School Accountability Report Card School Year 2001-2002

School Description and Mission Statement

As one of the four schools of the Menlo Park City School District, Laurel School pursues the District's mission:  "We are a community of educators, scholars, parents and staff working together to inspire high academic achievement among all students, serve their needs, challenge their minds, and enrich their lives, laying a foundation for success and participation in a democratic society." Laurel School is a primary education school serving Kindergarten, first and second grade level students.  Laurel School is located in a residential area in Atherton, two blocks from Menlo Atherton High School.  The school staff includes; 19 regular education classroom teachers, one reading specialist, an instructional resource teacher and one site administrator.  Part-time staff includes; a Librarian, a Music Specialist, a Art Specialist, a Physical Education Specialist, a Support Teacher (special tutoring & ELL), a Resource Specialist, a Speech and Language Specialist, a psychologist, a student counselor, and a nurse.  These certificated positions are supported by a school office manager, two office clerks, ten instructional aides, and one computer lab aide.

Opportunities for Parental Involvement

Contact Person Name	Celia Aufdemberge	Contact Person Phone Number	650-566-8464
The parents at Laurel School are very supportive.  87% of our families are members of the PTA, and hundreds of parents serve on over 35 different  PTA committees which enhance and support our Laurel instructional program and school community.  A PTA sponsored music enrichment coordinator provides a supplemental music program to all classrooms.  The PTA also provides a hot food offering three times a week.  Classroom teachers are supported by a large group of parent volunteers.  Parents are trained by our Language Arts Lead Teacher to assist with reading fluency groups, by our computer lab aide to help monitor students in our computer lab, and by the librarian to help manage the circulation of books within our library. The amount of direct assistance in the classroom is illustrated by the number of hours of volunteer time logged during the 01-02 school year—385 hours per classroom.  Parents serve on our Laurel School Site Council which meets on a monthly basis to review and monitor the Laurel School Site Plan.

I. Demographic Information

Student Enrollment, by Grade Level

Grade Level	Enrollment
Kindergarten	137
Grade 1	116
Grade 2	112
Total	365

Student Enrollment, by Ethnic Group
The percentage of students is the number of students in a racial/ethnic category divided by the school's most recent California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS) total enrollment.

Racial/Ethnic Category	Number of Students	Percentage of Students	Racial/Ethnic Category	Number of Students	Percentage of Students
African-American	13	3.6	Hispanic or Latino	24	6.6
American Indian or Alaska Native	0	0.0	Pacific Islander	7	1.9
Asian-American	23	6.3	White (Not Hispanic)	252	69.0
Filipino-American	0	0.0	Other	46	12.6

II. School Safety and Climate for Learning

School Safety Plan

Date of Last Review/Update	September 30  annually	Date Last Discussed with Staff	Ongoing
The Menlo Park City School District incorporates requirements of all legislative mandates into a single Emergency Preparedness plan that is updated annually.  The principal manages the Site Emergency Plan that coordinates concerns of parents, students, and staff for the safety and welfare of all.  The Site Emergency Plan is reviewed and revised annually and appropriate drills and training are provided to help all persons become familiar with their responsibilities.  Emergency preparedness also includes close cooperation and planning with police, fire, civic emergency agencies and school/parent groups.

School Programs and Practices that Promote a Positive Learning Environment

Laurel School is an exciting, nurturing and challenging place where students develop conceptual knowledge and skills, learn social skills and establish personal connections to their academic world.  The Laurel School spirit is celebrated each Friday, when students and staff wear the school colors of blue & white, birthday ribbons and "Super Squirrel" certificates are personally delivered by the principal to those students caught doing something special for their school or peers, and a Super Squirrel mascot is rotated to each class to witness all the wonderful activities and positive interactions of our students.  Self-esteem is also promoted through our "Students of the Month" program.  Throughout the school year all students have their picture taken by a PTA volunteer and placed on display within the school office.  Classroom teachers send home individual awards such as "Classroom Stars" on a regular basis.  The Laurel staff views discipline as growth from dependence to independence.  This is accomplished through the use of natural and logical consequences and encouragement that communicates respect and value for each and every child, and enables the child to develop responsibility, self-discipline and judgment.  Good behavior on our playgrounds is insured through the use of clearly defined rules and ample supervision.  Laurel has separate playground areas for the kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students.  Each play yard is monitored by two yard duty supervisors.  The staff at Laurel School is committed to excellence.  Our expectation is that each and every child develops into a lifelong learner.  The 'Basic Skills’ of the 21st century to think well, work effectively in groups, use technological tools, and deal with rapid social change are taught along side our core curriculum of mathematics, language arts, science, history-social science, physical education, art, and music.  Our commitment is to help each child learn these basic skills and build a strong character in the process so that he/she can meet, with confidence and competence, the complex changes of his/her future

