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

*U.S. Department of Education*

**Cover Sheet** Type of School: \[ **x** \] Elementary \[ \] Middle \[
\] High \[ \] K-12 \[ \] Charter

Name of Principal [Mrs. Kimberly Quentin]{.underline}

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

Official School Name [Brennan Woods Elementary School]{.underline}

(As it should appear in the official records)

School Mailing Address [4630 Brennan Road]{.underline}

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

[High Ridge Missouri 63049-1811]{.underline}

City State Zip Code+4 (9 digits total)

[County Jefferson]{.underline} State School Code Number\*
[050001]{.underline}

Telephone [(636) 677-3400]{.underline} Fax [(636) 677-5440]{.underline}

Web site/URL **[www.nwr1.k12.mo.us](http://www.nwr1.k12.mo.us/)** E-mail
**<kquentin@nwr1.k12.mo.us>**

I have reviewed the information in this application, including the
eligibility requirements on page 2, and certify that to the best of my
knowledge all information is accurate.

Date\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

(Principal's Signature)

Name of Superintendent\* [Dr. John A. Urkevich]{.underline}

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

District Name [Northwest R-I School District]{.underline} Tel. [(636)
677-3473]{.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 [Mrs. Victoria Presnell]{.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 with one principal, even K-12 schools, must apply as an
    entire school.)

2.  The school has not been in school improvement status or been
    identified by the state as \"persistently dangerous\" within the
    last two years. To meet final eligibility, the school must meet the
    state's adequate yearly progress requirement in the 2005-2006 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 2000 and has not received the 2003, 2004, or 2005
    *No Child Left Behind -- Blue Ribbon Schools Award.*

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

6.  The OCR has not issued a violation letter of findings to the school
    district concluding that the nominated school or the district as a
    whole has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes. A
    violation letter of findings will not be considered outstanding if
    the OCR has accepted a corrective action plan from the district to
    remedy the violation.

7.  The U.S. Department of Justice does not have a pending suit alleging
    that the nominated school, or the school district as a whole, has
    violated one or more of the civil rights statutes or the
    Constitution\'s equal protection clause.

8.  There are no findings of violations of the Individuals with
    Disabilities Education Act in a U.S. Department of Education
    monitoring report that apply to the school or school district in
    question; or if there are such findings, the state or district has
    corrected, or agreed to correct, the findings.

**PART II ‑ DEMOGRAPHIC DATA**

**All data are the most recent year available.**

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

1\. Number of schools in the district: [9]{.underline} Elementary
schools

[1]{.underline} Middle schools

[0]{.underline} Junior high schools

[1]{.underline} High schools

[0]{.underline} Other

[11 TOTAL]{.underline}

2\. District Per Pupil Expenditure: [\$8,442]{.underline}

Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: [\$8,221]{.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
>
> \[ **x** \] Suburban
>
> \[ \] Small city or town in a rural area
>
> \[ \] Rural

4\. [**5**]{.underline} Number of years the principal has been in
her/his position at this school.

[**NA**]{.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**

  **Pre-K**                                                 **7**                              

  **K**       39        41                     80           8                                  

  **1**       40        29                     69           9                                  

  **2**       54        38                     92           10                                 

  **3**       46        45                     91           11                                 

  **4**       46        46                     92           12                                 

  **5**                                                     Other                              

  **6**                                                                                        

                                    TOTAL                                                      424
                                    STUDENTS                                                   
                                    IN THE                                                     
                                    APPLYING                                                   
                                    SCHOOL                                                     
  ----------- --------- ----------- ---------- --------- -- ----------- ---------- ----------- ---------

6\. Racial/ethnic composition of [98]{.underline} % White

the school: [2]{.underline} % Black or African American

[0]{.underline} % Hispanic or Latino

[0]{.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:
[14]{.underline} %

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

  ------------------------- --------------------------- ------------------
  **(1)**                   Number of students who      25
                            transferred ***to*** the    
                            school after October 1      
                            until the end of the year   

  **(2)**                   Number of students who      36
                            transferred ***from*** the  
                            school after October 1      
                            until the end of the year   

  **(3)**                   Total of all transferred    61
                            students \[sum of rows (1)  
                            and (2)\]                   

  **(4)**                   Total number of students in 424
                            the school as of October 1  

  **(5)**                   Total transferred students  0.143
                            in row (3) divided by total 
                            students in row (4)         

  **(6)**                   Amount in row (5)           14
                            multiplied by 100           
  ------------------------- --------------------------- ------------------

8\. Limited English Proficient students in the school: [1]{.underline} %

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

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

Specify languages: Spanish, Korean, German & Polish

9\. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: [41]{.underline} %

Total number students who qualify: [172]{.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: [14]{.underline} %

[61]{.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.

