Special Friday Message
October 8, 2021 Volume 2 Edition 12
State of the Schools
It feels like a tremendous step forward to bring the first nine weeks to a close with schools open and our students, teachers, and staff in classrooms, learning and growing together. We took great steps to ensure this school year started off strong and was as close to normal as possible. Learning from our experiences last year, adopting strategies that reflect the shifting landscape of the pandemic, and continuing to work together has paid off in a big way for Tipton Community School Corporation.
For the first time in eight years our enrollment is steady at 1,427 students with all indicators pointing toward continued growth. Our preschool is at record enrollment and our schools are excelling in agricultural technology, education, performing arts, and athletics to name a few. In fact, to accommodate our growing agriculture program, we have expanded course offerings in the program and a second agricultural studies teacher this fall. What we’ve done with agriculture studies is the model for TCSC moving forward by offering great programming and opportunities for all our students, not by running busses to other school districts.
In the spring our Board of Education developed a new strategic plan along with benchmark goals to guide our implementation in the year ahead. The three focus areas include Academic Achievement, Facilities, and Branding/Public Relations. While our mission statement, “Working Together for Student Success” is timeless, our new vision statement of “Growing empowered, future-ready students prepared for a lifetime of opportunity and success,” was created to be more reflective of our unwavering commitment to every child, every classroom, every day.
We have realigned our school improvement plans to the new TCSC strategic plan to ensure all schools focus on the same needs. We remain grounded in our mission and the foundation of our strategic plan which prioritizes the health and safety of our students and staff. We believe the focus on our collective and individual well-being will accelerate learning and improve academic outcomes for all students.
While our students stepped up to the plate and even excelled in many ways throughout a year of closures, disruptions, quarantines, and a rotating shift of in-person and online learning and other hurdles of an unprecedented time, test scores revealed some impact.
ILEARN (Data Grades 3-8)
41% of TCSC students passed ELA (1% higher than state average)
37% of TCSC students passed Math (2% higher that state average)
Highest scores in the county and TCSC pass rate in the middle of districts in Madison, Clinton, Northern Hamilton, and Howard counties.
IREAD (Data 3rd Grade)
91% passed 17 students passed with a perfect score
PSAT (Data 10th Grade)
Fall 2020 THS Mean Score 896 (29 points Lower than Indiana Mean Score)
SAT (Data 11th and 12th Grade)
Spring 2021 THS Mean Score 1015 (65 points lower than state average)
To address the learning loss, we have increased our literacy and math tutoring and support, implemented a more holistic and asset-based approach to any learning loss by identifying pre-requisite skills for remediation, starting with grade-level instruction complimented by a high-quality K-12 curriculum with rigorous standards among a few. We expect the scores to rebound beginning in the next testing cycle because of the comprehensive, proactive efforts that began in the summer and have carried into the new year. We also anticipate new student growth and achievement in other areas outside academics. Our teachers and staff should be commended for rising to the many challenges of the previous year by finding innovative and creative ways to meet the moment to instruct, engage, motivate students.
Graduation
At THS’ 144th Commencement Exercises in May, students were awarded $100,000 in local scholarships and $417,894 from colleges and universities totaling $517,894 for their post-secondary pursuits. In addition, THS 2021 preliminary Graduation Rate was an impressive 98% (3 students did not graduate), 60% of our students planned to pursue higher education (64/105), and 35% of students graduated with Academic Honors (37/105)
To help give students a boost with their post-secondary pursuits, THS offers THS offers 4 Advanced Placement (AP), 4 ACP and 9 Ivy Tech Dual Credit courses with the potential of earning 60 dual credit hours in the following: Animal Science, Advanced LS, Animals, Advanced Manufacturing, Landscaping, Agri Business Management, Horticulture, Food Science, AP World History, AP German, AP Music Theory, AP Micro, ACP Govt, ACP Chemistry, ACP Composition, ACP Speech, ACP Pre-Calculus, ACP/AP Calculus, and all classes at Hinds Career Center.
New and Improved
We have also rolled out a lot of “new and improved” throughout our campus designed to enhance student achievement including new class scheduling, curriculum, clubs, and access to grade level and/or course scope and sequence. We added a new student information system and a more user- and mobile-friendly and interactive website for all things TCSC. We continue to kick up our internal and external communications to keep our district informed of TCSC activities, accomplishments, and build stronger relationships with parents, community partners, and our district.
We took advantage of ESSER Funds to hire personnel to monitor student achievement and learning; instructional coaches to assist teachers with implementation of research-based instructional strategies; assist teachers in building a scope and sequence and curriculum map to ensure students have access to a guaranteed and viable curriculum and shifting some staff to highlight just a few.
In addition, we are utilizing NWEA data to analyze student achievement and progress in all students grades K-10, monitoring projected pass rates for ILEARN and SAT after every administration of the assessment and assisting teachers in using NWEA data to group students based on need and strength areas to improve learning and results.
In our efforts to be more impactful, inclusive, equitable and engaging in our educational approach, we have implemented professional learning communities in all buildings. These designated communities are where our teachers can collaborate, discuss strategies, best practices, and grow to meet students where they are and better address the needs of the whole child (academic, social, physical, and emotional) for greater academic achievement. We are also offering more support to teachers using instructional coaches to ensure they have the tools, information, access to resources, and professional development which translates into a more meaningful and purposeful educational experience in the classroom.
Facilities
Later this fall, TCSC will begin construction on its new, state-of-the-art greenhouse. At a cost of approximately $650,000, this 42’ X 72’ will serve as a year-round teaching and learning facility with unlimited opportunities. The greenhouse will be equipped to support TCSC agricultural studies and a strong FFA program at the middle and high school. It will be used by FFA students to grow flowers, plants and vegetables through soil growth and hydroponics and be a shared community resource. Funding for the greenhouse was made possible through a combination of TCSC Rainy Day Funds, TCF donation, and Friends of Tipton FFA fundraising.
This spring, TCSC will break ground on a $28 million dollar building project throughout our campus. These improvement projects will bring the district state-of-the-art facilities and learning spaces designed to advance student achievement while maximizing operational efficiencies. This exciting project, expected to be completed in three years, will not impact taxes or tax rate, but is an example of the community’s tax dollars at work. Presently, potential new construction, updates, and enhancements, which will create optimal learning and teaching environments for TCSC students and staff now and well into the future include:
Tipton High School: Science labs, cafeteria/kitchen, media center/library, general classrooms, administrative offices, roof system, welding lab, plumbing and electrical.
Tipton Middle School: Science labs, construction of permanent walls, media center/library, general classrooms, and team-teaching room.
Tipton Elementary School: Hallway flooring, media center/library, kitchen/cafeteria expansion, STEM classrooms, playground, and playground equipment, and general classrooms
Extra-Curricular and Co-Curricular Areas: Tennis courts, turf football field, baseball/softball dugouts, exterior doors, covered main entrances to buildings, parking lot expansion, and security gates.
These are just a few of the highlights I am pleased to share just two months into what I expect to be a phenomenal year at TCSC. It is truly my honor to continue to lead with integrity to fulfill the mission of educating all our students in a safe, healthy, joyful, and caring environment. I am grateful to be a part of this historic public education institution with a visionary board, strong community partnerships, talented and dedicated educators and staff, and students who never cease to amaze in their potential and resilience.
Thank you for standing with us as we work together to continue educating and serving our students. #TiptonPride
2021 Preliminary ILEARN Data
Lucy Quigley and Coach Bales at Golf State Finals-Great Work Lucy, 16th Place!!!!!!!!
TMS Football Undefeated and Conference Champs!
Great win Blue Devils!
YO's in Nashville!
Calendar
October 1-Textbook Fees Due (If using the payment plan fees due October 1 and February 1)
October 8-End of First Nine Weeks
October 12-Monthly School Board Board Meeting-6:30
October 13-PSAT/Sophomores and Juniors
October 13-AM College and Career Field Trip/Freshman and Seniors
October 20-22-TCSC Fall Break!
November 3-eLearning Professional Development Day-Students are Virtual!
November 9-Monthly School Board Meeting-6:30