U.S. Department of Education November 2002September 2003
2003-2004 No Child Left Behind—Blue Ribbon Schools Program
Cover Sheet
Name of Principal Mr. Robert K. Denny
(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other) (As it should appear in the official records)
Official School Name Terrace Park Elementary School
(As it should appear in the official records)
School Mailing Address 723 Elm ______
(If address is P.O. Box, also include street address)
Terrace Park OH ______45174-1203______
City State Zip Code+4 (9 digits total)
Tel. ( 513 ) 272-7700 Fax ( 513 ) 831-1249
Website/URL http://www.mariemontschools.org/terracepark.htm E-mail
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.
Name of Superintendent* Dr. Gerald F. Harris
(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other)
District Name Mariemont City Schools Tel. (513) 272-7500
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.
(Superintendent’s Signature)
Name of School Board Mrs. Peggy Landes
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
*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 districtwide 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 12 not applicable to private schools)
1. Number of schools in the district: __3__ Elementary schools
_____ Middle schools
__1__ Junior high schools
__1___ High schools
_____ Other (Briefly explain)
__5__ TOTAL
2. District Per Pupil Expenditure: $9,327
Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: $8,441
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 Number of years the principal has been in her/his position at this school.
2 If fewer than three years, how long was the previous principal at this school?
5. Number of students enrolled at each grade level or its equivalent in applying school:
Grade / # of Males / # of Females / Grade Total / Grade / # of Males / # of Females / Grade TotalK / 29 / 11 / 40 / 7
1 / 23 / 35 / 58 / 8
2 / 21 / 11 / 32 / 9
3 / 27 / 19 / 46 / 10
4 / 24 / 22 / 46 / 11
5 / 25 / 22 / 47 / 12
6 / 23 / 22 / 45 / Other
TOTAL STUDENTS IN THE APPLYING SCHOOL ® / 314
6. Racial/ethnic composition of 96.5 % White
the students in the school: 2 % Black or African American
.6 % Hispanic or Latino
.9 % Asian/Pacific Islander
0 % American Indian/Alaskan Native
100% Total
7. Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year: __2.76__%
(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 to the school after October 1 until the end of the year. / 9(2) / Number of students who transferred from the school after October 1 until the end of the year. / 19
(3) / Subtotal of all transferred students [sum of rows (1) and (2)] / 28
(4) / Total number of students in the school as of October 1 / 326
(5) / Subtotal in row (3) divided by total in row (4) / .085
(6) / Amount in row (5) multiplied by 100 / 8.58
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: ___3____%
___11___Total Number Students Who Qualify
If this method does not produce a reasonably accurate estimate of the percentage of students from lowincome families or the school does not participate in the federallysupported lunch program, specify a more accurate estimate, tell why the school chose it, and explain how it arrived at this estimate.
Page 1 of 21
10. Students receiving special education services: ____10__%
____32__Total Number of Students Served
Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to conditions designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
__1_Autism ____Orthopedic Impairment
____Deafness __1_Other Health Impaired
____Deaf-Blindness __5_Specific Learning Disability
____Hearing Impairment __7_Speech or Language Impairment
____Mental Retardation ____Traumatic Brain Injury
____Multiple Disabilities ____Visual Impairment Including Blindness
11. Indicate number of fulltime and parttime staff members in each of the categories below:
Number of Staff
Full-time Part-Time
Administrator(s) 1 0
Classroom teachers 15 5
Special resource teachers/specialists 0 5
Paraprofessionals 1 4
Support staff 3 0
Total number 20 14
12. Average school student-“classroom teacher” ratio: 22:1
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.)
2002-2003 / 2001-2002 / 2000-2001 / 1999-2000 / 1998-1999Daily student attendance / 95.7 / 96.4 / 96.1 / 96.1 / 95.7
Daily teacher attendance / 97.4 / 97.2 / 97.3 / 97.1 / 96.6
Teacher turnover rate / 7% / 0 / 7% / 0 / 0
Student dropout rate
Student drop-off rate
PART III SUMMARY
Provide a brief, coherent narrative snapshot of the school in one page (approximately 475 words). Include at least a summary of the school’s mission or vision in the statement.
