Você está na página 1de 16

Focus on Heart of

Learning Excellence

Spirit of
Collaboration

Attaining Excellence
2004 Annual Report
Marysville Schools

1
Marysville Nestles
Library Facility

1950

1930

Today Today

To All Who Support Our Schools:


Lately when I talk with citizens, business people, and
government officials, our discussion frequently includes the
change and growth our town is experiencing.

Many of our senior citizens remember when Marysville was a


sleepy farm market town—a place that city dwellers associated
with a Sunday drive in the country. Lifelong citizens remember
doing all their shopping at the “mom and pop” stores at the
center of town, then stopping to chat with neighbors at the
Dairy Queen. They remember when the old milk plant was one
of the area’s major employers. And they remember when a high
school graduating class consisted of fewer than 100 kids.

Much has changed since those days. New businesses have


altered the landscape and expanded our population. New
modern commercial buildings and housing developments are
blending with the classic architecture of yesterday—and greatly
increasing traffic. We have built several new school buildings
since the 50s and will need to add more classroom space in the
coming years. But one thing has not changed since I came to
Marysville in 1972. In fact it has not changed since the day in
1819 when Samuel Culbertson named the town after his beloved
daughter: Marysville is a town that cherishes its children.

This report, Attaining Excellence in Education , is about the


many ways that Marysville’s educators, families, businesses,
and community members are working to support our students’
learning and to create educational experiences that our children
1952 will remember for a lifetime.

Larry Zimmerman,Superintendent of Schools

Today
Thanks to Mill Valley Students for
the artwork on the cover.

Marysville Thanks to Nancy Katzenbach of


High the Union County Genealogical
Society for providing historical
School photos for this page.

2
A Focus on Learning
Looking closely at students’ work, creating projects that
are both challenging and exciting, using technology
effectively, and connecting different subject areas are a
few ways the Marysville schools focus on learning.

Writing
Marysville’s passage rates for the Writing Proficiency Tests
continue to exceed state standards. Next year, all fourth-graders
will begin taking a new state achievement test in writing.

Expanding the Literacy Collaborative


As part of the Literacy Collaborative, elementary grade
teachers use daily “Writing Workshops” that involve individual
and small-group interaction about students’ writing. They also
regularly involve the whole class in working together on pieces of
writing and give students time to write independently.

Writing to Show Understanding


The new state tests being introduced require students to
demonstrate knowledge in each subject area by writing extended
responses to some test questions. To prepare students for this
challenge, teachers are sharing techniques for writing more in-
depth, well-organized answers to essay questions and are
including writing assignments and extended response test
questions in every subject area. In grading the extended
responses, teachers use criteria similar to those used with the
achievement tests. They also discuss with their team members
and principals the strengths and weaknesses they are seeing in
student responses.

Using New Tools


Learning to write convincingly is still an important part of
every Marysville student’s education. But technology is helping
students get the message across in exciting new ways.
 All high school students are required to do a research project
for English. Most use the internet in their research and many
are using multimedia technology to enhance their arguments.
 The internet, digital cameras, and other technologies have
helped journalism students cover more news and expand the
size of the high school’s monthly newspaper.
 Making good use of a new mobile iMac lab, students at the
Middle School showed what they learned about propaganda
by creating ad campaigns. Each developed a product,
designed a logo, and developed print, radio, and television
ads.

3
Reading
Marysville’s elementary schools use a variety of
approaches to nurture a love of reading. At Edgewood,
for example, students have AM Book Talks—one student
discusses a book he or she has read over the school PA
system. Fourth-graders have monthly Literary Lunches
with parents or community members, who talk about
interesting books they are reading.
Seeing positive role models who also read heightens
students’ interest. “A parent who collects antique baseball uniforms
was here recently,” says school librarian Liz Claggett. “After that,
all the baseball books were checked out.” Mrs. Claggett also helps
students work with reference books and explore non-fiction books,
poetry, and other genres.

Mathematics
Learning mathematics is more than solving
problems on a page. As they prepare all students to
pass the Ohio Graduation Test, teachers also are
intensifying the focus on the more in-depth under-
standing reflected in the state standards, the college
curriculum, and the employment market.

Assessing Understanding
Marysville teachers don’t wait for test results to
evaluate what students need. They spend as much
time as possible during the school year working with
students individually. That enables teachers to
observe carefully how each student reasons and
solves problems.

