Mr. U's Corner

Reading at Home

2010-01-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Parents,
A recent commentary printed in the Teachers Leadership Network Forum, reinforced the importance of students reading at home. The report plainly states that reading at home is one of the most important indicators of educational success, beyond working hard. Students who read the most perform better in school. They are the best readers, of course, but they are also the best writers, spellers, possess the best vocabulary, and perform better in content-heavy areas like science and social studies. Clearly, reading is important, and the students who read the most possess the highest academic potential (Miller, 2010).
Teachers have tried many techniques to motivate or encourage students to read more at home. Both of my boys have brought home the reading log sheet or the famous "Book It" (get a free pizza for reading 400 minutes). Here are some simple ideas in which promotes the "love" of reading:
1. Parents should carve out reading time for their children each day. This time should be allotted for reading only. In our house, the entire family stops and reads for 30 minutes. My wife often enjoys reading chapter books with our children. Julie will read a few pages and then Jordan will read the next few pages. This technique is a great bonding experience, helps your children read more difficult text without fatigue and you can ask your children questions throughout the reading.
2. Find books that interest your child. Even if the reading material seems a little too easy, let your child just relax and have fun reading that interest them.
3. Encourage, encourage, encourage your children to read. Ask them what their favorite book is or the last book the read. Discuss with your details about the book.

Email me some suggestions that you use to encourage reading at home.

Jason Ulbrich, Education Director

Extra Curricular Activities at STRIDE

2009-12-16T14:23:00.000-08:00

My personal goal is to have 100% of the students at STRIDE Academy participate in at least one extra curricular activity during the school year. STRIDE is proven to be an academically strong school that understands and increases student learning. Believe or not, we need to also focus on children being well rounded citizens. Extra curricular activities is one way in which we can teach students about teamwork, communication, dedication, self discipline, leadership and yes, how to fail.
At STRIDE Academy, we have increased our extra curricular offerings over the past few years. The offerings include:
Volleyball, soccer, basketball, softball, Knowledge Bowl, Spelling Bee, band, and choir.

We also offer many one-week classes during our three intersessions throughout the school year. We will always work with families to overcome any barriers preventing participation. We offer scholarships for students and have on more than one occasion helped coordinate transportation. If you ever have any questions about our activities, please contact Mr. Lutterman at llutterman@strideacademy.org...

Good Enough

2009-12-02T07:10:00.000-08:00

How often have we heard or even stated ourselves, "that's good enough"? This is a statement that I have used or thought throughout my life, I have heard students or staff state and now my own children sometimes parrot these dreaded words (where did they learn that from). As I mature and season, I note that this statement reeks of mediocrity. It is not ok to have mediocrity in my family life, my profession and in your child's education. We will never be "good enough" at STRIDE, I will never be "good enough" at my job or as a father and husband.

I want to think of ways that we can build a culture that strives for excellence and never settles. We cannot and will not simply 'check the box". We have started the culture of excellence here at STRIDE. Going from Good to Great starts with the instruction your child is receiving in the classroom. Your teachers are committed life -ong learners and consistently meet with each other to look at data and other indicators to best meet the instructional, social and academic needs of your child.

STRIDE develops new goals every year. Not goals that are easy to attain; however, goals that will stretch our comfort zone and truly lead us to excellence. STRIDE develops and focuses on goals that directly effect academic performance. We then focus our resources around improving our goals. To view STRIDE 2009-2010 Goals, go to http://www.strideacademy.org/ and click under "downloads" at the bottom of the page.

Teaching of Religion at STRIDE

2009-11-17T10:44:00.000-08:00

In today’s society, the teaching of religion in the classroom has all but gone away. Not because schools can’t teach about religion, but because of all the polarizing opinions concerning the issue. For the past twenty years — between the fear of stepping on toes and the fear of "the church-state thing" — it has been nearly taboo (Klee, 2002).

STRIDE Academy has been using the Core Knowledge curriculum since our inception in 2005. The Core Knowledge curriculum gives our students a deep understanding between religion and its affects on history. In the first grade alone, children encounter the polytheistic faiths of the ancient Maya, Aztecs, and Inca, as well as the Egyptians and Babylonians. First graders are also introduced to some major world religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These topics reassert themselves throughout the later years of the Core Knowledge curriculum: for example, in the third grade study of Rome, the Byzantine empire, with the rise of Christianity; or in the fourth grade, the rise of Islam and the Crusades; or in the later study of such religiously inspired movements as abolition or the American civil rights movement of the 1960s (Klee, 2002).
Parts of the above artcle are from remarks delivered by Mary Beth Klee at the 3rd National Core Knowledge Conference.

