Students in the St. Bernard-Elmwood Place City Schools increased their performance on 16 of the 23 tests administered by the State of Ohio during the 2016-17 school year. Significant gains occurred in grade three English language arts, grade three mathematics, and high school American government.

Despite these increases, much work remains to be done to improve student academic performance. Therefore, the district is taking the following steps for the 2017-18 school year:

• The district has secured content experts to assist teachers in delivering rigor-focused classroom instruction.
• The administrative team has received training to better support teachers in effectively preparing students for 21st century learning.
• All science teachers will continue to emphasize inquiry-based learning, a technique which has resulted in measurable gains at the 5th grade level.
• Both elementary schools will implement a new K-3 mathematics program this year, and teachers have been trained to improve student content mastery; this program will be implemented in grades 4-8 for the 2018-19 school year.
• The junior high school has a new, computer-based reading intervention program, READ 180, designed to improve student reading skills for success in all classes.
• Every student in grades 3-6 will have access to a ChromeBook in the classroom this year, with the goal of providing this opportunity to students district-wide over the next few years.

Staff members consider it a privilege to help all students in the St. Bernard-Elmwood Place schools reach their potential, but the formula for student success involves a partnership. The district hopes to develop that partnership between parents and teachers to insure that students attend school every day, arrive on time, and complete classroom and homework assignments successfully. Parents and teachers working together provide the help and support that will enable students to meet learning goals at each grade level.

Everyone is looking forward with pride to the opening of a new pre-K to 12 building in 2020. The district website (www.sbepschools.org) will have regular updates on the building progress.

Elmwood Place Elementary (EPE) leads the district of St. Bernard-Elmwood Place (SBEP) in all categories on the State Report Card. EPE earned six of twelve indicators and came within five percentage points of earning each of three additional indicators. Moreover, EPE raised its Performance Index to an all-time high of 97.8 and scored B's in the categories of "Gap Closing" and "Progress." EPE scored 89.9% in closing the gap in both reading and math, missing a grade of A by only 0.1%. Finally, EPE earned A's in both overall progress and the progress of students with disabilities.

In the area of district-wide progress, SBEP earned a grade of B on the State Report Card, with subgroup marks of C for gifted students, A for the lowest 20% of achievers, and C for students with disabilities. St. Bernard Elementary showed progress in seven tested areas and declines in two. Elmwood Place Elementary progressed in six tested areas and declined in three. The junior high students at St. Bernard-Elmwood Place Junior-Senior High School improved their scores in one area but declined in four others. High school students progressed in two tested areas and declined in two others.

The four-year graduation rate was 84.9% for the Class of 2016. In order to improve this rate to the goal of 93% or greater, the high school administration is using faculty advisers to monitor interim and quarterly grades among seniors and to work with those who are struggling in their classes. Administrators have placed those seniors who have not yet earned their 18 graduation points into special elective courses, designed to prepare them to improve their scores when they re-take AIR tests in December. Additionally, students who are deficient in earning their 18 graduation points are working on senior capstone projects, volunteering in the community, and maintaining good daily attendance and grades in order to qualify for graduation through one of the nine alternative pathways available to the Class of 2018.

In the category of "Prepared for Success" on the State Report Card, points are earned by passing AP tests, getting good grades in College Credit Plus (CCP) courses, or attaining college-ready scores on the ACT or SAT. The high school earned only 16.2% of the potential points in this category, which is a grade of F. Please note: this score was calculated for the Classes of 2015 and 2016, not last year's graduates. In order to improve in this area, SBEP Schools have increased the number of students who are participating in CCP courses and will have full participation among the junior class in the statewide administration of the ACT in February 2018. The increased number of students taking the ACT should produce more points and improve the letter grade.

Finally, the high school is taking full advantage of High Schools That Work professional development opportunities, which are supported by a grant from the Ohio Department of Education. Both new and experienced teachers have participated in workshops on rigor, Collins Writing, and MAX Teaching strategies. Administrators and teachers are working together to integrate the best practices learned through professional development into classrooms throughout the district.

The St. Bernard-Elmwood Place City School District seeks to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with handicaps birth through age 21 based upon I.D.E.A. (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) eligibility. This includes children attending private or parochial schools whose parents reside within our district.

Conditions such as multi-handicapped, hearing handicapped, visually handicapped, orthopedically and/or health handicapped, severe behavior handicapped, developmentally handicapped, specific learning disabled, autistic and speech and language handicapped are included.

Additionally, it is the intent of the district to ensure that students who are handicapped within the definition of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are evaluated, identified, and served. Section 504 disabilities are mental or physical impairments, or a history of such impairments, that “substantially limit one or more major life activities.”

If you know of a child with a suspected handicap, please contact Dr. Mimi Webb, Superintendent at St. Bernard-Elmwood Place Schools, 105 Washington Avenue, St. Bernard, Ohio 45217, 513-482-7123.

In accordance with the Ohio State Plan for The Education of Ohio’s Homeless Children and Youth and the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77), as amended in 1990, homeless school-age children shall have access to a free, appropriate public education which would be provided to the children of a resident of Ohio, consistent with Ohio’s school attendance laws. If you are aware of or suspect that a homeless child is eligible for placement under this policy, please contact Dr. Mimi Webb at 513-482-7123.

St. Bernard-Elmwood Place City Schools Strategic Plan has been implemented for 2021-22. To view the Strategic Plan, please click the link below:

• Strategic Plan 2021-22

Continuity of Services Plan

To view St. Bernard-Elmwood Place City Schools Continuity of Services Plan, please click the link below:

• Continuity of Services Plan 2021-22

Success and Wellness Plan

To view St. Bernard-Elmwood Place City Schools Success and Wellness Plan for 2023-24, please click the link below:

• Success and Wellness Plan 2023-24