##### U.S. Department of Education November 2002

**2002-2003 *No Child Left Behind---Blue Ribbon Schools Program***

**Cover Sheet**

Name of Principal [Mrs. Sierra K. Jackson]{.underline}

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

Official School Name [Custer Hill Elementary School]{.underline}

(As it should appear in the official records)

School Mailing Address [6344 Hampton Place]{.underline}
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

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

[Fort Riley Kansas 66442-1369]{.underline}

City State Zip Code+4 (9 digits total)

Tel. [( 785 ) 784-4026]{.underline} Fax [( 785 ) 784-2367]{.underline}

Website/URL [www.usd475.k12.ks.us/cu]{.underline} Email
[jacksons@usd475.k12.ks.us]{.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)

*Private Schools: If the information requested is not applicable, write
N/A in the space.*

Name of Superintendent [Dr. Mary Devin]{.underline}

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

District Name [Geary County Unified School District 475]{.underline}
Tel. [( 785 ) 238-6184]{.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

(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)

**[PART II ‑ DEMOGRAPHIC DATA]{.underline}**

**DISTRICT** (Questions 1‑2 not applicable to private schools)

1\. Number of schools in the district: [13]{.underline} Elementary
schools

[2]{.underline} Middle schools

[0]{.underline} Junior high schools

[1]{.underline} High schools

[16]{.underline} TOTAL

2\. District Per Pupil Expenditure: [\$ 6199.00]{.underline}

Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: [\$ 6220.00]{.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\. [8]{.underline} Number of years the principal has been in her/his
position at this school.

[n/a]{.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**       24        27                     **51**       **7**                             

  **1**       31        32                     **63**       **8**                             

  **2**       34        15                     **49**       **9**                             

  **3**       36        25                     **61**       **10**                            

  **4**       19        21                     **40**       **11**                            

  **5**       13        16                     **29**       **12**                            

  **6**                                                     Other       2         3           5

                                    **TOTAL                                                   298
                                    STUDENTS                                                  
                                    IN THE                                                    
                                    APPLYING                                                  
                                    SCHOOL**                                                  
  ----------- --------- ----------- ---------- --------- -- ----------- --------- ----------- ---------

6\. Racial/ethnic composition of [58]{.underline} % White

the students in the school: [32]{.underline} % Black or African American

[6]{.underline} % Hispanic or Latino

[3]{.underline} % Asian/Pacific Islander

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

**100% Total**

7\. Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year:
[43]{.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 transferred 46
              ***to*** the school after October  
              1 until the end of the year.       

  **(2)**     Number of students who transferred 89
              ***from*** the school after        
              October 1 until the end of the     
              year.                              

  **(3)**     Subtotal of all transferred        135
              students \[sum of rows (1) and     
              (2)\]                              

  **(4)**     Total number of students in the    314
              school as of October 1             

  **(5)**     Subtotal in row (3) divided by     .43
              total in row (4)                   

  **(6)**     Amount in row (5) multiplied by    43
              100                                
  ----------- ---------------------------------- ------------------------

8\. Limited English Proficient students in the school: [6]{.underline} %

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

Number of languages represented: [4]{.underline}

Specify languages: German, Korean, Spanish, and Tagalog (Pilipino)

9\. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: [76]{.underline} %

[226]{.underline} Total Number Students Who Qualify

> If this method is not 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: [12]{.underline} %

[36]{.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.

