##### *2004-2005 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools Program*

*U.S. Department of Education*

**Cover Sheet** Type of School: [X]{.underline}\_ Elementary \_\_ Middle
\_\_ High \_\_ K-12

Name of Principal [Mr. James K. Campbell]{.underline}

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

Official School Name [IXL Elementary School]{.underline}

(As it should appear in the official records)

School Mailing Address [6758 322^nd^ Road]{.underline}

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

[Arkansas City, Kansas 67005-6350]{.underline}

City State Zip Code+4 (9 digits total)

County [Cowley]{.underline} School Code Number\* [7466]{.underline}

Telephone [( 620 ) 441-2055]{.underline} Fax [( 620 )
441-2059]{.underline}

Website/URL <http://www.arkcity.com/ixl/ixlhome.html> E-mail
[jk.campbell@usd470.com]{.underline}

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\* [Dr. Perry Perkins]{.underline}

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

District Name [USD #470 -- Arkansas City]{.underline} Tel. [( 620 )
441-2000]{.underline}

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 Mr. Gary Wilson

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)

*\*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 2004-2005 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 1999 and has not received the 2003 or 2004 *No
    Child Left Behind -- Blue Ribbon Schools Award.*

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 district‑wide 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 1‑2 not applicable to private schools)

1\. Number of schools in the district: [6]{.underline} Elementary
schools

\_\_[1]{.underline}\_ Middle schools

\_\_\_\_\_ Junior high schools

\_\_[1]{.underline}\_\_ High schools

\_\_\_\_\_ Other

\_\_[8]{.underline}\_\_ TOTAL

2\. District Per Pupil Expenditure: [\$6,943.00]{.underline}

Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: [\$7,748.17]{.underline}

**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\. [6]{.underline} 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 as of October 1 enrolled at each grade level or
its equivalent in applying school only:

  ----------- --------- ----------- ---------- --------- -- ----------- --------- ----------- ---------
  **Grade**   **\# of   **\# of                **Grade      **Grade**   **\# of   **\# of     **Grade
              Males**   Females**              Total**                  Males**   Females**   Total**

  **PreK**                                                  **7**                             

  **K**       9         20                     **29**       **8**                             

  **1**       17        19                     **36**       **9**                             

  **2**       14        18                     **32**       **10**                            

  **3**       15        22                     **37**       **11**                            

  **4**       19        16                     **35**       **12**                            

  **5**       20        14                     **34**       **Other**                         

  **6**                                                                                       

                                    **TOTAL                                                   203
                                    STUDENTS                                                  
                                    IN THE                                                    
                                    APPLYING                                                  
                                    SCHOOL →**                                                
  ----------- --------- ----------- ---------- --------- -- ----------- --------- ----------- ---------

*\[Throughout the document, round numbers to avoid decimals.\]*

6\. Racial/ethnic composition of [64]{.underline} % White

the students in the school: [5]{.underline} % Black or African American

[18]{.underline} % Hispanic or Latino

\% Asian/Pacific Islander

[13]{.underline} % American Indian/Alaskan Native

**100% Total**

Use only the five standard categories in reporting the racial/ethnic
composition of the school.

7\. Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year:
[30]{.underline} %

> (This rate should be calculated using the grid below. The answer to
> (6) is the mobility rate.)

  ------------------------- --------------------------- ------------------
  **(1)**                   Number of students who      28
                            transferred ***to*** the    
                            school after October 1      
                            until the end of the year.  

  **(2)**                   Number of students who      40
                            transferred ***from*** the  
                            school after October 1      
                            until the end of the year.  

  **(3)**                   Subtotal of all transferred 68
                            students \[sum of rows (1)  
                            and (2)\]                   

  **(4)**                   Total number of students in 228
                            the school as of October 1  
                            (same as in #5 above)       

  **(5)**                   Subtotal in row (3) divided 0.298
                            by total in row (4)         

  **(6)**                   Amount in row (5)           29.8
                            multiplied by 100           
  ------------------------- --------------------------- ------------------

8\. Limited English Proficient students in the school:
\_\_[15]{.underline} %

[30]{.underline} Total Number Limited English Proficient

Number of languages represented: [1]{.underline}

Specify languages: Spanish

9\. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: [72]{.underline} %

Total number students who qualify: [147]{.underline}

> If this method does not produce an accurate estimate of the percentage
> of students from low‑income families or the school does not
> participate in the federally‑supported 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: [24]{.underline} %

