Elementary School Information

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Elementary Math

Kindergarten through fifth grade students in Oak Hills engage in the hands-on, authentic learning experiences of the Everyday Math program. The spiraling nature of the content allows students to revisit mathematical concepts frequently throughout their elementary school years, building upon prior knowledge and methodologies. The program uses games, projects, online tools and real world examples to help students understand and appreciate the power of mathematics in our world. As we approach our tenth year with the program, the district will begin exploring the revision of the math section of the report card as we begin to align all of our content areas with the Common Core Standards.

For more information, visit http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents/

Elementary English Language Arts

In 2010, Oak Hills proudly adopted the core language arts program called Reading Street. All students, in grades kindergarten through fifth grade will receive their core Language Arts instruction through a combination of large and small group instruction, online learning, and skill work using scientifically researched based teaching strategies and high interest literature. Reading Street is organized so that teachers can easily differentiate their instruction in the five big areas of reading: phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary, alongside conventions of grammar and writing.

For more more information, visit www.readingstreet.com.

Elementary Science

In 2009, Oak Hills adopted the inquiry-based science program called FOSS for its elementary schools.  The FOSS program materials are designed to meet the challenge of providing meaningful science education for all students in diverse classrooms and to prepare them for life in the 21st century. Development of the FOSS program was, and continues to be, guided by advances in the understanding of how youngsters think and learn.

Science is an active enterprise, made active by our human capacity to think. Scientific knowledge advances when scientists observe objects and events, think about how they relate to what is known, test their ideas in logical ways, and generate explanations that integrate the new information into the established order.  The scientific enterprise is both what we know (content) and how we come to know it (process). The best way for students to appreciate the scientific enterprise, learn important scientific concepts, and develop the ability to think critically is to actively construct ideas through their own inquiries, investigations, and analyses. The FOSS program was created to engage students in these processes as they explore the natural world.

More information about FOSS can be found by visiting this link.

Elementary Social Studies

Students in kindergarten through third grade are introduced to Social Studies themes and concepts through participation in their core Language Arts program, Reading Street.  The high interest stories, articles, and activities in Reading Street draw heavily from the Social Studies content area.  Teachers supplement the Reading Street program at these levels with materials and experiences designed to enhance the integrated Social Studies content learning.

For more information about the Reading Street program please visit Reading Street

In addition to the exposure to Social Studies curriculum through Reading Street, fourth and fifth grade students receive explicit instruction in Social Studies content.  Teachers draw from a variety of resources and materials to convey mastery of the Social Studies Academic Content Standards (2002).  With the recent adoption and pending implementation of The Revised Academic Content Standards and Model Curriculum, teachers and administration in Oak Hills Local School District will be working to identify and select new programs and materials to guide future instruction in this content area.

For information about the pending changes to Social Studies standards please visit Social Studies K-8 Comparative Analysis or Social Studies K-8 Crosswalk

OAA Testing Schedule and Resources

The Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA) are given to students in grades 3-8 in language arts and math.  Students in grades 5 and 8 also take a science assessment. These tests measure students on what they know and are able to do in various subjects.

The OAA tests are typically given during the last two weeks of April in the elementary and middle schools.  During this time, it is especially important for your student to get plenty of sleep and eat a well-balanced breakfast.  The specific schedule for OAA testing during the 2012-2013 school year is below.

 

 

To find more information about the Ohio Achievement Assessments, please click here.

Terra Nova and In-View Testing

The TerraNova is a series of standardized achievement tests used to assess student achievement in reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.  The InView assessment is an assessment of cognitive abilities that includes verbal reasoning, sequences, analogies, and quantitative reasoning. Oak Hills uses TerraNova and InView results to reliably measure skills and abilities important for academic success, help plan effective programs for students, and screen students for placement into special programs.

For the 2012-2013 school year, these tests will be given to students in grades 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7  from February, 4 through February, 15.  During this time, it is especially important for your student to get plenty of sleep and eat a well-balanced breakfast.

To find more information about the Terra Nova and InView tests, please click here.

