##### U.S. Department of Education September 2003

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

**Cover Sheet**

Name of Principal [Mr. Peter A. Tantillo]{.underline}

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

Official School Name [Saint Alphonsus Liguori School]{.underline}

(As it should appear in the official records)

School Mailing Address [411 North Wheeling Road]{.underline}
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

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

[Prospect Heights, Illinois]{.underline}
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_[60070-1399]{.underline}\_\_\_\_

City State Zip Code+4 (9 digits total)

Tel. [( 847 ) 255-5538]{.underline} Fax [( 847 ) 255-0353]{.underline}

Website/URL
[http://www.saintalphonsus.com](http://www.saintalphonsus.com/) E-mail
<stalphonsus-liguori-elem@archchicago.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)

Name of Superintendent\* [Dr. Nicholas Wolsonovich]{.underline}

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

District Name [Archdiocese of Chicago Office of Catholic
Schools]{.underline} Tel. [( 312 ) 751-5200\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.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 Mr. Joseph Principi

President/Chairperson

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

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

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

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

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

**PART I ‑ ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATION**

**\[Include this page in the school's application as page 2.\]**

The signatures on the first page of this application certify that each
of the statements below concerning the school\'s eligibility and
compliance with U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights
(OCR) requirements is true and correct.

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

2.  The school has not been in school improvement status or been
    identified by the state as \"persistently dangerous\" within the
    last two years. To meet final eligibility, the school must meet the
    state's adequate yearly progress requirement in the 2003-2004 school
    year.

3.  If the school includes grades 7 or higher, it has foreign language
    as a part of its core curriculum.

4.  The school has been in existence for five full years, that is, from
    at least September 1998.

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

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

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

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

**PART II ‑ DEMOGRAPHIC DATA**

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

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

1\. Number of schools in the district: \_\_\_\_\_ Elementary schools

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

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

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

\_\_\_\_\_ Other (Briefly explain)

\_\_\_\_\_ TOTAL

2\. District Per Pupil Expenditure: \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

**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\. [2]{.underline} Number of years the principal has been in her/his
position at this school.

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

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

> \* 3 and 4 Year Old Preschool

6\. Racial/ethnic composition of [82]{.underline} % White

the students in the school: [06]{.underline} % Black or African American

[03]{.underline} % Hispanic or Latino

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

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

**100% Total**

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

> (This rate includes the total number of students who transferred to or
> from different schools between October 1 and the end of the school
> year, divided by the total number of students in the school as of
> October 1, multiplied by 100.)

  ----------- ---------------------------------- ------------------------
  **(1)**     Number of students who transferred 16
              ***to*** the school after October  
              1 until the end of the year.       

  **(2)**     Number of students who transferred 35
              ***from*** the school after        
              October 1 until the end of the     
              year.                              

  **(3)**     Subtotal of all transferred        51
              students \[sum of rows (1) and     
              (2)\]                              

  **(4)**     Total number of students in the    316
              school as of October 1             

  **(5)**     Subtotal in row (3) divided by     .161
              total in row (4)                   

  **(6)**     Amount in row (5) multiplied by    16.1%
              100                                
  ----------- ---------------------------------- ------------------------

8\. Limited English Proficient students in the school:
\_\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_\_\_%

\_\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_\_\_ Total Number Limited English Proficient
Number of languages represented: \_\_\_[0]{.underline}\_\_\_\_\_

Specify languages:

9\. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: [3.6]{.underline} %

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

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

10\. Students receiving special education services: [7.3]{.underline} %

[23]{.underline} Total Number of Students Served

> Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to
> conditions designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education
> Act.

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

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

\_\_\_\_Deaf-Blindness \_[21]{.underline}\_Specific Learning Disability

\_\_\_\_Hearing Impairment \_\_[2]{.underline}\_Speech or Language
Impairment

\_\_\_\_Mental Retardation \_\_\_\_Traumatic Brain Injury

\_\_\_\_Multiple Disabilities \_\_\_\_Visual Impairment Including
Blindness

11. Indicate number of full‑time and part‑time staff members in each of
    the categories below:

    **Number of Staff**

**[Full-time]{.underline}** **[Part-Time]{.underline}**

Administrator(s) [1]{.underline} [0]{.underline}

Classroom teachers [15]{.underline} [1]{.underline}

Special resource teachers/specialists [0]{.underline} [4]{.underline}

Paraprofessionals [2]{.underline} [0]{.underline}

> Support staff [4]{.underline} [2]{.underline}
>
> Total number [22]{.underline} [7\_ \_]{.underline}

