2007 – 2008 Carroll Community School District Annual Report to …server-8.carroll.k12.ia.us/~cordesrob/annualreports/annual0708.pdf · specific content, skills to be mastered,

2007 – 2008 Carroll Community School DistrictAnnual Report to the Community

Photo Courtesy of Sundermann Photography

Equity Requirement:The Carroll Community School District does not discriminate based on gender, race, national/ethnic origin, creed, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

A Message from the Superintendent of Schools

To the Citizens of the Carroll Community School District: Carroll Community School District is pleased to present this Annual Report of the 2007 – 2008 school year. This report is a summary of the district’s progress on student achievement and its programs. The purpose of this report is to share information that is used to support the district’s efforts toward continuous school improvement. I am extremely proud of our entire PK – 12 students, staff, parents, and volunteers who helped make the 2007 – 2008 school year a success. CCSD saw student achievement gains in reading and math on standardized tests such as the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and Iowa Tests of Educational Development. Academic growth was also made in other district-wide assessments like NWEA, DIBELS, Curriculum Based Measurement Reading probes, and Math Criterion Referenced Tests. For the second consecutive year, CCSD met all of its annual improvement goals in reading, math, and science for the State of Iowa. Part of the continued success for CCSD is a result of the support of the parents and community. The district will continue to work hard to provide a world-class education for our students.

Anyone with questions or comments regarding this Annual Report to the Community should contact Rob Cordes, Superintendent, at the district office (712-792-8001). Sincerely, Robert J. Cordes Superintendent of Schools

2007-2008 Board of Directors

Kim Tiefenthaler, President 2216 Forest, Carroll 792-6362 Penny Harmening 2509 Forest St., Carroll 792-6265 LaVern Dirkx 1209 Olive St., Carroll 792-1779 Jerry Fleshner 1943 Lois Avenue, Carroll 792-2369 Amy Fordyce 228 Applewood, Carroll 792-3407

Board Goals 2007-08

1. Carroll Community School District Board of Education will align policies, practices, and resources to support professional development in an effort to increase student achievement.

2. Recognizing that literacy is fundamental to all teaching and learning in school and life, Carroll Community School Board of Education challenges all staff to assume responsibility as teachers of literacy. To support this goal, the Board sets the following targets: a. All students will enter kindergarten ready to

learn. b. By 2010 90% of all students in grades 3 – 11

will read at or above grade level. 3. Partnering with the entire community, Carroll

Community School Board of Education will research and secure additional revenue sources to assure stability and quality in the educational environment.

4. Continue to encourage Board of Directors’ development and professional growth activities.

5. Carroll Community School District Board of Education will support the Interest Based Bargaining process through additional training and professional development.

2007 – 2008 Summary Report

Mission Statement

The mission of the Carroll Community School District is to ensure that all students become socially responsible lifelong learners who demonstrate creativity and problem-solving skills. This will be accomplished by teaching a challenging, relevant, and diverse curriculum in a safe, stimulating environment in preparation for the 21st Century.

We Believe The students, the parents, the teachers, the administrators, and the staff of the Carroll Community School District believe. . .

Children should be encouraged to become lifelong learners and problem solvers.

Parents are the most important influence on a child’s development, behavior, and attitude toward learning.

A quality school understands the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical needs of its students and makes decisions based on those characteristics.

A successful student is able to think and reason for himself/herself, yet not be afraid to ask for advice or help when needed. He/She is willing and able to use all the different resources available in order to achieve success.

A good teacher is one who sincerely cares about students and strives to motivate, educate, and maximize their potential.

An effective classroom is one where the teacher and student work together in a respectful manner toward a common goal.

A quality instructional program includes opportunities, variety, and challenges that create an environment for all students to be successful.

An effective faculty is one that has a sense of pride, cares for the students and teachers, and works as a team for the good of the school.

Schools should teach fundamentals, responsibility, respect, and skills for use throughout life.

Stakeholders Help Develop New Mission Statement and Belief

Statements

“Opening the doors of learning for success” is the new mission statement for CCSD. During the 2007 – 2008 school year community meetings were held to develop a new mission statement and belief statements. Various stakeholder groups were invited to attend work sessions to gather community input. Lou Howell, an educational consultant, facilitated the process for CCSD. Stakeholder groups included students, staff, parents, business leaders, retired citizens, board members, and administrators. On July 1, 2008, the CCSD Board of Education approved the new mission statement and belief statements.

The revised belief statements are:

We Believe … Children should be encouraged to become lifelong

learners and problem solvers. Parents and community are the most important

influence on a child's development, behavior, and attitude toward learning.

A quality school understands the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical needs of its students and makes decisions based on those characteristics.

A successful student is able to think and reason for himself/herself, yet not be afraid to ask for advice or help when needed. He/She is willing and able to use all the different resources available in order to achieve success.

An effective staff member is one who cares for the students, has a sense of pride, and works for the good of the organization.

An effective classroom is one where the teacher and student work together in a respectful manner toward a common goal.

A quality instructional program includes oppor-tunities, variety, and challenges, which create an environment for all students to be successful.

Schools should teach fundamentals, responsibility, respect, and skills for use throughout life.

District Long-Range Goal (2004 - 2009)

The Carroll Community School District’s long-range goals define the desired targets to be reached over an extended period of time. These long-range goals serve two purposes: 1) to meet locally determined Student Learning Goals and 2) to address state and federal student accountability.

Annual Improvement Goals (2007 - 2008)

The Carroll Community School District’s annual improvement goals provide the guideposts to monitor progress toward the long-range goals for the district.

Long-range Goal 1: All K-12 students will achieve at high levels in reading comprehension prepared for success beyond high school. 2007 – 2008 Annual Improvement Goal for Reading: CCSD will increase the percentage of students proficient in grades 3-11 (combined data) on the Reading Comprehension section of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (based on National Percentile Rank) in 2007 – 2008 when compared to the 2006 - 2007 test data – 80.65%. CCSD achieved this goal - 80.72% of students were proficient (+ .07%) in 2007 – 2008. Long-range Goal 2: All K-12 students will achieve at high levels in mathematics prepared for success beyond high school. 2007 - 2008 Annual Improvement Goal for Math: CCSD will increase the percentage of students proficient in grades 3-11 (combined data) on the Math Total section of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (based on National Percentile Rank) in 2007 – 2008 when compared to the 2006 - 2007 test data – 84.35%. CCSD achieved this

goal – 87.08% of students were proficient (+2.73%) in 2007 – 2008. Long-range Goal 3: All K-12 students will achieve at high levels in science prepared for success beyond high school. 2007 - 2008 Annual Improvement Goal for Science: CCSD will increase the percentage of students proficient in grades 3-11 (combined data) on the Science section of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (based on National Percentile Rank) in 2007 – 2008 when compared to the 2006 - 2007 test data – 85.7%. CCSD achieved this goal – 88.4% of students were proficient (+2.7%). Long-range Goal 4: All K-12 students will demonstrate the ability to use and apply technology for success beyond high school. 2007 - 2008 Annual Improvement Goal for Technology: CCSD will increase the percentage of students proficient in grades 4 through 8 on the locally established technology criteria. Ninety-eight percent of 8th grade students (146 of 149) met the CCSD 8th grade competencies for technology. Long-range Goal 5: All students will feel safe at and connected to school. 2007 - 2008 Annual Improvement Goal for School Safety: CCSD will increase the percentage of students who feel safe at and connected to school based on the pre-test/post-test given in grades 3 and 7. Students in grades 3 and 7 continue to demonstrate improvement when given the pre- and post-Life Skills assessment. CCSD continues to partner with New Opportunities, Inc., on the Life Skills Program.

