Annual Report 2015-16

November 29, 2016

Niobrara Public School

54-0501-000

2015-2016 Annual Report

Introduction:  This report is required of school districts by the Nebraska State Department of Education for them to be following state accreditation standards.  Each district in the state must report specific information to their patrons each year.  Mandatory report topics are student progress, demographics, learning climate and finance.  The regulation also requires that information be published and available to patrons.  If you have any questions about these topics or others, please feel free to contact the school office.

Niobrara Public School is a Class III school district located in Northeast Nebraska along the scenic Niobrara and Missouri Rivers.  It serves approximately 170 students over 150 square miles.  The student population is reflective of the diverse cultural realm that the district serves.  There are significant numbers of American Indian (Santee Sioux and Northern Ponca) students receiving their education at Niobrara Public Schools.  The school system has been divided into a PK-5, 6-8 and 9-12 organizational structure.  This allows teachers to concentrate on specific content areas with benchmark standards guiding the curriculum.  Teachers are able to work with students for three to four years in a content area allowing for greater student success.

Student Counts as of the Last Friday in September, 2015

October 30, 2015

Dear Parent/Guardian/Patron,

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires that all states create high academic standards for the core areas of reading, writing and math.   The goal of NCLB is for every student to meet or exceed these standards by the school year 2014.  The measure of annual progress toward these standards is called Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). AYP is based primarily on the results of the Nebraska state assessments given to students in grades 3 through 8 and grade 11.  Schools must meet the state’s academic proficiency benchmarks, as well as other indicators such as test participation and attendance/dropout rate, to make AYP.

In addition to measuring each school, NCLB also requires the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) to annually review the progress of each school district.  Based on Nebraska state testing results, the Niobrara School District was identified by the NDE as a district in need of improvement for the 2015-16 school year.  A district is identified for improvement if it meets this criterion:

Does not make AYP in all grade spans within the district-elementary (grades 3-5), middle school (grades6-8) and high school (grades 9-12)--for two consecutive years in either content area of math or reading, considering all eligible student subgroups.

To be removed from  the  district  improvement  status,  the  district  must  meet  the  grade  span  achievement standards for two consecutive years.

The Niobrara Public Schools is dedicated to providing all students with a quality education that prepares them to be career and college ready.  Evidence of our commitment to education is shown in the academic growth for both reading and mathematics as documented on the 2014-15 assessment results.  If you would like to compare achievement scores in the district to others across the state, you may access the information on the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) State of the Schools Report at http://reportcard.education.ne.gov.

As a Title 1 district identified in need of improvement, Niobrara Public Schools is required to communicate the district   improvement  plan  strategies  specifically  addressing  the  teaching  and  learning  needs  of  low-achieving students. The goals and strategies identified in the plan intentionally focus on optimizing instruction for all learners using researched based practices with on-going professional learning for staff.

You are encouraged to contact the district office for further information on any of these requirements and to find out how you can become involved in school improvement efforts.  An important part of this effort involves parental involvement and support.  Parents/guardians and students can  monitor  progress  (grades  K-12)  by  registering  for  and  using  Powerschool.  Participating in parent/teacher conferences, attending parent/family nights and providing “at home” strategies to support reading and math learning are also key to supporting the home/school partnership.

We  will  continue  to  communicate  with  you  throughout  the  year  regarding  the  school  improvement  efforts underway and hope you will join us in supporting our students and teachers as we work toward reaching our goals for next year.

Please call if you have additional questions about any details.

Sincerely,

Margaret Sandoz

Superintendent

The Learning Climate