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Endeavor Elementary was honored recently by receiving the 2012 SOAR Award for High Progress in the school category.

Representing Endeavor at the Nov. 12 awards presentation for its SOAR Award in Columbus were Endeavor Principal Joanna Sears and Assistant Principal Gail Allshouse; Lakota Assistant Superintendent Robb Vogelmann; and Lakota School Board member Julie Shaffer. Photo provided.

The annual award acknowledges Ohio schools and districts participating in SOAR, Battelle for Kids’ school improvement collaborative, for their academic progress in multiple grade levels and subjects in the 2011-2012 school year.

Endeavor was recognized among the top 15 schools out of 830 participating SOAR schools statewide making exceptional growth with their students.

“Endeavor’s inclusion in this year’s SOAR awards is a testament to our staff’s continuous commitment to educational progress. We are so proud of Endeavor for representing Lakota so well, especially among so many other high achieving schools throughout the state,” Lakota Assistant Superintendent Robb Vogelmann said.

According to SOAR’s award criteria, the recipients of the High Progress Award (grades 4-8) must be among the top schools of all participating SOAR schools, based on school composite index. Grades 4-8 math and reading data is included in this analysis, and grades 5 and 8 science data must show average or above average growth.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: Battelle for Kids, Endeavor Elementary, Endeavor Elementary School, Lakota Local Schools, SOAR, SOAR Awards

A total of 18 Lakota educators were recognized in late June for teaching excellence at the Ohio Educators Connect for Success Conference in Columbus.

Battelle for Kids honored the local educators as part of its “Celebrate Teaching” initiative that is used to find out what makes a teacher highly effective and how to best learn from their practices.

Teachers were selected for the recognition based on surveys and evaluations from their principals and students, as well as achieving consistent gains in student performance.

As part of the initiative, Battelle for Kids celebrated 83 educators in Ohio. Receiving the honor from the Lakota school district includes teachers Beverly Gfroerer, Mary Jo Cooper and Tina Cramer of Adena Elementary; Julie Gunderson of Endeavor Elementary; Donna Martin and Lori Vanover of Heritage Elementary; Nadine Gallam of Hopewell Elementary; Joseph Schorr of Hopewell Junior; Laura Brown and Teresa Dempsey of Independence Elementary; Marianne Sample, Marilyn Adams, Aaron Nunley, Scott Slomsky and Heather Blaylock of Lakota Plains Junior; Susie Green of Lakota Ridge Junior; Debbie Turner of Liberty Junior; and Laura Murphy of VanGorden Elementary.

“This award is particularly noteworthy because the focus is on how these teachers consistently make a difference in their students’ academic growth,” Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia said. “Nothing is more important to us academically than student growth.”

For more information, visit www.celebrateteaching.org.

Posted in: News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Aaron Nunley, Adena Elementary, Battelle for Kids, Beverly Gfroerer, Debbie Turner, Donna Martin, Endeavor Elementary, Heather Blaylock, Hopewell Elementary, Independence Elementary, Joseph Schorr, Julie Gunderson, Lakota Plains Junior, Laura Brown, Laura Murphy, Lori Vanover, Marianne Sample, Marilyn Adam, Mary Jo Cooper, Nadine Gallam, Ohio Educators Connect for Success Conference, Scott Slomsky, Teresa Dempsey, Tina Cramer, VanGorden Elementary

The Lakota school district announced this week that it was recently awarded the SOAR District Award that recognizes the top five percent of participating districts in Ohio that demonstrate student academic growth for a school year.

Furthermore, individual SOAR Awards were presented to Independence Elementary and Union Elementary. Only 19 individual schools were recognized statewide with this award, which recognizes the top two percent of participating schools.

“This is a truly amazing achievement for the district and for our schools. Our community can be proud of the education that we provide to our students on a daily basis. The fact that we have three years in a row of SOAR Awards demonstrates the continued commitment to excellence,” Lakota Superintendent Mike Taylor said in Lakota press release.

Last year, Lakota’s Plains Jr. School, Hopewell Jr. School and Liberty Jr. School all received the Soar Award, and in 2008, Cherokee, Van Gordon, Plains Jr. School and Adena were recognized.

According to the Battelle for Kids website, the SOAR Awards for Progress are annual awards designed to acknowledge Ohio schools and districts participating in Battelle for Kids’ SOAR school improvement collaborative for their academic progress in multiple grade levels and subjects.

Battelle for Kids recognized 19 schools with the 2010 SOAR Award for High Progress Schools and three districts with the 2010 SOAR Award for Significant Progress Districts. These schools are among the top two percent of schools (out of 541 eligible SOAR schools) and these districts are among the top five percent of districts (out of 90 eligible SOAR districts) making exceptional growth with their students.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: Battelle for Kids, Independence Elementary, Lakota Local Schools, SOAR, SOAR Awards, Union Elementary