Notice to Parents of Students Enrolled at
Boundary Street Elementary School
Public School Choice
June 22, 2009
According to the federal law, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, students must be provided an opportunity to attend another school within the district if the students are enrolled in a Title I school that has been identified as "in need of improvement". A school is identified as "in need of improvement" when the school does not meet the state’s definition of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for two consecutive years in the same subject area(s) and is a Title I School. Boundary Street Elementary School will remain in Continued School Improvement hold rather than moving to Corrective Action due to improvements they are making toward meeting AYP.
The School District of Newberry County will provide students enrolled at Boundary Street Elementary School the choice to transfer to another school in the district, which is not identified as in Need of Improvement and is geographically approximate to Boundary Street. The choice schools will be identified by the district administration and transportation will be provided.
Boundary Street Elementary School is on the preliminary list of schools that will have to offer school choice for the 2009-10 school year. This list was provided by the South Carolina Department of Education based on the fact that in order to be removed from the school in need of improvement list a school must meet AYP two consecutive years and this will be year four since Boundary Street Elementary School was placed on the in need of improvement list and is identified as continued school improvement hold for 2009-10.
Please find attached a summary of the academic achievement of the school your child is presently attending, as well as the academic achievement of the schools identified for choice.
Also attached to this letter is a School Choice Transfer Request Form that has a list of the schools to which your child could transfer. Please be aware that not all parents may receive their first choice of school and not all students requesting a transfer may be allowed to transfer due to limited funds available for transportation. If more students request a transfer than funds are available for transportation, priority will be given to the lowest performing students who also qualify for free or reduced lunch.
If you choose to transfer your child to one of the identified schools, please complete the attached form and return it by mail or in person to the following address:
Mr. Timothy, Principal
Boundary Street Elementary School
1406 Boundary Street
Newberry, SC 29108
Your request for transfer must be received in the school office on or before 4:30 p.m. August 7, 2009 in order for your child to be considered in this option to transfer. The official transfer date will be August 19, 2009 (the first day of the 2009-10 school year). Parents will be notified by mail of approved transfer location by January 4, 2009.
School Performance Data
Boundary Street Elementary met 13 of 19 performance objectives to meet the AYP objectives in 2006-07, and the school met 11 of 17 in 2007-08. The objectives for the 2008-09 school year have not been established due to the change from PACT to PASS testing at the state level.
In 2005-06, Boundary Street Elementary did not meet percent tested for the following subgroups: All students, African American students, Disabled students, and students that qualified for Subsidized Meals for both English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. All performance goals were met for each subgroup listed above for both ELA and Math.
In 2006-07, the school did not meet performance goals for ELA and Math for the following subgroups: All students, African-American students, and students that qualified for Subsidized Meals.
Boundary Street Elementary is addressing student performance by participating in the Reading First program to assist teachers in learning instructional strategies to help all students become better readers. The school is providing extended learning through computer-assisted programs, individual assistance, and after-school programs/tutoring. The staff is being supported with professional development in math and reading. The teachers are using Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) data to analyze individual students’ strengths and weaknesses, and plan instruction in Reading, Language, Math and Science. Parents are being involved through the Math Fair, Science Night, and Literacy Night activities. The school is providing Montessori instruction through five classes serving three year olds through grade five. The needs of students learning English are being met through English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes. The school is providing a parent facilitator for Hispanic families. The Math Coach, Science Coach, Literacy Coach, and Curriculum Coordinator are assisting teachers with planning and providing instructional ideas to help all students perform to their abilities.
The school district is addressing student achievement by providing standards based curriculum guides for teachers, providing trained instructional coaches, assisting the school leadership team as they analyze student data, providing professional development opportunities for all staff, and assisting with the implementation of the Reading First initiative.
The South Carolina Department of Education is addressing student achievement at Boundary Street Elementary by providing technical support for the Reading First grant and its implementation, providing a 21st Century Community Learning Center after-school program, and providing technical assistance funds.
Parents can help by communicating regularly with teachers, reading daily with their children, ensuring that their children receive adequate rest and come to school prepared. Parents need to be involved in their child’s educational process by visiting their child’s classroom, volunteering at the school, and continuing to work with the classroom teacher to work toward achieving the best education possible for their child.
Contact Mr. Timothy Hunter, the principal of Boundary Street Elementary with any questions or concerns at 321-2615.