Visualizing Problems
To be prepared for mathematics beyond the high school level,
students must be able to think mathematically. That’s why many
high school mathematics courses now use graphing calculators.
Widely used in college courses and in science and engineering
professions, those devices enable students to solve more sophisti-
cated problems and deepen their understanding of concepts.

Applying Mathematics
Marysville students also experience how mathematics
applies to problems they will encounter in other academic
areas and in their future work and lives. For example,
Creekview Intermediate students participate in Exchange
City, a nine-week social studies experience in which they
play real world roles in running a realistic city—including
the calculations involved in taxes, bank loans, and other
financial and business transactions.

4
Science
Many of the teaching strategies Marysville science teach-
ers use take into account that science is both a rapidly expand-
ing body of knowledge and a way of observing and thinking
about the world.

Combining Imagination and Knowledge,


This year, sixth-graders at Creekview Intermediate par-
ticipated in a scientific expedition to the Panama Canal and its
surrounding rain forest. It’s called the Jason Project, an effort
by scientists to share the excitement of their work with young
students.
Via email and live satellite feed, students interacted with
scientists in Panama. Also, through interactive lessons on the web,
they examined microscope slides of specimens from the region and
experienced the mathematics of conducting ships through the
Canal.

Encouraging Inquiry
Laura Koke’s seventh-grade class recently learned that water
quality in nearby Mill Creek is good. They found out by donning
waders and tallying the crayfish, mayfly nymphs, and other
organisms living in the creek.
“Science is too dynamic to be locked into a textbook,” explains
William Steele, head of the Middle School science department. That
is why Middle School students are monitoring the Mars mission via
internet and using astronomy software to look back millions of
years at the stars. It’s why they do dissections, bring in rock
specimens to examine, and operate a weather station.
To demonstrate what they’ve learned, students document their
learning in portfolios, create and teach science lessons using multi-
media, and present their work in a science fair.

Practicing Scientific Thinking


The use of scientific thinking becomes more
sophisticated in high school. This year, for
example, students:
 Analyzed the trajectory of rockets they built. A Student with Focus
 Tested the strength of bridges they designed Natasha Schimmoeller, a senior at
and constructed. Marysville High School, plans to begin
pre-med studies immediately after high
 Questioned James Watson, discoverer of DNA, school. According to James Kauffman,
about genetics. who heads the high school’s sciences
department, Natasha’s intelligence and
 Identified 30 different chemical elements of a
good thinking skills combined with a
substance with the forensic methods used to
willingness to work hard, genuine
analyze evidence at crime scenes. interest in learning, and involvement in
extracurricular activities make her a
student who exemplifies excellence.

5
Students with Special Needs
To meet Ohio’s new Academic Content Standards, Marysville
teachers are making the curriculum more challenging in every
subject area. But what will this challenging new curriculum mean
to students with special needs, especially those taking mainstream
classes alongside students with less significant physical, develop-
mental, or emotional challenges?
Teachers have a wide repertoire of tools for helping stu-
dents with special needs. Christina Gruenbaum, a Middle
School special education teacher, says she and colleagues in
mainstream classrooms help students with special needs by:
 Writing on the board in more detail or providing students
with guided notes or review sheets. They also have guided
study halls for students who are struggling.
 Reading test questions to a student or modifying test
instructions or formats to remove obstacles that prevent
students with special needs from showing their knowledge.
 Communicating continually with each other and with
parents. Folders of students’ work, assignments, and
weekly grade reports accompany each student home and
to each class.

The Arts
As arts educators develop new lessons to help students
meet the new Academic Content Standards for the arts, they
are building upon the solid base of rich and varied arts experi-
ences already available to all Marysville students.
Visual arts teachers in the early grades are already introduc-
ing students to the art of other cultures and times. Kelly Rock
of Mill Valley Elementary organized a Chinese dragon parade
and greeted first-graders dressed as Miss Star, a colorful
substitute teacher who loves the bright colors and bold pat-
terns of the painter Matisse.
Students at Creekview already are gaining the discipline and
teamwork skills necessary for quality theater performance.
Last year’s spring play, the junior version of the Broadway
production “Honk,” had a cast of 80 students
who rehearsed over a four-month period.
According to music and drama teacher Abigail
Helmuth, there is “a huge amount of talent” at
Creekview Intermediate.
Students at the Middle School have an array
of choices in music, including chamber choir
and jazz band. This helps account for the
excellence displayed by Marysville High
School’s 200-member marching band at this
year’s Sugar Bowl and the consistently superior
ratings earned by its concert and jazz bands.

