, OIP trainings, State Professional Development Grant (SPDG) conferences, Response to Intervention trainings, Race to the Top trainings, etc. Administrators and board members have participated in regional and state-level professional development as well: OAESA & OASSA conferences, BASA conferences, OSBA Capital Conference, and OSBA boardmanship workshops sponsored by North Point ESC. As superintendent, I participated in a state-funded year long, internationally-based Ohio School Leadership Institute.
Each year, the district calendar has allowed for two teacher professional development days, with one in October and one in February. For the past three years, the October PD day has been a Huron County PD day, supporting the governor’s vision for shared services. In 2009, Huron County local school districts combined fiscal resources to secure keynote speaker Jim Warford of the International Center for Leadership in Education. Break-out sessions were also provided by local district teachers. In 2010, again the local districts combined fiscal resources to secure two keynote speakers, each addressing a specific audience (PK-4 and 5-12). Break-out sessions were also provided by local district teachers. In 2011, the local districts combined efforts with Norwalk City Schools to secure nationally renowned Dr. Cathy Hamilton to provide a day-long workshop on educating all children, particularly children of poverty. The networking that Huron County school districts have established is phenomenal and powerful towards improving student achievement; districts are able to comfortably and freely share resources and network.
Since the 2009-10 school year, the district calendar has also afforded teachers and administrators four early-release days each year. These days are devoted to Building Leadership Team action plan work and teacher collaboration.
Technology is abundant in the district. However, teachers aren’t simply handed over technology gadgets; teachers are required to attend professional development, either by the vendor or in-house personnel, on technology software and equipment prior to acquisition. This commitment is shared by administration and the district technology director.
Mapping and alignment of all subjects to meet standards
Through the guidance of the district curriculum coordinator, our district has successfully unwrapped the revised Ohio Academic Content Standards by core subject and completed vertical articulation of the standards in the core subjects. Prior to the revised standards, all teachers of all subject areas participated in yearly curriculum review, mapping and articulation. Specialist teachers (non-core subject) were required to participate in the mapping exercises with either their own curriculum and/or with cross-curricular departments. Common formative assessments have been developed and identified on core subject maps. The board of education received a summary of district curricular maps in Fall 2011. All teachers are expected to adhere to their curriculum maps, which constitutes their course of study.
Increased communication between school and parents/community
Yearly, a calendar with district information is mailed, free of charge, to all district residents. Non-resident students and employees are also provided a calendar. Extra calendars are available to residents, as requested.
The district website, managed by a teacher, provides valuable and timely information to district residents. Several teachers and booster organizations have specific webpages linked from the district site. Board of education meeting minutes are available for viewing on the district website. A plethora of financial information can be found on the treasurer’s page. Mandated reports are located on the superintendent’s page, as well as links to the Ohio Department of Education and local report card databases.
Monthly “Supt Chat” news articles are printed in the local area newspaper. These news articles provide brief, but timely, information about current happenings in the district. The superintendent also provides a weekly email to district staff, sharing updates from central office, ODE and other news sources. A weekly board update is also provided specifically to the board of education.
Teacher use of ProgressBook enables parents to have immediate on-line access to student progress. Several teachers have wiki pages dedicated to their grade-level or subject.
In Fall 2010, the district began using Gmail as its internet mail client. Gmail offers a wide array of communication advances, including GoogleDocs, a document sharing service that several staff members have quickly gravitated towards.
Improving physical environment of the buildings and grounds
The board of education has been committed to maintaining, and improving, the physical environment of our buildings and grounds. With the defeat of the 2006 bond issue for renovating buildings, it was the board’s commitment to illustrate to the community that the district can appropriately manage its capital improvement fund monies on current facilities, and hopefully consider a permanent improvement fund levy for continued facilities concerns and upgrades.
In Summer 2006, the K8 building was re-sealed. This was necessary to address the continued leaking the building experienced since inhabitance. A roof warranty was resurrected, and annual roof inspections continue for both buildings.
In Summer 2008, major renovation work was completed around the high school building. Perimeter tile drains were installed, a retention pond created and a new parking lot installed. This work was in direct response to a continued wet crawl space under the high school and potential foundation damage. In Summer 2009, the remaining parking lots campus-wide were re-surfaced, with additional minimal drainage work completed in the big lot between buildings.
A complete overhaul of the K8 geothermal system was completed over a three-year period. New parts were installed, upgraded thermostatic controls were installed in the 300 wing and the system was re-calibrated. A routine maintenance contract exists to manage the system.
A variety of minor cosmetic activities continue to occur throughout the district grounds to continue maintaining our sound buildings.
Integrated technology use throughout the district
The district is blessed with a wide array of technology. Teacher and student alike benefit from these 21st century skills; we are successfully preparing our students for their world.
