Accountability grades focus for Cloverdale

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

CLOVERDALE -- With the announcement of accountability grades looming, principals Stacey Baugh and Sonny Stoltz updated the Cloverdale School Board Monday on the progress of the elementary, middle and high schools.

Baugh provided board members with a visual representation of the school's I-Step analysis, which was released last month. Overall, the school saw a major improvement from the previous year.

"We are showing growth," Baugh said.

She noted that the school as a whole is stepping up its game by adapting more rigorous programs such as the new reading program.

"We just went to the new reading series in K-8 and that's really stepped up our standards," Baugh explained. "It's really stepped up our expectations. It's a real challenge for our students and it's an even bigger challenge for our teachers."

Baugh noted that although there hasn't been much progress with the program, it is likely due to the teachers learning a whole new program along with the students. However, it is likely that the corporation will see the improved scores within a year.

"We're headed in the right direction," Baugh said. "We're showing growth overall. I really think we will be happy with both state accountability grades. We were at a 'C' last year and we've made some great strides."

Like Baugh, Stoltz took some time to update the board on the high school's scores, which are broken down into four categories, algebra, English, graduation rate and dual credits.

Stoltz however, chose to take a different route and focus in on what has been coined the "Freshman Academy."

"We put a program in place to try and help the graduation rates," Stoltz said. "Our gradation rate is going up. It's been a slow process."

The academy, which started this year, aims to help a select group of students by eliminating distractions to help give them a boost to make it to sophomore year.

Stoltz noted that in an effort to have some sustainability, the school decided to follow in the footsteps of many larger schools across the country.

"If you're in education long enough you'll hear about how many of the large schools have academies," Stoltz explained. "No longer do they send their freshmen to high schools and throw them into the social bliss of trying to get an education."

After realizing many of the school's students were struggling with the social aspect of high school and keeping them around for four years to get a diploma, it was time to take a different approach.

"Instead of waiting until they're juniors and seniors and trying to get them enough credits to graduate, let's start when they're freshmen," Stoltz explained.

Stoltz along with several other teachers, guidance counselors and interventionists got together to choose 18 students, who they felt like needed an extra boost during the freshman year to keep them from falling through the cracks. It was also noted that the lowest students in the freshmen class were not automatically chosen.

In an effort to eliminate those distractions, the students do not rotate classrooms rather the teachers come to them.

"Our motto is success for everyone, sometimes we forget that," Stoltz said. "The idea is to give them that ingredient to be successful."

The idea of the academy is working. Stoltz noted that out of the first 18 students to join the academy -- 16 are still enrolled.

Freshmen are required to have 10 credits to be considered a sophomore. Of the first 16 students, 13 had more than five credits after the first nine weeks.

"This is not a special class," Stoltz said. "This is a class. This class is a tool one should use to be successful and spend the next three years with your classmates."

The academy is working so well in fact, many of the students do not want to leave. It was the idea to have students rotate out at the end of the semester, however as of now only three are considering the possibility of leaving.

The idea is to get these students to reach success early and Stoltz believes that it is working. As for when the students move on next year, the corporation is hoping to give students more individualized attention to keep them on track.

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