2010/11 Annual Report - Part 1 - Communications - Lee County ...

2010/11
0 1 1
annual report
The School District of Lee County, Florida
The School District of Lee County, Florida
12 MONTHS OF EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Table of Contents
November 2011 ............................................................3
Messages from School Board Chairman
and Superintendent .................................................4
December 2011 .............................................................5
School Accomplishments.........................................6-9
Elementary School Student Achievement ............10
January 2012 ...............................................................11
Middle School Student Achievement ....................12
February 2012 .............................................................13
High School Student Achievement ........................14
March 2012 .................................................................15
School Grades .......................................................16-17
A Year of Change .......................................................18
April 2012 ....................................................................19
Academic Services .....................................................20
May 2012 .....................................................................21
Budget ...........................................................................22
June 2012 .....................................................................23
Recognitions ................................................................24
July 2012 ......................................................................25
School Board Advisory Committees ......................26
August 2012 ................................................................27
Strategic Plan Goals ..................................................28
September 2012 ..........................................................29
2012 Legislative Priorities ........................................30
October 2012 ...............................................................31
The dates listed throughout this report are tentative, and
correct as of the publication date. Some changes may occur
after printing.
Who We Are
2010/11—Numbers Tell the Story
If you want a snapshot story about an organization,
just take a look at the numbers. That’s also true for
Lee County Public Schools—below is some of what
makes up Florida’s ninth-largest and America’s 40thlargest
school district.
$1.412 Billion Total 2010/11 District Budget
$750 Million General Fund
$334 Million Capital Fund
$44 Million Food Services
1,964 Pre-K Students
38,136 Elementary School Students
18,237 Middle School Students
23,606 High School Students
81,929 Total K-12 Enrollment (Jan. 2010)
39,983 White Students
24,924 Hispanic Students
12,648 Black Students
2,900 Multi-racial Students
1,310 Asian Students
164 Native American Students
42,193 Male Students
39,736 Female Students
17,000 Approximate Number of Exceptional Students
4,800 Approximate Number of Gifted Students
9,774 Number of Employees
5,048 Number of Instructional Personnel
3,942 Number of Support Personnel
472 Number of Supervisory, Technical,
Confidential Staff
927 Number of Substitute Teachers
203 Number of National Board Certified Teachers
462 Number of Short Course Instructors
3,003 Number of Instructional Personnel with
Bachelor’s Degree
1,822 Number of Instructional Personnel with
Master’s Degree
76 Number of Instructional Personnel with a
Specialist Degree
70 Number of Instructional Personnel with a
Doctorate Degree 77,000
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
2010/11 Enrollment by Grade Level
High: 23,606
Middle: 18,237
2010/11 Student Diversity Breakdown
82,000
81,500
81,000
80,500
80,000
79,500
79,000
78,500
78,000
77,500
39,983
24,924
5-Year K-12 Student Enrollment
78,763
12,648
79,446
“Education has always been a priority for the Lee County community,
going back to when our county was founded. Nothing is more important
that helping students receive a quality education, and we all share the same
vision of doing whatever it takes to provide all the necessary resources for
our children to be successful.”—Lee County School Board & Superintendent
2,900
78,841
Pre-K: 1,964
1,310
80,400
81,929
2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11
Elementary: 38,136
White Hispanic Black Multi-Racial Asian Native-American
164
2

CITIZENSHIP/
I I PATRIOTISM
I November
2011
sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday
1
2
3
4
5
Schools &
Administrative Offices
Closed
Daylight
Saving
Time Ends
6
7
8
9
10
Veterans
Day
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Thanksgiving Break
Schools &
Administrative Offices
Closed
Hurricane Makeup
Day for Administrative
Offices (if needed)
23
Thanksgiving Break
Schools &
Administrative Offices
Closed
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Break
Schools &
Administrative Offices
Closed
24 25 26
The quality of an individual’s
response to membership
in a community. Be aware,
be informed, be involved.
october 2011
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31
27
november 2011
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30
december 2011
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
28
january 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
11/29-12/2 FSBA,
FADSS–Annual Joint
Conference (Tampa,
FL)
february 2012
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29
29 30
march 2012
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
april 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
may 2012
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31
june 2012
1 2
july 2012 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
august 2012 1 2 3 4
september 2012
1
1718 192021 22 23
2425 262728 29 30
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1011 121314 15 16
2223 242526 27 28
2930 31
8 9 101112 13 14
1516 171819 20 21
1920 212223 24 25
2627 282930 31
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
1213 141516 17 18
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 111213 14 15
1617 181920 21 22
2324 252627 28 29
30
october 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31
november 2012
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30
3

Message from the
School Board Chairman
THOMAS SCOTT
Message from the
Superintendent
JOSEPH P. BURKE, Ed.D.