Suspensions and Expulsions
   The number of suspensions and expulsions is the total number of incidents that result in a suspension or expulsion. The rate of suspensions and expulsions is the total number of incidents divided by the school's California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS) total enrollment for the given year. In unified school districts, a comparison between a particular type of school (elementary, middle, high) and the district average may be misleading. Schools have the option of comparing their data with the district-wide average for the same type of school.

	School			District
	2000	2001	2002	2000	2001	2002
Suspensions (number)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Suspensions (rate)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Expulsions (number)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Expulsions (rate)	0	0	0	0	0	0

School Facilities

The Laurel School maintenance and facilities needs are continually monitored by the Principal and Director of Maintenance Operations Transportation.  Laurel has one full time day custodian, as well as one full and one part time evening custodian, and a part time District gardener.  All permanent classrooms, the Multi Purpose Room, and office have been renovated, and five new classrooms, and a new library/ media center have been built, supported by the Bond monies passed by the community.  New play structures have been installed in our kindergarten, first and second grade play areas, a gift from the Menlo Park - Atherton Education Foundation.  The PTA has a Beautification Committee that works to plant flowers and bushes and maintain the appearance of the school.  In 1995, a  long-term facilities and maintenance plan was completed by the District administration and Board.  Specific facility needs and maintenance projects necessary at Laurel are identified and prioritized for future completion as funds become available.

III. Academic Data

Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR)
Through the California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program, students in grades 2-11 are tested annually in various subject areas. Currently, the STAR program includes California Standards Tests (CST) in English Language Arts and Mathematics in grades 2-11, and Science and History-Social Science in grades 9-11; and the Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition (Stanford 9), which tests Reading, Language, Mathematics (grades 2-11), Spelling (grades 2-8), and Science and History-Social Science (grades 9-11 only). Note: To protect student privacy, scores are not shown when the number of students tested is 10 or less.

California Standards Tests (CST)
The California Standards Tests show how well students are doing in relation to the state content standards. Student scores are reported as performance levels. The five performance levels are Advanced (exceeds state standards), Proficient (meets standards), Basic (approaching standards), Below Basic (below standards), and Far Below Basic (well below standards). Students scoring at the Proficient or Advanced level have met state standards in that content area. Note: To protect student privacy, scores are not shown when the number of students tested is 10 or less.

CST - English Language Arts
Percentage of students achieving at the Proficient or Advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standard)

Grade Level	School			District			State
	2000	2001	2002	2000	2001	2002	2000	2001	2002
2	---	64	62	---	71	71	---	32	32

CST - Mathematics
Percentage of students achieving at the Proficient or Advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standard)

Grade Level	School			District			State
	2000	2001	2002	2000	2001	2002	2000	2001	2002
2	---	---	66	---	---	72	---	---	43

CST - Subgroups - English Language Arts
Percentage of students achieving at the Proficient or Advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standard)

Grade Level	Male	Female	English Learners	Not-English Learners	Socioeconomically Disadvantaged	Not Socioeconomically Disadvantaged	Migrant Education Services
2	58	67	28	70		64

CST - Subgroups - Mathematics
Percentage of students achieving at the Proficient or Advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standard)

Grade Level	Male	Female	English Learners	Not-English Learners	Socioeconomically Disadvantaged	Not Socioeconomically Disadvantaged	Migrant Education Services
2	68	64	48	70		69

CST - Racial/Ethnic Groups - English Language Arts
Percentage of students achieving at the Proficient or Advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standard)

Grade Level	African- American	American Indian or Alaska Native	Asian- American	Filipino- American	Hispanic or Latino	Pacific Islander	White (not Hispanic)	Other
2					27		74