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

[0]{.underline} Deafness [15]{.underline} Other Health Impaired

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

[7]{.underline} Emotional Disturbance [33]{.underline} Speech or
Language Impairment

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

> [4]{.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) [1]{.underline} [0]{.underline}

Classroom teachers [20]{.underline} [0]{.underline}

Special resource teachers/specialists [14]{.underline} [0]{.underline}

Paraprofessionals [9]{.underline} [0]{.underline}

> Support staff [6]{.underline} [8]{.underline}
>
> Total number [50]{.underline} [8]{.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 [21:1]{.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%         95%         95%         95%         95%

  Daily teacher attendance  97%         95%         93%         95%         94%

  Teacher turnover rate     3%          7%          3%          10%         7%

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

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

**[PART III ‑ SUMMARY]{.underline}**

Perched on top of a hill overlooking the small suburban community of
High Ridge, Missouri, is Brennan Woods Elementary. It is located in the
northwest corner of Jefferson County, part of the Northwest R-1 School
District. This growing, yet transient district has received, for the
past four years, the Distinction in Performance award, which is the
highest award the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
(DESE) can bestow on Missouri school districts.

"All children will learn, Whatever it takes, No excuses," is the mission
our school embraces to ensure that the needs of all children are met.
The smiling faces of 424 students are welcomed each day by a caring
staff that supports and encourages every child in a positive and
nurturing environment. Developing a partnership with our parents and
others in the learning community also creates the climate of teamwork
and responsibility. Our school implements and supports our district
mission to produce, in partnership with our community, lifelong
learners. This is achieved by providing an equitable, quality,
multifaceted education which develops whole individuals. These
individuals are prepared to meet the challenges of a changing global
community and create a positive future.

Brennan Woods Elementary educates a socioeconomically diverse student
body in kindergarten through fourth grade. We provide a wide variety of
programs including the Center for the Academically Talented Students,
special education, emotionally disturbed, English as a Second Language
and Title 1 Reading Resource. These programs supplement and support the
regular education classroom. The use of technology advances our learning
and is immersed in our curriculum. High expectations are important for
everyone in the Brennan Woods Elementary learning community. Working
together on site-based strategic planning teams, teachers develop plans
of action to address student learning and determine effective
instructional practices for at-risk students. Our CHARACTERplus program
helps to nurture and create a warm and safe environment where children
learn to treat others with respect and dignity. Like spokes of a wheel,
our school community is unified in its effort to have each child be
successful, regardless of socioeconomic status or background.

Because of our unifying goals and mission, Brennan Woods is one of the
top ten performing elementary schools in Missouri. On the 2006 Missouri
Assessment Program, Brennan Woods ranked third in the state of Missouri
out of 1,165 elementary schools in the area of third grade mathematics.
This placed Brennan Woods as the top performing St. Louis area school
for third grade mathematics. Also, Brennan Woods was the top performing
school in Jefferson County in third grade communication arts.

Our success is due, in part, to the highly dedicated and motivated
individuals at Brennan Woods Elementary. A majority of our staff is
seeking or has completed advanced degrees through local university
course work. Additionally, teachers, support staff and parents
generously donate their time and efforts for annual events that have
become traditions at Brennan Woods. Some of these yearly activities
include a Veteran's Day community assembly and breakfast, caroling
kindergarteners at a local nursing home, computer club, field/sport day,
literacy nights and a grandparent's luau.

Striving for the best and achieving excellence for every child is the
core theme at Brennan Woods. The entire learning community of students,
teachers, administrators and parents join together to accomplish these
shared goals.

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

1.  **Assessment Results:**

Since 2001, Missouri has used the rigorous Missouri Assessment Program
(MAP) tests as its performance assessment to meet the No Child Left
Behind Act (NCLB) accountability requirements. Annual tests are mandated
for all students in grades 3-8 and 11 in Communication Arts and grades
3-8 and 10 in Mathematics (2006 NCLB requirement). Both tests include
selected response, constructed response (supply an answer), and
performance events (more complex items). Prior to 2006, student scores
were placed into the 5 achievement levels ranging from Step 1 (lowest)
to Advanced (highest). In 2006, Missouri realigned the achievement
levels from 5 to 4 to mirror the National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP) which are listed below. Also, beginning with the 2006
test administration, the achievement level ranges were re-calibrated to
align with NAEP standards. Information on the Missouri Assessment
Program may be accessed at [*www.dese.mo.us*](http://www.dese.mo.us/)

Below Basic: Students are substantially behind in meeting Grade Level
Expectations and demonstrate only a minimal understanding of fundamental
concepts and content knowledge.