12\. Average school student-"classroom teacher" ratio:
[20:1\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

13\. Show the attendance patterns of teachers and students as a
percentage. The student dropout rate is defined by the state. The
student drop-off rate is the difference between the number of entering
students and the number of exiting students from the same cohort. (From
the same cohort, subtract the number of exiting students from the number
of entering students; divide that number by the number of entering
students; multiply by 100 to get the percentage drop-off rate.) Briefly
explain in 100 words or fewer any major discrepancy between the dropout
rate and the drop-off rate. (Only middle and high schools need to supply
dropout rates and only high schools need to supply drop-off rates.)

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

  Daily student attendance 97          97          97          97          97

  Daily teacher attendance 98          98          98          98          98

  Teacher turnover rate    14          23          15          10          10

  Student dropout rate     0           0           0           0           0

  Student drop-off rate    0           0           0           0           0
  ------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

14. **(*High Schools Only)***

    **PART III ‑ SUMMARY**

**The happy, successful and faith-filled children of St. Alphonsus
Liguori School**---you see them engaged in various learning activities,
listening to or reading good stories, arriving for early morning
tutoring or band lessons, praying and singing at weekly school Mass, or
playing on the athletic field. You find them at computer screens earning
Accelerated Reader points for books they have read, signing up to work
on community service projects, or simply smiling and greeting visitors
as they walk through the school hallways. In the spirit of leaving no
child behind, St. Alphonsus Liguori School serves each one of these
children, assessing and meeting their increasingly diverse and varied
needs through an array of curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular
programs and activities.

Your first impression of St. Alphonsus Liguori School is of a warm,
welcoming and homey atmosphere. From Morning Prayer and Pledge to the
Flag led by the Student Council over the public address until the last
school bus departs, a strong Catholic identity permeates the school in
signs and symbols, prayer and activities, attitudes and values. St.
Alphonsus is a place where parents and faculty communicate and
collaborate as partners to encourage and support every student to work
hard and strive for success. The school is an extension of the home, and
likewise, families are deeply involved in the life of the school.

**The mission of St. Alphonsus Liguori School is to provide an excellent
Catholic education for our students that will prepare them academically,
spiritually, socially and physically for a happy, successful and
faith-filled future.** A comprehensive curriculum; flexible, newly
renovated and expanded facilities; committed and experienced
professional staff; and hardworking volunteers all coordinate well to
achieve this mission. Three local parishes invest in the school to
provide more affordable reduced parishioner and family rates. A new
scholarship fund enables families who might not otherwise have been able
to afford tuition to enroll this year. High expectations and high
standards of behavior and academic achievement reflect the top priority
this community places on education.

St. Alphonsus provides an extensive early childhood program of preschool
for three- and four-year olds, as well as a full-day kindergarten
curriculum for five-year old students. A solid core curriculum provides
primary students with a base of skills that assure their further success
in school and beyond. Students are challenged to read independently and
for enjoyment. Intermediate and middle school students engage in
projects and instructional activities that motivate and inspire critical
thinking. Spanish is incorporated in the middle and upper grade
curriculum while younger children may opt for French or Spanish classes
after school. Students with special learning needs receive a variety of
supports and special accommodations. Systematic assessment of student
performance monitors student progress at all levels. Classrooms are
alive with the varied products of student learning activities. Student
council, service club, scouting programs as well as intramural and
interscholastic sports all offer experiences that support leadership
development, active involvement, self-confidence and poise.

Dedicated and enthusiastic faculty members are committed to professional
growth, taking advantage of whole faculty staff development, at-school
courses and other workshops and conferences. A faculty goal to serve the
special needs of students in the regular classroom has resulted in an
effort to make appropriate accommodations for learning needs and to
differentiate instructional activities. Teachers have greatly increased
their technology literacy over the past few years, many utilizing their
own professional development allotment to purchase personal computers
and other digital imaging equipment for classroom use. The staff works
as a team to more fully utilize the newly established computer network.

