aurora city schools quality profile template april … · web viewphilharmonic orchestra earned...

AURORA CITY SCHOOLS QUALITY PROFILE

2013-14

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2 AURORA CITY SCHOOLS QUALITY PROFILE

A successful school district places a high degree of importance on ensuring that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential inside and outside of the classroom. This profile helps characterize the overall educational value of your school district

in areas that matter most in our community.

ACADEMICS

Our district’s academic program provides opportunities for all

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The mission of the Aurora City Schools is to ensure that through providing a nurturing environment, with high expectations and effective programs, all students will reach their full potential and graduate prepared to become responsible, productive members of society. Our district consistently achieves very high rankings academically. We are regarded both locally and nationally as one of the top schools districts in the State of Ohio. Examples of some highlights:District:

2014 – Preliminary reports indicate that the Aurora City School District Earned 9 Straight A’s from the ODE – No other school district in the State earned straight A’s in 2014

2013 - Earned 7 A’s from ODE – No other school district has earned more ODE highest rating of Excellent for 14 consecutive years Cleveland Magazine’s Rating the Suburbs 2014 issue rates Aurora district

at #10 out of 77 Northeast Ohio communities and ranked in Top 15 eleven years in a row

Ranked Top Work Place 2 Consecutive Years by The Plain Dealer

Two schools (Aurora High School and Harmon Middle School)named National Blue Ribbon Schools

Aurora High School 2014-15 AHS Program of Studies 2014-15 AHS Profile 2013 SAT – Reading 554, Math – 562, Writing – 531 2013 ACT – Composite 23.9, English 23.4, Math 23.6, Reading 24.2,

Science 24.1 2013 – 3 National Merit Finalists / 2 Commended Scholars

ACADEMICS

Our district’s academic program provides opportunities for all

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http://www.aurora-schools.org/userfiles/471/2014-2015%20Program%20of%20Studies%20WEBSITE.docx

http://www.aurora-schools.org/administrativeDepartment2.aspx?aid=34


17 College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Offerings: 865 AP Tests were taken with 81% passing; which equates to college credit and tuition savings

86% scored a “3” or higher on AP Exams AHS awarded National Blue Ribbon School by U.S. Dept. of Education AP Honor Roll School 2014 (4th Consecutive Year) Gold Medalist for College Readiness by U.S. News and World Report AHS rated #13 in the State of Ohio by U.S. News and World Report

(2014) in their Best High Schools ranking report AHS rated #15 in the State of Ohio by The Washington Post (2014)

AHS top ranked nationally at #287 out of 31,200 high schools as reviewed by U.S. News and World Report (2014)

AHS Washington Post national ranking was #496 Newsweek Magazine’s website The Daily Beast listed the top 500 high

schools in America. AHS is ranked at #202 in the nation (our highest to date) and was the 6th highest school from Ohio on the list for 2014.

AHS Performance Index Score of 112.9 is highest ever AHS Outstanding Greenmen annual awards honors senior recipients

chosen by the AHS staff (based on their strong academics, service/work, school participation leadership and character). Honored Educators are selected by the Outstanding Greenmen as someone who has had the greatest impact on their success and development

International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP) offered in conjunction with Kent State University brings scholars from around the world

Writing Center with tutors offered in conjunction with Kent State University’s Education Department provides writing tutorial services

Independent Learning Program offers students the opportunity to create their own individualized curriculum

The Plunge Program – Students can pursue individual academic interests on their own with no grade or credit given.

Internships for the Senior students Science Olympiad Mentorship Program for Freshmen students Quiz Bowl Team has won the overall Portage County Quiz Bowl title for at

least the 12th straight year Leadership opportunities through Key Club and National Honor Society 30 Clubs available for students 21 Varsity Sports Teams and 16 Junior Varsity teams available for

students

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/27/america-s-top-high-schools.5.html


A school committed to excellence

Harmon Middle School HMS – 2014 The Best Schools website ranked at #9 nationally Honors courses begin in 6th grade National Blue Ribbon School 2013 Ohio Achievement Assessment (OAA) rankings:

#1 Science Score in State of Ohio#2 in 7th Grade Reading in State of Ohio#5 in 8th Grade Reading in the State of Ohio#8 in 7th Grade Math in the State of Ohio#13 in 8th Grade Math in the State of Ohio

Science Olympiad Leadership opportunities through Student Council and Beta Club Participants in food drives, blood drives, Coats for Kids, visiting and

performing the leadership facilities in City of Aurora 19 Clubs available for students 11 middle school Sports Teams for students A school committed to excellence

Leighton Elementary School Hall of Fame School Buckeye Best Gold Award #15 in 5th Grade Math in 2014 Honors courses begin in 6th Grade Leadership opportunities through Leighton Leaders Philanthropic donations to animal shelters, Jump Rope for American Heart

