##### *2005-2006 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools Program*

*U.S. Department of Education*

**Cover Sheet**

Type of School: (Check all that apply) X Elementary X Middle

Name of Principal Ms. Lucia Trudeau

Official School Name St. Joseph School

School Mailing Address 41 West St.

Rockville CT 06066-3036

County Tolland State School Code Number: N/A

Telephone (860) 875-4943 Fax (860)870-4532

Website/URL <http://www.rc.net/norwich/st_joseph/school.htm> E-mail
<sjro@norwichdiocesecs.org>

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) Ms. Lucia Trudeau

Name of Superintendent\* Sister Joan O'Connor, SSJ

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

District Name Diocese of Norwich Tel. (860) 887-4086

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. James Bell

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

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

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

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

**PART 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: (N/A) \_\_\_\_\_ Elementary
schools

\_\_\_\_\_ Middle schools

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

\_\_\_\_\_ High schools

\_\_\_\_\_ Other

\_\_\_\_\_ TOTAL

2\. District Per Pupil Expenditure: (N/A) \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: (N/A) \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

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

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

5\. Number of students 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**    8         8                      **16**       **7**       0         4           **4**

  **K**       7         12                     **19**       **8**       2         6           **8**

  **1**       7         8                      **15**       **9**       N/A                   

  **2**       8         5                      **13**       **10**      N/A                   

  **3**       9         0                      **9**        **11**      N/A                   

  **4**       7         8                      **15**       **12**      N/A                   

  **5**       5         3                      **8**        **Other**   N/A                   

  **6**       4         10                     14                                             

                                    **TOTAL                                                   **121**
                                    STUDENTS                                                  
                                    IN THE                                                    
                                    APPLYING                                                  
                                    SCHOOL**                                                  
  ----------- --------- ----------- ---------- --------- -- ----------- --------- ----------- ---------

6\. Racial/ethnic composition of 91% White

the students in the school: 4 % Black or African American

2% Hispanic or Latino

3% Asian/Pacific Islander

0% American Indian/Alaskan Native

**100%Total**

7\. Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year: 2%

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

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

  **(2)**                   Number of students who    0
                            transferred ***from***    
                            the school after October  
                            1 until the end of the    
                            year.                     

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

  **(4)**                   Total number of students  121
                            in the school as of       
                            October 1                 

  **(5)**                   Total transferred         2
                            students in row (3)       
                            divided by total students 
                            in row (4)                

  **(6)**                   Amount in row (5)         2%
                            multiplied by 100         
  ------------------------- ------------------------- -------------------

8\. Limited English Proficient students in the school: 0%

0 Total Number Limited English Proficient

Number of languages represented: 0

Specify languages:

9\. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: 13%

Total number students who qualify: 16

> 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: 2%

3 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.

\_\_\_\_Autism 1 Orthopedic Impairment

\_\_\_\_Deafness \_\_\_\_Other Health Impaired

\_\_\_\_Deaf-Blindness \_\_\_\_Specific Learning Disability

1 Emotional Disturbance 3 Speech or Language Impairment

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

> \_\_\_\_Mental Retardation \_\_\_\_Visual Impairment Including
> Blindness
>
> \_\_\_\_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 0

Classroom teachers 9 5

Special resource teachers/specialists 0 2

Paraprofessionals 0 1

> Support staff [1 2]{.underline}
>
> Total number 11 10

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

students in the school divided by the FTE of classroom teachers: 11:1

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.

  ------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
                            2004-2005   2003-2004   2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001

  Daily student attendance  90 %        89 %        91 %        90 %        91 %

  Daily teacher attendance  99 %        90 %        95 %        97 %        95 %

  Teacher turnover rate     8.3 %       8.3 %       16.7%       8.3         16.7 %

  Student dropout rate      0%          0%          0%          0%          0 %
  (middle/high)                                                             

  Student drop-off rate     N/A         N/A         N/A         N/A         N/A
  (high school)                                                             
  ------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**PART III ‑ SUMMARY**

St. Joseph School's mission is to build a community of believers and
learners united in providing excellence in Catholic education. St.
Joseph School offers students academic opportunities in a nurturing,
Christian environment, along with a balanced curriculum that addresses
the developmental needs of our students for their spiritual, moral,
intellectual, emotional and social wholeness. We pride ourselves in
teaching the very youngest to our oldest to be prepared for the changing
world.

