**[U.S. Department of Education September 2003]{.underline}**

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

**Cover Sheet**

Name of Principal[\_\_\_\_\_Ms. Sue
McCormick]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

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

Official School Name[\_\_Oakdale Elementary
School\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

> (As it should appear in the official records)

School Mailing Address \_\_\_\_\_[811 E.
Iron]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

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

[\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_Salina\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_Kansas\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
67401-0797\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

City State Zip Code+4 (9 digits total)

Tel. [(785)\_309-4310\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
\_\_]{.underline}Fax [(785) 309-4311\_\_\_
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

Website/URL\_\_\_[www.usd305.com/oakdale]{.underline}\_\_\_
E-mail\_\_\_\_[Sue.McCormick@usd305.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. Gary
Norris\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

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

District Name[\_\_\_\_\_\_Salina Public
Schools\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline} Tel. [(785) 309-4727
\_\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.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

President/Chairperson[\_\_\_\_\_\_\_Mr. Richard
Brake\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

> (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. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}*

# 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 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: \_\_[8]{.underline}\_\_
Elementary schools

> \_\_[2\_\_]{.underline} Middle schools
>
> \_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_ Junior high schools
>
> \_\_[2]{.underline}\_\_ High schools
>
> \_\_[2]{.underline}\_\_ Other (Briefly explain)

Other (2):

