CASTLEFORD SCHOOLS IMPLEMENT 1:1 RATIO AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

This year, the Castleford School District has used its own resources to move ahead of the state and other school districts in implementing a 1:1 learning environment in its high school. While the state is creating a 1:1 ratio of teachers and students to computers in every high school within the next four years, Castleford decided to do it now! It used a mix of local and federal resources to accomplish this. Other state funding for classroom technology and professional development were used in other areas of the school district.

Superintendent Andy Wiseman shares their story of how they accomplished this, why they decided to do it early, and what results they are already seeing:

The Castleford School District launched our one-to-one iPads for all 9th-12th grade students on September 4, 2012.  The decision was based upon the ideas gathered when a committee comprised of trustees, teachers, paraprofessionals, tech staff and administrators traveled to Canby, Oregon last March.  The main point of this initiative was that we felt we could increase student engagement—which really will lead to more academic learning.

The plan was made to provide all K-12 teachers with a new MacBook Air laptop, and all secondary teachers with an iPad in June so that they could become familiar with the new tools prior to the beginning of the school year.  Additionally, the plan included this year’s textbooks (science) in the high school to be provided digitally on the student iPad.  The district committed to providing training via Apple in the summer, and additional help for the science teachers.  Our elementary staff also sought grants, used classroom fundraisers, and donations to add about 60 iPad s and iPods in classrooms for the elementary.

The school district used funds from the supplemental levy passed in May along with the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) federal grant to enter into a three-year lease with Apple (about $26,500.00) to obtain the new teacher laptops and the iPads. The funds that we eventually will receive from Students Come First will be applied to our lease since we will already meet the one-to-one requirement. In addition, the district received a $5,000 grant from the Idaho Leads Project for professional development activities related to the integration of this new technology.

We have already learned a lot.  The personnel at the Idaho Education Network and contractor Education Networks of America (specifically Brady Kraft and Mike Vance) have been very helpful, and are providing help with our increased bandwidth requirements, and our local WAN. However, just three weeks into the process is seems to be successful in increasing student engagement because of a willing positive staff, great students, understanding parents.

A DAY IN THE MIDDLETON SCHOOL DISTRICT

Today was a day for celebration throughout the Middleton community.

Officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Idaho State Department of Education spent the day in Middleton on Tuesday to recognize all the schools in the district with prestigious national awards for school health and nutrition.

Middleton Middle School is the first middle school in Idaho to earn the Gold Award of Distinction, the highest achievement in the USDA’s HealthierUS School Challenge program. It is only the second school in the state to win this award.

Every other school in the Middleton School District won a Silver Award from the HealthierUS School Challenge Program. 

And if you spend any time in a school in Middleton, it doesn’t take long to see why…

We stopped by Middleton High School for lunch today. In the cafeteria, we were faced with four delicious choices: pepperoni stromboli and salad, chicken sandwiches with potatoes, fajitas, or sandwiches.

After much internal debate, I chose the pepperoni stromboli and salad. It’s all homemade in the school’s kitchen. The stromboli is made with whole grains, and the very innovative foodservice staff also add sweet potatoes to the recipe, which adds vitamin A and sweetness to the bread without adding more sugar. It was delicious!

The kitchen staff at Middleton High School made a delicious yet nutritious pepperoni stromboli!

After choosing your main course – which really wasn’t easy – you also also get your choice of locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. The school partners with Symms Fruit Ranch in Caldwell through the Farm to School program to ensure their produce is fresh.

Middleton partners with Symms Fruit Ranch in Caldwell to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to students.

Our choices today were difficult to pass up: plums, peaches, cantaloupe, and carrots. I’ll admit more options were available, but this was all I could fit on my plate…

I wasn’t the only one eager to get to school lunch. At Middleton High School, 71 percent of students choose to buy their lunch at school!

We had lunch with Allen Ng, Regional Administrator for the USDA, before the schoolwide assembly to celebrate the district’s success.

“Here at Middleton, I can tell from what I have seen today – and from what I have eaten today at the high school – that you are ahead of the curve,” Ng said.

Dr. Richard Bauscher, Superintendent of the Middleton School District, said: “The Middleton School District is known for graduating well-rounded students, and these awards just confirm that along with meeting our students’ academic needs, we are also striving to meet our students’ nutritional and physical activity needs.”

So how has the district accomplished these healthy learning environments for students?

Bauscher said it was a collaborative effort of the district’s foodservice staff, principals, physical education teachers, and other staff within each school.

The foodservice staff, for example, has worked hard to meet new nutrition guidelines for school meals, adding more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to meals. 

