The first test St. Francis of Assisi School students must take is the Iowa Assessments, which is used across Iowa and the nation.

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1 Saint Francis of Assisi School 2014 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in Education 7075 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines, Iowa Tel: , Fax: Misty Hade, Principal Jennifer Raes, Assistant Principal St. Francis of Assisi School had another year of outstanding accomplishments in meeting our academic goals. Below is a highlighted report that has been submitted to the Iowa Department of Education listing our progress on the reading, math, and science goals during the school year. As a part of state accreditation and the school improvement initiative, all Iowa schools are required to report on student academic progress in the areas of reading, math, and science each year. In addition to our student achievement goals, we also focus on our Catholic identity, which includes Character Education in combination with our Positive Behavior Intervention Support program. Thank you for your continued support of the religious and academic program and St. Francis School, and for providing us with students who are eager and ready to learn. We are extremely proud of the academic achievements of the students of St. Francis of Assisi School. As evident by the following bar graph and table comparing Iowa Assessments student proficiency levels, St. Francis School exceeds the standards set nationally and outpaces schools in the State of Iowa within the West Des Moines and Waukee communities. The Iowa Department of Education requires school districts to: 1. Test students in two different ways each year in reading, math, and science. 2. Report measures of student achievement at two grade levels. 3. Set annual student achievement goals. The first test St. Francis of Assisi School students must take is the Iowa Assessments, which is used across Iowa and the nation. St. Francis, along with other schools in our diocese, also uses the Constructive Response Supplement (CRS) for reading and math and SCASS for science assessments. These tests are different from Iowa Assessments because they are not multiple choice. Instead, the students must construct, write, or create an accurate response to questions. These tests measure a student s level of proficiency according to diocesan standards and benchmarks, which are listed on the diocese website Scores from the assessments are used by teachers to make instructional decisions to increase student achievement. The Iowa Assessments provide an external look at student learning and achievement, and provide a method of obtaining instructional information for many groups. The purpose of using the Iowa Assessments are to comply with testing requirements found in No Child Left Behind, and to obtain information for improving instruction at the building level. Again, keep in mind that the Iowa Assessment is a general test which is not correlated to any one district s standards and benchmarks. That is one reason the State of Iowa has mandated second assessment instruments, other than Iowa Assessments, utilized for grades 4, 8, and 11 in math and reading, and for grades 8 and 11 in science.

2 Goals for the School Year: Goal Reading During the school year, the percent of seventh grade students who fell in the less than proficient range as sixth graders will decrease on the reading subtest of the Iowa Assessments. Math During the school year, the percent of seventh grade students who fell in the less than proficient range as sixth graders will decrease on the math subtest of the Iowa Assessments. Science During the school year, the percent of eighth grade students who fell in the less than proficient range as seventh graders will decrease on the science subtest of the Iowa Assessments. Goal Met Yes Yes Yes Proficiency Level Rankings The Iowa Department of Education requires school districts to report measures of student achievement at three grade levels and to set annual student achievement goals in reading, mathematics, and science. Below is what St. Francis of Assisi School reports for grades 4 th and 8 th grade with the third grade level being grade 11 which is reported by Dowling Catholic High School. Reading Iowa Assessments 4th Grade Iowa Assessment Reading th Grade Reading Iowa Assessments

3 Constructed Response Supplement Reading Test Achievement Levels 4th Grade CRS Reading Assessment Novice Apprentice Practitioner Expert 95 of 4 th grade students were proficient on the CRS-Reading Assessment in are students who scored in the Practitioner or Expert level. Math Assessments Iowa Assessments Achievement Levels for Math 4th Grade Math Iowa Assessments

4 8th Grade Math Iowa Assessments Constructed Response Supplement Math Test Achievement Levels 6th Grade CRS Math Expert 7 Novice 9 Apprentice 12 Practitioner 72 Novice Apprentice Practitioner Expert 79 of 6 th grade students were proficient on the CRS-Math Assessment in are students who scored in the Practitioner or Expert level.

5 Comparison of 4th grade students at St. Francis, Waukee, WDM Reading Science Assessment Iowa Test of Basic Skills Achievement Level on Science 4th Grade Science Iowa Assessments th Grade Science Iowa Assessments SCASS Assessment Achievement Level 8th Grade SCASS Science Expert Novice 9 0 Practitioner 48 Apprentice 43 Novice Apprentice Practitioner Expert 57 of the 8 th grade students were proficient on the SCASS Assessment in are students who scored in the Practitioner or Expert level.