AIMSweb Assessments

As part of a comprehensive intervention process at Oak Hills Local School District, our schools have a process for identifying at-risk learners with a research-based, universal screening process in the areas of Reading and Mathematics.  When students are identified early, interventions can be delivered, and teachers can respond with effective instructional strategies in a timely manner.  Many forms of assessments are used by the teachers and staff at Oak Hills to assist in this intervention process, but one common assessment that is used for the purpose of identifying at-risk students for possible intervention services is called the “AIMSweb Assessments”.   All students in grades K-8 are assessed three times per year (Fall, Winter, and Spring) with brief, curriculum-based assessments for Reading and Math with the AIMSweb assessments.   If students are in need of interventions, they are then progress monitored using AIMSweb in a web-based tracking system which allows students, parents, and teachers to visually analyze the student’s growth with progress monitoring reports.  The AIMSweb data is always used in conjunction with other assessments that are gathered at the various grade levels to support the curriculum.  Please contact your child’s teacher, school psychologist, or school counselor to discuss the AIMSweb results at any time of the year.

For more information about the AIMSweb system, visit: www.aimsweb.com

Fountas & Pinnell Guided Reading Benchmark Assessment System

The Fountas & Pinnell Assessment System is a standardized assessment procedure used to determine a student’s instructional guided reading level in grades K-3. This assessment is administered during a one-on-one, student-teacher assessment conference in which a student reads aloud and discusses key understandings of the text. The teacher uses established scoring procedures to determine a student’s instructional guided reading level.  Students are assessed each quarter to monitor their progress and provide data for instructional planning.

This assessment system has been extensively field-tested and refined over the past twenty years.

For more information about the Fountas & Pinnell Guided Reading Benchmark Assessment System, visit: http://www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/reading-assessment.aspx

Response to Intervention (RTI)

In 2008, the Oak Hills Local School District began a district-wide initiative to implement the Response to Intervention Process (RTI) to address the unique learning needs of ALL students.  RTI is a multi-tiered approach that focuses on the early identification and support of students across all domains of learning.  RTI helps educators determine what levels of academic, behavior, and social/emotional support each student needs in order to reach their future goals.  RTI begins with Tier 1, which consists of high quality, research-based instruction for all students.  For students that need extra support in addition to the core curriculum, Tier 2 interventions are identified and provided, which are typically delivered through small-group interventions matched to the students’ needs by the classroom teacher.  For those students needing intensive supports, individualized Tier 3 interventions are implemented with frequent progress monitoring.  The multi-tiered approach allows teachers and parents to collaboratively determine appropriate services for each student based on the student’s response to high quality instruction and interventions.  If you feel your child is in need of intervention services, please contact your child’s teacher, school psychologist, or school counselor for assistance.

For more information about the RTI process, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s Website on RTI: www.rti4success.org

Gifted Services

Students are identified as gifted when scoring at or above the 95th percentile on the Terra Nova test during the 2nd, 4th, or 7th grades in one or more of the following academic areas of study – Reading, Math, Science or Social Studies.  Students may also be identified by having a composite score index of 128 or higher on the In-view exam, which is administered in grades 4 and 6.

Superior Cognitive and Specific Academic Reading students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will be served by a gifted certified Language Arts teacher and/or Gifted Intervention Specialist. Students in grades 6 and 7 will be cluster grouped in Language Arts and will be served by the gifted certified Language Arts teacher through a differentiated curriculum.  Superior Cognitive and Specific Academic Mathematics students in grades 6 and 7 will be served by the gifted certified Math teacher in Advanced Mathematics Courses.
In grade 8, Superior Cognitive and Specific Academic students in the areas of Reading, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies will be served in high school credit classes by gifted certified teachers in those areas.

To download the Gifted Services Model and Entrance Criteria, Click Here

Report Card Dates

The Oak Hills School District uses Progress Book to record and report grades for each student.  Parents and students are able to view their grades throughout the quarter and their report cards at the end of each quarter.  If you do not have a log-in for Progress Book, please contact the secretary in your students’ building.

During the 2012-2013 school year the dates for report cards to be available online are listed below.

 

To be able to see your student’s progress throughout the quarter and final report cards, please click on this link to access Progress Book.

Clubs / Extracurricular Organizations

Destination Imagination

Do you enjoy performing, creating, building, and solving real life problems?  Are you looking for a fun and exciting way to challenge yourself and to compete with a team of your friends at the same time?  Destination Imagination might be just what you need!

Click here for more details