Each school also emphasizes physical fitness for students and staff. At the elementary school, for example, each school offers physical activities for students either in the mornings or afternoons above and beyond the normal P.E. classes. Staff members in every building and at the district level also hold after-hours workout classes.

It was a great day in Middleton, and congratulations to everyone in the schools and the communities for this great success!

~ Melissa M.

USDA HONORS MIDDLETON SCHOOLS WITH NATIONAL SCHOOL HEALTH AWARD

Officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture spent the day in Middleton Tuesday to recognize the district with a prestigious national award for school health and nutrition.

Middleton Middle School is the first middle school in Idaho to earn the Gold Award of Distinction, the highest achievement in the USDA’s HealthierUS School Challenge program. It is only the second school in the state to win this award.

“Congratulations to the staff and students in Middleton for all their hard work in achieving the prestigious Gold of Distinction Award,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said. “This recognition is not easy to achieve. The schools in Middleton now serve as a great example to other schools in Idaho and across the nation for how we can all work together to improve the health, nutrition, physical fitness, and ultimately the academic achievement of all Idaho students.”

The HealthierUS School Challenge recognizes schools that improve the quality of food served, provide students with nutrition education, and provide students with physical education and opportunities for physical activity. The Challenge has four levels of awards: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Gold of Distinction. In 2009, Gooding Elementary became the first school in the nation to receive the Gold Award of Distinction.

In addition, the Middleton district is the first district in the state to receive HealthierUS School Challenge awards for every school in its district. While its middle school received the Gold award, its other schools received Silver.

“Here at Middleton, I can tell from what I have seen today – and from what I have eaten today at the high school – that you are ahead of the curve,” said Allen Ng, Regional Administrator for the USDA. During a schoolwide assembly, he commended students on making nutritious choices while in school. “You helped achieve this award by choosing to try these healthy foods,” Ng said.

Dr. Richard Bauscher, Superintendent of the Middleton School District, said: “The Middleton School District is known for graduating well-rounded students, and these awards just confirm that along with meeting our students’ academic needs, we are also striving to meet our students’ nutritional and physical activity needs.”

Bauscher recognized that these great accomplishments were made possible through the collaborative efforts of the district’s foodservice staff, principals, physical education teachers, and other staff within each school. The district has worked hard to meet new nutrition guidelines for school meals.

In addition, each school in the district has focused on physical fitness for students and staff. At the elementary school, for example, each school offers physical activities for students either in the mornings or afternoons above and beyond the normal P.E. classes. Staff members in every building and at the district level also hold after-hours workout classes.

Payette High School in the Payette School District also was awarded with a Silver US Challenge Award this year for its work to create a healthier school environment for students.

Here is a complete list of HealthierUS School Challenge Award Winners this year:

Middleton School District:

·         Middleton Middle School (Gold Award of Distinction)

·         Middleton High School (Silver Award)

·         Purple Sage Elementary School (Silver Award)

·         Heights Elementary School (Silver Award)

·         Mill Creek Elementary School (Silver Award)

Payette School District:

·         Payette High School (Silver Award)

For a complete list of present and past winners in Idaho, visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/healthierus/Idaho.html.

IDAHO RELEASES FIRST-EVER RESULTS OF STATEWIDE SAT SCHOOL DAY

For the first time ever, Idaho has statewide baseline data on how students perform on college entrance exams.

Last April, nearly 17,000 high school juniors took the SAT college entrance exam – paid for by the state – which has increased the number of students taking a college entrance exam significantly. Just 2,829 students took the SAT in Idaho last year.

“I am excited we are now providing this great opportunity to all Idaho high school juniors across the state. We now know where we are and the areas in which we need to improve to ensure every student graduates from high school prepared to go on to postsecondary education or the workforce, without the need for remediation once they get there,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said.

The results of the first-ever Idaho SAT School Day show that one in four high school juniors taking the exam met the college- and career-readiness benchmarks set by the College Board. States like Maine and Delaware, which test all students on the SAT, showed similar results the first year they tested all students, according to the College Board.

The average score for Idaho high school juniors was 448 in critical reading, 454 in mathematics and 447 in writing. A score of 500 in each subject area has shown a student will be successful in postsecondary education after high school.

In years past, students voluntarily chose whether or not to take the ACT or SAT to prepare for postsecondary education and most paid for their own exams. Now, all high school juniors are required to take a college entrance exam paid for by the state. In 2007, the Idaho State Board of Education and Idaho Legislature approved new high school graduation requirements for the Class of 2013, requiring students to take more mathematics, more science and for all high school juniors to complete a college entrance exam. In 2011, through Students Come First, the state has been able to fund Idaho SAT School Day in which all high school juniors can take the SAT or ACCUPLACER exam, paid for by the state.

