schools
october3
13
Schools Update ~ VES is a Focus School - But What Does That Mean?
2013
By Aaron Miller
As you may be aware, Oregon
has been granted flexibility from the
U.S. Department of Education (USDE)
regarding several aspects of the
Elementary and Secondary Education
Act (ESEA) as amended by the No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)
through a flexibility waiver. The waiver
changes Oregon’s response to certain
ESEA requirements so that educators
can put into practice bold education
reforms for students that include:
•
Designing
locally-tailored
solutions to help students achieve to
their potential in place of uniformly
prescribed interventions for all schools,
and
•
Emphasizing student growth
and progress rather than measuring
students against a fixed, inflexible
standard.
Under the old system of
assessing
school
effectiveness,
Washington Grade School (WGS,
now Vernonia Elementary School,
VES) met Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) every year. Meeting AYP was
based solely on Student Achievement.
Student Achievement is measured by
the percentage of students meeting or
exceeding benchmark scores on state
tests. WGS state test scores were at,
and VES’s continue to be, above the
minimum levels set by the federal
government for Student Achievement.
Under the new system schools
are not only “graded” on Student
Achievement, but also on Student
Growth. While Achievement numbers
have met state and national standards,
the number of overall students, and
economically disadvantaged students,
meeting projected Growth targets
at VES did not. These low Growth
numbers were the reason VES was
designated in 2012 as a Focus School
in need of state support to help work to
improve student outcomes.
This designation meant that
the school would receive additional
support and funding through the
Oregon Department of Education to
help with planning for, and working
toward, improved student outcomes.
Teachers at VES began working
last year to develop a plan to improve
their knowledge of the Common Core
State Standards, to develop a schedule
that allows for more intervention time
in reading and math, and to use student
academic data more effectively to
impact individual student growth and
achievement.
While VES is just beginning
the second year of their four-year Focus
School commitment, the teachers’
work and students’ scores are already
showing growth and improvement.
Numbers in all categories of the Oregon
school report card rating were up from
last year. Categories are graded from
Level 1-5 with 1 considered Poor and
5 considered Exceptional. From the
2011-12 school year to the 2012-13
school year VES went from a Level 3
to a Level 4 in Academic Achievement,
from a Level 1 to a Level 4 in Academic
Growth, from a Level 1 to a Level 3 in
Subgroup Growth, and from Level 2 to
Level 3 for an Overall Score.
The VES staff is dedicated to
continue meeting the challenges set
forth in the Focus School progress,
and to continue to develop academic
programs that meet individual
student needs with ever increasing
effectiveness. We hope that you will
join us in our efforts to move forward,
model lifelong learning and work to
provide our students with the best
possible educational opportunities.
There will be a VES Parent Meeting on
Tuesday, October 8 from 7:00-8:00 PM
for anyone interested in learning more
about our programs, and providing
input so we can truly partner to meet
the needs of your students. Childcare
WILL be provided for this meeting.
If you have questions
or concerns regarding Vernonia
Elementary School’s improvement
work, please contact a teacher, or
Principal Aaron Miller, at 503-429-
1333.
Vernonia Students of the Month
September 2013
Jessica Whiteman
Grade 5
Jessica Whiteman is known for being friendly and
kind to her fellow classmates. She is always willing
to lend a hand and volunteers to help others on her
own time. “You can’t help but smile yourself when
she smiles at you,” says her teacher, Mrs. Campbell.
Jessica says her favorite subject is reading and she
plays trumpet in the band. Outside of school she is
in Girl Scouts and plays basketball. In her free time
Jessica says she likes to make friendship bracelets
and take care of her dog, Joe, her cat, Herman, her
turtle, Fred and two new hamsters.
Zoe Kovelda
Zoe has been very helpful at the start of the
school year. School staff say she has volunteered
to help, is quick to respond and has been very
visible at the start of the school year, which is a big
help to them. She is always polite and happy and
always has a good attitude. Zoe plays volleyball
and says she plans to run track in the spring. In her
free time Zoe says she likes to draw and do art
work and says her favorite classes in school are
art and math. At home she likes to help take care
of the family’s two dogs, Trooper and Coho.
Summer Snow
Fundraiser for
Jesse White
Grade 7
Grade 11
Summer is the Junior Class President this year and
is very active in numerous school activities. She is
in the Leadership Class and will do Wrestling Stats
this winter. She has also been busy this year with
fundraising for Prom. Summer says her favorite
subject is Chemistry.
Sponsored by State Representative Brad Witt
Bo
Bak osters
e Sa
le!
Sat, October 19
VHS Gym
6:00 pm
Old,
worn out
and rusty?
Need body
work?
Call...
Meyer’s Auto Body
•493 Bridge St•
VERNONIA
503-429-0248
