Building on the POSITIVE MOMENTUM FORT WAYNE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS ANNUAL REPORT

Transcription

1 Building on the POSITIVE MOMENTUM FORT WAYNE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS ANNUAL REPORT

2 core values We value: our mission Fort Wayne Community Schools educates all students to high standards enabling them to become productive, responsible citizens. our vision Fort Wayne Community Schools will be the school system of choice and a source of community pride. student achievement as the heart of our work. equity in educational opportunities. the diversity and uniqueness of our district and community. the accountability of the school board, the administration, employees and teaching professionals. open and honest communication with our community, parents, and students. partnerships with business, governmental, and community agencies. our community s support, sacrifi ce, and contributions. the ability to change and meet all challenges. facilities that are clean, safe, and well-maintained. Board of School Trustees Mark GiaQuinta President At-large, Julie Hollingsworth Vice President District 1, Stephen Corona Secretary District 5, Anne Duff Member At-large, Becky Hill Member District 3, Glenna Jehl Member District 2, Jordan Lebamoff Member District 4,

3 a message from our Superintendent To Members of the Fort Wayne Community, I am pleased to provide a report highlighting the many student-centered initiatives being successfully implemented in Fort Wayne Community Schools, as well as our accomplishments for the school year. The positive momentum in our district is very exciting as we focus on our mission to educate all students to high standards, enabling them to become productive, responsible citizens. Our mission and vision were crafted so there is ownership in them, from the Board room to the classroom. We believe in and use our core values, which require us to talk about hard issues so we can address them openly. While we are seeing solid progress, to continue improving we are committed to building effective leadership and learning systems to lead to improved outcomes for all students. Our work with Learning Forward, which was featured in their book Becoming a Learning System, is a centerpiece of our improvement system. Professional learning is the best way for educators to develop the new knowledge, skills and practices necessary to better meet student s learning needs. It is a privilege to lead Fort Wayne Community Schools in partnership with an excellent Board of School Trustees. Together, we are increasing the positive momentum of preparing students for success in college and career readiness. As a testament to our work, the Board of School Trustees was awarded the national Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) Award for Urban School Board Excellence. This award recognizes high levels of achievement in four core areas: Excellence in School Board Governance Building Civic Capacity Closing the Gap Equity in Education Demonstrated Success of Academic Excellence I want to congratulation our Board for winning this prestigious award and publicly thank them for their continued support. I also want to thank parents and the community for supporting us. Our success is directly linked to your support and involvement. Sincerely, Wendy Y. Robinson, Ed.D Superintendent of Schools 2

4 The rigor of Fort Wayne Community Schools programs is matched only by the extent of its academic and extracurricular options. From the state s only public 1 6 Montessori program at Towles to the prestigious International Baccalaureate program at South Side, FWCS is on the leading edge of excellence. SPECIALIZED MAGNET SCHOOLS FWCS offers seven high quality programs: Bunche Early Childhood Center Montessori Whitney Young Early Childhood Center Reggio Emilio Fine Arts Croninger Elementary School Communications Irwin Elementary School Math and Science Weisser Park Elementary School Fine Arts Towles Intermediate School Montessori and New Tech Memorial Park Middle School Fine Arts HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS OF STUDY FWCS offers Specialized Programs of Study at each high school to make pathways from classroom to careers easy: North Side High School Early College, Global Studies and World Languages Northrop High School Project Lead the Way/Engineering Snider High School Project Lead the Way/Biomedical Studies South Side High School International Baccalaureate Wayne High School New Tech Academy, Early College, Business and ROTC OVERVIEW OF FWCS PROGRAMS 3

5 COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS FWCS students graduate ready for whatever lies ahead of them, whether it be college or a career: Wide selection of Advanced Placement classes or Collegiate Connection offered at every high school. Dual-credit courses offered in high schools at local colleges and universities, giving students opportunities for both high school and college-level credits Ample opportunities to earn Core 40, Honors and Technical Honors Diplomas CAREER EDUCATION PROGRAMS The FWCS Career Academy at Anthis provides extensive career education programs to 22 high schools in northeast Indiana. Dual-credit opportunities exist with local colleges and universities. National, state and local certifi cations are issued in most programs. Allied Health Careers Automotive Technology Aviation Early Childhood Education Construction Trades Cosmetology Culinary Arts Engineering Technology Information Technology ICE (Interdisciplinary Cooperative Education) Public Safety 4