We serve students from 12 area communities, including Tolland, Vernon,
Ellington, South Windsor, Stafford, Somers, Coventry, Manchester,
Enfield, Willington, Broadbrook and Glastonbury. Our nurturing Christian
environment promotes mutual respect, acceptance of differences and
reverence for life. Our daily religious education teaches the beliefs,
values and traditions of the Catholic faith by designing activities that
promote living and growing in the example of Jesus Christ.

We provide a well balanced curriculum that meets the developmental needs
of the whole child, while guiding each student in reaching their
God-given potential. In addition to our Pre-K through Eight core
subjects of Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and
Science, we also offer Spanish language and culture for Grades Two
through Eight. Our Technology curriculum includes daily integration in
all core subjects, along with specialized computer education
instruction. Art, music and physical education is offered weekly. Our
phonics reading program is coupled with opportunities for public reading
practice.

Our leadership programs extend through our academic teaching, as well as
beyond the school in compassion and local community service. Our older
students have a "buddy" classroom to share skills. This fosters
responsibility and self-worth in both the upper and lower grades. One
requirement of graduation is to perform ten hours of community service.
To promote leadership skills, middle school students manage a student
council, organizing many school and family oriented activities. Students
volunteer for safety patrol and stay after school hours to ensure all
students are safely escorted, and also work to support church related
needs.

We have many cooperative activities that respect the individual gifts of
faculty, students and families with the goal for utilizing the gifts of
all. Students can elect to join a choral or instrumental music program,
including a beginning and advanced band, and provide the community with
two annual concerts. We have an active Girl Scout troop, and our drama
club provides annual musical productions which include participants from
Pre-K through Eighth grade. We participate in the Northeast CYO league,
and have active teams in soccer, basketball, and golf. We compete in
several local leagues, and we are proud of our teams having won numerous
championships. Several of our students compete in the DAR (Daughters of
American Revolution) civic oration contest, and other local academic and
community contests.

St. Joseph is an inclusive, family oriented school. We encourage a
strong partnership between parents, students and teachers. We have a
large group of parent volunteers, all of whom have completed Virtus
training to ensure a safe environment for our children. On any given
day, you will find parents making and serving lunch, reading in
classrooms, assisting extra-curricular activities, working on fund
raisers, monitoring the playground as well as sharing their professional
skills in and out of the classroom. Our active Home and School
Association sponsors a scholarship fund, along with many social events
throughout the year, including a family spaghetti dinner, Grandparents
breakfast, and special holiday luncheons. Our parent volunteers also
participate in the Federation of Catholic School Parents.

At St. Joseph School, we believe that every child needs and has the
right to be prepared for the changing world around us. We have set the
bar of expectations very high, and our students consistently meet the
challenge!

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

1.  **Assessment Results**

St. Joseph School uses the Terra Nova assessment tests published by
CTB/McGraw Hill. Students are tested on Mathematics, Reading, Language
Arts, and Reference Skills. It addresses important learning goals, while
also addressing Title I and other special needs programs. The tests are
administered at the beginning of the school year to provide faculty with
an accurate picture of student strengths and weaknesses.

The Terra Nova is a standardized achievement test designed to provide
achievement scores that are valid for most types of educational
decision-making. The contents of the Terra Nova test are a close match
to our curriculum. Parents are provided with a user friendly report on
their child's performance. Because of its diagnostic value, we have been
able to use the Terra Nova as a tool to identify curriculum needs.

The results compare each child's performance with national norms based
on grade equivalents and percentiles. The results give detailed
indications of individual progress toward mastery of many separate
objectives. The test focuses on benchmark areas in reading, measuring a
range of skills for reading comprehension, language expressions,
vocabulary and reference.

The math test allows students to take different paths to a solution and
to use different strategies with questions that call for critical
thinking, reasoning and problem solving. Performance on objectives is
classified into levels of degree of mastery, which is useful for
differentiating instruction. It provides a general indication of
strength or potential need for that objective. It allows us to judge the
proficiency of our students compared to mastery levels set by a group of
teachers from across the country who considered the skills and abilities
that should be expected at each level.

Our school scores in reading and math have consistently shown a mastery
of the skills, knowledge, and abilities tested. A significant percentage
of our student's scores have fallen into the "above average" level of
proficiency in both reading and math. In years where any scores fell
below our level of expectation, curriculum adjustments were made for
that year, and scores improved the following year.

