William C. Abney Academy Elementary
Annual Education Report
2012-2013
August 15, 2013
Dear Parents and Community Members:
We are pleased to present you with the Annual Education Report (AER) which provides key
information on the 2012-2013 educational progress for William C. Abney Academy. 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 Ms. Jamie Versluis, Principal, for assistance.
The AER is available for you to review electronically by visiting the following web site
www.thewcaa.org 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 its 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 does not have one of these labels.
For 2012-2013, William C. Abney Academy has had positive trends in reading achievement
across the grade levels. The area where we need the most improvement is in the area of
mathematics. When you look at the percent by levels (1, 2, 3, 4) students at William C. Abney
in level 1 (advance) is less than 10%. This is a key challenge because it means that the
majority of our students are either at a level 3 (partially proficient) or at a level 4 (not
proficient). We have implemented school-wide intervention times for each grade level and a
mandatory ninety minute uninterrupted reading block at all grade levels have been put into
place. By having an uninterrupted reading block the goal is to strengthen our reading core
curriculum for all students.
State law requires that we also report additional information.
Enrollment Process
 William C. Abney Academy is a free, public school academy and adheres to all
requirements outlined by its charter authorizer and state law regarding enrollments.
 Current students are given the opportunity to re-enroll in the winter, during our open
enrollment period.
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WCAA holds an advertised open enrollment period in the spring, where any Michigan
resident may apply.
In the event that any grade is at capacity, a public lottery is held to determine enrollment
and a waiting list is created.
WCAA does not charge tuition nor discriminate in admission policies or practices on the
basis of intellectual or athletic ability, measure of achievement or aptitude, status as a
handicapped person, religion, creed, race, sex, color or national origin.
WCAA identifies, evaluates, and services all students in the school who may have
disabilities. If you suspect your student may have a disability, please contact the school
leader.
School Improvement Plan
The school improvement plan for William C. Abney Academy was most recently updated and
submitted in June 2013. The results from the standardized testing shows that we need to
improve in the core curriculum areas of reading and math. Our school has incorporated
interventions throughout the day, as well as worked to strengthen the core level instruction.
When we created the goals of the school improvement we analyzed the data to make sure what
we wanted to achieve was realistic and obtainable. The School Improvement Team consists of:
school administrators, teachers, board members, parents, and support staff.
Curriculum
William C. Abney Academy uses the Curriculum Crafter as a framework to support the textbooks
and align the curriculum with the Common Core at all grade levels. This curriculum is aligned to
state standards and promotes the master of all core subjects. The WCAA staff has also
implemented the EBLI program which includes: instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics,
fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and spelling. Lesson plans specify the academic and
content standards to which they relate and grade level content expectations are followed. A
copy of William C. Abney’s curriculum is available on our website (www.thewcaa.org).
Student Achievement
At William C. Abney Academy in addition to the state mandated MEAP testing, our students
participate in NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) testing three times a year. Kindergarten
and first grade students are tested in math and reading. Second grade students are assessed in
reading, math and language arts. Third through fifth grade students are assessed in reading,
math, language arts, and science. Teachers adjust and address students’ weaknesses and
strengths to promote growth throughout the school year. In the area of reading during 20122013, kindergarten had 59% of students at or above grade level on the spring NWEA
assessment, first grade 62% of students at or above grade level, second grade 37% of students
at or above grade level, third grade 35% of students at or above grade level and in fourth grade
35% of students at or above grade level.
Parent Involvement
William C. Abney Academy parents are a significant part of the learning community and the
educational experience. WCAA asks parents to be involved a minimum of two volunteer hours
for the school year. At WCAA we had 100% of parents attend parent/teacher conferences for
the 2012-2013 school year compared to 85% the year before.
We are looking forward to a successful year with your student here at William C. Abney
Academy. At WCAA our focus is on instructional needs of all students. Every student deserves a
quality education in a safe and nurturing environment. Thank you for all your support and may
we continue to work together for the best education of your student.
Educationally Yours,
Ms. Jamie Versluis
Principal, William C. Abney Academy Elementary