Terrace Park Elementary is in the Village of Terrace Park, Ohio, and lies at the easternmost part of Hamilton County, Ohio. The village has approximately 3000 residents and the school has 314 students in grades kindergarten through sixth. The school is one of three elementary schools in the Mariemont City School District. It is a neighborhood school where over 90% of the students walk to school, can go home for lunch, and walk home at the end of the school day. It is figuratively and literally at the heart of the village.
The school is committed to its stated purpose of “helping each child develop his/her capabilities . . . (through) a partnership of parents, students and the school.” This vision is congruent with the district’s mission of providing the wherewithal for the “scholars of today” to become the “leaders of tomorrow.” There is common agreement between teachers and parents on high expectations and high achievement for all.
While the majority of the students are from high achieving families who highly prize education and have very high expectations for the students, there is economic diversity in the school. The school has students from several religions, races, and ethnic backgrounds. There is common agreement, however, on high expectations and high achievement. Being so close to a metropolitan area (Cincinnati, Ohio) affords students varied opportunities to explore and value differences.
More than 95% of the district’s and school’s graduates go on to higher education; the school’s academic program is scoped and sequenced beginning in kindergarten to prepare for success at the university level. Complementing this program is a philosophy and resources delivery system that guarantees all learners’ instructional needs are met. From special education to talented and gifted opportunities, the school provides opportunities for all student learners to become “leaders of tomorrow.” Complementing this clear definition of instructional/learning goals is the delivery of services, resources, and multiple pedagogical approaches to wed curriculum and instruction.
The school’s academic program is based on board-adopted K-12 courses of study which are the basis of lesson design and assessment. In addition, weaved throughout the K-12 courses of study is an embedded research scope and sequence. Based on course content, students must master research skills and facileness with various technologies. Like the strands of a rope, the academic program is woven together around an information literacy core so as to develop students with large knowledge bases, basic skills at accomplished levels, ability to locate information and vast experience at the upper levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Therefore, technology and library expenditures reflect this commitment and students are competent in use of presentation programs, wireless internet access and local and global access to data across a high speed internet connection.
The faculty is a rich blend of experienced and new professionals—84% of whom have master’s degrees. Under NCLB standards they are all highly-qualified. In addition to small classes, the teachers have access to specialists, special educators, tutors, etc. to call upon to meet each learner’s needs. The district provides what is needed to make students and staff successful. The closeness of administration to teachers, parents, and community members has created a “family-like” feeling, a congruence of school community values and a common mission.
Through collaboration with the PTO and community-based organizations, the school building is used every evening and on weekends to provide enrichment and social opportunities for our boys and girls.
The school’s scores on national, state, and local assessment instruments show consistent attainment of educational excellence. The school, in addition to high scores, looks at each child’s level of performance to ensure the “bar that has been raised” is being achieved by each. It is for these reasons that Terrace Park Elementary School qualified for recognition as a No Child Left Behind/Blue Ribbon School.
Page 1 of 21
PART IV – INDICATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS
1. Describe in one page the meaning of the school’s assessment results in reading (language arts or English) and mathematics in such a way that someone not intimately familiar with the tests can easily understand them.
The state of Ohio has developed content standards for the schools of the state. These content standards are rigorous and embody a standard of excellence that when achieved, will raise Ohio’s schools to national and global prominence. The state legislature has mandated a series of tests to measure how well students, schools, and school districts are performing. At the elementary level, state-wide proficiency tests are given to all fourth and sixth graders. The state is presently re-aligning which tests will be taken which years.
Rather than a system of letter grades, the state criterion-referenced tests attempt to measure a student’s and also the school’s ability to reach a “proficient” level. Being “proficient” means mastery of the skills contained in the state’s standards. The most important measurement or grade is “proficient.”
In fourth-grade reading across Ohio 66.3% of students last school year were determined to be proficient. At Terrace Park, 100% of students were assessed as being proficient in fourth-grade reading.
In fourth-grade mathematics across the state, 70.4% were determined to be proficient. At Terrace Park, 97.8% scored as proficient in fourth grade mathematics.