Thank you for your continued interest in
your public school system. The information in
this publication will provide you with: data on
our schools; school performance; our collective
goals for the coming year; our priorities in
working with the Lee County Legislative
Delegation; dates of Board and advisory
committee meetings; and information on how
you can become more involved in your public
school system.
Recognizing where we have been provides
some guidance for where we need to be going
in the future. For the third year in a row your
public school system earned an “A” grade based
on criteria set down by the State of Florida.
This is a great accomplishment for students,
teachers, staff and the entire community.
Consistency is the mark of excellence and to
have earned the distinction of being an “A”
District means that all of those charged with
responsibilities in this District have chosen
excellence as the standard of performance.
Congratulations! But, we are not done yet.
We begin each of our Board Meetings
with a restatement of the District’s mission:
“To ensure that each student reaches his/her
personal potential.” Our mission takes into
account every student and doing so means
that we commit resources to a variety of
academic pursuits, extracurricular activities
and encouragement to our students that they
become involved in their communities. Our
objective is to send students from their public
education experience in the Lee County School
District as college or career ready. Our track
record has been good in accomplishing this
objective, but there is room for improvement
and our commitment is to do more and expect
more from all involved.
Last year voters elected three new Board
Members who took their seats in November
2010. The new Board was immediately faced
with the largest task it is likely to face during
its tenure—selection of a new Superintendent
to lead our District. The Board began the
process of selecting a Superintendent with
a meeting in December and laid out a plan
to search for, identify and employ a new
Superintendent by July 1, 2011. The plan
included a nationwide search and involvement
of the entire community in the process. A
community advisory committee of 30 citizens
plus an additional five student members were
involved in reviewing 45 applications. The
committee review narrowed the list to seven
potential candidates that were referred to the
Board for final consideration. The Board then
reduced the list to five and invited those five
finalists to come to Fort Myers for a round
of interviews. The process was thorough,
inclusive and brought a new Superintendent
to the Lee County School District exactly
when we had planned. On July 1, 2011, Dr.
Joseph Burke was sworn in as Superintendent
for Lee County Schools. An experienced
leader with a passion for educating children is
now at the helm of our District and we look
forward to the contributions he will make in
the years to come.
This year we anticipate more students in
the system—as many as 1,200 more than last
year. Growth has always been part of this
District and we believe that will continue.
After all we have a beautiful place to live—who
would not want to be in Southwest Florida?
With this growth will come challenges to meet
the needs of a growing student population.
Class size, merit pay for teachers, reduced
property valuations, and decreased support
from state funding are just some of the issues
that will cause us to look hard at the essential
responsibilities of public education during this
coming year. We encourage you to participate
in helping to address these challenges so that
we can continue to deliver our mission every
day to every student.
Sincerely,
Thomas Scott
Chairman, District 5
As the Superintendent for Lee
County Public Schools, I’d like
to welcome you to the 2010/11
Annual Report.
While I am relatively new to the
District—I took office July 1, 2011—
I was well aware of Lee County’s
tremendous accomplishments
and achievements. That made my
decision to accept the position of
Superintendent much easier—our
District is on a path of success, and
my goal is to help get us to the
next level.
Our District is one of the topperforming
Districts in Florida— in
fact, we were identified as one of
only 13 (out of 67) Districts as
“high performing” by the Florida
Department of Education. We’ve
earned an “A” grade as a District
for three consecutive years, and in
2010/11 we broke the 90% mark in
terms of how many of our schools
earned an “A” or “B” grade from
the State.
Everywhere you turn you
see award winning students,
teachers and schools—and as
Superintendent, I will continue
to foster an atmosphere where
everyone continues to strive to
reach—and exceed—their goals.
From Advanced Placement honor
students to our IB programs
setting themselves apart globally to
nationally recognized instructors,
we have a very strong foundation
on which to build the next chapter
in our history.