[48]{.underline} Total Number of Students Served

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

\_[1]{.underline}\_\_Autism \_\_\_\_Multiple Disabilities

\_\_\_\_Deafness \_\_\_\_Orthopedic Impairment

\_\_\_\_Deaf-Blindness \_[2]{.underline}\_\_Other Health Impaired

\_[5]{.underline}\_\_Developmentally Delayed
[20]{.underline}\_\_Specific Learning Disability

\_[1]{.underline}\_\_Emotionally Disturbed [18]{.underline}\_\_Speech or
Language Impairment

\_\_\_\_Hearing Impairment \_\_\_\_Traumatic Brain Injury

\_[1]{.underline}\_\_Mental Retardation \_\_\_\_Visual Impairment
Including Blindness

11. Indicate number of full‑time and part‑time staff members in each of
    the categories below:

    **Number of Staff**

**[Full-time]{.underline}** **[Part-Time]{.underline}**

Administrator(s) \_\_\_[1]{.underline}\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Classroom teachers \_ [11]{.underline}\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Special resource teachers/specialists \_ [2]{.underline}\_\_\_ \_\_\_
[3]{.underline}\_\_\_

Paraprofessionals \_\_ [5]{.underline}\_\_\_
\_\_\_\_[2]{.underline}\_\_\_

> Support staff \_\_\_[4]{.underline}\_\_\_
> \_\_\_\_[5]{.underline}\_\_\_
>
> Total number \_\_[23]{.underline}\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_[10]{.underline}\_\_\_

12\. Average school student-"classroom teacher" ratio:
\_[18:1]{.underline}\_\_\_\_

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.)

  ------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                            2003-2004   2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000

  Daily student attendance  95 %        95 %        95 %        94 %        91 %

  Daily teacher attendance  96 %        96 %        96 %        93 %        96 %

  Teacher turnover rate     5 %         0 %         15 %        20 %        25 %

  Student dropout rate      \%          \%          \%          \%          \%
  (middle/high)                                                             

  Student drop-off rate     \%          \%          \%          \%          \%
  (high school)                                                             
  ------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**PART III ‑ SUMMARY**

**Provide a brief, coherent narrative snapshot of the school in one page
(approximately 600 words). Include at least a summary of the school's
mission or vision in the statement.**

IXL Elementary School in Arkansas City, Kansas is one of six elementary
schools in USD #470, a school district determined to move from good to
great in helping all students learn to higher and higher standards and
graduate ready for the next step. The mission of IXL Elementary School
is to ensure academic excellence so each child is empowered to be a
self-directed learner, capable of exploring the career options of
his/her choice. Our school accomplishes this by providing the conditions
and classroom practices that allow every student to meet challenging
standards and continually learn; providing a safe, supportive, and
orderly learning environment conducive to teaching and learning;
emphasizing reading, writing, and math skills; developing and modeling
positive character traits; effectively accessing and using technology
and quality resources; supporting student, home, staff, and community
involvement; and emphasizing the strength and value of diversity.

Located in South Central Kansas in a rural setting outside of Arkansas
City, IXL Elementary School is a K-5, two-section school and serves just
over 200 students. In the past five years, the demographics of our
school have changed considerably. Five years ago, less than 20% of our
students were considered ethnically diverse and the percentage of
students in poverty was around 55%. Approximately 80% of our students
now qualify for free and reduced lunch support. Our Hispanic population
has doubled in the past four years and about 15% of our students are of
Native American heritage. Twenty-four percent of IXL Elementary students
qualify for Special Education services and 18% of our students qualify
for English Language Learner services.

In 2001, our school moved from targeted assistance Title 1 to a
school-wide Title 1 program and received comprehensive school reform
grant monies to initiate whole school change. These factors allowed us
to focus on reducing class size, strengthen best-practice instruction,
involve families in improving academic success, and align district
curriculum to challenging state and national standards. Engaging our
staff in intensive school-wide professional development and focusing on
improving instruction specific to at-risk groups of students has helped
us successfully reduce the achievement gap for our minority and special
education populations. Additionally, USD #470 applies a three-tiered
model to professional development, which includes outside experts
training teachers at the building site as well as an in-house academic
coach available to further mentor teachers in their efforts to
continuously improve.