CST - Racial/Ethnic Groups - Mathematics
Percentage of students achieving at the Proficient or Advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standard)

Grade Level	African- American	American Indian or Alaska Native	Asian- American	Filipino- American	Hispanic or Latino	Pacific Islander	White (not Hispanic)	Other
2			73		36		76

Stanford 9 (SAT 9)
Reading and mathematics results from the Stanford 9 test are reported for each grade level as the percentage of tested students scoring at or above the 50th percentile (the national average). School results are compared to results at the district and state levels. Note: To protect student privacy, scores are not shown when the number of students tested is 10 or less.

SAT 9 - Reading
Percentage of students scoring at or above the 50th percentile

Grade Level	School			District			State
	2000	2001	2002	2000	2001	2002	2000	2001	2002
2	85	84	86	87	89	92	49	51	53

SAT 9 - Mathematics
Percentage of students scoring at or above the 50th percentile

Grade Level	School			District			State
	2000	2001	2002	2000	2001	2002	2000	2001	2002
2	67	79	85	74	81	90	57	58	62

SAT 9 - Subgroups - Reading
Percentage of students scoring at or above the 50th percentile

Grade Level	Male	Female	English Learners	Not-English Learners	Socioeconomically Disadvantaged	Not Socioeconomically Disadvantaged	Migrant Education Services
2	84	88	71	89		87

SAT 9 - Subgroups - Mathematics
Percentage of students scoring at or above the 50th percentile

Grade Level	Male	Female	English Learners	Not-English Learners	Socioeconomically Disadvantaged	Not Socioeconomically Disadvantaged	Migrant Education Services
2	90	80	72	88		87

SAT 9 - Racial/Ethnic Groups - Reading
Percentage of students scoring at or above the 50th percentile

Grade Level	African- American	American Indian or Alaska Native	Asian- American	Filipino- American	Hispanic or Latino	Pacific Islander	White (not Hispanic)	Other
2			70				95

SAT 9 - Racial/Ethnic Groups - Mathematics
Percentage of students scoring at or above the 50th percentile

Grade Level	African- American	American Indian or Alaska Native	Asian- American	Filipino- American	Hispanic or Latino	Pacific Islander	White (not Hispanic)	Other
2			91				90

Academic Performance Index (API)

The Academic Performance Index (API) is a score on a scale of 200 to 1000 that annually measures the academic performance and progress of individual schools in California. On an interim basis, the state has set 800 as the API score that schools should strive to meet.
Growth Targets: The annual growth target for a school is 5% of the distance between its base API and 800. The growth target for a school at or above 800 is to remain at or above 800. Actual growth is the number of API points a school gained between its base and growth years. Schools that reach their annual targets are eligible for monetary awards. Schools that do not meet their targets and have a statewide API rank of one to five are eligible to participate in the Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program (II/USP), which provides resources to schools to improve their academic achievement.
Subgroup APIs and Targets: In addition to a whole-school API, schools also receive API scores for each numerically significant racial/ethnic and socioeconomically disadvantaged subgroup in the school. Growth targets, equal to 80 percent of the school's target, are also set for each of the subgroups. Each subgroup must also meet its target for the school to be identified as having met its target.
Percentage Tested: In order to be eligible for awards, elementary and middle schools must have at least 95% of their students in grades 2-8 tested in STAR. High schools must have at least 90% of their students in grades 9-11 tested.
Statewide Rank: Schools receiving an API score are ranked in ten categories of equal size (deciles) from one (lowest) to ten (highest), according to type of school (elementary, middle, or high school).
Similar Schools Rank: This is a comparison of each school with 100 other schools with similar demographic characteristics. Each set of 100 schools is ranked by API score from one (lowest) to ten (highest) to indicate how well the school performed compared to schools most like it.