K-12 English as a Second Language Program (ESL)

The English as a Second Language program for students in grades K-12 is individualized to meet the needs of each student. Sandy Kluver, the CCSD ESL instructor, works cooperatively with classroom teachers to ensure the lessons coincide with lessons being taught in the general education classrooms. Most of the ESL lessons target the following four domains: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Another goal of the program is to help the ESL students feel comfortable and succeed both in and out of school. In order to accomplish this, the ESL instructor works on social skills and social vocabulary with the students weekly.

Professional Development

Professional development is essential for improved student achievement. All staff members, classified and certified, are provided quality staff development opportunities. CCSD continues its efforts to emphasize the importance of differentiation of instruction, which includes curriculum, teaching strategies, and assessments. While the No Child Left Behind legislation monitors students who achieve proficiency, the District’s focus has been on having each and every student show growth. Each building site has developed reading and math building action plans with specific goals, instructional strategies to meet the goals, and assessments to measure progress. Teachers and administrators periodically review data to determine if changes need to be made with the plans.

During the 2007-08 school year all of the teachers in the District were introduced to Atlas Curriculum Mapper. Teachers create online units of study for each of the classes or courses that they teach. Teachers determine specific content, skills to be mastered, instructional strategies, assessments, and resources for the unit. Teachers are able to access their maps and the maps of colleagues at any time from any computer. Administrators can identify gaps and overlaps in the curriculum, track instructional strategies used in classrooms, and monitor the use of assessments. All kindergarten through 8th grade reading teachers received training from Heartland Area Agency staff on guided reading strategies. Guided reading provides an opportunity for teachers to individualize instruction based on student needs within a small group setting. Formative assessments allow the teacher to monitor student progress. Students may move to flexible groups in the classroom to receive instruction that will help them become better readers.

Carroll High School teachers received technology training throughout the school year in many areas including blogging, an online diary or journal; RSS, a format for syndicating news and the content of news-like sites, including major news sites; podcasting, a specific type of broadcast, where the student’s work is incorporated into a file that may be played on an iPod or similar device; Atomic Learning, online video and video on demand; and the use of electronic communication, electronic conferencing, and collaborative management to meet and discuss with others via the Internet. Instructors use these technologies within their lessons and as a vehicle to get students’ work online to showcase to parents, family, and community. Dennis K. Lewis, the co-founder of EDU-SAFE, an advisory and training organization established to assist school staff with the task of providing safe schools, presented a half-day training to all classified staff members, teachers, and administrators last fall. Mr. Lewis provided guidelines how to react appropriately with students who are being harassed and also the harassers, therefore maintaining the type of learning environment that is safe and productive for everyone. For the past several years the Carroll Chamber of Commerce, Kuemper Catholic Schools, Glidden Ralston Schools, Des Moines Area Community College and the Carroll Community School District have met for Business/Educator Day. This year the focus was on the ethanol and biodiesel industries. The presentations were valuable in that they provided an awareness of products that are beneficial to the economy of the local area and the state of Iowa. Each administrator participated in evaluator training during the school year. Rob Cordes attended training to better evaluate principals using the Iowa Leadership Standards. The principals received training on how to better evaluate teachers using the Eight Teaching Standards.

Every five years, the Iowa Department of Education conducts a Comprehensive School Improvement Visit in each Iowa school district. Last November Julie Melcher, School Improvement Consultant, brought a team of administrators and teachers from around Iowa to Carroll. Interviews were conducted with a variety of stakeholders and paperwork was reviewed. The end result was a report identifying areas of strength and suggested areas to improve. The CCSD School Improvement Team, composed of students, parents, school board members, teachers, and administrators reviewed the recommendations and will consider those comments when developing a “new” five-year school improvement plan to be submitted to the Iowa Department of Education this fall.

Special Education The Carroll Community School District provided special education services to approximately 250 eligible individuals from preschool through 12th grade during the 2007 – 2008 school year. Those services, which are defined in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) developed on the basis of each child’s unique educational needs and rewritten at least annually, are provided in various settings (general education, special education, co-taught) at Fairview, Adams, CMS, CHS, and the alternative high school. Additionally, instruction is provided to private school students through consultation of teachers from CCSD and the Kuemper Catholic School System. Many individuals, including special education teachers, general education teachers, teacher associates, a hearing interpreter, and AEA personnel, collaborate in providing instruction and related services to maximize students’ progress on goals, access to the general education curriculum, and participation with grade level peers.

Congratulations to the 18 students who were exited from special education during the past school year. Those students met their IEP goals and improved their skills to such an extent that services were no longer required.

Transition planning is key in assisting special education students to prepare for postsecondary working and learning. Prior to a student’s turning 14, special education teachers conduct student and parent surveys, review school records and classroom data, and utilize other assessments to help determine postsecondary expectations for living, learning, working, and the possible need for services or supports. During a student’s junior and senior years of high school a representative from Vocational Rehabilitation Services is invited to the annual IEP meeting to provide information to students and parents on possible services. At the final exit meeting prior to graduation a summary for post-secondary living, learning, and working is shared with all team members. Included in the summary are recent special education services; goal areas; the student’s level of performance as related to living, learning, working; and community and school contacts. During the 2007 – 2008 school year special education teachers in all buildings attended IEP update sessions, as well as professional development specific to their students, including transition planning, direct teaching, behavior management, and enhancing communication for students with language delays.

Fairview Elementary Literacy is a top priority at Fairview Elementary. Literacy involves five different components:

Phonemic Awareness: learning the alphabet and sounds of letters

Alphabetical Principles: placing letters/sounds together to make words

Reading Fluency: stringing words together to make thoughts

Vocabulary Development: learning different words to build a more concise understanding in writing and speaking

Reading Comprehension: gaining an understanding of the written word

These skill areas are important for each child to master to be successful in school and the world of work. Students without strong literacy skills will have a difficult time with success in school. At the elementary school we teach and practice all five of these skills in our curriculum. All of these components build on previous learning.

Many activities contribute to academic growth and literacy skills. The basic curriculum used to help create student growth includes:

Reading in regular classroom settings; Large group reading using the basal series; and Guided reading and learning centers conducted

in classrooms to address individual student needs.

Language, spelling, and writing are integrated through the addition of 6+1 Traits of an Effective Writer, which focus on basic writing skills.

Library programs provide opportunities to expand reading and develop research library skills. These skills contribute to the literacy of students and help support students in all academic areas of learning. The Character Counts Program, guidance department classes, and monthly calendar with weekly focus on Character Counts study, model the message that a student’s character does count.

Fairview Elementary (continued) The mathematics program is supplemented by Performance Math, Merrill Computer Mathematics, and Accelerated Mathematics. In addition, the Math Wall of Fame is also available for students in grades 1-3 to encourage them to learn their math facts.

The staff continues to implement research-based strategies, which create successful students at school and help to motivate learning. Teacher meetings are held to discuss and plan the use of research-based strategies in the classroom. Teachers implement and reflect on best practices and strategies used in the classroom to improve student learning. The commitment of staff members also continues in supervision of student teachers during the school year. This helps to build the educational future of new teachers and continued learning of new techniques in elementary education.

Assessments in reading and math give information on student growth and prescriptions to help improve student learning skills. Assessments are given in kindergarten through third grade.

Students enjoy using the mobile laptop computer lab with twenty laptop computers as part of the language arts writing program.