\_\_\_\_Autism \_\_\_\_Orthopedic Impairment

\_\_\_\_Deafness [4]{.underline} Other Health Impaired

\_\_\_\_Deaf-Blindness [11]{.underline} Specific Learning Disability

\_\_\_\_Hearing Impairment [20]{.underline} Speech or Language
Impairment

[1]{.underline} Mental Retardation \_\_\_\_Traumatic Brain Injury

\_\_\_\_Multiple Disabilities \_\_\_\_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                                 

                                                                             

  Classroom teachers                       13                                

                                                                             

  Special resource                         5                                 5
  teachers/specialists                                                       

                                                                             

  Paraprofessionals                        4                                 3

                                                                             

  Support staff                            6                                 10

                                                                             

  Total number                             29                                18
  ------------------------------------ --- ----------------------------- --- -----------------------------

  --------------------------------- --------- ----------------------------
  12\. Student-"classroom teacher"  23        
  ratio:                                      

  --------------------------------- --------- ----------------------------

13\. Show the attendance patterns of teachers and students. 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 and drop-off rates.

  ------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                           2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000   1998-1999   1997-1998

  Daily student attendance 96%         96%         96%         96%         97%

  Daily teacher attendance 92%         94%         95%         94%         94%

  Teacher turnover rate    0 %         5 %         5 %         5 %         5 %

  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
  ------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**[PART III ‑ SUMMARY]{.underline}**

Custer Hill Elementary is one of five elementary schools on the military
installation located at Fort Riley, Kansas. Our school was established
in 1962 and serves as home to the children and spouses of enlisted
soldiers. Currently, 287 students are enrolled and 100% have at least
one parent on active duty. Since 76% of our students receive free or
reduced lunch, we qualify as a Title I school. Our mission is to provide
a quality education for all learners: teaching academic and social
skills, self-discipline, and responsible citizenship in a safe
environment.

Our school shares the post's rich history and is named for General
George A. Custer who was assigned to Fort Riley briefly in 1866.
Originally, our school was a K-6 school. Today, it is a K-5 school.
Enrollment has fluctuated between 250 and 450 students depending on the
number of troops stationed at Fort Riley. A common classroom
configuration is all grade levels having at least two sections.

In addition to grade-level classrooms, the building houses Music,
Physical Education, a Library Media Center, and a 30-workstation
computer lab created with Title I funds. Space throughout the building
is provided for English Language Learner and Special Education services.
The following services are included: Inter-related Classroom (IRC),
Gifted/Extended Learning, Speech/Language, Occupational Therapy,
Physical Therapy, and Social Work. We have also created an Outdoor
Wildlife Learning Site (OWLS) on the grounds. Over the last eight years,
we have enhanced the atmosphere by creating a home-like environment
without compromising the safety and discipline of our students. Visitors
and guests often comment on how comfortable they are in this setting.

Custer Hill Elementary is part of Geary County Unified School District
475. Our school district includes schools both in Junction City and on
Fort Riley. Fort Riley is situated between the communities of Junction
City and Manhattan. It is important to examine the context and
interrelationships between these entities so that the unique environment
in which our school exists can be fully understood.

Junction City is the closest civilian community with a population of
approximately 21,000. Nearby Fort Riley adds approximately 30,000
military personnel and their dependents. Manhattan's population is
approximately 45,000 and many soldiers and spouses attend classes at
Kansas State University. While each community functions independently of
the others in some aspects, it is the interactions among them that
create a significant cultural and ethnic mix. In fact, the district
demographics are more representative of an urban setting than the
typical rural Kansas community. Minority populations make up nearly 50%
of the school populations and bring a true global perspective to the
community and district. In addition, following the nature of the
military, the area tends to have a higher than usual mobility rate. All
of these factors contribute to a very dynamic and enriching atmosphere
for our children and their families. Our school's role is to ensure all
our children achieve their maximum potential. We are fortunate to be
trusted with their education.

**[PART IV -- INDICATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS]{.underline}**

> 1\. The Kansas State *Reading* Assessment is administered in fifth
> grade. The Kansas State *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 in the spring. The tests are reviewed and
> republished annually. All students (including English Language
> Learners and Special Education) present during the testing window are
> tested and not excluded. However, some students' scores are not
> included due to invalid answer sheets or emergency leave extending
> beyond the testing window. Our State Department of Education has
> received approval for adjustment in the Kansas Performance Level
> categories. For accountability under No Child Left Behind, the
> performance levels correspond as follows: Unsatisfactory and Basic
> remain the same, Satisfactory is Proficient, Proficient is Advanced,
> and Advanced is Exemplary.

