Homer Highlights

It's hard to believe we are already on the home stretch! We have many things coming up this month such as field day, student honor nights, spring athletics, prom and preparing for graduation. May is always a full and exciting month for all!

Students have been completing their state testing and will doing their NWEA testing this month. As your child shares their scores with you, below tells you a little more about what they mean. As we close up the school year, we are looking for students to end on grade level (achievement percentile) and meet or exceed their growth percentile.

NWEA Assessments Overview for Parents

NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) creates assessments in Reading, Math, and Science, called MAP (Measures of Academic Progress), which help track student progress nationally. These tests are given three times a year at Homer:

1. Fall – To assess students' starting point for the year.

2. Mid-Year – To track progress and identify any needed interventions.

3. End of Year – To evaluate overall academic growth.

The results from these assessments help us ensure students receive the support they need, and may be used to determine if retention is necessary for students not meeting academic standards.

RIT Scores RIT scores reflect a student's academic level across grade levels. For example, a 4th grader and 8th grader with the same RIT score are performing at the same level in that subject. RIT scores show growth, but an increase does not always mean the student is meeting grade-level expectations. Students who are already above grade level may show progress at a slower pace. To understand if the score is on track, we also look at the Achievement Percentile.

Achievement Percentile This shows how your child scored compared to students nationwide. A percentile between 60-70 or above is considered on grade level. If a student’s percentile is below this, it means they need to improve their percentile over the next testing period to catch up.

Growth Percentile This measures how much your child has grown compared to peers with similar starting levels, based on at least two test results. A higher growth percentile indicates more progress, which is crucial for students below grade level to catch up. A lower growth percentile could result in students falling behind as their grade level benchmarks progress.

Interpreting Growth Percentiles

• Downward: Your child has learned less than expected between tests.

• Same: Your child has learned what was expected between tests.

• Upward: Your child has accelerated learning beyond expectations between tests.

These assessments help us tailor learning to each student’s needs, ensuring they’re on track for success.

We have many other things to share with you so see below for more Homer Highlights!

Be sure to also follow Homer Schools on Facebook (@hcstrojans) or check out the website (www.homerschools.net).

Each year our school holds a meeting with families to let you know about our Title I Program. At this meeting parents also have the opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions on our program and our parental involvement plans. If you missed this meeting virtually this year we have provided a recorded video and some directions below so that you can still participate at a time convenient for you.

Step 1:

Watch the short video using this link and sign in here (required for us to show participation)

Step 2:

Review the following documents

• Our District and School Parental Involvement Policy

• Our Parent-School Compact

Step 3:

After watching the video/attending the virtual training and reviewing the documents above, please complete this brief survey to provide any feedback on the documents. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions about our Title I program.

Thank you for your participation in our Virtual Title I Meeting. This feedback is important to our school, and we appreciate your time.

Respectfully,

Mrs. Cahill, LFE Principal

Mr. Mulnix, HMS Principal

Mr. Sangster, HHS Principal

Mrs. Shepherd, Director of Instructional Services

Attendance URL: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe_gnQcff4cb6ZUXWxruFyezMzCZGFQbzATPNxhOdxuAl76TQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Survey URL: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScL4VMMTxLskX-xOW7iXHcmNMDseKyzo0BKRTTX78jQWl-84A/viewform?usp=sf_link

PowerSchool is now accessible for all parents and students to view attendance, announcements, account balances, and grades (for MS and HS students). To access PowerSchool, please go to: https://pshomer.vbisd.org

Student Login:

Students will now login with their school-provided Google account.

Parent Login:

Parent access id/password are both the student's student ID number. This is your child's 2050 number. Your student should know this, or you can contact your student's building office.

Yellow school buses, football games, movie nights, and more. PAX has worked with over 70 countries since 1990, connecting willing host families with hopeful international teens to spend a year attending high school in the United States. Many students have completed the process and are now only waiting to meet their families for the upcoming school year. Will you join our PAX family and share your America? Start your application at https://pax.org/families

Email: homer@homerschools.net
Website: www.homerschools.net
Location: 403 South Hillsdale Street, Homer, MI, USA
Phone: 517-568-4463
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hcstrojans