School Improvement
August 24, 2011
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Students at Beacon Elementary School met 8 of the 8 performance indicators on Ohio’s Local Report Card for the 2010-11 school year. A performance index score of 101.2 was also obtained which indicated that a large number of Beacon Elementary School students passed the Ohio Achievement Assessments at either an accelerated or advanced level. We are extremely proud of the progress that has been made by our students at Beacon Elementary School.
The Federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law also requires specific subgroups of students to meet increasing passing targets on assessments in reading and math. Information that was just received from the Ohio Department of Education indicated that Beacon Elementary School students met these passing targets on the Ohio Reading and/or Mathematics Achievement Tests in all 10 of the 10 subgroups. Because all 10 student subgroups did not meet the passing targets during the 2009-10 school year however, Beacon Elementary School received the Federal rating of School Improvement Year 2 Delay. In accordance with Federal law, Public School Choice or Supplemental Educational Services must be offered until a school meets the passing targets on Ohio Reading and Math Achievement Tests in all 10 subgroups for two consecutive school years. Public School Choice is defined as allowing Beacon Elementary School students to attend another elementary school within the Hilliard City School District that is not in School Improvement status. To minimize transportation time as well as costs, bus routes have been scheduled to and from Ridgewood Elementary School for any Beacon Elementary School students who wish to exercise the Public School Choice option. If you select the Public School Choice option, you must complete the form on the following page and return it to the listed address no later than 3:00 pm on Wednesday, August 31st, 2011. Public School Choice will begin on Tuesday, September 6th, 2011.
Another option that economically disadvantaged families may select is Supplemental Educational Services (SES). These services are defined as permitting Beacon Elementary School students to receive after school tutoring in reading or mathematics by a private provider at no cost to you. A list of the Ohio Department of Education approved providers can be found at http://dnet01.ode.state.oh.us/ses/ProviderLookup.aspx. Please be aware that the tutoring providers are not supervised by or affiliated with the Hilliard City School District. Also, please know that you are responsible for all transportation to and from these after school tutoring services. You may enroll your child for after school tutoring by attending a Supplemental Educational Services seminar on either Friday, September 16th or Monday, September 19th, 2011 at the Hilliard City School District Central Office Annex located at 5323 Cemetery Road in Hilliard from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. After September 19th, if you are still interested in participating in Supplemental Educational Services, you may fill out an enrollment form located in the main office at Beacon Elementary School and send it to Hilliard City Schools Central Office at the address located on the form. The availability of SES may be limited based on the resources provided to the district, so forms will be processed on a first come – first served basis. If you have questions regarding SES or need assistance in selecting a provider, please contact Pam Mutters at 921-7000.
I certainly welcome you to allow your child to attend Beacon Elementary School to receive an excellent education. The Hilliard City School District will continue to provide several intervention programs for Beacon Elementary School students such as the Kindergarten Literacy Intervention Program (KLIP), English Language Learner services, and Federal Title I and District provided tutoring. Also, Beacon Elementary School teachers are closely supported by a highly qualified literacy coach to ensure that instructional practice is responsive to students’ learning needs. Mrs. Jane Leach, Principal, and the teachers at Beacon Elementary School will continue their efforts to raise student achievement to even higher levels. We know that parent involvement is a key factor in student success and value your assistance with our improvement efforts. If you would like to assist, please feel free to contact Mrs. Leach.
The Hilliard City School District provides equitable programming to all students at each of our 14 elementary schools. However, if you choose one of the programs presented above for your child, please remember that you may only select either Public School Choice or Supplemental Educational Services, not both. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Jane Leach, Principal (921-5200) or myself (921-7000).
Sincerely,
Craig M. Heath
Director of Assessment and Research
Hilliard City School District