Our performance data for the Kansas *Reading* Assessment is reported
using the following performance levels and cutpoints:

> \>Advanced (93 -- 100): student independently demonstrates the ability
> to go beyond the text consistently.
>
> \>Proficient (87 -- 92): student independently demonstrates
> inferential understanding within a text.

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

Custer Hill's students' scores over the past five years demonstrate a
continued increase in the number of students scoring at 80% or higher.
On the 2002 Reading tests, 89% of the students scored at 80% or higher.
The results demonstrate a continued decrease in the number of students
in Unsatisfactory and Basic Performance Levels in all disaggregations
except Full Pay. In the 2002 data, there is an increase in the
percentage of Full Pay students in Basic. However, the subgroup size in
2002 is three-fourths less than the same subgroup in 2001 and the 2003
data will indicate if this is a trend. We continue to make progress
towards the State Standard of Excellence. In comparison to State Data,
our students perform better than students across the state.

> Our performance data for the Kansas *Mathematics* Assessment is
> reported using the following performance levels and cutpoints:

\>Advanced (75 -- 100): student demonstrates superior knowledge and a
comprehensive understanding of

all four Standards.

\>Proficient (60 -- 74): student demonstrates a high level of knowledge
and comprehensive understanding

within at least three of the Standards.

\>Satisfactory (48 -- 59): student demonstrates sound knowledge and
understanding with the four areas of

the 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 in consistently
demonstrating basic skills, concepts, and

procedures across one or more Standards.

\>Unsatisfactory (0 -- 34): student does not demonstrate understanding
of facts, concepts, or procedures

from any of the four Standards.

The four Standards are: Number and Computation, Algebra, Geometry, and
Data.

Custer Hill's students' scores over the past five years demonstrate a
continued increase in the number of students scoring at 80% or higher.
On the 2002 Mathematics tests, 91% of the students scored at 80% or
higher. This is a decline from 2001 when 100% of our students scored at
the 80% or higher level. The results demonstrate a continued decrease in
the number of students in Unsatisfactory and Basic Performance Levels in
all disaggregations except Free and Reduced. In the 2002 data, there is
an increase in the percentage of Free and Reduced students in Basic.
However, the size of the Reduced subgroup in 2002 is more than twice the
size of the same subgroup in 2001 and the 2003 data will indicate if
this is a trend. The results demonstrate that our students met the State
Standard of Excellence in 2001 and 2002. In comparison to State Data,
our students perform better than students across the state.

Please note we examined all Ethnic subgroups; however, over the five
years, some subgroups are considered to be too small to be statistically
significant.

2\. Custer Hill Elementary uses assessment data in various ways to
better understand and improve student and school performance. All
certified staff, including resource teachers, are members of our
Effective School Panel and Focus Groups. Effective School Panel meets
twice a month and Focus Groups meet once a month. These meetings allow
team members to examine summaries of performance on state and district
assessments as well as formative assessment data, which is collected by
the teachers each quarter. 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 grade level Focus Group meetings, teachers concentrate
on their grade level's performance, address individual student needs,
and identify individual students in need of remediation and enrichment.
They can then identify the strengths and weaknesses of instruction and
modify accordingly. Another opportunity to address individual student
needs occurs during the quarterly conference between the principal and
teacher. Formative assessment data is reviewed by student and classroom
then aggregated by grade level. When students are not performing at an
expected level, parents and teachers collaborate on an individualized
plan of action to address concerns. If improvement is not sufficient,
students are referred to the school's Student Improvement Team. Staff
development days built into the calendar are essential to teacher
analysis of the data to understanding how it impacts instruction, for
the correlation of strategies to instruction and, therefore, to
increased student performance.

