C. W. NORTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
ALACHUA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT 1995-96

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS
SUMMARY OF PROGRESS

The Florida Legislature passed a law in 1991 called Blueprint 2000, which created a statewide system for school improvement and education accountability. Under Blueprint 2000, the following seven goals were established for all schools to achieve:

1. Readiness to Start School
2. Graduation Rate and Readiness for Postsecondary Education and Employment
3. Student Performance
4. Learning Environment
5. School Safety and Environment
6. Teachers and Staff
7. Adult Literacy

In recognition of the goals of Blueprint 2000, each school is required to implement a School Improvement Plan. In each school, a School Advisory Council (SAC) composed of the principal, parents, teachers, other school staff, students, and community/business representatives, work cooperatively to develop the plan for the school.

In accordance with the requirements of Blueprint 2000, the following sections of this report have been prepared in order to provide the public with information regarding each school's improvement efforts. In addition, the following reports are on file and available for public review at each school:

• Documentation of Adequate Progress for 1995-96
• Summary of Needs Assessment and Climate Survey Results
• School Advisory Council Report (adds to and enhances the data which appear in the School Public Accountability Report)

GOAL 1: READINESS TO START SCHOOL
COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS COLLABORATE TO PREPARE CHILDREN
AND FAMILIES FOR CHILDREN'S SUCCESS IN SCHOOL.

 

• Preschool Programs
  Quality preschool programs increase children’s chances of achieving educational success and becoming productive members of society. The following information is about our preschool students:
  
  The percentage of our kindergarten students eligible for free/reduced lunch who attended
  preschool: 67.5%
  
  The percentage of three- and four-year-old children in the district who were served in a preschool program: 60.7%

• Vision and Hearing Screening
  Kindergarten students receive a vision and hearing screening to identify potential impairments that may hinder learning. The following table contains the percentage of our students who passed the tests and the percentage of our students who failed vision and hearing screening and received appropriate treatment.

GOAL 2: GRADUATION RATE AND READINESS
FOR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
STUDENTS GRADUATE AND ARE PREPARED TO ENTER
THE WORK FORCE AND POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

No information available at the elementary level

GOAL 3: STUDENT PERFORMANCE
STUDENTS SUCCESSFULLY COMPETE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS
NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY AND ARE PREPARED TO MAKE
WELL-REASONED, THOUGHTFUL, AND HEALTHY LIFELONG DECISIONS.

 

• Florida Writing Assessment
  Students in Grade 4 were given the Florida Writing Assessment last spring. Students were asked to write responses to an assigned topic. Papers were scored in a range from a low of 0 to a high of 6. The following table contains the number of students tested at our school and their average writing score, as well as the average writing score for both the district and the state of Florida.

• Iowa Tests of Basic Skills
  Students in Grade 4 were given the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills last spring. The following table contains the number of students tested at our school and the percentage of our students, as well as fourth grade students in our district, who scored above the national median score (i.e., above a national percentile score of 50) in Reading Total or Math Total.

GOAL 4: LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
SCHOOL BOARDS PROVIDE A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
CONDUCIVE TO TEACHING AND LEARNING.

 

• Student Attendance Information
  One of the most important things you can do to ensure your child’s success in school is to be sure he or she attends school every day.
  
  The following table contains the percentage of our students absent 0-10 days, 11-20 days, or 21+ days:

• Attendance of Teachers and Administrative Staff
  It is also important that the teachers and administrative staff are in attendance on a regular basis. The average daily attendance of the teachers and administrative staff at our school last year was 97.0% and 100.0%, respectively.

• Average Class Size
  Average class size for grades K-5 is determined by using the enrollment figures in regular academic classes. The following table contains average class size for our school, for the district, and for the State of Florida. (Counts were taken in October and do not include classes such as physical education, art, or compensatory education classes.)

• Student Mobility Rate
  A mobility rate demonstrates how stable a school's population is during the school year. Schools with highly mobile populations may face instructional challenges that differ from those faced by schools with stable populations. The following table contains the mobility rate for our students, for the district, and for the state of Florida.

GOAL 5: SCHOOL SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT
COMMUNITIES PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS DRUG FREE
AND PROTECTS STUDENTS' HEALTH, SAFETY, AND CIVIL RIGHTS.

 

• Incidents of Crime and Violence
  During the last school year, 6 discipline incidents were reported at our school. For a full school safety report, please contact the school principal.

• Special Programs
  Schools offer many different programs to assist students with their special needs. Listed here are programs offered at our school last year and the percentage of students enrolled in those programs as of October.

GOAL 6: TEACHERS AND STAFF
THE SCHOOLS, DISTRICT, AND STATE ENSURE PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS AND STAFF.

 

• Racial/Ethnic Composition of Instructional Staff
  The following table contains the racial/ethnic and gender composition of instructional staff at our school. (The numbers displayed in the chart below represent an October count.)

• The Alachua County School Board has in place a system of evaluating instructional staff members, school-based administrators, and non-instructional personnel. These evaluation systems assure that staff members are evaluated annually on the skills, values, and knowledge needed to assist students in meeting the standards and outcomes of Blueprint 2000.

GOAL 7: ADULT LITERACY
ADULT FLORIDIANS ARE LITERATE AND HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE
AND SKILLS NEEDED TO COMPETE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY
AND EXERCISE THE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CITIZENSHIP

 

Adult education opportunities are provided throughout the district in schools, the Family Services Center, churches, community centers, and libraries. All classes are open entry-exit and competency-based for any individual who is sixteen years of age and who has legally withdrawn from elementary or secondary school. All adult basic education (ABE) secondary classes are taught by certified teachers, according to district and state guidelines. Classes are scheduled for mornings, afternoons, and evenings, with child care available for students who are registered for day classes and attend school regularly.

Adult education is marketed in the community through Santa Fe Community College. The Community Education Enrich! brochure of classes is mailed four times a year to persons who have taken a class within a year and to other Alachua County residents on request. Information is also distributed throughout the community through the internet. Brochures are available at Santa Fe Community College and the public libraries throughout the county.

INTERAGENCY AGREEMENTS
GOALS 1, 2, 5, 7

The School Board of Alachua County has a history of positive agreements with government and private agencies such as Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS), the cities of Gainesville and Alachua, law enforcement agencies, the American Red Cross, Corner Drug Store, Shands Hospital and Clinics, and the University of Florida.

LOTTERY DOLLAR EXPENDITURE DATA

 

Norton received $5,256.00 in Education Enhancement Trust Funds. These funds were used to support the goals of the School Improvement Plan. All expenditures were voted on and approved by the School Improvement Committee. Expenditures included the following: multicutural curriculum development and multicultural books, writing inservice for teacher and materials to support the writing curriculum, and support for the school's computer lab that all students in grades K-5 attend at least once a week.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION