##### *2006-2007 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools Program*

*U.S. Department of Education*

**Cover Sheet** Type of School: (Check all that apply) \[ \] Elementary
\[ \] Middle \[X\] High \[ \] K-12 \[ \] Charter

Name of Principal [Mr. Pat R. Ciccantelli]{.underline}

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

Official School Name [Aurora High School]{.underline}

(As it should appear in the official records)

School Mailing Address\_\_\_[109 W. Pioneer
Trail]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
\_

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

[Aurora Ohio 44202-9103]{.underline}

City State Zip Code+4 (9 digits total)

County [Portage]{.underline} State School Code Number\*
[360-270]{.underline}

Telephone [( 330 ) 562-3501]{.underline} Fax [( 330 )
562-3588]{.underline}

Web site/URL [www.aurora-schools.org]{.underline} E-mail
[pciccantelli@aurora-schools.org]{.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\* [Mr. Russell Bennett]{.underline}

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

District Name [Aurora City School]{.underline} Tel. [( 330 )
562-6106]{.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. Gerald Kohanski]{.underline}

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

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\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

(School Board President's/Chairperson's Signature)

**PART I ‑ ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATION**

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 for Civil Rights
(OCR) requirements is true and correct.

1.  The school has some configuration that includes grades K-12.
    (Schools on the same campus with one principal, even K-12 schools,
    must apply as an entire school.)

2.  The school has made adequate yearly progress each year for the past
    two years and has not 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 2006-2007 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 2001 and has not received the No Child Left
    Behind -- Blue Ribbon Schools award in the past five years.

5.  The nominated school or district is not refusing OCR access to
    information necessary to investigate a civil rights complaint or to
    conduct a district‑wide compliance review.

6.  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
    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: [3]{.underline} Elementary
schools

[1]{.underline} Middle schools

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

[1]{.underline} High schools

\_\_\_\_\_ Other

[5]{.underline} TOTAL

2\. District Per Pupil Expenditure: [\$9411.00]{.underline}

Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: [\$9356.00]{.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
>
> \[ \] 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.

[6 yr]{.underline} If fewer than three years, how long was the previous
principal at this school?

5\. Number of students as of October 1 enrolled at each grade level or
its equivalent in applying school only:

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

  **PreK**    25        13                     38           **7**       123       114         237

  **K**       110       111                    221          **8**       125       117         242

  **1**       115       83                     198          **9**       133       123         256

  **2**       97        102                    199          **10**      114       96          210

  **3**       118       123                    241          **11**      113       121         234

  **4**       107       122                    229          **12**      118       116         234

  **5**       129       125                    254          **Other**   1         0           1

  **6**       142       108                    250                                            

                                    **TOTAL                                                   3044
                                    STUDENTS                                                  
                                    IN THE                                                    
                                    APPLYING                                                  
                                    SCHOOL →**                                                
  ----------- --------- ----------- ---------- --------- -- ----------- --------- ----------- ---------

6\. Racial/ethnic composition of [94]{.underline} % White

the school: [4]{.underline} % Black or African American

[0]{.underline} % Hispanic or Latino

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

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

**100 % Total**

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

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

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

  ------------------------- --------------------------- ------------------
  **(1)**                   Number of students who      20
                            transferred ***to*** the    
                            school after October 1      
                            until the end of the year   

  **(2)**                   Number of students who      21
                            transferred ***from*** the  
                            school after October 1      
                            until the end of the year   

  **(3)**                   Total of all transferred    41
                            students \[sum of rows (1)  
                            and (2)\]                   

  **(4)**                   Total number of students in 909
                            the school as of October 1  

  **(5)**                   Total transferred students  5%
                            in row (3) divided by total 
                            students in row (4)         

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

8\. Limited English Proficient students in the school [2%]{.underline}

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

Number of languages represented: [2]{.underline}

Specify languages: [German & Spanish]{.underline}

9\. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: [5]{.underline} %

Total number students who qualify: [46]{.underline}

> If this method does not produce an accurate estimate of the percentage
> of students from low‑income families, or the school does not
> participate in the federally supported lunch program, specify a more
> accurate estimate, tell why the school chose it, and explain how it
> arrived at this estimate.

10\. Students receiving special education services: [10]{.underline} %

[93/934]{.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. Do not add additional categories.

