Coloma Community Schools
P.O. Box 550 Coloma, Michigan 49038
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Daryl Ost, Principal
Terry Ann Boguth
Washington Elementary School
Superintendent
Phone: (269) 468-2430
Phone: 468-2424
Fax: (269) 468-2436
FAX: 468-2440
Washington Elementary was alive with fun and meaningful activities for both
students and staff. We had thirty-three student and or community activities in our
building and three activities that occurred off our campus that involved many staff.
These off campus activities occurred from one day to five days in length.
Highlights of these many activities are, but not limited to the following: Community
Movie Nights, Title One Parent Nights, Community Ident-A-Kid, and Community
Spring Carnival. Washington Elementary Highlight activities that occurred in-house
included: Health and wellness screenings, Anti-bullying activities, Student Safety
Presentations, Assemblies, and building involvement with our therapy dog.
Professional Staff were involved in many training opportunities organized by our
Curriculum Director as well as off sight P.D. Days.
We believe that students can also learn off campus. Students visited area farms,
Sarrett Nature Center, Ice Skating and a free field trip to St. Joseph Michigan for a
dinosaur exhibit.
We are always looking for new and creative ways to engage our children and
community in learning. We believe that it takes a community to create a school
and we strive to encourage community involvement.
Sincerely,
Daryl Ost, Principal
Washington Elementary School
We are pleased to present you with the Annual Education Report (AER) which provides
key information on the 2012-2013 educational progress for the Coloma High School.
The AER addresses the complex reporting information required by federal and state
laws. The school’s report contains information about student assessment, accountability
and teacher quality. If you have any questions about the AER, please contact Daryl Ost
for assistance.
The AER is available for you to review electronically by visiting the following web site
www.ccs.coloma.org/colwash/index.htm or you may review a copy in the principal’s
office at your child’s school.
The state has identified some schools with the status of Reward, Focus or Priority. A
Reward school is one that is outperforming other schools in achievement, growth, or is
performing better than other schools with a similar student population. A Focus school is
one that has a large achievement gap in 30% of it’s student achievement scores. A
Priority school is one whose achievement and growth is in the lowest 5% of all schools in
the state.
Our school has not been identified as one of these areas.
State law requires that we also report additional information.
ASSIGNING PUPILS TO THE SCHOOL
Washington is an early elementary building consisting of pre-K through first grade. Our
school age students in Developmental
Avg.
Kindergarten and Kindergarten are assigned to
Grade
Class
our school through a Kindergarten round-up.
Size
Several stations are set up to screen our
P.S. - Sp. Ed
7
incoming students, which allow us to make a
recommendation to parents on appropriate
Dev. Kind.
16
placement. We also have an on-site preschool
Kind.
26.5
program (Little Learners) that feeds into our
building. Those students are screened by their
1st
26.6
preschool teachers and recommendations are
made for Developmental or traditional Kindergarten. First grade students are assigned
to classes to classes based on their Kindergarten teachers’ recommendation.
THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
A complete copy of the 3-5 year School Improvement Plan is located on Washington
Elementary School’s website at http://ccs.coloma.org/colwash/index.htm.
SPECIALIZED SCHOOLS
Specialized schools provide educational alternatives and opportunities for handicapped
students as well as meeting their special needs. These programs are an integral part
of the continuum of educational services available to special students in Berrien
County. Following is a brief description of the specialized schools that serve Coloma
Community School District students.
BLOSSOMLAND LEARNING CENTER
BERRIEN REGIONAL EDUCATION SERVICE AGENCY
BERRIEN SPRINGS, MICHIGAN
The purpose of Blossomland Learning Center is to provide services to students who
have been diagnosed as moderate to severe cognitive impairment up to age 26 who
reside within the Berrien Regional Education Service Agency. The school assists
students in preparing for entry into their respective communities. Ten (10) Coloma
Community School District resident(s) attended this program during the 2012-13 school
year. Students are placed in the program through an Individual Educational Planning
Committee composed of local district and Berrien RESA diagnostic and educational
staff.