-   One is the Alternative School for 9-12 students at risk of dropping
    out or failing to graduate.

```{=html}
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```
-   One is a Head Start program serving pre-school children from
    families at the poverty level.

> \_\_[14]{.underline}\_ TOTAL

2\. District Per Pupil Expenditure: [\$12,219]{.underline}

Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: [\$ 8,894]{.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

\[ **x**\] Suburban school with characteristics typical of an urban area

\[ \] Suburban

\[ \] Small city or town in a rural area

\[ \] Rural

4\. \_\_[1]{.underline}\_\_ Number of years the principal has been in
her/his position at this school.

\_\_[3]{.underline}\_\_ 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:

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

  **K**       32        45                     **77**       **7**       0         0           0

  **1**       39        36                     **75**       **8**       0         0           0

  **2**       35        19                     **54**       **9**       0         0           0

  **3**       36        29                     **65**       **10**      0         0           0

  **4**       44        32                     **76**       **11**      0         0           0

  **5**       37        27                     **64**       **12**      0         0           0

  **6**       0         0                      0            Other       0         0           0

                                    **TOTAL                                                   **411**
                                    STUDENTS                                                  
                                    IN THE                                                    
                                    APPLYING                                                  
                                    SCHOOL →**                                                
  ----------- --------- ----------- ---------- --------- -- ----------- --------- ----------- ---------

6\. Racial/ethnic composition of \_\_[68.2]{.underline}\_ % White

the students in the school: \_\_[11.5]{.underline}\_ % Black or African
American

> \_\_[18.8]{.underline}\_ % Hispanic or Latino
>
> \_\_[0.5]{.underline}\_ % Asian/Pacific Islander
>
> \_\_[1.0]{.underline} % American Indian/Alaskan Native
>
> **100% Total**

7\. Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year:
\_\_\_[35.3]{.underline}\_\_\_\_%

> (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.)

+-------------+---------------------------------+---------------------+
| **(1)**     | Number of students who          | 63                  |
|             | transferred ***to*** the school |                     |
|             | after October 1 until the end   |                     |
|             | of the year.                    |                     |
+-------------+---------------------------------+---------------------+
| **(2)**     | Number of students who          | 82                  |
|             | transferred ***from*** the      |                     |
|             | school after October 1 until    |                     |
|             | the end of the year.            |                     |
+-------------+---------------------------------+---------------------+
| **(3)**     | Subtotal of all                 | 145                 |
|             |                                 |                     |
|             | transferred students \[sum of   |                     |
|             | rows (1) and (2)\]              |                     |
+-------------+---------------------------------+---------------------+
| **(4)**     | Total number of students in the | 411                 |
|             | school as of October 1          |                     |
+-------------+---------------------------------+---------------------+
| **(5)**     | Subtotal in row (3)             | 0.353               |
|             |                                 |                     |
|             | divided by total in row         |                     |
|             |                                 |                     |
|             | \(4\)                           |                     |
+-------------+---------------------------------+---------------------+
| **(6)**     | Amount in row (5)               | 35.3                |
|             |                                 |                     |
|             | multiplied by 100               |                     |
+-------------+---------------------------------+---------------------+

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

> \_\_\_[38]{.underline}\_\_Total Number Limited English Proficient

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

Specify languages: Spanish

9\. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals:
\_\_\_[73.7]{.underline}\_\_%

> \_\_\_[303]{.underline}\_\_Total Number Students Who Qualify
>
> If this method does not produce a reasonably 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:
\_\_\_[10.2]{.underline}\_\_%

> \_\_\_\_[42]{.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 \_\_[0]{.underline}\_Orthopedic Impairment
>
> \_\_[0]{.underline}\_Deafness \_\_[7]{.underline}\_Other Health
> Impaired
>
> \_\_[0]{.underline}\_Deaf-Blindness \_[13]{.underline}\_Specific
> Learning Disability
>
> \_\_[0]{.underline}\_Hearing Impairment \_[19]{.underline}\_Speech or
> Language Impairment
>
> \_\_[1]{.underline}\_Mental Retardation \_\_[1]{.underline}\_Traumatic
> Brain Injury
>
> \_\_[0]{.underline}\_Multiple Disabilities \_\_[0]{.underline}\_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}\_\_
\_\_\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_\_

Classroom teachers \_\_\_[19]{.underline}\_\_
\_\_\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_\_

Special resource teachers/specialists \_\_\_[17]{.underline}\_\_
\_\_\_\_[4]{.underline}\_\_\_

Paraprofessionals \_\_\_\_[5]{.underline}\_\_
\_\_\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_\_