6 REPORT ON GOAL 1: ACHIEVE & MAINTAIN ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE FWCS VISION FOR LEARNING PROVIDES INSTRUCTIONAL FRAMEWORK FWCS saw the emergence of the new Indiana Career and College Readiness Standards as an opportunity to re-examine the current system of educational design to better ensure the success of every student. The result was the FWCS Vision for Learning, a 21st Century Instructional Framework that clearly articulates how FWCS will meet our number one goal to achieve and maintain academic excellence. The key elements of 21st Century Learning are represented in the graphic and descriptions shown. The pillars represent 21st century student outcomes, and the steps represent 21st century learning support systems. FWCS views all the components as fully interconnected in the process of 21st century teaching and learning. Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes 21st Century Student Skills Fort Wayne Community Schools educates all students to high standards enabling them to become productive, responsible citizens. Life and Career Skills Learning and Innovation Skills STANDARDS AND ASSESSMENTS CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PYRAMID FOR SUCCESS Information, Media and Technology Skills Personalization MORAL PURPOSE Precision Professional Learning 5

7 FWCS IMPROVES CONTINUOUSLY IN KEY ACADEMIC MEASUREMENTS As FWCS works to continuously improve academic success, recent efforts are showing strong success. The percentage of students passing both the math and English Language Arts sections of the ISTEP+ test have increased solidly over the past few years. This is true for the district as a whole and each of its subgroups, showing that FWCS is also closing the achievement gap for groups of students who historically have had limited access to the full range of educational opportunities or depth of challenging curriculum. Graduation rates also have increased, exceeding the state average for several years. This past year 25 elementary schools received an A from the Indiana Department of Education, with three Focus and Priority schools moving up to an A. In addition, FWCS met all of its AMAOs (Annual Measureable Achievement Objectives, targets for English language development and academic achievement for ELLs) for the fourth time in the last fi ve years. Of the 10 Indiana school corporations with the largest ELL populations, FWCS was one of only two that met the AMAOs. FWCS LEARNING FRAMEWORK SHOWCASED IN BOOK As a testament to FWCS success, Learning Forward the nation s largest professional learning membership association released a book that showcases the learning framework that has propelled FWCS improvement. Becoming a Learning System includes the voices of FWCS educators along with practical tools, strategies and the research background to communicate what it means when every educator in a school district is intently focused on learning. SCHOOL YEAR Graduation Rate 85.5% 88.2% 87.7% 90.7% 88.6% ISTEP+ 58.6% 63% 67% 66.8% 68.9% 6

8 REPORT ON GOAL 2: ENGAGE PARENTS & THE COMMUNITY ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY FWCS engages the community in many ways. Following are some highlights of this past year s community engagement: 55 community members took part in Principal for a Day, including state legislators, business executives, realtors and other professionals. More than 200 volunteers from the community cleaned, painted and spruced up FWCS facilities as part of the United Way Day of Caring. FWCS again partnered with the Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana and IPFW to host a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Conference for girls. Over 1,000 people attended the FWCS Showcase, where all schools and departments are represented so that families have an opportunity to learn more about FWCS programs and services. We held the 4th annual Zumbathon fundraiser to benefi t Study Connection. FWCS reached out to parents, students and school-based staff with a Climate Survey to ensure our programs and services are effective. FWCS employees participated in many family summer carnivals and events including the Three Rivers Festival. FWCS employees donated and packed 300 backpacks fi lled with new supplies for students. FWCS co-sponsored the Northeast Indiana College Fair, where 75 colleges and universities were represented. The PTA sponsored For the Love of Kids, Cars, Trucks and Motorcyles to increase and support male engagement activities throughout the district. The event also raised $1,000 for Study Connection. FWCS nurses made more than 6,000 referrals and had contact with more than 30 different community agencies. 7

9 EXPANDING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FWCS is continuously expanding its engagement with parents and community organizations. This year FWCS announced that it is expanding its partnership with the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne by increasing the before and after school childcare locations onsite in FWCS schools from nine to 19. This was done to provide additional childcare options to parents because of the necessity to reduce transportation services. Study Connection, FWCS community volunteer tutoring program, completed its 26th year with support from over 700 volunteers, an increase from the prior year. Several sites were added to expand the number of students getting support from a community mentor. FWCS partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters grew with 260 Real Men Read volunteers and 299 School Buddies who have lunch and read weekly with students. Participation in the second annual Seeing is Believing Tour, where community leaders visit FWCS schools for one-half day, increased signifi cantly. The tour gives community members the opportunity to see fi rst-hand the outstanding work being done in all FWCS locations. FWCS will further expand its community support by opening the Student & Family Resource Center, which will provide families with a one-stop shop as they enter the district to determine what school their children will attend and what services may be needed to support the student and their family. Departments including English Language Learners, Special Education, Health Services, guidance counseling and more will be centrally located to allow easy access for parents. It will also allow the district to provide space to community partners and the Fort Wayne Area PTA to further offer easy access to resources needed by families. The Student and Family Resource Center is expected to open in fall of COMMUNICATING OPENLY WITH THE COMMUNITY This year FWCS furthered its commitment to open dialogues with the public by launching Let s Talk!, an online communication software designed to make it simple for people to engage with the district anytime, anywhere. Designed and administered by independent technology and communications fi rm K12 Insight, Let s Talk! provides a 24/7 outlet for every stakeholder to submit a comment, register a complaint or offer a word of praise. It is accessible from any device and can be found on the district s website. 8