**Each of these elements enables St. Alphonsus Liguori School to nurture
and educate its students preparing them for a "happy, successful and
faith-filled future. "**

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

**1. Meaning of the school's assessment results:** Each school year St.
Alphonsus Liguori School administers the TerraNova Multiple Assessments
to all students in grades three, four, five, six and seven in the month
of March. (Eighth graders are not tested since their performance is
assessed in the month of November by the local public high school
district with a battery of placement tests.) All St. Alphonsus Liguori
School students in the indicated grades are tested. Those students with
learning disabilities who have a formal Individual Educational Plan
requiring testing modifications (extended time, tests read aloud, and
other such modifications) are provided with those accommodations by the
school. However, the CTB-McGraw Hill Company requires that tests
administered with modified conditions are to be scored, but not to be
included in class averages. No seventh grader student, one sixth grader,
three fifth graders, two fourth graders and no third graders were tested
with accommodations. The TerraNova Reading Test measures objectives in
*basic understanding; analyzing text; evaluating and extending meaning;
and identifying and applying reading strategies.* The mathematics test
includes objectives covering *numbers and numerical relations;
computation and estimation; measurement, geometry and spatial sense;
data---statistics and probability; patterns---functions and algebra;
problem solving and reasoning; and communication.*

Class mean NCE scores in reading range from a low of 63.9 for grade four
to a high of 70.7 for grade seven. If those mean scores were ranked as
if they were scores of an individual student, our "middle" student would
have a percentile rank between 75 and 84. For seventh grade reading
(NCE= 70.7, standard deviation=12.6), 68% of the class scored between
58.1 and 83.3, that is, within one standard deviation of the mean.
Likewise for lower performing grade four, reading scores indicate that
68% of the students scored Normal Curve Equivalences between 47.5 and
80.3 (within one standard deviation).

For mathematics the class mean NCE scores range from 67.3 (grade three)
through 73.8 (grade six). These convert to percentile ranks between 79
and 87. Students within one standard deviation of the mean for
mathematics include at the low end---grade three where 68% of the
students fall between 53.8 and 80.8 NCE and grade six where 68% of the
students fall between 60.1 and 87.5.

When class means in reading are compared to the 90th percentile school
ranking provided for TerraNova by the NCLB---NBR application document,
St. Alphonsus seventh grade students as a group test in the top 10% of
all school groups on these national norms. (Seventh grade reading NCE=
70.7, compared to the benchmark NCE of 65.8.) Likewise for mathematics,
St. Alphonsus seventh graders score at a 71.1 NCE compared to the
benchmark level of 64.1. All St. Alphonsus Liguori grade levels tested
achieved class averages in reading and mathematics above the School Mean
NCE at the 90^th^ Percentile of National School Norms as listed on the
*No Child Left Behind---National Blue Ribbon Application Materials*.

To assess the distribution of tested St. Alphonsus Liguori students one
can examine the number of students who scored in each quartile. The
following table represents that distribution:

  -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
                 01-25 Quartile 26-50 Quartile 51-75 Quartile 76-99 Quartile
                 I              II             III            IV

  Gr. 7 Reading  0              2              6              14

  Gr. 7          0              2              3              17
  Mathematics                                                 

  Gr. 6 Reading  0              2              10             11

  Gr. 6          0              2              6              15
  Mathematics                                                 

  Gr. 5 Reading  0              4              16             15

  Gr. 5          0              5              10             20
  Mathematics                                                 

  Gr. 4 Reading  2              4              8              16

  Gr. 4          1              1              7              21
  Mathematics                                                 

  Gr. 3 Reading  0              2              6              14

  Gr. 3          0              2              8              12
  Mathematics                                                 
  -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------

**2. How the school uses assessment data**: When test results are
received for March TerraNova assessments, individual performance is
reviewed by the homeroom teacher and the principal to track the
performance of students with consistently lower achievement, to identify
students who show achievement deficiencies, and to monitor the progress
of all students. Especially useful is the Cognitive Skills Index which
roughly assesses individual student ability, and the anticipated
achievement scores to which actual achievement scores can be compared.
This enables each homeroom teacher to ascertain that students are
performing at or above expected levels or achievement. In cases where
student performance is lower than anticipated, further study of the
student's progress is initiated to determine if any special needs are
present or if any special learning accommodations are required. Some
students may require remediation, reteaching or tutorial services, or
perhaps, referral for a full case study through the local public school
district or through private testing.