“Giving every student the opportunity to take the SAT is a step toward increasing access to postsecondary education,” said Ken Edmunds, President of the State Board of Education. “The Board is committed to helping all students prepare for success after high school.”

The state chose to contract with the College Board to provide the SAT and ACCUPLACER statewide after a competitive bidding and thorough review process. Students can still choose to take the ACT or COMPASS, but will have to pay to take them outside the school day.

The ACCUPLACER and COMPASS are tests that provide students with useful information about their academic skills in math, English, and reading. The results are used by academic advisors and counselors to determine course selection in postsecondary education.

Student scores on college entrance exams – the SAT or ACT – are now part of Idaho’s new Five-Star Rating System. This is one measure the state uses to evaluate how Idaho schools are preparing students for postsecondary education and the workforce.

Note: Please be careful in reading the data on Idaho SAT School Day versus national results that are released for the ACT and SAT. The Idaho SAT School Day data measures the results of nearly all high school juniors taking the SAT paid for by the state. The national results for the ACT and SAT measures the results of a cohort of students (sophomores, juniors and seniors) graduating in a certain year who selected to take the SAT or ACT, not paid for by the state. Therefore, these data points cannot be directly compared.

Here is more on the national ACT and SAT results for your information:

·         National ACT results were published August 22, 2012. These results reflect students in the Class of 2012 who chose to take the ACT, which is not paid for by the state. According to this data, 11,842 students in the Class of 2012 took the ACT at some point during their high school career. Of those taking the ACT, 26 percent met all four ACT college readiness benchmarks, slightly above the national average. The full report is available online at http://www.act.org/newsroom/data/2012/states/idaho.html.

·         National SAT results will be released in September for the Class of 2012. These results will be for the senior cohort graduating in 2012 and will not include high school juniors in the Class of 2013 who took the SAT as part of the Idaho’s first-ever SAT School Day. These results will only show scores for Idaho students who chose to take the SAT as seniors in 2012, as juniors in 2011, and as sophomores in 2010, which was not paid for by the state. Therefore, these scores will differ from the scores reported for Idaho SAT School Day.

SUPERINTENDENT LUNA REQUESTS 5% INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEXT YEAR

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna has requested a 5.1 percent increase in state funding for Idaho’s public schools for the 2013-14 school year, the state’s fiscal year 2014.

“I am excited about this budget because it provides Idaho educators with the resources they need to continue improving education for every child across Idaho,” Superintendent Luna said. “Ninety percent of the new funding requested today goes toward increasing compensation and benefits for the employees who are working hard in schools across the state every day.”

The average teacher in Idaho will see a $2,000 increase in total compensation in the current year. Superintendent Luna hopes to increase that further in fiscal year 2014 for teachers as well as other school employees.

State agencies are required to submit budget proposals for the upcoming fiscal year to the Governor in early September.

Here are the highlights of Superintendent Luna’s request for a 5.1 percent increase in state funding for Idaho’s public schools next fiscal year:

• Continues to fully fund all components of Students Come First. 
• $14.8 million: Increase base salaries for Idaho teachers, administrators and classified staff by 1.67 percent, offsetting an FY2012 shift in salary-based apportionment under Idaho Code.
• $6.2 million: Restore one year of experience that is currently frozen on the grid for Idaho teachers. 
• $22.6 million: Increase funding for statewide pay-for-performance to $61 million. This increase includes new funding to financially reward Idaho teachers for taking on leadership duties and working in hard-to-fill positions. It also includes funding to ensure school-based classified staff, such as paraprofessionals, can participate in schoolwide student achievement bonuses in the future.
• $8.4 million: Increase to deploy 1:1 laptop devices to high school students in the first one-third of high schools selected statewide. High school teachers and principals statewide will receive 1:1 devices this fall.
• $1 million: Increase the line item dedicated to District IT staff support at the local level.
• $1.1 million: Increase the line item dedicated to Remediation, Math Initiative and the Reading Initiative to assist local school districts in implementing the new Common Core State Standards in mathematics and English language arts and the state’s new accountability system, known as the Five-Star Rating System.

The budget request reflects recommendations Superintendent Luna received from representatives of the Idaho School Boards Association, Idaho Association of School Administrators, Idaho Education Association, Idaho Association of School Business Officials and other stakeholder groups in August.

This budget request will now go to the Governor’s office for consideration. The Governor will present his budget request to the Idaho Legislature in January. The Legislature will set the budget for fiscal year 2014 early next year. Fiscal year 2014 begins July 1, 2013.