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Keokuk district saluted for progress
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| Keokuk High School students Kelsey Payne, left, Josh Beaird, middle, and Dan Fellows help Salvation Army employee Steve Swisegood load food into a pickup outside the school Tuesday. About 1,300 items were collected for the local Salvation Army. County Market will match the amount. The food drive was spearheaded by the Student Council. |
By Steve Dunn/Gate City Managing Editor
The Keokuk School District has received an award from the State Board of Education for making significant improvements in reducing the achievement gaps among key groups of students.
Called the Breaking Barriers to Learning and Teaching Award, the honor was presented to the school district Thursday and shown to the school board Monday night.
According to the State Board of Education, the award recognizes districts that have improved a key achievement gap group by 20 percent or more in at least one grade level and subject, without allowing a subgroup or the all-student group to decrease by more than 5 percent in any grade level or subject. Districts must also have achieved adequate yearly progress goals districtwide and in at least one building to qualify for the award.
The Keokuk district's improvements were with special education fifth grade students in reading and special education eighth grade students in reading.
“Keokuk School District is to be commended for its efforts to focus on providing support to struggling learners,” said State Department of Education Director Judy Jeffrey.
In addition to Iowa Test of Basic Skills and Iowa Test of Educational Development, the Keokuk district uses the STAR Early Literacy, STAR Reading and STAR Math twice a year to measure student growth during the school year. The district also has emphasized increased reading practice plus traditional reading skills instruction. The goal is an additional 30 to 60 minutes of reading practice at each student's appropriate reading level. Accelerated Reader is used to monitor that practice.
The district also has been able to increase reading practice by increasing the number of books in its media centers. Since 1998-99, the district has added more than 35,000 books to its elementary, middle school and high school media centers with the aid of grants. During the same period, out-of-date and worn out books were weeded out.
The annual K-12 library circulation increased from 35,974 to 181,296 books during the same period, an increase of 145,322 books checked out. Reading more books is a critical component to increasing vocabulary and impacting reading comprehension, the district says.
The district's most recent initiatives focus on increasing the amount of non-fiction reading done by elementary students and implementing Every Child Reads at the elementary level and Second Chance Reading at the middle school and high school levels.
The district also reports to parents how students are doing on critical grade level indicators using an electronic gradebook and standards-based report cards. Parents not only receive a letter grade, but also a score on key skills in reading, math, science, social studies and technology.
Administrators also have access to ACT, ITBS, ITED, STAR Reading, STAR Math and STAR Early Literacy for each student. In this way, administrators are able to help teachers, provide more appropriate plans to assist students and work with parents.
The Keokuk district has had several professional development opportunities related to reading. Sue Beers provided the K-12 staff training in reading strategies during two years. Essential vocabulary was identified throughout the district so students learn words critical to understanding the content areas.
In addition, middle school and high school teachers have been or are being trained in Second Chance Reading. These people have been given the time to work collaboratively to develop lessons, plan and review student achievement data.
At the elementary level, the district is in the first full year of participating in Every Child Reads at Wells-Carey and George Washington. Next spring, the training will be expanded to other elementary staff in half-day professional development opportunities.
The district also has started to use as much of its professional development funds as possible for summer institutes. The summer institutes have been valuable in training teachers in various district and building initiatives in a concentrated format, the district says.
Called the Breaking Barriers to Learning and Teaching Award, the honor was presented to the school district Thursday and shown to the school board Monday night.
According to the State Board of Education, the award recognizes districts that have improved a key achievement gap group by 20 percent or more in at least one grade level and subject, without allowing a subgroup or the all-student group to decrease by more than 5 percent in any grade level or subject. Districts must also have achieved adequate yearly progress goals districtwide and in at least one building to qualify for the award.
The Keokuk district's improvements were with special education fifth grade students in reading and special education eighth grade students in reading.
“Keokuk School District is to be commended for its efforts to focus on providing support to struggling learners,” said State Department of Education Director Judy Jeffrey.
In addition to Iowa Test of Basic Skills and Iowa Test of Educational Development, the Keokuk district uses the STAR Early Literacy, STAR Reading and STAR Math twice a year to measure student growth during the school year. The district also has emphasized increased reading practice plus traditional reading skills instruction. The goal is an additional 30 to 60 minutes of reading practice at each student's appropriate reading level. Accelerated Reader is used to monitor that practice.
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The annual K-12 library circulation increased from 35,974 to 181,296 books during the same period, an increase of 145,322 books checked out. Reading more books is a critical component to increasing vocabulary and impacting reading comprehension, the district says.
The district's most recent initiatives focus on increasing the amount of non-fiction reading done by elementary students and implementing Every Child Reads at the elementary level and Second Chance Reading at the middle school and high school levels.
The district also reports to parents how students are doing on critical grade level indicators using an electronic gradebook and standards-based report cards. Parents not only receive a letter grade, but also a score on key skills in reading, math, science, social studies and technology.
Administrators also have access to ACT, ITBS, ITED, STAR Reading, STAR Math and STAR Early Literacy for each student. In this way, administrators are able to help teachers, provide more appropriate plans to assist students and work with parents.
The Keokuk district has had several professional development opportunities related to reading. Sue Beers provided the K-12 staff training in reading strategies during two years. Essential vocabulary was identified throughout the district so students learn words critical to understanding the content areas.
In addition, middle school and high school teachers have been or are being trained in Second Chance Reading. These people have been given the time to work collaboratively to develop lessons, plan and review student achievement data.
At the elementary level, the district is in the first full year of participating in Every Child Reads at Wells-Carey and George Washington. Next spring, the training will be expanded to other elementary staff in half-day professional development opportunities.
The district also has started to use as much of its professional development funds as possible for summer institutes. The summer institutes have been valuable in training teachers in various district and building initiatives in a concentrated format, the district says.
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