Prior to the opening of school, teachers meet to review the testing data
for students entering grades four through eight using the scores from
the previous March testing. Teachers use the grouping reports which
identify high mastery, partial mastery and non-mastery. Using a simple
grid to plot each student's performance on each of the tested goal
areas, the teachers produce a useful overview of tested student
achievement. (Rows = individual student mastery level in each subtest.
Columns = mastery levels in each subtest for each student.) Visually the
grid provides a quick means of identifying the various needs of each
individual student who has partial or non-mastery of the stated goals.
For instructional planning the grid easily identifies those goal areas
which will require review or reteaching for several or all members of
the class. For example, looking across the rows, students with several
partial or non-mastery marks can be easily identified and those needs
addressed. Likewise, scanning down each column, it is easy to identify
which of the measured objectives will require additional review.
Resource material kits available through the test publisher have been
purchased and provided for all tested grade levels to assist teachers in
planning activities to reteach objective where many class members had
fallen short of full mastery.

**3. How the school communicates student performance**: Mid-trimester
progress reports and trimester report cards including achievement,
effort and behavior marks as well as additional written comments are
each issued three times a year. Formally scheduled
parent-student-teacher conferences are held before the end of the first
trimester to discuss student progress and achievement. Report cards are
distributed to students by the principal in a brief conference with each
student where progress marks are explained and discussed. School parents
and teachers commonly use written notes, comments in student assignment
books, email and voicemail services as communication vehicles.

Student progress in kindergarten through grade five is monitored through
the use of curriculum based measurement assessments administered in
September, January and May to track development---results of these
assessments are reported to parents at conferences. Students not
reaching prescribed skill levels may be referred for special needs
assessment, provided with remedial services, or recommended for summer
school or tutorial support.

Individual TerraNova score reports are provided to parents in late
springtime for all third through seventh grade students, along with a
summary of school and class averages and national benchmarks. Those
special need students with Individual Educational Plans may receive
testing accommodations (extended time, assisted reading of the test
questions, etc.) as required by their I.E.P. (Tests administered with
modifications are excluded from school and class averages.) A report and
analysis of school performance at all grade levels is prepared and
distributed late in January to summarize and interpret school
achievement based on TerraNova testing. While eighth grade students are
not included in the TerraNova testing, Explore testing is provided to
them by the local high school district for placement purposes. These
results are shared in the January report as provided by the high school
district. These summary reports are provided to the public as requested,
and published in the local parish bulletin.

**4. How the school will share its successes**: St. Alphonsus Liguori
will be hosting a master's degree cohort program through Olivet Nazarene
University (January 2004-September 2005) for teachers of the school as
well as from local public and other nonpublic schools. Through the
informal networking established in this cohort of twenty or more
teachers, St. Alphonsus faculty members will be able to share the
school's successes and best practices.

St. Alphonsus Liguori principal Peter Tantillo is a member of the
Curriculum Advisory Committee of the Archdiocese of Chicago Office of
Catholic School enabling him to share successes with principals from
across the archdiocese. As a former elementary school consultant at the
Office of Catholic Schools, Mr. Tantillo has worked on committees
providing orientation presentations for the new Catholic school
principals, including curriculum writing workshops through the
Archdiocese of Chicago. As a member of the Archdiocesan Principals
Association, Mr. Tantillo attends Council I-2 monthly principal
meetings. As the Regional Representative for the Great Lakes States on
the Department of Elementary Schools Executive Committee, Mr. Tantillo
is a frequent presenter at professional conventions and institutes of
the National Catholic Educational Association. All of these contacts
provide opportunities to share successes and best practices.

In addition to informal networking among administrators and teachers,
the school will use its website to share and disseminate curriculum and
instruction information with parents, teachers and school
administrators. Written information will be provided to all who request
it.

**PART V -- CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION**

**1. Description of the school's curriculum**:

**Religious Education:** The St. Alphonsus curriculum includes prayer
and worship, doctrine and scripture, community formation, and service.
Student-led daily prayer and weekly liturgy are provided. Daily religion
classes include instruction in Old and New Testament Scripture, the
doctrine of the Trinity, sacraments, Church history, and Catholic
morality and values. Traditional Catholic devotions are emphasized.
Students experience a sense of community, and serve and care for those
in need.