Support staff \_\_\_[12]{.underline}\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_\_

Total number \_\_\_[54]{.underline}\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_[4]{.underline}\_\_\_

12\. Average school student-"classroom teacher" ratio:
\_\_[22:1]{.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.)

  ----------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                          2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000   1998-1999

  Daily student           95.7        95.7        95.5        95.4        95.4
  attendance                                                              

  Daily teacher           96.4        96.7        97.4        95.6        95.0
  attendance                                                              

  Teacher turnover rate   8.8         26.7        16.7        22.2        5.6

  Student dropout rate    N/A         N/A         N/A         N/A         N/A

  Student drop-off rate   N/A         N/A         N/A         N/A         N/A
  ----------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

Note on the table above: Teacher turnover rate from 1999 to 2001 was
unusually high because Oakdale Elementary was undergoing a process of
merging with Hawthorne Elementary (see Part III -- Summary). Some
teachers requested transfers to other schools during the change, in
which Oakdale-Hawthorne Elementary operated on the Hawthorne campus
surrounded by mobile classrooms. In 2001-2002, staff from the "old"
Oakdale and the "old" Hawthorne facilities moved to the new, current
building, and there was a necessary reduction of teachers because of
limited classroom space. (Those teachers transferred to other school
facilities, which were also undergoing expansion and renovation due to
shifting enrollments).

# PART III - SUMMARY 

Oakdale Elementary School is a Title I school in Salina, Kansas. Each
year, approximately 75% of our students are eligible for Free/Reduced
Lunch. Salina is a community of about 47,500, about 100 miles west of
Topeka. Many of our students' families work for Salina Regional Health
Center or large retail or manufacturing companies such as Great Plains
Manufacturing, Premier Pneumatics, Orscheln's Hardware and Farm Supply,
Harley-Davidson, and so on.

As a community, Salina has low unemployment---about 1.2% annually---but
also has many parents that work two or three jobs to make ends meet.
Busy parents find it hard to support their children's education, so
Oakdale takes a proactive role in parent involvement, actually going
into the neighborhood, getting parent volunteers, and keeping families
engaged in their children's learning.

Oakdale was opened on August 1, 1931, but over those 70+ years, the
school has probably undergone the most change within the last *three*
years.

In November 1998, Salinans approved a bond issued to renovate and expand
schools in our district (USD #305). This meant that antiquated buildings
would be closed and other facilities improved to accommodate more
students and increased technology---*i.e*., internet connectivity and
computers in the classrooms.

In 1999-2000, Oakdale began to prepare its staff, students, and parents
for the most significant change in its history: its merging with another
Title I school, Hawthorne Elementary. Opportunities were provided for
parents from both schools to get to know each other, and both school
staffs collaborated to develop a school improvement plan that combined
strategies used successfully in either school.

In 2000-01, staff and students from Oakdale moved to the Hawthorne
building and mobile classrooms on that campus. Expansion of the Oakdale
building began, but great care was taken to preserve the original look
of the school, an achievement later praised by the Kansas Historic
Preservation Society. About 20,000 square feet of space was renovated,
and an additional 40,000 square feet added. The dedication ceremony for
the new building was held on

September 9, 2001.

Later in 2001-02, Oakdale Elementary School was re-opened, and the
difficult transition paid off: the previous year, Oakdale had failed to
make Title I AYP and was facing School Improvement; this year, Oakdale
showed outstanding progress and made AYP in *every* area.

That success continued into 2002-03, when Kansas adopted a new framework
for AYP. Schools are now measured against state benchmarks of math and
reading performance that increase each year. Once again, Oakdale made
AYP in every area and lived up to its mission: "To develop young lives
to grow and succeed in an ever changing society."

# PART IV -- INDICATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

**1.** Under the accountability requirements of *No Child Left Behind*,
all schools are expected to make Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, each
year. Failure to make AYP for two consecutive years will place a Title I
school on Title I School Improvement, which brings corrective action. In
2005-06, AYP will have ramifications for all schools when AYP becomes
the performance measure for the current Quality Performance
Accreditation (QPA) system used in Kansas. QPA was piloted by the Kansas
State Board of Education in 1991, and statewide assessments to support
it were implemented in 1995.

Those *Kansas State Assessments* (KSA's) are now used for AYP to measure
school performance in math and reading. At the elementary level, the
Kansas State [Reading]{.underline} Assessment is administered to 5^th^
grade and the Kansas State [Math]{.underline} Assessment is administered
to 4^th^ grade. These assessments are created by the Center for
Educational Testing and Evaluation (CETE) at the University of Kansas,
and are administered every spring by all public schools. CETE collects,
disaggregates, and reports the results the following summer. All
students are tested, including English Language Learners, migrant
students, and students with disabilities, though some modified
assessments are permitted.

KSA initially measured these five performance categories:
Unsatisfactory, Basic, Satisfactory, Proficient, and Advanced. The state
recently changed these categories so they were better aligned with
