School Accountability Report Card School Year 2001-2002

School Description and Mission Statement

Oak Knoll School, located 40 miles south of San Francisco in the city of Menlo Park, is one of the four schools in the Menlo Park City School District.  The enrollment is 632 students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. The school staff includes 29 regular education teachers, one librarian, one special education teacher, two Student Support/Team teachers, one Miller-Unruh Reading Specialist, a 3-5 Reading Specialist, one Resource specialist, one Speech and Language specialist, an art, music,  and a PE teacher, and one administrator supported by two half time assistants.   Part- time staff includes psychologist and nurse services, and part-time teachers for science and music.  The staff is supported by a school secretary, two clerks, and twelve classroom aides. Oak Knoll has a small minority population: 22% of the total student body.  The Oak Knoll community values education, and therefore, less than 1% of our students are absent without excuse daily. Oak Knoll School is dedicated to providing a quality educational program for all students.  It is our mission to inspire students to achieve at high levels and to investigate questions of interest.  We must breathe life into the curriculum.  It is our goal to create a school where children are inspired:  inspired to learn, inspired to create, inspired to learn about each other, inspired to change the world, inspired to take risks.  We wish to create a school where learners are continually awed by the wonder and joy of learning.  Oak Knoll is a school where teachers are in love with their children and in love with the process of education.  Oak Knoll values excellence, compassion, cooperation, creativity, love, determination and joy.

Opportunities for Parental Involvement

Contact Person Name		Contact Person Phone Number
Parents regularly volunteer at Oak Knoll School to provide teacher instructional support and to coordinate special projects and activities planned by staff or by the Parent-Teacher Association.  Back-to-School and Open House evenings draw 90-95% of our parents. PTA membership is over 95%.  Through annual family events such as the Family Feasts, and weekly projects such as Hot Food Days, the PTA provides for community involvement in the school, and contributes thousands of dollars yearly to support school programs.  An after school sports program in basketball is coordinated by the PTA. Community organizations provide support for Oak Knoll.  The Menlo Park Police Department cooperates with staff in presenting safety and drug information to students.  The Menlo Park Fire Department makes safety inspections, conducts monthly fire drills, and instructs students in fire safety. Oak Knoll supports its community through its service squads and the Caring & Sharing Committee of the PTA.  Students participate in food/clothing drives, Earth Day celebrations, paperback book drives, and recycling. The students participate in a yearly Jump for Heart program for the Red Cross.

I. Demographic Information

Student Enrollment, by Grade Level

Grade Level	Enrollment
Kindergarten	91
Grade 1	96
Grade 2	107
Grade 3	99
Grade 4	105
Grade 5	124
Total	622

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	25	4.0	Hispanic or Latino	62	10.0
American Indian or Alaska Native	0	0.0	Pacific Islander	20	3.2
Asian-American	25	4.0	White (Not Hispanic)	487	78.3
Filipino-American	3	0.5	Other	0	0.0

II. School Safety and Climate for Learning

School Safety Plan

Date of Last Review/Update		Date Last Discussed with Staff
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 eheir 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

The Oak Knoll School discipline plan was developed by principal and staff, and is based on the premise that the policies must augment student cooperation and effective growth of self- control.  The school handbook contains the general playground rules.  Individual teachers develop classroom standards for their students. Oak Knoll supports recognition activities which encourage positive student efforts.  Every classroom has a Student-of-the-Week activity, and awards for perfect attendance are given out yearly.  All students participate in projects planned by the Student Support teacher and student service squads, including peer tutoring, beautification projects, conflict resolution, and school assemblies.  The Menlo Park City School District values small class size.  Oak Knoll Kindergarten classes average 24 students.  Oak Knoll School participates in the K-3 State class size reduction program.  First, second, and third grade classes are at 20:1levels.  The 4th and 5th grade classes average 24 students.  Each class, K through 3, has a l l/4 hour classroom aide. Oak Knoll has one Special Education Class, with 11 students in grades 3 and 4.  The class has a full- time teacher and a 6 hour aide.  Special Education classes follow the District core curriculum.

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)
Expulsions (number)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Expulsions (rate)

School Facilities

All permanent classrooms have been renovated, supported by the Bond monies passed by the community. New play structures have been installed in the kindergarten yard and in the 3rd – 5th grade play area.  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 facilities needs and maintenance projects necessary at Oak Knoll 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	---	79	80	---	71	71	---	32	32
3	---	70	79	---	67	75	---	30	34
4	---	78	77	---	78	76	---	33	36
5	---	70	69	---	73	72	---	28	31

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	---	---	78	---	---	72	---	---	43
3	---	---	71	---	---	67	---	---	38
4	---	---	66	---	---	64	---	---	37
5	---	---	55	---	---	62	---	---	29

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	74	85		83		80
3	78	81		84		79
4	65	89		80		80
5	64	76		73		73

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	79	77		83		80
3	69	73		74		72
4	62	69		68		68
5	56	52		57		57

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							86
3							90
4							81
5							76

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							83
3							81
4							75
5							59

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	90	94	99	87	89	92	49	51	53
3	85	86	88	83	86	88	44	46	47
4	87	87	86	86	85	86	45	47	49
5	94	88	87	89	88	86	44	45	46

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	83	85	95	74	81	90	57	58	62
3	82	80	90	80	78	78	56	59	62
4	83	79	82	84	82	79	51	54	58
5	89	88	84	85	89	88	50	54	57

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	100	98		100		99
3	89	87		94		89
4	84	89		89		89
5	88	85		89		88

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	92	98		98		96
3	93	87		94		91
4	80	85		85		85
5	87	81		86		86

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							99
3							96
4							91
5							92

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							98
3							94
4							91
5							90

California Fitness Test
Percentage of students meeting fitness standards (scoring in the healthy fitness zone on all six fitness standards)
Note: To protect student privacy, scores are not shown when the number of students tested is 10 or less.