Our teachers take an active role in using the test results to gauge
appropriate expectation levels for students. This information is shared
with parents to ensure they have a proper understanding of their child's
projected levels of achievement. We continue to use our standardized
test results as a guide for curriculum planning and professional
development.

Information on the Terra Nova assessment can be found at
http://www.ctb.com

**2. Using Assessment Results**

Testing is an important phase of our educational program. We use the
test results to help determine needs of individual students for
differentiation purposes within our team. Therefore, we use
collaborative methods which allow us to adapt our approach cross
curricularly. Because we have such a high teacher to student ratio, we
are easily able to focus on the needs of individual students.

One of the recent adjustments we have made in our testing program is
that we have moved from testing in the Spring to testing in the Fall. As
a faculty, we felt that we could better structure our curriculum maps
for the year by knowing in advance students' individual strengths and
weaknesses.

Faculty meets after test scores are received to review and discuss
results. Results are compared as an aggregate, and then by individual
grade level. Specific weaknesses and strengths in the curriculum are
identified, with specific action items determined for improving overall
scores. Teaching pedagogy is enhanced by subject area in order that a
comprehensive effort is realized for all grade levels. Each teacher then
produces a development plan for students who are not meeting or
exceeding national standards.

For example, results from the 2004-2005 school year indicated a need to
improve math scores. The curriculum has been modified for this year in
all grade levels. In addition, our language arts faculty member attended
the "Six Traits" conference for advanced writing skills which is now
being incorporated into all levels of our curriculum.

Differentiated instruction is used at teacher discretion in areas where
there are significant variances in student performance levels. Classroom
experiences are modified for specific students who score well above or
well below the classroom average. Each student is treated as an
individual and daily expectations are set according to student
capability.

**3. Communicating Assessment Results**

Parents are provided a copy of their child's scores using the summary
sheet provided by the testing company. Conferences are available
immediately for any parent who wishes to discuss results, and partner
with the teacher on a specific plan of action. Individual scores are
shared and discussed with students on a situation specific basis.

Progress reports, and/or report cards, are issued every four weeks
throughout the school year. Parent -Teacher conferences are scheduled at
report card time and whenever necessary. Formal notes and papers sent
home for inspection provide opportunities for communication between
school and home. This allows parents to discern student progress and
work with the child's team of teachers to make adjustments needed to
improve grades, effort and participation.

Overall percentile averages are shared at Open House and with
perspective families as they consider our school for their children.

4.  **Sharing Success**

Test results and action plans are shared monthly at the Diocesan
Principal meetings, as well as state and national educational
conferences. In addition, our faculty and the principal network through
an interactive bulletin board on the internet. This board links St.
Joseph School to other schools throughout the nation to share ideas to
make our curriculum more challenging.

We are one of two schools in the Norwich Diocese who has a permanent
representative who regularly participates on the Catholic Schools
Committee of the Connecticut Association of Schools. At these meetings,
St. Joseph School is called upon to discuss our success, and share
specific strategies to improve student performance. The primary focus of
the past year was technology integration in the classroom. St. Joseph
School presented a hands-on experiential workshop of our usage of
technology in the classroom to other schools in the state. At these
monthly meetings, a standing agenda item is to discuss current testing
trends and curriculum options.

Our Home and School Association is also presented with the overall
results of testing, and our public relations committee is charged with
the primary intent to share school successes through press releases and
printed material.

**PART V -- CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION**

1.  **Curriculum**

Our curriculum is based on the Archdiocese of Cincinnati "Growing
Together and Teaching for the 21^st^ Century." Our overall focus is to
prepare our students to live in a complex world where communication is
of paramount importance for thriving in the larger community and world.

Our Language Arts program goals include skills in listening, reading,
speaking, visualization, writing and media literacy. Students become
comfortable and confident utilizing oral communication and writing
skills, including prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and
publishing. Students publish a school newspaper and edit the yearbook to
integrate these skills. We encourage students to use sequential mental
imagery. An important focus of our program is to select and reflect on
multi-media messages and how they influence our beliefs, values, and
behavior, and shape our culture.