10 9 REPORT ON GOAL 3: OPERATE EFFECTIVELY WITH INTEGRITY & FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

11 BUDGET AND TAX RATE REMAIN FLAT At FWCS we take our role as stewards of taxpayer money very seriously. This past year our annual budget of $281 million for 2015 was just two percent above the 2014 budget, and the tax rate remained fl at. The budget presents long-term fi nancial challenges for FWCS as the needs of our students continue to grow while our funding does not. With these challenges, we are proud that FWCS was again among the highest in the state in terms of funneling dollars into the classroom, with funds spent on instruction as a percentage of total expenditures continuing to increase and exceed the state average. FWCS looks at every dollar to ensure it is being spent for the benefi t of students. BUILDING PROGRAM UNDER BUDGET AND ON TIME The FWCS Building Program, providing needs-only repairs to 36 schools, that was approved in a public referendum in 2012 is under budget and on time. Because of savings, we reduced the overall spending for projects from $119 million to $117 million, saving $2.2 million or 2% of the program. The district is also benefi ting from energy savings of 6%-20% average per building after these renovations. TRANSPORTATION REDUCTIONS IN This year we announced that we will need to reduce the transportation budget by $2.5 million as a result of property tax caps known as the Circuit Breaker. Since being implemented in 2009, the Circuit Breaker has prohibited FWCS from collecting more than $9 million for Transportation, and this is expected to double by As a result, FWCS announced plans to enforce No Transportation Zones (NTZ) and other changes to reduce transportation expenses for the school year. 10

12 FWCS STUDENTS, PARENTS AND STAFF ARE AWARD WINNING. Adams Elementary School teacher Linda Schafer was named FWCS Teacher of the Year. Physical Education teacher Mark Markle was recognized as the Indiana Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance as the Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year. Shambaugh Elementary School teacher Cricket Dolezal was recognized as the American Legion District 4 and American Legion State Educator of the Year. Lakeside Middle School teacher Louise Swihart was recognized as a fi nalist for the Indiana Association of School Principals Academic Coach award. FWCS School Resource Offi cers are part of the team recognized by the National Association of School Resource Offi cers with the 2015 Model Agency Award. Irwin Elementary School students Rowan Miller, Audrey Woodruff, Shim Valui and Henry Kelley achieved National Honor Roll status in the Noetic Learning Math Contest. Students from Blackhawk, Kekionga, Lakeside, Lane, Memorial Park, Portage middle schools and Towles Intermediate School placed in the top 10 in the Indiana Academic Super Bowl competition. Students from Memorial Park Middle School placed in the top 10 in the state in the Indiana Academic Spell Bowl competition. SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS 11

13 Students from Northrop, North Side, Snider, South Side and Wayne high schools and students from Kekionga, Memorial Park, Portage and Shawnee middle schools won regional and national awards for Scholastic Art and Writing. Four students from Northrop High School won fi rst through fourth place in the Congressional Art Competition. The North Side High School Marching Band placed in the top 10 in the state. Students from the St. Joseph Central and Weisser Park elementary school choirs were selected to participate in the Indiana All-State Children s Honor Choir. Harris Elementary School students placed in the top 10 at the state level in the MATH academic competition. Over 7,000 students statewide competed in regional competitions to earn a spot at state. Snider High School students Georgia Baldus, Paul Buisman, Karsyn Havens, Martha Manges and Chase Phelps were selected for the National Scholastic Press Association s Journalism Honor Roll. The Northrop High School and Shawnee Middle School dance teams placed in the top 10 in the state competition. Northrop s Charisma and Allure choral groups placed in the top 10 in the state large school choral competition. Six FWCS Career Academy students placed fi rst or second in the state SkillsUSA Championship, earning them a trip to the national competition. Three of these students, Alex Guldbeck, Tyler Hack and Trevor Gilpin, placed in the top 10 nationally. Fifteen FWCS Career Academy students placed in the top 10 in the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) state leadership awards. 12