A 3-day rotation is used for students to participate in physical education, art, and music. Large group activities like track and field day, school art show, and music shows were just some of the activities provided during the school year to share and showcase student skills. These areas help broaden students’ learning experiences.

The Parent School Cooperative continues to support a variety of programs. PSC supports Fairview with time, fund-raising, and volunteer programs. This year the PSC Fun Night for Kids was held in the spring. It was a successful night of fun for all children. Thank you, PSC!

Fairview Elementary (continued) Title I and Reading Recovery

2007 – 2008 Our Title I Program serves both public and parochial students. This is a federal government program that provides monetary support to help assist children K-2 who are at or below the 40th percentile and are struggling in reading. The allocation of the federal money received by the school district is determined by the free and reduced lunch rate. The Title I program is a strategy-driven program that allows the reading teacher to identify and then teach specific reading skills to students who are missing reading skills. Over 100 students were served during the 2007 – 2008 school year.

The Reading Recovery Program will complete its fourteenth year here with the Carroll Community School District. Title I programming provides intensive one-on-one reading instruction to students who are in the lower 20% in reading assessments and need an intense reading intervention. Reading Recovery teachers involve parents by encouraging them to practice individualized reading skills at home with their child.

All Title I teachers are licensed and certified as reading specialists and are fully qualified to teach reading and Reading Recovery programs.

Adams Elementary School The teachers and students at Adams Elementary School continued to work very hard to improve student achievement in the areas of reading, math and science during the 2007 - 2008 school year. Data collected from the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and/or Northwest Evaluation Association assessments showed that the percent of students proficient in fourth and fifth grades increased in all three curricular areas when compared to data collected for the previous year. Teachers and students celebrated their success by “visiting” third floor. Fourth and fifth grade students have heard all kinds of stories about the floor (which is closed off) being haunted. Students enjoyed seeing the rooms that were decorated by Jacqui Scharfenkamp, AES teacher associate. A tour and snacks were provided.

Fourth and fifth grade classroom teachers are teaching guided reading. Students are assigned to small groups based on data. The teacher then selects reading material at a level that challenges but does not frustrate the students. Fourth and fifth grade teachers have selected nonfiction and fiction materials at a variety of levels to meet the needs of their students. Currently fourth and fifth grade teachers each have their own site to store the leveled books. Comprehension, grammar, and phonics skills may be taught to the entire class. This is followed by a lesson taught to a smaller group of students with materials selected to meet their needs. Probably the greatest benefit of guided reading is that students are placed in flexible groups. Periodically the teacher collects data and realigns the groups based on student needs.

Adams Elementary School (continued)

This year the principal and several teachers participated in Instructional Decision-Making (IDM) training offered through Heartland AEA. Teachers representing fourth and fifth grade general education, special education, and Gifted and Talented programs attended sessions held in Coon Rapids throughout the school year. IDM is a set of systems and strategies designed to increase the capacity of schools to educate all students and increase student achievement. Adams Elementary Teachers are looking at the grade level benchmarks and identifying skill sets that can be assessed periodically throughout the school to monitor student growth. This helps us better meet the needs of each student. IDM is definitely a “match” for our guided reading program.

Fourth grade students were very fortunate to be able to participate in many additional activities that supported the fourth grade academic goals. Students participated in the Farm Safety Day held at Swan Lake State Park last fall.

This spring, the fourth grade students went on a field trip to the Science Center and were able to watch an IMAX Movie about the Grand Canyon. This program connected with the geography unit on the Southwest Region of the United States. Toward the end of the year, R.J. Hernandez, from World of Difference, shared a musical journey of Mexico using a variety of guitars. In addition, each student was provided an opportunity to play a percussion instrument.

Adams Elementary fifth grade students participated in the Speak-up program offered through RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program). The volunteers work with each classroom six weeks in the fall and six weeks in the spring. The volunteers assist our fifth grade teachers in ensuring that the students are provided guidelines for speaking as well as opportunities to get in front of their peers to give formal and informal speeches. Students were selected to speak at Kiwanis and Rotary Club meetings this past May. Thank you, RSVP! This spring the fifth grade went to Swan Lake Education Center to view Civil War presentations by the Second Battery Iowa Light Artillery from Lake View, Iowa. At the very end of the school year the fifth grade also went to Living History Farms to learn more about Iowa History. Both of these events are valuable learning experiences helping the students connect hands-on experiences with what they are learning in the classroom. The Accelerated Reader Program continues to provide motivation for students to read beyond reading class. Students take computerized tests when they finish reading books. When new books are purchased for the Adams Elementary Media Center, Accelerated Reader (AR) tests are ordered. Every four to six weeks the principal challenges the students to earn a specific number of AR points. If they achieve the goal, they earn a “special” recess. Each year, the students earn more points than the previous year. The only way to become a better reader is to read!

K – 5 Gifted and Talented Program

The main focus of Gifted and Talented in grades K-3 is to support classroom teachers by offering supplemental material for lessons being taught in the regular education classroom. Some of the materials offered include books, worksheets, web pages, and Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) individualized activities. Students in grade 3 were given mini lessons using the Kingore Observation Inventory (KOI). These lessons are open-ended and involve tasks that any child can do without frustration. The activities also allow children to demonstrate talent in the seven KOI areas. These enrichment activities benefit all third grade students.

This school year Gifted and Talented students in grades 4 and 5 were pulled out of the regular classroom to meet for one hour per week in the Gifted and Talented classroom. During this time students explored areas of interest as well as areas that were new to them. These explorations culminated with products in the form of web pages, podcasts, and reports.

Carroll Middle School

Our goal at Carroll Middle School is to provide our students with an educational program centered on middle school philosophy. We believe in addressing the needs of the emerging adolescent by providing opportunities for each student to recognize and better understand changes in his/her physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development. This is accomplished by teaching a challenging, relevant, and diverse curriculum in a safe, stimulating environment.

To assist middle school students in discovering and extending their interests and abilities, six exploratory programs are offered at each grade level along with our middle school core curriculum of language arts, mathematics, reading, science and social studies. An intervention plan as well as course acceleration is made available to students when needs are identified.

Carroll Middle School (continued)

Carroll Middle School works with outside community organizations and agencies to provide our students with engaging field trips to extend active learning outside the classroom doors. The 6th grade Environmental Field Day, 7th grade Springbrook State Park trip, and 8th grade Agricultural Day are just a few of many field trips and outdoor learning experiences our students participate in. Every CMS student spends the first 17 minutes of the day in the CMS STAR program (an advisor/advisee program). STAR time allows for each student to be assigned to an adult advisor, be a part of a small learning community, and create a trusting relationship with peers. Close contact and communication between parents and school are benefits of the STAR program.

Building Level Goals and Student Achievement

At the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year, CMS teachers created an action plan goal for both reading and mathematics. The Reading Action Plan goal was to increase the overall proficiency rate of CMS students by 3%, and our Math Action Plan goal was to increase the overall proficiency rate of CMS students by 2% according to the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills results. Both action plan goals were met after reviewing our ITBS data from April’s testing period. Other assessments administered to our students throughout the year showed similar increases in class performance. Congratulations to our students and teachers for working hard to achieve excellent scores!

During the 2008 – 2009 school year teachers will continue reviewing ITBS data to determine achievement areas needing improvement. New action plans will be created to address these areas.

CMS Student Numbers

Carroll Middle School teachers provided instruction to 424 middle school students this year. Our student population consisted of 127 sixth graders, 148 seventh graders, and 149 eighth graders. Each grade level at CMS had a 96% or better attendance rate for the year. Active participation during middle school years spells success in the classroom. This year over 75% of our 7th and 8th grade students were involved in at least one extra-curricular activity, not including students involved in academic activities. Mock Trial, Future Problem Solving, History Day, Math Counts, band, and vocal are academic activities offered at CMS.