6
Special Section

State Rates Marysville Schools As Excellent!

The Local Report Card, released by the Ohio Department of Education


each August, shows that Marysville has earned an Excellent rating for the
2003-04 school year by meeting all of the state’s 18 performance indicators.
In fact, for the majority of subject areas, our district far exceeded state
requirements.
In past years, our high school students
have performed well on the ninth-grade
How the State Measures
proficiency tests, and our graduation and Performance
attendance rates have consistently met state
indicators. This past year, with intensive Attaining Excellence is about how we
analysis of test data and continuous see ourselves—about less measurable
improvement planning by K-6 teachers, test ways that teachers, principals,
students, parents, and district leaders
results for students in grades four and six define excellence. The Local Report
improved significantly. In addition, Marysville Card, released each August by the Ohio
third-graders, among the first to take the Department of Education, uses specific
state’s new reading achievement test, attained measures to rate school districts.
an 87% passage rate—exceeding the
Based on the number of state
statewide passage rate by 9 percentage points. indicators met, Ohio school districts are
Less than 20% of Ohio school rated as Excellent, Effective,
Continuous Improvement, Academic
districts were rated Excellent in 2003-04
Watch, and Academic Emergency.
and only 10%—Marysville included—met
all 18 indicators. To be rated Excellent, a district must
meet 17 or 18 indicators.
Achieving an Excellent rating is no easy
task. With the passage in 2001 of the federal
Elementary and Secondary Education Act,
also called “No Child Left Behind,” expectations for school districts are
higher than ever before.
In addition to reporting the percentage of all students who passed each
proficiency test, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires districts to report
passage rates separately for students in each racial and ethnic group, eco-
nomically disadvantaged students, and students who are disabled. In other
words, schools are not considered successful unless all student groups are
improving.

Although meeting the state’s performance expectations is a


source of great pride, Marysville’s highest standards of
excellence come from what you, the members of our
community, value for your children—a nurturing environment
where each child’s learning needs are met.

7
Comparing Marysville’s Performance to the State’s

As this table shows,


many Ohio school Number of Districts in Each Ratings Category
districts improved their Designation 2002-03 2003-04
ratings this year, but
Marysville’s
Excellent 85 117
improvement was
outstanding. We went Effective 177 229
from meeting 12 out of
22 indicators in 2003, Continuous Improvement 278 224
which meant a rating of
Continuous Improvement, Academic Watch 52 34
meeting 18 out of 18,
which earned us the Academic Emergency 16 4
rating of Excellent.

In addition to meeting Grade 3 Reading Grade 4


all the state’s
performance 100 100
indicators, Marysville 90 90
exceeded the state’s
average passage rate 80 80
in all but two 70 70
proficiency test areas.
60 60

50 50
State Average 40 40

30 30
Marysville
20 20

10 10

0 0
Citizenship Math Reading Science Writing

Grade 6 Grade 10

100 100

90 90

80 80

70 70

60 60

50 50

40 40

30 30

20 20

10 10

0 0
Citizenship Math Reading Science Writing Citizenship Math Reading Science Writing

8
The Heart of Excellence
Striving to give all students the educational
experiences they need and caring about all aspects
of students’ well-being are at the heart of
excellence for the Marysville Schools.

Challenges of Growing and Staying Small


A fine little community . . . a nice park . . . an excellent
hospital . . . strong churches . . . wonderful schools that keep
good teachers in the community—those are among the reasons
Dr. Rodney Hurl brought his family to Marysville in 1959. Over
40 years later—after tremendous growth in population and
industry—young professionals with families still cite the same
reasons for making Marysville their home.
Keeping the “small town” feeling in a school system that
grows by about 200 new students per year is a challenge. But
teachers and administrators are committed to
giving every student the loving attention all
parents want for their children.