federal performance levels; now KSA report achievement as
Unsatisfactory, Basic, Proficient, Advanced, and Exemplary. The cut-off
points for these categories are:

[KS Reading Assessment - 5^th^ grade KS Math Assessment - 4^th^
grade]{.underline}

Exemplary 93-100 % Exemplary 75-100 %

Advanced 87-92 Advanced 60-74

Proficient 80-86 Proficient 48-59

Basic 68-79 Basic 35-47

Unsatisfactory 0-67 Unsatisfactory 0-34

Assessment results are also disaggregated for sub-groups of students
along four lines: socioeconomic status (Free/Reduced Lunch eligible vs.
full pay); ethnicity (white, African-American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific
Islander, Native American/Alaskan Native, and Multicultural); English
Language Learner status; and disabilities or special education status.
Schools and districts must include disaggregated math and reading
performance as part of AYP if any or all of these sub-groups number 30
or more students (*i.e*., student count is high enough to protect the
privacy of individual scores).

Oakdale Elementary has made significant progress in raising achievement
over the past three years, as the tables at the end of this narrative
indicate. We are especially proud of our success in narrowing the
achievement gap between full and free/reduced lunch eligible students,
as well as between white and minority students.

**2.** Data-driven instruction is the cornerstone of Oakdale's
improvement efforts. Our district's Assessment and Evaluation Office
coordinates all testing, data collection, and reporting to the state and
community. With this office serving as a technical resource, Oakdale
teachers have bee trained to use data for: 1) identifying student needs
on grade, sub-group, and individual levels; 2) developing plans for
differentiated instruction based on needs; 3) understanding how
instructional strategies correlate to achievement; and 4) continuously
evaluating these strategies. Oakdale teachers now habitually bring to
grade level meetings and Student Improvement Teams multiple sources of
data for discussion and collaborative planning: Kansas State
Assessments; local Criterion-Referenced Assessments developed by
district teachers to maintain alignment to Kansas Essential Objectives;
the Iowa Test of Basic Skills; and the Basic Reading Inventory,
administered twice annually to grades K-2 and students in higher grades
identified as reading below grade level. Strategies derived from needs
analysis include flexible grouping, class within a class, six-trait
writing, math problem solving, use of graphic organizers, and
Question/Answer Relationship (QAR)---and student achievement has
improved as a result.

**3.** Oakdale understands the importance of community partnerships in
education, and the experience of merging two schools---each with a group
of devoted parents---emphasized how critical it is to maintain
communication between school and families. The process of temporarily
closing the Oakdale building, merging staffs and students on the
Hawthorne campus, and becoming "Oakdale-Hawthorne," then moving back to
the renovated Oakdale and losing the beloved Hawthorne name was all very
difficult, but we learned from the experience to support open
communication with parents and community. Oakdale continually shares
goals, progress, policies, and expectations to families via monthly
school newsletters, a school website, personal letters, monthly PTO
meetings, parent-teacher conferences, and open houses in which teachers
demonstrate home-based learning strategies in math and reading. We are
quite proud of the fact that, over the past five years, participation in
conferences has been 98% or better. Oakdale also has a Family Support
Coordinator who makes home visits and works with low-income families on
strategies that can help make their at-risk child more successful
academically, behaviorally, and emotionally. Oakdale also televises
important school news and events---from student performances to teacher
presentations on school progress---via the Salina Community Access
Television network.

**4.** Oakdale shares its successes with other schools and districts
through teacher and principal networks, and we have also documented key
strategies---"Strategies For Success" that are clearly outlined so that
other schools can duplicate them. Within our district, Oakdale shares
strategies in administrator retreats twice a year, teacher collaboration
on curriculum revision once a year, monthly principals' meetings, and
monthly Vision Training for principals. Oakdale also participates in
Title I planning and performance monitoring with our district's other
three Title I schools. All of these collaborative meetings provide
opportunities for networking and sharing instructional practices. And
Oakdale freely shares ideas, challenges, and strategies with schools
outside our district, particularly those in north-central Kansas that
are part of the *Smoky Hill Education Service Center*, of which our
district is a charter member. Smoky Hill serves over 40 public school
districts and 2 private schools, in large part by providing a network
for districts to train teachers from other districts and demonstrate
promising, research-based instructional practices. And of course, the
added recognition of the Blue Ribbon Schools nomination raises Oakdale's
profile as a "model program" that other schools can approach for
recommendations or ideas for addressing the needs of at-risk children.

# PART V -- CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION 

**1.** The curriculum of Oakdale is rigorous and is taught with the
expectation that all children, regardless of social, economic, cultural,
physical, or language barriers, can achieve excellence in all areas. In
every curricular area, students learn critical thinking, leadership,
creativity, peer collaboration, and the relevance of what they learn to
complex, "real world" situations.

**Mathematics curriculum** in every grade level uses a UPSLB (Understand
Plan Solve Look Back) problem-solving model with hands-on,
performance-based learning activities, including activities using