[5]{.underline} Autism [1]{.underline} Orthopedic Impairment

[0]{.underline} Deafness [8]{.underline} Other Health Impaired

[0]{.underline} Deaf-Blindness [67]{.underline} Specific Learning
Disability

[5]{.underline} Emotional Disturbance [0]{.underline} Speech or Language
Impairment

[4]{.underline} Hearing Impairment [0]{.underline} Traumatic Brain
Injury

> [3]{.underline} Mental Retardation [0]{.underline} Visual Impairment
> Including Blindness
>
> [0]{.underline} Multiple Disabilities

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) [2]{.underline} \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Classroom teachers [47]{.underline} [5]{.underline}

Special resource teachers/specialists [8]{.underline} [2]{.underline}

Paraprofessionals [1]{.underline} [2]{.underline}

> Support staff [12]{.underline} [8]{.underline}
>
> Total number [70]{.underline} [1]{.underline}

12. Average school student-classroom teacher ratio, that is, the number
    of

students in the school divided by the FTE of classroom teachers, e.g.,
22:1 [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. Also
explain a high teacher turnover rate.

  -------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                             2005-2006   2004-2005   2003-2004   2002-2003   2001-2002

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

  Daily teacher attendance   92 %        94 %        93 %        94 %        93 %

  Teacher turnover rate      4 %         0 %         6 %         2 %         5 %

  Student dropout rate       2 %         1 %         2 %         2 %         1 %
  (middle/high)                                                              

  Student drop-off rate      4 %         2 %         2 %         2 %         2 %
  (high school)                                                              
  -------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

> 14\. Show what the students who graduated in Spring 2006 are doing as
> of September 2007.

+-------------------------------------------------------+--------------+
| Graduating class size                                 | > [221]      |
|                                                       | {.underline} |
+-------------------------------------------------------+--------------+
| Enrolled in a 4-year college or university            | > [79]{      |
|                                                       | .underline}% |
+-------------------------------------------------------+--------------+
| Enrolled in a community college                       | > [7]{       |
|                                                       | .underline}% |
+-------------------------------------------------------+--------------+
| Enrolled in vocational training                       | > [3]{       |
|                                                       | .underline}% |
+-------------------------------------------------------+--------------+
| Found employment                                      | > [9]{       |
|                                                       | .underline}% |
+-------------------------------------------------------+--------------+
| Military service                                      | > [2]{       |
|                                                       | .underline}% |
+-------------------------------------------------------+--------------+
| Other (travel, staying home, etc.)                    | > [\--]{     |
|                                                       | .underline}% |
+-------------------------------------------------------+--------------+
| Unknown                                               | > [\--]{     |
|                                                       | .underline}% |
+-------------------------------------------------------+--------------+
| **Total**                                             | > 100%       |
+-------------------------------------------------------+--------------+

**PART III ‑ SUMMARY**

Aurora High School is the only high school in the Aurora City School
District, a district comprised of slightly more than 3,000 students and
located in northern Portage County, about 30 miles south east of
Cleveland. The school's enrollment is 954, mostly Caucasian, but
becoming increasingly diverse.

Our mission is to provide a nurturing environment with high expectations
and effective programs, providing our students with every opportunity to
become successful. Students are able to select a wide range of
academically challenging programs and coursework from Advanced Placement
and International Baccalaureate to Excel Tech, our vocational
consortium. Ninety percent of our special education students are
mainstreamed. As a school, we have always held student success and
improvement high on our list of priorities. Consistent teaching to
content standards or benchmarks has proven to be effective in helping
our students score extremely well on state tests.

Slightly over a year ago, we began the education and development of our
staff toward the concept of teachers as a professional learning
community. As we move toward that direction, we have recognized that a
significant change of culture in the building is necessary. That change
is the recognition that the educational process is not about teaching,
but is about learning. From the District administrative team, the
department chairs and to individual teachers, the concept of
isolationism of the classroom teacher is being changed to reflect
cooperation and collaboration. Same course teachers have regularly
scheduled times to meet to work on common assessments, common academic
benchmarks and data comparisons to improve student learning.

With the understanding that learning is the focus of the daily lesson,
teachers must decide, together, what they want students to learn, how
they will determine if students are learning and, if not, what they will
do to help students learn. To the latter end, we have added, this year
alone, an academic referral process that identifies students who are not
being successful. This process goes from the teacher to administrator to
the guidance counselor for student and parent involvement.

With every student referral, a plan is developed that includes a wide
range of interventions from before and after school sessions with the
individual classroom teacher to after school tutoring in the study
center with supervised student tutors. An additional intervention
strategy is the Academic Referral Center which offers students a
structured support and is offered every period of the school day and
managed by certified teachers.

Communication with families of our students continues to be a valued
part of our program. With parents, teachers, students and administration
working together, we believe that we are well focused on success for all
students.