CMS Professional Development

Every year teachers at Carroll Middle School take part in professional development in an effort to improve classroom instruction and to raise student achievement. Teachers learned how to map their classroom curriculum using a web-based program called Atlas Curriculum Mapper. This program allows teachers to share and discuss lessons, classroom activities, and assessments and collaborate on opportunities for cross-curriculum connections. Throughout the year teachers also received training in cooperative learning, differentiation of instruction, reading instruction, feedback and assessment, and bullying and harassment. CMS teachers provided much of this training to other staff members.

6 - 8 Gifted and Talented Program

Gifted and Talented - This class meets during students’ study hall on a rotation. The following units are covered during the school year: 6th Grade – Civilizations, Junior Mock Trial, Forensic Science, and House Design 7th Grade - Psychology, Autobiographies, Reader’s Theater, and 7th Grade High Lights 8th Grade - Stock Market, Debate, Yearbook, and War of the Worlds Mock Trial - Five teams from CMS competed at the Carroll district competition. Two teams advanced to the state competition in Des Moines. Two eighth grade students received special recognition for their outstanding performances at the state level. Taylor Murray received an outstanding attorney award, and Heather Schwarte received an outstanding witness award.

Future Problem Solving - Congratulations to the four Future Problem Solving teams consisting of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. Four of the five teams advanced to the state level. This is an intense competition with a great deal of writing involved. The 7th grade team placed first in the skit presentations at the state competition in Decorah. History Day - Seven entries from CMS students were presented at the district History Day competition in Des Moines. Exhibits and performances were shared at the State Historical Building Contest.

Carroll High School Reading Program

by Bill Polking, Reading Instructor at CHS

Reflecting upon the first year of the high school reading program, my findings are consistent with what we are hearing throughout the country: a disturbing number of students (and adults, for that matter) are essentially “aliterate.” In other words, they are able to read, but they choose not to. Some of this refusal is a reaction to longstanding difficulties with reading; few among us choose to continue doing things with which we consistently struggle. For too many students the adamant refusal to read is a deeper reaction to a wider culture that ignores reading and a media culture downright hostile toward education in general. These are not students who struggle with reading; these are students who simply do not read.

Reading problems can be identified, and with time and effort students can improve their ability to read and comprehend. But illiteracy or limited literacy is not the problem of many students who fail to reach the level of proficiency established by the state and federal government. As Linton Weeks wrote nearly seven years ago in The Washington Post, “Aliteracy, on the other hand, is like an invisible liquid, seeping through our culture, nigh impossible to pinpoint or defend against.” For these students to raise their reading ability (and their reading scores), we must mitigate against this attitude that reading doesn’t matter. And that is something with which high schools nationwide are struggling.

Carroll High School (continued)

But if we are truly concerned with not just “reading” but reading comprehension, we must acknowledge that reading expository, informational text is not the same process as reading narrative fiction. A year with the reading program here at Carroll has shown a wide disparity for most struggling readers between their ability to read narrative text (which they have been exposed to continually since elementary school) and their ability to make sense of expository, informational text. This is the area upon which the reading program will focus with even more intensity next year, and this is an element of the curriculum upon which the entire high school needs to focus.

CHS Adds Intensive Assistance Study Hall

Is it possible to make failure ‘not an option’ in high school? What if students who were struggling in classes had one more option to afford them academic success at CHS? What we are talking about is an Intensive Assistance Study Hall: an opportunity for CHS students to get quality extra help for any subject area that is needed. Currently, CHS offers the At Risk study hall for students who qualify, the option of two days of extra help during homeroom, and of course help before and after school. For many students those options either were not enough or were not convenient, so the Building Assistance Team (BAT), which is made up of administrators, counselors, alternative high school personnel, the At-Risk coordinator, and a special education teacher, met and devised the study hall structure. The process that was utilized to arrive at the structure of this study hall is as follows:

With the new no pass/no play rule for extracurricular activities put into effect this year, we want to give each

student every opportunity to be successful in the classroom allowing the student to participate in any or all extracurricular activities they choose without loss of participation time. Extracurricular activities include sports, music, FFA, drama, and speech. At CHS we have a high percentage of students involved in some form of extracurricular activity, so most students are served by this setting. Those who are not in extra-curriculars have the resources of the homeroom instructor as well as the instructor for whom they need extra help. It is the responsibility of that homeroom instructor to identify the best avenue for extra help for the non-extracurricular student. A component of homeroom is ‘grade-check’ day in which staff members have conversations with their students about their grades and suggest solutions to students struggling in their classes.

This concern was discussed with the Building Assistance Team, and the intensive assistance study hall was put into place starting March 26, 2008. Student’s grades are reviewed each Friday in homeroom and any failing grades require the students to attend the following week Monday through Thursday. Students are matched up with tutors; all who excel in various subjects such as math, science, English and foreign language, and then the work begins. The tutors, who are very proficient at relating to these students, get the students on task immediately. In return, the struggling students feel accountable to the tutor and get work done that would not necessarily have been done otherwise. The study hall met in the Media Center Monday through Thursday during homeroom time (3:06-3:20). Most CHS instructors are available until 3:40, enabling students to spend an extra 20 minutes beyond that study hall time to get further assistance in their classrooms. Mr.

Carroll High School (continued)

Haluska, principal and Mrs. McKenzie, assistant principal supervise it, along with volunteer tutors that are current 10th-12th grade CHS students.

During this time students in the Intensive Assistance Study Hall receive assistance in the following areas:

o Completing past due assignments o Focusing on upcoming assignments o Working on current assignments o Having tutoring available to assist as needed o Being sent to a particular teacher for work

completion. The tutors are an exemplary group of students who unselfishly agreed to give up their homeroom time. The academic bonds that have been established between the tutors and the students in need of assistance are rewarding. We saw students who had not responded to other interventions respond to and complete more work, thus raising their grades due to the efforts of the environment and the tutors.

Carroll High School Serves the Needs of Students Through

Technology Integration How does the integration of technology and media improve instruction and student learning? That was a question the administration at CHS wanted answered. This question arose when the CHS staff was surveyed to express what their desires for Professional Development topics would be for the 2007 - 2008 school year. Overwhelmingly the response was more of an emphasis on technology integration. Steve Haluska (principal), Tammie McKenzie (assistant principal) and Curt Jensen (technology coordinator) set forth to develop a plan that would address the needs of our staff in order to impact the teaching and learning in our classrooms regardless of the subject matter taught. The focus questions kept in mind throughout the development process were:

1. What specific research-based strategies of technology integration will impact student achievement at Carroll High School?

2. What are the direct needs of our staff that with training will address the impact?

Mr. Jensen has devoted a great deal of time and work into the staff development time allotted to him. From the start of the workshops, he stated that there are three levels of technology training, of which only level one has been the focus for the 2007- 2008 school year. The three levels were:

1. Large Group: Introduction to what is out there and what resources we currently have.

2. Small Groups: Training on a specific technology.

3. Subject Specific: Integration training. All of the training last year was level one training - introduction to what's out there and what we have available. The expectations for the staff members as they left this session were that they would start using the technology to which they were introduced. This would provide a way for staff to determine what units/lessons would best be served by the introduction of the newly learned technology, and to observe student engagement, the quality of their work, and how it impacted the internalization of the concepts.

