POINTS OF PRIDE: Ottumwa Community School District

Superintendent Eidahl and Liberty Principal Sievertsen

                  
               LEADERS FOCUSING ON PARTNERSHIPS

Superintendent Davis Eidahl is a leader with a vision for his school district.  Under his leadership Ottumwa is focused on developing partnerships with the community because they know and understand that it takes community to help a district forge ahead.  The School Improvement Advisory Council (SIAC) has three hour meetings (5 - 8 P.M.) and community members are encouraged to attend.  In January, their topic of interest was a panel of high school teachers who discussed the 10 standards of success.  They prepare for shadowing opportunities between January and March.  During shadowing, community members follow a student in grades 6-12 to determine how authentic the district instruction is.  They look at engagement, collaboration, and technology use. This partnership adds to educational improvement.  In March, those who participated share their experience.  Students are brought in to participate in circle discussions in order to elicit feedback from students.  All input is compiled and shared with the School Board as they closely examine the intended and the enacted curriculum.  In June SIAC participates in a Gallery Walk as they examine the data from the school year.  


District Demographics:
Enrollment    4357
Free/Reduced Lunch   61%
Buildings - 1 preschool/district/board office, 6 elementaries, 1 middle school, 1 high school

Liberty Elementary is a new building in the Ottumwa School District with natural lighting and 8 sections for classrooms.  The pod areas centrally located with classrooms around provide an area for differentiation of instruction and focus on data walls as they move students forward in achievement.  The bright facilities and spacious learning areas provide an inviting and warm environment focused on learning.

Ottumwa is concentrating on Early Childhood Literacy with every child reading.  Head Start helps towards this goal as well as Title I in K-2.  There are 12 trained staff in reading recovery at Grade 1.  This district uses the Gradual Release of Responsibility to infuse character traits during productive group work.

At the secondary level there is a Freshman Academy focused on student success through mentoring.  Fifteen concurrent classes are offered in the high school with 51% of their graduates earning college credit during high school.  Project Lead the Way is found in a robotics class as an exploratory in Grade 8 as well as additional classes offered at the high school.  There is an Engineering Club after school with over 50 participants.

Ottumwa is proud of its designation as an Iowa District of Character.   Their goal includes creating a sense of belonging for all students, and they are well on their way to accomplishing this goal.