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Worthington Education Center200 E. Wilson Bridge Rd.Worthington, Ohio 43085614-450-6000

Absolute Excellence | Exponential Impact

Fall 2014

Worthington SchoolSWorthington City Schools Official Newsletter

www.worthington.k12.oh.us

Worthington Continues to Progress on State Report CardDistrict receives highest performance index score to date

The 2014-2015 school year is off to a great start! ThisSeptember, the Ohio Department of Education released thelatest report card and, again, Worthington received high

marks. Our Performance Index Score increased to 104.6, meaningmore students are achieving at higher levels than ever before. Ourschool district also received all “A’s” in student growth forreading and math in grades 4-8. In Worthington, student growthis our most important indicator andwe are especially proud of theseresults because it shows that ourstudents’ academic growth is aboveexpected. None of this would bepossible without the hard work ofour students, staff and families.

Many of our residents may not realize that the measures on thereport card are changing. More is being asked of school districts allacross Ohio through new state standards and a new rating systemthat raises expectations for achievement for all districts in Ohio. Wewelcome this opportunity and we accept the challenge of helpingour students succeed at even higher levels.

Although there is a lot to celebrate, we also recognize that there arecomponents of the report card where the district has the opportunityto improve. The state report card is an important accountability tooland we know we must meet the high expectations of our community.Our teachers and administrators will use the data from the report

card to analyze areas for improvement. We arecommitted to ensuring that all students canand will realize their full potential.

As proud as we are to share with you the resultsfrom the state report card, we also know thatthe quality of a Worthington education goes

way beyond these datapoints. Worthington must also offerstudents enriching opportunities so thatstudents receive a well-rounded education.Preparing our students for the challengeand rigor of college and careers is a priorityand Worthington offers unique programs,access to technology and opportunities

beyond the classroom that will give our students a real advantagewhen it comes to their futures.

In order to illustrate the uniqueness of what our WorthingtonSchools have to offer, we are in the process of developing anddistributing a “Quality Profile” designed to provide our communitywith a more comprehensive picture of our Worthington Schools.We look forward to sharing this information later this school year. �

Sincerely,

Thomas Tucker, Ph.D.Superintendent

Our teachers and administrators will use the data fromthe report card to analyze areas for improvement. We are

committed to ensuring that all students can and willrealize their full potential.

104.6Congratulationsto Our 2015

National MeritScholar

Semifinalists

WKHS:George Liu

TWHS: Frontrow L-R:Nikhita Airi,Elizabeth Chiu,Sydney WelterBack row: Hannah Peffly,Christina Liu,Samuel Fojas.Zachary DeMartini isnot pictured.

Worthington SchoolS

Page 2 • Fall 2014 Worthington City Schools • 614-450-6000

Students Gain Learning Edge through Technology Changes

Worthington City Schools Official Newsletter

Starting this school year, all students and teachers in theWorthington City Schools will have unprecedentedtechnology access and usage that may be unmatched by

any other central Ohio school district, according to ThomasTucker, superintendent.

The three year plan for technology integration will revolutionizethe way our students and teachers communicate providing morepersonalized learning for all students.

At the August 25 board of education meeting, the district presenteda sweeping new technology plan. It is a plan that “breaks downbarriers to technology for eachchild and teacher and it opensup a significant access point toeducation,” according to Tucker.In fact, according to the district,these technology changes willgive Worthington students theedge over time.

“Everyone in the district will seea definite and very sophisticateduse of technology,” stated TrentBowers, assistantsuperintendent, in charge of the overall project. “In doingthis, we are making technologyintegration more cost-effectivesince most students have theirown devices. We believe thatthis is something that no otherdistrict has been able toaccomplish, or, if they evenhave,” he added, “then theycannot match our enthusiasm,research and planning.”

Bowers went on to note all ofthese changes also come withsignificant professionaldevelopment for teachers. Thedistrict offered programs overthe summer and will continue to offer these experiencesthroughout the year. Moreover, teachers can more easily share whatthey are doing in the classroom, so that they can quicklycollaborate and integrate best practices in their teaching.

Worthington’s technology changes will affect every classroom andbe noticeable to parents and students. Among the most significantchanges include:

True BYOD. That is “bring your own device” meaning thatWorthington will provide families with a list of recommendeddevices. The district will then provide software and secure cloud

services. (Most students can be adequately served by a Chromelaptop, which helps make BYOD a reality for most families.)

True 1:1 Computing Access. This means that every student canand should bring their own device to school. Those who cannot ordid not bring a device that day will have access to one at school.

Computer Lending Libraries in Each Building for After-the-School-Day Use. Access to technology should not be limited tothe school day. Each building has a “computer lending library” sothat those students who need to borrow a devise overnight canborrow one from their building. Even better, they will have 4G

access so that they can email a teacher, conduct researchor submit their final project.

Robust Tech and Electrical Infrastructure. High usage requiresan infrastructure that can handle heavy traffic and usage. Numerousupgrades (servers, file storage, routers, switches, bandwidth, high-density access points, etc.) were made in order to meet the demandsof today and the yet unknown demands of the future.

In addition, Worthington residents played a significant role in theplan to ensure it reflects the expectations and needs of thecommunity. This plan is community-driven in many ways.

Technology Changes, continued on page 3

Worthington SchoolSWorthington City Schools Official Newsletter

Fall 2014 • Page 3www.worthington.k12.oh.us

Girl Talk Leaders Visit Washington D.C.