2008 American College Testing (ACT) Comparison of Carroll High School Composite ACT

Scores to Students in the State of Iowa

2008 ACT Content Scores

Test CHS Average

State of Iowa Average

English 22.3 21.9 Math 22 22

Reading 23.6 22.9 Science 22.3 22.3

Composite 22.7 22.4

CHS Music Awards The Vocal Music Department under the direction of Doug Sweeney had approximately 130 students involved in the program this past year. Three curricular ensembles met during the day. They wee the Freshman Concert Choir, Varsity Chamber Choir, and Varsity Show Choir (Swingsations).

Eight students were selected as part of the choir for this year’s Iowa High School All-State Music Festival held in Ames at Hilton Coliseum in November 2007. This is the highest honor a high school musician can achieve in the state of Iowa. Those students selected were Kyle Bennett, Trent Dahlin, Erica Doud (3 yrs.), Kelsey Duhrkopf (3 yrs.), Caroline Ramaekers, Miranda Raymond (2 yrs.), Julia Schettler (2 yrs.), and Sam Wempe (2 yrs.). Tanna Henkelman was selected as 1st alternate. The Swingsations varsity show choir for the 17th time in as many years received a Superior Rating (I) at the IHSMA State Show Choir Contest at Denison. This year’s varsity also placed first in class 3A at the Hinton Show Choir Invitational and 1st runner-up in the finals.

CHS Music Awards Three concert groups prepared for State Large Group Contest May 2 at Atlantic. Along with the difficult task of learning contest music, the most difficult level of their vocal year, much time was devoted to learning new, reviewing old, and really understanding the fundamentals of musicianship, vocal technique and many other concepts. All three ensembles, the Varsity Choir, Bass Choir, and the Treble Choir received a division I (Superior) rating. The Carroll Vocal Music Department has received 28 Superior (I) ratings since 1990.

CHS Gifted and Talented Program for 2007 - 08

Gifted and Talented - This class meets by semester on a daily basis. The following units are covered during the school year: Leadership Development, Future Studies, Careers, Colleges, Philosophy, Giftedness, Independent Studies, and Eminent Individuals. Mock Trial - Four teams from CHS competed at the district level competition. Team Black and Team White advanced to the state competition in Des Moines. Two CHS students also received special honors for outstanding attorney at the state level - Amber Lampe and Rachel Irlbeck.

Destination Imagination - One team from CHS advanced to the state competition. Many of these students have at least six years of experience in DI. The junior/senior team placed 1st at the state competition and went to Knoxville, TN, to represent Iowa at the Global Finals contest.

Future Problem Solving - Congratulations go out to the sophomore CHS Future Problem Solving team. Once again they received the honor of advancing to state, which was held in Decorah at Luther College. This is an intense competition with a great deal of writing involved. History Day - Documentaries and exhibits were presented at the district History Day competition. The senior group exhibit entry advanced to the state competition at the State Historical Building in Des Moines. The freshman girls’ exhibit entitled “Mental Institutions in America: The Road from Devastating Imprisonment to Medical Miracles” received a special award at the state contest for Most Thorough Research.

Transportation During the 2007 - 2008 school year the transportation fleet consisted of forty-two buses, including four special education buses and one 84-passenger transit bus. The fleet also included seven 8-passenger vans, two pickups, one delivery van, and a new Ford one-ton maintenance truck with a dump box. Services were provided to all public and parochial schools in the district. On average 2,145 students were transported daily to and from school. During the 2007 - 2008 school year a new maintenance truck with a dump box was purchased. The total cost of $35,831 was made possible by SILO, (School Infrastructure Local Option) funding.

During the year 399,450 miles were put on buses. This included miles to and from school as well as field trips and activities. School vans logged 22,677 miles by staff for professional meetings and 24,457 miles for student activities. Claims made to the State of Iowa for non-public transportation to and from school totaled $320,479. Personnel within the transportation department included thirty-one contracted drivers and twenty-six substitute and/or activity drivers, a director, part-time secretary, mechanic, part-time worker in the garage and a custodial assistant. Completing ten years of employment was Jim Weitl as mechanic, and completing his eleventh year was Tom Reiter as director. A total of $70,250 was budgeted for field trips and activity trips. Of this amount $1,400 was for special education, $30,584 for the Kuemper Catholic School System, and $38,266 for PK-12 public school system. Of the total budget 96.8% was spent.

Maintenance The Carroll Community School District had four head custodians, nine assistant custodians (one of which is the custodian for grounds and the stadium), two six-hour-per-day assistants, and one four-hour-per-day-worker. In additional a seasonal worker assists with outside custodial duties during the months of April-November. The buildings and grounds continue to be cared for in an excellent manner. During the 2007 - 2008 school year the following improvements were made to the buildings and grounds at the Carroll Community Schools:

1. The decking for public seating on the east side of the Carroll stadium was repainted.

2. Extensive remodeling of the lighting, heating, air conditioning, and ventilation for Fairview Elementary was completed. (see pictures).

3. Fairview Elementary saw a new roof installed for the entire north addition.

4. Nine new doors, panic devices and hardware were installed at Fairview Elementary.

5. Carpet was installed in four classrooms and entryways at Adams Elementary and Carroll Middle School.

6. The south interior gym wall at Carroll Middle School was sandblasted and repainted.

Food Service Carroll Community School food service department continues to serve student meals at four sites. Noon meals are prepared at the high school for students in that building as well as students at the middle school; meals are transported to the middle school. Meals for all elementary students are prepared at the Fairview building for students eating at that site and are also transported to the Adams building.

Students at Adams Elementary, Carroll Middle School, and Carroll High School are offered an alternate to the planned meal on most days. The alternate meals (with the exception of the pasta meals offered at Carroll High School) meet the National School Lunch Program requirements and provide students with nutritious choices. Carroll Community School District participates in the School Breakfast Program, with breakfast available at each attendance site. The food service department has continued utilizing the nutrient analysis component of a computer program. Menus can be analyzed to determine the number of calories, the percentage of calories from fat, the amount of sodium, and other nutrients. In accordance with requirements of the 2004 reauthorization bill for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Carroll Community School food service department has continued with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles to enhance food safety and sanitation. This type of food sanitation/safety program was required to be implemented by July 1, 2006, and was reviewed in its entirety at the end of the 2007 - 2008 school year. Some revisions, based on new/additional scientific findings were made. Documentation required by the system continues to be reviewed monthly for evidence of meeting requirements and/or correcting errors.

A district wide “Wellness Policy” was also required by the 2004 reauthorization bill for the NSLP. The policy was required to be in place by July 1, 2006, and addresses both nutritional and physical components to promote wellness for students and was adopted as a part of CCSD policy. CCSD Food Service continues to use only foods which are in compliance with the Wellness Policy. Civil Rights training for all “front line” food service staff, as required by the 2004 NSLP reauthorization, was implemented in the spring of 2008 and will be conducted on an annual basis. Virtually all staff members are in contact with our students, so all staff were included in the training. The food service department has continued the “Healthy Vending” program at Carroll High School. This program provides healthier snacks for sale to students during study periods. Profits from this program are returned to student groups. The food service department was able to provide one 2008 graduate with a $200 scholarship as a result of this program.

Although Fairview Elementary School was no longer the recipient of a Federal grant which had provided money to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables for all students each day, the program was continued, financed through gifts from many community persons, food service and use of lower cost fruits/vegetables. The food service department has continued to provide work experience for some students, both paid and volunteer. Meals served during the 2007-2008 school year: Breakfast: 33,537 Noon Meal: 246,242 Pasta Bar: 3,058 This represents an approximate participation rate of 81.5%, the same as in the 2006 - 2007 school year.