All staff members at IXL Elementary School participate in professional
learning teams (the third tier of our professional development model),
which meet weekly to align the practices of the school to promote higher
levels of learning for students. Teachers analyze continual assessment
data, discuss individual or groups of students who are not making
expected progress, discuss concerns specific to instruction, discuss and
set quarterly goals for learning and student improvement, and engage in
current research and study topics to further promote knowledge of those
practices that promote student achievement.

Most importantly, IXL Elementary School has seen a significant change in
the attitudes of families and the community toward our school over the
past five years. Teachers have rigorously promoted family involvement in
learning by building appropriate relationships with families and
students. Teachers, administrators, and other staff members often make
home visits to stay connected with at-risk families and to continually
emphasize the importance of school attendance and learning. Over the
past five years, our school has set and reached goals once thought
impossible for the students in our school community. There has been a
measurable change in attitudes, beliefs, and values across our school
community, and we continue to live our most important mission --
Academic Excellence for Every Child, No Matter What!

**PART IV -- INDICATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS**

1.  **Describe in one page the meaning of the school's assessment
    results in reading (language arts or English) and mathematics in
    such a way that someone not intimately familiar with the tests can
    easily understand them. Explain disparities among subgroups. If the
    school participates in the state assessment system, briefly explain
    the state performance levels and the performance level that
    demonstrates meeting the standard. Provide the website where
    information on the state assessment system may be found.**

The Kansas Reading Assessment is administered in fifth grade. The Kansas
Mathematics Assessment is administered in fourth grade. Both tests are
prepared by the Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation, School of
Education, at the University of Kansas and are administered each Spring.
All students, including English Language Learners and students
identified with Special Education needs, who are enrolled at the time of
the testing window participate in the assessments. As of Spring 2003,
student scores are included in the reported data for all students
attending the school since September 20^th^ of the reporting year.

School performance data for the Kansas Reading Assessment is reported
using the following levels and percentage correct:

-   Exemplary (93-100): student independently demonstrates the ability
    to go beyond the text consistently.

-   Advanced (87-92): student independently demonstrates inferential
    understanding within a text.

-   Proficient (80-86): student demonstrates a literal understanding of
    text with instructional support before, during, and/or after
    reading.

-   Basic (68-79): student requires extensive support in decoding text.
    Application of knowledge and skills is limited, inconsistent, or
    incomplete. Intervention is necessary.

-   Unsatisfactory (0-67): student does not meet any of the preceding
    criteria.

IXL Elementary students' scores on the Kansas Reading Assessment
demonstrate significant improvement over the past five years.
Eighty-nine percent of the students scored at or above proficient in
2004, compared to 44.2% in 2000. Over 63% scored at the advanced and
exemplary levels, compared to 25.6% in 2000. Students in the low
socio-economic subgroup improved from 43% in the proficient and higher
categories in 2000 to 88.8% in those categories last year. In 2004,
91.7% of IXL's special education students scored proficient or above,
and 33.3% of ELL students also scored proficient or above. IXL fifth
graders were awarded the State Standard of Excellence in Reading by the
State of Kansas for the 2003-04 school year.

Performance data for the Kansas Mathematics Assessment is reported using
the following performance levels and percentage correct:

-   Exemplary (75-100): student demonstrates superior knowledge and
    comprehensive understanding of the Mathematics Standards of Number
    and Computation, Algebra, Geometry, and Data.

-   Advanced (60-74): student demonstrates a high level of knowledge and
    comprehensive understanding within at least three of the Mathematics
    Standards.

-   Proficient (48-59): student demonstrates sound knowledge and
    understanding with the four areas of the Mathematics Standards, but
    may not be able to apply his or her understanding within each of the
    four areas.

-   Basic (35-47): student is having difficulty demonstrating basic
    skills, concepts, and procedures across one or more of the
    Mathematics Standards.

-   Unsatisfactory (0-34): student does not demonstrate understanding of
    facts, concepts, or procedures from any of the four standards.