Basic: Students understand key concepts, but their application of that
knowledge is limited.

Proficient: This is the minimum desired level for all students. Students
demonstrate the knowledge and skills called for by the Show-Me standards
and Grade Level Expectations.

Advanced: Students demonstrate in-depth understanding of content
specific concepts and apply that knowledge in complex ways beyond grade
level expectations.

Under NCLB, Missouri set its ambitious standards for meeting Adequate
Yearly Progress (AYP) in terms of the percentage of students scoring in
the top two achievement levels (Proficient and Advanced). Data Tables 1
and 2 show Missouri's target percentage to meet 100% proficiency by
2014, the state's averages for third and fourth grade students in
Communication Arts and Mathematics, and Brennan Woods Elementary
School's third and fourth grade student performance data. All data is
disaggregated according to NCLB subgroups and analyzed to identify
achievement gaps that may exist and to develop an action plan to address
the gaps in performance.

Table 1 - Communication Arts: Brennan Woods' third grade students
consistently exceeded NCLB AYP targets and outperformed their peers in
the state for the last three years. Table 1 shows that, overall, Brennan
Woods' students have exceeded the NCLB targets for the last five years
and by more than 37% for the last 3 years. Brennan Woods' students have
shown consistent improvement at the same time, increasing from 25% in
scoring Proficient or Advanced in 2002 to 73% in 2006. In 3 out of the
last 5 years, Brennan Woods' students with disabilities or who are
economically disadvantaged consistently exceeded state averages in those
subgroups. Over the last 5 years, white students and economically
disadvantaged students have shown 46 and 47 percentage point increases
respectively, while students with disabilities have shown a 41-
percentage point increase over the same time period.

Table 2 -- Mathematics: Brennan Woods' third grade students
significantly exceeded NCLB AYP targets and outperformed their peers in
the state in 2006 in all accountable subgroups. The third grade
mathematics test was administered for the first time in the state of
Missouri in 2006. The state accountability tests for mathematics, from
1998-2005, were administered in grades four, eight and ten as grade-span
tests. In 2006, due to NCLB, the state mathematics test was administered
to students in grades three through eight and ten. Therefore, only one
year of data is available for reporting purposes.

Table 3 - Mathematics: Overall, Brennan Woods' fourth grade students
exceeded the NCLB AYP goals, have shown dramatic and consistent
progress, and out-performed their Missouri peers in every subgroup level
except the students with disabilities subgroup (met or exceeded state
peer percentages in 4 out of 5 years). Since 2002, Brennan Woods'
percentage of students in the top two levels has increased from 29% to
71%, which is more than two times higher than each year's NCLB targets
(3 times higher in 4 out of 5 years). When disaggregated, the data shows
that Brennan Woods' subgroups have met or exceeded NCLB targets each
year. In 4 out of the last 5 years, Brennan Woods' students with
disabilities or who are economically disadvantaged have consistently met
or exceeded state averages in those subgroups. Over the last 5 years,
white students and economically disadvantaged students have shown 44 and
55 percentage point increases respectively, while students with
disabilities have shown a 12-percentage point increase over the same
time period. An achievement gap exists between the students with
disabilities subgroup as compared to the other subgroups (39%).

Table 4 -- Communication Arts: Brennan Woods' fourth grade students
exceeded NCLB AYP targets and outperformed their peers in the state in
2006 in all accountable subgroups except students with disabilities. An
achievement gap exists between the students with disabilities subgroup
as compared to the other subgroups (31%). The fourth grade communication
arts test was administered for the first time in the state of Missouri
in 2006. The state accountability tests for communication arts, from
1998-2005, were administered in grades three, seven and eleven as
grade-span tests. In 2006, due to NCLB, the state communication arts
test was administered to students in grades three through eight and
eleven. Therefore, only one year of data is available for reporting
purposes.

**2. Using Assessment Results:**

Extensive training in the ongoing process of analyzing assessment data
and how to use data to make instructional and programmatic changes to
improve student performance is included in Brennan Woods' professional
development plan.

A number of local, state and national assessments are used to
extrapolate student performance data to analyze. Data from the
Stanford-9 (SAT-9), Missouri Assessment Program (MAP), Developmental
Reading Assessment (DRA), Diagnostic Online Reading Assessment (DORA)
and locally developed Grade Level Expectation (GLE) weekly formative
assessments are used throughout the year to make identified
instructional changes.