3\. Custer Hill Elementary communicates with students, parents, and the
community and provides all stakeholders with student performance data
using many approaches. Teachers conference individually with students to
review schoolwork, test scores, and informal reading inventories. Our
school also implements the Four Block Literacy Framework and, during two
of the blocks, teachers conference a minimum of once per week with
individual students concerning performance in reading and writing.
Parent Teacher Conferences are conducted twice a year and parents are
provided with both their student's performance data and the school's.
Performance on assessments is also communicated through the monthly
school newsletter and our yearly Schools in Review Night. This fulfills
our state's requirement of annually reporting to parents in a formal
setting. Our Site Council includes parents and community members who
team with teachers and the principal to analyze data and communicate it
to the larger school community. Our QPA Steering Team presents annually
to the district's Board of Education and reviews data to focus the
presentation on accomplishments and improvements occurring over the
previous year. The Kansas State Department of Education also releases
Building Report Cards during each school year making this data available
to parents and the community at large.

4\. Custer Hill Elementary will continue to share its successes with
other schools through participation in curriculum task forces and staff
development activities. Faculty members actively serve on district's
curriculum task forces, which oversee curriculum alignment, selection of
materials, and development of criterion referenced assessments. Faculty
trained in specific curriculums or programs provide instruction during
district staff development and are available for out-of-district
presentations. We continue to share the Four Block Literacy Framework
and Soar to Success Intervention Reading Program. The district's
Curriculum and Instruction Advisory Council annually focuses on a
specific component of school improvement. The purpose is to serve as a
sounding board to advise and enhance each school's success in the
improvement process. Our membership allows us to present to other
buildings regarding school improvement, formative assessment, and
curriculum. Our school is open for others to observe during the school
day to gain insight into our programs. Teachers are available for
interviews and discussion. We not only view this nomination as an
opportunity to share with others, but to gain insight from others for
continued school improvement.

**[PART V -- CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION]{.underline}**

1\. The curriculum is comprehensive, and as demonstrated by student
performance, based on high standards. Reading, Mathematics, and Writing
skills are emphasized and integrated across all areas. Custer Hill
Elementary bases its Language Arts curriculum around the Four Blocks of
Literacy framework. The four blocks - Guided Reading, Self-Selected
Reading, Writing, and Working with Words - represent four different
approaches to teaching children to read. Daily Instruction in all four
blocks acknowledges that children do not all learn in the same way and
provides substantial instruction to support the student's individual
learning personality.

Everyday Mathematics is implemented at Custer Hill Elementary beginning
in kindergarten. Children build an understanding of math concepts over a
period of time, first through informal exposure and then through more
formal and indirect instruction.

The Five Step Writing process is utilized when teaching our students.
They learn to prewrite, draft, revise, edit, and publish to produce
quality writing. The students are also taught the Six-Trait Writing
Model to evaluate writing and to ensure they have produced a quality
paper. Teachers instruct the students in all six traits: ideas and
content, organization, sentence fluency, voice, word choice and
conventions. Students are taught to evaluate papers using a rubric.
Examples of quality work are utilized during instruction to convey high
expectations.

We use the Harcourt Brace Social Studies curriculum. This program builds
on concepts and skills acquired at the previous grade level from
kindergarten through fifth grade. It allows children to integrate their
understanding and skills and relate things to their own experiences. The
program teaches an understanding of our world though: Commonality and
Diversity, Continuity and Change, Conflict and Cooperation,
Individualism and Interdependence, and Interaction Within Different
Environments.

Houghton Mifflin Discovery Works is our Science program. They believe
that effective science education gradually introduces students to the
knowledge, methods, skills, and attitudes of scientists while
recognizing and respecting the developmental needs of all students.
Their program provides a balance between hands-on activities and content
resources to enhance the students' understanding of concepts.

