Drum Beat

August 2013

OF THE PIQUA CITY SCHOOLS

THE

Good Schools Good Value - Committed to Excellence!

SUMMER PROGRESS REPORT

ConstructionHasBegun

Coming Changes

in the Way

classrooms and communities

statewide: teacher/principal

evaluations and the new report

card for schools.

As a means to increase public

awareness and transparency,

this edition provides an overview

of these changes and its impact

on Piqua City Schools. Piqua,

along with hundreds of districts

progress. We acknowledge we

have work to do to meet the

challenge of the new standards.

As always, our focus remains on

excellence and providing good

schools at a good value. Thank

you for your support!

Rick Hanes, Superintendent

It was a bittersweet moment

for Kathy McMaken of Piqua, as

McMaken, an 18-year teaching

veteran at Washington, was

among numerous spectators

standing alongside Sunset

Drive as construction crews

physically demolished the aging

structure to make way for a new

K-3 school scheduled for

completion in January 2015.

A urry of activity has

the former Piqua Memorial

Hospital) are expected in

August, according to Matt

Niemeyer, project engineer at

Gilbane Building Company.

Niemeyer reports eight major

contractors are involved in the

present construction project,

with nearly half (47 percent)

of the cost nanced by

the Ohio School Facilities

PROGRESS on the Springcreek Primary School construction site is

construction personnel providing updates on a regular basis.

DEMOLITION of the former Washington Intermediate School took place

in July as onlookers, including former teacher Kathy McMaken (above),

watched demolition crews dismantle the building. Chad Stevers of

Gilbane Building Company directed the demolition. The crews placed

a pile of bricks from the building outside the construction fence for

residents to take as mementos. Most (85 percent) of all materials

removed from the building - steel, block bricks and concrete - will be

recycled for future use, according to a company spokesperson.

Evaluation System (OPES). These

two systems provide educators

with a “richer and more detailed

view of their performance with a

focus on specic strengths and

opportunities for improvement.”

Unlike past years when most

teachers were evaluated every

few years, the new system

mandates annual evaluations for

growth plan, two 30-minute

observations, and walk-throughs.

For some teachers, a measure

called “value added” will be used.

The observation and test-score

measures will then be combined

to give teachers and/or principals

one of four possible grades:

accomplished, skilled, developing,

or ineffective.

Supporters of the new system

include State Senator Bill

on student achievement. Not

every child begins the school

learning technology.

“Including this information

in an evaluation will enable a

school to recognize teachers,

who are outstanding. It will also

help teachers, who may need

more assistance or professional

development, to become the

inspiring teachers that students

will remember,“ Beagle added.

“Up to this point in time, teacher

evaluations were based solely

and skeptic. Many educators feel

as though there are multiple

factors outside of their control

that can affect student growth.

Some are uneasy with the idea

of having 50 percent of their

evaluation connected to student

growth data.”

Dustin Hornbeck, social studies

teacher at Piqua High School and

student learning objective.

StudentProgressIsAddedtoTeacherandPrincipalEvaluations

These architectural

renderings illustrate

what the new school

buildings will look

like — one of the two

identically-designed

primary schools (left)

City Schools (and all school

districts in Ohio) will be graded

for performance with a letter

— “A” through “F” — rather than

the “excellent” or “continuous

improvement” rankings seen in

the past.

Previous report cards were based

on how well students performed

on state achievement tests.

grades, in much the same way as

students receive letter grades.

Areas used to determine a

district’s grades will include

the four-year graduation rate,

academic achievement, student

for (K-3) students, college/career

preparedness, and gap closing

(which measures how well a

and High Street Primary

students will utilize the

same library and cafeteria;

however, Washington fourth

through sixth grade students

will spend their class days in

two spacious air-conditioned

learning chalets, containing

12 classrooms total. They are

attached to the elementary

anchored to the ground to

withstand maximum winds.

will assume principalship

at Springcreek Primary

School, which will remain

operational this year.

TheLearningChalet

Hallways will

be decorated

with colorful

artwork and

the learning