The principal, grade level and special education teachers and the
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction meet every 2-3
weeks beginning in September as a professional learning group to analyze
assessment data to improve the instructional process. As data is
analyzed and areas of improvement are identified, the professional
learning group works to develop instructional strategies to improve
identified areas. Teachers use the developed strategies and students are
locally reassessed. These results are reported to the professional
learning group at the next meeting for continued analysis. Feedback and
follow-through are key to successful changes.

The group will provide the data to answer the following questions: 1)
Which local assessment questions did the students answer correctly, 2)
Which local assessment questions did the students answer incorrectly, 3)
What processes led them to their answers and 4) What are we going to do
if students do not learn? Conversations with students about their
learning will produce the answers to questions one and two. These
answers will identify effective and ineffective instructional strategies
and pinpoint any gaps that may exist in the district curriculum. Needed
instructional changes are made to meet the learning needs of each
student to address question four.

2.  **Communicating Assessment Results**:

Engagement of the community and involvement of parents is a top priority
at Brennan Woods Elementary. Our staff hosts numerous school/community
events to celebrate successes and to communicate expectations and
assessment results. Assessment results are reported to parents on a
continual basis.

To increase awareness of Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) expectations,
we invite the community to attend our annual MAP night that allows
students and parents to sample MAP activities. Following the arrival of
MAP results, students are rewarded based on their results with an annual
MAP celebration and picnic. MAP celebration night is a formal ceremony
where each student scoring advanced or proficient is recognized
individually for their accomplishments. The MAP picnic offers students,
parents and the community the opportunity to informally celebrate the
school's results. Each grade level holds a curriculum night to inform
parents of grade level curriculum expectations and instructional
strategies. One hundred percent participation is required at parent
teacher conferences, which are held to inform parents of their child's
progress and to explain the results of their child's test scores for the
Stanford 9 and MAP assessments. If a student's parents/guardians are
unable to attend parent teacher conferences, a home visit is scheduled
and completed. The local media is invited and regularly reports on the
events occurring within our school.

Brennan Woods Elementary uses a variety of methods to inform parents and
the community of student and school performance. All teachers provide a
weekly newsletter to keep parents informed of upcoming assessments. Each
quarter, parents receive report cards and progress reports. Honor roll
achievements are published in the community newspapers. We submit
information, including testing data for inclusion in the district's
NewSource Publication that is mailed bi-annually to all district
residents.

Updated technology assists Brennan Woods when informing parents and the
community of assessment data and student achievement. Prompt interaction
is made possible through an automated parent notification telephone
software system and individual staff e-mail accounts. Building
accomplishments are posted on the school and district website
([www.nwr1.k12.mo.us](http://www.nwr1.k12.mo.us/)). The annual District
Report Card is available for review on the Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education's website
([www.dese.mo.gov](http://www.dese.mo.gov/)). Brennan Woods Elementary
believes communication is a cornerstone for improving student
achievement and maintaining community involvement.

**4. Sharing Success:**

Sharing effective practices is key in cultivating a vital and dynamic
educational community. Brennan Woods Elementary has had the privilege of
hosting state legislators, administrators both in and out of the
district, college professors and students, as well as fellow educators
from all grade levels in order to observe our teachers and students in
action. The staff presents to administrative groups such as the Missouri
Association of Elementary School Principals', Aspiring Principals'
Academy, Key Communicators' Committee and Northwest R-1 School District
Board of Education. Successes are presented by our teachers and shared
throughout the district during professional development, curriculum and
MAP committee meetings. Also, release time is provided for teachers to
visit other schools and share successful strategies. Numerous lesson
plans prepared by members of our staff have been published on the
Missouri statewide lesson plan network (SuccessLink). In addition,
Brennan Woods Elementary is frequently requested to act as the
cooperating school for student teacher preparation.

In the future, Brennan Woods Elementary will continue to be an active
leader with and for the education community. Presentations by our staff
throughout the district, county and state will continue to be a means of
communication. Due to the constant advances in technology, we will serve
as one of our district's "alpha" sites to put our fourth grade students
in touch with fourth grade students in other parts of the country and
the world through live video.

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

**1. Curriculum**:

Brennan Woods Elementary follows the board of education approved
curricula for kindergarten through grade four that is written and
revised by district staff members on a regularly scheduled cycle. The
courses follow state guidelines from the Missouri School Improvement
Program (MSIP) and the Missouri Show-Me Standards which promote high
expectations through a blending of thirty-three performance and forty
knowledge standards, the state frameworks and the state grade level
expectations in the core areas of communication arts, mathematics,
science, social studies, fine arts, health and physical education and
also in the areas of library and guidance. In addition to state
touchstone tasks (Wiggins and McTighe, 1998), the curricula include
local benchmark objectives. Through grade-level teams, Brennan Woods
Elementary School administers regular assessments to determine levels of
understanding. These assessments are used to target inquiry-based
learning as we develop students who are well-prepared for further
education and responsibilities.