As you look through this year’s
Annual Report, I know you’ll be
surprised and amazed at just what
transpired across our school system
during the 2010/11 school year.
But I want to assure you that we
aren’t going to rest on our laurels;
quite the contrary. We are already
working hard to surpass those
achievements.
As Superintendent, I want
our District to reach all of our
students—from those who are
achieving at the highest levels to
those who may still be struggling.
That is my pledge—we will work
hard to identify and implement
whatever appropriate resources
there are to help all of our students
do their personal best.
So, as a new journey begins in
the history of Lee County Public
Schools, I want to thank you for
your interest in and support of
public education and I hope you
enjoy learning more about our
outstanding District.
Sincerely,
Dr. Joseph P. Burke
Superintendent of Schools
4

December
KINDNESS/
N S 2011
COMPASSION S O sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Early Dismissal Day Early Dismissal Day Early Dismissal Day
End of 2nd Quarter
(43 days)
19
20
First Day of Winter
Hanukkah
December 21-28
21
Winter Break
Schools Closed
Winter Break
Schools &
Administrative Offices
Closed
Hurricane Makeup
Day for Administrative
22 Offices (if needed) 23 24
Demonstrating concern for the
well-being of others; giving
support and showing empathy.
Be kind, treat others as you
would have them treat you.
Christmas
october 2011
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31
25
november 2011
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30
Winter Break
Schools &
Administrative
Offices Closed
december 2011
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
26
january 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
Winter Break
Schools &
Administrative
Offices Closed
february 2012
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29
27
march 2012
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Winter Break
Schools &
Administrative
Offices Closed
april 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
28
may 2012
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31
Winter Break
Schools &
Administrative
Offices Closed
june 2012
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
july 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
Winter Break
Schools &
Administrative
Offices Closed
29 30 31
august 2012
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31
september 2012
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30
october 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31
november 2012
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30
5

School Accomplishments
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
ALLEN PARK
Odyssey of the Mind team took second at State competition and is competing
at the World event; Candyce Bond named a Golden Apple Teacher;
home to seven National Board Certified teachers; awarded Master School
status from Reading Renaissance; awarded Model/Master Library status
from Reading Renaissance; 21 teachers awarded Model Classroom from
Reading Renaissance; 19 teachers awarded Master Classroom from Reading
Renaissance; earned the Golden School Award for volunteer involvement.
ALVA
Won the Model School Recognition for Positive Behavior Support program
after just one year of implementation; 92% of fourth-graders scored 4 or
above on the Florida Writes exam; 93% of third-graders scored 3 or above
on FCAT Math; 88% of third-graders scored 3 or above on FCAT Reading.
BAYSHORE
Named the Lee County Sheriff’s Department “Do the Right Thing
Elementary School” of the Year (third time); James Guffey named a Golden
Apple Teacher; Randy Markgraf named District’s Elementary Art Teacher of
the Year; Jan Moretti named District’s Elementary Guidance Counselor of the
Year; Melanie Menard named District’s Elementary P.E. Teacher of the Year;
named a Silver Level PBS Model School; earned an “A” grade from the FL
DOE (eight consecutive years); earned the Five Star School Award for parental
involvement; earned the Golden School Award for volunteer involvement.
BONITA SPRINGS
Third-grader German Lopez Ramos took third place in the Block Kids
national competition; fifth-grader Lautaro Garcia named a Ben Carson
Scholarship winner; earned the Echo award for Community Garden of
Distinction; took second place in the Dancing Classrooms finale; students
Josie Jones Krause and Maggie Weeks placed first in the 2011 Aspiring
Authors Writing Contest; continued successful backpack program to
feed students on the weekends; 98% of students met or exceeded writing
standards on the FCAT; provided tutoring for more than 215 students.
CALOOSA
Earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE (13th consecutive year); achieved
the highest FCAT Writes scores in the history of the school; earned a
Foundation Grant, a Target Grant, a Kohl’s Grant (for an Earth Day Project),
and a Project Schools grant to help landscape the school; home to the
District’s Math Teacher, Psychologist and Social Worker of the Year.
CAPE
Earned an “A” grade from the Florida Department of Education;
successfully met 100% Adequate Yearly Progress; earned the Golden
School Award for volunteer involvement; successful partnership with
Sweetbay and Publix; implemented Families Building Better Readers
family reading program; 100% participation in student-led conferences.
DR. CARRIE D. ROBINSON LITTLETON
Susan Hassett named a Golden Apple Teacher finalist; Laura Furderer
named a District Teacher of the Year finalist; raised $2,000 for Jump
Rope for Heart; raised $2,063.74 for Pennies for Pasta drive for the
Leukemia Foundation; awarded Most Outstanding Float at the Edison
Jr. and Grand Parade; Nancy Beatty named a District Counselor
of the Year Finalist and an Uncommon Friends Recipient; Susan
Hamilton named the District’s Music Teacher of the Year; Odyssey
of the Mind team placed within the Top 10 at State tournament.
GATEWAY
Student Macy Wooley took first place in the Leave the Scene Clean 2011
Calendar Art Contest; student Jonathan Bauer earned a Ben Carson
Scholarship; successfully conducted Families Building Better Readers event;
Roxann Camel named a member of the State science textbook adoption
committee; teacher Victoria Cartwright a Foundation Literacy Grant winner;
MaryLeigh Harris named Learning for Life Teacher Recognition award
winner; Shannon Peckham named the District’s ESE Teacher of the Year.
GULF
Earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE (ninth consecutive year); 90% of
students met or exceeded standards on FCAT reading; 89% students met or
exceeded standards on FCAT math; 93% of students met or exceeded standards
in FCAT writing; five students earned a perfect score on FCAT reading; 20
students scored a perfect score on FCAT math; Vanessa York nominated as a
Golden Apple Teacher of Distinction; created a Butterfly Garden on campus
HANCOCK CREEK
Carol Evenson named Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year;
Allison Jones named Cape Coral Student of the Year; Nina Nguyen named Ben
Carson Scholar winner; 92% of fourth-grade students met or exceeded standards
in writing; earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE (ninth consecutive year).
HECTOR A. CAFFERATA, JR.
Trudi O’Grady a recipient of the Uncommon Friends Foundation Champion
Teacher Award; 93% of fourth-graders met or exceeded standards in writing;
successful schoolwide participation in several events, including Relay for
Life for the American Heart Association and Autism Speaks Walk-a-Thon;
earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE (fourth consecutive year).
HEIGHTS
Earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE (fourth consecutive year); Watch D.O.G.S.
Parent Group established; earned Individual School Safety Award/Exemplary
School Safety Program Award; student Autumn DeBarr named a Ben Carson
Scholarship winner; teacher Jennifer Einstein named a Golden Apple Award
Winner; captured first place in the Salvation Army Canned Food Drive.
J. COLIN ENGLISH
Earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE; successfully made Adequate
Yearly Progress; 100% of fourth-grade students met or exceeded state
standards in writing; chosen as an International Baccalaureate site
for the West Attendance Zone; earned the Golden School Award for
volunteer involvement; awarded the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Grant;
successfully established the Food Backpack Program for students.
LEHIGH
Implemented Food for Thought program to provide students with nutritious
food during the weekend; earned a $5,000 State Farm grant for the Good
Neighbor Club, which recognizes students helping in their community;
successfully conducted a Family Literacy Night to help parents support
their child’s reading; Barbara Esno named Lee County’s Teacher of the
Year; home to Renee Dzurinko, Lee County’s Volunteer of the Year.
MIRROR LAKES
Established an All Pro Dads Chapter through the Tony Dungee Foundation;
implemented an 11-week Afterschool Academic Fitness Tutoring Program
(averaged 190 students per day); Lindsay Morris named an Office Max Teacher
of the Year; Judy Simpson named a Lehigh Chamber of Commerce Teacher
of the Year; HeadStart class received the only perfect Readiness Rate.
RAYMA C. PAGE
Earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE (fifth consecutive
year); created Reading Essentials binders for teachers to use as
a resource when working with struggling students; increased
number of school volunteers to 150—most in the school’s history;
named a Model PBS School (four consecutive years).
SAN CARLOS PARK
Earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE; earned the Five Star School
Award for parental involvement (nine consecutive years); a Learning for
Life Character Education participating school; successfully conducted
several community involvement events, including canned food drive,
Fall Fest, book fairs, March of Dimes Walk-Mania, science fair with
community judges, Talent Show, Family Math Night, Edison Pageant
of Light Junior Parade and Read Across America celebration.
SPRING CREEK
Earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE (fifth consecutive year); earned
the Golden School Award for volunteer involvement; home to a Ben
Carson Scholarship winner; several students participated in the annual
All Lee County Orchestra Concert; received donation of 35 musical
instruments via the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation; two Odyssey of
the Mind teams placed first at Regional event, one captured first place
at State Finals and took ninth place at the World Finals; fifth-graders
participated in the Dancing Classrooms program, placing third; continued
popular Roaring Readers Program the first Monday of each month.
SKYLINE
Successfully entered into partnership with BJ’s Wholesale; Katie Chaney,
Tonia Petro, and Phyllis Verrone named Golden Apple Teacher Finalists;
received a Target Grant for $700 for second-grade field trips; partnered
with Cape Coral Christian Church to feed over 90 families each week via
backpack program; home to a Ben Carson Scholarship winner; Patricia
Nelson named District’s Social Worker of the Year; re-opened community
playground via a donation of equipment by the Cape Coral Rotarians.
SUNSHINE
Successfully conducted a 25th Anniversary celebration; Nolan
Jerriey named a Ben Carson Scholarship winner; received charter
for the National Honor Society; earned the Five Star School Award
for parental involvement; earned the Golden School Award for
volunteer involvement; implemented Educational Family Nights;
implemented Sunshine Reading Club; Donna Rose Poland named
the Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year;
Janie Constantine named the District’s Social Studies Teacher
of the Year; Jessica Flanders named a Golden Apple Teacher of
Distinction; Donna Rose Poland named a Golden Apple Teacher
Finalist.
TANGLEWOOD
Earned numerous grants from various organizations; earned first place in
State curriculum competition; earned first and second place in Florida
Council on Economic Education Stock Market simulation; Odyssey of
the Mind team earned a top-10 finish in the Florida competition; first
place in District Book Battle event; first place in Region for the Florida
Council on Economic Education Stock Market Stimulation; first place in
State’s Working on Gifted Issues (WOGI) State Curriculum Competition. 6

COLONIAL
Patricia Jackson named the District’s Media Specialist of the Year;
earned the Five Star School Award for parental involvement;
Deborah Lee earned the “A Day Made Better” Teacher Award
from Office Max; Mark Dunaway named a Golden Apple Teacher
of Distinction; student Samarah Militao named a Ben Carson
Scholarship Winner; successfully offered numerous parental
involvement opportunities, including Grandparent Breakfast,
Fall Festival, Mother’s Day Tea and two Conference Nights.
DIPLOMAT
Randy Markgraf named the District’s Art Teacher of the Year; 99% of
kindergarten students, 96% of first-grade students and 95% of secondgrade
students met or exceeded standards on the SAT-10; earned the
Golden School Award for volunteer involvement; students and staff
donated 2,234 cans of food to the Salvation Army’s Canned Food
Drive; students and staff donated $6,751.91 to the American Heart
Association through annual Jump Rope for Heart Campaign.
EDGEWOOD ACADEMY
Home to a Ben Carson Scholarship winner; named a “Do the Right
Thing” regional winner; captured second place in the Dancing
Classrooms program; continued the Blessings in a Backpack program
to provide food to students and their families on the weekends;
participated in the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables program; participant in
Healthy Living Lab; earned the Golden School Award for volunteer
involvement; Trina Emler named a Teacher of Distinction.
EDISON PARK
Fifteen students recognized by the City of Fort Myers Police Department
with “Do the Right Thing” awards; four students recognized by the Art
of the Olympians for outstanding works of art; home to a Ben Carson
Scholarship winner; drama teacher Annette Trossbach recognized
by Gulfshore Business as a top “40 under 40” award winner for her
involvement /leadership of The Laboratory Theater of Florida; two
students selected as cast members of the production of “Annie” presented
by the Broadway Palms Dinner Theater; four students selected permanent
cast members of the WGCU TV program “Curious Kids Show.”
FORT MYERS BEACH
Implemented the SMILE Writing program in grades K-5; FCAT
writing scores jumped to 86% (from 54% in 2010); participated for
the first time in the District’s Book Battle event; earned the Golden
School Award for volunteer involvement; fifth-graders trained in
the use of the AED and CPR by the Fort Myers Beach Firefighters;
student Gabriel Lincoln was awarded a Ben Carson Scholarship.
G. WEAVER HIPPS
Earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE; student Reina Daniels won
the Lehigh Elks Club Writing Contest; earned a Parent Involvement
Award; Kelly Stedman named the Lehigh
Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the
Year; Lenora Lewis-Clarke named the
Learning for Life Character Education
Teacher of the Year; student Zachary
Price named a Carson Scholarship winner.
ORANGE RIVER
Holly Bell named the Hispanic American Business Alliance Elementary
Principal of the Year; hosted Congresswoman Alta Gracia Gonzalez from
the Dominican Republic; hosted HABA International Future Youth Leaders
(high school students) from the Dominican Republic; third-grade teacher
Maria Cardenas named 2010 Uncommon Friends Champion Teacher; third
consecutive year to earn Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program grant; third-grade
classroom adopted by Hope Scholar’s at Edison State College; earned bronze
award for the Positive Behavior Support program (two consecutive years).
ORANGEWOOD
Successfully conducted its Sixth-Annual Musical, “The Nutcracker,”
with over 75 students participating; Paul Tisdale named Golden Apple
Teacher of Distinction; fifth-grade teacher Tina Southworth won the
Office Max “Make A Day Better” award; Hana Ahmad, teacher of
Boy’s Academy, chosen as a Teacher of Excellence by the Foundation
for Excellence in Education (one of only 70 chosen in the State);
earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE (10th consecutive year).
PATRIOT
Fourth-grade students increased FCAT writing score to 4.2 out of 6
points; earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE (third consecutive year);
earned the Five Star School Award for parental involvement; earned
the Golden School Award for volunteer involvement; successfully
implemented Kagan Cooperative Learning Strategies; Linda Grant
honored as a Teacher of Distinction; Michelina Edwards earned the
Outstanding Educator Award by the Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce.
PELICAN
Home to three Nationally Board Certified Teachers; earned an “A” grade
from the FL DOE (seventh consecutive year); student civic responsibility
encouraged by partnering with charitable organizations including The Ronald
McDonald House, American Heart Association, The Salvation Army and The
Kiwanis Backpack program; awarded American Heart Association School of
the Year; Alison Conant named a Golden Apple Teacher finalist; earned the
Golden School Award for volunteer involvement (four consecutive years).
PINE ISLAND
Earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE; had the highest average
mean prompt score on fourth-grade FCAT Writes in the District
(4.4); students Erin Post and MacKinly Davis earned Ben Carson
Scholarships; continued the “Food 4 Kidz” program to children
and families, which helps feed families on the weekends.
PINEWOODS
Earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE; Irma Benejan name the
District’s Reading Teacher of the Year; teacher Sara Kohlhauff named
a Golden Apple finalist; recognized as one of only two schools in
the District to receive “Level 5 Quality Achievement Level.”
RAY V. POTTORF
Successfully incorporated Kagan Cooperative Learning Strategies, Kagan
Win/Win Structures, Sterling Quality Processes and Data Analysis; earned
the bronze award for the Positive Behavior Support Program; successfully
conducted fourth- and fifth-grade FCAT Family Night events, thirdgrade
Awesome FCAT Parent event and kindergarten Family Night.
THREE OAKS
Earned the Five Star School Award for parent involvement; earned the Golden
School Award for volunteer involvement; 2010 Governor’s Celebration
of Reading Essay Winners; a Core Knowledge Visitation Site; home to
Kindergarten teacher Amy Germer, the 2010 Learning For Life Educator
of the Year; student Owen Fortner received a Ben Carson Scholarship.
TICE
One of only three Title I schools to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress;
named a BJ’s Wholesale Club “Adopt a School” participant; continued
successful “Blessings in a Backpack” program (third consecutive year);
fourth year participating in “Dancing Classrooms” program; named a
USDA “Fresh Fruits and Vegetables” grant recipient; Lee County Fair
Elementary School Booth first-place winner; Lee County Film Festival
first-place winner in Animation, second-place in PSA and named “Best
of Show”; Deb Goff named a District “Teacher of the Year” finalist.
TREELINE
Increased the grade from the FL DOE from a “C” to an “A”; increase
in average daily attendance of students; increase parental involvement
via various workshops, parent training programs and volunteers; began
a “Watch D.O.G.S.” (Dads of Great Students) organization.
TRAFALGAR
Named a Kagan Model School; named a Positive Behavior Support
Gold Model School; home to Marie Vetter, Principal of the Year;
Lisa Blanco named the District’s Language Arts Teacher of the Year;
Linda Hamstra named the District’s Science Teacher of the Year;
earned the Five Star School Award for parental involvement.
