INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 196
Educating our students to reach their full potential
By

Educating our students to reach their full potential
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Overview of the District
Independent School District 196 is a state and nationally recognized E-12 public school district located in the south suburban Twin Cities, conveniently accessible to both
Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Also known as the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District, District 196 serves approximately 28,000 students in early childhood programs through 12th grade and is
Minnesota's fourth largest school district. The 110 square mile district boundary includes all or part of seven cities - Rosemount, Apple Valley, Eagan, Burnsville, Coates, Inver
Grove Heights and Lakeville and Empire and Vermillion townships.
District 196 has 18 elementary schools (grades K-5), including three elementary magnet schools that focus on arts and science, international studies, and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM ); six middle schools (grades 6-8); four high schools
(grades 9-12); an optional School of Environmental Studies at the Minnesota Zoo for juniors and seniors; an Area Learning Center alternative high school for those more successful in a smaller, non-traditional setting; a K-12 special education school for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (Dakota Ridge), and a special education school serving young adults ages 18-21 (Transition Plus and Pathway).
Schools use varied instructional models, but a rigorous program-evaluation process provides a comprehensive curriculum and essentially the same basic learning opportunities district-wide. Each school has programs for special education, students at risk and gifted students. Each school has at least one computer lab, email and Internet access, and a computer in almost every classroom.
Elementary schools are organized traditionally, teaching methods are traditional and texts are adopted district-wide. Middle schools have a six-period day and an academic house structure. High schools offer 28 AP courses, many electives and a variety of opportunities to participate in athletics and fine and performing arts.
District 196 has high academic standards and expectations, and a record of outstanding student achievement in and out of the classroom. The district has a comprehensive curriculum, outstanding teachers, supportive communities and a high level of parent involvement. District 196 has six National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence as named by the U.S. Department of Education and numerous state and nationally recognized programs in academics, the arts and athletics.
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Review of Previous Plans (2005-11)
In June 2004, District 196 was notified by the Minnesota Department of Education that two of the elementary schools, Cedar Park and Glacier Hills, had been identified as racially isolated. This meant that they had disproportionate populations of non-white students, 20 percent or more, above the district average at the elementary level. State law requires that the district develop a plan to integrate students within the district and bring them below the state-mandated threshold.
The initial 2005-08 District 196 Integration & Educational Equity Plan and subsequent
2008-2011 Integration & Educational Equity Plan was developed through the work of the
Community Collaboration Councils, District 196 staff and the community. The initial plan was approved by the state in late August 2005. Glacier Hills and Cedar Park elementary schools’ staff and parents spent considerable time assessing their buildings’ needs and developing the goals along with the Community Collaboration Council.
Assessment and input from various groups about the integration plan has resulted in a decision to take a system-wide approach. To achieve the goals of racial balance and educational equity in the schools, district staff, parents and the community require the tools and resources to accommodate the needs of all students. That preparation is achieved through the seven goals outlined in the Integration & Educational Equity Plan.
The plan laid the groundwork for parent choice, promotes interaction between students from diverse backgrounds and allows for collaboration between district staff, parents and the community. It will improve student achievement through professional development, reduction of class sizes and a comprehensive curriculum that creates a supportive environment for all students and their families.
The initial Integration & Educational Equity Plans supported seven goals:
1.
Increase racial balance.
2.
Increase academic growth at the racially isolated school(s).
3.
Increase interracial contact
4.
Provide system-wide oversight and direction to ensure cultural effectiveness.
5.
Professional development.
6.
Recruitment and retention of diverse staff.
7.
Family and community outreach to students and families.
To meet the goals and spirit of the rule, as well as to give the plan its foundation, District
196 immediately began to develop programs that would increase contact between diverse groups of students during the school day through programming with an academic focus as well as offer opportunities outside the school day. District staff began working on ways to maximize resources that would have a substantial impact resulting in the creation of “Paired Schools.” Three schools which were not racially identified were paired with a racially identifiable school in the belief that school choice would most likely take place between the connected schools.
The 2005-08 Integration & Educational Equity Plan was implemented in District 196 as a means to meet the requirements of the Minnesota Desegregation Rule 3535.0100. It has
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increased student achievement, brought students together from across the district for shared learning experiences with students from the identified schools, and provided for greater parent choice and inclusion. It has also provided resources to meet the needs of all learners and increased the ability of teachers and staff to meet those needs through professional development. The Integration Plan has allowed for many things to take place that would not have happened without the support of state funds, participation by the community, leadership in administration, and the professional and capable staff in
District 196. All students have benefited greatly from this plan and from the resources that followed it.