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

**1. Assessment Results:** We have worked hard to align our curriculum
with the state model and have developed a local curriculum that covers
these standards and provides our teachers the pacing guide, assessments
and resources to effectively instruct our students on this content. We
assess our students throughout the year to check for student development
on these specific benchmarks. For Aurora High School students, the
actual Ohio Graduation Test that they sit for in the spring of their
10^th^ grade year is the final summative measure of their progress. Our
assessment results on the Ohio Graduation Test, especially in reading
and math, have confirmed that the work we have done to align and pace
our curriculum and the use of the aligned formative and summative
assessments have prepared us well for this test. We have surpassed the
state goals by significant margins for the past five years and this past
year over 98% of our students were proficient in math and over 99% were
proficient in reading.

There are many reasons why Aurora High School students are successful on
the math and reading sections of the Ohio Graduation Test. Perhaps the
most important of these is the commitment of our school to help
[all]{.underline} students reach their full potential. We have a strong
variety of course offerings that meet the needs of all of our students
and we provide systemic intervention programs for struggling students.
In math, our success is also due to the belief of our staff that math is
about more than computation and procedure. At its core, math is a
technical language. In order to comprehend it, one needs an
understanding of the relationships expressed by equations and graphs and
the ability to describe mathematical concepts in words. By focusing on
these forms of expression, we are able to build an understanding of
mathematics that goes beyond routines and allows students to become
problem solvers. We also allow students to succeed whether they are
auditory, visual, or symbolic learners. A final element is that we teach
mathematics using a variety of instructional methods. We employ
traditional lecture, group and partner based work, and discovery
learning techniques. At times we use calculators and graphing technology
extensively, but at other times we expect the students to rely on their
computational abilities and number sense. This willingness to employ a
blend of approaches allows us to choose the one that is the most
appropriate and effective for a given topic.

**2. Using Assessment Results:** Aurora High School has made a
commitment to utilize assessment data to drive instruction and improve
school performance. We have aligned our curriculum to the state
standards and we have developed authentic common assessments to use to
measure the student's progress towards this content. We function as a
Professional Learning Community, and the focus of our school is student
learning. We gauge our success by these results. We utilize formative
assessments "for" learning, and have developed common summative
assessments as measures "of" student learning.

We have utilized technology to assist us in this mission of using
assessment results. We use an electronic gradebook program by Pinnacle.
We use this system daily to track student progress and make decisions
for student interventions. We have designed common assessments and have
begun to look at this data to examine student progress on specific
content benchmarks.

Our Professional Learning Community content teams have set SMART
(Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-Oriented, Time-Bound) goals
to look at specific areas of the curriculum by investigating student
performance data and making curricular and instructional decisions based
on this data.

**3. Communicating Assessment Results:** We believe that much of our
success is due to the partnership between the school and the parents and
students in our community. One of the keys to our academic success is
the cooperation that occurs due to this relationship. We strive to
communicate constantly to our stakeholders. Due to the fact that we
believe that our fundamental purpose is student learning, much of the
dialogue is focused on student achievement. We communicate this in many
ways.

We utilize an electronic gradebook system which allows the parents and
students unlimited access to their classroom grades. Since this content
is aligned with the state standards, it naturally is a reflection of
their understanding and progress of this content. Parents receive
information about upcoming state assessments through letters from school
and the principal's newsletter. We also use our web site to make parents
aware of upcoming assessments and the results that we have achieved. We
have a Parents Communication Forum each month where we invite parents
into the school and we highlight programs and academic achievement.

We also believe that communicating a message that we embrace the
standards as set by our state department of education and that we
believe that these assessments are an important measure of our progress
and each individual students progress, helps the parents and students
understand the importance of this process. We are proud of our academic
progress and we value the opportunity to communicate these great results
with our parents and community.

**4. Sharing Success:** Aurora High School is committed to collaboration
and it is a point of emphasis in our function as a Professional Learning
Community. We have demonstrated this by forming content area teams where
each of our faculty members shares with their colleagues the teaching
pedagogy that he or she uses to achieve high levels of student learning.
We extend this same philosophy of collaboration outside of our district.

We believe that we should share the educational best practices that we
have used with colleagues from within our district and outside of our
district. Due to our academic success educators from other districts
have visited Aurora High School to observe the strong practices
implemented by our staff. Several of our staff members have shared their
teaching strategies with colleagues in other districts by presenting at
local and regional conferences.

