INTERIM REPORT VI - Northland CAPS, Robert Drummond Elementary & Blanchard Elementary School

INTERIM REPORT VI

October 2015

Members of the House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education recently toured two outstanding educational programs: Northland CAPs program in Liberty, MO and Drummond Elementary School in the Pattonville School District.

NORTHLAND CENTER FOR ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL STUDIES (NCAPS)

Northland Center for Advanced Professional Studies (NCAPS) partners high school students and employers in a real business environment to prepare students for high skill/high demand careers. One hundred percent of the curriculum is tied to economic and workforce development and is eligible for high school and college credit. Real-world projects provided by business partners during the fall semester prepare students for spring semester internships.

Seventy-five percent of graduates with NCAPS internship experience receive job offers. Dr. Bill Nicely, Superintendent of Kearney R-1 School District, describes Northland CAPS as "Authentic Learning."

Five course strands prepare students for a stronger future:

* Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing -- designed for students interested in engineering and manufacturing fundamentals, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

* Global Business and Entrepreneurship -- students partner with local, regional, national and international businesses to produce marketing plans, advertising and promotional plans, customer research, social media plans, event management, and strategic planning.

* Medicine and Healthcare -- provides access to real world experiences in the field of medicine and healthcare at North Kansas City Hospital and Liberty Hospital with the study of human physiology, medical language, patient treatment plans, physical assessment skills, and use of a simulation lab for patient care and life-saving procedures.

* Technology Solutions -- helps students develop professional and technical skills in all areas of technology and creative design.

* Global Logistics and Transportation -- allows students to explore all areas of logistics and transportation by learning a skill set to effectively streamline the flow of company materials, finances and information as well as supply chain management and support -- manufacturing planning and management techniques and systems, inventory management, warehouse layout, distribution management, routing and scheduling, process analysis, network analysis and simulation techniques.

To learn more, please visit www.northlandcaps.org

PROFICIENCY BASED LEARNING -- ROBERT DRUMMOND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

As defined by Missouri's Proficiency Based Learning Task Force, proficiency based learning establishes the level of student learning through demonstration of knowledge and or skill without regard for the time taken in the learning process or the structure of the delivery.

The goal is to design the instructional process around the needs of the learner and use time as a variable based on the following concepts:

* All students can learn

* Students learn at different rates

* Traditional structures hold time constant

* Learning becomes the variable

At Robert Drummond Elementary, students shift classrooms every six weeks based upon monthly interim assessments in English Language Arts and math. The assessments help students know how they are doing and provide teachers with information to design classroom instruction around the needs of the student. Classrooms are divided into three instructional tiers: Tier I for students at or above grade level, Tier II for students one year below grade level, and Tier III for students two or more years below grade level.

While there is a 47.2% poverty rate in Pattonville School District, their 2014 Annual Performance Report Score was 96.8% and their 2015 End of Course Assessment Rank was 15 out of 506 school districts.

With the school entering its second year of Proficiency Based Learning/Learning Levels pilot program, it is an exciting school to watch!

CONGRATULATIONS TO BLANCHARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!

Eight Missouri Schools Named Blue Ribbon Schools

(A news release from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education regarding the announcement of eight Missouri schools designated as Blue Ribbon Schools)

Tue, 09/29/2015-Eight public schools in Missouri have been honored as 2015 Blue Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday. The national award honors schools for high levels of academic achievement or significant progress in closing gaps in achievement among disadvantaged and minority students.

Missouri's Blue Ribbon Schools are:

Blanchard Elementary, Cape Girardeau 63 School District

Ralph M. Captain Elementary, Clayton School District

Ladue Middle School, Ladue School District

Truman Middle School, Lindbergh Schools

New Haven High School, New Haven School District

McKelvey Elementary, Parkway C-2 School District

West Middle School, Parkway C-2 School District

Kennard Classical Junior Academy, St. Louis City School District

"Congratulations to the students, teacher, school staff and their communities for this tremendous accomplishment," said Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven. "These schools model the hard work taking place in our public schools across the state in preparing students with the necessary skills for success now and after graduation."

Earlier this year these eight schools were honored as Missouri Gold Star Schools, a program conducted by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

"The students and staff at Barbara Blanchard Elementary are very grateful for the honor of being named a Blue Ribbon School," said Principal Barbara Kohlfeld. "We deeply appreciate the recognition for our work."

New Haven High School Principal Josh Hoener added: "Student accountability accompanied with high expectations of the community and staff encourages our students to achieve at high levels. We are proud to represent the State of Missouri and the many great Missouri schools at the 2015 National Blue Ribbon Ceremony."

More than 7,500 schools across the country have been honored as Blue Ribbon Schools since the program was founded in 1982. The state and national programs are part of a larger effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school-leadership and teaching practices.

The winners will be recognized in November at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.