STRIDEs Objectives to Teaching about Religion

Stride Academy Definition of Religion: A belief system that pertains to specific matters of ultimate concern as part of a larger literary or historic tradition and that includes specific activities and/or rituals.

Stride Academy Answer to Why is it Important to Teach About Religion?

Part of history
Different accounts of events
Produce literate and historically informed citizens
Understanding of our neighbors

Stride Academy Essential Features for Developing lessons, units, and presentation.

Must be objective – does not promote one religion or point of view over another.
There is an identified academic and secular purpose to the instruction.
Instruction promotes understanding of diversity within and between religions.

Supporting materials used in creating the above.

Publications from the First Amendment Center (www.firstamendmentcenter.org) about teaching about religion in the public schools.

Taking Religion Seriously Across the Curriculum. 1998. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Statement from ASCD. “The proper role of religion in the school is the study of religion for its educational value. The task is to teach about religions and their impact in history, literature, art, music, and morality. It seems natural that the art curriculum, for example, must pay attention to the impact of Christianity on the work of Michelangelo, just as a history class focusing on the colonization of America must pay attention to the religious upheaval in sixteenth-century Europe that fueled that colonization.”

Teaching About Religion in the Public Schools Position Statement from the National Council for the Social Studies. “Knowledge about religions is not only a characteristic of an educated person, but it is also absolutely necessary for understanding and living in a world of diversity. Knowledge of religious differences and the role of religion in the contemporary world can help promote understanding and alleviate prejudice. Since the purpose of the social studies is to provide students with a knowledge of the world that has been, the world that is, and the world of the future, studying about religions should be an essential part of the social studies curriculum. Omitting study about religions gives students the impression that religions have not been and are not now part of the human experience. Study about religions may be dealt with in special courses and units or wherever and whenever knowledge of the religious dimension of human history and culture is needed for a balanced and comprehensive understanding.”-- Jason Ulbrich, Education Director

What is STRIDE doing to close the gap?

2009-11-04T09:02:00.000-08:00

There are facets of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) that need reform. A positive consequence of NCLB is the attention paid to closing the achievement gap between cultural groups, students with special needs, students who speak English as a second language and socio-economic classes. STRIDE Academy has taken an honest and open look at the data over the past four years. There is a clear and obvious gap in test scores between black students and white students. This gap in achievement levels between different cultures is unacceptable and we need to remedy this situation as soon as possible. The lack of proficiency in reading, writing and math amongst black students is a symptom of deeper problems that have gone ignored, unaddressed, and unmet for far too long (Kafele, 2006).

STRIDE teachers have been meeting one time per week to participate in professional development and strategic planning to specifically raise proficiency amongst black students. The book that we have used as our tool to improvement is Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School and in Life authored by Baruti Kafele (www.principalkafele.com). The main points of the book and our training include:
- Learning about black male students to meet their classroom needs
- Learning about ourselves to meet our black male students needs
- Three Crises: community crisis, family crisis, self crisis
- Who are we as a school?
- Developing a Young Men's Empowerment Program

Thus far, STRIDE has focused on setting high expectations for ALL students. We need to believe ALL students can go to college. Our job at STRIDE is to prepare EVERY child for college. That is the ultimate goal. Teachers are now working on a three pronged approach:
1. Helping students set incremental goals in order to get to college. These goals include: academic, social, behavioral and emotional.
2. Establish trusting relationships with students. Without a trusting relationship with students, they will not be motivated to learn.
3. Include more black role models in our curriculum and visually throughout the building.

While we are still in the infancy stage of closing the achievement gap at STRIDE, we will close the gap. -Jason Ulbrich, Education Director

Jump Start to College

2009-10-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

At STRIDE, our ultimate goal is to prepare every child for college or schooling beyond high school. Post secondary schooling is proving to be essential in today's world economy. However, we cannot look past the importance of the early childhood years. I often find my self wandering the halls here at STRIDE seeking exciting instruction and actively engaged kids. One of my favorite visits includes the kindergarten wing. These classrooms guarantee numerous smiles, hellos and even hugs. Most excitedly is the love, curiosity and engagement. Last week I watched kindergarten students learn how to care for pets and in the same day learn the seven continents. The seven continents in kindergarten? Yes! I am so impressed with what kindergarten students can absorb, their natural curiosity and mostly, for the teachers that care and nurture their students. The free all day everyday kindergarten at STRIDE has been integral to jump starting our students towards college.