Our Health curriculum has been locally developed using guidelines
established by the Kansas Department of Education. This curriculum is
intended to help student's value and respect self and others, obtain
accurate age-appropriate information about human sexuality and HIV,
develop responsible decision-making skills, and develop knowledge,
skills, and attitudes that will increase the probability for a
responsible life.

We also teach the Second Step Violence Prevention program to reduce
impulsive and aggressive behavior. The lessons address skills in
empathy, impulse control, and anger management.

The Physical Education program emphasizes physical fitness development
through the components of flexibility, muscle strength, endurance, and
cardio-respiratory endurance. Fundamental movement and participation
skills are a main focus. Appropriate experiences are provided for
students with developmental or physical challenges.

Our Music Education program is designed to enable each student to become
an informed consumer of music. This is accomplished through creating,
performing, and studying music. Custer Hill Elementary works to
successfully integrate music and physical education for student
performances.

The building's Library Media program combines library curriculum skills
with academic areas across grade levels. Classroom teachers and the
Library Media Specialist collaboratively develop integrated lessons.

2\. Reading is one focus of our School Improvement Plan. After
researching the effectiveness of several reading literacy models, we
concluded that the Four Block Literacy Framework matched our needs and
teaching styles. Selected teachers from our district, including two from
Custer Hill Elementary, spent a year looking at various reading programs
and selected Harcourt Brace as it aligned best with our District and
State Standards. Therefore, our school's reading curriculum is developed
around the Four Block Literacy Framework by Patricia Cunningham and the
Harcourt Brace reading series. The Framework, implemented across all
grade levels, incorporates four areas that include Guided Reading,
Self-Selected Reading, Writing, and Working With Words. While providing
enough structure to produce consistency, it gives each teacher the
flexibility to adjust to his/her teaching style as well as students'
needs. To provide remediation, we utilize the Soar to Success Reading
Intervention Program. Research indicates that, if the program is used
correctly, students will be on grade level by the end of the program.
Enrichment is also given to students who are above grade level.
Materials from the district's Instructional Material Center,
teacher-developed materials, and previously adopted series are combined
to create a program to meet individual student needs. Our fifth grade
students' performance on the Kansas Reading Assessment received the
highest 2002 Challenge Award recognition (Certificate of Merit) by the
Kansas Confidence in Public Education Task Force.

3\. Mathematics is another area of focus in our School Improvement Plan.
Our identified strategies, in combination with the curriculum, provide
students with a foundation in mathematical skills and allow them
opportunities for authentic experiences to apply the skills. The
strategies taught for math include graphic organizers and a four-step
problem-solving model. We incorporate these strategies along with the
Everyday Mathematics Program. This program introduces children to the
major mathematical content domains: number sense, algebra, measurement,
geometry, data analysis, and probability. Mathematical content is taught
in a spiral style beginning with concrete experiences in kindergarten
and evolving to abstract representations through the grade levels.
Understanding of the concepts and skills presented increases over time.
Each exposure builds on and extends students' understanding. Daily
routines and games are designed to build conceptual understanding and
ensure mastery of basic skills in authentic and interesting content.
Students have continually shown improvement on mathematics concepts and
skills. The fourth grade students achieved the Kansas Standard of
Excellence for their performance on the Kansas Math Assessment in 2001
and 2002. This group also received a Kansas Certificate of Recognition
Challenge Award in Math for 2002.

4\. Many instructional methods are used to improve student learning. Our
School Improvement Plan focuses on specific strategies to impact student
growth in Reading, Math, and Writing. Strategies selected are
research-based and data-driven. Graphic organizers are utilized to
promote learning in both Reading and Math, thereby increasing their
effectiveness. Students are also taught a problem-solving model for use
with math problems. In Reading, an additional strategy is
Question-Answer Relationship. This enables students to categorize the
relationships between questions and answers and assists them in knowing
how to locate the answer in the text. Research has also shown a
significant correlation between Reading and Writing. Therefore, students
are taught the Five Step Writing Process and the Six Trait Writing
Model. With the exception of the problem-solving model, all strategies
are addressed in the Four Block Literacy Framework. While teachers
emphasize the identified strategies, they also implement a variety of
additional strategies when needed to improve student learning.

