From the Superintendent
I am very happy, honored and excited to be a part of the Euclid Community as the superintendent of schools. I believe we are posed as a school district and community to make great strides in the type of educational opportunities we currently offer as well as those we need to offer our students in the future. I am also very appreciative, humbled and thankful for the many sacrifices our employees, community stakeholders and many others have made over the past several years to allow the school district to continue providing a quality education for all students.
To prepare our students to compete within the global marketplace moving forward, we have developed three organizational goals that will guide our direction and focus.
Our Goals
(1) Increase student achievement (2) efficiently manage and allocate district resources (3) continue to increase the creditability of the district
Our Objectives
Inspect What We Expect – Bi weekly progress checks of all academic performance K-12 to determine growth and make mid-course corrections where necessary. Contract with the Community – The superintendent will meet with all stakeholders every ninety days to share updates, progress and challenges regarding the allocation of resources and the impact on student achievement. Public Relations – The superintendent and district staff will work to communicate to our stakeholders on a regular basis the wonderful things that are occurring in the district involving student and staff and how these activities support our focus on improved student achievement.
These objectives are all inter-dependent on each other, and require a collaborative effort among all of us to ensure we are doing everything within our power to prepare our students to be college and career ready upon graduation.
Our Elementary Schools
There are many unique qualities of Chardon Hills Magnet School. They educate approximately 550 students, drawing from across the City of Euclid. Chardon Hills is also home to the Euclid City School District’s elementary gifted program and autism program. The gifted program follows a problem-based curriculum that stimulates and challenges the advanced learner’s critical thinking and reasoning. The autism program follows a highly structured visual environment to help all students reach independence.
At Chardon Hills, all students are provided support to meet their individual academic needs. In addition to our classroom teachers and special education interventionists, six building tutors provide additional support in the areas of literacy and mathematics.
Shoreview Elementary School is a state of the art 21st Century building that will allow our teachers and students to improve achievement in the Euclid City Schools. Their staff of highly qualified teachers ensure that all students will realize their full potential. With a focus on student-centered learning, both in and out of the classroom, Shoreview is a school that is safe, inviting, and conducive to learning for all students and staff. Their teachers meet weekly to discuss student growth and development intervention and enrichment plans. It is through monitoring student progress that they will meet the needs of each and every Shoreview student.
One of the unique features at Bluestone Elementary School is their school wide approach to setting and maintaining high expectations for students. The students and staff members of Bluestone adhere to the principles and practices of Responsive Classroom. This model of operating a school has proved to be very beneficial to the school community. In a Responsive Classroom environment, teachers model procedures and routines for their students. For example, teachers demonstrate and practice with their students the expected way of how to travel safely throughout the school building. Responsive Classroom also entails the concept of “reminding,” “redirecting,” and “reinforcing” expectations for all students.
Every star is unique, and students at Arbor Elementary School are considered “Arbor Stars: Students Taking Academic Responsibility.” It is only one of the reasons that Arbor is unique. Arbor is a learning community that stresses collaboration between all staff members; teachers, tutors, custodians, lunch staff, bus drivers, educational assistants, secretary, health monitor, parents, parent volunteers and PTA members. As a team they have formulated and have begun to implement the “Arbor Way,” which stresses being Respectful, Responsible and Ready to Learn. Each staff member is committed to working as a team and being visible throughout the school.
Our Middle Schools
At Forest Park Middle School, the motto is Powered by PRIDE! They are proud of the education they provide to over 600 students each day. When a child transitions to Forest Park Middle School, an authentic and exciting learning experience awaits them. At Forest Park, they promote the principles of Wildcat PRIDE (Practice responsibility, Respect all others, Ignore negativity, Develop strengths, and Excel in academics.) The teaming concept they offer is designed to not only create a sense of belonging, but to ensure students’ academic success along with social and emotional development. They provide a myriad of opportunities for students to build 21st Century skills and take pride in the options they offer 7th and 8th grade students to earn up to 3.0 credits toward high school graduation through international language and mathematics courses.
Their indicators of success include: Growth in their reading Ohio Achievement scores; increased number of students with high school credits upon entering high school; reduction in discipline referrals from at-risk students due to Positive Behavior Support strategies and growth groups; and increased community connections through the Euclid Hunger Center, Letters to Local Heroes and Challenge Day.
Central Middle School is currently rated “Effective” by the State Department of Education. For the past three years they have seen an increase in their Ohio Achievement results. They pride themselves on helping their students grow academically and socially. At Central they have the ability to help all students achieve academic success by offering math and reading support to struggling students, as well as offering credit for two high school math courses and Spanish for their most advanced students. Evidence of their success is that 100% of students taking advanced math and Spanish receive high school credit. Another indicator of their students’ success is that they were recognized by the state last year for exceeding expected gains for all students.
To assist their students in developing socially, Central has implemented a positive behavior supports program called CHAMPS. The success rate with various positive support programs is evidenced by the fact that over 94% of their students choose to attend Central Middle School daily.
Our High School
Euclid High School prides itself on both the unique opportunities offered to students and the intervention and enrichment structures used to help students achieve high levels of success. A comprehensive high school of more than 2000 students, they offer a college preparatory curriculum as their base educational program. Students who need additional support enroll in classes specifically designed to help them succeed in high school, such as math essentials to assist with algebra I, and reading, to provide necessary support for all content areas. As students demonstrate their competency in the core curriculum, myriad elective courses are available to challenge and engage them. Elective courses include astronomy (with one of the few working planetariums in Northeast Ohio), video game programming, psychology, African-American history, advanced web design, small engines, photography, personal/business law, and many more. The high school also offers music and art classes at all four grade levels, advanced placement courses in all subject areas, and career technical education.
