Beyond the Status Quo

Three words that I hear too often are "as compared to". I hear these words from parents at games, parent conferences, from teachers during scheduling time, from board members when we talk about test scores or student expenditures and I even say these three words to myself whenever there is doubt.


At STRIDE, I want to move beyond the status quo. I want to keep the focus on our own goals, targets and improvment areas. The STRIDE community has always expected more and I am always asked the question of how we compare to local schools. My answer is, I don't know about other schools and I can tell you that research proven techniques we have implemented work for our students.

Beyond the Status Quo

1. High Expectations for ALL students.
STRIDE is dedicated to using a rigourous, rich and proven curriculum. We make NO excuses at STRIDE. We will not blame the students, parents, the state or other life circumstances. We understand that if teachers motivate, educate and empower, in that order, ALL students can and will achieve.


2. Individualized Learning

Students are assessed to develop an individual learning plan for each child. Gone are the days where there are 32-4th graders in a class receiving 4th grade math. If some students are higher learners, they traditionally receive extra worksheets. At STRIDE, we ensure small classrooms and place students in classes where the students are at the same level for math anf reading. This helps the teacher meet the needs of students and guarantees the individual needs of the child are being met.

3. The Gift of Time

STRIDE Academy students attend school for 180 days and makes the most of our precious time. The year round school is proven to reduce the amount of review time after summer break. The average traditional student spends four weeks reviewing upon returning to school. STRIDE students spend two days reviewing. Over the past four years, our students have completed 1.2 years of curriculum in one academic year. That is more than one grade level by the time a child reaches 6th grade. Our teachers and students don't stop just because they are at the end of the text. They move on to next year's textbook

4. Collaboration

The traditional school often functions as a collection of independent contractors united by a common parking lot. --Robert Eaker

In the book Results Now, Mike Schmoker writes about the catastrophic consequences isolation has for teachers and teaching. Our greatest strength at STRIDE Academy is Collaboration. Our teachers work hard to inspire students and go above and beyond to meet with ALL of your child's teachers to increase student performance. Teachers meet at least twice per month to review student data and collaborate on strategies to help meet your child's needs. Teachers also work with data to focus instruction for your child and communicate with parents in setting yearly goals for students.

5. Results Orientated

Ask any educator if their school is "good". The answer will always be yes. But why?? What is a "good" school and how is that determined. At STRIDE, we know the answer. We set goals for ourselves and if we meet the goals, we know we have done a good job. Some of the goals from last year include:

1. 90% of ALL students increase more than one grade level in reading and math. MET

2. Increase the percentage of students that are proficient on the state tests by 5%. MET

3. Meet AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) as determined by the state and federal government. MET

4. Students attend ashool on average 95%. MET

5. Reduce discipline incidents by 20%. MET

6. Close the achievment gap between students of color and caucasion students by 10%. NOT MET

These are STRIDE's goals from 2008-2009 that we have developed based upon our needs. These standards go above and beyond what any governmental agency has determined. While we are not perfect, we can identify are strengths and determine opportunities for growth.



Jason Ulbrich, Education Director