5\. Our professional development program is designed to impact student
achievement. Our School Improvement Plan includes Results-Based Staff
Development Action Plans for Math, Reading, and Writing. Our teachers
work with others in our district on curriculum development, assessment,
and alignment. To further address our needs, teachers work with outside
consultants and attend professional training out of district.

In Reading, our attention is on the Four Block Literacy Framework to
endow our students with literacy skills across all curriculum areas.
Teachers are gaining knowledge of Text Structures (narrative,
expository, persuasive, and technical), graphic organizers, and
techniques of predicting, clarifying, summarizing, and questioning. Our
students continue to move toward the Advanced Proficiency Level on the
state assessment. Confirmation of our growth is illustrated by our
students receiving a Kansas Certificate of Merit Challenge Award in
Reading in 2002.

In Math, our focus is on teaching strategies to improve our students'
ability to solve problems. During our professional development time, we
have researched the effectiveness of graphic organizers and
problem-solving models, identified graphic organizers for building
implementation, and developed a four-step problem-solving model. We have
noted continual improvement on students' scores in this area. As
previously mentioned, in 2001 and 2002, we met the Kansas Standard of
Excellence in Math. Our students' progress was also acknowledged with a
Kansas Certificate of Recognition Challenge Award in 2002.

Research shows that success with writing positively impacts students'
reading. Therefore, in Writing, teachers collaboratively grade student
samples across grade levels to attain consistent scoring. Time is also
invested in ensuring that all staff share a common vocabulary and
definition of terms. This offers the students a better understanding of
the writing process and the expectations of each trait. Students are
meeting and surpassing our goal of scoring a three or better on each of
the traits based on a five-point scale. This is evidenced by Custer Hill
Elementary meeting the Kansas Standard of Excellence in Writing in 2002.

In all curriculum areas, significant time is spent to implement the
strategies consistently across grade levels and make adjustments as
needed.

  ---------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- --------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
  **READING: by ETHNICITY**                                                                                                              

  ( ) indicate Number of                                                                                                                 
  Students. All other numbers                                                                                                            
  are percentages.                                                                                                                       

                               [2001-2002]{.underline}   [2000-2001]{.underline}   [1999-2000\*]{.underline}   [1998-1999]{.underline}   [1997-1998]{.underline}

  **SCHOOL DATA**                                                                                                                        

  \# tested                    \(28\)                    \(32\)                    \(35\)                      \(40\)                    \(42\)

  \% tested                    100                       100                       90                          95                        100

  \# excluded                  \(0\)                     \(0\)                     \(4\)                       \(2\)                     \(0\)

  \% excluded                  0                         0                         10                          5                         0

  \% at Basic                  11                        13                        31                          23                        31

  \% at Proficient             68                        53                        49                          30                        19

  \% at Advanced               21                        25                        9                           5                         2

  **Subgroup Scores**                                                                                                                    

  [\# Blacks]{.underline}      \(5\)                     \(8\)                     \(8\)                       \(12\)                    \(13\)

  \% at Basic                  20                        25                        38                          17                        23

  \% at Proficient             80                        38                        38                          8                         23

  \% at Advanced               0                         37                        0                           0                         0

  [\# Whites]{.underline}      \(14\)                    \(17\)                    \(22\)                      \(23\)                    \(23\)

  \% at Basic                  14                        6                         27                          22                        30

  \% at Proficient             79                        71                        50                          39                        17

  \% at Advanced               7                         18                        14                          9                         4

  [\#                          \(6\)                     \(4\)                     \(1\)                       (N/A)                     (N/A)
  Multicultural]{.underline}                                                                                                             

  \% at Basic                  0                         0                         0                           N/A                       N/A

  \% at Proficient             50                        25                        100                         N/A                       N/A

  \% at Advanced               50                        50                        0                           N/A                       N/A

  **STATE DATA**                                                                                                                         

  \% at Basic                  25                        27                        24                          We converted our School   
                                                                                                               Data to current           
                                                                                                               Performance Levels. We    
                                                                                                               were unable to convert    
                                                                                                               State Data.               