14 ALLEN COUNTY The FWCS Security Department maintains a collaborative working relationship with the Allen County Sheriff s Department, courts and Homeland Security. FWCS Printing Services does the printing work for Allen County Government. ALLEN COUNTY EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP Through its Project READS program, the Allen County Education Partnership works with several FWCS elementary schools. ASSOCIATED CHURCHES The Rising Stars program matches churches with schools. Many provide tutoring, assist with vision screening, collect school and classroom supplies and host teacher appreciation activities. BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS The Big Brothers Big Sisters Lunch Buddies program is provided at 20 elementary schools, and Real Men Read touches classrooms in all elementary schools. BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK The Blessings in a Backpack program provides meals to children on weekends at Abbett, Adams, Fairfi eld and South Wayne elementary schools. The food is sent home with the children on Fridays. It is sponsored by SchenkelShultz and other local donors. BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB Fairfi eld Elementary works with the Boys and Girls Club on a regular basis to collaborate on homework. CITY OF FORT WAYNE FWCS Career Academy Construction Trades works with the city to do concrete work. The FWCS Security Department maintains a collaborative working relationship with the Fort Wayne Police Department, Fort Wayne Fire Department, Animal Care and Control and Traffi c Engineering. ROTARY CLUB OF FORT WAYNE The Downtown Rotary Club of Fort Wayne partners with Washington Elementary by providing School Buddies, Study Connection tutors, the Rotary Reader program and other supportive services. They formed Early Act Club, an elementary school version of Rotary. EARLY CHILDHOOD ALLIANCE Early Childhood Alliance works with FWCS to ensure all children are ready and successful for K-12 education by providing early childhood education and services for families, early childhood professionals and the community. FAME FAME partners with 33 schools to provide visiting artists and teacher workshops. Students also participate in the annual FAME Festival. 13CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS

15 FORT WAYNE BALLET The Fort Wayne Ballet provides thematic unit studies on dance that are integrated with content areas such as science and language arts at Whitney Young Early Childhood Center, Weisser Park and Study elementary schools. FORT WAYNE DANCE COLLECTIVE The Dance Collective provides classes to third-, fourth- and fi fth-grade students at Weisser Park, kindergartners at Bunche, and preschool students at the FWCS Career Academy Early Childhood Center. The Dance Collective also supports a dance elective for 75 students at South Side High School. FORT WAYNE MUSEUM OF ART FWCS partners with the Fort Wayne Museum of Art to provide enhanced art education. FORT WAYNE PHILHARMONIC The Fort Wayne Philharmonic presents an annual Young People s Concert in the spring for all fi fth-graders. Throughout the year, various ensembles visit schools to introduce students to a variety of music. FORT WAYNE YOUTHEATRE More than 500 FWCS students participate in Youtheatre classes, productions and outreach. The organization collaborates with Weisser Park Fine Arts Magnet and leads Creative Drama classes at Title I Pre-kindergarten programs. Thousands of students attend specially priced school shows that connect theater with Language Arts Standards. IN-SCHOOL GIRL AND BOY SCOUTING PROGRAMS The Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts offer enrichment opportunities in many schools. IPFW IPFW Fine Arts Department students work with fi ne arts students at Memorial Park Middle School. All FWCS high schools work with IPFW in the Collegiate Connection program. JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT Most FWCS schools are sites for Junior Achievement, which helps students prepare for the workplace by providing economic and business education. PARKVIEW HOSPITAL COMMUNITY NURSING Parkview Hospital is committed to a partnership with FWCS to promote the health and well-being of students most in need. Parkview provides school-based nurses and specialists who provide direct care and consultation. UNITED WAY United Way s Education Network is dedicated to children s success in school, which includes a partnership of local youth-serving organizations. VINCENNES UNIVERSITY FWCS Career Academy offers students more than 50 dual credit hours through Vincennes University in a variety of subjects including cosmetology, computers, graphic design and television production. WELLSPRING Wellspring provides after-school programs at Study and Lindley elementary schools and a free summer day camp. YMCA FWCS partners with the YMCA to offer child care services before and after school. 14

16 Cover photo courtesy of photographer Sam Hoffman and the Journal Gazette. Fort Wayne Community Schools Wendy Robinson, Superintendent 1200 South Clinton Street Fort Wayne, IN