For the second year in a row, John Stanford International School (JSIS) was awarded for “Overall Excellence” by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the State Board of Education. The Washington Achievement Awards recognize top-performing schools, identified through the state’s Achievement Index and criteria set in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility Waiver.
In addition to receiving “Overall Excellence”, JSIS was also recognized as a top-performer in “Science” and in “Closing Achievement Gaps.”
From OSPI:
Washington’s School Achievement Index rates all schools according to specific outcomes and indicators from 2010 to 2012. The five outcomes are student performance in statewide assessments in reading, writing, math and science tests, as well as the school’s extended graduation rate, which includes those students who took longer than four years to graduate.
Those outcomes are each measured using four indicators:
- achievement of students who are not from low-income families;
- achievement of students who are from low-income families;
- achievement of a school when compared to “peers” (schools with similar student characteristics, such as the percentage of students who have a disability, are learning English, are designated as gifted, come from low-income families, and are mobile); and
- improvement in the achievement of all students combined from the previous year.
The average of the resulting 20 measures comprises the overall index.
JSIS will be among the 381 schools to be honored during an award ceremony on April 30 in Covington.
In other neighborhood school news:
B.F. Day Elementary Hosts “Spring Fling” Silent Auction this Saturday
B.F. Day Elementary is holding its primary fundraiser this Saturday, April 6, from 6:30-10:00pm at The Backdoor at Roxy’s. 462 N 36th St., in lower Fremont. Tickets are $55 per person and include heavy hors d’oeuvres and drink tickets. Some of the silent auction items include goods and services donated from businesses all over the community, experiences hosted by B.F. Day families, vacation rentals and lots, lots more. You can purchase tickets online here.
Seattle Schools Seeks Feedback in Strategic Plan survey.
Seattle Public Schools is updating its five-year strategic plan, Excellence for All. We’re asking families, students, staff, and community members to share feedback through a new survey, which closes on April 15. This survey asks respondents to assess the draft District vision, mission and core beliefs statements, as well as the draft goals and strategies. The draft statements, goals and vision were created with a task force consisting of families, teachers, principals, staff, and community and business members. The task force assessed Excellence for All and offered recommended changes, and is now seeking community input. The School Board is expected to vote on a final updated plan in July 2013.
We are inviting the community to take 15-20 minutes to complete the survey. We will produce a summary of the results to share at a later date.
Click here to take the survey.
I did the survey which seemed like a waste of time. There is nothing to disagree with in it. It’s all feel good hot air with no specifics. The plan reads like a consultant was paid to come up a lot of words without actually saying anything. It says that all kids should have access to a good education. This could have been written with one sentence.
I also completed the survey.
While it appears to be not useful I was concerned about 2 statements..
1.) move top-performing( word might have been most effective instead of top-perm.) principals and staff to schools where there is greatest need. This opens a door to moving teachers against their wishes.
2.) having behavior referrals and actions numbers be reflected by ONLY equal per cent of each ethnic group.. thus if total suspensions is 100.. and Native American students make up 7% of student total population .. then the goal is the NA student referrals is only 7%. This can sound like oh yeah! But it can cause staffs to sugar coat actions, make teachers the scape goats ( you don’t know ow to keep this child/student/ young adult from misbehaving, distracting, swearing, hitting others, using cellphone in class, spitting .. etc), have kids NOT given any consequences due to their behaviors because principals’ building stats are watched.
I worked on contract for Seattle SD for 11 yrs.