IXL Elementary students' scores on the Kansas Mathematics Assessment
over the past five years demonstrate significant improvement. Over
ninety-seven percent of the students in 2004 scored at or above
proficient compared to 63.8% in 2000. Over 80% of those students scored
at the advanced and exemplary levels, compared to 44.4% in 2000.
Students in the low socio-economic subgroup improved from 50.1% in the
proficient and higher categories in 2002 to 96.5% in those categories
last year. In 2004, 100% of IXL's special education students scored
proficient or above, and 90% of the ELL students scored proficient and
above. IXL fourth graders were awarded the State Standard of Excellence
in Mathematics by the State of Kansas for the 2003-04 school year.

Information on the Kansas State Assessment system may be found at the
following websites: [www.ksde.org](http://www.ksde.org/). and
[www.cete.ku.edu](http://www.cete.ku.edu/).

2.  **IXL Elementary School uses assessment data to understand and
    improve student and school performance.**

IXL Elementary School uses assessment data to better understand and
improve student achievement. All certified staff, including classroom
teachers, resource teachers, academic leadership, and ESL teachers are
members of learning community teams that meet weekly. These teams
examine summaries of performance on state and district assessments as
well as formative assessment data collected by the teachers weekly.
Based upon the data review, the faculty collectively identifies the
building's strengths and weaknesses while developing and refining
strategies of the school improvement plan appropriately. In weekly grade
level meetings, teachers concentrate on their grade level's performance,
address individual student needs, and identify students in need of
acceleration and enrichment. They can then identify the strengths and
weaknesses of instruction and modify accordingly. Teachers also use
continuous data to set quarterly improvement goals in reading and math.
Staff development days built into the calendar allow time for further
data analysis or specific training on instructional strategies for
addressing identified needs. Referrals to our Family Support Team, based
upon on-going data, support students who are having continued difficulty
reaching grade level expectations. Each week, this team meets with
parents and teachers of 2-5 students to review individual strengths and
weaknesses and to brainstorm interventions for facilitating student
success. The collaboration between parents, teachers, support staff, and
community resources are an effective approach to helping student close
the gap in their achievement. Assigning a case manager to assure the
implementation of selected interventions and follow-up meetings with
parents result in empowering students to achieve as capacity is built
for their ownership of learning. Case managers work with a child for
several weeks to several years, based on the team's recommendation. In
the rare cases when interventions do not facilitate success, students
are referred for an evaluation for more specific needs under special
education guidelines. Fewer special education referrals result as
assessment data is used in this manner.

3.  **Describe in one-half page how the school communicates student
    performance, including assessment data, to parents, students, and
    the community.**

IXL Elementary School shares student performance and assessment data
with students, parents, community and all stakeholders using many
approaches. Teachers conference with individual students to review
schoolwork, tests scores, and formal reading inventories such as the
Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI). Second through fifth grade teachers
and students also conference quarterly to set reading and math goals.
Achievement goals are reviewed in meetings throughout the quarter and
goals are revised as needed. Parent-teacher conferences are formally
scheduled twice during the school year and at that time parents receive
performance data and school data, as well as the Kansas State Department
of Education Report Card. This information can also be accessed on the
district web site. Informal conferences, home visits, and phone calls
are conducted throughout the school year as needed. Academic and
non-academic student concerns are addressed through the Family Support
Team process. Meetings are scheduled with parents and begin by
addressing student strengths, then move to areas that need improvement.
Performance data and assessments are shared at this time to support the
need for change. Performance on assessment data is also relayed to the
school community through the monthly newsletter and to the community at
large through the district newsletter and the local newspaper. The
school and district newsletters are both published in English and
Spanish. Goal achievement is celebrated on an individual basis as well
as school-wide, such as parades throughout the lunchroom with banners,
announcements and more. Recently, qualifying elementary schools were
presented State Standard of Excellence banners at the school opening
convocation. IXL also has a SITE Council comprised of teachers, parents,
the building principal, and community members who analyze data and
communicate it to the larger school community.

4.  **Describe in one-half page how the school has shared and will
    continue to share its successes with other schools.**

IXL Elementary School staff members recognize isolation as an enemy of
learning and understand we grow professionally when we open our doors to
visitors who question our practices and help us think about and discuss
what we are doing and why we are doing it. Our school will continue to
share its successes by participating in monthly district-wide grade
level meetings where teachers from all USD #470 schools come together to
share instructional strategies that improve achievement. Additionally,
IXL is a Professional Development School, connected to Southwestern
College in Winfield, Kansas, which fosters a collaborative community of
learners involving pre-service education students and IXL teachers.
College students majoring in education are provided increased
opportunities to gain valuable experience interacting with students and
teachers in a "real life" setting. IXL Elementary School is always open
to visitors from other districts and we hope to continue to have the
opportunity to host teachers, principals, and various stakeholders
during the school day. These visits and opportunities for professional
dialogue help us improve and grow professionally, and help us stay
focused on our most important job, student achievement. Finally, staff
members from our school share successes by presenting at state and
national professional development conferences, which include the
National Association of Elementary School Principals, the Kansas
Association of School Boards, and the National School Board Association
this school year.