We will continue to share our successes with other schools in the
future. We plan to expand the collaborative models we have developed
even further to not only include content area work, but also to share in
the specific areas to high schools such as testing on the ACT, SAT,
Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams. Educational
growth can been limited because of the practice of isolation in our
profession. We very much believe in and utilize a collaborative culture
to help others and to grow ourselves in our pursuit to be the best
school we can be!

**PART V -- CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION**

**1. Curriculum**: A full continuum of service options provides the most
appropriate response to the wide variety of educational and
developmental needs of Aurora students. The continuum of options
recognizes the needs of special populations, including those who have
disabilities, are at-risk, are from culturally diverse backgrounds, and
who are highly gifted learners. Students with Individual Education Plans
(IEP) and Section 504 Accommodations Plans have access to a wide range
of service options. Due to the wide range of abilities and developmental
needs of students, no single service can provide an optimal educational
experience. The following continuum of service options is available to
provide opportunities for developing the abilities of all students.

Numerous opportunities exist across the curriculum from required courses
for graduation in core academic areas to electives in computer
technology, global languages, fine arts, performing arts and physical
education. Whether students' future plans include college, the world of
work, or the military, students are provided programs that will prepare
them for success in the 21^st^ century. Graduation requirements include
a total of 21 credits.

-   4 English (core courses only)

-   3 Social Studies (one credit in U.S. History, one credit U.S.
    Government)

-   3 Mathematics

-   3 Science (one credit in CPE or Chemistry, one credit in Biology)

-   ½ Health

-   ½ Physical Education

-   1 credit (or 2 half credits) in Business, Technology, Fine Arts or
    Global Language

Students must pass all portions of the Ohio Graduation Test. All of our
high school courses are aligned with the Ohio and National Academic
Standards. For example, our high school global language courses are
aligned to standards for foreign language learning in the 21^st^
century. The curricula in all grades focus on the "five Cs" of
Communities, Communication, Cultures, Connections (to other subjects),
and Comparisons (with other languages and cultures). Students are given
an opportunity to receive 6 years of global language instruction
commencing in the 7^th^ grade (Spanish, French and German). The district
is aware of the benefits of early early-start, long-sequence world
language programs that start in the elementary grades and continue
through high school. Through the strategic planning process, Aurora is
working through how to plan, launch and sustain new programs in Chinese
language and culture.

Special programs at Aurora High School include the Advanced Placement,
International Baccalaureate and Post Secondary Enrollment course
options. The Advanced Placement program is an offering of college level
courses and exams for secondary students. It is a special learning
experience which takes a full year. Currently, AHS offers fourteen
Advanced Placement courses. The AP exam is required for all students who
take these courses. The International Baccalaureate is a rigorous
pre-university course of studies, leading to examination.

Students may elect to take part in the Post Secondary Enrollment Options
Program which provides an opportunity for students to take classes at
eligible post-secondary institutions. The purpose of this program is to
promote rigorous academic pursuits and to provide a wider variety of
options to high school students.

2b. **(Secondary Schools) English:** Aurora High Schools English
Language curriculum is aligned with Ohio's Academic Content Standards,
the National Council of Teachers of English Standards, and the
International Reading Association Standards for English Language Arts.
The curriculum incorporates reading, writing, speaking, listening and
technology learning outcomes. Students are exposed to an array of print
and non-print materials. After school reading clubs provide students
opportunities to share and discuss what they have been reading and
writing. The school maintains well-stocked libraries. Reading and
writing extends throughout the content areas.

All high school students are benefiting from district-wide literacy in
the content area initiative. Research shows that being literate is
closely linked to one's ability to access ongoing quality post secondary
education and career pathway choices. Aurora Schools believe students
need to develop strong literacy skills beyond the state achievement test
requirements. In international comparisons of reading achievement, U.S.
11^th^ graders placed near the bottom, which contrasts with rankings in
4^th^ grade, where U.S. students place close to the top.

All content area teachers are responsible for integrating literacy
skills/strategies as part of their day-to-day classroom instruction. An
ACT publication described the lack of reading skills students have
exiting high school. Their claim is that students are not engaging in
higher reading materials nor have strategies that will help them be
successful in post-secondary options. All middle and high school content
area teachers are required to participate in the content literacy
professional development sessions throughout the school year. During the
2006-07 school year, the global language, fine arts and health teachers
are learning and applying strategies modeled by Dr. Forget through his
MAX teaching literacy sessions. The instructional strategies are
research-based and affect student achievement.

