Panorama School Climate Survey 2019
In the spring of 2019, the Ames Community School District surveyed students, staff, and families using the Panorama Culture and Climate Survey. The survey included questions around social and emotional learning, school satisfaction, and staff and family engagement, among others. The purpose of the survey was to gather perception data from key stakeholders as a way to set a baseline for evaluation. With a baseline set, the survey results will guide goal areas based on the District’s Purpose and Priorities.
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Enrollment in Ames Up for the 2019-2020 School Year
Certified enrollment was finalized today. Below is a full write-up with that information, but here are some highlights first: Certified enrollment is 4,477 students. This is +90.5 from a year ago. Open enrollment / Whole Grade Sharing / Tuition In is +330 (we were +329 a year ago) The actual number of students served in buildings is 5,102. This is +71 students from a year ago.
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Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) 2019
The Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) is the new state-wide assessment that replaced the former Iowa Assessments. Developed…
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LC2: Little Cyclone Limited Collection
When we launched the online apparel store in September, two of our goals was to be able to provide a convenient outlet to purchase Little Cyclone apparel and to build excitement around the school district’s brand. LC2: Little Cyclones Limited Collection is the next step of that commitment. LC2 is a limited edition collection that will offer a new design twice a year; once in the fall and once in the spring. Each design will be unlike anything else available on the store and will be a fresh and unique design.
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Equity Lens: a Conversation with Dr. Anthony Jones
What is equity and what does it look like in the Ames Community School District? Equity in its simplest definition is making sure that every student has what they need when they need it. You know that equity has happened when every student is successful in our school system regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, identity, ability, socioeconomic, language, or place of origin. Equity is about justice and fairness. What does equity look like in Ames school district right now? Well, we’re not there yet. I describe equity in Ames schools like our new high school. We’ve all agreed that we need it and we are building it. There’s a huge hole at the location where the new high school will be soon and the foundation is being built first. That is what is happening with equity. Yes, there is a hole there but we are building the foundation for equity in Ames. It’s not going to happen overnight but it is coming!
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The Elements of a Rebrand
The Ames Community School District is in the midst of a rebrand. It is not just a rebrand that conjures up ideas of marketing techniques including changing logos (although that is part of it), but a change in the status quo of how the District conducts business. Branding is much more than just colors and fonts. It’s how people respond to your organization. It’s the style, voice, and reputation that an institution holds in the public. In other words, a brand carries an emotional weight. Rebranding happens for a variety of reasons. One of the most common is the result of a leadership change. This summer marked Superintendent Jenny Risner’s one-year anniversary in Ames. The year has been memorable on a number of fronts but was the beginning of a fresh-eyes assessment on how the Ames Community School District operates both internally and externally, from buildings, classrooms, and our community.
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Central Iowa Community Identification Card
The Ames Community School District is a proud partner of the Central Iowa Community Identification Card (CICID), along with Ames Police Department and Story County Sheriff’s Office. Being able to present a valid form of photo ID is essential to accessing many services and benefits of the community. The Ames Community School District will accept CICID as a form of identification for the purposes of student enrollment and to satisfy the ID requirement incumbent upon parents, volunteers and community members seeking admittance into our school buildings during hours of operation.
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Emergency Response Classroom Posters
Emergency response is a reality that all schools have to consider. Whether it’s a tornado or fire drill or anticipating an active threat situation, having common language is important in these situations. Over the summer, in addition to completing the District’s Emergency Operations Plan, administrators reviewed their language to emergency response. These posters are being displayed across the District and in classrooms as a visual reminder of what key words mean.
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Amazing Education Podcast
The Amazing Education Podcast is a new communication channel from the Ames CSD that focuses on education-related topics with a blend of local and national conversations. Each episode of the Amazing Education Podcast will be 25-30 minutes and feature a guest on a specified topic.
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Kristin Johnson Announced as New Director of Human Resources
The Ames Community School District is excited to announce Kristin Johnson as the new Director of Human Resources. Ms. Johnson previously served as the Iowa Civil Rights Commission Executive Director, a position that is appointed by the Governor of the State of Iowa. In that position, she set policy and was responsible for hiring, staffing, employment benefits, and performance evaluations for the state agency.
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