manipulatives, problem-solving, and collaborative learning. Curriculum
is aligned to each of the four standards outlined by the *Kansas State
Mathematics Standards*: numbers and computation, algebra, geometry, and
data analysis.

**Language arts** curriculum includes reading, speaking, listening, and
writing skills. Students are introduced to the six-trait analytic model
for writing. The traits are content, organization, voice, word choice,
sentence fluency, and conventions. The six-trait rubric is also used to
teach students how to read fiction and non-fiction passages for deeper
understanding of meanings, themes, and authorial techniques. Curriculum
is aligned to the four standards in the *Kansas State Reading and
Writing Standards*: reading, literature, writing, and research.

**Science and social studies** curricula are also aligned to state
standards and benchmarks. Writing skills are integrated with these
fields at every grade level, particularly in 4^th^ and 5^th^ grade: in
science, students use text structures, graphic organizers, and
problem-solving activities to learn science concepts and processes; in
social studies, students write narrative reports and conduct independent
research.

**Art and music programs** focus on enriching students' appreciation and
interpretation of artistic media, as well as supporting individual,
confident self-expression and the fundamental principles of creating art
and music. Art curriculum includes painting, sculpture, collage,
drawing, model construction, origami, costume design, and handicrafts.
Music encompasses the traditional instruments, musical notation, and
concepts of pitch, harmony, meter, and tempo.

Instruction of the core curriculum areas are monitored by
locally-developed *Criterion Referenced Assessments* administered 1-3
times each year. Currently, the district has elementary-level CRA's for
math (grades 1-5), science (3-5), social studies (3-5), and writing
(grade 4). CRA's help schools monitor themselves and "stay on track" in
terms of teaching the state standards.

The district Office of School Improvement and Curriculum also enlists
teachers on assignment---content area specialists in reading, math,
science, and social studies---to provide technical support for all
schools, especially where there is misalignment between what is being
taught and the state Essential Objectives that **must** be taught.
Oakdale relied on these services extensively, particularly during the
Oakdale-Hawthorne merger when two school staffs were being integrated,
and the strengthened focus on state and national standards significantly
improved instruction and student achievement.

**2.** Reading is the major focus area across the district, especially
reading integrated across the curriculum. At the elementary level, the
district promotes reading instruction based on the model developed by
Dr. Bill Blokker of Literacy First Process. Dr. Blokker's model stresses
differentiated instruction in the five essential components of reading:
phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension
strategies. Oakdale provides reading instruction for 65 minutes a day in
Kindergarten and 120 minutes a day in grades 1-5, going beyond the
district model by adding expressive vocabulary in Kindergarten;
dedicating more time to phonological awareness and vocabulary in grades
1-5; adding independent silent reading and partner reading to the
fluency component; and adding Think-Pair-Share discussions and group
question-and-answer sessions to the before-, during-, and after-reading
activities that we use to strengthen reading comprehension.

It should be noted that Hawthorne, and Oakdale for two years after the
schools merged, was invested in the *Success For All* program. We
discontinued SFA because of cost, but the program did inspire us to
continue using peer coaching to enforce high standards. Oakdale has a
full-time *reading facilitator* who monitors classroom instruction,
works with teachers, evaluates classroom practices, and coordinates
testing for at-risk students.

**3.** As mentioned, a major district-wide initiative is teaching
reading and writing across the curriculum. This is more challenging in
some areas than others, but Oakdale is committed to the importance of
this goal because language arts skills are essential for lifelong
success. We can use our physical education program as an example.
Oakdale's physical education curriculum addresses all of the focus areas
outlined in the *Kansas Physical Education Curriculum Guide* supporting
the development of the "physically educated person," including
gymnastics, games, team play and competition, dance and rhythmical
expression, lifelong active involvement, calisthenics, affective and
cognitive development, and motor skills. But in teaching physical
education we also integrate technical reading and writing through
individual and collaborative reports, including research assignments.
Writing has made students reflect more on their personal fitness and
health goals. Writing helps students demonstrate their knowledge of
fitness concepts. Writing has improved students' self-assessment by
having them keep journals of cardiovascular fitness, diet and exercise
habits, daily improvement of skills, *etc*., and this daily
record-keeping encourages them to continue good diet and exercise.
Integrating writing in the physical education curriculum has helped
students see their health and fitness as an ongoing process, one that
they can (and should) continue outside of school.

**4.** Oakdale always seeks to remain flexible and receptive to change.
We strongly emphasize instruction based on scientific research and
aligned to student needs. Some of those strategies include

-   Flexible grouping in reading (students in groups at, above, or below
    grade level in each of the five essential components of reading)

-   Question-Answer Relationship (QAR) in reading at higher grade
    levels, to build students' reading comprehension skills

-   Graphic Organizers, especially Post-Reading Graphic Organizers

-   Understand Plan Solve Look Back (UPSLB) Model used in mathematics to
    teach students the underlying processes used in solving problems