For students who wish to start college early and who can qualify for college-level coursework as demonstrated by strong performance in high school coursework and passage of college-entry tests, options are easily accessible. Every year, scores of Euclid High School students enroll in courses at Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland State University, and other higher education institutions and earn both high school and college credit simultaneously. The more determined student can earn a high school diploma and an Associate’s Degree. And all of this can be achieved for free.
Our Unique Programming
The Euclid City Schools Child Development Center was established in 1978. With insight toward the future, Euclid Schools fulfilled a very important need in the community. The Child Development Center provides an age appropriate curriculum for general and special education students. The preschool curriculum provides foundational skills that Euclid students need to be successful for future learning. Their special education classrooms provide an inclusive environment for all students to learn at their own level and pace. Their program also includes before and after school activities to meet the needs of working parents within our community. Data has proven that their students are successful. The 2012 valedictorian from Euclid High School began her journey in education at their school.
We also recognize and provide for the unique needs and abilities of each individual student. Gifted programs for academically talented students are a vital part of this commitment. Services for gifted students include differentiated instruction, resource programs, grade or subject acceleration, and honors, advanced placement and post-secondary options.
In accordance with state and federal operating standards, the Euclid Schools provide for the complete evaluation of students suspected of having a disability impacting a child’s ability to learn. School psychologists lead the child find requirements at each school. Students who are identified as students with a disability are provided with a wide range of specially designed instruction to assist the students in accessing the full curriculum. Related services such as speech and occupational and physical therapy are also provided as determined in the student’s individual education plan (IEP).
One of our extensive career-technical opportunities as part of the Lake Shore Compact is the Euclid Culinary Arts Program, which also includes a working bistro-style restaurant for students to hone their hands-on skills. This is an outstanding program for students aspiring to be a chef or work in the food service industry. Among the other 22 programs offered through the Compact are Automotive Service Technology, Auto Body Technology, Welding Technology, Graphic Arts, Interactive Media, CAD/Engineering Technology, Cosmetology, CISCO Systems Networking Technologies, Computer Information Systems, Nursing, and Criminal Justice.
Our Support Services
The Academic Services Department sees tremendous success with the continued reorganization of service delivery. Specifically, Title Services, with the addition of the Coordinator of Federal Programs and the tutors that were hired, enable us to work with 430 students in the elementary school as compared to 240 last year. The tutors went through training this summer in order to be ready to support students on day one. We have increased math support at each middle school and will now be able to serve approximately 360 students with interventions.
We will also be implementing the Common Core in grades K-2, with Common Core training taking place in Grades 3 to 5. This past summer we used Atlas Curriculum Mapping Software to develop a consistent, vertically aligned curriculum to the Common Core.
Our Management Information Systems department has provided instructional and administrative staff with a robust and dependable network, ensuring access to 21st Century resources.
The Euclid City Schools Human Resources Department strives to provide our students, staff, and community with the best customer service through hiring excellent teachers, secretaries, custodians, bus drivers, and many more valuable employees. We are proud to say that we serve as one of the largest employers in the city of Euclid by providing jobs to almost 1,000 classified and certified employees. The Human Resources Department thoroughly screens applicants through a multi-tiered interview process that involves a number of people with varying perspectives to provide the best personnel to our students and families.
Our intense selection process for hiring teachers has paid dividends to our district and to our students. We are proud to have four Nationally Board Certified teachers on our staff, along with 15 Master Teachers. In addition, 99% of our teachers have been deemed highly qualified by the state of Ohio. Our teachers are always growing, as evidenced by six of our teachers and administrators holding doctorate level degrees, an astounding 78% holding Masters’ degrees, and another 21% possessing Bachelors’ degrees. Our students also benefit through learning from teachers from various descents, including, but not limited to: Asian, Hispanic, Caucasian, African-American, and American Indian. We believe this multicultural experience will help our students become well-rounded individuals both educationally and personally and will also provide them with an advantage to compete globally and to be successful in the workforce and in life.
Our Extra and Co-Curricular Activities
Middle school and high school students have the opportunity to participate in a host of after school events. In addition to several sports for boys and girls during three athletic seasons, musical and service opportunities abound. Student publications, student government, performance, and service clubs provide important lessons in organization, teamwork, helping others, and developing self-confidence. Vocal and instrumental groups practice hard and perform well for the enjoyment of students, parents, and the community.
Our Buildings and Grounds
The anticipation in the Euclid City School District is over, as the four new elementary schools opened for business September 4, 2012. The buildings have great aesthetic appeal, with Shoreview implementing some pieces of history from Upson Elementary. Six medallions were molded into the exterior brick work on the west side of the new Shoreview building as a memorial to the past and wonderful experiences shared by those who entered Upson’s doors. Arbor has a very unique feature, as space for a future green roof has been installed within the courtyard. One day it would be great to see the students planting and caring for a garden from which fresh fruits and vegetables could be grown for the school cafeteria. At Bluestone, a stamped concrete walkway is featured within the courtyard with beautiful landscaping for some tranquil outdoor reading sessions. A memorial has also been erected in front of the school that uniquely identifies Bluestone and will serve as a tribute to Thomas Jefferson Elementary. Finally, the Chardon Hills site features playing fields, green space, and a beautiful campus feel as it sits on a picturesque lot in a park-like setting. Chardon Hills also serves as the magnet school for the district.
The buildings feature state of the art technology, energy efficient equipment and a safe and secure environment for our students to make outstanding strides in their education. The students, staff and faculty could not be more pleased with our new schools. We hope the community shares in our excitement and optimism for our students’ futures.
It is an exciting time for the district, thanks to the support from the community, which made this project a reality. We look forward to this transformation marking a new beginning in Excellent Education for the Euclid City School District.