**PART V -- CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION**

1.  **Describe in one page the school's curriculum. Outline in several
    sentences the core of each curriculum area and show how all students
    are engaged with significant content based on high standards.
    Include art and foreign languages in the descriptions (foreign
    language instruction as a part of the core curriculum is an
    eligibility requirement in grades seven and higher).**

IXL School's curriculum is a comprehensive, standards-based program that
emphasizes development and integration of language concepts,
communication, higher-level thinking, and problem solving skills
throughout the content areas. The school's curriculum is spiraled,
aligned to national and state standards, is researched based, and
promotes differentiated instruction using a constructivist approach that
focuses on acceleration rather than remediation. This focus on
acceleration is eliminating the achievement gap that historically
existed with IXL's student population. The school's curriculum is
reviewed and adopted on a regular basis to meet the needs of a
significantly diverse, yet increasingly language delayed population.
School staff members meet in teams, which may include classroom
teachers, support staff and administration to analyze and adjust
curriculum based on data gathered from frequent and comprehensive
assessments. Every curricular area incorporates language objectives into
each lesson that focus on listening, speaking, viewing and writing, and
are aimed at reducing language deficiencies, and ensuring the success of
every student.

## Reading 

In 2001, IXL Elementary School began implementation of a comprehensive
reading reform curriculum which emphasizes explicit instruction in
phonemic awareness and phonics, direct instruction in vocabulary and
comprehension strategies, developing fluency skills, and making the
writing connections to reading which aid and improve comprehension.
IXL's early learning reading program emphasizes the development of
language concepts, concepts of print, and communications skills through
a sequenced, multi-sensory beginning reading program that connects
sounds and letters with meaningful text, letter-sound association, and
phonemic awareness. As students become emergent readers, comprehension,
fluency, higher-level thinking, and writing that focuses on
communication of ideas is emphasized. Comprehension strategies are
applied and integrated throughout the content areas.

## Sciences

IXL School began implementing an integrated math and science program
during the current school year that emphasizes math processes, problem
solving skills, and math and science concepts through real-world
problems. Each unit includes science labs that integrate the scientific
method with math concepts through hands-on exploration. Again, a focus
on language is incorporated into each lesson and students are encouraged
to discuss and write about math and science concepts on a daily basis.

The social science program teaches understanding of the world through
history and current events, and encourages celebration of diversity
through exploration of multiple cultures. Many units are project based
and build on prior knowledge to help students make connections to new
concepts. During the current school year, IXL staff members have written
curriculum, which integrates social science concepts through the reading
program at the intermediate level.

## Arts

IXL students receive instruction in the visual, performing arts, and
physical education on a weekly basis. Music, physical education, and art
teachers collaborate with the regular classroom teachers to support the
curriculum in reading and the sciences through projects that support,
enrich and extend the content area curriculum.

2\. **Describe in one-half page the school's reading curriculum,
including a description of why the school chose this particular approach
to reading.**

The goal of IXL's school-wide reading program is to provide all students
with learning experiences that enable them to attain academic
proficiency at or above grade level by third grade and maintain that
success throughout their school career. In 2001, IXL Elementary School
chose a comprehensive reading reform model which emphasizes explicit
instruction in phonemic awareness, direct instruction in vocabulary and
comprehension strategies, developing fluency skills, and making the
writing connections to reading which aid and improve comprehension.
Specific comprehension strategies, which include clarification,
summarization, questioning, predicting, and inferring, are taught to
students by accessing prior knowledge and scaffolding instruction. Our
staff selected this model which focused on research based, best practice
instructional strategies aligned to district and state standards.
Cooperative learning plays a vital role in the success of this program.
Research has shown when used consistently, cooperative learning results
in increased achievement, improved relationships among children of
different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, improved self-esteem,
increased motivation, more time on task, and increased interactions
among teachers. Another vital component to the success of our reading
program is daily, small group tutoring, which reinforces the student's
primary instruction. All students in the primary grades, 1^st^ through
3^rd^, who fall below grade level are placed in tutoring groups.
On-going assessment guides placing students at an appropriate
instructional level and students are re-grouped each quarter according
to latest results and teacher observations. Appropriate instructional
pacing and acceleration is emphasized across the curriculum, and
curriculum mapping gives teachers a knowledge base for long-range
planning, short-term preparation, and clear communication between grade
levels.