In our Primary Grades, a solid foundation in Mathematics is created by
recognizing and analyzing a wide variety of patterns, number
relationships, computation and problem solving. Grades Five through
Eight continue this emphasis for skills used in algebra, geometry,
fractions, decimals, percents, Roman numerals, statistics, probability,
graphing, sets, number fields, coordinate systems, square roots and
exponents. Measurements of length, width and volume, and use of money,
are other key components where our students gain competence

Our Social Studies curriculum makes students cognizant of the social
forces, historical events, geography and natural phenomena that
influence human development. We also focus on the diversity of societies
on our planet, emphasizing the dignity of every human being in an effort
to prepare students to identify and renounce injustice, intolerance and
oppression. In addition, we focus on peace and justice, along with
governance and civic ideals. Our Student Leadership Council integrates
classroom learning with such activities as nominating and electing
officers.

Our Science curriculum aims to help students gather knowledge about the
beauty, order, and power of the universe, and instill in them a sense of
responsibility for planet Earth. Students are prepared to build
curiosity about the world and its dwellers.

Our art curriculum encourages students to confidently and creatively
express themselves. The program includes art history, culture,
production, and principles of design. Students use the Four Steps of Art
Criticism: Describe, Analyze, Interpret and Decide. Students draw with
charcoal, pencil, colored pencil and paint with tempera, acrylic or
watercolor. They sculpt using clay or paper maché. They also experience
print making and weaving with hand-made looms.

All students take a full year of Spanish beginning in Second Grade.
Using sounds, pictures and music, students learn to express themselves
with basic words and numbers. The curriculum includes conversational
Spanish, culture, and sentence structure. Students create several
projects, including a restaurant menu, a children's book, labeling of
items in a room, and exposure to regional foods.

St. Joseph School Religious education program strives to guide students
toward a Christ-centered life. Students are exposed to the spiritual
wealth of the Catholic tradition in its Liturgy, Scripture and church
teachings. Through various prayer experiences and discussions, a
Christian sense of self-worth is nurtured, encouraging all students to
live their faith and make "Christ-like" choices.

2a. (**Elementary Schools)** **Reading**

Our reading program focuses on building lifelong interest in reading for
information and enjoyment, as well as to acquire the skills needed for
proficient, intelligent reading. It is not only a process of skill
acquisition, but also practiced daily to clarify, motivate, enlighten,
and inspire readers.

One of the greatest strengths in the Primary Grades is our focus on
phonics. The Scott Foresman Reading program is used in Pre-K through
Five because of the strong emphasis on phonics and integration
throughout all subject areas. New readers employ a combination of
phonics and a variety of cues to unlock meaning. The cuing systems
include semantic clues such as visual aids and context, structural cues
and grapho-phonetic cues. Reading comprehension is practiced through
classroom and peer discussions.

As students progress, they begin to understand the use of organizational
patterns while reading, such as chronological practices, cause and
effect and comparing and contrasting details. Another focus of our
reading program is to understand figurative language, such as similes,
metaphors and symbolism. Students learn to understand stylistic devices
such as flashback and foreshadowing. They also learn to understand the
use of graphics, charts and diagrams, and the physical organization of
materials in a table of contents, index, preface, and glossary. Current
literature is the basis of Grades Six, Seven and Eight. Our students are
exposed to a variety of reading medium, including fictional and
non-fictional works. A diversity of classic stories, historical novels,
biographical stories, dramatic works such as plays and poems are a
common component of their curriculum.

Students practice reading current events in newspapers and magazines,
and serve as readers at our church services. Parents and teachers work
together in support of reading. There are many school wide opportunities
to encourage reading through book reports, daily reading and reading
buddies. Each class level has one library period a week to research
information, or loan grade appropriate reading materials for assignments
as well as pleasure.

As students in the middle grades are exposed to different genre of
literature, they express themselves by creating their own books that are
then read by peers. Outcomes are determined through end of the unit book
tests, oral reading, book reports, and reading outside the classroom.

3.  **Science**

The intent of the Science curriculum is to provide students with
opportunities to make discoveries about their environment and
themselves. Our science education program ensures that students at every
level have the opportunities to participate in hands-on activities and
to build problem statements, and hypotheses, investigate and test ideas,
and draw conclusions. For example, every student is required to
participate in our annual science fair. Younger children are encouraged
to make observations, and older students receive instruction for each
component of the scientific method. These instructions are integrated
throughout the daily curriculum, and students frequently incorporate
interviews of persons in science-related careers.