Association and food drives A school committed to excellence

Miller/Craddock Elementary School

http://www.thebestschools.org/features/50-best-middle-schools-grades-7-8-america/


Our commitment to improve: Buckeye Best Gold Award Support for charities through food drives, animal shelters and leftover

Halloween candy donations for Ronald McDonald House and various organizations

A school committed to excellence

Embracing the arts has been a long standing tradition at Aurora Schools. We expand and enrich our student’s academic curriculum by offering many varied arts programs that inspire creativity and enhance learning.Examples of some highlights:Visual Arts

Awards: Our students annually participate in:

o Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition and 2014 Northeast Central Ohio Scholastic Art Awards Competition: (1)Best of Show; (1) State Top 25; (8) Top 300 Winners

o Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition (2014): (22) State Top 300; (8) State Top 25; (1)

Annual District Art Show held in conjunction with the AHS spring play A school committed to excellence

ARTS

Participation in performing and visual arts inspires students’ creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking skills.


Performing Arts

AHS students perform 2 plays each year which sell out - displaying strong community support

HMS students perform 1 to 2 plays each year

HMS Farewell to Harmon talent show offers 8th grade students the chance to show off their talents

Aurora High School Players Recognition Example: AHS graduate Kaley Ann Voorhees made her

Broadway debut as Christine in the Phantom of the OperaMusic and Arts

75% of students in AHS and middle schools participate in band, choir, orchestra and art

Awards:o Philharmonic Orchestra earned highest possible rating of “one”

from every judge; 3rd year in a row Philharmonic has received an Outstanding at the Ohio Musical Educators Association (OMEA) State Orchestra competition

http://www.cleveland.com/onstage/index.ssf/2014/09/reach_for_the_stars_how_local.html

http://www.aurorahighschoolplayers.com/


o Concert Orchestra received an Outstanding for the 2nd year in a row (a school record) at the Ohio Music Education Association competition

o District Music Department recognized as one of the “2013 Best Communities for Music Education” by the National Association of Music Merchants

o Band performed at Severance Hall in Cleveland, Ohio Band program organizes and performs “Thunder Over Aurora” - A

Marching Band Spectacular” annually at Veterans Stadium which features guest marching bands from nearby cities with over 2000 community members attending

AHS has a top rated Drumline Northeast Central Ohio Scholastic Art Competition (2014) award winners:

Prestigious Gold Awards Portfolio ~ 3; Gold Key recipients ~ 13; Silver Key recipients ~ 17; National winners ~ 5.

Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition (2014) award winners (22); State Top 300 ~ 8; State Top 25 ~ 1

All musical performances are standing room only exhibiting strong community support

Recognition Example: AHS 2014 graduate Stephen Riley conducted the Philharmonic Band with a pieced he had composed

Our caring student body and community routinely organize events that support a wide variety of worthy charitable organizations. This instills our students with compassion, a sense of community and the leadership skills that foster well rounded, philanthropy focused and community minded leaders as adults. Examples of some highlights:

STUDENT LEADERSHIP AND ACTIVITIES

A well-rounded education includes a wide variety of opportunities.


Aurora Service Learning Course offered at Aurora High SchoolIndependent Learning Experience for Aurora High School students

Over 20 high school student clubs and organizations: AHS National Honor Society – Conducts a yearly fall event to rake leaves

for Aurora senior citizens Harmon Beta Club – Holds American Red Cross Blood Drives, Supports

Pinwheels for Prevention child abuse program Key Club – Works in conjunction with the Aurora Kiwanis Other programs students support from all school buildings include:

Aurora for Others, Coats for Kids, Food Drives, Aurora for Others raised over $8,000 for local charities and families in

need Science Olympiad team qualified for state competition Quiz Bowl team has won the overall Portage County Quiz Bowl title for at

least the 12th straight year Robotics team

Recognition Example: AHS graduate Annie Robinson , spokesperson for the Wigs for Kids, was the first place $50,000 winner of the Maltz Museum’s Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out! Essay Contest

Athletics:

Our Athletic program 21 Varsity Teams; 16 JV/Freshman Teams; 11 Middle School Teams Combined overall GPA of 3.38 for all sport teams in 2014 District Finalists – Boys Soccer, Baseball State Qualifiers - Football, Boys Soccer, Baseball, Boys Golf, Diving State Champions – Football (2008)

Recognition Example: Head Football Coach Bob Mihalik: Akron Touchdown Club Coach of the

Year – 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012;, Award for coaching 100 AHS varsity football games

FISCAL STEWARDSHIP

Financial responsibility ensures that the majority of funding is spent on classroom instruction.