**Language Arts (including, reading, writing, grammar, listening and
speaking skills):** With an early focus on phonemic awareness, decoding,
phonics and vocabulary development, reading instruction provides
students with high quality literature to enrich and motivate them.
Analysis and comprehension of meaning are presented through questioning,
dialogue and discussion. Daily oral language activities are used to
present and reinforce grammar rules, and the five step writing process
is used to develop writing skills. Language arts skills are used and
applied in projects from all content areas.

**Mathematics:** Students develop computational and estimation skills;
capacity to solve problems and reason; numerical, geometric and spatial
awareness; data analysis using statistics and probability; recognizing
patterns; algebraic concepts; and mathematics as a means of
communication. Primary and intermediate grades investigate mathematics
through concrete experiences and manipulatives during "math meeting"
time. Upper grade students prepare for and complete a full year of first
level algebra enabling many students to enter advanced algebra or
geometry in their freshman year.

**Social Studies:** Community living, geographic understanding and map
skills are provided in primary grades. United States history is the main
focus of grades 5, 7 and 8. Grade 6 concentrates on ancient and modern
world cultures and history. The 8^th^ grade completes an extensive unit
on state and federal Constitutions and government, as well as modern
American and world history. Junior Achievement teaches economics, and
current events are reviewed and discussed at all levels. Projects, plays
and dramatization activities are provided. Field trip experiences
include tours of the Capital and Lincoln sites in Springfield, IL, and a
three-day tour of Washington, DC and Mount Vernon.

**Natural Sciences:** Topics in life, earth, physical and environmental
sciences are investigated in a variety of activities including
"hands-on" experiments, projects and demonstrations as well as readings
and written assignments to reinforce the concepts. Experimentation and
scientific method are emphasized.

**Fine arts, music:** Elements of the visual arts (such as line, color,
texture, perspective, etc.) are taught and applied in a variety of
projects and activities in various media. In music, students receive the
tools to understand and appreciate music from all times and cultures,
through singing, listening, accompanying, creating and moving to music.
Band is offered as an elective course for student in grades 4 through 8.

**Computer skills and technology:** In addition to utilizing computer
assisted instruction through various pieces of software, students
develop keyboarding skills, and use word processing, spreadsheets, data
bases, presentation and Internet functions which they can apply in all
other content areas.

**Physical education, health, wellness, safety and personal development
and family living:** Students participate in a variety of team and
individual activities to develop physical skills and to develop an
appreciation and enjoyment of physical activities. A focus on health and
wellness is maintained.

**Spanish:** Students in grades 5 through 8 study Spanish vocabulary,
grammar, conversation and reading through exposure to the cultures of
Spanish speaking countries. St. Alphonsus students are ordinarily placed
in second level Spanish in high school. Primary students may study
French and Spanish as an extracurricular program offered by the local
junior college at our school after regular school hours.

2.  **The Reading Curriculum:** "Nice job, Phillip! You are an excellent
    reader!" the principal commented to a fourth grade student with a
    speech impairment who had just completed a reading at the weekly
    school church service. "Thanks, I have 167 points," replies Phillip,
    referring to his accumulated Accelerated Reader points.

This little scenario highlights several key aspects of the St. Alphonsus
Liguori reading curriculum. Using the **Harcourt Reading Series
*Trophies*** St. Alphonsus students develop phonemic awareness; decoding
skills using phonics techniques; word recognition and vocabulary
development; and comprehension for what they are reading. This series
was adopted for use in kindergarten through grade six in the 2002-2003
school year because of the quality of the literature it presents and
because its comprehensive approach matches the multifaceted reading
curriculum of our school. These aspects of reading are consistent with
the themes identified in the U. S. Education Department research
publication *Putting Reading First*, which was used as part of our
reading staff development. To promote reading for enjoyment and to
motivate an appreciation for independent reading, the school has adopted
the **Accelerated Reader Program** which uses an extensive computer data
base to monitor student comprehension of the books they read. The school
library has been greatly expanded over the past few years to provide
several thousand new selections of fiction and nonfiction writings
linked to the Accelerated Reader for primary and intermediate reading
levels. Upper grades ordinarily complete novel studies and book reports
on what they are reading.

The reading curriculum is supported by a language arts curriculum that
includes daily oral language activities, writing process instruction and
an array of read-aloud and drama projects. Curriculum-based measurements
assess student progress in primary and intermediate reading skill
development. Students identified with deficiencies are provided with
remedial support in small group and individual settings by a part-time
resource teacher. Students with an IEP may receive speech or remedial
reading services through their local public school. Parents are also
included in the reading instruction partnership. Comments in newsletters
and suggestions on report cards (such as encouraging independent
reading, reading aloud for fluency, discussion to build comprehension)
outline work to be done at home to support reading instruction at
school.