Keeping the Peace


At East Elementary, guidance counselors, with
help from the Union County Department of Health
and parent volunteers, are continually working
with students to prevent and resolve conflicts. By
going into classrooms and observing as students
play games, guidance counselors are able to find
better strategies for keeping the peace.
Through a state grant awarded to East, several teach-
ers in the district will be attending training in conflict
resolution at Ohio State’s Center for Peace.

Looking at the Big Picture


At each of the Marysville Schools, giving additional
attention and striving to understand what is best for the
individual are the most important strategies for students
who are having problems with behavior.
At Marysville High School, principals look at the big
picture when students make poor decisions. For attendance
problems, a school representative participates in mediation
sessions to try finding a solution before appearing in juvenile
court becomes necessary. When students violate school policies,
principals try to understand what happened and why. “When a
student is called to the office,” says dean of students Shawn
Williams, “we usually finish on good terms and the student
understands how he or she could have made a better decision.”

9
How Planning Tools Work

Each Student . . .
Sets Goals Creates an Action Plan Tracks Progress
Goals Action Plan
for Reading at Home Hours Reading
1) Maintain or Hours
improve
What? Who? When?
grades. 4
Get books at Me Every 2
2) Earn an A or B library weeks 3
on every math
test for the Read in bed. (Go Me 2 nights
2
rest of year. 1/2 hour early) a week

Keep reading Every 1


3) Read at home Me
for 3.5 hours graph by bed night
or more every
Read with mom Me 3 days a Week 1 2 3 4 5
two weeks.
or dad week

Teaching Responsibility
Students at Edgewood Elementary and Raymond Elementary
continue to use organizational planning tools—similar to those used
at Honda—to set and monitor their own learning goals. Each stu-
dent, with help from teachers and parents, sets goals related to
skills or behaviors that will make the greatest difference in his or
her continued progress. Because they track their progress continu-
ally, students remember their goals and are motivated to improve.
As additional schools in the district complete training in orga-
nizational planning and work with a consultant provided by Honda,
Edgewood and Raymond are expanding and refining their use of the
tools. Currently, teachers are working to match the planning tools
more closely with what they teach and how students learn. At
Edgewood, for example, teacher Cindy Teske is making the tools
more concrete and visual for her students with special needs.

Sustaining the Values


The most important way to hold on to the community spirit
that keeps Marysville a small town at heart is to encourage children
to put good citizenship into practice. Social studies teachers at the
Middle School are nurturing community spirit by requiring students
to do a community service project.
What do they learn? Here is one example:
Ali Moore, a member of Marysville Middle School’s 7th grade
Red team, volunteered recently at Trillium Place, a senior retire-
ment community. "Before I actually knew senior citizens,” says Ali,
“I always thought that they lost their spunk and weren't as playful.
Turns out most of them are kidders and pranksters. I realized from
this experience that you should respect elders more and that you
can still relate to people no matter what the age group.”

10
Healthy Students, Better Learning
Nurturing children means caring about every area that
affects their ability to develop and learn—including their physical
health. Because the Marysville Schools have made healthy envi-
ronments a goal in the district continuous improvement plan,
efforts to promote students’ health and fitness are becoming an
increasingly vital part of the school day.

Starting the Day Right


“Children need energy to learn well,” says Navin Elementary
School’s principal Trent Bowers. “A good curriculum will not make
up for starting the day hungry.” That is why Navin offers stu-
dents in grades 1-4 a nutritious breakfast every morning. About
115 students—some who are economically disadvantaged and
others who just aren’t hungry until they have been awake for
awhile—are taking advantage of the reasonably priced meal. A
state Smart Start grant was used to get the program started.

Developing Lifelong Fitness Habits


A new physical education curriculum, now in development, is
decreasing the focus on athletic competition and increasing the
emphasis on developing each student’s ability to:
 Assess his or her own fitness levels. Students often use
pedometers to measure their activity levels during physical
education classes.
 Set personal health and fitness goals and monitor progress
toward those goals.
 Find fitness activities that are most enjoyable and see the
connection between those activities and improved fitness.
Physical education teachers hope that students will develop
independent health and fitness habits that will last a lifetime.

11
A Commitment to the Individual
Marysville is committed to making sure every child has a
positive school experience—whatever it takes.