Cedar Park has had significant changes, although at first glance those changes may appear minor. Since Cedar Park was identified, the number of students in protected classes had increased 5-7 percent each year for the previous four years. As a result of the magnet schools and the options for attendance area 13CK, enrollment of students of color at Cedar Park has decreased by 3 percent and has not seen an increase since becoming a magnet school. We anticipate that this trend will continue because the largest numbers of spaces available in the magnet lottery program are at the kindergarten level and will remain so in the foreseeable future.
Glacier Hills was initially identified as a racially isolated school in 2004 and while it is no longer above the threshold, Glacier Hills, along with Echo Park and Oak Ridge remain close to the threshold and may become racially isolated in the future. It is important to revisit these demographic trends on a regular basis to ensure additional schools to not become identified as racially isolated.
Benefits of Focusing on the Integration & Educational Equity Plan
Substantive changes have taken place as a result of integration and the focus on equity.
In addition to reduced minority group isolation and increased parent choice and student achievement gains, District 196 has a committed focus on school equity and change. A centralized staff is determined to challenge and change practices and ideas which have not served our entire community well. Integration resources have changed how we do business for our families who are least likely to be served. All elementary students who are in the academic middle, in need of acceleration (and perhaps remediation) and who may also need advocacy on their behalf, have benefited from the plan implementation.
Also, the district has increased parental choice by the development of three elementary magnet schools and transportation .
While we have a great deal of work ahead of us, District 196 schools have made considerable gains in student achievement, especially for protected class students.
Students of color at Cedar Park and other schools with greater diversity are increasingly becoming more successful with our students.
Our acknowledgement of racial disparity has had some unintended benefits also.
Programs like Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), Pre-Advanced
Placement (Pre-AP), Project Lead the Way, secondary Chinese language courses, and increased school readiness have resulted due to our efforts. These programs reach students in all of our schools and change the way that teachers teach and students learn.
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As a result of the Integration & Educational Equity Plan and the resources that follow it, substantial and measurable changes have enhanced the overall academic and social quality of the district. Students are the direct beneficiaries as a result of, professional development, after-school programming, scholarships and enrichment opportunities. More parent involvement at school and increased communication has resulted in greater participation by parents in their children's academic lives. We believe that as a result of the resources available from the state, district students are not only better equipped to meet the challenges beyond elementary school, but also to meet the challenges facing our cities, state, and nation.
The need to continue to integrate our schools, not just from a racial perspective but also from a socioeconomic perspective, is significant. The ideals of the Brown v. Board of
Education of Topeka case and subsequent cases and academic research have presented clear reasons for creating inclusive environments. Education continues to be the great equalizer in our country and the effort to ensure that all students reach their full potential continues to be the mission of District 196.
The Community Collaboration Council
The District 196 Community Collaboration Councils (CCC) have been convened every three years to develop the Integration & Educational Equity Plan for the district that meets requirements of the Minnesota Desegregation Rule. For the development of the
2011-14 Integration & Educational Equity Plan, Ms. Glory Kibbel of GK Educational
Services was retained to provide consultation and facilitation expertise to the group and also design and coordinate various components of the plan.
The 19-member council was determined through an application and selection process coordinated by district personnel. It is representative of the diversity in District 196 and includes representation of students, teachers, principals, parents, School Board, District
Office personnel and the community. The council met between December, 2010 and
March, 2011 and did its work through two workgroup meetings and six general session meetings. The inaugural meeting of the Community Collaborative Council was held at
Cedar Park Elementary School (STEM) while the rest of the meetings were held at the
District Office. All meetings were open to the public.
To complete the work in a timely manner the council set up a workgroup charged with working with Ms. Kibbel to review the evaluation and frame the goals, objectives and strategies subject to discussion and approval at regular CCC meetings.
The Data Gathering Process
An external evaluation of the 2008-11 Integration & Educational Equity Plan was conducted by Dr. Diedra Honeywell of DKH & Associates. The evaluation process included focus groups, surveys, and a thorough analysis of student achievement, demographic, and financial data. Dr. Honeywell has also conducted the three-year evaluation of our magnet schools as part of the Federal Magnet Schools Assistance
Program (MSAP) grant which District 196 was awarded in 2007. Data from the MSAP evaluation process was also included in the 2008-11 Integration & Educational Equity
Plan evaluation.
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2011-14 INTEGRATION & EDUCATIONAL EQUITY PLAN
Based on input from community members, staff and students, and a comprehensive evaluation and review of the 2008-11 plan, the Community Collaboration Council developed the recommended seven goals with accompanying objectives, strategies, evaluation procedures and budget for the District 196 Integration& Educational Equity
Plan.
A focus on integration, educational equity and supporting efforts to close the achievement gap are paramount. To address these important issues, we must continue to be focused and results driven. The 2011-14 Plan supports district-wide efforts to eliminate the racial predictability and disproportionality of student achievement. The Plan is also inclusive of the need to provide Measures of Progress to provide greater focus and clarity to advance systemic racial equity in our school district.
The plan is outlined on the pages that follow.
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