-   Class Within a Class provided by co-teachers as an alternative to
    pull-out programs, which personalizes instruction for students who
    need one-on-one support

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-   Six-trait writing instruction, which is monitored by an outside
    committee every nine weeks by reviewing samples of graded student
    work

-   Pull-out flexible grouping in math to provide enrichment for
    students working above grade level

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-   Manipulatives in mathematics instruction, to help students learn
    abstract concepts

-   Technology resources---*e.g*., internet access for research---with
    in-class support provided by Oakdale's *curriculum technologist*, a
    certified instructor with strong technology skills

**5.** Our professional development program has four principles: (1) any
training must ultimately show measurable improvement in student
performance; (2) all teachers will move beyond the minimum requirements
for being "highly qualified" and become instructional *leaders* in our
school; (3) staff development must address areas of need identified by
assessments; and (4) training is not a "one shot" event but ongoing
improvement of classroom practices.

Oakdale's major staff development goals, as articulated by building and
district-level research committees, are

-   Effective use of technology to support student learning

-   Emphasis on problem solving approaches to learning

-   Peer coaching

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-   Differentiated instruction

-   Using data analysis to drive instruction

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-   Cooperative learning strategies

-   Constructivist learning

-   Project-based learning, with focus on real-world applications

-   Support for the Literacy First Process reading instruction model

Oakdale supports staff development through all-school in-service days;
two hours of grade level collaboration time built into each school week;
classroom monitoring through walkthroughs by the principal, lead
teacher, and reading facilitator at least twice a week; peer
observations; and weekly meetings with each grade level team, led by the
principal and lead teacher, to discuss goals, lesson plans, instruction,
and other educational issues.

# PART VI -- PRIVATE SCHOOL ADDENDUM 

Not applicable.

# PART VII -- ASSESSMENT RESULTS 

The tables on the next two pages show Oakdale's results over the past
four years on the Kansas State Assessments in Mathematics and Reading.
Despite the distractions that occurred during the Oakdale-Hawthorne
merger---students re-located to mobile classrooms, construction
occurring in the building while students were in school, the blending of
different school staffs---our students recovered and made significant
improvement in learning fundamental skills.

**Please read the following notes before reviewing the assessment
data.**

(1) In 2002, the Kansas State Department of Education officially
    modified the category labels on its assessments in order to become
    aligned with federal definitions of proficiency. The current labels
    are used here for the sake of consistency, but the data is
    comparable across all the four years. The diagram below illustrates
    the change.

  ----------------- -------------------- ---------------- ----------------
  **Current**       Old category labels  Performance      Performance
  category labels   (prior to 2002-2003  levels for grade levels for grade
  (2002-03 and      school year)         4 mathematics    5 reading
  thereafter)                                             

  Unsatisfactory    Unsatisfactory       0-34             0-67

  Basic             Basic                35-47            68-79

  Proficient        Satisfactory         48-59            80-86

  Advanced          Proficient           60-74            87-92

  Exemplary         Advanced             75-100           93-100
  ----------------- -------------------- ---------------- ----------------

(2) Although our students with disabilities and LEP students also made
    major improvement, we could not include this data because student
    numbers were too small to protect individual student privacy. For
    the same reason, minority data in the KSA Mathematics table for
    1999-00 is omitted: minority test-takers were fewer than 10 that
    year. Ethnic minority student data is combined because no single
    minority group (African-American, Hispanic, Native American, *etc*.)
    has numbers high enough to report every year.

(3) To summarize the data: 2000-01 represents the most chaotic year of
    the Oakdale-Hawthorne merger, and student achievement fell to its
    lowest point. This was the year in which Oakdale failed to make
    Title I AYP, and this "wake up call" motivated us to regain focus on
    the essential skills of math and reading, and to identify at-risk
    students much earlier and provide appropriate interventions.
    Improvement came quickly after that paradigm shift, and last year
    Oakdale students showed greater achievement than the state average,
    including minority and free/reduced lunch students.

**Kansas State Assessment in Mathematics (administered to 4^th^ grade)**

+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
|                    | **200    | **200    | **2        | **1        |
|                    | 2-2003** | 1-2002** | 000-2001** | 999-2000** |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **Testing month**  | *        |          |            |            |
|                    | *March** |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| ## OAKDALE SCO     |          |          |            |            |
| RES (WHOLE SCHOOL) |          |          |            |            |
|                    |          |          |            |            |
| Total -- Percent   |          |          |            |            |
| of students...     |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | *        | *        | **100.0**  | **100.0**  |