Marzanno (2001) reports data on meta-analyses of studies of nine
categories of classroom activities that work to improve student
achievement. His work suggests that significant achievement gains can
result from classroom activities that include:

-   identifying similarities and differences

-   summarizing and note taking

-   reinforcing effort and providing recognition

-   homework and practice

-   non-linguistic representation

-   cooperative learning

-   setting objectives

-   providing feedback

-   generating testing hypotheses

-   use of questions, cues and advanced organizers

Saphier (2005) states a generation of research (Dweck, 2000; Weiner,
1974) on attribution theory indicates that most low-performing students
have already concluded that their difficulty in reading, writing and
mathematics is attributable to low ability. In Aurora, the lowest-level
English track was eliminated. The English standards can be taught
through differentiated instructional strategies informed by teacher's
quarterly formative and summative assessment data. A pyramid of
identification and intervention structures is in place to support
students' academic literacy needs. These structures include before,
during and after school guided study periods and are modeled after
DuFour's strategies in *Whatever It Takes*.

3\. **Additional Curriculum Area:** The International Baccalaureate
Programme is a rigorous pre-university course of study designed for the
highly motivated student. The comprehensive two-year curriculum in
11^th^ and 12 grades focuses on a global approach to academic study.
Students who complete the IB curriculum enhance their chances for
admission to the country's most selective universities. Grades from both
internal and external assessments determine the final IB issued score.
Students are required to take the IB exams. This two-year program, for
juniors and seniors, requires extensive teacher training, planning and
coordination. There are fifteen IB course offerings.

The IB program is globally recognized and assures a standardized, high
level of achievement. All IB students enroll in Theory of Knowledge. The
focus of TOK is the student and the students' abilities to analyze and
think critically about the world around them. The course challenges the
student to question the basis of knowledge, gain an awareness of
subjective and ideological biases, develop the skills to analyze
evidence as expressed in rationale argument and engage in exploration of
other perspectives. TOK is taught within the spirit of free inquiry
using a primarily Socratic approach. TOK is the central element of the
IB Diploma Programme. Assessments for all students include both oral and
written work. This curriculum area supports 21^st^ century skills:
integration of learning skills, accessing and communicating information,
managing and solving problems, and thinking critically and creatively.

The IB program was referenced in the December 2006 *TIME* magazine
article titled *How to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20^th^ Century.* The
article describes what it means to be a global student. They assert that
"courses offer an international perspective, so even a lesson on the
American Revolution will interweave sources from Britain and France with
views from the Founding Fathers." "IB schools are growing in the
U.S.-from about 350 in 2000 to 682 today."

4\. **Instructional Methods:** It is the district's philosophy that most
students' needs are met through differentiated instruction; varying the
content, process and product within the classroom community.
"Differentiated instruction refers to a systematic approach to planning
curriculum and instruction for academically diverse learners. It is a
way of thinking about the classroom with the dual goals of honoring each
student's learning needs and maximizing each student's learning
capacity" (Tomlinson & Eidson, 2003). Teachers can differentiate through
a range of instructional and management strategies such as: tiered
lessons, learning contracts, group investigation, varied questioning
strategies.

The high school staff is developing a professional learning community
school culture. All members are learning to engage in the ongoing
practice that characterizes an organization committed to continuous
improvement. Teachers are learning how to work in matters directly
related to teaching and learning. The focus of professional learning
communities' centers on instruction, curriculum, assessment and
instructional strategies for improving student learning. Instructional
strategies emerge from responses to the following questions:

-   How will the PLC team respond when student do not learn?

-   How will the PLC team respond when students already know the
    content?

-   How will the PLC team know the students are on track with their
    learning?

**5. Professional Development**: Change does not occur overnight, and
the recognition of the time required to institutionalize change is
critical (National Staff Development Co uncil, 2000). Aurora High School
recognizes the importance of quality professional development
opportunities that are aligned with the district's initiatives. Quality
literacy program implementation requires an investment in both time and
training. Differentiated instruction is another district initiative that
requires on-going professional development for teachers. For example,
for the last three years, teachers are encouraged to attend a one week
summer institute on Dealing Effectively with Academic Diversity at the
University of Virginia. The goal of the institute is to prepare
classroom teachers and administrators to establish classrooms responsive
to the readiness levels, interests and learning profiles of students in
heterogeneous settings. Results-based professional development focuses
on student performance.

The district's professional development practices are grounded in Ohio
Standards for Professional Development and the National Staff
Development Councils' Standards for Staff Development. These standards
clearly state that in order for schools to be successful for all
students, continuous learning programming should exemplify:

-   Effective professional development that is purposeful and occurs
    over time.

-   Effective professional development that is informed by multiple
    sources of data.

