2010 - Blue Ribbon Schools Program
Type of School: (Check all that apply) / []Charter / [X]Title I / []Magnet / []Choice
Name of Principal: Mr. William Pokel
Official School Name: Wilson Elementary School
School Mailing Address:
920 Higgins Avenue
Neenah, WI 54956-3826
County: Winnebago State School Code Number*: 477
Telephone: (920) 751-6995 Fax: (920) 751-6984
Web site/URL: www.neenah.k12.wi.usE-mail:
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*: Dr. Mary Pfeiffer
District Name: Neenah Joint School District Tel: (920) 751-6800
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. Scott Thompson
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
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 2009-2010 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 2004.
6. The nominated school has not received the Blue Ribbon Schools award in the past five years, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 or 2009.
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 DATAAll data are the most recent year available.
DISTRICT (Questions 1-2 not applicable to private schools)
1. Number of schools in the district: (per district designation) / 8 / Elementary schools (includes K-8)2 / Middle/Junior high schools
1 / High schools
K-12 schools
11 / TOTAL
2. District Per Pupil Expenditure: 10826
SCHOOL (To be completed by all schools)
3. Category that best describes the area where the school is located:
[ ] Urban or large central city
[ X ] Suburban school with characteristics typical of an urban area
[ ] Suburban
[ ] Small city or town in a rural area
[ ] Rural
4. 5 Number of years the principal has been in her/his position 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 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 6 / 0 / 0 / 0
K / 31 / 33 / 64 / 7 / 0 / 0 / 0
1 / 35 / 26 / 61 / 8 / 0 / 0 / 0
2 / 39 / 35 / 74 / 9 / 0 / 0 / 0
3 / 24 / 24 / 48 / 10 / 0 / 0 / 0
4 / 30 / 39 / 69 / 11 / 0 / 0 / 0
5 / 25 / 28 / 53 / 12 / 0 / 0 / 0
TOTAL STUDENTS IN THE APPLYING SCHOOL / 369
6. Racial/ethnic composition of the school: / 0 / % American Indian or Alaska Native
2 / % Asian
6 / % Black or African American
8 / % Hispanic or Latino
0 / % Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
84 / % White
0 / % 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 past year: 15%
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 until theend of the year. / 27
(2) / Number of students who transferred from the school after October 1 until the end of the year. / 27
(3) / Total of all transferred students [sum of rows (1) and (2)]. / 54
(4) / Total number of students in the school as of October 1. / 361
(5) / Total transferred students in row (3)
divided by total students in row (4). / 0.150
(6) / Amount in row (5) multiplied by 100. / 14.958
8. Limited English proficient students in the school: 0%
Total number limited English proficient 0
Number of languages represented: 3
Specify languages:
Hmong; Spanish, Korean
9. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: 47%
Total number students who qualify: 174
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-price school meals 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: 13%
Total Number of Students Served: 49
Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to conditions designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Do not add additional categories.
0 / Autism / 0 / Orthopedic Impairment0 / Deafness / 0 / Other Health Impaired
0 / Deaf-Blindness / 9 / Specific Learning Disability
5 / Emotional Disturbance / 24 / Speech or Language Impairment
0 / Hearing Impairment / Traumatic Brain Injury
0 / Mental Retardation / 0 / Visual Impairment Including Blindness
11 / Multiple Disabilities / 0 / Developmentally Delayed
11. Indicate number of full-time and part-time staff members in each of the categories below:
Number of StaffFull-Time / Part-Time
Administrator(s) / 1 / 0
Classroom teachers / 15 / 2
Special resource teachers/specialists / 5 / 10
Paraprofessionals / 4 / 2
Support staff / 3
Total number / 25 / 17
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 23 :1
13. Show the attendance patterns of teachers and students as a percentage. Only middle and high schools need to supply dropout rates. Briefly explain in the Notes section any attendance rates under 95%, teacher turnover rates over 12%, or student dropout rates over 5%.
2008-2009 / 2007-2008 / 2006-2007 / 2005-2006 / 2004-2005Daily student attendance / 96% / 95% / 96% / 96% / 96%
Daily teacher attendance / 96% / 98% / 97% / 98% / 97%
Teacher turnover rate / 3% / 10% / 8% / 10% / 3%
Student dropout rate / 0% / 0% / 0% / 0% / 0%
Please provide all explanations below.
