Welcome to the 2007-08 school year. Faculty and staff are excited about the new school year and the opportunity to work with the students of Osage City. If we can help you in any way this year, please contact us. Daily updates and information can be obtained at the USD 420 web site: http://www.usd420.org/
This school year USD 420 will be presenting several parent workshops on a variety of subjects. Our first workshop will be an Internet Safety Night on Tuesday, October 2 at 7:00 p.m. in the USD 420 Auditorium. This workshop will present information on how to make technology safe for our children. Free childcare will be provided by the Osage City Middle School Builders Club. We invite you to attend this free one-hour workshop.
Have a great school year!
New Communication Tool for USD 420
In our effort to improve communications between our parents and our school, USD 420 Osage City is instituting a telephone broadcast system that will enable school personnel to notify all households and parents within minutes of an emergency or unplanned event that causes early dismissal, school cancellation or late start. The service will also be used time-to-time to communicate general announcements or reminders. The service is provided by School/Reach, which specializes in school-to-parent communications. We will continue to report school closings due to snow or weather on WIBW Channel 13, WIBW Radio 580, KSNT Channel 27, and KTKA Channel 49, and will use this system as an overlay to the public announcements.
When used, the service will simultaneously call all listed phone numbers on our parent contact list and will deliver a recorded message from one of the USD 420 Administrators. The service will deliver the message to both live answer and answering machines. No answers and busies will be automatically retried twice in 15 minute intervals after the initial call.
This requires no registration by the parent on the School/Reach website. All information and contact numbers are strictly confidential and are only used for the purpose described herein.
If you have further questions about this new system, please contact David Carriger, Superintendent of Schools at 528-3176.
Kansas State Assessment Scores (2006-07)
Preliminary data indicate that all three USD 420 buildings made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) guidelines for the 2006-07 school year. USD 420 did not make AYP as a district based on the students with disabilities (special education) sub-group scores on the Kansas State Reading Assessment.
The Kansas State Assessments were given last year in reading, math and writing. Grades 3-8,10 and 11 were involved in the assessment program this past year. Reading and Math scores were the only scores used for AYP and NCLB.
Percentage of Students at Proficient, Advanced and Exemplary levels are listed below. The State Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) target is also listed for reading and math.
Reading ES MS HS
USD 420 72.3 84.6 85.7
State Target 69.5 69.5 65.0
Math ES MS HS
USD 420 70.1 81.4 86.0
State Target 66.8 66.8 55.7
Attendance Rates (2006-07)
The USD 420 attendance rate for the past school year was 93.2%. The state target is 90%.
Graduation Rate
The graduation rate for Osage City High School was 95.1% this past year. The state goal is 75%. OCHS had an 87.5% rate during the 2005-06 school year.
Osage City High School ACT Scores (Class of 2007)
Listed below are the results of student ACT scores that were given this past year in USD 420. The OCHS Senior Class was just below the national and state average.
USD 420 21.1
Kansas 21.9
National 21.2
A record number 42 seniors took the exam last year.
Kansas Health Insurance
Health Wave and Health Connect are low or no-cost health plans for children under the age of 19. There are no exclusions for pre-existing health conditions or deductibles to be met. Coverage includes medical, dental, mental, behavioral health and substance abuse services. It emphasizes preventing health problems through regular checkups or minimizing their costs through early diagnosis.
For further information please contact: 1-800-792-4884 or http://www.kansashealthwave.org/
Osage County Crime Stoppers
Osage County Crime Stoppers is working to make Osage County safe. Osage County Crime Stoppers is supported by local businesses and individuals. If you have information about a crime, locations of drug labs or any information you feel law enforcement needs to know, call toll free: 1-877-OSCRIME. You need not give your name.
No Parking Areas
USD 420 has several no parking areas around the school for student, faculty and staff safety. Please do not park at any time in areas that have no parking signs. Thank you.
USD 420 Osage City Homeless Youth Policy
(1) Each State educational agency shall ensure that each child of a homeless individual and each homeless youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as provided to other children and youths.
(2) In any State that has a compulsory residency requirement as a component of the State’s compulsory school attendance laws or other laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youths, the State will review and undertake steps to revise such laws, regulations, practices, or policies to ensure that homeless children and youths are afforded the same free, appropriate public education as provided to other children and youths.
(3) Homelessness alone is not sufficient reason to separate students from the mainstream school environment.
(4) Homeless children and youths should have access to the education and other services that such children and youths need to ensure that such children and youths have an opportunity to meet the same challenging State student academic achievement standards to which all students are held.
For further Information, please contact: David Carriger, Superintendent of Schools, 520 Main Street, Osage City, Kansas.