The curriculum deals with phenomena and objects that are a part of our
children's daily lives in an effort to foster enthusiasm in the student.
By building on a curiosity about the world and how it works, students
develop skills in gathering, categorizing, quantifying, and interpreting
information. The science program also helps students make realistic and
informed decisions about their health and career choices in science and
technology in the 21^st^ Century. Because we are a Catholic school, we
encourage our students to marvel at the beauty of God's creation, and
learn that they must take care of their own bodies and take
responsibility to protect their immediate environment and the planet as
a whole.

Each grade level has an environmental and life focus which is integrated
into their science work at each specific grade level. For example, Grade
Three explores renewable and non-renewable resources. Fifth graders
study the characteristics of amphibians. Our Pre-K through Grade Five
focuses on Life Science, Earth science, and Health and the Human Body,
including Nutrition. In addition, students in Grades Three through Five
begin to explore the Physical Sciences. The focus of Grade Six is Life
Science, Grade Seven is Earth Science, and Grade Eight is Physical
Science. Six, Seventh and Eighth graders also receive instruction in
health and safety.

4.  **Instructional Methods**

St. Joseph School faculty incorporates many different instructional
methods to engage students in active learning. Methodologies include a
blend of cooperative learning as well as traditional teacher led
instruction. Pre-K and Kindergarten both have centered based activities
throughout the day. Grades One through Four are self-contained learning
environments that employ a variety of teaching methods, depending on the
subject matter being taught. Methods include using photography with
journal writing, use of the computer to learn sight words and to
reinforce math and grammar skills, working with small group and /or
partners, teacher led discussions, Socratic question and answer,
independent projects, and experiments.

In our Fifth through Eighth grades, a team teaching approach is used;
specialized faculty teaches individual content areas. Specific methods
of instruction are greatly varied, and include the Socratic question and
answer method, modeling, peer tutoring, student led discussions,
projects, technology integration, experimentation, tiered assignments,
and learning contracts, lecture, and small group activities. For
example, students are regularly expected to make presentations using a
variety of media, including computers (PowerPoint, and Desk Top
publishing), video and audio recordings, art work, and hand written
materials.

Homework expectations are designed to enhance the daily lessons, as well
as promote independent study and responsibility. Homework is tiered
according to grade and capability level. Beginning in Kindergarten,
students are given 15 minutes of independent homework. The amount of
outside homework expected to be completed increases in each grade level
through Grade Five. Students in Grades Six, Seven and Eight can expect
up to two hours per evening.

5.  **Professional Development**

Our professional development program takes a multi-tiered approach. Each
school year, five days are specifically set aside for faculty
development where teachers earn CEU's towards maintaining certification.
In addition, professional development is enhanced through a variety of
methods, including guest speakers at faculty meetings, on-site
workshops, attendance at teacher conferences, and individual teacher
attendance at seminars.

Through memberships in various organizations, such as The Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development, The Connecticut Association
of Schools, and The National Association of Elementary School
Principals, publications are made available for teachers to access. The
faculty conference room has a designated area where materials are
available all year.

Our professional development centers on safe and orderly environments,
collegiality and professionalism, classroom curriculum design, and
student motivation. We have just begun a program on parent and community
involvement, which will include a user friendly website with the goal to
improve parent communications, as well as have all student textbooks
available on line.

We have spent many hours over the last few years developing viable
methods for technology integration in our classrooms. This was achieved
through several on-site workshops, faculty attendance at off-site
seminars, and in-service programs from manufacturers of products
purchased to enhance our computer education capabilities.

We have a weekly Monday morning faculty meeting. These sessions are
designed to provide an interactive forum for the teachers to share ideas
and discuss strategies to increase student motivation and collegiality.
At our monthly faculty meetings, we share and plan school wide
activities that are designed to weave together our youngest to oldest
students' academic and social experiences. Individual teachers can use
either session to share insights gained at off-site seminars.

In addition to our formal professional development, our teachers are
encouraged to challenge each other. Our small community facilitates a
constant sharing between our tenured faculty, some with over thirty
years at this school, along with our newer teachers who bring fresh
enthusiasm. Our teachers are committed to our faith based education, and
are eager to learn from each other in order to bring excellence to each
classroom.