Fairview Elementary School Reading, Math, and Science ITBS Results The following are graphs showing a trend of ITBS scores for the last seven years in grade three. The percent in orange represents the percent of students below proficient, black indicates the percent of students proficient, and white specifies the percent of students in the advanced range. Students below proficient have scored below the 41st percentile, students in the proficient range scored between the 41st and 89th percentile, and students in the advanced category scored between the 90th and 99th percentile.

Third Grade Reading Results

Third Grade Math Results

Science Results

STANDARD ERROR OF MEASUREMENT FOR ITBS/ITED A standard error of measurement (SEM) is an estimate of possible error associated with an individual student’s test score. The SEM can be described as a band of error. A test score is an estimate of a student’s true test performance; however, when the SEM is applied, it indicates that a reasonable chance exists that the student’s true score may be slightly higher or slightly lower than what is reported. For the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED), the SEM’s are presented in ranges, indicating where the student’s true score would likely fall (see table below).

Reading Comprehension Mathematics

Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 11 Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 11

41st Percentile (Fall Testing) 27-55 31-51 28-56 26-58 26-55 28-56 41st Percentile (Mid-year Testing) 27-53 31-51 30-53 26-56 27-55 27-55

41st Percentile (Spring Testing) 30-53 31-51 30-53 28-56 28-54 26-55

90th Percentile (Fall Testing) 81-96 82-95 83-94 80-96 81-96 83-94

90th Percentile (Mid-year Testing) 81-96 84-95 83-94 79-97 82-95 83-91

90th Percentile (Spring Testing) 80-95 83-95 84-94 79-97 83-96 83-95

Adams Elementary School Reading, Math and Science ITBS Results The following are graphs showing a trend of ITBS scores for the last seven years in grades four and five. The percent in orange represents the percent of students below proficient, black indicates the percent of students proficient, and white specifies the percent of students in the advanced range. Students below proficient have scored below the 41st percentile, students in the proficient range scored between the 41st and 89th percentile, and students in the advanced category scored between the 90th and 99th percentile

Fourth Grade Reading Results

Fourth Grade Math Results

Fourth Grade Science Results

Fifth Grade Reading Results

Fifth Grade Math Results

Fifth Grade Science Results

STANDARD ERROR OF MEASUREMENT FOR ITBS/ITED

A standard error of measurement (SEM) is an estimate of possible error associated with an individual student’s test score. The SEM can be described as a band of error. A test score is an estimate of a student’s true test performance; however, when the SEM is applied, it indicates that a reasonable chance exists that the student’s true score may be slightly higher or slightly lower than what is reported. For the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED), the SEM’s are presented in ranges, indicating where the student’s true score would likely fall (see table below).



41st Percentile (Fall Testing) 27-55 31-51 28-56 26-58 26-55 28-56

41st Percentile (Mid-year Testing) 27-53 31-51 30-53 26-56 27-55 27-55





Carroll Middle School Reading and Math ITBS Results The following are graphs showing a trend of ITBS scores for the last seven years in grades six, seven, and eight. The percent in orange represents the percent of students below proficient, black indicates the percent of students proficient, and white specifies the percent of students in the advanced range. Students below proficient have scored below the 41st percentile, students in the proficient range scored between the 41st and 89th percentile, and students in the advanced category scored between the 90th and 99th percentile

CMS Reading Results

CMS Math Results










Carroll High School Reading and Math ITED Results The following are graphs showing a trend of ITED scores for the last seven years in grades nine – eleven reading and math. The percent in orange represents the percent of students below proficient, black indicates the percent of students proficient, and white specifies the percent of students in the advanced range. Students below proficient have scored below the 41st percentile, students in the proficient range scored between the 41st and 89th percentile, and students in the advanced category scored between the 90th and 99th percentile

CHS Reading Results

CHS Math Results










Carroll Middle School and Carroll High School Science ITBS/ITED Results The following are graphs showing a trend of ITBS/ITED scores for the last seven years in grades six – eleven science. The percent in orange represents the percent of students below proficient, black indicates the percent of students proficient, and white specifies the percent of students in the advanced range. Students below proficient have scored below the 41st percentile, students in the proficient range scored between the 41st and 89th percentile, and students in the advanced category scored between the 90th and 99th percentile

CMS Science Results

CHS Science Results

Carroll High School - 11th Grade Science Performance Levels

3230

19.523.820

15.712.1

5156

58.65058

59.570.2

1714

21.826.2

2224.8

17.7

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

2001 - 022002 - 032003 - 042004 - 052005 - 062006 - 072007 - 08

Sch

oo

l Y

ea

r

Percent of Students

Below Prof. Proficient Advanced










ITBS Student Achievement Data Disaggregated by Subgroups

ReadingGrade 3

Percent of

Students Proficient 41st – 99th Percentile

Percent of Students

Not Proficient Below the

41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested

All Students 82.2 17.8 101 Females 80.9 19.1 47 Males 83.3 16.7 54 IEP 43.8 56.2 16

Non IEP 89.4 10.6 85 Free/Reduced Lunch 73.7 26.3 38 Non Free/Reduced

Lunch 87.3 12.7 63

Grade 4 Percent

of Students

Proficient 41st – 99th Percentile

Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 88 12 92

Grade 5 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested


Non IEP 90.7 9.3 97 Free/Reduced Lunch 75 25 36 Non Free/Reduced

Lunch 89 11 82

Grade 6 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 88.2 11.8 85

Grade 7 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 84.2 15.8 101

Grade 8 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested

All Students 83 17 147 Females 82.5 17.5 80 Males 83.6 16.4 67 IEP 33.3 66.7 24


Lunch 90.5 9.5 105


MathGrade 3

Percent of

Students Proficient 41st – 99th Percentile

Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested

All Students 76 24 100 Females 73.9 26.1 46 Males 77.8 22.2 54 IEP 50 50 16

Non IEP 81 19 84 Free/Reduced Lunch 64.9 35.1 37 Non Free/Reduced

Lunch 82.5 17.5 63

Grade 4 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 93.5 6.5 92

Grade 5 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 96.3 3.7 82

Grade 6 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 90.6 9.4 85

Grade 7 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested

All Students 89.7 10.3 145 Females 92 8 75 Males 87.1 12.9 70 IEP 57.1 42.9 21


Lunch 95 5 101

Grade 8 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 91.4 8.6 105


Science

Grade 3 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 90.5 9.5 63

Grade 4 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested

All Students 93 7 129 Females 93.8 6.2 64 Males 92.3 7.7 65 IEP 82.4 17.6 17


Lunch 96.7 3.3 92

Grade 5 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 98.8 1.2 82

Grade 6 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 88.2 11.8 85

Grade 7 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 90.1 9.9 101

Grade 8 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 93.3 6.7 105

ITED Student Achievement Data Disaggregated by Subgroups for

Reading

Grade 9 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 80.7 19.3 114

Grade 10 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested

All Students 76.6 23.4 128 Females 77.8 22.2 72 Males 75 25 56 IEP 38.1 61.9 21


Lunch 77.8 22.2 99

Grade 11 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 75.5 24.5 94


Math

Grade 9 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 88.8 11.2 114

Grade 10 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 84.8 15.2 99

Grade 11 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested

All Students 85.5 14.5 124 Females 82.9 17.1 70 Males 88.9 11.1 54 IEP 50 50 18


Lunch 89.4 10.6 94


Science

Grade 9 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 89.5 10.5 114

Grade 10 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested



Lunch 89.9 10.1 99

Grade 11 Percent

of Students


Percent of Students


41st Percentile

Number of

Students Tested

All Students 87.9 12.1 124 Females 92.9 7.1 70 Males 81.5 18.5 54 IEP 50 50 18


Lunch 89.4 10.6 94

Student Achievement Data 2007 – 2008 NWEA Median

Scores

NWEA Reading Grade Fall

RIT Score

Spring RIT

Score

Growth Predicted Annual

RIT Growth

National Median Spring Score

3 198 205 7 9.1 200 4 206 212 6 6.5 207 5 211 218 7 5.4 212 6 217 222 5 4.3 217 7 221 225 4 3.4 220 8 224 228 4 3.2 223 9 226 227 1 1.6 225

