2010-11 BASI Assessment Results

At our most recent parent meeting, it was asked if the school conducts standardized testing and if the results are published. Yes and no, was my response. Yes, all 3rd grade and higher students take a norm-referenced achievement test that helps measure math, reading, and language skills on a yearly basis - typically in mid-April. The results of these assessments are given to a student's parents with their last progress report of the school year, but they are not publicly shared.

We have never publicly reported these scores because we have always viewed the standardized test as a tool in guiding instruction, not as a measure of a student's entire educational experience at Bhaktivedanta Academy. A once per year multiple choice exam can only tell so much about how a particular student is doing. A full picture of a students progress is developed over time with continual formal and informal assessment and most importantly, the careful observation of their teacher.

With the above disclaimer in mind, below are the school-wide results of our 2010-11 BASI norm-referenced test given to students in grades 3-6. Values are an average for all students who participated without requiring accommodation (8 students in total).

Subtest	%ile	+/- Grade Level
Vocabulary	94.1	+4.7
Reading Comprehension	82.0	+4.3
Spelling	84.1	+4.2
Language Mechanics	85.8	+4.0
Math Computation	85.1	+3.9
Math Application	86.0	+5.5

%ile = Percentile rank compared to a national sample of students at the same grade. For example, on average, our students scored equal or higher then 94.1% of their grade level peers in a national comparison group in the area of vocabulary.

+/- GE = Number of grade levels above or below the student's grade at the time they participated in the exam. For example, on average, our students demonstrated proficiency 3.8 grade levels higher than what is expected at their grade in the area of vocabulary.

Like I mentioned, this is just a snapshot of data covering a portion of our entire educational program. There are no standardized tests to measure a child's devotion to God, love of learning, depth of knowledge, and strength of character, which along with academics are all part of a student's experience at Bhaktivedanta Academy. 


I hope you find this data helpful. Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.

Yours in service,

Visvambhara das
Director

Si usted tiene alguna pregunta y necesita ayuda en español,  puede solicitarla llamando al 386-462-2886 (oficina).

Parents Make the Difference Newsletter - February

Parents Make the Difference Newsletter

The February edition of the Parents Make the Difference newsletters are now online.  Click the links below to view and download:

Early Childhood Edition	Elementary Edition	Elementary Edition Spanish

Parents Make the Difference! (Early Childhood & Elementary School versions) are four-page, research-based newsletters that provide practical, proven information for parents, on a variety of school success topics.

Si usted tiene alguna pregunta y necesita ayuda en español,  puede solicitarla llamando al 386-462-2886 (oficina).

Rummage Sale Results

Ksina, Ana, and Divya preparing to sell bindis

The initial tally from today's rummage sale is $174.07.  There is still a little bit of money left to collect, so we anticipate raising a total of about $180 toward the purchase of a our Spanish language curriculum program.  It was wonderful to see the students get involved in raising money like this.  Thank you to the Madhurya Bhavan students for making a great flyer to promote the event and to everyone who collected, sold, and bought items.

Gracias!

Si usted tiene alguna pregunta y necesita ayuda en español,  puede solicitarla llamando al 386-462-2886 (oficina).

Nityananda's Song Video Online

Students from Bhaktivedanta Academy perform a song in honor of Lord Nityananda.

Parent Community Meeting Recap & Survey

Thank you to everyone who took time out to attend the Parent Community Meeting last Monday. It was great to see so much participation and to engage in a positive and idea-filled conversation on how we can work together to develop our school.

Below are a recap of the meeting and links to some of the topics we discussed.

Links

• Presentation slides


• Instructions for opting-in to receive text messages from the school


• Instructions for saving 5% and giving 1% to Bhaktivedanta Academy on all Target purchases


• Attendee survey

Discussion

Accreditation
We talked about plans to become an accredited school, what the process is, and the benefits it would bring:

“...a process of self-assessment and 3rd party verification that ensures a high standard of performance and a commitment to continuous improvement.”

We are still in the very preliminary stages of this and will be determining which accrediting organization we want to affiliate with in the near future.

Middle School
We also talked some about our expansion to serve 7th and 8th grade students beginning in the 2013-14 school year. We will continue to utilize the Montessori method through these grades but are considering complimenting it with the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. Here is a short synopsis of the IB MYP:

“The IB Middle Years Programme, for students aged 11 to 16, provides a framework of academic challenge that encourages students to embrace and understand the connections between traditional subjects and the real world, and become critical and reflective thinkers.”

More information about IB can be found at www.ibo.org/myp.

Building Community
The main focus of our meeting was a conversation on how we can work together to develop our parent community. Through this discussion, several suggestions were presented:

• Proactively promote the positive feedback we receive from parents and agencies, such as the Early Learning Coalition.


• Create more opportunities for families to come together and have spiritually enlivening association, picnics, and volunteer days.


• Establish a requirement for families to commit to a minimum number of hours of volunteer time at the school. Possibly offer a buyout option for families who cannot give time.


• The concept of clarity of commitment was brought up as a means to be clear from the beginning of what is expected in terms of parental involvement and what can actually be committed to by a family.


• Attract greater attendance at parent meetings by:
  • Inspiring those who missed to come by hearing positive things from those who did attend.
  
  
  • In-person invitations.
  
  
  • Following-up with those who did not attend to let them know they were missed.
  
  
  • Have students invite their family to come.
  
  
  • Involve students in running and/or presenting at meetings.
  
  
  • Create incentive to attend by highlighting topics of interest to the parent community and an opportunity to give input on initiatives.
  
  
  • An earlier start time - 5:30 p.m. or 6:00 p.m.
  
  
  • Saturday meetings with potluck.


• The need for the establishment of an active parent association. After the meeting Yadurani, Radhika, and Krishna Dhama expressed interest in being a part of it. We are still seeking others who want to participate.

Montessori
At the end of the meeting there was a short discussion about the effectiveness of the Montessori method for some types of children. Parents were encouraged to schedule an observation in their child’s class and to conference with their teacher about any specific areas of concern.

If you had an opportunity to attend the meeting, please take a few minutes to complete a short survey about the event. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

We will be scheduling a follow-up activity very soon, so stay tuned. In the meantime, please know that my door is always open and I am happy to talk at any time. In fact, having the chance to interact with our families is one of the highlights of my day.

It is a pleasure to serve the educational needs of your children and I look forward to the opportunity to continue to develop Bhaktivedanta Academy together for their benefit.

Si usted tiene alguna pregunta y necesita ayuda en español,  puede solicitarla llamando al 386-462-2886 (oficina).