**PART VI - PRIVATE SCHOOL ADDENDUM**

*The purpose of this addendum is to obtain additional information from
private schools as noted below. Attach the completed addendum to the end
of the application, before the assessment data tables.*

1.  Private school association(s): The New England Association of
    Schools and Colleges as well as NCEA (National Catholic Education
    Association)

2.  Does the school have nonprofit, tax exempt (501(c)(3)) status? Yes
    \_\_X\_\_\_\_ No \_\_\_\_\_\_

3.  What are the 2005-2006 tuition rates, by grade? (Do not include
    room, board, or fees.)

  ----------------------------------------- -----------------------------
  Tiered Tuition Contribution:              Grades K-8^th^ Total Tuition
                                            per Student:

  TC1 (St. Joseph Parishioner)              \$2332 plus \$500 parish
                                            subsidy

  TC2 (non-affiliated practicing Catholic   \$2332 plus \$750 from parish
  from other parish)                        

  TC3 (non-affiliated with Catholic church) \$3286

  Pre-K= \$3375                             
  ----------------------------------------- -----------------------------

4.  What is the educational cost per student? \$ 4,098

(School budget divided by enrollment)

5.  What is the average financial aid per student? \$ 793

6.  What percentage of the annual budget is devoted to 1 %

scholarship assistance and/or tuition reduction?

7.  What percentage of the student body receives

scholarship assistance, including tuition reduction? 6 %

**PART VII - ASSESSMENT RESULTS**

**Private Schools**

**SAINT JOSEPH SCHOOL**

Terra Nova

Form C

CTB-McGraw-Hill

Scores are reported here as Mean NCEs.

No students are excluded from this test.

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           **2004-2005**   **2003-2004**   **2002-2003**   **2001-2002**   **2000-2001**
  ------------------------ --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------
  Testing Month:           September       March           March           March           March

  **Grade 8**                                                                              

  Reading                  70.3            N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Mathematics              67.9            N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Number of Students       15              N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A
  Tested                                                                                   

  Number of Students       0               N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A
  excluded                                                                                 

  Percent of students      0               N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A
  excluded                                                                                 

  **Sub-group Scores**                                                                     

  Low-income students      N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Reading                  N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Mathematics              N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Number of students       N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A
  tested                                                                                   

  National Mean Score for  710.4           N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A
  Reading                                                                                  

  National Standard        35.4            N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A
  Deviation for Reading                                                                    

  National Mean Score for  717.3           N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A
  Mathematics                                                                              

  National Standard        42.2            N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A
  Deviation for                                                                            
  Mathematics                                                                              

  **Grade 7**                                                                              

  Reading                  68.1            69.0            78.4            78.6            Not tested

  Mathematics              61.0            66.1            63.4            64.5            Not tested

  Number of Students       8               13              7               15              Not tested
  Tested                                                                                   

  Number of Students       0               0               0               0               Not tested
  excluded                                                                                 

  Percent of students      0               0               0               0               Not tested
  excluded                                                                                 

  **Sub-group Scores**                                                                     

  Low-income students      N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Reading                  N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Mathematics              N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Number of students       N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A
  tested                                                                                   

  National Mean Score for  695.5           702.0           718.9           726.8           Not tested
  Reading                                                                                  

  National Standard        31.3            41.1            Not Reported    Not Reported    Not tested
  Deviation for Reading                                                                    

  National Mean Score for  683.8           703.2           700.4           702.1           Not tested
  Mathematics                                                                              

  National Standard        22.5            37.4            Not Reported    Not Reported    Not tested
  Deviation for                                                                            
  Mathematics                                                                              

  **Grade 6**                                                                              

  Reading                  65.1            68.1            72.3            73.1            72.6

  Mathematics              62.1            70.2            68.3            66.4            61.2

  Number of Students       8               10              15              10              22
  Tested                                                                                   

  Number of Students       0               0               0               0               0
  excluded                                                                                 

  Percent of students      0               0               0               0               0
  excluded                                                                                 

  **Sub-group Scores**                                                                     

  Low-income students      N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Reading                  N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Mathematics              N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Number of students       N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A
  tested                                                                                   

  National Mean Score for  679.1           691.5           702.7           700.9           702.4
  Reading                                                                                  

  National Standard        39.9            16.4            Not Reported    Not Reported    Not Reported
  Deviation for Reading                                                                    