District officialsexpressed theirgratitude for thecommunity formaking thisproject possible. As a part of the bond issuepassed in 2012, the district was able tomake significant upgrades and integrationof technology.

“We are deeply appreciative to thecommunity for their support. Theydemonstrate time and again that they valueeducation and they see technology asplaying a key role in that,” added Tucker.“We simply could not be where we aretoday with visionary projects like thiswithout their support.”

For more detailed information on ourtechnology plan please visit our technologyplan website which can be accessed at:https://sites.google.com/a/wscloud.org/2012-bond-implementation/ �

Technology Changes, continued

Last April, Principal Angie Adrean and I had the opportunity to meet with HaleyKilpatrick, the founder and CEO of Girl Talk, and Natalie Richardson from Thirty-One Gifts. Girl Talk is an international, nonprofit organization based out of Atlanta,

GA that has reached over 50,000 girls in 43 states and 7countries. It is a student-lead program where high schoolgirls mentor middle school girls to help build self-esteem,develop leadership skills, and promote the importance ofcommunity service. Ms. Adrean and I were so impressedwith the program and were excited to start a chapter atWorthington Kilbourne.

Students Abby Souder, Veronica Dahn, Scarlett Morse,Margaret Link, Emma Gascon and Lauren Spangler wereidentified to be the founding leaders of WKHS’s GirlTalk Chapter. The girls and I were then invited to attendGirl Talk’s leadership summit on American University'scampus over the summer. Thirty-One Gifts, who haspartnered with Girl Talk, generously offered to sponsorout trip. We spent three incredibly powerful days in DC, hearing from strong femaleleaders in various fields and bonding with 100 other Girl Talk members from across thecountry. Our final day was spent on Capitol Hill with congresswomen and senators.

The girls returned from the trip eager to become Girl Talk leaders and to make a difference in younger girls' lives. I am equally excited to be a part of the program by servingas their faculty advisor. To be a leader, each girl must sign a contract agreeing to weeklymeetings with the middle school girls,10 hours of community service each semester, andcommunicating about our chapter with Girl Talk by sending a monthly report.

We recently met with Adham Schirg from McCord Middle School, who was excited andopen to teaming up with us for this wonderful opportunity. Girl Talk provides over 100lesson plans and activities on topics such as body image, social media, and being true toyourself, among many others, but the girls are encouraged to come up with their ownideas, as well.

The program is open to any 7th or 8th grade female at McCord and the six leaders will also work on developing a training for other high school girls who are interested in gettinginvolved. We are looking forward to starting our weekly meetings at McCord soon. �

Ariel Schwartz, School Counselor, WKHS

This plan iscommunity-driven

in many ways.

Worthington

bus drivers

ensure

students get

to and from

school safely!

Fall 2014

School finance can be a complicated and sometimes challengingtopic to discuss, yet it is critical that we share financial informationwith our taxpayers in the most transparent and efficient way

possible. As stewards of your tax dollars, we remain committed toensuring that those dollars are spent efficiently and go directly towardstudent learning.

Taxpayers deserve to know that their schools are being managedcompetently and just like the state report card measures our academicachievement, our schools have received third-party recognition and

awards for our financial accountability as well.

Worthington SchoolS

www.worthington.k12.oh.us

Worthington Schools Recognized for Excellent Financial Accountability

Worthington City Schools Official Newsletter

District ContinuesPath of Fiscal StabilityAt the end of June, we closedour books on a very successfulFiscal Year 2014, with a betterbottom line than expected.These results show that wecontinue to stretch our dollarswhile still focusing on directingfunds to the classroom forteachers and students.

As we work to compile theOctober 2014 forecast, we willbe meeting soon with theboard of education FinanceCommittee and the Treasurer'sAdvisory Committee to discusscurrent assumptions andfuture challenges. The forecastwill be adopted by the Boardof Education at the October27 Board of Educationmeeting, and we believe theforecast will show continuedpositive balances and fiscalefficiency. �

The Auditor ofState’s officerecentlyattended aboard ofeducationmeeting, where

they presentedWorthington

Schools with the Auditorof State Award for clean audit reports.

The Auditor of State Award is presented tolocal governments and school districtsupon the completion of a financial audit.Entities that receive the award meet thefollowing criteria of a “clean” audit report:

• The entity must file timely financialreports with the Auditor of State’s officein accordance with GAAP (GenerallyAccepted Accounting Principles).

• The audit report does not contain anyfindings for recovery, material citations,material weaknesses, significant

deficiencies, Single Audit findings orquestioned costs.

• The entity’s management letter containsno comments related to: –

–Ethics referrals–Questioned costs less than $10,000–Lack of timely report submission–Reconciliation–Failure to obtain a timely Single Audit–Findings for recovery less than $100–Public meetings or public records

This recognition does not come easily -out of 5,700 government entities audited,less than two percent received thisprestigious award. It is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmentaccounting and financial reporting,signifying Worthington’s commitment toresponsible fiscal management.

The Worthington community expectsquality in all areas, and we are pleased thatthis is another area that makes our districtstand out for its excellent value andexcellent results. Our district values cleanand accurate record keeping, and we hopethat our taxpayers can take pride in thiscommitment to financial accountability. �

Jeff McCuen, Treasurer jmccuen@worthington.k12.oh.us

So how are we doing managing and reporting our money to taxpayers?According to third-party financial experts, really well. Here’s how: