Annual Report 2005-2006 - Farmington Public Schools

32500 ShiawasseeFarmington, Michigan 48336248. 489. 3349248. 489. 3314 Faxwww.farmington.k12.mi.usinfo@farmington.k12.mi.usAnnual Report2005-2006

Welcome to Farmington Public SchoolsOn behalf of the Board of Education, I am delighted to share our school district’s annual report to the stakeholdersof this wonderful community. Organized around the six broad goals established by the District’s long rangeplan, Mission 2007, this annual report chronicles the progress made toward these goals and outlines theaccomplishments of our dedicated staff and outstanding students over the past 2005-06 school year.Several of the highlights of the annual report are:• This year we embarked on a journey to embed professional learning communities intothe framework of how teachers and principals do their work; using data to drivedecision making at the classroom level and developing common assessments forlearning to help each student succeed.• In May 2006, the voters of this community approved a critically importantrenewal of the District’s operational millage; thus helping to maintain ourDistrict’s financial stability.• All elementary, middle and high schools are accredited by the North CentralAssociation. All schools made Adequate Yearly Progress and all teachersachieved “highly qualified” status as measured by the No ChildLeft Behind federal assessment program.• We expanded communications and opportunities for parent engagement.A survey of parents and community members was conductedto assist us in focusing our priorities and strengtheningcommunications and parent involvement. We thank the communityfor giving us high marks for the quality of our programs andstaff.• Significant progress was made in our outdoor facilities projects atall our secondary schools thanks to the support of the voters of thiscommunity. Farmington High School was the first to open its newstadium with a ribbon cutting ceremony.As I reflect upon this first year as your superintendent, I am reminded of howfortunate we are to have the support of this community. We are grateful for thestrengths and resources we have in this District; such as:• highly qualified, knowledgeable and dedicated staff who are committedto excellence and empowered to make a difference for kids in their dailywork,• incredibly broad levels of achievement from our students from the academicsto the fine arts to our athletics programs,• caring and supportive parents and community members that take pride in thequality of our school district,• a wonderful tapestry of diversity that provides our students with the experiencesnecessary to become successful in a diverse and changing world, and• a collaborative employee and community relations culture that allows school, cityand association leaders to work together for the benefit of our children.In closing, I want to thank the Board of Education and this community for the opportunity to serveyou and your children. I hope you enjoy reading this year’s annual report.With warmest regards,Sue ZurvalecSuperintendent of Schools

District moves forward under leadership of Boardof Education and new SuperintendentThe Board of Education consists of seven school district residents who are elected to four-year terms.Elections are held annually. The Board of Education is the governing body which is independent of othermunicipal, elected governing bodies.Board of Education meetings are generally held the firstand third Tuesdays of the month at the Lewis SchulmanAdministrative Center. Regular Board of Educationmeetings are cablecast LIVE on TV-10 (Channel 16 inWest Bloomfield).This school year, Frank L. Reid, board trustee, wasnamed president-elect of the Michigan Association ofSchool Boards Board of Directors.Board members continue to participate in the MichiganAssociation of School Boards’ (MASB) BoardmemberAward program which offers school board members away to learn new leadership skills and to stay up-to-dateon education issues. There are seven levels of recognition. Board memberFrank Reid achieved Level 6 - Master Platinum Award and was awarded theAdvocacy Skills Specialty Award. Priscilla Brouillette earned Level 4 - MasterBoard Member Award. Karen Bolsen and Pam Christian achieved Level 3 -Award of Distinction and Howard Wallach achieved Level 2 - Award of Merit.2005-2006 Board of Education members are picturedfrom left to right: Howard I. Wallach, secretary; Karen L.Bolsen, vice president; Gary D. Sharp, president; PamelaD. Christian, trustee; Frank L. Reid, trustee; Priscilla L.Brouillette, trustee; and R. Jack Inch, treasurer.R. Jack Inch, after serving on the Board of Education for the past 28 years,announced his retirement from the Board. Many friends and colleaguesattended a celebration in his honor held in June. Deborah L. Brauer ranunopposed for his seat in the May election and was elected to serve on theBoard of Education beginning with the 2006-2007 school year.R. Jack Inch, retired board member,addresses the crowd that gathered tocelebrate his 28 years of service to theBoard at a reception held in his honor.3

Professional Learning Communities improvestudent learningFarmington Public Schools is committed to the process of reaching every child. The guidingprinciple of a Professional Learning Communities (PLC) is that the purpose of school is to ensurehigh levels of learning for all students. The District recognizes the increased demands forexcellence for all students. It is becoming more proficient in using data to guide teachers tobetter meet specific learning goals for each child. Two years ago, the District initiated “Zapthe Gap,” a framework to further focus all of these efforts toward reaching every childand helping them succeed. Caring and Collaborating for Learning is the focus forprofessional development during the 2006-07 school year. Collaboration is at theheart of professional learning communities and increased student achievement.Using data and feedback are essential for identifying student needs and supportingstudent success. Utilizing research proven teaching and learningstrategies, known as best practice, are also an integral part of thisprocess for increased learning.In an effort to focus on student learning, four critical questions arepresented within the Professional Learning Communities framework:1) What is it that we want students to learn?2) How will we know that they have learned it?3) How can we intervene if a student isn’t learning?4) What will we do if they already know the content?Answers to these questions are addressed through alignment ofcurriculum to state standards, benchmarks, and Grade LevelContent Expectations; the examination of student data; system ofinterventions; and acceleration strategies.Superintendent Sue Zurvalec speaks to astudent on her visit to Forest ElementarySchool.4Students at the summer program, Camp Invention, take a minute away from their experiments to posefor a picture.

Outdoor facilities nearing completionThanks to the Farmington community, the secondary outdoor facility improvements approved by voters in 2004are almost complete. We are proud to report that all of the projects will be completed within the $25 millionallocated by the bond issue.Farmington High School saw the first of the outdoor improvements begin in spring 2005 with itsnew stadium opening in August 2005. All improvements werebasically completed in the fall 2005, with the exception of onebaseball diamond at the northwest portion of the FarmingtonHigh site scheduled for spring 2007. Natural turf areas are stillundergoing a season of growth and are not yet playable.Ground was broken at North Farmington High School inJune 2005 with a spring/summer 2006 completion. Again,natural turf areas are still undergoing a season of growth andare not yet playable.Harrison High School broke ground in February 2006 withscheduled completion of the stadium facility in September 2006,and the remainder of the improvements to be completed forplay by the spring of 2008.Each high school has received the following improvements:a new multi-purpose synthetic turf field for football, soccer, lacrosse,marching band and physical education, new varsity baseballand softball diamonds including press boxes, scoreboardand bleachers, practice synthetic turf field, practice grass fields,track and field events, new sound system, new concession, new and/or remodeledrestrooms, team rooms and storage facilities and irrigation.The new stadium facility includes an all purpose synthetic turf field, newrunning track, scoreboard, remodeled bleachers, additional bleacher seating,new press box, concession, restrooms, team rooms and storage.The synthetic turf fields have already been serving our students well, allowinghours of continuous play without wear prevalent with grass fields.The middle school outdoor facility improvement template includes a footballfield and scoreboard, track, baseball/softball diamond, irrigation and restroomstoragebuilding. Depending upon existing field conditions, some fields wererelocated while others may have been regraded or reconfigured. Dunckel MiddleSchool improvements were basically ready for spring 2006 season with a fewexceptions. Warner Middle School saw track field events, running track and bleacherscompleted. Their restroom/storage facility and natural turf fields will be completedby fall 2007. Finally, at Power and East Middle Schools running track, fieldevents, bleachers, restroom/storage building and scoreboard were completed duringsummer 2006 with natural turf ready by spring 2008.We thank the community for the trust placed on us to plan, develop, and completethese projects. We are all proud of these facilities, which will serve our students and thecommunity well into the future.Everyone enjoyed playing on the new artificial turf field during openingfootball game festivities at Farmington High School.FPS Parent/Community Survey - 2005Most respondents gave a positive rating to the District’s infrastructure,when asked to rate the physical condition and upkeep of “thebuildings, facilities and grounds of Farmington Public Schools.” Anoverwhelming 93 percent majority offered a positive rating.5

Goal 1: To promote quality and equitythroughout the school communityThe Farmington Public Schools’ Equity Council was developed as a natural progression from theDistrict’s Diversity Committee, with equity and student achievement for all as a focus andclear direction. The role of the Equity Council representative, from each building’s schoolimprovement team, is to communicate and facilitate the recommendations from theDiversity Study Committee from the 2004-2005 school year, to integrate a discussion ofachievement data into the Professional Learning Community (PLC) process, and tocoordinate equity efforts with the school improvement plan.The District is in its third year of being a member of the Minority StudentAchievement Network (MSAN). MSAN is an unprecedented nationalcoalition of multiracial, relatively affluent suburban school districts that havecome together to study through intensive research the disparity inachievement between white students and students of color. The Network wasestablished to discover, develop, and implement the means to ensure highacademic achievement for minority students.The District’s bilingual department continues to meet the challengeof meeting the diverse needs of students including those who have beenborn here, those who have very limited proficiency, those whoseproficiency is strong, those who have been with the District sincekindergarten, and those that come to the District without a strong Englishas a Second Language (ESL) program. Newcomer Centers are located atBeechview Elementary School, East Middle School and Harrison HighSchool.As staffing was developed for the 2006-2007 school year, all staff wasactively engaged in securing their highly qualified status as defined bythe No Child Left Behind mandates.Students get off the bus and head to class on their first day ofschool for the 2004-2005 school year at Gill ElementarySchool.Additional steps were taken this year to expand the attention given to therecruitment and hiring of a diverse workforce. A “Meet and Greet”reception was held this year where administrators had the opportunity to meetcandidates who had been identified as outstanding and invited to visitFarmington Public Schools.FPS Parent/Community Survey - 20056The percentage of respondents giving the District an overall “A” or“B” grade was 84 percent.

Goal 2: To create a studentcentered learning environmentThe District continued to provide comprehensive Early Childhood programs for FarmingtonPublic Schools’ families. Due to budget concerns, for the 2006-2007 school year, the Districtconsolidated Fairview Early Childhood Center into Alameda Early Childhood Center, FarmingtonCommunity School and four elementary schools.The District continued to provide Adult/Alternative Education programs for those 16and over. Due to budget constraints, the Farmington Alternative High School programwas moved from its 10 Mile Building location to the Farmington Community School,which already included the Adult Education program.The Curriculum Department continues to actively engage teacher and parents incritical issues surrounding curriculum and instruction. Two critical focus areas forthe future are the issues of high school restructuring and the nurturing andexpansion of the District’s professional learning communities (PLC).The District continued the implementation of the K-12 Career FocusedEducation program emphasizing K-5.The Curriculum and Assessment Department introduced and initiatedcurriculum mapping across the core academic areas for the purpose ofalignment with the Michigan Curriculum Frameworks.The Fine Arts Department continued to explore elementary schedules andto improve the elementary scheduling process.A Sex Education Advisory Board was formed, in accordance withMichigan State Law, with parent, teacher, student, clergy and medicalprofessional representatives. The Advisory Board met when necessary toreview materials and make recommendations to the Board of Education andalso hosted public forums.The English Language Arts department helped to support PLC discussions asteachers analyzed data and selected instructional strategies to implement in theirclassrooms.Fourth-graders at Forest Elementary School read a book to eachother as part of a class assignment.Building capacity to meet student needs in math was continued, along withusing technology in instruction and assessment.FPS Parent/Community Survey - 2005A majority of respondents gave the District good “grades” for the jobthey are doing in teaching each of the following subject areas (musicand fine arts, reading, writing and language arts, mathematics,science, and civics and government) led by music and fine arts.7