-   Effective professional development that is collaborative.

-   Effective professional development that includes varied learning
    experiences.

-   Effective professional development that supports the acquisition and
    refinement of skills and knowledge.

-   Effective professional development that is evaluated by its
    short-and long-term impact on professional practice and student
    achievement. (Ohio Standards for Professional Development, 2006)

**PART VII - ASSESSMENT RESULTS**

  ----------------------- -------------- ----------- --------------- ----------- ----------- -----------
  **Subject:              **Grade: 9th**             **Test:                                 
  Mathematics**                                      Ninth-Grade                             
                                                     Ohio                                    
                                                     Proficiency                             
                                                     Test **                                 

  **Edition/Publication   ** **                      ** Publisher:                           
  Year: 2002-2003**                                  Ohio Department                         
                                                     of Education**                          

  ** **                                                                                      

                          **School Year                                                      
                          (March                                                             
                          Testing)**                                                         

  School Scores           2005-2006      2004-2005                   2003-2004   2002-2003   2001-2002

  \% At Proficient        The Ohio                                               92%         86%
                          Graduation                                                         
                          Test has                                                           
                          replaced the                                                       
                          Ninth-Grade                                                        
                          Proficiency                                                        
                          Test,                                                              
                          therefore this                                                     
                          test was not                                                       
                          administered                                                       
                          after the                                                          
                          2002-2003                                                          
                          school year                                                        

  \# students tested                                                             225         180

  percent of total                                                               100%        100%
  students tested                                                                            

                                                                                              

  Subgroup Scores                                                                2002-2003   2001-2002

                                                                                              

  Economically                                                                                
  Disadvantaged                                                                              

  \% At Proficient                                                               NC          87%

  \# students tested                                                             \<10        15

                                                                                              

                                                                                              

  Students with                                                                               
  Disabilities                                                                               

  \% At Proficient                                                               50%         64%

  \# students tested                                                             22          14

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

Other subgroup scores are not present because there were less than 10
students tested.

+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
| **Subject: Reading**   | **G   |   | ** |        |        |        |
|                        | rade: |   |  T |        |        |        |
|                        | 9th** |   | es |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | t: |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | N  |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | in |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | th |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | -G |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | ra |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | de |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | Oh |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | io |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | P  |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | ro |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | fi |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | ci |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | en |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | cy |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | Te |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | st |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | ** |        |        |        |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
| **Edition/Publication  | ** ** |   | *  |        |        |        |
| Year: 2002-2003**      |       |   | *  |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | Pu |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | bl |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | is |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | he |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | r: |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | Oh |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | io |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | De |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | pa |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | rt |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | me |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | nt |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | of |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | E  |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | du |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | ca |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | ti |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | on |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   | ** |        |        |        |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
| ** **                  | *     |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | *  ** |   |    |        |        |        |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
|                        | **S   |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | chool |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | Year  |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | (     |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | March |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | Testi |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | ng)** |   |    |        |        |        |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
| School Scores          | 2005  | 2 |    | 200    | 200    | 200    |
|                        | -2006 | 0 |    | 3-2004 | 2-2003 | 1-2002 |
|                        |       | 0 |    |        |        |        |
|                        |       | 4 |    |        |        |        |
|                        |       | - |    |        |        |        |
|                        |       | 2 |    |        |        |        |
|                        |       | 0 |    |        |        |        |
|                        |       | 0 |    |        |        |        |
|                        |       | 5 |    |        |        |        |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
| \% At Proficient       | The   |   |    |        | 94%    | 96%    |
|                        | Ohio  |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | Gradu |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | ation |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | Test  |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | has   |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | rep   |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | laced |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | the   |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | N     |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | inth- |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | Grade |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | P     |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | rofic |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | iency |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | Test, |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | ther  |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | efore |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | this  |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | test  |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | was   |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | not   |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | ad    |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | minis |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | tered |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | after |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | the   |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        |       |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | 2002  |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | -2003 |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | s     |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | chool |   |    |        |        |        |
|                        | year  |   |    |        |        |        |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
| \# students tested     |       |   |    |        | 225    | 180    |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
| percent of total       |       |   |    |        |  100%  |  100%  |
| students tested        |       |   |    |        |        |        |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
|                        |       |   |    |        |        |        |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
|                        |       |   |    |        |        |        |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
| Subgroup Scores        |       |   |    |        | 200    | 200    |
|                        |       |   |    |        | 2-2003 | 1-2002 |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
|                        |       |   |    |        |        |        |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
| Economically           |       |   |    |        |        |        |
| Disadvantaged          |       |   |    |        |        |        |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
| \% At Proficient       |       |   |    |        | NC     | 93%    |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
| \# students tested     |       |   |    |        | \<10   | 15     |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
|                        |       |   |    |        |        |        |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
|                        |       |   |    |        |        |        |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
| Students with          |       |   |    |        |        |        |
| Disabilities           |       |   |    |        |        |        |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
| \% At Proficient       |       |   |    |        | 50%    | 79%    |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
| \# students tested     |       |   |    |        | 22     | 14     |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+
|                        |       |   |    |        |        |        |
+------------------------+-------+---+----+--------+--------+--------+

Other subgroup scores are not present because there were less than 10
students tested.

