To the Parents/Guardians of Students Attending Lame Deer Elementary School and/or Lame Deer Junior High/High School:

      I am writing to inform you of an opportunity for after-school tutoring.  Under the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, supplemental educational services must be offered by schools who fail to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in student achievement for three consecutive years or more.  Our schools are required to offer these services.  Tutoring is the most typical type of supplemental educational service.  Supplemental educational services are additional instruction designed to increase the academic achievement of students. No Child Left Behind requires that the supplemental educational services be offered outside of the regular school day.  In addition, these services can only be offered by providers who have been approved by the Montana Office of Public Instruction. 
     The school district must provide parents with the approved list of supplemental educational providers, and parents may chose a provider from the list, if they are interested in the after-school tutoring.  The tutoring is free.  The school district is obligated to pay for the tutoring.  However, if the demand for tutoring exceeds the amount of money that is budgeted for supplemental educational service, then the district must give priority to the lowest achieving eligible children.  In other words, it is possible that not all children in the district can be provided with supplemental educational services.  Two basic types of tutoring are offered: (1) onsite services, which typically are provided at the school, using district teachers—transportation is not provided; and (2) online services, which require a computer outside of school with internet access.  I have enclosed the list of approved providers.  At your request I can also provide more detailed information about the providers.   
     If you are interested in supplemental educational services, you must notify me by Friday, September 23, 2004.  If you have any questions about the services offered, please, contact me either in person at my office in the administrative building or call me at the school.  My phone number is 477-6305, extension 308.

     I am writing to provide information about the No Child Left Behind Act and how it affects Lame Deer Public Schools.  No Child Left Behind was passed by Congress in 2001 and was signed into law by the President Bush on January 8, 2002.  The act requires schools to show adequate yearly progress (AYP) in student achievement.  If a school fails to make adequate yearly progress for two years in a row, the school is required to provide additional interventions to improve student achievement.  If a school continues to fail to make adequate yearly progress, additional interventions and restructuring are required. 
     Montana uses the Criterion Referenced Test (CRT) to determine AYP—the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) provides additional information.  Three grades are tested: 4th, 8th, and 10th.  The CRT tests math and reading; in the near future, it will also test science.  A student’s CRT scores fall into one of four categories (from the lowest scores to the highest scores): novice, nearing proficiency, proficient, and advanced.   In reading, 55% of students must be proficient or above for a school to make AYP.  In math, 45% of students must be proficient or above.  Another way to achieve AYP is called Safe Harbor: if there is a 10% increase from the previous year in the number of students who are proficient or above, a school has achieved AYP.
     All three grades failed to make AYP in reading and math.  However, it appears that in the 8th and 10th grades Safe Harbor (a 10% increase from the previous year in the number of students who are proficient or above) was achieved in Reading.  Before Safe Harbor is granted, an appeal must be made to the state.  Even if Safe Harbor is granted for Reading in the 8th and 10th grades, two years of making AYP are required to escape the Improvement Process.  Consequently, our schools remain in the Improvement Process. 
     The elementary school has failed to make adequate yearly progress for six years.  Consequently, the elementary school in the 2005-2006 school year is in restructuring.  We are required to offer Supplemental Educational Services (typically, after-school tutoring).  In addition, we are required to make some changes in the following areas: staffing, curriculum, district involvement, or employment of outside consultants. The junior high/high school is also in restructuring.  Again we are required to offer Supplemental Education Services.  And again we required to make some changes in staffing, curriculum, or employment of outside consultants.
     The district has adopted the Montana Behavior Initiative (MBI) as its classroom management program.  MBI emphasizes building positive relations between teachers, students, and parents.  Jeanie Alderson of Chief Dull Knife College will provide training to K-12 teachers about helping students with limited English proficiency to succeed in school.
     The district continues its commitment to improving reading and mathematics skills and scores.  We have worked to develop a district-wide K-12 instructional system, designed for the prevention of reading and math difficulties.  As this school year begins, we are prepared to implement the complete system. 
Reading
     At the elementary school we will continue to implement a scientifically based reading research program, Open Court, as well as a number of reading interventions—among them, READ 180 and Corrective Reading.  All students will be tested using Dibels.  Our Reading First grant will provide extensive professional development for teachers.
     At the junior high/high school we have purchased READ 180 materials for the 7th and 8th grades. READ 180 is designed for students who are struggling with reading and need additional instruction; it is not for all students.  We implemented READ 180 with 9-12 students last year and will continue to do so. This year we will continue to implement a Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) period to give all students more opportunities to read. 
     All students will be tested using the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI).  The Read 180 teachers will receive professional development for implementing the program.   
Math
     At the elementary school we have implemented a scientifically based math research program, Math Investigations, and will continue to implement it this year.  We have contracted with Northwest Regional Educational Lab (NWREL) to provide extensive professional development this year.
     At the junior high/high school we will continue to implement Connected Math in the 7th and 8th grades.  The math teacher will participate in the professional development activities from NWREL.  We will also continue to use ALEKS, a computer-based math tutorial.  We have purchased the Carnegie Learning Math curriculum for Algebra I, II, and Geometry.  The curriculum has two parts: (1) a textbook and (2) a computer-based math tutorial.  Carnegie Learning has a strong research base, matches up with Math Investigations and Connected Math, as well as with the Criterion Referenced Test (CRT).  Carnegie Learning will provide professional development to the math teachers.
Science
     We have purchased a new science curriculum.  It will be implement in grades 3-12.  McGraw-Hill is the publisher of the curriculum.  The teachers will receive professional development for implementing the curriculum.
     The purchase and implementation of the above programs will help us to achieve our long-term goal;
Every child will test at grade level in reading, math, and science by the end of third grade; every child will continue to test at grade level after third grade.
     Jill Henzie returns this year as the elementary school principal.  The district has moved the 6th grade back to the elementary school, and Jill will administer grades K-6.  Mark Fritz is the new 7th and 8th grade principal.  Mark’s wife grew up in Colstrip and graduated from Colstrip High School.  In college he was an All-American in football and basketball.  Brian Bagley is the new 9-12 principal.  Brian was a teacher for more than twenty years before he became an administrator; his experience in education is extensive.  Both new principals are enthusiastic about joining our community. 
     If you have any questions about No Child Left Behind or how it affects Lame Deer Public Schools, please, contact me either in person at my office in the administration building or call me.  My phone number is 477-6305, extension 308.

 Gary Hopkins, Federal Programs Director