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File photo/The Ottawa Herald
James Deane, physics teacher at Ottawa High School, does a demonstration in an afternoon class at OHS. The school is working to expand its science and foreign language curriculum.
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Public schools see improvement
‘Huge gains’ in test scores, new technology, construction projects highlight year for district
By JODIE GARCIA, Herald Staff Writer
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2007 was a busy year for Ottawa schools.
Whether it was finishing a number of construction projects, increasing technology or reaching state testing goals, Ottawa administrators, teachers and students made improvements, Superintendent Dean Katt said.
In the classroom, students this year made what’s called Adequate Yearly Progress or AYP on state tests, Katt said, bringing the district one step closer to being taken off improvement for low scores previously.
Additionally, several schools made Standard of Excellence for high scores, Katt said.
“The improvement we saw was very, very encouraging,” he said. “We saw so many huge gains in scores.”
Also increasing was enrollment and technological equipment, Katt said.
On the outside, the district finished several construction projects and received results from a community survey on facilities.
“Finishing the survey was a big thing,” Katt said, adding that the report will help the district strategically plan for future facilities and come up with long-range goals.
Jean McCally, assistant superintendent, said some of the more notable accomplishments in the district from her perspective included academic progress, a new mentoring program for new teachers, a preschool for at-risk 4-year-olds and improvements in technology.
She said no one area stood out above the rest.
“It’s all got to work together,” she said.
In the years to come, Katt said the district must plan for future growth in terms of facilities, as well as add more rigorous courses at the high school level in such areas as math, science and vocational.
“That’s going to be a huge undertaking,” he said.
Reaching AYP for another year and getting off improvement is another important goal, Katt said, in spite of continually rising test standards.
“I think we’ll make it,” he said.
Katt said teachers, staff and administrators are ready to meet the coming challenges.
“We have the ball rolling as a district, and everyone’s behind it,” he said.
Herald staff writer Jodie Garcia can be e-mailed at jgarcia@ottawaherald.com.
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