  \% at Proficient             48                        50                        47                                                    

  \% at Advanced               15                        14                        15                                                    

  \*Format of test and grade                                                                                                             
  level tested changed.                                                                                                                  
  ---------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- --------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------

  ---------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- --------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
  **READING: by SES**                                                                                                              

  ( ) indicate Number of                                                                                                           
  Students. All other                                                                                                              
  numbers are                                                                                                                      
  percentages.                                                                                                                     

                         [2001-2002]{.underline}   [2000-2001]{.underline}   [1999-2000\*]{.underline}   [1998-1999]{.underline}   [1997-1998]{.underline}

  **SCHOOL DATA**                                                                                                                  

  \# tested              \(28\)                    \(32\)                    \(35\)                      \(40\)                    \(42\)

  \% tested              100                       100                       90                          95                        100

  \# excluded            \(0\)                     \(0\)                     \(4\)                       \(2\)                     \(0\)

  \% excluded            0                         0                         10                          5                         0

  \% at Basic            11                        13                        31                          23                        31

  \% at Proficient       68                        53                        49                          30                        19

  \% at Advanced         21                        25                        9                           5                         2

  **Subgroup Scores**                                                                                                              

  [\# Free]{.underline}  \(7\)                     \(7\)                     \(4\)                       \(11\)                    \(12\)

  \% at Basic            0                         29                        50                          18                        42

  \% at Proficient       100                       43                        50                          18                        25

  \% at Advanced         0                         0                         0                           18                        0

  [\#                    \(16\)                    \(6\)                     \(17\)                      \(17\)                    \(17\)
  Reduced]{.underline}                                                                                                             

  \% at Basic            6                         0                         24                          29                        24

  \% at Proficient       56                        83                        47                          29                        18

  \% at Advanced         38                        17                        18                          0                         6

  [\# Full               \(5\)                     \(19\)                    \(14\)                      \(12\)                    \(13\)
  Pay]{.underline}                                                                                                                 

  \% at Basic            40                        11                        36                          18                        54

  \% at Proficient       60                        47                        50                          29                        23

  \% at Advanced         0                         37                        0                           0                         23

  **STATE DATA**                                                                                                                   

  \% at Basic            25                        27                        24                          We converted our School   
                                                                                                         Data to current           
                                                                                                         Performance Levels. We    
                                                                                                         were unable to convert    
                                                                                                         State Data.               

  \% at Proficient       48                        50                        47                                                    

  \% at Advanced         15                        14                        15                                                    

  \*Format of test and                                                                                                             
  grade level tested                                                                                                               
  changed.                                                                                                                         
  ---------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- --------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------

  ---------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
  **MATH: by ETHNICITY**                                                                                                               

  ( ) indicate Number of                                                                                                               
  Students. All other numbers                                                                                                          
  are percentages.                                                                                                                     

                               [2001-2002]{.underline}   [2000-2001]{.underline}   [1999-2000]{.underline}   [1998-1999]{.underline}   [1997-1998]{.underline}

  **SCHOOL DATA**                                                                                                                      

  \# tested                    \(34\)                    \(23\)                    \(42\)                    \(34\)                    \(44\)

  \% tested                    97                        100                       93                        92                        100

  \# excluded                  \(1\)                     \(0\)                     \(3\)                     \(3\)                     \(0\)

  \% excluded                  3                         0                         7                         8                         0