What is "Core Knowledge"?

2009-10-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

STRIDE Academy uses the Core Knowledge Sequence as our curriculum for music, art, science and social studies. The "Core Knowledge" movement is an educational reform based on the premise that a grade-by-grade core of common learning is necessary to ensure a sound and fair elementary education. The movement was started by Professor E. D. Hirsch, Jr., author of Cultural Literacy and The Schools We Need, and is based on a large body of research in cognitive psychology, as well as a careful examination of several of the world's fairest and most effective school systems. Professor Hirsch has argued that, for the sake of academic excellence, greater fairness, and higher literacy, early schooling should provide a solid, specific, shared core curriculum in order to help children establish strong foundations of knowledge. After wide consultation, the content of this core curriculum has been outlined in two books — the Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence and the Core Knowledge Sequence, K–8 — that state explicitly what students should learn at each grade level. Currently, hundreds of schools and thousands of dedicated educators are participating in this school reform movement throughout the United States. from www.coreknowledge.org

Charter School, What?

2009-09-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

The September, 2009 issue of Phi Delta Kappan list the Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. The Gallop Poll asked numerous questions concerning charter schools and the charter school movement. Almost two out of three Americans approve of charter schools. While the approval rating for charter schools has increased 15% over the past five years, there is clear evidence that the nation is split on the facts about charter schools. The majority of Americans believe charter schools can teach religion, charge tuition or select who attends the school based on ability.

While it is true that charter schools are free of many bureaucratic policies, we are still held to a very high standard and must follow "public education" standards.

All STRIDE Parents should be able to Correct Misunderstandings:
1. STRIDE (charter schools) are held to ALL academic standards of No Child Left Behind. Our students take the state test and STRIDE is held accountable for their performance.
2. STRIDE accepts ALL students and CANNOT choose students based on ability, race, gender, disability, religion, etc. We conduct an annual lottery for new incoming students and STRIDE maintains and embraces a diverse student population.
3. STRIDE is TUITION FREE...FREE...WE DO NOT CHARGE...PUBLIC SCHOOL
4. STRIDE does not teach religion. We respect religion and teach about religion in a historical context as it pertains to learning objectives.

The support for charter schools is clear and growing. President Obama supports charters and Education Secretary Duncan stated, "The charter movement is one of the most profound changes in American Education- bringing new options to under served communities and introducing competition and innovation into the education system."

My challange to parents and staff is to be able to effectivly correct the misunderstandings about STRIDE within the community.

-Jason Ulbrich, Education Director

On the Horizon-Middle School Update and Plans

2009-09-03T05:14:00.000-07:00

If you have been at STRIDE over the past three years, you know that STRIDE has worked endlessly to find a middle school location and building that meets both our academic and financial needs. This year we are closer than we have ever been. Our goal is to have a middle school up and running by August, 2010. The current plans have been developed and go in front of the city planning within the next couple weeks. Al Keller is our investor and builder. Al developed and built our current location and addition. The middle school site will be in the South Gate area of south St. Cloud (about one mile south of Walmart just past Boulder Ridge Golf Course). This area is the fastest growing section of St. Cloud and the south side schools of St. Cloud are overflowing. The parcel is four acres to begin, the four acres will house the middle school 6th-8th grades and the entire k-8 campus by 2015-2016. The parcel also has potential to expand into a k-12 campus.

The middle school committee has been meeting on a regular basis for the past two years. We meet at 5:30pm before each board meeting. We always welcome the public to join us in these planning meetings. In the meetings, we discuss the building, curriculum, scheduling, course offerings, transportation, activities and everything else that goes into meeting the needs of middle school students.

BUILDING
The plans are almost complete and available for public view in the school office. The building will be 22,500 square feet to include a gymnasium with bleachers and full court basketball. The five homeroom classrooms will be 805 square feet (much larger than our current classrooms). The science lab is over 1,000 square feet and includes sinks, lab stations, gas and windows on three sides to allow natural light for plant growth. There is a music/art room, boys and girls locker room and lockers in the hallway. The building also allows for future growth of both the elementary and high school.

HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL GROWTH
With the new facility, STRIDE will now be able to grow vertically by offering 7th and 8th grades. The new middle school will host 6th-8th grades. Our current facility will host grades k-5th. The current facility will have two schedules:
1. k-2 (Primary)
2. 3-5 (Intermediate)
With 6th grade moving to the new middle school, we will have room to grow horizontally by adding one section per year, starting in kindergarten. YES, STRIDE WILL NOW HAVE THREE SECTIONS STARTING IN 2010-2011, TELL YOUR FRIENDS THERE IS ROOM IN KINDERGARTEN.

