2006-2007 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools Program
U.S. Department of Education
Cover Sheet Type of School: (Check all that apply) [X] Elementary [ ] Middle [ ] High [ ] K-12 [ ]Charter
Name of Principal Mrs. Elizabeth G. Thedy
(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other) (As it should appear in the official records)
Official School Name Suntree Elementary School
(As it should appear in the official records)
School Mailing Address 900 Jordan Blass Drive
(If address is P.O. Box, also include street address.)
Melbourne FL 32940-7033
City State Zip Code+4 (9 digits total)
County __Brevard______State School Code Number*______3121______
Telephone ( 321 )242-6480 Fax ( 321 ) 242-6485
Web site/URL http://suntree.es.brevard.k12.fl.us 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.
Date______
(Principal’s Signature)
Name of Superintendent* Dr. Richard DiPatri
(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other)
District Name School Board of Brevard County Tel. ( 321 )631-1911
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. Robert Jordan
(Specify: Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., Other)
I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2, and certify that to the best of my knowledge it is accurate.
Date______
(School Board President’s/Chairperson’s Signature)
*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 for Civil Rights (OCR) requirements is true and correct.
1. The school has some configuration that includes grades K-12. (Schools on the same campus with one principal, even K-12 schools, must apply as an entire school.)
2. The school has made adequate yearly progress each year for the past two years and has not been identified by the state as “persistently dangerous” within the last two years. To meet final eligibility, the school must meet the state’s adequate yearly progress requirement in the 2006-2007 school year.
3. If the school includes grades 7 or higher, it has foreign language as a part of its core curriculum.
4. The school has been in existence for five full years, that is, from at least September 2001 and has not received the No Child Left Behind – Blue Ribbon Schools award in the past five years.
5. The nominated school or district is not refusing OCR access to information necessary to investigate a civil rights complaint or to conduct a districtwide compliance review.
6. OCR has not issued a violation letter of findings to the school district concluding that the nominated school or the district as a whole has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes. A violation letter of findings will not be considered outstanding if OCR has accepted a corrective action plan from the district to remedy the violation.
7. The U.S. Department of Justice does not have a pending suit alleging that the nominated school or the school district as a whole has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes or the Constitution’s equal protection clause.
8. There are no findings of violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in a U.S. Department of Education monitoring report that apply to the school or school district in question; or if there are such findings, the state or district has corrected, or agreed to correct, the findings.
PART II DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
All data are the most recent year available.
DISTRICT (Questions 12 not applicable to private schools)
1. Number of schools in the district: 57Elementary schools
12Middle schools
0Junior high schools
11High schools
4 Other
84TOTAL
2. District Per Pupil Expenditure: $6,336
Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: $6,062
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 1/2 Number of years the principal has been in her/his position at this school.
4 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 Males / # of Females / Grade Total / Grade / # of Males / # of Females / Grade TotalPreK / 8 / 2 / 10 / 7
K / 63 / 45 / 108 / 8
1 / 64 / 56 / 120 / 9
2 / 42 / 54 / 96 / 10
3 / 58 / 60 / 118 / 11
4 / 58 / 67 / 125 / 12
5 / 68 / 77 / 145 / Other
6 / 75 / 65 / 140
TOTAL STUDENTS IN THE APPLYING SCHOOL ® / 862
6. Racial/ethnic composition of 90 % White
the school: 3 % Black or African American
4 % Hispanic or Latino
3 % Asian/Pacific Islander
<1 % American Indian/Alaskan Native
100% Total
Use only the five standard categories in reporting the racial/ethnic composition of the school.
7. Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year: 10%
[This rate should be calculated using the grid below. The answer to (6) is the mobility rate.]
(1) / Number of students who transferred to the school after October 1 until the end of the year /52
(2) / Number of students who transferred from the school after October 1 until the end of the year / 31
(3) / Total of all transferred students [sum of rows (1) and (2)] / 83
(4) / Total number of students in the school as of October 1 / 862
(5) / Total transferred students in row (3) divided by total students in row (4) / .096
(6) / Amount in row (5) multiplied by 100 / 10
8. Limited English Proficient students in the school: 2 %
16Total Number Limited English Proficient
Number of languages represented: 7
Specify languages: Spanish, Chinese, French, Vietnamese, Russian, Portuguese, and Dutch
9. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: 4 %
Total number students who qualify: 34
If this method does not produce an accurate estimate of the percentage of students from lowincome 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: 15%
127 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 ____Orthopedic Impairment
____Deafness 8Other Health Impaired
____Deaf-Blindness 62Specific Learning Disability
2Emotional Disturbance 54Speech or Language Impairment
____Hearing Impairment ____Traumatic Brain Injury
1Mental Retardation ____Visual Impairment Including Blindness
____Multiple Disabilities
11. Indicate number of fulltime and parttime staff members in each of the categories below:
Number of Staff
Full-time Part-Time
Administrator(s) 2
Classroom teachers 37 6
Special resource teachers/specialists 13 2
Paraprofessionals 4
Support staff 26
Total number 84 8
12. Average school student-classroom teacher ratio, that is, the number of
students in the school divided by the FTE of classroom teachers, e.g., 22:1 20:1
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. Also explain a high teacher turnover rate.