Doing What It Takes


As a school system, Marysville excels in special education by
keeping class sizes small, providing teachers with training, and
working closely with families. Starting in the 2003-04 school year,
Marysville began a full-day preschool program that is designed for
children with autism spectrum disorders and severe communication
delays.
But equally important are the countless ways schools and
teachers work with individual students—such as adapting physical
education so that each student with a disability will have the oppor-
tunity to be physically fit and providing adaptive technologies so
that students with visual, hearing, or speech impairments can learn
and communicate.

Meeting Students Halfway


Being with peers, working with a variety of teachers, and
moving through the daily school routine help most students mature
and prepare for the workplace. But some students benefit more
from working independently and on their own timetables.
Marysville’s evening high school is one opportunity available to
students needing an alternative. Students who are unable to attend
during the day, wish to graduate in three years, or need a few extra
credits to graduate on time come in the evening and engage in
guided independent study that is supervised by a certified teacher.
There are over 40 evening high school grads in the Class of 2004.
The Marysville Digital Academy, which is funded by the state,
is another alternative. Parents who home school their children can
take advantage of an excellent curriculum that is delivered online.

A Student With a Heart of Excellence


Jared LeMaster is a Marysville High School student
with a gift for art and a wonderful sense of humor.
But after a car struck him, resulting in severe head
injuries, sharing those gifts requires great effort.
Displaying his “heart of excellence,” Jared relearned
how to use every muscle—even those controlling his
eyes. Although unable to speak, he continues to
work at regaining fine motor skills needed for
drawing, and he completes each day of school and
physical therapy with good humor. “He’s amazing,
ornery, and playful,” says Jared’s mother, Teri
LeMaster. “He is rarely frustrated and laughs a lot.”
Jared’s family, undoubtedly a major reason for his
great spirit, looks forward to richer conversations
that will be made possible by a touch screen
speech device the district is obtaining for him.

12
The Spirit of Collaboration
Educators, parents, businesses, and community
organizations all work together to help the Marysville
Schools attain excellence.

A Professional Community
Candidates who apply for teaching positions in Marysville
must know their subject areas to be hired. But when the building
principals conduct a group interview with a candidate, they are
looking for more than good grades. To be hired in Marysville, says
assistant superintendent Neal Handler, a teacher must be flex-
ible, a good listener, and a good problem solver. Most of all, he
says, it must be clear that the teacher cares about kids.
A career as a Marysville educator begins with four days of
training. New employees become familiar with the curriculum
and the district’s continuous improvement planning process. Each is
paired with a veteran teacher, who will serve as a mentor. For most,
those four days are the beginning of a long-term commitment. The
strong working relationships and professional support educators find in
Marysville may be a major reason that few leave for jobs in other districts.

Collaborating Across Classrooms and Grades


A Marysville educator’s concern for students does not begin and end
in a school year. For example, high school and middle school
mathematics teachers have been working together to revise the
curriculum and select textbooks so that middle school students will have
a good foundation for success on the Ohio Graduation Test. Also, special
education teachers and those who teach mainstream classes often work
together to help students who are struggling and to ensure that all
students are being taught the same curriculum.

Supporting Professional Growth


Marysville educators are continually learning and helping their
colleagues learn. For example, science teachers at the middle school
often help teachers at the elementary schools in developing richer
science lessons.
The district now has seven educators who are certified by the
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. These
teachers have worked extremely hard to demonstrate outstanding
knowledge and skill in teaching, but their success also is a tribute
to the support they received from their colleagues and principals,
as well as the encouragement of students and parents.

13
Making the Most of Resources
Thanks to Marysville citizens, who voted to pass an operating
levy in August, new business processes, and a wealth of community
resources, the Marysville Schools are attaining excellence.

Controlling Costs
As Marysville continues to grow, adopting some of the methods
large companies use to control costs will become increasingly valu-
able. Changes that will control or reduce the district’s costs include:
 Ordering consumable supplies in bulk at a lower cost and dis-
tributing them to school buildings as needed.
 Standardizing the purchases of computer printers so that
printer supplies can be purchased in bulk.
 Keeping a central inventory of textbooks. When a building is
short of books, they can locate any extra copies other buildings
have on hand instead of ordering additional books.
 Using a computer system to track office furniture, computers,
and other equipment.
The new Receiving Center provides the physical space that is
needed to carry out those cost control strategies.