CURRICULUM AND COURSE OFFERING
Let's be clear, the new middle school will focus on college prep with the vision of ALL students being college ready. What will be offered beyond the basics:

World Language(s)
Advanced/Honors Math
Advanced/Honors Literature
Advanced/Honors Science
Fitness
Technology
Band
Choir
Media Arts

TRANSPORTATION
Transportation will be offered to Sauk Rapids and St. Cloud. All transportation is expected to remain the same. However, we are working on one addition. STRIDE is researching a shuttle between the two locations so parents can drop students off at one location and students can be transported to the other location.

ACTIVITIES
Research has proven that students involved in extra-curricular activities, perform higher academically. We understand that we need to expand our extra-curricular offerings.
The number of offerings is dependent on the number of participants.
Volleyball
Soccer
Basketball
Baseball
Softball
Knowledge Bowl
Math League
Student Council
and more depending on student numbers and coop with other schools.

WHAT IS NEEDED FROM PARENTS
1. We need to ensure that we fill the third section starting with kindergarten next year. We have always had a waiting list, thus the need for a third section. Tell all your friends with kindergartners for next year that STRIDE is opening another section.
2. We will need dozens of parents to COMMIT to help prepare the new middle school for the grand opening. May, June and July of next year will be busy and we need your help with moving, painting, cleaning, putting furniture together, installing lockers and much more. Please notify Lynn Imholte at 230.5340 if you can help. Without your help we will need to spend money needed for the students.

Jason Ulbrich, Education Director

Beyond the Status Quo

2009-08-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

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

Parents are the Key

2009-08-13T05:22:00.000-07:00

Research has proven time after time that parental involvement is a main ingredient for student success in school. Gone are the days where we send are children to school and just wait for the report card to come home . Parents today need to get involved in their children's education, are kids need to know that education is vital to their future and that we support them. At STRIDE we have been blessed with excellent parent involvement. If you want to be involved, if you want to actively participate in the relationship between your child and the school, there are some things you can do to make this relationship positive and productive.

Methods for Parents to Get to Know Their Child's School Better (ADPRIMA, 2009)

Go to the school; look around, talk to people.

Call or write to your child's teachers.

Talk to other parents about their experiences.

Be sure to read the minutes of the school board and PATHS , which are on the STRIDE website .

Take time to read the school newsletter.

It may not always be convenient, but try to attend school functions such as open houses and PATHS meetings.

Most importantly, let your child see you in school.

How Parents can Help with their Children's Homework
There are things you can do that will help your child do assigned homework and that result in learning, which, after all, is the reason for being in school.
Communicate with your child about school. This includes talking to him about his friends, activities, teachers, and assignments.

Show enthusiasm about school and homework. Set realistic goals for your child, and then focus on one at a time. STRIDE Academy sends home Target Scores for ALL 2nd-6th graders at the beginning of the year. Talk to your child about these targets.

Help your child get organized. Break down assignments into smaller, more manageable parts. Set out needed items (clothes, homework, permission slips, etc.) the night before to avoid last-minute rushing around in the morning.

Provide a quiet study corner in your home complete with paper, markers, a ruler, pencils and a dictionary.

Never do your child's homework!

Check with your child's teacher about correcting homework.

Expect, and praise genuine progress and effort. Don't praise or otherwise reward your child for doing what you and she know is expected. This practice leads you down a slippery slope, often with really bad consequences for you and your child.

Be specific when you do praise something. Focus on your child's strengths in school.

Build associations between what is taught and what your child already knows and understands.

Incorporate concrete materials and examples whenever possible, especially with younger children.

Try to help your child learn about the subject in more than one way, using as many senses as possible.

Separate your child's school weaknesses from your child. If your child fails a test, that is all the child fails. He or she is not a failure.

Questions to Ask at a School Conference
Is my child performing at grade level in basic skills? Above/Below? Math/Reading?
What are the objectives my child is supposed to attain?

How do these objectives lead to the overall goal for the course/grade?
What achievement, intelligence, or aptitude tests have been given to my child in the past year? What do the scores mean? (Be very specific and be sure you understand completely what the reported scores mean).
What are my child's strengths and weaknesses in major subject areas?
What subjects do my child enjoy most?
Can we together go over some examples of my child's class work?
Does my child need special help in any academic subject?
Who are my child's friends and how does he or she interact with other children?
Has my child regularly completed assigned homework?
Has my child attended class regularly?
Have you observed any changes in learning progress during the year? Has learning improved or declined during the year?

