Posted: 7/9/03

FL schools miss state list

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Sometimes itís a good thing to make honor rolls and lists. And sometimes itís not.

And itís the latter case that has officials in ISD 831 smiling this week.

When the stateís Department of Education released the names of schools in Minnesota that did not make adequate yearly progress, no Forest Lake Area Schools were on the list. Statewide a total of 259 schools were named to the preliminary list under the state implementation plan for the federal No Child Left Behind law.

ìItís a significant accomplishment for our students to have reached these achievement goals,î said Superintendent Lynn Steenblock in a release.

ìIt represents the hard work and dedication of our teachers and principals and the support we receive from parents across the district.î

To qualify as meeting the state goals, all students in a school or school district, as well as all students in categories based on ethnicity, income, home language background and special education status must either meet these goals or show clear progress toward meeting them.

In releasing the names of schools on the preliminary list, state education officials said the schools will have a 30-day period in which to verify the accuracy of data. The state will issue a final status report for all schools on Aug. 7.

A total of 131 elementary schools were identified based on student participation and performance on Grade 3 and Grade 5 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments in math and reading.

The other schools on the state list are secondary schools which were evaluated this year only on their average daily attendance rates.

The state also identified school districts not making adequate yearly progress in three other categories: the percent of students participating in testing, attendance and graduation rates.

No school in the Forest Lake district was listed in these categories, as well.

ìThatís a list you really donít want to be on,î Steenblock told the school board during a report at Mondayís business meeting. He labeled the districtís effort ìa great accomplishment.î

2 key reports

The school board also received two reports from independent task force bodies that have been at work during the last school term. Teachers, parents and administrators formed the two groups.

Reports from the Technology Task Force and the Gifted Task Force were presented at Mondayís meeting.

The preliminary reports will be expanded during a special meeting of the school board at 7 p.m., Monday, July 21 at the District Office Building, 6100 N. 210th St.

The technology discussion will take place from 7-8 p.m. followed by a one-hour continuation of the gifted program report.

Both reports have financial implications for the district. Financial details of what the reports may require, if adopted by the school board, were not reviewed at Mondayís meeting.

In the technology report, task force members Mark Peterson and Melissa Martyr-Wagner, residents of the district, said the group would recommend a capital projects levy to fund technology improvements.

Funds would also be needed to revive the districtís tech mentor program, pay for a staff development program and hire additional staff to support technology and its use.

After the initial report on Monday, the school board is expected to review the matter again at its Aug. 4 meeting and take action.

Any form of levy as a financial option for improving technology needs in the district would be the first major step here in seven years. In 1996 district residents voted approval of a $6 million technology levy.

More details will also emerge on the gifted program. For the first time in the district, the task force explored needs and issues for a comprehensive K-12 gifted program.

The task force reviewed current opportunities for enrichment, discussed future enrichment opportunities that should be offered and researched and discussed the topic of differentiated instruction.

Staffing needs will be a major cost factor for the school boardís consideration.

The task force is recommending the creation of district-level coordinators at the elementary and secondary levels, plus a half-time administrative assistant position.

More cost would be involved with hiring gifted resource teachers at the building level.

At the elementary level, the task force is recommending the current total of 3.5 gifted resource teachers be expanded by an additional four teachers.

At the secondary level, where no gifted resource teachers now work, the task force is seeking the approval of 3.5 gifted resource teaching slots.

After its work session review with the school board on July 21, the gifted education topic is expected to come back to the board for action at its Aug. 4 meeting.

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