LIGHTHOUSE EDUCATION CENTER
BERRIEN REGIONAL EDUCATION SERVICE AGENCY
ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN
The Lighthouse Education Center program is operated as a therapeutic and
educational program for students diagnosed as severe emotional impairment up to age
26 who reside within the Berrien Regional Education Service Agency. These students
exhibit a severity of emotional difficulties which prohibits them from regular attendance
within the resident district. During the 2012-13 school year, five (5) Coloma
Community School District resident(s) attended this program, with the goal of eventual
re-integration into the resident district's educational system.
HEARING IMPAIRED PROGRAM
BERRIEN SPRINGS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BERRIEN SPRINGS, MICHIGAN
The Berrien County Hearing Impaired Program provides educational services for
hearing impaired students from Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties. During the
2012-13 school year, two (2) student(s) from Coloma Community School District
attended the program, which includes children from pre-school age through 26 years.
This program is operated by the Berrien Springs Public Schools and is funded by the
Berrien Regional Education Service Agency. In addition to classroom and teacher
consultant services, the program also serves as a diagnostic center and employs an
audiologist for the purpose of assessing severity and type of hearing loss. Some
students, when determined educationally appropriate by an Individualized Educational
Planning Committee, are educated in their resident district with the support of a teacher
consultant provided by the Hearing Impaired Program.
SOUTHSIDE PROGRAM
NILES COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
NILES, MI
Niles operates center based programs for low incidence special education students
needing a full time placement.
The program for the Severely Emotionally Impaired (SEI) includes students with severe
emotional or behavioral problems. These students receive a very strict, highly
structured program designed to change inappropriate behavior patterns and allow
learning to take place. Expectations for performance are high with the goal of
successful readmission to their former school. Classroom programs serve students
ages 10 through 25.
Students in the Pre-Vocational program have below average ability levels, making
success in their local high schools extremely difficult. Often their low ability is
compounded by a weak self concept and inadequate social skills. Once at Southside a
few may pursue a Certificate of Completion, but most will follow a curriculum designed
to promote independent living. Classrooms are available to serve ages 16 through 25.
During the 2012-13 school year, zero (0) students from the Coloma Community School
District attended this program.
Core Curriculum
All students in Coloma Community Schools are unique individuals with differing needs,
abilities, and aspirations. Student of all backgrounds, socioeconomic status, race,
gender, and handicapping conditions are welcomed and educated in Coloma
Community Schools.
All students of Coloma must develop the abilities, positive attitudes, and skills
necessary to function effectively in a democratic society and in a competitive, everchanging world. For this reason, our dedicated staff must provide a safe and orderly
learning environment, which will promote mastery of essential skills (Adult Roles and
core content curriculum standards) and the opportunity for extended learning in
opportunities in career areas. Our district has determined the six goals for all buildings.
They include the four core curriculum areas (Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and
Social Studies), Employability Skills (district Adult Roles), and Career Pathways. The
building’s school improvement team will determine, using data, which of the goals are to
be focused on.
As each of our students is unique, so are our schools. District leadership allows and
expects each building administrator to be a visionary, transformational leader who is
knowledgeable about curriculum and state mandates, leads by example, uses staff
evaluations and student assessments for the purpose of instructional and learning
improvement, is highly visible in the school setting and community, and uses a variety of
communication skills to inform and facilitate the staff, parents, community, and students.
These skills are vital for the School Improvement Plan, specifically the implementing the
strategies necessary to reach the goals, to be fully implemented.
The School Improvement Team is the group in which effectively changing and
improving the learning of students is discussed. It is through this team that the
collaborative empowered staff sustains improvement. The team includes the principal,
a representative group of teaching and support staff from as many grades, subject
areas, or departments as possible, and parents who represent the make-up of the
school. Teams range in size depending on school size or management size.
The Coloma Community School staff members must believe and demonstrate that all
students will learn and be successful in our schools. The staff members must set high
standards and believe that student success with these standards is possible through
their efforts. Through continuously setting, monitoring, and evaluating progress with
goals, the staff will search out opportunities to improve learning and instruction.
Local and Norm Referenced Achievement Data
At Washington Elementary School we administer a variety of assessments to help
determine student needs and progress. Examples: Students are assessed in Grades K
and 1 using the DIBELS assessment. Students in grades K and 1 are given the STAR
reading test each marking period to test for knowledge of vocabulary, fluency and
comprehension. All students, kindergarten and first grade, are administered required
local assessments in all core area subjects.
Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) are a set of assessments
used for universal screening and progress monitoring in grades K-1. They help
educators identify students who may need additional literacy instruction in order to
become proficient reader.
The DIBELS measures were specifically designed to assess the Biug Ideas of early
literacy: Phonological Awareness, Alphabetic Principal, Fluency with Connected Text,
Vocabulary, and Comprehension. The measures are linked to one another both
psychometrically and theoretically, and have been found to be predictive of later reading
proficiency. The measures are also consisten with many of the Common Core State
Standards in Reading especially the Foundational Skills. Combined, the measures form
an assessment system of early literacy development that allows educators to readily
and reliably determine student progress.
Measures of Phonological Awareness:
 Initial Sounds Fluency (ISF): Assesses a child’s skill at identifying and producing
the initial sound of a given word.
 Phonemic Segmentation Fluency (PSF): Assesses a child’s skill at producing the
individual sounds within a given word.
Measure of Alphabetic Principle and Phonics:
 Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF): Assesses a child’s knowledge of letter-sound
correspondences as well their ability to blend letters together to form unfamiliar
“nonsense” (e.g. ut, fik, lig, etc.) words.
 Oral Reading Fluency (ORF): If accuracy is less than 95%
Measure of Accuracy and Fluency with Connected Text:
 Oral Reading Fluency (ORF): Assess a child’s skill at reading connected text in
grade-level materials.
Measure of Comprehension:
 Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) and Retell Fluency (RT): Assesses a child’s
understanding of verbally read connected text.
Measure of Vocabulary and Oral Language:
 Word Use Fluency (WUF): Assesses a child’s ability to accurately use a
provided word in the context of a sentence.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Spring conferences are by invitation based on student needs or by parent
request.
Year
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
# Attending
Fall
218
136
188
% Attending
Spring
64
28
56
Fall
85%
60%
84%
Spring
76.5%
13%
25%
Parent Involvement Policy
Parents are encouraged to volunteer and become involved in all aspects of the educational
program at Washington School. Some of the opportunities for volunteering include the
Walking Club, classroom projects, reading with students, room parents and chaperoning
field trips. We also are fortunate to have an active PTO organization that supports the
efforts of teachers and staff.
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Involvement Policy
State of Michigan Parent/Guardian Involvement Initiative
The Board strongly encourages and welcomes the involvement of parent(s)/guardian(s) in all of the District’s
educational programs. It is recognized and appreciated that parents/guardians are the “first teachers” of their
children, and that their interest and involvement in the education of their children should not diminish once their
child enters the schools of the district. Accordingly, the Board directs, by the adoption of this policy, that the
administration shall design a program/plan that will encourage parent(s)/guardian(s) participation that may
include, but not be limited to: the development and review of instructional materials: input on the ways that the
District may better provide parent(s)/guardian(s) with information concerning current laws, regulations, and
instructional programs; and District offerings of training programs to instruct parent(s)/guardian(s) how to
become more involved in their child's educational programs.
Pursuant to state law, the Superintendent shall provide a copy of the District’s Parental Involvement plan to all
parents.
Title I Programs
In accordance with the requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act, the Coloma Board of Education encourages
parent(s)/guardian(s) participation in Title I programs. Parent(s)/Guardian(s) shall be offered substantial and
meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children by this policy.