The communication arts/reading curricula contain the major strands of
listening, viewing, speaking, reading, writing and information gathering
and research. The math curricula build understanding of number sense,
geometry and spatial sense, algebraic principles and discrete math
skills through extensive use of manipulatives, modeling and real-world
examples. Both of these curricula are central to the educational program
for Brennan Woods' students and are explained in detail in question two
and three.

The science curricula demonstrate inquiry-based learning beginning with
developing observation skills with the environment, living and nonliving
objects, types of matter and weather to using the steps of the
scientific process to understand and classify objects by their
properties, changes in living organisms and nonliving forms, explaining
scientific principles, such as gravitation, magnetism, force and motion,
growth cycles, habitats, the food chain, the transfer of energy and to
develop hypotheses and study projects for in-depth discovery learning.

The social studies curricula progress from developing an awareness of
communities, citizenship, cultures, rules, environment, and economics at
kindergarten to identifying family, places, historical figures and
events, a positive self-concept and how to work together at first grade.
Second grade students learn to explain geographic components of an area,
the key elements of the economic system, democratic decision-making
processes, to rights and responsibilities as citizens including
cooperation, compromise, and responsible behaviors in third grade.
Fourth grade students explore events, people, documents of the formation
of the United States and the basic principles and components of
democratic government, the Westward Expansion, with an extensive
emphasis on Missouri history, regional differences and interdependence
and interpret maps using coordinates, symbols and keys. Learning
activities include in-depth discussions, dramatizations, model building,
mock elections, and real-world problem solving through cooperative
groups and individual projects.

The art curricula develop awareness of design elements of color, shape,
forms, textures, and media, as well as an appreciation of artists,
styles and art history. Individual creativity is encouraged. The music
curricula develop an understanding of vocabulary, notation and ability
to produce chorally and instrumentally. Both develop an appreciation for
their value and their world-wide cultural contributions.

Health and physical education curricula promote healthy lifestyles
through the introduction and refinement of basic movement skills in
individual and group fitness, aerobics and sports activities, and
developing awareness of body systems and their functions, nutrition and
the use of major food groups, safety and disease prevention. Students
also develop ability to cooperate and participate with peers in group
activities.

The library media center curricula develop ability to effectively use
the library resources for finding and gathering information and
conducting research, such as using a dictionary, encyclopedia, almanac
and the Internet. Students also develop affectively with increased
interest in reading.

The guidance curricula follow the Missouri Model Guidance Program to
develop strategies of cooperation, problem-solving and other character
education topics that improve student achievement. In addition, career
awareness is promoted to establish a foundation for planning options to
consider throughout the educational process.

**2. Reading:**

Brennan Woods follows a balanced literacy approach with integrated
reading and writing in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency
and comprehension. All teachers, kindergarten through second grade, are
trained in the Pathways to Reading phonemic awareness program which is
the baseline of our language development. The skills include letter and
sound naming, writing, segmenting, blending, onset and rimes, as well as
explicit phonics for all major letter-sound correspondences for word
spelling, developing strong decoding skills and sight word reading.
Then, students progress through each grade level using the components to
develop comprehension of word work, to build vocabulary through root
words, affixes and word families. Guided reading and writing, shared
reading and writing, and independent reading and writing in fiction and
nonfiction genres including poetry, drama and technical materials are
utilized. The reading curricula include use of text features, explaining
literary devices, such as figurative language, analyzing and using text
elements, such as setting, characters, sequence of events, problem,
solution, author's purpose and audience. Skills for comprehension
include retelling, recognizing important information, identifying cause
and effect, drawing conclusions, making inferences, summarizing and
comparing and contrasting texts. By the fourth grade, the writing
objectives include the development of the writing process, grammar,
spelling and production of narrative, expository and persuasive forms.
Handwriting is included with manuscript mastered at third and cursive
introduced at second grade and mastered at fourth. The communication
arts curricula develop strategies for effective listening, viewing and
speaking through engaging individual and collaborative projects and
presentations and the use of technology such as CDs, SMART Boards,
projectors and guest speakers. Finally, the curricula include skills
from the information literacy strand, which is strongly reinforced
through the library media center curricula, to develop research skills
using keywords, various resources to find information and identify and
record main ideas and important details with credit for sources. Brennan
Woods Elementary School incorporates in-depth discussions, peer
evaluations, question and answer sessions and written summaries as
outlined in the sample learning activities in all of their curricula.