| Unsatisfactory**   | *100.0** | *100.0** |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **93.6** | **93.8** | **70.9**   | **79.3**   |
| Basic**            |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **87.2** | **64.2** | **41.8**   | **51.7**   |
| Proficient**       |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **70.3** | **49.4** | **20.0**   | **24.1**   |
| Advanced**         |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **27.7** | **19.8** | **3.6**    | **3.4**    |
| Exemplary**        |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| Number of students | 47       | 81       | 55         | 29         |
| tested             |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| Percent of         | 100      | 98.8     | 94.5       | 90.6       |
| students tested    |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| Number of students | 0        | 1        | 3          | 3          |
| excluded           |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| Percent of         | 0        | 1.2      | 5.5        | 9.4        |
| students excluded  |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **FREE/REDUCED     |          |          |            |            |
| LUNCH ELIGIBLE     |          |          |            |            |
| STUDENTS**         |          |          |            |            |
|                    |          |          |            |            |
| Total -- Percent   |          |          |            |            |
| of students...     |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | *        | *        | **100.0**  | **100.0**  |
| Unsatisfactory**   | *100.0** | *100.0** |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **90.9** | **94.8** | **65.8**   | **75.0**   |
| Basic**            |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **81.8** | **67.8** | **31.6**   | **50.0**   |
| Proficient**       |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **63.6** | **49.1** | **10.5**   | **25.0**   |
| Advanced**         |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **21.2** | **18.6** | **0.0**    | **6.3**    |
| Exemplary**        |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **MAJORITY         |          |          |            |            |
| STUDENTS (White)** |          |          |            |            |
|                    |          |          |            |            |
| Total -- Percent   |          |          |            |            |
| of students...     |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | *        | *        | **100.0**  | **100.0**  |
| Unsatisfactory**   | *100.0** | *100.0** |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **94.1** | **96.2** | **70.0**   | **81.5**   |
| Basic**            |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **91.2** | **62.2** | **50.0**   | **55.6**   |
| Proficient**       |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **76.5** | **47.1** | **20.0**   | **25.9**   |
| Advanced**         |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **35.3** | **11.3** | **3.3**    | **3.7**    |
| Exemplary**        |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **MINORITY         |          |          |            |            |
| STUDENTS           |          |          |            |            |
| (African-American, |          |          |            |            |
| Hispanic, Asian,   |          |          |            |            |
| American Indian,   |          |          |            |            |
| other)**           |          |          |            |            |
|                    |          |          |            |            |
| Total -- Percent   |          |          |            |            |
| of students...     |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | *        | *        | **100.0**  | **100.0**  |
| Unsatisfactory**   | *100.0** | *100.0** |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **92.3** | **89.3** | **72.7**   | **Not      |
| Basic**            |          |          |            | reported** |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **76.9** | **67.9** | **31.8**   | **Not      |
| Proficient**       |          |          |            | reported** |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **53.8** | **53.6** | **22.7**   | **Not      |
| Advanced**         |          |          |            | reported** |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **7.7**  | **35.7** | **4.5**    | **Not      |
| Exemplary**        |          |          |            | reported** |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| ##                 |          |          |            |            |
|  KANSAS SCORES (al |          |          |            |            |
| l students tested) |          |          |            |            |
|                    |          |          |            |            |
| Total -- Percent   |          |          |            |            |
| of students...     |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | *        | *        | **100.0**  | **100.0**  |
| Unsatisfactory**   | *100.0** | *100.0** |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **91.4** | **88.8** | **87.9**   | **85.7**   |
| Basic**            |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **73.6** | **67.6** | **66.7**   | **61.7**   |
| Proficient**       |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **52.4** | **45.5** | **41.6**   | **38.5**   |
| Advanced**         |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **23.1** | **18.2** | **16.5**   | **13.5**   |
| Exemplary**        |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+

**Kansas State Assessment in Reading (administered to 5^th^ grade)**

+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
|                    | **200    | **200    | **2        | **1        |
|                    | 2-2003** | 1-2002** | 000-2001** | 999-2000** |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **Testing month**  | *        |          |            |            |
