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U.S. Department of Education
2011 - Blue Ribbon Schools Program
A Private School
School Type (Public Schools):
(Check all that apply, if any) /
Charter /
Title 1 /
Magnet /
Choice

Name of Principal: Dr. Ruth Ann Palmer

Official School Name: Savannah Christian Preparatory School

School Mailing Address: / 1599 Chatham Parkway
Savannah, GA 31402-2848
County: Chatham / State School Code Number:
Telephone: (912) 234-1653 / E-mail:
Fax: (912) 234-0491 / Web URL: www.savcps.com

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

______Date ______
(Principal’s Signature)

Name of Superintendent*: Headmaster Roger Yancey Superintendent e-mail:

District Name: District Phone:

I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2 (Part I - Eligibility Certification), and certify that to the best of my knowledge it is accurate.

______Date ______
(Superintendent’s Signature)

Name of School Board President/Chairperson: Mr. Bill Daniel

I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2 (Part I - Eligibility Certification), 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.
The original signed cover sheet only should be converted to a PDF file and emailed to Aba Kumi, Blue Ribbon Schools Project Manager () or mailed by expedited mail or a courier mail service (such as Express Mail, FedEx or UPS) to Aba Kumi, Director, Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Office of Communications and Outreach, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Room 5E103, Washington, DC 20202-8173.

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PART I - ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATION / 11PV85

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 one or more of 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.

3.  To meet final eligibility, the school must meet the state's Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirement in the 2010-2011 school year. AYP must be certified by the state and all appeals resolved at least two weeks before the awards ceremony for the school to receive the award.

4.  If the school includes grades 7 or higher, the school must have foreign language as a part of its curriculum and a significant number of students in grades 7 and higher must take the course.

5.  The school has been in existence for five full years, that is, from at least September 2005.

6.  The nominated school has not received the Blue Ribbon Schools award in the past five years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 or 2010.

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

8.  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.

9.  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.

10.  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 / 11PV85

All data are the most recent year available.

DISTRICT

Questions 1 and 2 are for Public Schools only.

SCHOOL (To be completed by all schools)

3. / Category that best describes the area where the school is located: / Suburban
4. / Number of years the principal has been in her/his position at this school: / 2
5. / Number of students as of October 1, 2010 enrolled at each grade level or its equivalent in applying school:
Grade / # of Males / # of Females / Grade Total / # of Males / # of Females / Grade Total
PreK / 40 / 29 / 69 / 6 / 0 / 0 / 0
K / 34 / 36 / 70 / 7 / 0 / 0 / 0
1 / 38 / 37 / 75 / 8 / 0 / 0 / 0
2 / 44 / 37 / 81 / 9 / 0 / 0 / 0
3 / 41 / 44 / 85 / 10 / 0 / 0 / 0
4 / 38 / 29 / 67 / 11 / 0 / 0 / 0
5 / 49 / 44 / 93 / 12 / 0 / 0 / 0
Total in Applying School: / 540

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6. / Racial/ethnic composition of the school: / 0 / % American Indian or Alaska Native
3 / % Asian
4 / % Black or African American
1 / % Hispanic or Latino
0 / % Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
87 / % White
5 / % Two or more races
100 / % Total

Only the seven standard categories should be used in reporting the racial/ethnic composition of your school. The final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting, and Reporting Racial and Ethnic data to the U.S. Department of Education published in the October 19, 2007 Federal Register provides definitions for each of the seven categories.

7. / Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the 2009-2010 school year: / 4%
This rate is 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, 2009 until the end of the school year. / 8
(2) / Number of students who transferred from the school after October 1, 2009 until the end of the school year. / 18
(3) / Total of all transferred students [sum of rows (1) and (2)]. / 26
(4) / Total number of students in the school as of October 1, 2009 / 584
(5) / Total transferred students in row (3)
divided by total students in row (4). / 0.04
(6) / Amount in row (5) multiplied by 100. / 4
8. / Percent limited English proficient students in the school: / 0%
Total number of limited English proficient students in the school: / 0
Number of languages represented, not including English: / 7
Specify languages:
Hindi, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Bulgarian and Igbo