Goal 4: To maintain financialstabilityOver the last several years, the District has taken a very proactive approach to budgeting with therealization that state funding has been limited. Approximately $13 million dollars in revenueenhancements, efficiencies and cost reductions have been implemented over the last four years.The District has been very fortunate to use a portion of its “rainy day fund” to help stave off evengreater reductions that need to be made. However, with costs continuing to rise andrevenues mostly flat, it is expected that expenditures will continue to outpace revenues overthe next several years. Farmington Public Schools is not alone in facing these challenges.Last year, the District formed budget work groups to study programs and serviceswith a view that it needed a long-term plan that recognizes the limited availability offunds.The District Budget Committee met numerous times during the school year.The Committee actively participated in the budget work group forum held forparents and community members in January and was instrumental in thedevelopment of the budget plans for the 2006-2007 school year.The District’s Central Office Team met with employees and parents at eachbuilding site in order to convey the seriousness of the District’s budget positionand to gather questions about the budget. Budget Q and A’s weredeveloped and posted on the District’s web site.The Business Services Department continues to meet with the FinancialStrategies Committee to review budget and financial statement and makerecommendations concerning District needs for maintaining and improvingDistrict buildings and sites. This year, the Committee provided arecommendation to the Board of Education on ballot language for the millagerenewal and reviewed the financial condition of the District, as well as theforecasted budget shortfall, the capital projects listing and proposed reductionlist.In May 2006, voters passed the District’s millage renewal proposal. Theentire operational millage expires with the December 2006 levy. The millagerenewal is for funds needed each year for ongoing school programs, such as staff,supplies, utilities, buses, etc. The renewal is to maintain current revenues; it will notprovide for new initiatives.North Farmington High School students perform at the 1960s-stylecoffeehouse. The coffeehuse was part North’s dynamicinterdisciplinary study of the Sixties.The District continues to look for ways to increase revenues. The District renewedits agreement with Mercy High School for bus maintenance and made an agreement withDetroit Catholic High School to maintain their buses as well.FPS Parent/Community Survey - 20059By a 75 percent majority, respondents offered a “positive” rating onhow the District manages school finances.

Goal 5: To strengthen communityinvolvement, support andcollaborationThis year, the School/Community Forum group, which is composed of secondary schoolparents, organized and held seven parent programs designed by parents for parents.Some of the topics included: Sharing with the Board and Administration; Spring BreakIssues; Legal Issues Affecting Teens, Too much of a Good Thing and The Birds andthe Bees and How not to get stung!A District Web Site Committee was developed this year to review andcritique the District’s web site and make recommendations for improvement.The District is in the process of revamping the District’s web site and willlaunch a new and improved site in the fall of 2006.All school buildings have an e-mail list serv. This provides buildingsand the District additional methods of communication. Just for theDistrict list serv alone, messages were sent out on a weekly basis tothe more than 1,000 people who signed up to receive information.The District worked with EPIC MRA in conducting its third Parent/Community Survey. Three hundred random communityhouseholds received a phone survey in July 2005. Approximately 32percent were parents and 68 percent were non parents whoresponded to the survey. The survey results show Farmington PublicSchools is highly thought of in the community. Statistics from thesurvey are sprinkled throughout this annual report.A Warner eighth grade orchestra studentdelights the crowd during a performancein the community.Members of Nardin Park pose with children from Lanigan Elementary School after theywere pronounced the District’s Outstanding Partnership for the 2005-2006 school year.10FPS Parent/Community Survey - 2005A 79 percent majority offered a “positive” rating when asked aboutthe overall effectiveness of the job done by Farmington Public Schoolsin communicating with parents and the community.

Goal 6: To promote a safe andhealthy environmentThe Department of Safe Schools and Student Services continued to provide ongoing support forthe District’s administrative staff in the areas of crisis management, residency, graduations, studentdiscipline and Code of Conduct revisions and interpretations to support the implementation of safetyand security protocols.Residency policies and procedures were upgraded to support Michigan School Codes.The Student Code of Conduct was revised and updated to reflect current changes inMichigan school and criminal codes, as well as to provide more specificity withviolation codes. An early intervention truancy response protocol was also addedto the Attendance Section. Code revisions were formally approved by the Boardof Education in June.The Safe Schools Advisory Committee met monthly to oversee theDistrict’s implementation of all safety and security protocols. The Committeecontinues to focus on accountability issues among all school buildings toinclude the implementation of building access procedures before, during andafter school hours.Estralee Michaelson, executive director of safe schools and student services,continued to serve as the Executive Director of the Farmington/Farmington Hills Call to Action Coalition, a community-basedorganization. The Coalition, comprised of community sectors, strives to “breakthe silence,” through education and support, regarding drug and violenceprevention strategies.The District initiated traffic studies at North Farmington High School,Dunckel Middle School, Hillside Elementary School and Kenbrook ElementarySchool. Over the summer of 2006, parking and circulation was expanded andimproved at Kenbrook and Wood Creek Elementary Schools.The playground structure at Gill Elementary School was replaced overthe summer of 2006. The Maintenance Department developed a playground planwith building staff and parents.In order to continue to provide a safe network for the District, a Network SecurityAssessment and Audit of Information Technology (IT) network was performed. Securityprotocols and procedures are continually implemented and strengthened.Farmington High School teacher Heidi Maltby-Skodack works with Farmington High School 10thgrader during the Summer SUCCESS (StudentsUndertaking a Community College Experiences inSummer Session) Program. Success is a programdesigned to help ninth and 10th grade studentsestablish future goals, gain self-esteem, anddevelop lifelong learning skills.FPS Parent/Community Survey - 2005By a nearly unanimous 94 percent majority, respondents rated theschools as “safe.”11

Financial UpdateThe District continually looks at ways to enhance revenue, implementefficiencies and examine ways to reduce costs.This is a report of the District’s year-end, unaudited financial results for the 2005-2006 fiscal year, which endedJune 30, 2006.The District is currently under audit by independent auditors, Plante & Moran, PLLC. The audit report willbe presented to the Board of Education on October 24, 2006. For the year ended June 30, 2006, theDistrict's unaudited, unreserved fund balance stood at $26,365,956 or 17.2 percent of expenditures.This fund balance, or reserve, would support the District a total of 32 instructional days if revenueswere curtailed.Unaudited revenues for 2005-2006 were $146,501,587 and expenditures were$153,140,544. Salaries and benefits of staff comprise 86.7 percent of the general fundexpenditures with all other expenses including supplies, purchased services, and capital outlayaccounting for the remaining expenditures. Expenditures exceeded revenues by $6,638,957.The June 30, 2006 financial statements are being prepared under the GASB StatementNo. 34 format. The Statement of Net Assets shows the communities’ investment inbuildings and equipment net of its related debt. The Statement of Activities matchesexpenditures with program revenue and shows which resources are used to fund theoverall operations of the District.Upon completion of the audit, the financial statements will be available forreview at the public libraries in Farmington and Farmington Hills, as well as at allDistrict buildings.For tax year 2005, the District was able to reduce its operating millage onhomesteads by .387 mills, or about 39 cents for each thousand dollars of taxablevalue. This year’s tax rate was 11.1596 mills plus six mills for education whichgoes directly to the State. This represents a decrease of 48.79 percent less thanthe rate paid in 1994 prior to Proposal A. This rate also includes the two millslevied for debt.The legislature worked hard to adopt a balanced State aid budget for fiscalyear 2006. This budget was the first in four years to receive an increase in thefoundation allowance to schools. The District continuously monitors the State’sfinancial condition as the revenue to schools is directly linked to the State’sfinancial condition. The legislature passed an increase of $210 per pupil for 2007.The State is required by law to have a balanced budget, and the District hasexperienced losses in funding two of the last four years of $69 and $74 per pupildue to prorations in State funding.The District's financial health requires that the District continue to be vigilant inbalancing the budget annually while still maintaining the quality instruction ourchildren deserve. For the past several years, the budget process has included waysof increasing revenue sources, examining operational efficiencies and looking at costreductions. The Board and staff will continue working hard to provide educationalexcellence and equity for all students within available resources.Senior drum major leads the North Farmington HighSchool Band in the parade at the Farmington/Farmington Hills Multicultural Multiracial CommunityCouncil’s annual Heritage Festival.12Michigan schoolsare dependentupon the Statefor about 52percent of theirrevenue for day-todayoperations.For the ninth year in a row, theDistrict has received theCertificate of Excellencein Financial Reporting fromthe Association of SchoolBusiness Officials (ASBO).This award indicates that theDistrict’s financial statementsmeet or exceed ASBO’scriteria for fulland expanded reporting.

Revenue - 2005-200637%52%State AidProperty TaxesOther11%Per Pupil Foundation Funding - 2005-2006State Aid$2,461Nonhomestead$5,671Homestead$2,076State & LocalSchool District MillageHomestead 2005-2006Operating 9.1596Debt 2.00State 6.00TOTAL 17.1596Prior toProposal A 33.51CHANGE (16.3504)Expenditures by Object - 2005-200628%6%4%1%0%61%Salaries - 61%Purchase Services - 4%Transfers - 1%IntergovernmentalPayments - 0%Employee Benefits - 28%Supplies and other - 6%Capital Outlay - 0%State & LocalSchool District MillageNonHomestead 2005-2006Operating 17.9388Debt 2.00State 6.00TOTAL 25.9388Prior toProposal A 33.51CHANGE ( 7.5712)Expenditures by Function - 2005-20061% 0%11%19%15%13%26%15%EL Instruction - 19%HS Instruction - 15%Pupil and Staff Services - 15%Intergovernmental Payments - 0%MS Instruction - 11%Other Instruction - 13%Support Services - 26%Transfers - 1%13

Farmington Public Schoolsis a Learning OrganizationEast Middle School seventh graders participate in the Reality Store.This event included members of the community sharing their jobswith students.Staff Development has a significant role in the Farmington Public Schools learningcommunity. Opportunities for continual professional growth are offered across all jobclassifications and in a variety of venues.Professional Learning Communities (PLC) are critical to our vision of staff developmentas staff meet and work together to achieve the fundamental purpose of theschool, which are high levels of learning for all students. Early release, delayed startand weekly PLC meetings afford staff time to meet in a collaborative culture tofocus on student learning and results. To build our leadership capacity and skills,staff from nearly every school has attended summer PLC conferences, the latestone in June of 2005.In addition, teaching staff continue to receive training in the areas of bestinstructional practice which strengthen each teacher’s ability to deliveressential skills in the areas of science, math, social studies and languagearts to the District’s increasingly diverse student population. Other areas ofskill development include cooperative and brain-based learning, literacy,differentiation of instruction, portfolio assessment, and student-involvedconferences. Staff from all job roles has the opportunity to advance theirlearning in the areas of leadership, first aid, diversity, peer mediation andsubstance abuse prevention. The Staff Development Department alsoconducted workshops and training sessions focused on the diverse needsof all Farmington School employees through its coupon book offerings.In addition to the summer work with Professional Learning Communities,staff members were also involved in summer workshops at both theDistrict and site levels. These workshops provided the opportunity for staffto pursue agendas such as improving transition procedures betweenmiddle and high schools, advancing North Central Accreditation goals, usingassessment for learning, mapping curriculum and enhancing our ability tomore effectively communicate with parents about a student’s progress withthe help of technology. Farmington was host to a three-day institute foreducators in July with nationally renowned speakers around the use of data toguide instruction and enhance student achievement. A one-day conference wasconducted for teachers at the Holocaust Memorial Center in which they exploredthe use of the Center’s resources to support our curriculum.Finally, new teacher training, which is supported by mentoring relationshipswith veteran staff, continues to enrich Farmington’s newest human resources.FPS Parent/Community Survey - 200514A majority of respondents, 55 percent, said the quality of educationprovided by the District is better than that provided by surroundingschool districts.

District offers comprehensive curricularopportunities for all studentsFarmington Public Schools maintains a comprehensive core curriculum in the areas of languagearts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, physical education, health, technologyeducation and world language. Additionally, a media curriculum is being delivered throughthe District’s award winning media center program housed in each school. A significantnumber of elective courses, which extend and enrich the core offerings, have beendeveloped/revised to meet District standards of quality. Finally, the District continues todevelop a number of interdisciplinary courses that link two or more curricular areas.The District Framework Committee, composed of parents, school personnel andcommunity members continues to oversee the preparation and adoption ofFarmington’s curriculum. During the 2005-2006 school year, most new curriculumdevelopment was put on hold as the District awaited the new state graduationrequirements and high school course expectations. However, the new WorldHistory requirement was addressed as this course was not currently offered atthe high school level. World History and Advanced Placement World Historycourses are currently being piloted for the 2006-2007 school year with theunderstanding that adjustments will be made after the state rolls out the newSocial Studies course expectations. The finalized course curriculum will thengo through the District’s Framework’s process.During the 2005-2006 school year, a Math Task Force was convened toexamine the current state of mathematics for grades 4 – 8 in relationship tothe state’s Grade Level Content Expectations, demographics, local andnational achievement data and to recommend curriculum adjustmentsnecessary to meet or exceed state expectations. The fourth through eighthGrade Math Task Force put forth their recommendations based on research,best practice, and teacher approval, to provide the District’s:• middle school students with inquiry-based resources aligned to Michigan’sGrade Level Content Expectations,• teachers with the materials and training,• parents with information and support materials and resources.Math materials have been purchased to support the Grade Level ContentExpectations addressed at fifth through eighth grade. Training on the use of theseadditional materials will be provided to all fifth through eighth grade math teachersduring the 2006-2007 school year and parent workshops will be provided at themiddle school level.Graduation rateremains highThe graduation rate is the percentageof ninth graders who graduate fromhigh school within four years, adjustingfor students who move in or out of theDistrict and to alternative programs. Therate is calculated by the state from dataprovided by the District.Farmington’s graduation rate for2005 was 93.73 percent.Technology enhances allThe goal of the District is to integrate technology throughout the K-12 curriculum as alearning tool. Students and staff become effective users of information and ideas, with the ability toaccess information from a multitude of sources such as the Internet, electronic reference tools, anddistance learning. They also use tools such as word processing, databases, spreadsheets, video production,presentation software, and e-mail.The District-level Technology Advisory Committee provides guidance for technology implementation. TheCommittee also takes responsibility for updating the District Technology Plan which is a road map for technologyintegration and application.15

District meets NCLB and Education YES!requirementsAll Farmington PublicSchools made AYP(Adequate YearlyProgress).16Average class sizein 2005-2006Kindergarten 20Elementary, 1-5 24Middle School, 6-8 27High School, 9-12 27In 2005-2006, the Districtserved the following numberof students:BuildingsElementary 13 5,096Middle School 4 2,870High School 3 3,908Alternative High 1 55Special Services * 3 223Total 12,152* includes four special educationbuildings (Cloverdale DevelopmentalTraining Center, Visions Unlimited, and WilliamE. Miller School at Boys and Girls Republic).In January 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) was signed into law. This lawcontains the most sweeping changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) sinceit was enacted in 1965. It changes the federal government’s role in K-12 education by askingAmerica’s schools to describe their success in terms of what each student accomplishes. TheAct requires states to set target goals for student performance based on student achievementdata. It is intended to ensure that all children reach proficiency in reading and mathby the year 2014.NCLB requires states to establish a definition of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)and consequences for not making AYP. Michigan uses the state assessment, MEAP,for calculating AYP. Michigan also uses attendance rates for elementary andmiddle schools and graduation rates for high schools. NCLB requires states todevelop target starting goals for AYP and raise the bar in increments to achieve100 percent proficiency by 2014. Michigan has adopted a “step ladder”approach with incremental target goals to achieve 100 percent proficiency by2014.NCLB requires states to implement a single statewide accountabilitysystem. Michigan’s Education YES! is the statewide accountability system.Michigan’s report card includes: academic status and change along withperformance indicators integrated with AYP for a composite score/gradefor each building and district. In the fall of 2005, all students in grades 3through 8 were tested in English Language Arts and Mathematics tocomply with the NCLB mandates. Science MEAP assessments arealready established at each level. NCLB requires at least 95 percent ofall students be assessed.NCLB requires calculation and reporting of student data by subgroup.Michigan calculates student information by the following subgroups:ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic, students with disabilities, and studentswith limited English proficiency.NCLB requires all teachers be highly qualified by the end of the schoolyear 2005-2006. In Michigan, highly qualified means elementary certifiedteachers teaching K-5 in self-contained classrooms and middle and highschool certified teachers teaching in their major. Other options for highlyqualified include passing a rigorous state test and completing a Master’sdegree in a subject area. All teachers in the District are highly qualified.NCLB measures student achievement in reading and math. Michiganmeasures student achievement in reading and math at the elementary level; andreading, math, science and social studies at the middle and high school levels.Under Education YES! (Yardstick for Excellent Schools), schools will receivegrades of A, B, C, D-Alert, or Unaccredited. The system takes multiple measures intoaccount when grading schools. These factors include MEAP achievement data, teacherquality and professional development, continuous improvement, curriculum alignment,extended learning opportunities, arts education and humanities for all students, advancedcourse work, school facilities, family involvement, student attendance and dropout rate, andfour-year education and employment plans for high school students.In August of 2006, Farmington Public Schools received the 2005-2006 Education Yes! ReportCards for all elementary, middle and schools. The composite Education Yes! Grades consisted of seventeenAs, two Bs, and one C with all buildings making AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress). The District also madeStudentsAdequate Yearly Progress for the 2005-2006 school year.Farmington Public Schools is addressing the implications of this federal legislation along with the MichiganEducation YES! Accreditation System to meet the needs of all our learners through the use of North Central AssociationCommission on Accreditation and School Improvement process.

School AccreditationFarmington Public Schools is engaged in a variety of activities relative to school accreditation. All elementary, middleand high schools are accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement.Alameda and Fairview Early Childhood Centers and Farmington Community School are accredited by theNational Association for the Education of Young Children. Based on the successful completion of a fiveyearimprovement process, which demonstrated gains in student achievement, all schools havereceived their Outcomes Endorsement from NCA. All Farmington Public Schools have now finishedtheir third year in NCA’s new cycle of Performance Accreditation that promotes growth through atransitions process for both the individual student and the school system. The 2006-2007school year will focus on the continuation of school improvement plans, monitoring progressof individual students, and adjusting instruction to meet the needs of all learners.Student AchievementStudents are assessed through the Farmington Public Schools’ AssessmentModel. Assessment provides multiple opportunities and a variety of approachesto measure student achievement. Standardized tests are used to comparestudent performance against state (Michigan Educational Assessment Program)and national (ACT Explore/Plan) results.In addition to standardized tests, end-of-grade, course and semesterassessments provide teachers with summative information about studentachievement that is tied directly to the curriculum (e.g., mathematics,language arts). Teachers use classroom assessments to adjust instructionbased on results and to inform students of how their learning is progressing.These measures are updated continuously to reflect the latest research andbest practice. In addition to paper and pencil tests, classroom assessmentsmay include portfolios, demonstration, research projects and other directmeasures of performance.The goal of the assessment program is to provide all students with variedand fair opportunities to demonstrate what they know and are able to do. Thiscomplete assessment program is used to monitor the learning of all studentsand provide feedback for instructional and curricular purposes.Community Education servedapproximately 1,989 adult studentsand 941 children during the2005-2006 school year.They participated in tuition-basedenrichment programs for adults andchildren that met weekdays,evenings and Saturdays.•Adult Education served studentsin four programs:• Adult Basic Education• Alternative Education• High School Completion• English as a Second Language•Approximately 95 percentof graduating seniors in 2006went to a college or university.•Seventy-six percentof the teaching staff haveadvanced degrees.17Senior Adults Giving to Education (S.A.G.E) volunteer, Ginny Starr and Forest Elementary School teacherNancy Keegan, work with a student. Ginny volunteers four days a week in Mrs. Keegan’s class.

Student assessments measure achievementMichigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP)Percent of students who took and achieved satisfactory (Levels 1 and 2) on the MEAP.Grade Subject FPS 05/06 State 05/06 Female Male 04/053 ELA Composite 91 78 94 89 NA3 Math 94 87 94 95 NA4 ELA Composite 89 76 92 87 804 Math 91 82 91 91 825 ELA Composite 88 75 91 86 NA5 Math 84 73 84 85 NA5 Science 86 77 84 88 876 ELA Composite 90 73 93 87 NA6 Math 82 65 82 82 NA6 Social Studies 93 78 93 93 NA7 ELA Composite 89 73 92 86 807 Math 77 60 76 78 NA8 ELA Composite 85 69 90 80 NA8 Math 76 63 76 77 778 Science 87 77 86 87 769 Social Studies 88 75 89 86 NA11* Reading 67 70 72 61 7311* Writing 61 55 71 51 6111* Math 54 52 54 53 5511* Science 64 57 64 64 5811* Social Studies 84 36 88 80 40* Results include William Miller, Farmington Community School, and Farmington Alternative High School inaddition to the three high schools.18

Advanced Placement (AP)Number of Studentstaking AP ExamsDistrict 2004/2005 603District 2003/2004 587Number of Students Qualifyingfor College Credit on at least oneexamDistrict 2004/2005 437District 2003/2004 465Percent of students qualifyingDistrict 2004/2005 72%District 2003/2004 79%Power Middle School’s Power Jazz band, under the directionof Rob Wilson, wowed the crowd at the District’s annualSuperintendent’s Awards of Excellence Breakfast.American College Test (ACT)Total composite scores reported.2005/2006 Female Male 2004/2005Farmington 23.1 23.2 23.0 23.1State 21.5 21.3 21.7 21.4National 21.1 21.0 21.2 20.9Percent of students taking testFarmington 75%State 67%National 40%Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT)2005/2006 2004/2005 Female MaleFPSMath 588 597 570 611Reading 570 578 580 556Writing 558 NA 573 537StateMath 583Reading 568Writing 555NationalMath 518Reading 503Writing 497Parent involvementis key to successParental interest and involvement in theirchildren’s education contributes greatly to thechild’s success in school. To accommodateparents’ schedules, parent/teacher conferencesare scheduled in the fall and spring, during bothdaytime and evening hours. There is an increasingeffort to involve students in the conferenceprocess which heightens the students’ awarenessand commitment to their learning. Conferencesalso occur at any time during the schoolyear when requested by a parent, teacher, and/or administrator.19

Student Evidence of ExcellenceThis is a partial list of the achievements Farmington Public Schools’ studentsaccomplished in 2005-2006.Erica Dominic, Alex Schiff andThomas Varner, Warner MiddleSchool, were awarded the Certificateof Recognition in the promising YoungWriters Program established by theNational Council of Teachers ofEnglish.Suhas Devangam and Siddharth Narayanan, Power Middle School eighth graders, scored in the top onehalfof one percent of students participating in the Midwest Talent Search (MTS). Students qualify toparticipate in the MTS by scoring at the 95th percentile or above on an achievement test (SAT or ACT).The following North Farmington High School students took first place in the MITES State Competition:Jason Bank, Photo-Realistic RenderingBrian Blankinship, Architecture PresentationSteve Chou, Plastic Using Computer Controlled EquipmentZachary Denes, Plastic Using Computer Controlled EquipmentMatthew Howe, Screen Printing/TextilesNikolay Livshiz, CAD Mechanical DrawingThe Power Middle School Future City Teamplaced fourth out of 57 teams at the 14thannual state Future City Competition. Inaddition to this award, they were alsorecognized for the Electro-Technology specialaward.Katherine Mitchell, Farmington High School, was honoredwith the George Romney Volunteer of the Year Award fromthe Commission on Children, Youth and Families.Three students from North Farmington High Schoolattended and received awards at the MichiganInterscholastic Press Association Summer Camp.Shelby Booker and Brittany Braudo receivedAwards of Excellence and Melina Rozzisi receivedthe “Sparty Award” for being the best in her editorclass.Farmington High School's Springplay "All I Really Need to Know ILearned in Kindergarten" wasselected as one of 12 shows invited toperform on the main stage at theInternational Thespian Festival. Thechosen shows are considered to bethe best high school shows in thecountry.The students listed below were named Gold Medal winners in the Math Olympiadcompetition. The students ranked among the top two percent of students participatingin this event nationally in their division. The Mathematical Olympiad competitionprovides opportunities for children to engage in creative problem solving activitieswhich contribute to their cognitive development and enrich their experiences.Rama Bhaskara Murthi, Power Middle SchoolRohit Bollineni, Power Middle SchoolSuhas Devangam, Power Middle SchoolChanukya Malla, Longacre Elementary SchoolSiddharth Narayanan, Power Middle SchoolShashank Subramaniam, Kenbrook Elementary SchoolShruthi Subramaniam, Kenbrook Elementary SchoolAndrew Sun, Forest Elementary SchoolKayla Condeni and DeAnte Thompkins, Harrison High School, have beennominated for the coveted Wendy’s High School Heisman Award.Mark Drum, Harrison High School, was awarded a President’s Volunteer ServiceAward from the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Program.More than 400 Gill Elementary School students completed a two-year longproject to beautify their school. Each student tooled a six inch square piece ofcopper into a piece of nature. The pieces were then hung on the fence surroundingthe school’s mechanical equipment to make it more attractive.20Warner Middle School teacher Eric Newtoncongratulates an eighth grader on beingselected to be honored at the Turn AroundAwards Luncheon.Harrison High School 10th grader gets a hugfrom counselor Amy Mantyla after both wererecognized at the Superintendent’s Awards ofExcellence Breakfast.

