What is STRIDE doing to close the gap?

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

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"?

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?

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

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

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

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.