STRIDE is dependent on parental support. WE need your help in and out of school. Please volunteer at school by calling your teacher or contact Lynn at 230.5340.

2008-2009 Test Results and Contributing Factors

2009-07-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

In today's educational environment, ACCOUNTABILITY is a term that you often hear. At STRIDE, we welcome accountability and believe we need to see better academic results and at the same time for a lower cost. Otherwise, why have charter schools. There are many ways to measure a school's academic performance and there are no ifs, ands or buts, academic performance is the primary measure of a school's success. Everything we do at STRIDE supports academic performance. As explained in my last blog, STRIDE uses three measures of academic success; however, the state and federal government holds STRIDE accountable using the MCA-II test which are given annually at the end of each school year. STRIDE Academy dramatically improved our scores this year, 10% points in both math and reading. While we are very pleased with our growth and improvement, we are NOT satisfied with almost 3 out of 10 students not at grade level. STRIDE will NOT make excuses about No Child Left Behind, the state test, or our student population. WE, parents, students and teachers are responsible for meeting the standard and we will not make excuses for not meeting the standard, we will only look for opportunites for growth. We are now working on an improvement plan to increase our performance for next year. 100% is the federal standard by 2013 and we are going to work hard to reach that goal.

MCA-II (state tests for 3-6 graders)

MATH (Percent of Student Proficient)

.............................Low Income.....3rd....4th.....5th......6th......School Average
Sartell,***........................6%.............85.......83......80.......76....... 81
STRIDE ....................51%........83.....79.....66.....61......72
MN Average....................31%...........82.......75.......65.......64........71
Foley ...............................33%...........89........71.......56.......67....... 71
Mississippi Heights* .....27%...........83........70.......68......57...... 70
St. Cloud All ELEM........41%...........82........70.......65......61......69
Rice Elementary*.......... 24%..........83........62.......67......57........ 67
Pleasant View* ..............27%...........73.........75.......58.....57........ 66
Westwood .......................44%.......... 76 ........58......65.....61........ 65
Madison**.......................55%.......... 84.........75......48.....61...... 67
Lincoln ............................64%.......... 70 ........60......69.....50...... 62
Discovery .......................62%............74.........60......51.....64........ 62
Talahi .............................70%.............57.........60.....59. ...62...... 60

READING (Percent of Students Proficient)

................................Low Income.....3rd.....4th.....5th.....6th.....School Average
Sartell***............................6%.............84......87.......84.......84.......85
Foley...................................33%...........88......73.......71........73.......76
Mississippi Heights*.........27%...........83......77.......75........71........77
Rice Elementary*.............24%...........81......69.......72........71........73
MN Average......................31%..........78......74.......72........73........74
STRIDE......................51%........80......69....72.....67......72
Pleasant View*..................27%..........78.......73.......66........71.......72
Westwood..........................44%......... 64...... 53.......70.......76.......66
St. Cloud All ELEM.........44%...........71.......62.......64.......64.......65
Madison**.........................55%..........67.......66.......37........59.......57
Lincoln...............................64%..........59.......48.......77........43.......57
Discovery..........................62%..........64.......47.......58........47........ 54

Why the increase in test scores?
1. Teachers work hard and strategically to focus instruction on individual student needs. We level students at their appropriate math and reading levels and provide extra time and resources for students who are not at grade level. Teachers meet on a monthly basis to review student performance data. They work collaboratively to improve instruction and meet the needs of ALL students.
2. STRIDE hired a literacy and math coach and provided a half day release time for the coaches to help focus instruction. The coaches review student data weekly and facilitate professional learning communities that focus on improving student achievement. The coaches also provide professional development for teachers.
3. Specific academic goals are set for ALL teachers. Teachers earn merit pay tied to students achieving academic goals. These goals include students performing at grade level, individual student growth and a teacher growing professionally.

*Includes the named school and Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School
** Includes named school and North Junior High
*** Includes Pine Meadow, Oak Ridge and Sartell Middle

What Gets Measured is What Gets Done

2009-07-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

Often in today's education world you hear the term "data-driven decision making" used. For years, businesses have used data as a way to raise productivity and efficiency, effective schools have started to do the same. Two important elements to our success include using ONLY research based curriculum and using data to TRULY drive instruction. STRIDE uses four tools to measure our academic success:

1. Locally developed assessments for kindergarten and first grade based on the MN Academic Standards. These assessments help staff focus instruction at the individual and grade level. The data also shows the growth and grade proficiency for each child.