The Board directs that the following actions be implemented by the administration to insure compliance with state
and federal law and to invite parent(s)/guardian(s) to become involved highly in the education of their children:
 The involvement of parent(s)/guardian(s) in the planning, implementation, evaluation, and improvement of
Title I programs/services through participation on building School Improvement Teams;
 Invitations to parent(s)/guardian(s) to attend at least one annual meeting for Title I parents, with additional
meeting opportunities being available as needed, designed to provide information about programs and
services, and to solicit parent(s)/guardian(s) suggestions on program development, planning, evaluation and
operation;

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Assistance to parent(s)/guardian(s) in understanding Title I, including the providing of information in a
language understandable to the parent(s)/ guardian(s) if practicable;
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) notification of Title I student selection and criteria for selection;
Information regarding child's achievement and progress;
A provision for input by staff at regularly scheduled parent/guardian-teacher conferences and any additional
communication as requested by the staff or parent(s)/guardian(s);
Opportunities to enhance parent(s)/guardian(s) capacity to work with children in the home on school learning;
Professional development opportunities for teachers and staff to enhance their understanding of effective
parent(s)/guardian(s) involvement strategies;
Ongoing communication between school and parent(s)/guardian(s); and
Other appropriate activities (i.e. Family Math Nights, parent(s)/guardian(s) sessions, science, theatre, etc.)
Written Plans/Policies
The Coloma Community School District, as a recipient of Title I funds, hereby adopts the following policy
statement regarding the development of a District-wide plan for parent(s)/guardian(s) involvement in the
development of a Title I plan. Individual buildings may personalize the district plan to meet the particular needs
of their school, subject to review by the Superintendent. The Board directs the administration to:
 Involve parent(s)/guardian(s) in the development of the plan;
 Develop a plan that provides for the involvement of parent(s)/guardian(s) in the Title I activities of the
school;
 Provide the necessary technical, research, staff and administrative support to schools in the planning and
implementing of effective parent(s)/guardian(s) involvement activities to improve student academic
achievement and school performance;
 To integrate and coordinate the plans/policies for parent(s)/guardian(s) involvement in Title I programs
with parent(s)/guardian(s) involvement in other programs, including but not limited to Head Start;
 To review and evaluate the District’s plan annually and to share the results of that review and evaluation
with the Board;
 To assure that the policy/plan contains a compact that outlines how parent(s)/guardian(s), the school staff
and students will share the responsibility of improved student achievement; and
 To distribute the district plan to parent(s)/guardian(s) of participating children and to the local
community.
Migrant Education Program (MEP) Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Involvement
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of students in the MEP will be involved in, and regularly consulted, about the development,
implementation, operation, and evaluation of the program.
Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Involvement
In accordance with federal law, parent(s)/guardian(s) of LEP students will be provided notice regarding
their child’s placement in and information about the District’s LEP program. Parent(s)/Guardian(s) will
be notified about their rights regarding program content and participation including the right to choose
among programs if alternatives are available. The notice must also include an explanation of the value
of the program in terms of academic development, mastery of English, and the achievement of
promotion and graduation standards. The notice will also include an explanation of the right to remove
the child from an LEP program and to place the child in the regular program. The notice must be in a
format that families can comprehend and, if possible, in a language that is understood by the family.
School-Level Student Assessment Data – State Generated
None Available
Teacher Quality Reporting
Other
Professional Qualifications of All Public
Elementary and Secondary School Teachers in the
School
BA
MA
PHD
6
1
1
6
14
Professional Qualifications are defined by the State and may include information such as the degrees of
public school teachers (e.g. percentage of teachers with Bachelor’s Degrees or Masters Degrees) or the percentage
of fully certified teachers
Certification Percent
Percentage of Public Elementary and Secondary School
Teachers in the School with Emergency Certification
0.00%
School Aggregate
Percentage of Core Academic Subject Elementary and
Secondary School Classes not Taught by Highly Qualified
Teachers
0.00%
Thank you to the board of education, the staff, students and community for the
continued support as we work diligently to improve our educational practices and
our student outcomes. We have experienced great success and look forward to
continuing the long history of academic excellence.