3.  **Describe in one-half page one other curriculum area of the
    school's choice and show how it relates to essential skills and
    knowledge based on the school's mission.**

With academic excellence as our mission, mathematics is another building
block to the foundation of essential skills. Embracing the philosophy
that all children will learn, our school analyzed data over time and
adopted a comprehensive reform model in the area of math. Hands-on
strategies utilized with this model promote problem solving through the
use of cooperative groups using dialogue with rehearsal as a key
component. Daily problem solving and the review of concepts with the
spiral curriculum are also vital components of the program.

Beginning with concrete mathematical experiences in the primary grades,
students are moved through the domains of district standards closely
aligned to state and NCTM standards, emphasizing application of math in
the real world. At the primary level, the central math components are
taught in a 60 minute uninterrupted block in addition to the daily
calendar and skill review. Small group tutoring is an intervention used
to review and re-teach, as well as pre-teach math skills. The
intermediate level focuses 60 minutes of uninterrupted instruction in
addition to the daily problem solving, facts practice, and homework
check.

To complement this curricular area, our students utilize an
individualized math computer program designed to review, instruct, and
accelerate the students' math skills. This program uses its capability
to individually place students at their instructional level in twelve
math strands to ensure academic success both in the knowledge and
application of math skills. Data is provided to students and used to
establish and monitor individual goals while the teacher facilitates the
learning of essential skills and knowledge based upon our school's
mission, "Academic Excellence for Every Child -- No Matter What."

4.  **Describe in one-half page the different instructional methods the
    school uses to improve student learning.**

A relentless focus on the success of every child is at the core of
instruction at IXL Elementary School and a variety of research-based
best practices are incorporated to ensure success. Cooperative learning
is the foundation for virtually all instruction at IXL. When students
interact, they are actively engaged and are provided many opportunities
for metacognitive thought. Students who work together take greater
responsibility for their learning and the teacher priority shifts to
facilitate and enrich lessons. Cooperative learning strategies include
both direct instruction and highly interactive, academically oriented
and teacher facilitated student discussion leading to greater
achievement for all students. At all levels, opportunities for
motivating, elaborating, practicing, and celebrating are built into
lesson structures that provide team rewards and individual
accountability. IXL's cooperative teams consist of four or five students
that are grouped heterogeneously in terms of gender, ethnicity, and
academic ability, and cooperative reading groups are multi-age flexible.
Small group tutoring is provided for all primary students, 1^st^ through
3^rd^ who fall below grade level. One-on-one or small group tutoring is
one of the most effective forms of instruction known and is often
identified as a strategy to help meet the needs of historically
under-served populations. Strategies instruction is also a part of every
lesson, and explicit strategies are taught to students by accessing
prior knowledge, scaffolding on previous learning, and by using
rehearsal strategies to ensure understanding of new content or
information. Students are taught to monitor and apply specific
strategies depending on the content and the context of the task at hand.
In addition to the instructional practices mentioned above, IXL has two
computer labs, which includes a mobile lab for in-classroom use, and an
interactive math and reading program that allows students to work at
their own level.

5.  **Describe in one-half page the school's professional development
    program and its impact on improving student achievement.**

#  Extensive professional development, based upon three tiers, is designed to impact student achievement and involve all staff members. External experts train the entire staff on an ongoing basis in the use of research-based best practices in cooperative learning, math instruction, reading instruction, and classroom management. These experts then visit classrooms to monitor the use of these practices and hold individual sessions with teachers to discuss their progress. In addition to external experts, the building has internal experts, which include the administrator, the special education teacher, and an academic coach. The internal experts monitor classroom instruction by conducting walk-throughs, and developing and providing on-going professional development based on data collected through observations and analysis of student assessments. The third tier results as all stakeholders meet weekly to collaborate in learning community teams, discussing student data to further impact learning. Since the implementation of this three-tiered professional development model, IXL has gone from an under-achieving school to a high performing school as evidenced by the multiple assessment results provided in this document.