  ------------------------ -------------- ----------- -------------- ----------- ----------- -----------
  **Subject: Mathematics** **Grade: 10**              **Test:                                
                                                      Ninth-Grade                            
                                                      Ohio                                   
                                                      Proficiency                            
                                                      Test**                                 

  **Edition/Publication                               **Publisher:                           
  Year: 2003-2004**                                   Ohio                                   
                                                      Department of                          
                                                      Education**                            

  ** **                    **  **                                                            

                           **School Year                                                     
                           (March                                                            
                           Testing)**                                                        

  School Scores            2005-2006      2004-2005                  2003-2004   2002-2003   2001-2002

  \% At Proficient         The Ohio                                  100%        94%         98%
                           Graduation                                                        
                           Test has                                                          
                           replaced the                                                      
                           Ninth-Grade                                                       
                           Proficiency                                                       
                           Test,                                                             
                           therefore this                                                    
                           test was not                                                      
                           administered                                                      
                           after the                                                         
                           2003-2004                                                         
                           school year                                                       

  \# students tested                                                 206         167         215

  percent of total                                                   100%        100%        100%
  students tested                                                                            

                                                                                              

                                                                                              

                                                                                              

  Subgroup Scores                                                    2003-2004   2002-2003   2001-2002

                                                                                              

  Economically                                                                                
  Disadvantaged                                                                              

  \% At Proficient                                                   NC          NC          100%

  \# students tested                                                 \<10        \<10        10

                                                                                              

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

Other subgroup scores are not present because there were less than 10
students tested.

Students who did not pass this portion (Mathematics) of the Ninth-Grade
Proficiency Test had to retake it in tenth grade. The total \# of
students tested line would include all potential students for the
purpose of determining proper percentages and does not reflect the
number of students who took this test due to failing it in the ninth
grade.

  ------------------------ -------------- ----------- --------------- ----------- ----------- -----------
  **Subject: Reading**     **Grade: 10**              **Test:                                 
                                                      Ninth-Grade                             
                                                      Ohio                                    
                                                      Proficiency                             
                                                      Test**                                  

  **Edition/Publication    ** **                      ** Publisher:                           
  Year: 2003-2004**                                   Ohio Department                         
                                                      of Education **                         

  ** **                    ** **                                                              

                           **School Year                                                      
                           (March                                                             
                           Testing)**                                                         

  School Scores            2005-2006      2004-2005                   2003-2004   2002-2003   2001-2002

  \% At Proficient         The Ohio                                   100%        99%         100%
                           Graduation                                                         
                           Test has                                                           
                           replaced the                                                       
                           Ninth-Grade                                                        
                           Proficiency                                                        
                           Test,                                                              
                           therefore this                                                     
                           test was not                                                       
                           administered                                                       
                           after the                                                          
                           2003-2004                                                          
                           school year                                                        

  \# students tested                                                  206         167         215

  percent of total                                                    100%        100%        100%
  students tested                                                                             

                                                                                               

  Subgroup Scores                                                     2003-2004   2002-2003   2001-2002

                                                                                               

  Economically                                                                                 
  Disadvantaged                                                                               

  \% At or Above Below                                                NC          NC          100%
  Proficient                                                                                  

  \% At Proficient                                                    NC          NC          100%

  \# students tested                                                  \<10        \<10        10

                                                                                               

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

Other subgroup scores are not present because there were less than 10
students tested.

Students who did not pass this portion (Reading) of the Ninth-Grade
Proficiency Test had to retake it in tenth grade. The total \# of
students tested line would include all potential students for the
purpose of determining proper percentages and does not reflect the
number of students who took this test due to failing it in the ninth
grade.