Students joined Beth Cooke, LOC Federal CreditUnion; Joanne McShane, Mayor of the City ofFarmington; and Vicki Barnett, Mayor ofthe City of Farmington Hills in cuttingthe ribbon of Highmeadow CommonCampus/LOC student-run creditunion.The North Farmington HighSchool newspaper, The NorthernStar, earned the “Best of Show”award - ranking 10th overall inthe Journalism EducationAssociation (JEA) and theNational Scholastic PressAssociation (NSPA) nationalcompetition.The North Farmington High School Girl’s Tennis Team tied for seventh place in theState.The North Farmington High School Robotics Team placed third in the OaklandCounty Competitive Robotics Association finals They were also an Oakland Schools’Education Foundation Award finalist.The following students have been recognized by the National Merit ScholarshipProgram as Semifinalists and Commended Students.CommendedElizabeth Barrows, North Farmington High SchoolJonathan Black, North Farmington High SchoolTabish Javed, Farmington High SchoolDanielle Lalli, Farmington High SchoolGautam Reddy, Harrison High SchoolAmeya Walimbe, Farmington High SchoolLongacre Elementary School third grader MeganSchulz recently earned a perfect score in this year’sWordMasters Challenge. Other students at theschool who also achieved outstanding resultsincluded third graders Julie Carter, Haley Nelson,Vonnegut Pallett, Stanislaw Schelske, MadelineStevens, Aneesha Yande, Rishi Devangam,Matilda Kull, and Thejas Raghava.The Tri-Farmington Gymnastic Team, coached by JeffDwyer, finished their season as state champs! This is thethird consecutive year this team finished first.SemifinalistsEmily Fisher, Farmington High SchoolSilvia McCandlish, North Farmington High SchoolPaul Moncznik, North Farmington HighMcKenzie Currie and Marcel Johnson, Harrison High School, were nominated tothe National Young Leaders Conference.The following students were selected as State PTA Reflections winners:Photography - Intermediate Grades 3-5Paige Center, Hillside Elementary School - Award of ExcellenceRebecca Berman, Eagle Elementary School - Award of MeritLiterature - Intermediate Grades 3-5Paige Center, Hillside Elementary School - Award of ExcellenceMusic - Primary - PreK to 2nd GradeEmma Bradley, Wooddale Elementary School - Award of ExcellenceEmma’s work was sent on to compete in the National PTA Reflections Contest.The Harrison High School Marching Band competed in the Regional Band of America competitionand received a Division 2 rating. They also qualified to compete in the Grand Nationals Competition inIndianapolis.All three Farmington Public Schools’ highschools were named to the Newsweek top 1,000public high schools in the country.• Farmington High School - ranked 657• North Farmington High School - ranked 767• Harrison High School - ranked 952Rankings are determined by the number ofadvanced placement tests taken by all studentsat a school divided by the number of graduatingseniors.Maureen McNeil, HarrisonHigh School, was the recipientof the 2005 DECA NationalMarketing Education HonorAward. This award is givenannually by DECA, a nationalassociation of marketingstudents.The following students participated and placed in the Farmington/Farmington Hills Optimist Oratorical Contest.Boys’ Gold: Jonathan Morof, Warner Middle School; Boys’ Silver: Amit Sharma, Warner Middle School; Boys’ Bronze:Michael Daniels, North Farmington High School; Girls’ Gold: Nina Bihani, North Farmington High School; Girls’ Silver:Hannah Cheriyan, Southfield Christian School; and, Girls’ Bronze: Ashley Williams, Dunckel Middle School.21

Staff Evidence of ExcellenceThis is a partial list of the outstanding achievementsFarmington Public Schools employees accomplished in 2005-2006.Harrison High School varsity football coach, John Herrington, was selected to receive the DuffyDaugherty award for his longtime contribution to Michigan High School Football.Estralee Michaelson, Executive Director of Safe Schools and Student Services, wasawarded the Home Town Hero of Oakland County Governance Award. She was selected forall the work she does to provide children a safe and nonviolent atmosphere.Farmington Public Schools has again been designated a Blue Ribbon Schooldistrict by Expansion Management magazine. To be ranked as a Blue Ribbon School,a district must rank nationally in the upper third of all school districts.FPS Elementary SchoolTeacher of the Year &Oakland County ElementaryTeacher of the Year•Melissa McDermidKenbrook ElementarySchoolThe Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International has awardedthe Farmington Public Schools’ Business Office the Meritorious BudgetAward for excellence in the preparation and issuance of the 2005-2006 annualbudget. This is the ninth year in a row the District has received this honor.Farmington Public Schools’ fleet service staff completed their annualschool bus inspection resulting in a 100 percent excellent pass rating. Thebus inspection is conducted by the Michigan State Police bus inspection unitand involves a 179 check point inspection on each of Farmington’s 96buses. Inspection faults can be issued with a red tag for major faults and ayellow tag for minor faults.Diane Bauman and Lisa Holmes, School/ Community Relations, receivedCommendable awards from the Michigan School Public Relations Associationfor their work on the 2003-2004 District Annual Report and the UpDate/Justfor Parents newsletter.Jennifer Banish, Director of Business, received the certification of ChiefFinancial Officer from the Michigan School Business Officials.Sue Zurvalec, Superintendent, was selected to serve on the board of theFarmington Hills/Farmington Community Foundation.Bill Tousley, Transportation Supervisor, was elected by the National Association ofPupil Transportation as president-elect.FPS Middle School Teacherof the Year•Eric HammarPower Middle SchoolJohn DiGiovanni, retiree from Visions Unlimited, received the Dove Award sponsoredby the ARC of Oakland County. The Dove Award is the recognition for Special EducationEducator of the Year.FPS Parent/Community Survey - 200522When all respondents were asked to identify the one thing they likedmost about Farmington Public Schools, the top two responses were“good teachers” and “quality education.”