10 228 227 -1 .8 227 11 228 229 1 NA NA

NWEA Math Grade Fall

RIT Score

Spring RIT

Score

Growth Predicted Annual

RIT Growth

National Median Spring Score

3 197 206 9 10.9 202 4 205 215 10 8.8 211 5 214 222 8 8.7 219 6 222 231 9 7.2 224 7 229 237 8 6 229 8 235 242 7 5.2 234 9 237 239 2 3.2 239

10 243 244 1 2.8 240 11 244 242 -2 NA NA

2007 – 2008 Certified Enrollment

Optional Kindergarten 32 Sixth Grade 124 Alternative School 22 Kindergarten 119 Seventh Grade 150 Non-Grade Special Education 22 First Grade 98 Eighth Grade 155 Shared – time 18.2 Second Grade 135 Ninth Grade 150 Home Schooling 9.5 Third Grade 101 Tenth Grade 128 Non Public/Resident PSEO 0.2 Fourth Grade 134 Eleventh Grade 124 Open Enrollment Out 42 Fifth Grade 120 Twelfth Grade 115 Tuition Out 9

78 students needed to be subtracted due to Open Enrollment In students

Enrollment History 2007-

2008 2006-2007

2005-2006

2004-2005

2003-2004

2002-2003

2001-2002

2000-2001

1999-2000

1998-1999

1997-1998

Certified Enrollment

1728.9 1817.4 1834.3 1818.1 1841.3 1846.9 1889.4 1899.4 1907.1 1903.5 1870.3

Open Enrollment History 2007-

2008 2006-2007

2005-2006

2004-2005

2003-2004

2002-2003

2001-2002

2000-2001

1999-2000

1998-1999

1997-1998

Open Enrollment Out

42 45 49 44 40.6 33 37 31 35 35 35

Open Enrollment In

78 60 65 57.5 46.5 42 37.6 37.2 32 38 32

Employees

Below is a breakdown of Carroll Community School District’s staff. Teachers with Master’s Degree 42 Secretaries 11 Maintenance 17 Teachers with Bachelor’s Degree 91 Counselors 5 Transportation 35 Media Specialists 3 Athletic Director 1 Health Personnel 4 Principals 4 Teacher Associates 38 Business Manager 1 Educational Interpreters 1 Other Administrators 3 Food Service 26 Technology Technician 1 Volunteer Coordinator 1

Parent/Guardian Rights Notification Parents/Guardians in the Carroll Community School District have the right to learn about the following qualifications of their child's teacher: state licensure requirements for the grade level and content areas taught, the current licensing status of your child's teacher, and baccalaureate/graduate certification/degree. You may also request the qualifications of an instructional paraprofessional who serves your student in a Title I program or if your school operates a school-wide Title I program. Parents/Guardians may request this information from the office of the Superintendent by calling 712 – 792 – 8001 or sending a letter of request to office of the Superintendent, 1026 North Adams Street, Carroll, Iowa 51401.

Board Policies and Required Notices

Open Enrollment Deadline Parents or guardians considering the use of the Open Enrollment option to enroll their children in another public school district in the state of Iowa should be aware of the following dates:

March 1, 2009 – Last day for regular open enrollment for the 2009 - 2010 school year. Parents of students entering kindergarten have until September 1, 2009, to file Open Enrollment applications for

the 2009 – 2010 school year.

Abuse of Students by School Employees (Board Policy 405.4 & 405.4R)

CCSD policy provides for the relief of any student who feels he or she has been the victim of abuse at the hand of any school district employee. To report an alleged student abuse by an employee, you should contact: Level I Investigator: Gary Bengtson, 792-8001 (work), 23457 - 210th St., 792-2720 (home) or Sue Ruch 792-8040 (work), 1605 Marcella Hts. Drive, 792-1882 (home). Level II Investigator: Deb Davis, 792-4352 (work).

Complaints about Personnel (Board Policy 903.1)

All concerns, problems and complaints about personnel should be resolved at the lowest possible level within the district’s structure. Anyone with a concern or complaint should first contact the person who is the cause of the concern and attempt to identify, clarify, and resolve the differences, which are giving rise to the concern or complaint. Unresolved issues, if any, may then be moved through the chain of authority

Student Directory Information (Board Policy 506.2)

Student directory information is designed to be used internally within the school District. Directory information is defined in the annual notice. It may include the student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, e-mail address, grade level, enrollment status, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student, photograph and other likeness, and other similar information. Prior to developing a student directory or to giving general information to the public, parents will be given notice annually of the intent to develop a directory or to give out general information and have the opportunity to deny the inclusion of their child's information in the directory or in the general information about the students.

Multicultural /Gender Fair Education (Board Policy 603.4)

Students will have an equal opportunity for a quality education without discrimination, regardless of their race, religion, socioeconomic status, color, sex, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. The education program is free of discrimination and provides equal opportunity for the students. The education program will foster knowledge of and respect and appreciation for the historical and contemporary contributions of diverse cultural groups, as well as men and women, to society. Special emphasis is placed on Asian-Americans, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and persons with disabilities. It will also reflect the wide variety of roles open to both men and women and provide equal opportunity to both sexes.

Authorization For Releasing Student Directory Information (Board Policy 506.2E1)

The Carroll Community School District has adopted a policy designed to assure parents and students the full implementation, protection and enjoyment of their rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. A copy of the school district's policy is available for review in the office of the principal of all of our schools. This law requires the District to designate as "directory information" any personally identifiable information taken from a student's educational records prior to making such information available to the public. Even though student addresses and telephone numbers are not considered directory information, military recruiters and post-secondary educational institutions may legally access this information without prior parental consent. Parents not wanting military recruiters and post-secondary institutions to access the information must ask the District to withhold the information. The school district has designated the following information as directory information: (The only items left out of this list are address and telephone numbers. Boards need to amend the form to reflect their practice.) student's name; date and place of birth; email address, grade level, enrollment status, major field of study; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; weight and height of members of athletic teams; dates of attendance; degrees and awards received; and the most recent previous educational institution attended by the student; photograph and other likeness and other similar information. You have the right to refuse the designation of any or all of the categories of personally identifiable information as directory information with respect to your student provided that you notify the District in writing not later than October 1st of this school year. If you desire to make such a refusal, you can get the necessary form from any attendance center. If you have no objection to the use of student information, you do not need to take any action.