http://www.akrontouchdownclub.com/coach_past.php

http://www.akrontouchdownclub.com/coach_past.php

http://www.wigsforkids.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=145

http://www.wigsforkids.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=145

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECPNNMopVmQ


Fiscal responsibility is of utmost importance to our district. We strive to continually be fiscally responsible stewards of our taxpayer dollars. Examples of some highlights:

Cost per pupil: $ 10,849 – academically we rank in the top 2%, but spend in the 25th percentile

Percentage spent on instruction: $10,849 – academically we rank in the top 2% but spend at the 25th percentile

2013 District Profile Report:: ODE 2013 Aurora School Report Card Administrator to student ratio of 1 to 290 is one of lowest with

comparable districts District rated as exemplary in being efficient at spending nonteaching

dollars by Ohio Education Matters, a public policy think tank subsidiary of KnowledgeWorks Foundation

Participant in Energy Education Program focusing on reducing costs of energy usage throughout the district

District received Energy Star Certificate of Recognition by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for commitment to a better environment

ACSD Treasurer’s Office has earned the Ohio Auditor of State Award for the last 3 years (2011-13)

Recent bond refinancing realized a total savings of $875,858.35 (or a present day savings of $647,887.52) for taxpayers

PARENT & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Educational experiences are enhanced by partnerships between the school district and community.

https://ohioauditor.gov/financial/awards.html

http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2013/08/2013_ohio_school_report_cards.html?appSession=393121939159754


Our district is privileged to receive phenomenal community support in a wide variety of ways. We are proud of our city, named one of the five best hometowns in Ohio Magazine’s Ohio’s Best Hometowns edition. We work together to forge unique and meaningful opportunities for our students to help them grow into confident and capable adults. Examples of some highlights:

School volunteers: PTO: AHS PTO and Elementary PTO; Chaperones Aurora Schools Foundation Aurora Alumni Association : Connects alumni to the district Aurora Orchestra Association Band Booster Organization Sports Booster Organization: Holds yearly fundraising reverse raffle

dinner Events coordinated with community partners:

o Thunder Over Aurora – Annual Marching Band Spectacularo Red Cross Blood Driveso Coats for Kidso Camp Sunshineo Honor Flight Networko Vehicle Day (Miller School)o Aurora Reads program/community members tutoring students in

reading at Craddock Schoolo Parent Communication Forums (PCF) at each school building

Our district strives to ensure that all students are given the opportunity to enhance and expand on both an educational and social level. It is our intention that each special needs child has the opportunity to thrive and to see to it that they have the tools needed to help secure a bright, independent future! Examples of some highlights:

STUDENT SERVICES

A variety of services provide options to ensure all students receive individualized instruction, enrichment and support.

http://www.aurora-schools.org/content_page2.aspx?schoolid=1&cid=188

http://www.aurorabands.com/

http://www.auroraorchestra.org/

http://www.auroraohioalumni.com/

http://www.auroraschoolsfoundation.org/


Graduates are using their employment skills developed during their participation in vocational training at the Cuyahoga East Vocational Education Consortium (CEVEC). Examples of businesses that employ these special students are: Natural Essentials, Heinen’s Grocery Store, Aurora Day Care, Walmart, Marc’s, and McDonalds.

The Greenmen Café at Aurora High School helps students develop skills related to running a business, such as tracking inventory, budgeting, food preparation, selling, and customer services.

Students with severe needs are provided services within the District with their same age peers

Aurora High School Special Education Interventionist and Guidance Counselor host a college transition night for area parents of students with disabilities. Kent State University, Akron University and other colleges are represented where information is shared regarding services to support students with disabilities attending college.

The Aurora City Schools are highly ranked locally, within the State of Ohio and nationally. Even with those high rankings, the district goes beyond test scores and standardized testing. Our graduates find success after high school not only at the collegiate level, but in the military, vocational training or in the work force. The Aurora community values education and has provided continued support for its school district which makes Aurora an attractive community in which to live. The Aurora City Government and its businesses all work together in valuing the educational experience for our youth. The purpose of this community profile is to convey more of our school district’s educational story than the state report card (which will be released by Ohio Department of Education) reveals. Although our district has always scored well, there is more to our story than just the numbers and we hope our community recognizes and values those other important aspects of education.

Aurora City Schools

SUMMARY


Aurora High School...................330-562-3501

Harmon Middle Schools............330-562-3375

Leighton Elementary School......330-562-2208

Craddock Elementary School......330-562-3175

Miller Elementary School............330-562-6199


Aurora City School District102 E. Garfield Rd.Aurora, Ohio 44202

330-954-2228www.aurora-schools.org

[email protected]

Superintendent: Russ BennettAssistant Superintendent: Pat Ciccantelli

Treasurer: Bill Volosin

Aurora City School District Board of EducationGerald Kohanski, President

Pam Mehallis, Vice PresidentAnnie GroheBeverly Kuch

John Sloe


Supported by the Alliance for High Quality Education

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