  National Mean Score for  671.1           701.1           699.7           690.6           680.9
  Mathematics                                                                              

  National Standard        34.2            21.9            Not Reported    Not Reported    Not Reported
  Deviation for                                                                            
  Mathematics                                                                              

  **Grade 5**                                                                              

  Reading                  68.4            66.9            67.7            70.0            71.1

  Mathematics              56.9            62.3            71.1            69.7            62.0

  Number of Students       12              8               11              17              11
  Tested                                                                                   

  Number of Students       0               0               0               0               0
  excluded                                                                                 

  Percent of students      0               0               0               0               0
  excluded                                                                                 

  **Sub-group Scores**                                                                     

  Low-income students      N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Reading                  N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Mathematics              N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Number of students       N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A
  tested                                                                                   

  National Mean Score for  677.8           683.8           683.7           690.8           690.0
  Reading                                                                                  

  National Standard        14.7            37.2            Not Reported    Not Reported    Not Reported
  Deviation for Reading                                                                    

  National Mean Score for  642.2           667.6           683.5           681.1           667.2
  Mathematics                                                                              

  National Standard        21.7            33.3            Not Reported    Not Reported    Not Reported
  Deviation for                                                                            
  Mathematics                                                                              

  **Grade 4**                                                                              

  Reading                  63.2            69.5            64.2            60.6            64.3

  Mathematics              60.3            60.3            59.3            68.2            65.9

  Number of Students       13              16              9               15              19
  Tested                                                                                   

  Number of Students       0               0               0               0               0
  excluded                                                                                 

  Percent of students      0               0               0               0               0
  excluded                                                                                 

  **Sub-group Scores**                                                                     

  Low-income students      N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Reading                  N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Mathematics              N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Number of students       N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A
  tested                                                                                   

  National Mean Score for  653.5           674.6           668.4           663.9           673.1
  Reading                                                                                  

  National Standard        41.7            17.6            Not Reported    Not Reported    Not Reported
  Deviation for Reading                                                                    

  National Mean Score for  628.8           645.9           642.1           658.6           657.9
  Mathematics                                                                              

  National Standard        32.7            26.6            Not Reported    Not Reported    Not Reported
  Deviation for                                                                            
  Mathematics                                                                              

  **Grade 3**                                                                              

  Reading                  71.5            67.9            68.5            64.4            61.7

  Mathematics              62.6            63.1            62.8            59.0            63.7

  Number of Students       14              11              16              9               15
  Tested                                                                                   

  Number of Students       0               0               0               0               0
  excluded                                                                                 

  Percent of students      0               0               0               0               0
  excluded                                                                                 

  **Sub-group Scores**                                                                     

  Low-income students      N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Reading                  N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Mathematics              N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Number of students       N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A
  tested                                                                                   

                                                                                           

  National Mean Score for  653.6           662.6           662.8           653.8           648.7
  Reading                                                                                  

  National Standard        36              34.1            Not Reported    Not Reported    Not Reported
  Deviation for Reading                                                                    

  National Mean Score for  602.6           627.6           626.2           617.1           626.9
  Mathematics                                                                              

  National Standard        26.4            32.9            Not Reported    Not Reported    Not Reported
  Deviation for                                                                            
  Mathematics                                                                              

  **Grade 2**                                                                              

  Reading                  Not tested      72.5            76.7            66.5            66.4

  Mathematics              Not tested      60.3            66.4            59.1            68.7

  Number of Students       Not tested      15              11              19              10
  Tested                                                                                   

  Number of Students       Not tested      0               0               0               0
  excluded                                                                                 

  Percent of students      Not tested      0               0               0               0
  excluded                                                                                 

  **Sub-group Scores**     N/A                                                             

  Low-income students      N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Reading                  N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Mathematics              N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A

  Number of students       N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A             N/A
  tested                                                                                   

                                                                                           

  National Mean Score for  Not tested      650.0           654.5           633.5           636.1
  Reading                                                                                  

  National Standard        Not tested      29.3            Not Reported    Not Reported    Not Reported
  Deviation for Reading                                                                    

  National Mean Score for  Not tested      579.9           595.1           582.1           600.5
  Mathematics                                                                              

  National Standard        Not tested      20.3            Not Reported    Not Reported    Not Reported
  Deviation for                                                                            
  Mathematics                                                                              
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------