**3. Mathematics:**

The math curricula build understanding of math concepts and
problem-solving skills in six major strands: (1) number sense and
operations including estimation, (2) geometric and spatial awareness
involving measurement, similarity and transformations of shapes, (3)
data and probability, (4) patterns and relationships, (5) measurement
and (6) algebraic relationships. Elementary level students progress from
recognizing and writing numbers to 100, using coins to 99 cents,
recognizing and writing basic fractions, identifying patterns, finding
word clues in problems and knowing math facts to 20 at first grade to
interpreting data, creating graphs and tables, measuring area,
perimeter, weight, temperature and volume in standard and metric units,
telling elapsed time, applying three place multipliers and divisors for
whole numbers and decimals, comparing fractions, using calculators and
applying multi-step problem-solving skills at fourth grade. Brennan
Woods Elementary School has also incorporated strategies and learning
activities from the district endorsed author, Marilyn Burns, *About
Teaching Mathematics*. Our curricula include opportunities to develop
problem solving as a primary focus through exploration and discovery
processes to move from the paper-and-pencil drill of arithmetic
worksheets to using real-life problems. Strategies developed are
"looking for a pattern, constructing a table, making an organized list,
acting it out, drawing a picture, using objects, working backwards,
writing an equation, solving a simpler or similar problem and making a
model." (Burns, 2000, p. 19) The school uses discussions, peer
evaluations, question generating and writing with math to develop
in-depth learning.

**4. Instructional Methods:**

Brennan Woods Elementary serves a socioeconomically diverse population.
We believe the needs of our students are best served through teacher
flexibility and practical application in the classroom. In order for
meaningful lessons to be tailored to each student's individual needs,
our teachers realize that instructional techniques must be evaluated for
their efficacy in facilitating student achievement. Instruction is
student centered with an emphasis on how students learn, paired with
specific strategies geared towards the development of a student's mind,
body, and character.

Instructional methods incorporate a wide variety of strategies and
programs to help students meet accountability standards and beyond.
Brennan Woods Elementary utilizes a balanced approach to student
learning. Academic programs include Pathways to Learning, Balanced
Literacy, Six-Plus One Writing Traits and hands on activities. Programs
to promote character education include CHARACTERplus, PeaceBuilders,
attendance incentives, principal "preferral" lunches and the Missouri
Model Guidance Program. Technology is a fast-growing instructional
method and is a required part of the instructional process. Teachers at
Brennan Woods work to keep their students competitive with technological
programs such as Orchard Math, Accelerated Reader and Kidspiration.
Students also receive instruction on how to use the internet for
interactive learning through webquests and cyberhunts. By using the
various realms, student lessons are refined to motivate and promote
student learning.

**5. Professional Development:**

Professional development is an integral part of keeping instructional
skills sharp, effective, and attuned to ever-changing methods, as well
as the educational needs of today's students. Throughout the duration of
a teacher's career, professional improvement is available through
numerous opportunities. Over fifty-six (56.3%) of the teachers at
Brennan Woods Elementary have completed advanced degrees and several
others are in the process of completing coursework for an advanced
degree. Time is provided monthly for teachers throughout the district to
engage in professional teaming vertically and horizontally across grade
levels and department/subject areas.

Our building's professional development committee provides various
presenters to enhance focused instruction and achieve our building
goals. Presentations include 6-Trait Analytical Writing Model, Four
Block writing, Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), best practices,
Pathways to Reading phonemic awareness program, Missouri Regional
Facilitators for data analysis and Marilyn Burns' *About Teaching
Mathematics* training. Faculty meetings are instructionally based and
center on such activities as vertical teaming, core data analysis,
reviewing curriculum, differentiated instruction as well as celebrating
successes. On an individual basis, teachers attend workshops to increase
knowledge and refine their skills to improve student performance. These
teachers then share their knowledge with colleagues through professional
dialogue and collaboration. This sharing occurs during faculty meetings
and at weekly grade-level team meetings. Other professional development
activities include book studies, peer teaching, and inter-district
collaboration.

The atmosphere at Brennan Woods encourages collaboration among the
faculty and staff. One can easily observe the Brennan Woods' school
culture of collaboration and strong support demonstrated by the Brennan
Woods family.