2. Saxon Math and Reading Mastery assessments that measure the fluency, numeracy and comprehension in the areas of reading and math. These assessments help staff place students in the correct reading or math level.

3. NWEA MAPS is a nationally normed test that assess growth and grade level proficiency for students in 2nd-6th grade. The test helps staff focus instruction and sets TARGET GROWTH RIT for each child.

4. MCA-II (MN State test) for grades 3rd-6th in reading and math, science for 5th grade. The MCA-II data holds us accountable for the NCLB (NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND) standards. They are also used as a comparison to like or surrounding districts.

Within the next two weeks, you will find in-depth data for our academic performance for the 2008-2009 school year. The data illustrates that STRIDE raised math and reading scores on the MCA-II tests over 6% points this year as compared to 2007-2008. Our math scores on these tests our the second highest amongst the most common schools from where are students come from. We are fifth in reading. We place in the top 10%ile in the state for schools with a F/R population over 40%. F/R population is a socioeconomic indicator. On the NWEA MAPS, all grades exceeded the national norm in reading and math and we also exceeded the target growth by at least 25%. No grade finished with lower than a 77% success rate of meeting their goals.

The real use of this data is to celebrate our short term success and now find areas of improvement for next year. Our instructional leadership team will sit down and identify areas for growth next year. The areas of growth will be communicated as goals and staff members will work hard to meet these goals and earn merit pay on meeting or exceeding these goals.

For more in depth information on our academic performance, please attend the July 21st board meeting. A presentation will be given.

Upcoming Events

July 21st- Board Meeting

July 31st- STRIDE Golf Tournament

August 3rd- Teacher Staff Development

August 4th- Regional whole Brain Conference at STRIDE

August 6th- Open house, 3:30pm-7:30pm

August 11th- First Day of School

Getting Ready for Next Year

2009-06-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

Some people say finally, some say already; however, the end is here! When the end of the school year has arrived, it brings many new and exciting challenges. For my family this means , soccer, football, tubing, skiing and yes, golf. While students and staff may be home relaxing this summer. Dale, Julie, Dawn and I will be preparing for your return.

This summer the office hours will be from 8am-2pm, Monday thru Thursday.

I have had many great questions about scheduling for classes next year. All students have been scheduled into homeroom, math and reading classes for 2009-2010. The student schedules will be mailed home along with the final report cards on June 30th.

This marked the end of our spring testing session. The preliminary data is amazing. We have posted scores well above the national average in every subject and in every grade. In next Friday's blog I will give an in depth look at the data.

Thank you to all the parents and families for coming to the music performance last week, what an amazing night. The best part was meeting at Mr. Twisty's after the concert and in the rain. Hopefully we have started a new tradition at STRIDE.

I hope everyone had a great year and come and visit this summer.

The First Blog

2009-06-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

After a few years of reading blogs on news sites, education sites and of course sports, I feel the time is now to start using a blog as an information tool here at STRIDE. I will try hard to write a weekly blog to be published every Friday. The topics will be varied to include specific STRIDE events, education progress at STRIDE, any proposed changes, national updates on education and any concerns that may be addressed.
I am very excited to share my thoughts with you and just as excited to read your thoughts. What you have to say as part of the STRIDE and/or education community is important and welcome. Please feel free to have a say. Here are a few ground rules that I would like to set in this forum (http://www.problogger.net/):
1. I delete spam - I have spam filters in place which automatically catch the majority of automated spam comments. I don’t put up with it and if any slip through the filters I delete it immediately.
2. Relevant links in comments are actively encouraged - if you’re leaving a comment on my blogs and want to point to a link on your own or someone else’s site that is relevant to the topic then please feel free to do so. This adds to the conversation and improves the blog.
3. Irrelevant links are not encouraged - if you leave a comment with a link in it that has no relevance to the post you’re commenting on it could be deleted.
4. I will delete comments that are deragatory in nature towards an individual or group. We also may have children reading the blog and all language should be appropriate for their eyes.

During the week I will always review the comments to identify any topics the forum would like to discuss. Have a great weekend!

Upcoming Events
June 8- 23- District Testing
June 11- Family Picnic Riverside Park
June 16- Musical Performance at Westwood Church