Commentary; Posted: 9/1/04

Be proud of the success of FLHS students

Steve Massey
Guest Columnist

As we prepare to begin another school year, I would like to highlight some of the assets we have at Forest Lake High School and the success experienced by our students.

After graduating nearly 600 seniors in June, we are looking forward to welcoming 625 10th graders this year. As a result of graduating and enrolling similar size classes, the high school enrollment will remain steady.

Forest Lake High School has many assets, most notably, a very talented teaching staff and support personnel. Every day we serve students with an exceptional instructional, custodial, food service, clerical, and transportation staff. Beyond many years of experience, 72 percent of our teaching staff have advanced degrees, while a number of our new teachers are presently working on their master's degrees.

Our experienced and well-trained staff does a remarkable job of engaging students in meaningful and challenging learning. How well students perform during high school is the critical benchmark of a successful high school.

Our communities can be proud of the success of FLHS students. In almost every aspect of state and national assessments, our students outperform their peers. Last year, 308 students took the ACT exam (college entrance exam). Our students scored an average composite score of 22.5 compared to the 22.2 state average and the 20.9 national average.

The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment exams are taken in 10th grade (reading) and 11th grade (mathematics). In order to meet Adequate Yearly Progress as defined by the federal No Child Left Behind Act, we must have a minimum of 95 percent of our students take the exams. Last year, we had 99 percent of our 10th graders and 98.5 percent of our 11th graders take the exams.

A passing score is a score of 3 or higher on a 5-point scale.

On the 10th grade MCA reading exam, 83 percent of our students scored a 3 or higher compared to the 77 percent state average. On the 11th grade Math MCA, 72 percent of our students scored a 3 or higher compared to the state average of 70 percent.

In addition to the MCA exams, 10th grade students take the Writing Minnesota Basic Skills Test. Last year, 95 percent of our students passed this exam compared to the 92 percent state average. While there is always room to improve our results, we can be proud of our current level of success.

Education is more than the classes students take. With more than 1800 students enrolled in the high school, we must find ways to make the school smaller so students can make meaningful connections with teachers and staff.

In addition to the connections students make with their teachers, we also have a homeroom program. This school year, students will meet in their homeroom for 30 minutes every Wednesday. During this time, students will create post-secondary educational and career plans, monitor their classroom success, address scheduling needs, and monitor and adjust their high school educational plan.

Inherently, the homeroom program will provide a ìsmallî place for students to belong where there is one teacher who will advise him/her through three years of high school.

Parent involvement in school is just as important during high school as it is in elementary and junior high school. Forest Lake High School will be making students' grades and attendance available on-line to parents and students beginning with this school year.

In an effort to facilitate greater communication and to help parents take an active role in monitoring how well their child is doing at school, we will be providing safe, confidential on-line access to student grades and attendance. This on-line access will be made available to each student and his/her parents beginning this school year.

We know that each studentís success is directly associated with the degree of parental involvement and communication with classroom teachers. The on-line access will provide parents real-time information regarding their childís performance in the classroom.

Forest Lake High School is an accredited high school with North Central Associationís Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. This accreditation further validates the exceptional quality of our high school educational program.

Along with this accreditation, we remain committed to providing a comprehensive high school program that engages all students in meaningful learning opportunities that will prepare them for their futures.

The writer is principal at Forest Lake Senior High School.

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