Falmouth Public Schools District Report Card    March 2004

Welcome to the Falmouth School Department district portfolio.

This portfolio was developed in order to:

• Reflect on our progress and purpose
• Provide readily accessible data to inform decisions
• Communicate with all stakeholders
• Serve as a tool for self-assessment and goal setting within the district

In addition, the portfolio will:

• Serve as a needs assessment for the comprehensive education plan required by the Maine State Chapter 125 regulations
• Serve as a needs assessment for the professional development plan required by No Child Left Behind, Title IIA.
• Serve as a reporting framework for student learning and teacher quality as required by No Child Left Behind

This report is a collection of data on Falmouth Schools, organized into four categories of data:

• Demographics
  • Students
  • Community
  • Teachers
  • Administrators
• School processes
  • Course offerings
  • Class size
  • Special education
  • Response system
  • Student services
  • Special program
  • Data profile
  • Professional development
  • School budget
• Student learning
  • MEA data
  • Terra Nova data
  • SAT I and II data
  • Advanced Placement test data
  • National Merit Scholarship data
• Perceptions
  • MEA student survey data
  • Parent survey data

The graphic on the first page provides us with some examples of each type of data, and how one can combine types of data to answer questions about our school district. Some examples of questions we can ask are:

• How is our student population changing?
• What will our staffing needs be in the next five years?
• How has the community changed over the past five years?
• How does the community view the schools?
• What support do we provide for student learning?
• How well are our students doing?

This comprehensive district portfolio will allow us to understand the complexities of our school organization. The portfolio will also give all stakeholders access to the same set of data, becoming a tool for accountability and allowing for rich and productive discussion. This data will become the basis for self-assessment and goal setting done by the district leadership team.

This portfolio was developed with input from a wide range of stakeholders. The coordinator of teaching and learning and the coordinator of technology and learning were primarily responsible for compiling and writing the document. The data in this portfolio will be updated each year by the district leadership team and shared through school board presentations, posting on the school web site, and faculty meetings.

Please take the time to read and understand this comprehensive look at our district. It is a unique opportunity to examine who we are and how we are working to support all students in their growth and learning.