6 Less than Total Proficiency Math Less than Total Proficiency Science Less than Total Proficiency

7 Comparison of 8th grade students at St. Francis, Waukee, WDM Reading Less than Total Proficiency Science Less than Total Proficiency

8 Math Less than Total Proficiency During the year: Everyday Math Curriculum- Kindergarten 5th grade o Continue work in the topic of differentiation through classroom implementation and application o Share ideas and strategies at faculty meetings, staff development days, team meetings, etc. Technology- each classroom will have one ipad for teacher and student use. A classroom set of ipad s or Mac books will also be available. Assessments- Diocesan goal St. Francis of Assisi students and staff will continue to embrace PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Support), a consistent school-wide set of expectations using data to promote positive behavior. New curriculum: o Being a Writer- K-5 o TCI/ Social Studies- 6-8 Reading: During the school year, the percent of seventh grade students who fell in the less than proficient range as sixth graders will decrease on the reading subtest of the Iowa Assessments. Staff development on Effective Instruction Guided reading

9 Comprehension of literary and informational texts. Math: During the school year, the percent of fifth grade students who fell in the less than proficient range as fourth graders will decrease on the math subtest of the Iowa Assessments. Continue implementation of Everyday Math Use a variety of strategies in the problem solving process. Science: During the school year, the percent of seventh grade students who fell in the less than proficient range as sixth graders will decrease on the science subtest of the Iowa Assessments. Inquiry based science Long Term Goals for Social Studies and 21 st Century Skills: By the end of 2015, the students at St. Francis of Assisi School will show an increased understanding in the area of Social Studies. This will be measured by the Social Studies subtest of the Iowa Assessments. By the end of 2015, students at St. Francis of Assisi School will show an increased understanding in the area of 21 st Century Skills as measured by classroom and school-wide assessments in the area of financial literacy, employability skills, technology literacy, civic literacy, and health literacy Financial Information The educational cost per pupil for school year was $4,775. Additional financial support comes from the parish budget and the Home and School Association. The parish as a whole provides the building facility and the majority of the furnishings. Actual Cost $4,775 Tuition and Fees $3,275 for one child plus $ in fees Parish contribution is 40 As you can see, tuition covers about half the cost to educate a student at St. Francis of Assisi. The remaining financial requirement is covered by active, tithing parishioners. The generosity of our St. Francis community allows us: To provide a quality Christ- centered education for our students To provide a first-rate facility for our Religious Education program Additionally, our students have not only been academically successful, but also have been successful in other areas of our school. Musical performances in 6, 7, and 8 grade and Choro 5 th grade Advent music performance 1 st and 2 nd grade Christmas program All city band festival- marched at DCHS homecoming

10 Music- 75 in show choir Student council- 16 MS students Stations of the Cross Prayer put on by the sixth graders Student support program served 40 students throughout the school year. 16 1st grade students were served in the Reading Recovery Program. Three eighth grade students received the Presidential Scholarship from Dowling Catholic High School. Positive Behavior Intervention and Support School Students participated in Junior Achievement 2 nd and 5 th graders participated in Code th grade students participated in BizTown Technology integration Conferences were well attended. Many service and mission opportunities were experienced by our students. Eighth graders participated in a service project at House of Mercy Recreational obstacle course day for 8th grade. Curriculum Enhancement Committee brought in many speakers and presentations on Multi-cultural issues and to enhance the curriculum in the classroom. 8th grade Mock Trial Team advanced to state 3 rd -8 th grade Battle of the Books Participants. We had one team win the state competition. Odyssey of the Mind- The 7th grade team competed in the world tournament in Ames National Geography Bee- one student represented St. Francis at the National Geography Bee Knights of Columbus Spelling Bee- four students competed in the finals Finished first in the Diocesan Science Quiz Bowl Chess Club for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade Students participated in volleyball, basketball, track, and cheerleading Again, we want to thank you for the overwhelming support we receive on a daily basis. We are blessed to be in this beautiful place and to educate each student that enters our door. With many blessings, Misty L. Hade Principal