Advancing the Vision
On April 4-8, all Ankeny students will take the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP). The ISASP replaced the former Iowa Assessment in the spring of 2019. The ISASP is an annual summative assessment intended to complement other types of assessments implemented at the district and school levels. English Language Arts and Mathematics tests are administered to students in grades 3 through 11, and Science tests are administered in grades 5, 8, and 10.
The test is aligned with Iowa’s academic standards and will subsequently enable students to be prepared for future success and the demands of post-secondary education and the workforce. Results from the ISASP are useful both from an individual student perspective and collectively for the entire district. The results are utilized to inform a variety of educational decisions for individual students, in school improvement planning, to monitor progress toward our district goals, and in reporting to district stakeholders. The Iowa Department of Education will use results in the Iowa School Performance Profiles.
As we enter this testing window, you may wonder how you can help your students prepare for these tests. My best advice is the following:
Make sure your Chromebooks are charged
Encourage your child to get a good night of sleep the night before
Make a healthy breakfast or take advantage of our school breakfast
Promote positive self-talk
Parents will receive copies of their child’s test results, and district data will be reviewed with our school board and reported in the Iowa School Performance Profiles released annually. Please watch for communication from your student's school regarding more specific plans for completing the ISASP. If you have any questions about ISASP or how to best support your child, please contact their teacher.
Thank you,
Dr. Erick D. Pruitt
Superintendent of Schools
2022-2023 School Calendar
On Monday, March 7, the Ankeny school board voted to approve the 2022-2023 School Calendar.
The calendar was planned by the calendar committee, which is a committee of teachers, building administrators and district office administrators and a student board of education member. The committee met over the course of three months and reviewed survey data from staff and parents and collaborated with instructional coaches and the district’s professional development committee.
The school calendar is designed to adhere to the state requirements for student contact hours (1080 hours), meet the contractual obligations of the district’s teacher employee group (194 days for returning teachers and 198 days for new teachers) and most closely align to the input gathered by stakeholder groups.
Notable changes to the calendar include two additional teacher work/professional development days and a Fall Break added for students and staff.
2022-2023 Registration
Help us prepare for the new school year by completing your annual update today. To date, 45% of current Ankeny School accounts have completed the annual update. Thank you to all that have registered already.
For parents of current Ankeny students who have not already completed the annual update, please use the Parent Portal to complete the annual update and add a new preschool or kindergarten student to your household.
Here are four reasons you should complete your annual update today:
You can register a new preschool or kindergarten student at the same time you complete the annual update of current students using your Parent Portal.
Let Ankeny Schools know how you want to be contacted when early out, school closings, or emergencies happen by marking text, phone, and/or email in your Parent Portal.
Update emergency contacts to your household information guarantee Ankeny Schools administration will know who to call if you are unavailable in an emergency.
It’s quick and easy. Log into your parent portal – there is the link if you need to reset your password or don’t remember your user name – Click “more” at the bottom of the list on the left side of your screen, then click “registration” and follow the prompts to complete process and add a student if needed.
Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP)
Meet Construction Tim!
Introducing Ankeny VIPS
We are excited to launch a new volunteer initiative called VIPS! Volunteers in Public Schools, or VIPS, is an opportunity to match enthusiastic, caring volunteers with the Ankeny school buildings that need them. There are many ways to help and you choose your involvement level. Positions vary from student facing to behind the scenes at elementary or secondary buildings.
As a reminder, all volunteers must do the following:
Complete a background check. Be sure to choose 'VIPS' on the form.
Complete the volunteer handbook.
Background checks are valid for five years. Click here to access the Volunteer Page of our website, where you can complete the required documentation. Ready to join the Ankeny VIPS? Click here to review available volunteer opportunities and make your selection.
March Virtual Backpack
Find this month's vBackpack here!
Ankeny Community School District
It is the policy of the Ankeny Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy please contact Ken Morris, Jr., Equity Director at 306 SW School Street, Ankeny, IA 50023, 515/965-9600 or kenneth.morris@ankenyschools.org. The grievance will then be directed to the appropriate administrator charged with managing the program or department specified in the grievance.
Website: www.ankenyschools.org
Location: 306 SW School St, Ankeny, IA, USA
Phone: 515-965-9600
Facebook: Facebook.com/AnkenySchools
Twitter: @AnkenySchools