### PART VII - ASSESSMENT RESULTS

##### Subject: Reading Grade: 5 Test: Kansas State Reading Assessment

+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|                             | 2003  | 2002  | 2001  | 2000  | 1999  |
|                             | -2004 | -2003 | -2002 | -2001 | -2000 |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| # I                         |       |       |       |       |       |
| XL Elementary School Scores |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| #  % At Unsatisfactory      | 2.8   | 2.9   | 20.0  | 17.5  | 7.0   |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Basic        | 97.2  | 97.0  | 80.0  | 82.5  | 93.0  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Proficient   | 88.9  | 79.4  | 50.0  | 57.5  | 44.2  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Advanced     | 63.9  | 44.1  | 30.0  | 22.5  | 25.6  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Exemplary    | 36.1  | 23.5  | 3.3   | 5.0   | 11.6  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Number of students tested   | 36    | 34    | 39    | 43    | 43    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Percent of students tested  | 100%  | 100%  | 100%  | 100%  | 96%   |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Number of students          | 6     | 4     | 0     | 1     | 0     |
| alternatively assessed      |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Percent of students         | 16.7  | 11.8  | 0     | 2.3   | 0     |
| alternatively assessed      |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|                             |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| # Kansas S                  |       |       |       |       |       |
| tate Scores -- All Students |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At Unsatisfactory        | 7.5   | 9.1   | 12.6  | 13.3  | 13.1  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Basic        | 92.4  | 91.0  | 87.4  | 86.7  | 86.9  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Proficient   | 72.1  | 68.9  | 63.0  | 64.3  | 63.1  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Advanced     | 49.6  | 46.0  | 40.0  | 40.0  | 40.9  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Exemplary    | 20.7  | 18.6  | 15.1  | 14.4  | 15.7  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|                             |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+

##### Reading Data, continued Grade: 5 Test: Kansas State Reading Assessment

+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| # IXL                       | 2003  | 2002  | 2001  | 2000  | 1999  |
|  Elementary Subgroup Scores | -2004 | -2003 | -2002 | -2001 | -2000 |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| 1\. *Free/Reduced*          |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At Unsatisfactory        | 3.7   | 4.0   | 37.0  | 15.4  | 11.0  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Basic        | 96.2  | 96.0  | 62.9  | 84.6  | 89.0  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Proficient   | 88.8  | 80.0  | 40.7  | 57.7  | 43.0  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Advanced     | 62.9  | 44.0  | 25.9  | 19.2  | 25.0  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Exemplary    | 33.3  | 20.0  | 0     | 0     | 7.0   |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Number of students tested   | 27    | 25    | 27    | 26    | 28    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|                             |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| 2\. *SPED*                  |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At Unsatisfactory        | 0     | NA    | NA    | NA    | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Basic        | 100.0 | NA    | NA    | NA    | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Proficient   | 91.7  | NA    | NA    | NA    | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Advanced     | 50.0  | NA    | NA    | NA    | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Exemplary    | 50.0  | NA    | NA    | NA    | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Number of students tested   | 12    | 8     | 9     | 9     | 7     |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|                             |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| ##### K                     |       |       |       |       |       |
| ansas State Subgroup Scores |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| 1\. *Free/Reduced*          |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At Unsatisfactory        | 12.5  | 15.4  | 21.7  | 24.3  | 23.9  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Basic        | 87.6  | 84.7  | 78.3  | 75.8  | 76.1  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Proficient   | 60.3  | 55.2  | 47.1  | 46.5  | 44.1  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Advanced     | 36.4  | 31.4  | 24.7  | 23.6  | 23.2  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Exemplary    | 12.0  | 10.3  | 7.2   | 6.5   | 6.5   |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|                             |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| 2\. *SPED*                  |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At Unsatisfactory        | 7.5   | 9.1   | 34.2  | 37.6  | 43.6  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Basic        | 92.4  | 91.0  | 65.7  | 62.4  | 46.4  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Proficient   | 72.1  | 68.9  | 36.5  | 33.1  | 16.1  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Advanced     | 49.6  | 46.0  | 19.3  | 16.4  | 12.2  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Exemplary    | 20.7  | 18.6  | 6.6   | 5.7   | 3.3   |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|                             |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+