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9. / Percent of students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: / 2%
Total number of students who qualify: / 10
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 free and reduced-priced school meals program, supply an accurate estimate and explain how the school calculated this estimate.
Though the Lower School does not use the free and reduced meals form, it does provide financial aid for those who qualify . The Victoria Jenkins Scholarshipis based on need as determined by number in a family and income, as reported on the IRS Form 1040.Of the 10students who qualified for financial aid (1.9%), five were from single-parent homes.
10. / Percent of students receiving special education services: / 5%
Total number of students served: / 26
Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to conditions designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Do not add additional categories.
1 / Autism / 3 / Orthopedic Impairment
0 / Deafness / 54 / Other Health Impaired
0 / Deaf-Blindness / 7 / Specific Learning Disability
4 / Emotional Disturbance / 13 / Speech or Language Impairment
2 / Hearing Impairment / 0 / Traumatic Brain Injury
0 / Mental Retardation / 0 / Visual Impairment Including Blindness
0 / Multiple Disabilities / 0 / Developmentally Delayed
11. / Indicate number of full-time and part-time staff members in each of the categories below:
Number of Staff
Full-Time / Part-Time
Administrator(s) / 3 / 0
Classroom teachers / 27 / 1
Special resource teachers/specialists / 9 / 1
Paraprofessionals / 8 / 1
Support staff / 3 / 23
Total number / 50 / 26
12. / Average school student-classroom teacher ratio, that is, the number of students in the school divided by the Full Time Equivalent of classroom teachers, e.g., 22:1: / 20:1

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13. / Show the attendance patterns of teachers and students as a percentage. Only high schools need to supply graduation rates. Briefly explain in the Notes section any student or teacher attendance rates under 95% and teacher turnover rates over 12% and fluctuations in graduation rates.
2009-2010 / 2008-2009 / 2007-2008 / 2006-2007 / 2005-2006
Daily student attendance / 96% / 97% / 96% / 96% / 96%
Daily teacher attendance / 96% / 95% / 93% / 94% / 92%
Teacher turnover rate / 13% / 15% / 10% / 10% / 22%
High school graduation rate / % / % / % / % / %
If these data are not available, explain and provide reasonable estimates.
Attendance:
In 2007-2008, there was a faculty attendance rate of 93%.Five teachers exceeded 11 days of attendance, three due to new babies or a sick child.Two others had extended illnesses.
In 2006-2007, the attendance rate was 94%. One teacher missed 24 days due to a new baby. Eight others missed 10 to 12 days due to family or personal illness.
In 2005-2006, the attendance rate was 92%. One teacher lost 35 days due to paralysis and another was out 31 days for the birth of a child. Six others had recurrent absences due to family or personal illness.
Turnover Rate:
In 2009-2010, we had a 12% turnover (5 out of 41 teachers) due to the economy and family needs. Two teachers had to move from the area and one moved from a part -time to full-time position within the school. Another had a baby and the other retired after 35 years with the school.
In 2008-2009, there was a 15% turnover (6 of 41), three of which were moves from the area. The other three were due to illness, a baby and a transfer to another school.
In 2005-2006, there was a 22% turnover (9 of 41). Causes include retirement (2), new babies (2), transfers to other schools (2), a move and other needs.
14. / For schools ending in grade 12 (high schools): Show what the students who graduated in Spring 2010 are doing as of Fall 2010.
Graduating class size:
Enrolled in a 4-year college or university / %
Enrolled in a community college / %
Enrolled in vocational training / %
Found employment / %
Military service / %
Other / %
Total / 0 / %
PART III - SUMMARY / 11PV85

Founded in 1951, Savannah Christian Preparatory School (SCPS) is a SACS-CASI accredited, independent, non-denominational, college preparatory Christian school, serving 1556 students in Savannah, Georgia. SCPS is the third largest Christian school and the fifth largest independent school in the state of Georgia. It serves students from nine counties within a 50-mile radius of historic Savannah. Guided by the mission statement “to develop the whole person to the glory of God,” committed professionals partner with families, churches, and the local community to educate future generations through Christ-centered training, application, and example.

The Lower School is comprised of 540 prekindergarten through fifth grade students on two distinct campuses. The DeRenne Avenue campus, conveniently located near Savannah's many island communities, accommodates one class per grade level. The Chatham Parkway campus encompasses 254 beautiful acres that include a National Wildlife Federation certified schoolyard wildlife habitat (E.D.E.N.), and a Georgia historical marker noting the site as a Civil War battlefield during Sherman’s Siege of Savannah in 1864, both of which provide opportunity for a myriad of art, history, and science related activities. Nearby Savannah (4.4 miles), founded in 1733 as the first planned city in the United States, offers dozens of historic landmarks and educationally-rich, child-appropriate tours. Tybee Island, the University of Georgia Marine Science Center, and Oatland Island offer SCPS students education about salt-water habitats through hands-on activities. The annual observance of “Georgia Day” is made possible by nearly 100 volunteers who implement curricular activities devoted to Georgia history and culture.

SCPS serves single-parent and blue-collar families as well as business and professional parents. The school provides both a Learning Differences class for children with special needs, and an honors-level curriculum for academically gifted students. The ethnic composition of the student body is predominantly white with 13% representing other racial backgrounds. An atmosphere of mutual respect is both a goal and a reality.