Nikki Schueller, North Farmington High School teacher, receives the “Rising Star” award from the Journalism Education Association. It honors thosewho have demonstrated a commitment to journalism education and who show a passion for their work striving to help their students createoutstanding publications or broadcast programs.Harrison High School Varsity Football Assistant Coach, Ron Brown, was voted into the Michigan Football Coaches Hall of Fame andDave Thorne, also at Harrison, was voted JV Assistant Coach of the Year by the Michigan Football Coaches Association.The District’s Physical Education Program was selected to receive Level 7 District recognition in the Governor’sExemplary Physical Education Awards Program. There are eight levels of recognition. The program was recognizedat the annual Michigan Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Conference.On October 27, 2005, the City of Farmington Hills Beautification Commission handed out theirannual awards. The following buildings were recognized:Certificates:• Central Office• Ten Mile/Alternative High School• Farmington High School• Forest Elementary School• Hillside Elementary School• North Farmington High School• Warner Middle School• William Grace Elementary School• Wood Creek Elementary SchoolLetters of Commendation:• Eagle Elementary School• Farmington Community School• Flanders Elementary School• Gill Elementary School• Lanigan Elementary School• Longacre Elementary School• Maxfield Training Center• O.E. Dunckel Middle School• Power Middle School• Visions Unlimited• Wooddale Elementary SchoolFPS High School Teacherof the Year & recipient of alease of a car for a yearfrom the SuburbanCollection•Angela LeachHarrison High SchoolSue Zurvalec, Superintendent, was selected to participate in the InternationalEducators to Japan program. Her trip to Japan over the summer was fully funded bythe Japanese Business Society of Detroit.Ron Aten, District Architect, was awarded the Michigan School Business Officials’Meridian Award of Achievement 2006 for the “Directory of Health and Safety ComplianceSchedule and Guide.”April Varcoe, transportation secretary, and Susan Duquette, bus driver, were awarded theOakland County Transportation Supervisors Excellence in Transportation Award. They werechosen for their commitment to the safety of students.FPS Support Personof the Year•Mary PerkinsFlanders Elementary SchoolFPS Parent/Community Survey - 2005Having “friendly, courteous and helpful” personnel rated “mosteffective” in terms of communicating with the community.23

Specialized schools provide special servicesSchool SitesAlameda Early Childhood CenterBeechview Elementary SchoolCloverdale Developmental TrainingCenterDunckel Middle SchoolEagle Elementary SchoolEast Middle SchoolFarmington Alternative HighSchoolFarmington Community SchoolFarmington High SchoolFlanders Elementary SchoolForest Elementary SchoolGill Elementary SchoolHarrison High SchoolHighmeadow Common CampusHillside Elementary SchoolKenbrook Elementary SchoolLanigan Elementary SchoolLongacre Elementary SchoolWilliam E. Miller Schoolat Boys & Girls RepublicNorth Farmington High SchoolPower Middle SchoolVisions UnlimitedWarner Middle SchoolWilliam Grace ElementarySchoolWood Creek Elementary SchoolWooddale Elementary SchoolFarmington Public Schools, in addition to the regular kindergarten through 12th gradeprogram, provides students with alternatives to meet individual educational needs. Manyprograms are offered within District boundaries for resident and nonresident students. Theseprograms include:• Cloverdale Developmental Training Center provides services to individuals withsevere multiple and cognitive impairments from age three to 26 years.• Farmington Community School provides high school completion, English asa Second Language (ESL), literacy, Head Start/Home Start, preschool and communityeducation.• Farmington Alternative High School provides students between theages of 16 and 19 — who need an alternative setting for learning — anopportunity to earn their high school diploma.• Farmington’s Adult Basic Education program offers academicclasses for adults with developmental disabilities.• William E. Miller School at Boys and Girls Republic providesspecial education services to youth residing at the facility — middleschool through high school.• Oakland Technical Center — Southwest, located in WalledLake, provides occupational programs and services to high schooland adult education students.• Visions Unlimited provides educational programs andservices to students with disabilities between the ages of 18and 26.24Superintendent Sue Zurvalec, Farmington Hills City Manager Steve Brock, LOC FederalCredit Union representatives Beth Cooke and Debbie Mashinske, a representative fromthe American Red Cross and Lisa Holmes and Diane Bauman from the District’s School/Community Relations Office pose with the check for $52,000 which was raised duringthe Hurricane Katrina Fund Drive held throughout the community.

Graduate ProfileFarmington Public Schools’ graduates will be:Our MissionFarmington Public Schools,together with our community,will provide quality learning experiencesempowering each studentto become a thoughtful, contributing citizenin a changing world.Collaborative Team MembersWorks cooperatively; resolves disputesconstructively; suspends competition whenappropriate to work collectively; perceives divergentviewpoints and responds with understanding; treatsothers with dignity; functions responsibly as a memberof a family and other social groups.Effective CommunicatorsPrecise in thought; fluent in use of oral and writtenlanguage; adept with nonverbal forms of expression;adapts communication strategies to suit a purpose;uses various media to express oneself; seeks outideas of others and checks their perceptions andunderstandings.Healthy IndividualsPursues a variety of interests and maintains abalance among them; committed to bothemotional and physical well-being;self-regulating; respects one’s own dignity; acceptsone’s own abilities and confidently pursues one’spotential; expresses emotions constructively;adapts effectively to changes in one’s life;forms care in relationships.Knowledgeable ThinkersBuilds a bank of powerful ideas from variousacademic fields; uses these ideas to assimilatenew information and construct meaning;applies knowledge to real-life challenges.Lifelong LearnersSustains learning across one’s life span;creates a vision of the future and setsattainable goals for realizing that vision;assumes responsibility for what one cancontrol; continually seeks to renewand expand competence.Quality ProducersStrives to achieve high standards; draws upon priorknowledge; uses appropriate tools to createpraiseworthy products and processes; persistentlytries to improve the caliber of one’s work; takes pridein progress made; motivated by a work ethic anddisciplined to honor it.Responsible CitizensDedicated to democratic values; pursues the commongood; safeguards universal human rights; feels acommon bond with other Americans and identifieswith the ideals of the American heritage; loyal to thenation’s institutions but critical when society straysfrom its principles; cherishes one’s legal rights andupholds civic duties; services the community andexerts influence in public affairs; cares about thedignity and well-being of all people.Thoughtful Problem SolversRecognizes problems when they arise and ismotivated to solve them; weighs alternative solutionsbefore acting; poses questions and exploresimaginative ways to answer them; thinks bothcritically and creatively; evaluates the effectivenessof solutions attempted.Farmington Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, marital status or disability.