ST. MARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM

2007/2008 School Year

St. Mary School will continue to offer the following enhancements to their curriculum:

Fine Arts Program for grades K-8. This program will include coursework and instruction in the areas of Art, Music, Speech and Drama, and Dance either within the curriculum or as an afterschool club.

Foreign Language (Spanish) for grades K-8

Basic First Aid Course This course will be taught to the 6th graders by a certified First Aid instructor.

CPR Certification Course This American Heart Association course, taught by a certified CPR instructor, will be included in the health curriculum for 7th graders.

CPR Refresher Course for 8th Grade.

Reading Specialists Two full time Reading Specialists will continue to provide instruction to students and assistance to classroom teachers.

NIU Art Education Partnership Students in 4th - 8th grade will continue to participate in art classes provided by NIU art students.

Technology Students in Pre Kindergarten - 8th grade receive computer education in the 35 station computer lab two days per week. Upper grades focus on Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, as well as an introduction to web page design.

Clubs The following after-school clubs will continue this year: Student Council, Yearbook, Forensics, Drama, Chess, and Junior Great Books.

The curriculum of St. Mary School includes required coursework in the areas of Religion including participation in liturgies and para-liturgies, Reading and Literature, English, Phonics, Spelling and Vocabulary, Mathematics including Algebra, Sciences (Life, Earth, and Physics), Physical Education, Fine Arts (including Music, Art, Speech, and Drama), Computer Technology and Spanish.

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Iowa Test of Basic Skills
Results from Fall 2007

The Iowa Test of Basic Skills measures Reading, Math, Language, Science and Social Studies in grades three, five, and seven. These are the grades that the Diocese directs us to test. This test allows for a comparison of our students with that of a national norm. The test is aligned to national content standards and we use the data to guide us in determining where the students are relative to current curriculum content.

The information received from a norm-referenced test provides schools with data the helps determine somewhat if groups of students are making progress toward nationally recognized content standards. With information collected in the classroom during the course of the year, along with the results from the ITBS, we get a clearer view of our alignment to national standards and instructional practices.

St. Mary School Iowa Tests of Basic Skills
National School Norms - percentile average
	Reading	Language	Math	Social Studies	Science	Composite
Gr. 3	79%	80%	76%	95%	80%	86%
Gr. 5	97%	95%	79%	99%	99%	95%
Gr. 7	99%	99%	96%	98%	99%	99%

We are very proud of the results of this test. These tests sample our curriculum. A more comprehensive view of our academic progress is indicated by all the data collected during the school year. The value of a test such as the ITBS lies in the fact that it is a standardized test and from this we can develop trend data over the years. Using trend data helps the Diocese and our school make adjustments to the curriculum and instructional program if and where necessary.