## [PART VII - ASSESSMENT RESULTS]{.underline} 

## Table 1

*Brennan Woods Elementary*

**Grade 3 Communication Arts**

Subject [**Communication Arts**]{.underline} Grade [**3**]{.underline}
Test [**Communication Arts**]{.underline}

Edition/Publication Year [**1998-2006**]{.underline} Publisher
[**CTB/McGraw-Hill**]{.underline}

State Tests

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

  State Adequately Yearly  35          27          20          19          18
  Progress (AYP) Goal --                                                   
  Communication Arts                                                       

  State AYP Average for    44          30          30          30          31
  Proficient or Advanced                                                   
  -- Communication Arts                                                    

  Testing month            April       April       April       April       April

  *SCHOOL SCORES*                                                          

  Percent Advanced &       73          65          57          22          25
  Proficient**\***                                                         

  Percent Advanced         43          3           7           1           0

  Number of students       88          66          88          89          76
  tested                                                                   

  Percent of total         100         99          100         100         99
  students tested                                                          

  \# Level not determined  0           1           0           0           1

  \# Of students           1           0           0           0           0
  alternatively assessed                                                   

  \% Of students           1           0           0           0           0
  alternatively assessed                                                   

  *SUBGROUP SCORES*                                                        

  **1. White**                                                             

  Percent Advanced &       72          67          60          22          26
  Proficient**\***                                                         

  Percent Advanced         43          2           8           1           0

  Number of Students       87          54          80          81          73
  Tested                                                                   

  **2. Economically                                                        
  Disadvantaged**                                                          

  Percent Advanced &       63          58          48          13          16
  Proficient**\***                                                         

  Percent Advanced         30          0           0           0           0

  Number of Students       27          19          31          30          25
  Tested                                                                   

  **3. Students with                                                       
  Disabilities**                                                           

  Percent Advanced &       50          50          53          11          9
  Proficient**\***                                                         

  Percent Advanced         25          0           0           0           0

  Number of Students       24          12          15          18          11
  Tested                                                                   
  ------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**\***Advanced (level 5 from 1998-2005, level 4 in 2006 to align with
the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)) on the Missouri
Assessment Program (MAP) is the highest achievement level possible in
Missouri.

**\***Proficient (level 4 from 1998-2005, level 3 in 2006 to align with
the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)) on the Missouri
Assessment Program (MAP) meets the requirement for achieving Adequate
Yearly Progress (AYP) for the federal No Child Left Behind Law for the
State of Missouri.

## Table 2

*Brennan Woods Elementary*

**Grade 3 Communication Arts**

Subject [**Mathematics**]{.underline} Grade [**3**]{.underline} Test
**[Mathematics]{.underline}**

Edition/Publication Year [**2006**]{.underline} Publisher
[**CTB/McGraw-Hill**]{.underline}

State Tests

  ------------------------ ----------- ------------- --------- --------- ---------
                           2005-2006   **STATE TEST                      
                                       NOT                               
                                       AVAILABLE**                       

  State Adequately Yearly  27                                            
  Progress (AYP) Goal --                                                 
  Mathematics                                                            

  State AYP Average for    43                                            
  Proficient or Advanced                                                 
  -- Mathematics                                                         

  Testing month            April                                         

  *SCHOOL SCORES*                                                        

  Percent Advanced &       84                                            
  Proficient**\***                                                       

  Percent Advanced         42                                            

  Number of students       88                                            
  tested                                                                 

  Percent of total         100                                           
  students tested                                                        

  \# Level not determined  0                                             

  \# Of students           0                                             
  alternatively assessed                                                 

  \% Of students           0                                             
  alternatively assessed                                                 

  *SUBGROUP SCORES*                                                      

  **1. White**                                                           

  Percent Advanced &       84                                            
  Proficient**\***                                                       

  Percent Advanced         41                                            

  Number of Students       87                                            
  Tested                                                                 

  **2. Economically                                                      
  Disadvantaged**                                                        

  Percent Advanced &       82                                            
  Proficient**\***                                                       

  Percent Advanced         30                                            

  Number of Students       27                                            
  Tested                                                                 

  **3. Students with                                                     
  Disabilities**                                                         

  Percent Advanced &       79                                            
  Proficient**\***                                                       

  Percent Advanced         33                                            

  Number of Students       24                                            
  Tested                                                                 
  ------------------------ ----------- ------------- --------- --------- ---------

**\*** Using the most recent data (2006), the schools scoring higher
than the 90th percentile in the highest grade tested per subject were
selected.  For the first time, schools gave grade level tests at each
grade level 3 through 8 at the elementary levels, instead of grade span
tests. Since this would only allow for one year's worth of data, it was
decided to use the same grade levels that were used in the past. Grade
3, 7, and 11 have tested in Communication Arts for the past 5 years and
grades 4, 8, and 10 have tested in Mathematics.

