Mat-Su Borough School District schools recognized as Alaska ‘Reward Schools’

As Superintendent of the Mat-Su Borough School District, I am pleased with the selection of MSBSD schools by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development as Reward Schools. In recognition of student performance from the 2013-2014 school year, 41 Alaska public schools have been recognized by DEED as 2014-2015 high progress Reward Schools and 12 schools as highest performing Reward Schools.

Passing the muster in American society is one way of determining the success of any endeavor, a product, or an idea. Think about the success of productive work in the Mat-Su Borough. If a high-quality product is delivered with excellent service at a fair price, a business is deemed successful. Our aim is that every student will be successful — a product of a high-quality school, education delivered with excellent service, and demonstrating a sound return-on-investment for education dollars.

Recently, Alaska DEED designated two MSBSD schools as highest performing schools with five schools named high progress schools. Mat-Su students consistently demonstrate high academic achievement. Meeting these educational criteria at high levels is one way policymakers and our community stakeholders can know that investing education dollars in our children’s futures is well-spent in Mat-Su.

Alaska names both categories of Reward Schools in three grade configurations: K-8 schools, 9-12 schools, and K-12 schools. These represent the spectrum of rural and urban schools (elementary and middle schools are included in the K-8 grade span). The district’s 2014-2015 Reward Schools are:

• Highest Performing Schools — Beryozova School (K-12) and Mat-Su Career and Technical High School (9-12)

• High Progress Schools — Beryozova (K-12); Glacier View School (K-12); Mat-Su Career and Tech Ed High School (9-12); Pioneer Peak Elementary (pre-K through 5); and Willow Elementary (pre-K through 6)

The designation is part of Alaska’s school accountability system, which recognizes schools that are the highest performing and/or show the most growth in student achievement.

“It is a pleasure to announce Alaska’s Reward Schools for 2014-2015, an achievement shared by their families and educators,” said Alaska Education Commissioner Mike Hanley. “Reward Schools strive to meet the academic needs of all students, however large or small the school is. They support students’ progress toward the goals of college and career-readiness and graduation. We congratulate them.”

Briefly stated, the Growth and Proficiency Index measures whether a student population in a school is increasing, remaining stable, or declining in achievement in reading, writing, and math from one year to the next. A school receives an index score for its student body as a whole, and scores for each of four subgroups. The index looks at each student’s performance over those two years and creates a combined picture of a school’s performance.

“Additionally, Beryozova was selected as a National Title I Distinguished School, one of two Mat-Su schools nominated for Alaska Selection Process for 2014-2015,” said MSBSD Director of Federal Programs, Carl Chamblee. “Glacier View and Beryozova schools were both considered by the State Department of Education for Alaska’s nominations as National Title I Distinguished Schools,” he said, “and Beryozova was selected this year; Glacier View was a Distinguished School in previous years.”

Beryozova School is a community school serving the children of Russian “Old Believers” located near Willow in the Mat-Su Borough. A two-room school house, Beryozova capitalizes on effective instructional strategies to create the success for the students. Chamblee serves as the Principal for Beryozova, and Margaret Brockman, long-time teacher and two aides serve that population. Wendy Taylor is Principal at Glacier View School, serving a K-12 school population of a little more than 30 students located at Mile 104, Glenn Highway toward Glennallen.

According to Chamblee, learning strategies include utilization of District programs and initiatives that work for each school population to move student learning forward effectively. For example, “A 1:1 school,” said Chamblee, “Beryozova School supports one computer per student and online learning maximizes each student’s academic growth.”

Throughout its history, Beryozova School has experienced long-term achievement gains. Beryozova demonstrates 100 percent student proficiency or advanced understanding of state standards while it is 100 percent economically disadvantaged. Students at Beryozova also demonstrate 100 percent proficiency or advanced level performance on state-mandated assessments in Migrant and English Language Learner. Students have benefitted from a system that reaches and meets their learning needs.

Another outstanding MSBSD school recognized by DEED for Exceptional Student Performance and a high-performing school is Mat-Su Career and Technical High School. Since it opened in 2006-07, CTHS has offered maximum career and technical educational choices through student access to career pathways through the career academy model. Mark Okeson is Principal at CHTS and he said, “The career academy model employs a systemic approach for learning as students meet the high demands of high school and prepare for success after graduation.” Offering smaller classes, students experience more personalized learning while combining fundamental academic courses with career and technical educational options around a career theme. “A major component of CTHS is the business partnerships with local employers who provide career awareness and work-based learning opportunities,” said Okeson. “Our industry partners are essential to our students’ success while in school and after graduation.”

The two remaining Mat-Su schools recognized by DEED as high progress schools are Pioneer Peak and Willow elementary schools. Pioneer Peak is located in Palmer, and is in the shadow of the mountain for which it is named. PPE celebrates almost 30 years of success as a K-5th grade school, focusing on high achieving literacy and reading standards. Dan Molina is principal. At the opposite end of the Mat-Su Borough, located on the Parks Highway, Willow Elementary School is a community family resource rich in historical roots of mining, the railroad, and family recreation. Andrew McDermott is Willow’s principal.

Educating 18,000 students at 45 school sites, the MSBSD is the second largest public school district in the state of Alaska. Every school offers its community a place to belong and a place to serve. We want our schools to be safe places where students learn to make a positive difference in the world around them. Helping students be prepared for a future of work, successful family life, or military and community service is the mission of our District. I am most proud of our neighborhood schools and every school serves a neighborhood of students, parents, their extended families, and our community stakeholders.

Thank you for your involvement and your commitment to the Mat-Su Borough School District. All 2,200 employees are committed to the success of our children, making Mat-Su, we believe, the best school district in the state of Alaska. We are MSBSD!

Deena M. Paramo is Superintendent of the Mat-Su Borough School District.