ANNUAL REPORT ON CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

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1 The mission of the Greenbush-Middle River School is to provide a quality education which will prepare all students to meet success by developing self-directed thinkers and communicators who are responsible, respectful and accountable to themselves and others. ANNUAL REPORT ON CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Each year, Minnesota school districts publish annual reports which include test results, curriculum improvement plans, and a progress report on the past year s plans. Greenbush Middle River School District

2 ANNUAL REPORT ON CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT The mission of the Greenbush-Middle River School is to provide a quality education which will prepare all students to meet success by developing selfdirected thinkers and communicators who are productive, responsible, respectful and accountable to themselves and others. STUDENT PERFORMANCE GOALS FOR MEETING ACADEMIC STANDARDS Students take the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments or Minnesota Tests of Academic Skills in math, reading and science. Any special needs student may be eligible for modifications, accommodations or exemption, according to the IEP team s decision. Tests are administered by school staff. Students must also earn 28 local credits in 9 th -12 th grades. Specific course requirements are outlined in the student handbook and course registration materials. Results of Local Assessment Data Following is a summary of GMR students math, reading, and science proficiency rates on state accountability tests. Test results show expectations for academic success in Minnesota, and provide a check point to help parents and schools assess students knowledge of state standards. The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA-III) in math, science and reading have been administered since 2011, 2012 and 2013 respectively. Also included in accountability reporting is the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS). This test is administered to a small number of students with special education plans if their IEP team decides it is most appropriate for students. Accountability results are used to calculate whether a district is making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) to comply with the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The science MCA is not required for graduation or AYP monitoring. For the school year, GMR did not make AYP as a district or for the middle school in reading. All GMR schools and student groups made AYP in 2010, 2012, 2013, and The first year of this accountability measure was MMR (Multiple Measurement Rating) -- Schools can earn up to 25 points in each category: MCA math and reading proficiency rates, growth from previous year, closing the achievement gap among student sub-groups, and for high schools graduation rates. The MMR shows the percentage of total possible points earned by each school. GMR High School, 95.7% (8 th highest of all Minnesota high schools) GMR Middle School, 48.7% Greenbush Elementary School, 77.2% Middle River Elementary School, 63.1% 1

3 Percentage of students proficient Percentage of students proficient Greenbush Elementary and Middle River Elementary are the district s two Title 1 schools. Greenbush Elementary s MMR was among the top 15% of Title 1 schools in Minnesota and has therefore been designated a Reward School for the second consecutive year. Middle River Elementary was designated a Reward School in 2012 and State Accountability Math Test, Grade tests GMR MN State Accountability Reading Test, Grade tested GMR MN 2

4 Percentage of students proficient State Science Tests, Grade tested GMR MN ACT Composite Scores Many GMR students take the ACT test in 11 th or 12 th grade. Students who take a core of college preparatory courses and are successful in those courses generally score higher in English, Math, Reading and Science than students who do not take rigorous courses. Over the past six years local composite scores range from 22 to For the past ten consecutive years, Minnesota has posted the highest average ACT score among states where a majority of students take this college entrance exam. Average composite score, 2015 GMR 22.9 Minnesota 22.7 ACT research has shown that it is the rigor of coursework rather than simply the number of core courses that has the greatest impact on ACT performance and college readiness. --ACT College Readiness Report STAFF DEVELOPMENT PLANS Staff development activities will match the district s district Strategic Plan, AYP trends, Reading Well by Third Grade Literacy Plan and Title 1 Part A. 3

5 DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLANS 2015 was the first year GMR had a large enough population of students in one sub-group to disaggregate MCA and MTAS proficiency. This GMR group s proficiency rates were lower than the comparable group in Minnesota. Staff development will address this new information. The district s staff and administration seek improvement based on standardized test results and statewide graduation requirements. These improvement plans coordinate with the district s Staff Development goals, ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) and local teacher goals. K-12 teachers reviewed all available data on student performance from multiple sources. In response to this information, each teacher wrote a SMART goal for goals which are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and rigorous. These goals have a timeline attached. Teachers will continue to study evidence-based practices for teaching by participating in Professional Learning Communities throughout the year and aligning curriculum to Minnesota s academic standards. PROGRESS ON IMPROVEMENT PLAN For all grades math, 65% of males were proficient in 2015 compared to 69% of females. Reading: males, 61%; females 67%. Science: males, 52%; females, 51%. In the past two years, boys and girls proficiency rates in reading are more similar than GMR s student group qualifying for meal support shows proficiency rates higher than the state s comparable group in reading, math and science every year. GMR s special education population has higher proficiency rates than the state s special education group in reading every year. In math this GMR group was above the state group, but GMR has been declining over the past 4 years. The same is true in science while the state special ed group has improved just slightly. Each teacher maintains a portfolio of professional growth in the Minnesota Standards of Effective teaching practice. To demonstrate mastery of these standards, teachers participate in college coursework, on-site action research and other professional seminars. Beginning teachers work with mentors to develop skill in four teaching domains: planning instruction, teaching & learning, classroom climate and professionalism. The high school career counselor and principal work with high school teachers to review college entrance test results and other high school assessments. This information assists teachers by linking curriculum development to a variety of post-secondary expectations. Students are strongly encouraged to take the most rigorous courses. PERIODIC SURVEY OF CONSTITUENT SATISFACTION In spring 2011, a large group of community and school stakeholders developed a district Strategic Plan with specific goals and action plans under five broad objectives: Curriculum, Resources, 4

6 Communications, Enrollment and Leadership. The curriculum goals are related to academic achievement in state standards, post-secondary preparation, early childhood education, evidencebased teaching practices and differentiated instruction. DISTRICT-WIDE TESTING In order to make data-driven improvements in student service, teachers, administrators and the career counselor review appropriate student assessment: IDEAS, MCIS (Minnesota Career Information Service) Grade 10, Career interest, career planning, resume writing, interest survey ASVAB Grade 11, Assist students to better understand their abilities; identify interests and aptitudes EXPLORE Grade 8, Provide information about students knowledge, skills, interests, and plans. Information used to plan high school coursework and begin thinking about college and work. PLAN Grade 10, Assist students in planning and preparing for future; estimate a student s performance on ACT PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test) Grade 11, Counsel students for college to determine verbal and math reasoning skills for college placement or entrance in participating colleges; estimate a student s performance on the SAT; qualify for the nationwide scholarship competitions conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation; take part in the College Board s Student Search Service by receiving materials from colleges and government scholarship programs informing students of educational and financial opportunities MCA-III (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments) MTAS (Minnesota Tests of Academic Skills) Grades 3-11; Identify level of student achievement in state standards and evaluate district curriculum in math, reading, and science ACT, SAT Grades 11, 12, Counsel college bound students; sometimes required for college application Accuplacer Grades 10, 12, Assessment of skill development for two-year or technical college placement in math, reading and sentence skills 5