Grade Level	School			District			State
	Total	Female	Male	Total	Female	Male	Total	Female	Male
5	15.0	14.5	15.4	30.0	27.6	32.1	22.2	23.4	21.5

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	99	99	100	Percentage Tested	99	100	100
API Base Score	872	892	884	API Growth Score	892	897	894
Growth Target		A	A	Actual Growth	20	5	10
Statewide Rank	10	10	10
Similar Schools Rank	7	7	9

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	894	919	914	API Growth Score	919	924	923
Growth Target		A	A	Actual Growth	25	5	9

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	21.67		6		23.75		4		22.50		4
1	18.60	5			18.86	7			19.33	6
2	18.20	5			22.40	3	2		18.00	6
3	19.67	6			19.60	5			18.60	5
4	25.60		5		23.33		6		25.50		4
5	27.25		4		25.50		4		24.20		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	0	0
1	100	100	100
2	100	100	100
3	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	40	38	43
Full Credential  (full credential and teaching in subject area)	38	35	42
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	2
Teachers with Waivers  (does not have credential and does not qualify for an Emergency Permit)	1	1	0

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 educational supervision and evaluation.

Substitute Teachers

Substitute teachers must possess a valid California teaching credential, and have passed the California Basic Educational SkillsTest.

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	0.5
Librarian	1
Psychologist	0.4
Social Worker
Nurse	0.18
Speech/Language/Hearing Specialist	1
Resource Specialist (non-teaching)
Other	3

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

Oak Knoll provides a broad based, high quality education for all its students.  Leadership is provided by the principal through the Site Council, the faculty, and the PTA.  Teachers are integral to the school leadership, providing evaluation and assistance through Site Council representation, staff meeting attendance, and direct help and advice to the principal. The four principals in Menlo Park meet weekly with the Superintendent, the Assistant Superintendent, the Business Manager, and the Director of Special Services, to discuss, evaluate, and plan instructional programs at the schools.  Principals at each site meet monthly with the Site Council, composed of parents and teachers, which supports school planning and evaluation of program.  This year at Oak Knoll, the Site Council goals included providing inservice, materials, and classroom aides to support instruction in language arts, math, PE, and science. Oak Knoll School has a child study team which meets bimonthly to evaluate and plan for referred students.  The principal and the specialists observe the child, interview and complete diagnostic teaching with the child, and then the child study team recommends classroom modifications, specific learning strategies, and possible further testing for Special Education services.  The reading specialists, resource specialist, and the part-time psychologist are available to assist staff, students, and parents.  Other specific assistance is available for staff: two support teachers to assist students learning to speak English or who need extra help, a Speech & Language Specialist, and a part-time administrator who directs programs for the identified GATE (Gifted and Talented) students.

Professional Development

The Menlo Park District values professional development of teachers and administrators as an ongoing process of personal growth and learning for the individual, and as a source and stimulus for increased student growth and achievement.  Professional development opportunities provided to Oak Knoll by the District include staff development days, workshops, attendance at courses and conferences, opportunities for collaborative planning and curriculum development, collegial programs of observation and analysis of teaching, and support services through the Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) Program.  The District has one full time staff member who provides coaching for new teachers.

Quality and Currency of Textbooks and Other Instructional Materials

During the 1998-99 school year, the District implemented new materials for language arts instruction.  Students in grades K through 2 use the Open Court materials.  Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 use the MacMillan materials.  Language arts instruction is augmented by literature units at all grade levels. For the 2001-2002 school year, new mathematics texts were selected for use in the 2002 school year..   Purchase and evaluation of District texts and curriculum are directed by the Assistant  Superintendent.  Staff is directly involved through Site Council efforts, and also through the District instructional materials committees. The District is in the fifth year of participating in a National Science Foundation grant to support hands on science instruction.  Oak Knoll has a technology mentor, who provides inservice and support for staff in integrating computers into education.

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
3	55,340	50,400
4	55,340	54,000
5	55,340	54,000

Total Number of Minimum Days

Menlo Park has eight approved minimum days.  Six minimum days are used for parent/teacher conferencing, one minimum day is the day before Thanksgiving, and the eighth day is the last day of the school year.

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

Our school program is supported through varied funding sources.  The district’s 2001-2002 funding came to approximately $9,630 per student, which includes Foundation income and of which $60 per student was allocated for instructional materials.  Financial support is provided to the District by the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation.  Oak Knoll's educational programs and resources were enhanced for the 2001-2002 school year due to the Foundation grant to the school district of $605,000.  In November, 1995, the district community renewed a parcel tax for eight years to maintain class size and support academic programs.  Additionally, a $22 million bond measure was approved to upgrade all district facilities.  In April 2000, the local community approved a new $298 per year parcel tax.  These funds are being used to reduce class size ratios; provide extra support for students; enhance programs in art, music, physical education and middle school electives; expand learning opportunities for teachers; and continue to implement the district’s Technology Plan.  The 2001-2002 estimated parcel tax income for the district was $3,121,391. In November, 1995, voters approved a $22 million bond to acquire, rehabilitate, construct, and modernize District classrooms and school facilities for student and local community use.  Construction and refurbishing of classrooms and other facilities at Oak Knoll was completed during this school year.