API criteria are subject to change as new legislation is enacted into law. More detailed and current information about the API and public school accountability in California can be found at the California Department of Education Web site at http://api.cde.ca.gov/ or by speaking with the school principal

School Wide API

API Base Data				API Growth Data
	1999	2000	2001		From 1999 to 2000	From 2000 to 2001	From 2001 to 2002
Percentage Tested	93	100	100	Percentage Tested	100	100	100
API Base Score	844	851	831	API Growth Score	851	842	843
Growth Target		#	A	Actual Growth	7	-9	12
Statewide Rank	10	10	9
Similar Schools Rank	4	2	1

API Subgroups - Racial/Ethnic Groups

API Base Data				API Growth Data
	1999	2000	2001		From 1999 to 2000	From 2000 to 2001	From 2001 to 2002
White (Not Hispanic)				White (Not Hispanic)
API Base Score	870	899	866	API Growth Score	899	878	893
Growth Target		A	A	Actual Growth	29	-21	27

IV. School Completion (Secondary Schools)

   Not applicable to elementary/middle schools.

V. Class Size

Average Class Size and Class Size Distribution
Data reported are the average class size and the number of classrooms for each range of students, by grade level, as reported by CBEDS.

Grade	2000				2001				2002
	Avg.	1-20	21-32	33+	Avg.	1-20	21-32	33+	Avg.	1-20	21-32	33+
K	22.00		6		20.43	4	3		19.57	6	1
1	19.29	7			16.86	7			19.33	6
2	18.00	7			18.00	7			18.60	5

Class Size Reduction Participation
California's K-3 Class Size Reduction program began in 1996 for children in kindergarten and grades one through three. Funding is provided to participating school districts to decrease the size of K-3 classes to 20 or fewer students per certificated teacher.

Grade Level	Percentage of Pupils Participating
	2000	2001	2002
K	0	57	85
1	100	100	100
2	100	100	100

VI. Teacher and Staff Information

Teacher Credential Information
Part-time teachers are counted as '1'. If a teacher works at two schools, he/she is only counted at one school. Data are not available for teachers with a full credential and teaching outside his/her subject area.

	2000	2001	2002
Total Number of Teachers	22	26	25
Full Credential  (full credential and teaching in subject area)	21	25	25
Teaching Outside Subject Area  (full credential but teaching outside subject area)
Emergency Credential  (includes District Internship, University Internship, Pre-Interns and Emergency Permits)	1	2
Teachers with Waivers  (does not have credential and does not qualify for an Emergency Permit)

Teacher Evaluations

By district contract, all permanent teachers are evaluated every two years, and every non-tenured employee is evaluated three times each year.  Administrators participate in ongoing inservice to refine skills in supervision.

Substitute Teachers

Teachers who work as substitutes in Menlo Park classrooms must have passed the California Basic Educational Skills Test and possess a valid California teaching credential.  The district continually strives to recruit high quality substitutes for our classrooms.

Counselors and Other Support Staff
Data reported are in units of full-time equivalents (FTE). One FTE is defined as a staff person who is working 100% full time. Two staff persons working 50% of full time also equals one FTE.

Title	FTE
Counselor	.5
Librarian	.7
Psychologist	.2
Social Worker
Nurse	.25
Speech/Language/Hearing Specialist	.5
Resource Specialist (non-teaching)
Other

Academic Counselors
Data reported are in units of full-time equivalents (FTE). One FTE is defined as a staff person who is working 100% of full time. Two staff persons working 50% of full time also equals one FTE. The ratio of pupils per academic counselor is enrollment as reported in the most recent California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS) data collection divided by the number of academic counselors.

Number of Academic Counselors (FTE)	Ratio of Pupils per Academic Counselor
0	0

VII. Curriculum and Instruction

School Instruction and Leadership

Laurel School provides a broad-based, high quality education for all of its students.  The District’s direction is given through the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, cross-district grade level meetings and professional development activities.  The four principals in Menlo Park meet weekly with the Superintendent, the Assistant Superintendent, the Business Manager, and the Director of Student Services, to discuss, evaluate and plan for instructional programs at the schools.  Laurel teachers serve on a variety of District curriculum committees which meet monthly to assist in the review, implementation, and evaluation of District adopted materials and instructional practices.  Our library/media center is well stocked with primary books.  The school's .7 librarian meets with each class on a weekly basis.  Books are procured through the School Library Act funds and an Adopt-A-Book program.  Our media center contains a state of the art computer lab facilitated by a part-time technology aide.  Students and teachers in each classroom have access to the Internet via computers.  Laurel's classroom efforts are augmented by the District Language Arts Lead Teacher, the Instructional Resource Teacher, the Support Teacher program (including ELL services), the Miller-Unruh Reading Specialist, a psychologist, a school counselor, and speech/language and resource specialist programs.  A Student Success Team meets regularly to plan courses of action for students needing additional learning and/or emotional support.  On Thursday afternoons the Laurel PTA sponsors a chess class, a science class, and French and Spanish classes for those students wanting exposure to a second language at the primary level.  Leadership is provided by the principal through the Site Council, the PTA and the faculty and staff.  The Laurel Leadership Team is composed of a teacher liaison from each grade level and meets regularly with the principal .