**Table 3**

*Brennan Woods Elementary*

**Grade 4 Mathematics**

Subject [**Mathematics**]{.underline} Grade [**4**]{.underline} Test
[**Mathematics**]{.underline}

Edition/Publication Year [**1998-2006**]{.underline} Publisher
[**CTB/McGraw-Hill**]{.underline}

State Tests

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

  State Adequately Yearly 27          18          10          9           8
  Progress (AYP) Goal -                                                   
  Mathematics                                                             

  State AYP Average for   43          25          23          21          21
  Proficient or                                                           
  Advanced - Mathematics                                                  

  Testing month           April       April       April       April       April

  *SCHOOL SCORES*                                                         

  Percent Advanced &      71          63          47          43          29
  Proficient**\***                                                        

  Percent Advanced        17          15          10          3           0

  Number of students      70          89          74          87          104
  tested                                                                  

  Percent of total        100         100         99          100         100
  students tested                                                         

  \# Level not determined 0           0           1           0           0

  \# Of students          1           0           0           0           0
  alternatively assessed                                                  

  \% Of students          1           0           0           0           0
  alternatively assessed                                                  

  *SUBGROUP SCORES*                                                       

  **1. White**                                                            

  Percent Advanced &      72          63          47          43          28
  Proficient**\***                                                        

  Percent Advanced        18          14          10          3           0

  Number of Students      67          86          70          81          99
  Tested                                                                  

  **2. Economically                                                       
  Disadvantaged**                                                         

  Percent Advanced &      72          55          39          39          17
  Proficient**\***                                                        

  Percent Advanced        8           9.1         8.7         0           0

  Number of Students      25          33          23          23          36
  Tested                                                                  

  **3. Students with                                                      
  Disabilities**                                                          

  Percent Advanced &      33          47          37          33          21
  Proficient**\***                                                        

  Percent Advanced        0           5.3         15.8        8.3         0

  Number of Students      18          19          19          12          28
  Tested                                                                  
  ----------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**\***Advanced (level 5 from 1998-2005, level 4 in 2006 to align with
the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)) on the Missouri
Assessment Program (MAP) is the highest achievement level possible in
Missouri.

**\***Proficient (level 4 from 1998-2005, level 3 in 2006 to align with
the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)) on the Missouri
Assessment Program (MAP) meets the requirement for achieving Adequate
Yearly Progress (AYP) for the federal No Child Left Behind Law for the
State of Missouri.

**Table 4**

*Brennan Woods Elementary*

**Grade 4 Mathematics**

Subject [**Communication Arts**]{.underline} Grade [**4**]{.underline}
Test [**Communication Arts**]{.underline}

Edition/Publication Year [**1998-2006**]{.underline} Publisher
[**CTB/McGraw-Hill**]{.underline}

State Tests

  ----------------------- ----------- ------------- --------- --------- ---------
                          2005-2006   **STATE TEST                      
                                      NOT                               
                                      AVAILABLE**                       

  State Adequately Yearly 35                                            
  Progress (AYP) Goal --                                                
  Communication Arts                                                    

  State AYP Average for   44                                            
  Proficient or Advanced                                                
  -- Communication Arts                                                 

  Testing month           April                                         

  *SCHOOL SCORES\**                                                     

  Percent Advanced &      57                                            
  Proficient**\***                                                      

  Percent Advanced        29                                            

  Number of students      70                                            
  tested                                                                

  Percent of total        100                                           
  students tested                                                       

  \# Level not determined 0                                             

  \# Of students          0                                             
  alternatively assessed                                                

  \% Of students          0                                             
  alternatively assessed                                                

  *SUBGROUP SCORES\**                                                   

  **1. White**                                                          

  Percent Advanced &      57                                            
  Proficient**\***                                                      

  Percent Advanced        27                                            

  Number of Students      67                                            
  Tested                                                                

  **2. Economically                                                     
  Disadvantaged**                                                       

  Percent Advanced &      60                                            
  Proficient**\***                                                      

  Percent Advanced        28                                            

  Number of Students      25                                            
  Tested                                                                

  **3. Students with                                                    
  Disabilities**                                                        

  Percent Advanced &      28                                            
  Proficient**\***                                                      

  Percent Advanced        11                                            

  Number of Students      18                                            
  Tested                                                                
  ----------------------- ----------- ------------- --------- --------- ---------

**\***Using the most recent data (2006), the schools scoring higher than
the 90th percentile in the highest grade tested per subject were
selected.  For the first time, schools gave grade level tests at each
grade level 3 through 8 at the elementary levels, instead of grade span
tests. Since this would only allow for one year's worth of data, it was
decided to use the same grade levels that were used in the past. Grade
3, 7, and 11 have tested in Communication Arts for the past 5 years and
grades 4, 8, and 10 have tested in Mathematics.