February

  2003

Accelerated Schools Project

Greetings from the Director

  “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.  Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”                                                                       -- Margaret Mead

I am privileged to work with such a wonderful network of thoughtful, committed people! I honestly believe that together we can change the educational world of our schools.  It is through our collective dedication to making our schools better learning communities that we will achieve improved success for our students, our families, and ourselves.  Don’t give up!

 Our newsletter is filled with good news.  Several of our schools and school personnel have been recognized for their excellence.  Take a few minutes to jot a colleague a note or an email thanking them for their diligence.  It is good to celebrate these successes!

Dayton Satellite Center for Accelerated Schools

University of Dayton

Dr. Julie K. Biddle, Director (Phone: 937-229-4517)(email: julie.biddle@notes.udayton.edu).

The ASP Newsletter is published three times a year by the ASP Satellite Center.

Vickie Hodges, Communications Coordinator (Phone: 937-229-3870)(email:vickie.hodges@notes.udayton.edu

Training Schedule

Monthly Coaches’ Meeting: March 17, 2003 (1-4 p.m.)

Cadre Leadership/Monthly Coaches’ Meeting: April 14, 2003

Leadership Institute: May 5 & 6, 2003 (also January & May 2004)

Monthly Coaches’ Meeting: May 19, 2003 (1-4 p.m.)

Initial Coaches’ Training: June 16-20, 2003

Leadership Institute: August 7-8, 2003

Powerful Learning & Literacy: September 22-23, 2003

Introduction to ASP: September 29, 2003

Inquiry: October 9-10, 2003

Network Conference:  November 7 &-8, 2003

Powerful Learning & Math: November 13-14, 2003

Sylvia Dick from Oakdale Elementary has been selected as the South West Ohio’s ART TEACHER OF THE YEAR!! 

Coburn Elementary was 1 of 125 schools in Michigan to receive the Golden Apple Award.  This award is presented to schools showing the most improvement on the MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program) test. 

KINDER ELEMENTARY IS NOMINATED FOR NATIONAL RECOGNITION AWARD

            Kinder Elementary in Miamisburg, OH has been named one of the fourteen schools nominated by the State Department of Education for the National Blue Ribbon Award.  The Chief State School Officer is permitted to nominate schools from her state based on enrollment of K-12 students.  Dr. Zelman is permitted to nominate only 14 schools out of the state’s 3000 schools.

            Schools are nominated for one of two reasons.  They are either identified as an outstanding school that has at least 40% of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds (there is a definition for this) and have dramatically improved the performance of all students to high levels in reading and math on state assessments over at least the past three years or because they are in the top 10% of all schools on state assessment scores for the latest year of reported tests.  In my opinion, Kinder could have been nominated because they meet both criteria.

            Schools receiving the Blue Ribbon Schools Award are nationally recognized for their academic achievement as some of America’s most successful schools.  This is a wonderful recognition of the hard work of Kinder’s students, teachers, families, and community.

            Kinder will complete the application for this award during the remaining months of this school year.  The winners of the Award will be notified in September.  Those of us who know the Kinder community know they are a special group of people.  We already know they are winners!  We are proud of you and commend you all for your sustained good work!  Kinder is in its eighth year as an Accelerated School.  They began seeing improvement in student achievement beginning in their third year of implementation.

Network Conference

The second annual Network Conference began with a pre-conference session on November 8 titled “Introduction to ASP” (Julie Biddle).  All events were held at the National Composite Center in Kettering, OH.  The Conference opened with entertainment provided by an enthusiastic and delightful group of second graders from the World of Wonder Accelerated Learning Community. Approximately 50 people attended the conference.

On the evening of November 8, there were 3 Interactive Showcases:

Laura Alig - Kinder – Miamisburg

Marla and Monica Marsh -  McKinley/Taft – Middletown

Judy Whelley - World of Wonder – Dayton

The following breakout sessions were presented on November 9:

Pam Feldman & Laura Alig (Kinder – Miamisburg) “Powerful Learning for All Students”

Maggie Lehman & Dawn Ellen Longfellow (Corpus Christi  – Dayton) “Our Victorian Day–A Schoolwide Powerful Learning Day”

Cindy Koth (World of Wonder – Dayton) “Writing with Young Children”

Patty Caldwell (Mayfield – Middletown) “Powerful Learning Experiences”

Patrick DeFrancesco & Jeff Banks (McKinley – Middletown) “Powerful Learning in Physical Education”

Julie Biddle (Dayton Satellite Center) “Questions and Answers About the Inquiry Process”

Sylvia Dick (Oakdale – Cincinnati) “Project Soup Bowl”

Lynese Wagner, Caroline Gibbs & colleagues (Taft – Middletown) “Powerful Planning”

Caroline Derr & Pam Styles (World of Wonder – Dayton) “Getting Parents Involved”

National Conference

Our network of schools was well represented in the recent National ASP Conference in New Orleans.  Seven of the 53 break-out sessions were lead by personnel from our network schools.  The following presentations were made by our colleagues:

Caroline Gibbs, Barbara Beckman, Lynese Wagner, Cathy Andrade & Sharon Brown (Taft Accelerated Elementary – Middletown) “Powerful Planning! Plan a Powerful Unit Today!”

Sylvia Dick & Denise Bourke (Oakdale Elementary – Cincinnati) “Project  Soup Bowl”

Nancy Vogel & Judy Whelley (World of Wonder Accelerated – Dayton) “Team Up with Powerful Learning and the Visual Arts”

Michelle Lyons & Margie Hater (Oakdale Elementary – Cincinnati) “TOTAL (Teaching Oakdale to Achieve Leadership)”

Svea Cooke & Julie Biddle (Dayton Satellite Center) “Ready or Not?”

Dawn Ellen Longfellow & Maggie Lehman (Corpus Christi Catholic – Dayton) “A Day in Victorian England”

Patty Caldwell & Lou Neubrander (Mayfield Elementary – Middletown) “Animal Power”