  ----------------------- ------------ ----------- --------------- ----------- -------------- -----------
  **Subject:              **Grade:                 **Test: Ohio                               
  Mathematics**           10**                     Graduation                                 
                                                   Test**                                     

  **Edition/Publication   ** **                    ** Publisher:                              
  Year: 2005-2006**                                Ohio Department                            
                                                   of Education**                             

  ** **                   **  **                                                              

                          **School                                                            
                          Year (March                                                         
                          Testing)**                                                          

  School Scores           2005-2006    2004-2005                   2003-2004   2002-2003      2001-2002

  \% At or Above          99%          96%                         84%         The 10^th^     
  Proficient                                                                   Grade Ohio     
                                                                               Graduation     
                                                                               Test was not   
                                                                               administered   
                                                                               prior to the   
                                                                               2003-2004      
                                                                               school year.   

  \% At or Above          81%          80%                         56%                        
  Accelerated                                                                                 

  \% At Advanced          59%          46%                         34%                        

  \# students tested      221          223                         220                        

  percent of total        100%         100%                        100%                       
  students tested                                                                             

  \# students             4            5                           0                          
  alternatively assessed                                                                      

  percent of students      2%          2%                          0%                         
  alternatively assessed                                                                      

                                                                                              

                                                                                              

  Subgroup Scores         2005-2006    2004-2005                   2003-2004                  

                                                                                              

  Economically                                                                                
  Disadvantaged                                                                               

  \% At or Above          NC           NC                          60%                        
  Proficient                                                                                  

  \% At or Above          NC           NC                          40%                        
  Accelerated                                                                                 

  \% At Advanced          NC           NC                          30%                        

  \# students tested      \<10         \<10                        10                         

                                                                                              

                                                                                              

  Students with                                                                               
  Disabilities                                                                                

  \% At or Above          94%          82%                         38%                        
  Proficient                                                                                  

  \% At or Above          61%          61%                         5%                         
  Accelerated                                                                                 

  \% At Advanced          17%          14%                         0%                         

  \# students tested      18           28                          21                         

                                                                                              

                                                                                              

  African American/Black                                                                      

  \% At or Above          91%          NC                          NC                         
  Proficient                                                                                  

  \% At or Above          55%          NC                          NC                         
  Accelerated                                                                                 

  \% At Advanced          36%          NC                          NC                         

  \# students tested      11           \<10                        \<10                       
  ----------------------- ------------ ----------- --------------- ----------- -------------- -----------

  ------------------------ ------------- --------------- ----------- -------------- -----------
  **Subject: Reading**     **Grade: 10** ** Test: Ohio                              
                                         Graduation                                 
                                         Test**                                     

  **Edition/Publication    ** **         ** Publisher:                              
  Year: 2005-2006**                      Ohio Department                            
                                         of Education**                             

  ** **                                                                             

                           **School Year                                            
                           (March                                                   
                           Testing)**                                               

  School Scores            2005-2006     2004-2005       2003-2004   2002-2003      2001-2002

  \% At or Above           100%          100%            87%         The 10^th^     
  Proficient                                                         Grade Ohio     
                                                                     Graduation     
                                                                     Test was not   
                                                                     administered   
                                                                     prior to the   
                                                                     2003-2004      
                                                                     school year    

  \% At or Above           86%           87%             73%                        
  Accelerated                                                                       

  \% At Advanced           42%           48%             41%                        

  \# students tested       221           223             219                        

  percent of total         100%          100%            100%                       
  students tested                                                                   

  \# students              4             5               0                          
  alternatively assessed                                                            

  percent of students      2%            2%              0%                         
  alternatively assessed                                                            

                                                                                    

                                                                                    

  Subgroup Scores          2005-2006     2004-2005       2003-2004                  

                                                                                    

  Economically                                                                      
  Disadvantaged                                                                     

  \% At or Above           NC            NC              80%                        
  Proficient                                                                        

  \% At or Above           NC            NC              60%                        
  Accelerated                                                                       

  \% At Advanced           NC            NC              10%                        

  \# students tested       \<10          \<10            10                         

                                                                                    

                                                                                    

  Students with                                                                     
  Disabilities                                                                      

  \% At or Above           100%          96%             43%                        
  Proficient                                                                        

  \% At or Above           72%           57%             10%                        
  Accelerated                                                                       

  \% At Advanced           11%           14%             5%                         

  \# students tested       18            28              21                         

                                                                                    

                                                                                    

  African American/Black                                                            

  \% At or Above           100%          NC              NC                         
  Proficient                                                                        

  \% At or Above           82%           NC              NC                         
  Accelerated                                                                       

  \% At Advanced           36%           NC              NC                         

  \# students tested       11            \<10            \<10                       
  ------------------------ ------------- --------------- ----------- -------------- -----------