14. For schools ending in grade 12 (high schools).
Show what the students who graduated in Spring 2009 are doing as of the Fall 2009.
Graduating class size / 0Enrolled in a 4-year college or university / 0 / %
Enrolled in a community college / 0 / %
Enrolled in vocational training / 0 / %
Found employment / 0 / %
Military service / 0 / %
Other (travel, staying home, etc.) / 0 / %
Unknown / 0 / %
Total / %
PART III - SUMMARY
A classic neighborhood school, Wilson Elementary in Neenah, Wisconsin was built in 1949 in a quiet residential area. In the first fifty years there were only two principals, each serving until retirement. Building additions were made in 1953 and 1993, and by 2003, 245 students were enrolled. Wilson School had an excellent reputation for its committed, caring staff and for the wonderful way CD-S program students were integrated into school life.
The latest addition to Wilson came in 2004 and was significant in that it marked the consolidation of Wilson and Washington Schools’ attendance areas. It also brought a new principal to Wilson for the second time in four years. Our school district faced growth in its outlying areas but a steady population decline in its central city. As a result, Washington School was repurposed as an Early Learning Center, and Wilson’s boundaries gained a diverse mix of commercial and governmental facilities, sizable historic homes, and subsidized rental properties. Great care was taken to help these proud schools merge and become one community; thanks to the sensitivity of the staff and PTO, traditions were honored and blended to build a Wilson legacy of embracing diversity. Enrollment rose to 280 after consolidation, with a free/reduced lunch rate of 22%.
2004 also brought the first of many plant closings and layoffs in what had been the backbone of Neenah’s economy: the paper-making industry. At the same time, homes in the Wilson neighborhood changed hands as World War II veterans moved out and young families moved in. Enrollment rose to its current level of 369 and Wilson’s socioeconomic status changed dramatically from 22% to 47% low-income families. Despite these changes, two things remained constant: the unflagging care and commitment of the Wilson staff and the generous support of the Wilson PTO.
A mission statement developed in the 1990’s reads as follows: ”The Wilson School staff, in partnership with parents and the community, recognizes our responsibility to provide each child with opportunity for a well-rounded education, being cognizant of unique capabilities, needs and learning styles. We aim to prepare each child in a caring manner to appreciate lifelong learning and to strive for self-discipline and responsibility so that each reaches their maximum potential and becomes a positive, productive and active Community member.” In early 2007 the staff used an inservice to examine our practices and reaffirm commitment to that mission, restating it thus: “All students: learning, growing, achieving, succeeding.” A student success committee was established to develop our core expectations and ways to positively reinforce them; our Stellar Student program emerged the following fall. Students who show diligence, honesty, integrity, respect, and responsibility receive a laminated ticket (a “Stellar”). Stellars are cashed in at the Stellar Seller, a cart containing fun trinkets donated by the staff and community. Multiage groups (“Constellations”) meet to reinforce what each expectation means and students who consistently meet or go beyond expectations are honored at assemblies each semester.
2007 also brought Neenah’s first district data retreat. Our team (principal, reading specialist, EBD teacher, second grade teacher and fifth grade teacher) worked with a facilitator from our local Cooperative Education Service Agency to analyze our data. We set targets in reading and math to help achieve the goals of No Child Left Behind and as a way to focus our efforts. We developed three steering committees: Student Success, Mathematics Improvement, and Reading Improvement. Staff members joined one or more of these to address our new goals, and committee chairs formed our School Improvement team, meeting monthly with the principal to share results and help set the agenda for our revamped staff meetings. Housekeeping items were limited, with a focus on committee reports to the whole staff and collaboration/sharing sessions that focused on our goals.
During the 2007-2008 school year, all Neenah elementary schools applied for REACH (Responsive Education for All Children) grants. REACH is a statewide school improvement initiative funded through a U.S. IDEA grant. Wilson was one of two Neenah schools to receive the grant, based in part on these excellent preliminary collaborative steps. REACH helped us further refine our goals and to develop universal grade level tests on probability and text analysis. Though relatively late to the process, Wilson School has truly embraced this data-driven improvement model, and the results have been very encouraging.