2005-2006 / 2004-2005 / 2003-2004 / 2002-2003 / 2001-2002Daily student attendance / 96% / 96% / 98% / 96% / 96%
Daily teacher attendance / 96% / 97% / 98% / 96% / 96%
Teacher turnover rate / 9% / 2% / 3% / 7% / 10%
Student dropout rate (middle/high) / % / % / % / % / %
Student drop-off rate (high school) / % / % / % / % / %
PART III SUMMARY
Suntree Elementary School, established in 1992, is located in the heart of Suntree, a community in north Melbourne, Florida. Our mission is to promote excellence and inspire young minds to reach their full potential, which goes hand in hand with our vision of building a foundation for the future of our nation. After a recent boundary change, Suntree's student population has stabilized at approximately 850 students in grades K through 6, down from over 1,100 prior to school year 2004-2005. Our open campus, with its beautifully landscaped areas, lends itself to science exploration as well as other aesthetic qualities conducive to a positive learning environment.
Suntree’s distinguished teachers and staff continuously seek new ways to engage our students. We have two administrators, 58 highly-qualified teachers, and 30 support staff. Forty-one percent of our teachers hold advanced degrees, and 32% are National Board Certified. Many of our teachers have, or are currently seeking, endorsements in the areas of ESOL and Reading. Staying abreast of the most current best practices is a high priority. Funds are set aside to cover the expenses associated with training opportunities at the district and state levels as well as the cost of in-house training such as Thinking Maps. Committed to the belief that every child can learn, Suntree focuses on safe, nurturing environments and high expectations for all students. Our student mentoring program ensures that even our most struggling students can meet or exceed those expectations. Teachers share their ideas with others and often conduct professional development training at the school and district levels. Suntree’s Learning Community, teacher mentoring program, vertical alignment of the Grade Level Expectations, use of data analysis, and our School Advisory Council all play an integral part in our success.
Suntree’s open-door philosophy promotes a strong relationship between school and community. We have one of the highest volunteer rates in Brevard County, logging 28,355.45 hours from April 2005-October 2006. Our volunteers include parents, senior citizens, high school and college students. Suntree’s exemplary PTO, along with our myriad of business partners, works hard to raise funds to help promote excellence in our school. They funded the construction of an out-door classroom, purchased a portable wireless computer lab and physical education equipment, and provided monetary supplements to support classroom programs. From the Kindergarten “Boo-Hoo” Breakfast to the Sixth Grade Award Ceremony, parents are welcomed into the Suntree family. Other highlights include: Open House, Bring Your Parent to School Day, Grandparents Day, Family Game Nights, Writing Workshops, Thinking Maps for Parents, and Volunteer Brunches. Communication between school and home is maintained through the use of daily student planners (provided to students at registration), weekly school newsletters, on-line school calendars, daily e-mails, and individual classroom newsletters.
Suntree offers a positive learning environment with clear procedures to reduce distractions, encourage attendance, maximize instructional time and ensure student safety. Pride for success and learning, as well as citizenship, are developed through Suntree’s Perfect Attendance programs, Student of the Month celebrations, Bully-Free School Program, Safety Patrols, Math SuperStars, and Accelerated Reading Incentives. Extracurricular activities are offered to students and include: TV productions, Book Bash, American Girls, Cam Jansen, After-school Academic Support and Enrichment programs, Chess Club, Chorus, Strings, Junior First Lego League, Pensations! writing workshops, Odyssey of the Mind, and Future Problem Solving. In addition, homework club, cheering, All Star Sports, drums, art, soccer, and Mad Science are offered through our after- care program.
Suntree Elementary, a body of exemplary students, staff, parents, and community, exudes the excellence that sets us apart from the rest. The students are consistently encouraged to develop their talents, while respect and responsibility is emphasized. Our teachers constantly seek to provide and promote quality instruction based on best practices conducive to all learning styles. As stated in our school song, “...the future waits at our command…that day is dawning when we will inherit this world for our own.” Business partners, parents, administration, teachers, and staff come together to build a foundation for the future of our nation: Suntree students.
PART IV – INDICATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS
1. Assessment Results: The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) was developed to measure the achievement of Florida’s students. This test is comprised of multiple choice questions, gridded-response questions, short written responses, and extended written responses. Critical thinking and expressive ability are necessary for students to successfully achieve a proficient score, which is defined as a level 3 or above. Test questions from the FCAT-SSS assessment are derived from the Sunshine State Standards, which are the curriculum guidelines and benchmarks used to develop plans for teaching the content areas and contain the challenging content Florida students are expected to master. The FCAT-NRT is a nationally norm-referenced test used to compare student performance in reading and mathematics with the performance of students nationwide. All Florida public schools are required to take the FCAT-SSS and the FCAT-NRT each year in early March.