6th & Hayward	630 Orchard Street		3rd & Washington		3rd & Washington
P.O. Box 608	P.O. Box 158		P.O. Box 608		P.O. Box 608
Chappell, NE 69129	Lodgepole, NE 69149		Chappell, NE 69129		Chappell, NE 69129
308­874­2911 Fax: 308­874­2602	308­483­5252         Fax: 308­483­5251		308­874­3310 Fax: 308­874­2604		308­874­3310 Fax: 308­874­2604

 

October 28, 2014

 

Dear Parents,

 

The federal education legislation, No Child Left Behind, enacted in 2002, mandated that 100% of our students must be proficient in reading and math academic standards by the 2013­2014 school year.  Schools were expected to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) toward that goal.  Schools are also expected to maintain the 100% level of achievement for each year following 2013­2014.  If a school does not meet the state goal two years in a row, in the same grade level and same subject, they are identified as “In Need of

Improvement.”  A school can get out of “In Need of Improvement” status after all students meet the AYP goals for two consecutive years. 

Creek Valley Elementary school is in year one of Title I School Improvement Status, due to students not meeting reading goals set forth by NCLB.  Title I is a federal program that provides funds to school districts, and specifically schools with high numbers, or high percentages of children who are disadvantaged.  Title I schools are the only schools that suffer consequences when AYP is not met. We did not reach AYP goals in the elementary for reading in the 2012­2013 school year.  That year, 73% of our elementary school students reached the NCLB benchmark.  However, the NCLB goal was 89%.  The goal for the

2013­2014 school year was 100%.  Eighty­three percent of our students reached the benchmark, a 10% increase over the previous year.  However, because the benchmark has continued to increase, we were not able to meet it for a second consecutive year.

The NCLB Act requires each school identified for Title I School Improvement to offer "Public School Choice" to all students who attend the identified school.  We do not have another elementary school within our district.

The district must develop and implement a two year plan to help all students meet the goal.  Our plan includes hiring a reading coach, providing specific professional development to our staff in reading, reviewing other standardized testing tools to help us better assess our kids, and the use of Education Service Unit 13 resources.  We will also be implementing a district wide educational model to achieve consistency in our instructional practices.  After implementing this five step plan, we are confident that all of our students will perform to their maximum ability. 

All students benefit greatly from parents being involved in many ways.  Asking questions, having students read aloud to you, and setting aside a time and place for homework are very important ways that you can help your child reach their maximum ability.  Student achievement is a partnership between school and home, so contact your child's teacher for additional strategies to work on at home.  A strong partnership has been proven to be effective in helping students reach the level of success they are capable of achieving.  If you would like to learn more about our scores, or compare our scores with other schools in the state, please go to http://reportcard.education.ne.gov. 

Please call Mr. Ningen at 874­2911 with any questions about this letter. 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Patrick J. Ningen

K­4/9­12 Principal