Professional Development

The district values teachers' and administrators' professional development as a source and stimulus of student growth and achievement, and as an ongoing process of personal growth, learning, and satisfaction for the individual staff member.  The professional development opportunities provided by the district include; staff development days, attendance at courses and conferences by individual teachers, opportunities for collaborative planning and curriculum development, systematic programs of observation and analysis of teaching, and support services for all first and second year teachers through the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) program, a state-funded, standards-based program that provides support through mentoring, training, and evaluation.  Additional support services for all teachers are provided through the state-funded Peer Assistance and Review program.

Quality and Currency of Textbooks and Other Instructional Materials

Textbooks from the approved standards-based materials list are reviewed and adopted in the cycle dictated by the State of California.  The recently adopted Harcourt Math 2002 program for Kindergarten and Houghton Mifflin Mathematics for first and second grades, as well as MathLand, ‘Math Their Way', and a variety of math manipulative programs, make up the Laurel mathematics program.  The Open Court reading/language arts program, supported by literature sets, provide the foundation for our reading/language arts program.  We are in the first year of implementing our History/Social Science textbooks; Harcourt Brace's, Adventures in Time and Place in Kindergarten and second grades, and McGraw-Hill Social Studies in first grade.  Science materials include three hands-on science kits at each grade level.  A $5.6 million National Science Foundation grant funds our science collaborative "Bay Area Schools for Excellence in Education".  This partnership includes eight school districts and Hewlett-Packard, and provides training for our lead science teacher, as well as a menu of professional development opportunities for all classroom teachers in the area of science with connections to math, literacy and technology.

Instructional Minutes
The California Education Code establishes the required number of instructional minutes per year for each grade. Data reported compares the number of instructional minutes offered at the school level to the state requirement for each grade.

Grade Level	Instructional Minutes
	Offered	State Requirement
K	39,440	36,000
1	53,620	50,400
2	53,620	50,400

Total Number of Minimum Days

Menlo Park City School District has eight approved minimum days; six minimum days for parent/teacher conferences, one minimum day before the Thanksgiving holiday, and one minimum day on the last day of instruction.

VIII. Postsecondary Preparation (Secondary Schools)

   Not applicable to elementary/middle schools.

IX. Fiscal and Expenditure Data

Average Salaries (Fiscal Year 2000-2001)
Statewide data categories used for comparison are determined by type (Elementary, High, and Unified) and enrollment, as defined in Management Bulletin 02-04. The statewide average for principals is aggregated by district. There is no statewide average calculated for Common Administration Districts.

Category	District Amount	State Average For Districts In Same Category
Beginning Teacher Salary	37829	34611
Mid-Range Teacher Salary	61245	53100
Highest Teacher Salary	74107	65312
Average Principal Salary (Elementary)	100880	80909
Average Principal Salary (Middle)	106553
Average Principal Salary (High)	NA
Superintendent Salary	155687	109512
Percentage of Budget for Teacher Salaries	48.44	43.49
Percentage of Budget for Administrative Salaries	6.74	5.90

Expenditures (Fiscal Year 2000-2001)

District	District	State Average For Districts In Same Category	State Average All Districts
Total Dollars	Dollars per Student (ADA)	Dollars per Student (ADA)	Dollars per Student (ADA)
$14,742,072	$7,788	$6,092	$6,360

Types of Services Funded

Laurel's classrooms are supported by the District Language Arts Lead Teacher, Instructional Resource Teacher, the Support Teacher program (including ELL services), the Miller-Unruh Reading Specialist, psychologist, school counselor, and speech/language and resource specialist programs.