Date: October 23, 2014
To: Kinsey Elementary
Families
Subject: Notice of Adequate Yearly Progress and School
Choice Options
Many of you are aware of the
federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, which requires schools to assess
students annually and to meet student achievement goals. If a school does not meet those assessment
and achievement goals (termed “adequate yearly progress” or AYP) for two
consecutive years, and if the school receives federal Title 1 funds, then it is
placed on a federal “Schools in Need of Assistance (SINA)” list and subjected
to federal sanctions. Schools or
districts are cited if they a) don’t meet 95% participation rate for
assessments, b) don’t meet student achievement goals, or c) don’t meet
attendance rate for elementary and middle schools or graduation rate for high
school.
I am writing to inform you
that Kinsey Elementary has been designated as a “School in Need of Assistance,”
or SINA, under these federal guidelines because a portion of our students did
not reach proficiency goals on their reading tests for two consecutive
years. As a result, our district is
required by law to offer your student the opportunity for school choice to
another school within the district that has not been designated as a school in
need of assistance, if possible, for the 2015-16 school year. This is not an issue at Sioux Center due to
only having one elementary in the Sioux Center Community School District.
Please know that the SINA
designation refers to federal criteria.
We remain a fully accredited school in complete compliance with State of
Iowa regulations.
Why Kinsey Elementary Didn’t Make AYP:
Schools don’t make AYP when
they don’t achieve one of the measures listed above: a) 95% participation rate
for assessments, b) student achievement goals, or c) 95% attendance rate for
elementary and middle schools or 90% graduation rate for high school. Kinsey Elementary is listed because not
enough students met their goals in one or more of the following areas:
* Grade level,
subject area, proficiency percentage, and state target
* One or more
subgroups did not meet their target
How Kinsey Elementary will Improve:
Although we have many
indicators that show Kinsey Elementary is offering a top-quality education, we
know that continuous improvement is important to ensure all of our students are
reaching their highest potential. Using
data about the students and their achievement, our staff already has begun to
identify areas for improvement. For
example:
·
We have
implemented a new process to identify students who need assistance
·
We have a
professional development focus on differentiated instruction
Some student groups may
require additional instructional interventions, pending a review of our current
programs and services. In addition, the
Iowa Department of Education and Sioux Center Community School District already
have begun providing technical assistance to Kinsey Elementary as required by
the NCLB law.
How Parents can Help:
Parent support is essential
to help your student reach his or her highest academic success, but parents may
need ideas about the best way to be involved.
A few suggestions include:
·
Communicate
regularly with your child’s teachers about overall goals for the year and your
child’s progress toward those goals
·
Make sure your
child attends school regularly.
Attendance is important at every grade level. When your child must be absent, please talk
with the teacher to coordinate make-up work and assignments
·
Help your child
with his or her homework. If you are
unable to help, contact the school to request a tutor
·
Volunteer at the
school. Every teacher needs volunteers
to help in the classroom, or even with projects that can be done in your home. Other areas in the school, such as the office
or cafeteria, also need volunteers.
As parents, you can be
assured your students continue to receive a high quality education at Kinsey
Elementary. The assessment results cited
by NCLB are one useful measurement for us, but we also have many other
indicators to demonstrate of our students’ achievement.
We are very proud of our
students and of the education they receive from the staff at Kinsey
Elementary. We are also committed to
continuous improvement, and so will continue to seek new data and make any
changes necessary to benefit student learning.
We appreciate and depend on your ongoing support and assistance, and
welcome your suggestions.
Sincerely,
Troy Lentell
Kinsey Elementary Principal
Sioux Center Community
Schools
712-722-1541
troy.lentell@sioux-center.k12.ia.us