|                    | *March** |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| ## OAKDALE SCO     |          |          |            |            |
| RES (WHOLE SCHOOL) |          |          |            |            |
|                    |          |          |            |            |
| Total -- Percent   |          |          |            |            |
| of students...     |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | *        | *        | **100.0**  | **100.0**  |
| Unsatisfactory**   | *100.0** | *100.0** |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | *        | **90.2** | **65.1**   | **86.7**   |
| Basic**            | *100.0** |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **80.6** | **65.6** | **34.9**   | **56.7**   |
| Proficient**       |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **59.7** | **41.0** | **9.3**    | **23.4**   |
| Advanced**         |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **26.9** | **24.6** | **0.0**    | **6.7**    |
| Exemplary**        |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| Number of students | 67       | 61       | 43         | 30         |
| tested             |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| Percent of         | 100      | 98.4     | 93.5       | 90.9       |
| students tested    |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| Number of students | 0        | 1        | 3          | 3          |
| excluded           |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| Percent of         | 0        | 1.6      | 6.5        | 9.1        |
| students excluded  |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **FREE/REDUCED     |          |          |            |            |
| LUNCH ELIGIBLE     |          |          |            |            |
| STUDENTS**         |          |          |            |            |
|                    |          |          |            |            |
| Total -- Percent   |          |          |            |            |
| of students...     |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | *        | *        | **100.0**  | **100.0**  |
| Unsatisfactory**   | *100.0** | *100.0** |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | *        | **88.9** | **66.7**   | **85.0**   |
| Basic**            | *100.0** |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **84.0** | **60.0** | **30.0**   | **50.0**   |
| Proficient**       |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **60.0** | **40.0** | **10.0**   | **10.0**   |
| Advanced**         |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **26.0** | **22.2** | **0.0**    | **5.0**    |
| Exemplary**        |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **MAJORITY         |          |          |            |            |
| STUDENTS (White)** |          |          |            |            |
|                    |          |          |            |            |
| Total -- Percent   |          |          |            |            |
| of students...     |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | *        | *        | **100.0**  | **100.0**  |
| Unsatisfactory**   | *100.0** | *100.0** |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | *        | **93.0** | **69.6**   | **88.0**   |
| Basic**            | *100.0** |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **81.6** | **67.4** | **34.8**   | **60.0**   |
| Proficient**       |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **55.3** | **41.8** | **13.0**   | **28.0**   |
| Advanced**         |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **26.3** | **20.9** | **0.0**    | **8.0**    |
| Exemplary**        |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **MINORITY         |          |          |            |            |
| STUDENTS           |          |          |            |            |
| (African-American, |          |          |            |            |
| Hispanic, Asian,   |          |          |            |            |
| American Indian,   |          |          |            |            |
| other)**           |          |          |            |            |
|                    |          |          |            |            |
| Total -- Percent   |          |          |            |            |
| of students...     |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | *        | *        | **100.0**  | **100.0**  |
| Unsatisfactory**   | *100.0** | *100.0** |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | *        | **83.3** | **60.0**   | **80.0**   |
| Basic**            | *100.0** |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **79.3** | **61.1** | **35.0**   | **40.0**   |
| Proficient**       |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **65.5** | **38.9** | **5.0**    | **0.0**    |
| Advanced**         |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **27.6** | **33.3** | **0.0**    | **0.0**    |
| Exemplary**        |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| ##                 |          |          |            |            |
|  KANSAS SCORES (al |          |          |            |            |
| l students tested) |          |          |            |            |
|                    |          |          |            |            |
| Total -- Percent   |          |          |            |            |
| of students...     |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | *        | *        | **100.0**  | **100.0**  |
| Unsatisfactory**   | *100.0** | *100.0** |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **91.0** | **87.4** | **86.1**   | **86.3**   |
| Basic**            |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **68.9** | **63.0** | **63.5**   | **62.3**   |
| Proficient**       |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **46.0** | **40.0** | **39.2**   | **40.2**   |
| Advanced**         |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+
| **At or above      | **18.6** | **15.1** | **13.9**   | **15.4**   |
| Exemplary**        |          |          |            |            |
+--------------------+----------+----------+------------+------------+