Improving Communication
To help improve communication—a Continuous Improvement
goal—the district has launched “Together Toward Excellence,” a
newsletter that recognizes contributions of our community partners
and keeps them informed about initiatives that promote excellence.
Email helps teachers keep parents informed about students’
academic progress, but parents and teachers also enjoy exchanging
messages about the funny and exciting things that happen each day.
Parents can obtain training and support through the Ohio
Parent Information and Resource Center. OhioPIRC offers parenting
information, parenting support groups, parent leadership training,
referral services, Family Literacy Services, and educational issues
training. Reach OhioPIRC at 788 Mt. Vernon Avenue, Cincinnati, OH
45219. Call Toll-Free: (866) 253-1829 or email emiller@cul.org

Enriching the Curriculum


The Marysville Schools make good use of the many resources
available in the community and region:
 Classes take field trips to the Columbus Museum of Art, and
artists work in the schools.
 Chemistry teachers take students
to the Nestles R&D Center to
observe a working chemistry lab.
 East Elementary School students
learn about and practice recycling
with help from the Union County
Department of Health.

14
A Community that Gives
Parents and other members of the Marysville community
support learning by volunteering their time. They help stretch
resources by raising money for library books and extras. They
faithfully attend Donuts for Dads and Muffins for Moms at their
children’s schools.
Along with their time and commitment, community members
also are responsible for a considerable infusion of knowledge,
expertise, and wisdom into the Marysville Schools.

Bringing the Business World to Students


Students in grades 7 and 8 are at the age when career deci-
sions begin to take shape. On hand to advise them are community
members from Junior Achievement.
Local business owners, executives from large corporations,
professionals in law and medicine, government officials, and others
who form the fabric of commercial and civic life in Marysville—all
have taken time to teach students at the Middle School some prin-
ciples of economics.

Sharing Lessons from High Tech Industry


A few years ago, Jill Huffman worked in high-tech sales. Large
companies depended on her to help them choose the right Microsoft
products. Today, she is a technology facilitator and reading tutor at
Edgewood Elementary, where her two children are students.
Jill is happy that her job at Edgewood allows her to spend more
time with her family and work with children. “They have so much
energy and affection,” she says. “I get hugged all day.” Referring to
herself as “a poster child for Marysville,” she also is glad to give
something back to the school system that gave her the foundation
and confidence to excel in a demanding high tech career.

Reaching Out in Kindness


With continuous acts of kindness, the Marysville community
shows teachers and students that their efforts are appreciated and
that their well-being matters.
”A family feeling” is how Raymond Elementary’s principal
Rebecca Heimlich describes the school’s relationship with the
surrounding community. Educators use the township hall, next
door to the school, for meetings. Local churches donate school
supplies to Raymond in September and treats to reward stu-
dents’ hard work on proficiency test days. When teachers
extend their work days to hold parent conferences, local
churches sustain them by bringing a delicious meal to the
school. Also, churches help with the school’s annual Funfest
and members volunteer as OhioReads tutors.

Many thanks to the people of Marysville for


working with your schools to attain excellence!

15
Marysville Schools
Larry Zimmerman, Superintendent
Neal Handler, Assistant Superintendent
Dolores Cramer, Treasurer/CFO
Mike White, Business Services
Ellen Traucht, Student Services
Carla Steele, K-6 Curriculum
Yvonne Boyd, 7-12 Curriculum
Gregg Stubbs, Grants and Planning

You can access this report and other important information


about Marysville Schools via our website:
www.marysville.k12.oh.us.
If you have general questions or comments about this
report, call Gregg Stubbs at 937-644-8105.
If you have questions about specific programs or activities,
you are welcome to call the participating schools.

Marysville High School: 937-642-0010


Marysville Middle School: 937-642-1721
Creekview Intermediate School: 937-642-1154
East Elementary School: 937-642-4871
Edgewood Elementary School: 937-642-7801
Mill Valley Elementary School: 937-642-3822
Navin Elementary School: 937-578-0138
Raymond Elementary School: 937-246-2861

Marysville Schools
NON-PROFIT
1000 Edgewood Drive
ORGANIZATION
Marysville, OH 43040
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
MARYSVILLE, OH 43040
PERMIT#20
CARRIER ROUTE PRESORT

16

Você também pode gostar