Student Records (Board Policy 506.1E8)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students over 18 years of age ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to the student's education records. They are: (1)The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the District receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal (or appropriate school official) a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. (2)The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate or misleading or in violation of the student's privacy rights. Parents or eligible students may ask the school district to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the District decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the District will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing. (3)The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the District as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the school Board; a person or company with whom the District has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, AEA employees, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee or student assistance team, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

Upon request, the District discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. (Note: FERPA requires a school district to make a reasonable attempt to notify the parent or eligible student of the records request unless it states in its annual notification that it intends to forward records on request.) (4)The right to inform the District that the parent does not want directory information, as defined below, to be released. Directory information can be released without prior parental consent. Any student over the age of eighteen or parent not wanting this information released to the public must make object in writing by September 15th, to the principal. The objection needs to be renewed annually. NAME, ADDRESS, TELEPHONE LISTING, DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH, E-MAIL ADDRESS, GRADE LEVEL, ENROLLMENT STATUS, MAJOR FIELD OF STUDY, PARTICIPATION IN OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED ACTIVITIES AND SPORTS, WEIGHT AND HEIGHT OF MEMBERS OF ATHLETIC TEAMS, DATES OF ATTENDANCE, DEGREES AND AWARDS RECEIVED, THE MOST RECENT PREVIOUS SCHOOL OR INSTITUTION ATTENDED BY THE STUDENT, PHOTOGRAPH AND LIKENESS AND OTHER SIMILAR INFORMATION. (5)The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the District to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC, 20202-4605.

Equal Educational Opportunity (Board Policy 102)

The Board will not discriminate in its educational activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. The Board requires all persons, agencies, vendors, contractors and other persons and organizations doing business with or performing services for the school district to subscribe to all applicable federal and state laws, executive orders, rules and regulations pertaining to contract compliance and equal opportunity. The Board is committed to the policy that no otherwise qualified person will be excluded from educational activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. Further, the board affirms the right of all students and staff to be treated with respect and to be protected from intimidation, discrimination, physical harm and harassment.

Financial Information School budgets operate under Dillon’s rule, which means school districts only have those powers expressly authorized by the Code of Iowa. Cities and counties operate under Home rule, which means cities and counties can do anything not expressly prohibited by the Code of Iowa. While the area of school finance is a complex one, there are some basic principles that make it understandable to the taxpayers, including the following:

1. The number of children in each district determines district revenues. 2. The General Assembly “equalizes” funding statewide, so that the “cost per student” is roughly equal in every

school and every student has access to quality education. 3. The General Assembly controls the annual increase in the “cost per student,” called allowable growth, to

determine how much each district receives from the state. 4. Property taxes matter. They determine how much money each district receives in state aid. 5. Funds are restricted. We can only use funds on what the legislature tells us we can. 6. Schools are budget limited. Most other entities are property tax rate limited. This difference is monumental.

Tax Rate Information for 2007 – 2008

Fund 2006-07 2007-08 General Fund $9.99265 $10.49753 Management Fund $0.89508 $0.78787 PPEL Fund $0.33000 $0.33000 Debt Service $0.95257 $0.45714 Total Tax Rate/ $12.17030 $12.07254 $1,000

How Local Option Sales Tax Was Spent During FY 08

During Fiscal Year 2008 Carroll Community School District received $1,004,195.71, which includes $25,851.54 in interest from the Local Option Sales and Service Tax for School Infrastructure (SILO). The following table shows how the money was spent in FY 08:

Use of Money Amount

Property Tax Relief $400,000.00 Vehicles – Buses and vans $35,831.00 Computers/Technology Equipment

$77,522.08

Building Construction Services $232,313.35 Lease of Computers $2,295.00 Architecture Services and Fees $58,735.41

Site Construction Services $0.00 Total Expenditures $806,696.84

CCSD Assessed Tax Valuation History

Fiscal Year Assessed Valuation TIF Valuation

FY 97 $434,982,259 $21,568,207 FY 98 $451,269,776 $21,286,342 FY 99 $477,194,890 $23,002,038 FY 00 $500,184,082 $32,949,483 FY 01 $526,438,689 $36,252,550 FY 02 $545,118,919 $30,415,340 FY 03 $537,365,860 $33,223,285 FY 04 $545,843,811 $35,917,536 FY 05 $490,175,734 $18,362,500 FY 06 $511,940,606 $19,495,752 FY 07 $534,033,424 $21,489,026 FY 08 $539,427,035 $16,494,997

Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) History

Fiscal Year Tax Rate/1000

Assessed Valuation Revenue

FY 03 1.00/1000 $570,589 FY 04 1.00/1000 $581,761 FY 05 1.00/1000 $523,716 FY 06 1.00/1000 $530,303 FY 07 .33/1000 $182,665 FY 08 .33/1000 $185,102

The Voted .67/1000 PPEL expired at the end of FY 06. The Voted PPEL was used to pay for the high school expansion which was built in 1996.

Tax Rate History Per Thousand of Taxable

Valuation

Fiscal Year Total Tax Rate FY 88 $ 8.43885 FY 89 $10.00927* FY 90 $9.99761 FY 91 $10.21268 FY 92 $10.74556 FY 93 $10.48238 FY 94 $10.46978 FY 95 $10.26966 FY 96 $10.74174 FY 97 $10.75132 FY 98 $11.65043** FY 99 $11.93312 FY 00 $12.06095 FY 01 $11.84851 FY 02 $11.84886 FY 03 $11.97448 FY 04 $12.10668 FY 05 $13.00698 FY 06 $13.26744 FY 07 $12.17030 FY 08 $12.07254

*New high school added to tax rolls.

**New middle school added to tax rolls. Beginning in FY 07, CCSD has used $400,000 annually of Local Option Sales Tax revenue to buy down debt, which creates property tax relief by lowering the tax asking for the Debt Service levy.

CCSD Recognizes Employees For Years Of Service

2008 Retirees At the end of the 2007 – 2008 school year, CCSD said goodbye to five long-time employees. Those who retired, the position held in the district, and number of years with the district are: Karen Schouten Special Education Teacher 11 years Vern Henkenius Asst. to the Superintendent 28 years LaJean Olson 7th Gr. Geography Teacher 35 years Charlene Lux Health Assistant 21 years Earl Kallemeyn Industrial Tech. Teacher 15 years

Twenty – five, Thirty, and Thirty – five Year Employees

The picture below shows employees who have been with CCSD for twenty-five, thirty, and thirty-five years (front row from left to right) LaJean Olson (35), Sue Ruch (30), Sue Marquardt (30), Sandy Edwards (35), (back row from left to right) Marlene Nissen (25), Terri Miller (30), Norvel Nissen, (25), Barb Middendorf (30), and Joyce Hindman (35),

Fifteen and Twenty Year Employees

Those being recognized for fifteen and twenty years of service include (from left to right) Michelle Paulsen (15), Earl Kallemeyn (15), Ione Koster (20), Mary Keat (20), Vicki Gach (15), Robyn Lane (20), Kim Renning (15), Ken Bauer (15), and Dennis Pietig (20).

Five and Ten Year Employees The employees pictured below received their five or ten year pin at the end of the 2007 – 2008 school year: (from left to right) Sandy Kluver (10), Kelly Perrin (5), Jim Weitl (10), Casey Kingdon (5), Kirk Christensen (10), Jill Weber (5), Mark Trullinger (10), Lynn Carstens (5), Kathy Halbur (10), Carla James (5), Korey Jeschke (10), Barbara Mortenson (10), Pam Hutchinson (10), and Jacqui Scharfenkamp (5)

Carroll Community

School District

Carroll Community School District1026 N. AdamsCarroll, IA 51401-1911

NON-PROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 335

Documents

2007 – 2008 Carroll Community School District Annual Report to …server-8.carroll.k12.ia.us/~cordesrob/annualreports/annual0708.pdf · specific content, skills to be mastered,