**3. Description of another curriculum area (Mathematics):** Mathematics
instruction enables students to develop strong numeration, computational
and estimation skills; the ability to recognize and understand patterns;
clear understanding of mathematical concepts including relations,
functions and algebra; the ability to analyze data, reason and solve
problems; measurement, geometry and spatial sense; and, a sense of
probability and statistics. This is accomplished through a comprehensive
mathematics curriculum that emphasizes concrete experiences, divergent
thinking, and pattern identification for early learners, consistent
practice in applying skills to problem solving, and the exploration of
geometric and spatial concepts. Upper grade levels develop pre-algebra
skills and complete a full year of algebra in eighth grade. Mathematics
skills and concepts are applied in various projects and activities in
science, social studies and other interdisciplinary investigations.

Daily mathematics instruction in primary and intermediate grades employs
the structured "mathematics meeting" where patterning, numeration
concepts, graphic and statistical analysis, and simple problem-solving
are explored in daily class discussion format. Pattern counting,
calendar and clock observations, and charting to represent data are
experienced as students are directed through these explorations by their
classroom teacher. **Saxon Mathematics** text materials provide a
structure that "spirals" concepts and skill mastery to assure
reinforcement and maintenance of master skills and concepts. This
curriculum was adopted several years ago to boost mathematics
achievement, and longitudinal observation of testing data supports its
success.

Sixth and seventh grade levels focus on the mathematical skills and
concepts that support an easy transition into the study of algebra and
geometry which are expanded at the high school levels. The majority of
St. Alphonsus graduates are placed at advanced level mathematics courses
upon entry to high school. Accommodations are made for individual
students in the upper grades who require reteaching or reinforcement of
more basic skills and concepts.

**4. Description of** **the different instructional methods used:**
Direct instruction, dialog and discussion, individual and varied
assessments, reteaching of concepts as needed, and computer software
tutorials are methods that are commonly used by teachers at all grade
levels. Teachers place a high priority on assisting students in
completing required assignments and homework. Therefore, a common,
consistently used assignment book and assignment wall chart is used at
all levels. Students having difficulty completing assignments may be
required to have assignment books signed nightly by teacher and parents.
Teachers employ questioning skills and class discussion to stimulate
critical thinking and higher order thinking. Math meetings are held in
primary and intermediate classes to promote pattern recognition and
divergent thinking in problem solving strategies. Journaling is used at
all grade levels to stimulate the translation of thought to written
word. The writing process expands written drafts into final "published"
products through editing and revision.

Project based learning and cooperative group work are utilized to enable
students to explore and develop their own learning content. A wide
variety of project strategies and media include written reports, graphic
and visual art work, PowerPoint computer-software-based presentations,
speeches and oral presentation, dramatizations and video production.
Some teachers employ differentiated instruction to serve the varied
needs among their students. Tutorial work and study grouping are used to
remediate. One teacher with special education certification is assigned
to provide special resource services to those students needing
individual and small group assistance. These services complement those
received from local public schools for special need students with
individualized educational plans (IEP).

**5. Description of the school's professional development** **program:**
Each year after the whole faculty has set goals for the year, a faculty
committee plans a staff development calendar including regular meetings,
in-service and institute days. Some meeting time is set aside for use of
research and literature as springboard for discussion and dialogue, such
as articles and publications on learning disabilities and strategies for
accommodation, and government publications such as *Put Reading First*
as a source for common understanding and shared best practices. For
example, in response to a faculty goal to "accommodate special needs of
students in the regular classroom," a series of meetings was planned
including two workshops presented by university professors on the topics
of "accommodating special needs" and "differentiating instruction." This
focus has enabled the faculty to assess and better serve the needs of
learning disabled students.