  \% at Basic                  9                         0                         33                        21                        14

  \% at Proficient             50                        65                        38                        58                        57

  \% at Advanced               41                        35                        10                        21                        27

  **Subgroup Scores**                                                                                                                  

  [\# Blacks]{.underline}      \(10\)                    \(7\)                     \(11\)                    \(12\)                    \(11\)

  \% at Basic                  20                        0                         27                        33                        27

  \% at Proficient             60                        71                        27                        50                        46

  \% at Advanced               20                        29                        9                         17                        18

  [\# Whites]{.underline}      \(23\)                    \(13\)                    \(22\)                    \(15\)                    \(30\)

  \% at Basic                  4                         0                         23                        20                        10

  \% at Proficient             44                        54                        50                        53                        63

  \% at Advanced               52                        46                        14                        27                        27

  [\#                          (N/A)                     (N/A)                     (N/A)                     (N/A)                     (N/A)
  Multicultural]{.underline}                                                                                                           

  \% at Basic                  N/A                       N/A                       N/A                       N/A                       N/A

  \% at Proficient             N/A                       N/A                       N/A                       N/A                       N/A

  \% at Advanced               N/A                       N/A                       N/A                       N/A                       N/A

  **STATE DATA**                                                                                                                       

  \% at Basic                  22                        21                        24                        We converted our School   
                                                                                                             Data to current           
                                                                                                             Performance Levels. We    
                                                                                                             were unable to convert    
                                                                                                             State Data.               

  \% at Proficient             49                        50                        48                                                  

  \% at Advanced               18                        17                        14                                                  
  ---------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------

  ---------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
  **MATH: by SES**                                                                                                               

  ( ) indicate Number of                                                                                                         
  Students. All other                                                                                                            
  numbers are                                                                                                                    
  percentages.                                                                                                                   

                         [2001-2002]{.underline}   [2000-2001]{.underline}   [1999-2000]{.underline}   [1998-1999]{.underline}   [1997-1998]{.underline}

  **SCHOOL DATA**                                                                                                                

  \# tested              \(34\)                    \(23\)                    \(42\)                    \(34\)                    \(44\)

  \% tested              97                        100                       93                        92                        100

  \# excluded            \(1\)                     \(0\)                     \(3\)                     \(3\)                     \(0\)

  \% excluded            3                         0                         7                         8                         0

  \% at Basic            9                         0                         33                        21                        14

  \% at Proficient       50                        65                        38                        58                        57

  \% at Advanced         41                        35                        10                        21                        27

  **Subgroup Scores**                                                                                                            

  [\# Free]{.underline}  \(5\)                     \(5\)                     \(9\)                     \(9\)                     \(21\)

  \% at Basic            20                        0                         44                        33                        19

  \% at Proficient       40                        60                        22                        56                        33

  \% at Advanced         40                        40                        0                         11                        43

  [\#                    \(21\)                    \(9\)                     \(11\)                    \(14\)                    \(17\)
  Reduced]{.underline}                                                                                                           

  \% at Basic            10                        0                         27                        14                        12

  \% at Proficient       48                        56                        27                        50                        65

  \% at Advanced         42                        44                        18                        36                        23

  [\# Full               \(8\)                     \(9\)                     \(22\)                    \(11\)                    \(6\)
  Pay]{.underline}                                                                                                               

  \% at Basic            0                         0                         32                        18                        0

  \% at Proficient       63                        78                        50                        73                        67

  \% at Advanced         37                        22                        9                         9                         33

  **STATE DATA**                                                                                                                 

  \% at Basic            22                        21                        24                        We converted our School   
                                                                                                       Data to current           
                                                                                                       Performance Levels. We    
                                                                                                       were unable to convert    
                                                                                                       State Data.               

  \% at Proficient       49                        50                        48                                                  

  \% at Advanced         18                        17                        14                                                  
  ---------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------