PART VII - ASSESSMENT RESULTS, Cont'd:

# 

##### Subject: Math Grade: 4 Test: Kansas State Math Assessment

+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|                             | 2003  | 2002  | 2001  | 2000  | 1999  |
|                             | -2004 | -2003 | -2002 | -2001 | -2000 |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| # I                         |       |       |       |       |       |
| XL Elementary School Scores |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| #  % At Unsatisfactory      | 0.0   | 0.0   | 2.9   | 0.0   | 8.3   |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Basic        | 100.0 | 100.0 | 97.0  | 100.0 | 91.6  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Proficient   | 97.3  | 87.1  | 58.8  | 96.4  | 63.8  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Advanced     | 80.6  | 51.6  | 23.5  | 53.5  | 44.4  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Exemplary    | 55.6  | 25.8  | 5.9   | 21.4  | 22.2  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Number of students tested   | 36    | 34    | 34    | 30    | 39    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Percent of students tested  | 100%  | 100%  | 100%  | 96.7% | 98%   |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Number of students          | 3     | 2     | 0     | 0     | 0     |
| alternatively assessed      |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Percent of students         | 8.3   | 5.8   | 0     | 0     | 0     |
| alternatively assessed      |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|                             |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| **Kansas State Scores --    |       |       |       |       |       |
| All Students**              |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At Unsatisfactory        | 5.7   | 8.6   | 11.3  | 11.8  | 14.0  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Basic        | 94.3  | 91.4  | 88.8  | 88.1  | 86.0  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Proficient   | 80.1  | 73.6  | 67.6  | 67.2  | 62.4  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Advanced     | 60.5  | 52.4  | 45.5  | 42.1  | 39.1  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Exemplary    | 30.4  | 23.1  | 18.2  | 16.8  | 13.8  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|                             |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+

# Math Data, continued Grade: 4 Test: Kansas State Math Assessment

+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| # IXL                       | 2003  | 2002  | 2001  | 2000  | 1999  |
| Elementary, Subgroup Scores | -2004 | -2003 | -2002 | -2001 | -2000 |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| 1\. *Free/Reduced*          |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At Unsatisfactory        | 0.0   | 0.0   | 14.3  | 0.0   | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Basic        | 100.0 | 100.0 | 85.8  | 100.0 | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Proficient   | 96.5  | 86.4  | 50.1  | 95.2  | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Advanced     | 86.2  | 50.0  | 21.5  | 42.8  | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Exemplary    | 58.6  | 22.7  | 3.6   | 23.8  | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Number of students tested   | 29    | 22    | 28    | 21    | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|                             |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| 2\. *SPED*                  |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At Unsatisfactory        | 0.0   | 0.0   | NA    | NA    | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Basic        | 100.0 | 100.0 | NA    | NA    | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Proficient   | 100.0 | 72.8  | NA    | NA    | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Advanced     | 81.8  | 27.3  | NA    | NA    | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Exemplary    | 54.5  | 0     | NA    | NA    | NA    |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Number of students tested   | 11    | 11    | 7     | 4     | 6     |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|                             |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| # K                         |       |       |       |       |       |
| ansas State Subgroup Scores |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| 1\. *Free/Reduced*          |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At Unsatisfactory        | 9.7   | 14.2  | 19.2  | 20.6  | 24.4  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Basic        | 90.4  | 85.7  | 80.8  | 79.4  | 75.5  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Proficient   | 70.6  | 61.1  | 52.5  | 51.5  | 44.2  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Advanced     | 48.3  | 37.7  | 30.3  | 26.1  | 22.1  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Exemplary    | 20.2  | 12.9  | 9.4   | 8.0   | 5.5   |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|                             |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| 2\. *SPED*                  |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At Unsatisfactory        | 11.3  | 16.5  | 22.4  | 26.7  | 33.9  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Basic        | 88.7  | 83.4  | 77.6  | 73.3  | 66.1  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Proficient   | 68.3  | 58.8  | 48.5  | 46.1  | 36.0  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Advanced     | 48.3  | 37.8  | 27.8  | 23.9  | 17.6  |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| \% At or Above Exemplary    | 22.2  | 14.5  | 9.4   | 7.8   | 4.3   |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|                             |       |       |       |       |       |
+-----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+