To provide for continued development of technology and computer skills,
the committee assessed individual faculty skill levels, needs and
interests then planned for a fifteen-clock-hour course class (Using and
Applying Internet for Instruction) to be offered through the Center for
Teaching and Learning. Over three fourths of the faculty completed this
after school course. The school also hosted TerraNova workshops on using
reading and mathematics scores to improve instruction including use of
"hands-on" manipulatives, and language instruction methods. The school
provides an annual allotment of \$1,100 for each teacher's professional
development and personal technology purchases. Teachers also use this
for courses, institutes, workshops, conventions and membership in
various professional organizations (such as NCEA, NMSA, NCTM, NCSS). In
addition, St. Alphonsus is hosting an on-site Olivet Nazarene University
Master of Arts in Education cohort in applying research methods to
curriculum development and problem-based engaged instruction and
learning. Together these varied staff development activities have
enabled the faculty to implement a new reading curriculum, to better
serve needs of students experiencing learning difficulties, and to
better utilize available technology resources.

**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.*

Private school association(s): [N.C.E.A.. and C.A.P.E. .]{.underline}

(Give primary religious or independent association only)

Does the school have nonprofit, tax exempt (501(c)(3)) status? Yes
\_\_[X]{.underline}\_\_ No \_\_\_\_\_\_

**Part II ‑ Demographics**

1\. What are the 2001-2002 tuition rates, by grade? (Do not include
room, board, or fees.)

\$ [2425]{.underline} \$ [2225]{.underline} \$\_\_[2225]{.underline}
\$\_\_[2225]{.underline} \$\_[2225]{.underline} \$\_\_[2225]{.underline}

K 1^st^ 2^nd^ 3^rd^ 4^th^ 5^th^

\$\_\_[2225]{.underline} \$\_\_[2225]{.underline} \$ [2225]{.underline}
\$\_\_\_\_\_\_ \$\_\_\_\_\_\_ \$\_\_\_\_\_\_

6^th^ 7^th^ 8^th^ 9^th^ 10^th^ 11^th^

\$\_\_\_\_\_\_ \$\_[891/1107]{.underline}

12^th^ Other (preschool)

2\. What is the educational cost per student? \$ [3668]{.underline}

(School budget divided by enrollment)

3\. What is the average financial aid per student? \$ [694]{.underline}

4\. What percentage of the annual budget is devoted to [15]{.underline}%

scholarship assistance and/or tuition reduction?

5\. What percentage of the student body receives

scholarship assistance, including tuition reduction? [89]{.underline}%

**[ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI SCHOOL]{.underline}**

**[TERRA NOVA ASSESSMENTS]{.underline}**

**[REFERENCED AGAINST NATIONAL NORMS]{.underline}**

Provide the following information for all tests in reading (language
arts or English) and mathematics. Show at least three years of data.
Complete a separate form for each test and grade level, and place it on
a separate page.

Grade [3 through 7]{.underline} Test [Terra Nova Second Edition Multiple
Assessment]{.underline}

Edition/publication year [2001]{.underline} Publisher [CTB McGraw-Hill
.]{.underline}

Number of students in the grade in which the test was administered

[7^th^= 22, 6^th^= 23, 5^th^= 35, 4^th^= 30, 3^rd^= 22 .]{.underline}

Number of students who took the test [7^th^ =22, 6^th^=23, 5^th^= 35,
4^th^= 30, 3^rd^= 22 .]{.underline}

What groups were excluded from testing? Why, and how were they assessed?
[All students in the]{.underline}

[indicated grades were tested. Learning disabled students with IEP's
requiring test accommodations were]{.underline}

[tested with modifications (extended time, questions read aloud). Scores
for those students were not]{.underline}

[included in the class averages by the testing company.]{.underline}

[Number excluded from averages: 1 student in grade 6, 3 students in
grade 5, 2 students in grade 4.]{.underline}

Scores are reported here as (check one): NCEs [X]{.underline} Scaled
scores \_\_\_\_ Percentiles [.]{.underline}

**St. Alphonsus Liguori School---TerraNova NCE Scores**

Grade 7

  ------------------------------ --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------
  ***Reading***                  **2002-2003**   **2001-2002**   **2000-2001**   **1999-2000**   **1998-1999**

  **Testing Month**              **March**       **March**       **March**       **March**       **March**

  **NATIONAL MEAN SCORE NCE**    70.7            70.0            70.6            71.5            71.0

  **Number in group**            22              32              17              19              37

  **Percent of students tested** 100             100             100             100             100

  **\*\* Number / percent        0 / 0%          0 / 0%          0 / 0%          0 / 0%          0 / 0%
  excluded**                                                                                     
  ------------------------------ --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------

**School Mean NCE at 90%ile of National School Norms---65.8**

  ----------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
  ***Mathematics***             2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000   1998-1999