Each teacher is provided a laptop, and the majority of classrooms also are equipped with at least one desktop computer. Currently, there are five computer labs in the district; three are full-time instructional classrooms. Currently, there are three wireless laptop carts, one wireless ipod cart and one ipad cart (for Title I student use) in the district. The entire campus is wireless, and in Fall 2011, the district migrated from two T-1 lines to one fiberoptic feed. Over three-fourths of district classrooms have interactive Smartboards district-wide.
During the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years, the middle school received an ARRA competitive integration technology grant worth over $180,000. Hardware was purchased for middle school students and staff, and abundant professional development was provided on how to successfully integrate technology into instruction for increased student achievement.
Gifted students participate in After-School Enrichment Programs, utilizing technology to produce mini-news segments aired throughout the K8 building and posted on the district website. With generous contributions from local civic organizations, a videoproduction room was constructed in Winter 2011.
Maintaining fiscal responsibility and appropriately managing district funds
The district continues to act in a frugal, yet responsible, manner when determining services to offer its students. Through conscious efforts by administration and board of education, the district continues to operate with a positive year-end balance; however, the district has been deficit-spending for several years (including prior to 2006). OAPSE settled a one-year (2011-12) contract negotiations with a 0% increase on the base, and district administration took a pay freeze.
Most professional development opportunities are funded through federal or regional grants, or are conducted in-house.
Staff attrition has reduced three staff positions since 2006; however, strong efforts exist to replace high-end salaried retirees with low-end salaried replacements. Grants have allowed unique staff positions—technology integration coach and math coaches. Once the grant expires, the position(s) are RIF’d.
The treasurer’s office received an “Exemplary Financial Reporting” certificate in FY10 and FY11.
The district has not asked local residents for additional operating monies since passage of its 1.25% permanent traditional income tax in the early 1990s. The district is currently at the 20-mil floor; any new construction and any property reappraisal increase is an increase in operating revenue to the school district.
Race to the Top District
Through the cooperation and support of the SCEA and the BOE, the district applied for, and received, Race to the Top funding ($100,000) over a four-year period. The district’s Scope of Work is available on the district website. The majority of work centers around unwrapping the revised Ohio Academic Content Standards and developing an approved teacher evaluation tool. By being a RttT district, the district staff is afforded advanced professional development and cutting edge information that non-RttT districts are not privy to.
In 2010-11, the district applied for, and received, a RttT Innovative Programs grant ($500,000). The three-year grant will fund two district math coaches, utilizing professional development training from The Ohio State University proven research-based strategies for increasing mathematical achievement.
Local Report Card indicators
The ODE Local Report Card is the state’s primary means of providing a measuring stick of student academic success for school districts across the state. The LRC is based on several categories: state achievement test passage rates, attendance rates, graduation rates, performance index scores, value-added considerations and adequate yearly progress of student sub-groups. Comparing 2006-07 LRC through 2010-11 LRC for South Central LSD, the district experiences an overall flat-line growth, strictly from indicator (state achievement tests) passage. Studying individual grade-level data, however, shows an overall positive trend of student achievement; student scores are migrating from limited and basic to proficient, accelerated and advanced. The following grade levels /subject areas experienced the most positive growth over five years: 4th reading, 4th mathematics, 5th science, and 6th reading. The district performance index score showed a positive gain of 3.7 points over five years. The K8 building did not meet AYP in two sub-groups (students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students) for four consecutive years. A new IRN was established for the K8 building, separating the building into two IRNS. This allowed the new K5 building to be exempt from meeting AYP, but the 6-8 building, in turn, did not meet AYP in year one. Value-added data in grades 4-8 in reading and math have positively impacted the buildings’ report card data, having at least or more than one year’s academic growth. The high school continues to meet all indicators or have overall exceptionally high performance index scores. The elementary buildings have maintained a rating of Effective over five years. The high school has maintained a rating of Excellent over five years. The district has maintained a rating of Effective over five years.
Superintendent community (local, regional, state) involvement
During my tenure as superintendent, I have had the pleasure and honor of serving on various local, regional and state level committees and organizations. Being involved on such committees at the various levels is a great way for our district to stay abreast of current topics, including legislation and financial information. The following is a list of these committees and organizations: Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) member, BASA Executive Committee Region 10, BASA Exceptional Children Committee, Ohio School Leadership Institute (internationally-based yearlong leadership seminar sponsored by BASA), Huron County Family & Children First Council Fiscal Agent, Project Leadership of Huron County Board of Director, NOECA Operating Committee member, NOECA General Assembly, Huron-Erie School Employees Insurance Consortium Board of Director, Greenwich Rotary (Secretary), and North Fairfield Lions Club. I have also presented at BASA Fall Conference and moderated workshops at BASA Fall and Summer Conferences and OSBA Capital Conference.
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Hopefully, through review of the material presented in this report, the board of education will have additional information that it finds beneficial. The information is expected to be valuable as the board of education continues its discussions about the academic financial outlooks of the school district. This “forward-thinking” approach is a valuable asset for a board of education to possess.
If there are specific questions or comments about the information presented in this report, or if additional data or information is requested, please contact Superintendent Ben Chaffee, Jr.
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