Welcome to the 2008-09 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: www.usd420.org
The district mission is to commit our financial resources to equip all students with the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve their fullest potential as self-motivated lifetime learners.
The 2008-09 school year will offer many challenges and opportunities. The district continues to expand its curriculum, instruction and technology offerings for our students and staff. We continue to offer many new innovative opportunities throughout the district.
USD 420 has been developing for the past six months a new vocational program that we hope to implement beginning in the fall of 2009. A cooperative effort with Allen County Community College, the Osage County school districts and business partners such as Kan-Build will bring vocational training to our high school students. We are excited about the many possibilities that will develop with this program. We want our students to have every opportunity to leave USD 420 with the best education as possible.
Have a great school year!
Communication Tool for USD 420
In our effort to improve communications between our parents and our school, USD 420 Osage City instituted a telephone broadcast system last year 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 from 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 busy signals 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 (2007-08)
Preliminary data indicates that all three USD 420 buildings made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) guidelines for the 2007-08 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. Because of this USD 420 will be classified as on improvement for the 2008-09 school year. We will continue to implement new strategies for all students and work to improve on the sub-group scores next spring.
The Kansas State Assessments were given last year in reading, math, social studies and science. 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.
The Percentage of Students at Proficiency is listed below for 2008. The State Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) target is also listed for reading and math.
Reading ES MS HS
USD 420 76.1% 84.1% 89.8%
State Target 75.6% 75.6% 72.0%
Math ES MS HS
USD 420 81.7% 80.4% 87.7%
State Target 73.4% 73.4% 64.6%
Attendance Rates (2007-08)
The USD 420 attendance rate for the past school year was 94.1%. The state target is 90%. USD 420 had a 93% attendance rate during the 2006-07 school year.
Graduation Rate
The graduation rate for Osage City High School was 90.6% this past year. The state goal is 75%. OCHS had a 95% rate during the 2006-07 school year.
Osage City High School ACT Scores (Class of 2008)
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 state average and just above the national average. The OCHS ACT scores have increased almost 2.0 in the past three years.
USD 420 21.4
Kansas 22.0
National 21.1
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 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. This is the 10th Anniversary for the Osage County Crime Stopper Program. A special dinner will be held on October 23 to mark this special anniversary. More information will be coming about this event.
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.