  **NATIONAL MEAN SCORE NCE**   71.1        71.9        71.6        67.4        66.2
  ----------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**School Mean NCE at 90%ile of National School Norms ---64.1**

Grade 6

  ------------------------------ --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------
  ***Reading***                  **2002-2003**   **2001-2002**   **2000-2001**   **1999-2000**   **1998-1999**

  **Testing Month**              **March**       **March**       **March**       **March**       **March**

  **NATIONAL MEAN SCORE NCE**    67.8            64.8            67.5            65.2            64.8

  **Number in group**            23              25              32              17              20

  **Percent of students tested** 100             100             100             100             100

  **\*\* Number / percent        1 / 4%          0 / 0%          0 / 0%          0 / 0%          0 / 0%
  excluded**                                                                                     
  ------------------------------ --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------

**School Mean NCE at 90%ile of National School Norms ---64.8**

  ------------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
  ***Mathematics***              2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000   1998-1999

  **NATIONAL MEAN SCORE NCE**    72.5        74.9        72.2        72.5        69.3
  ------------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**School Mean NCE at 90%ile of National School Norms ---64.5**

Grade 5

  ------------------------------ --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------
  ***Reading***                  **2002-2003**   **2001-2002**   **2000-2001**   **1999-2000**   **1998-1999**

  **Testing Month**              **March**       **March**       **March**       **March**       **March**

  **NATIONAL MEAN SCORE NCE**    65.3            67.4            69.4            67.5            62.4

  **Number in group**            35              25              28              35              21

  **Percent of students tested** 100             100             100             100             100

  **\*\* Number / percent        3 / 9%          2 / 8%          0 / 0%          0 / 0%          0 / 0%
  excluded**                                                                                     
  ------------------------------ --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------

**School Mean NCE at 90%ile of National School Norms ---64.1**

  ------------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
  ***Mathematics***              2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000   1998-1999

  **NATIONAL MEAN SCORE NCE**    67.4        68.5        68.3        65.6        59.3
  ------------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**School Mean NCE at 90%ile of National School Norms ---63.8**

**\*\* All students are tested. Students with IEP's requiring testing
accommodations (extended time, test read aloud) are excluded from group
norms by the testing company.**

Grade 4

  ------------------------------ --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------
  ***Reading***                  **2002-2003**   **2001-2002**   **2000-2001**   **1999-2000**   **1998-1999**

  **Testing Month**              **March**       **March**       **March**       **March**       **March**

  **NATIONAL MEAN SCORE NCE**    62.8            62.7            73.6            75.2            72.0

  **Number in group**            30              35              23              26              34

  **Percent of students tested** 100             100             100             100             100

  **\*\* Number / percent        2 / 7%          0 / 0%          0 / 0%          0 / 0%          0 / 0%
  excluded**                                                                                     
  ------------------------------ --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------

**School Mean NCE at 90%ile of National School Norms ---63.8**

  ------------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
  ***Mathematics***              2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000   1998-1999

  **NATIONAL MEAN SCORE NCE**    70.3        69.9        72.7        74.9        66.2
  ------------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**School Mean NCE at 90%ile of National School Norms ---64.1**

Grade 3

  ------------------------------ --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------
  ***Reading***                  **2002-2003**   **2001-2002**   **2000-2001**   **1999-2000**   **1998-1999**

  **Testing Month**              **March**       **March**       **March**       **March**       **March**

  **NATIONAL MEAN SCORE NCE**    67.1            62.7            66.0            75.5            64.2

  **Number in group**            22              33              37              22              33

  **Percent of students tested** 100             100             100             100             100

  **\*\* Number / percent        0 / 0%          0 / 0%          0 / 0%          0 / 0%          0 / 0%
  excluded**                                                                                     
  ------------------------------ --------------- --------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------

**School Mean NCE at 90%ile of National School Norms ---64.1**

  ------------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
  ***Mathematics***              2002-2003   2001-2002   2000-2001   1999-2000   1998-1999

  **NATIONAL MEAN SCORE NCE**    67.3        68.1        69.1        78.7        66.2
  ------------------------------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

**School Mean NCE at 90%ile of National School Norms ---64.5**

**\*\* All students are tested. Students with IEP's requiring testing
accommodations (extended time, test read aloud) are excluded from group
norms by the testing company.**