TROPIC ISLES
Captured first place in Florida Sterling Showcase competition; Susan
Hamilton named the District’s Music Teacher of the Year; two teams
competed at state competition for Odyssey of the Mind and one team
competed at State competition for Future Problem Solving; earned
the Golden School Award for volunteer involvement; staff members
invited to make presentation at National Quality in Education
Conference and New Jersey Education Association conference.
VILLAS
Earned an “A” grade from the Florida DOE; earned the Five Star
School Award for parental involvement; experienced a 17% increase
in fourth-graders scoring a level 4 or above on the Florida Writes.
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
ALVA
Named the Middle School of the Year by the Lee County Sheriff’s Department
“Do the Right Thing” program (12th consecutive year); student Carissa Smith
took second place in the State Science Fair, Environmental Science Division;
Jane McElree named the Middle School Teacher of the Year by the Lee
County Reading Council; Barry Jenkins named the District’s ESE Teacher of
the Year; Judy Harris named the Middle School Teacher of the Year by the Lee
County Math Council; Jonathan Martin named the District’s Middle School
Language Arts Teacher of the Year; eighth-grade student Margie Connor
named to the All State Middle School Band; Breanna Claytor won the NOAA
Medallion at the Regional Science Fair; Stephen J. Hutnik named Middle
School Principal of the Year by the Hispanic American Business Alliance.
“All District employees, resources and all of our activities must be directed to the accomplishment of our mission ‘to ensure each
student reaches his/her personal potential.’” —Thomas Scott, Chairman, District 5
7

School Accomplishments
BONITA SPRINGS
Teacher Joy Cooper selected for the Toyota International Teacher Program
to the Galapagos Islands (one of only 24 teachers chosen); successfully
hosted the first-ever National Junior Honor Society, tri-county leadership
conference; took third place in the Middle School Book Battle Competition;
Odyssey of the Mind team won local and State competition and will travel
to world competition; Boy’s soccer team finished second in the county.
CALOOSA
Teacher Jody Chilton won “My Favorite Teacher” contest and “Learning
for Life” Teacher recognition; teacher Mary Parker won the Cape Coral
Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Education Instructional Award; student
Brooke Wolfe won the Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce Excellence in
Education Student Award; Pat Nelson named Social Worker of the Year;
Stevie Spector named School Psychologist of the Year; Ann Tikka named
Career & Technical Education Teacher of the Year; Brooke DeCarlo named
Health Teacher of the Year; Doug Mytnik named a Golden Apple Teacher
of Distinction; student Justin Battig took first place in the Plant Science
division at the Science Fair; student Annas Kaddah captured first place
at the Regional Science Fair in the Engineering and Materials Division.
CHALLENGER
Earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE; earned Golden and Silver School
Awards for volunteer involvement; earned Five Star School Award for parental
involvement; home to two Golden Apple Teacher Finalists; recognized
for School Quality Achievement, Level 3; golf team took first place in
West Area Golf Tournament; Boy’s Basketball District Semi-finalist; Boy’s
Soccer District Semi-finalists; Girl’s Volleyball District Semi-finalist.
CYPRESS LAKE CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Earned an “A” grade from FL DOE; home to the largest group of
Duke University TIP students recognized for exceptional academic
talent; eight students chosen as All-State musicians; students earned
distinction of competing at State Odyssey of the Mind and Geo-Bee.
DIPLOMAT
Named a Positive Behavior Model School; named an Arts Achieve
Model School; named a FL DOE Music Demonstration School; home
to Joshua Hart, Susan Los-Huertos and Tanya Norris, three County
Subject Area Teachers of the Year; earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE;
Richard Jeter, Samantha Jeter and Joy Williams named Golden Apple
Teachers of Distinction; Quinn Schnabel named a Golden Apple Teacher
Finalist; earned the Five Star School Award for parental involvement.
FORT MYERS MIDDLE ACADEMY
Students placed first in the animation category and second in the sports
category in the Lee County Student Film Festival; 15 students participated
in the Florida Technology Student Association Conference/Competition in
Orlando, earning 21 top-ten finalist pins; one of two District schools selected
to pilot the Reading Edge program; increased the percentage of student
subgroups making Adequate Yearly Progress for three consecutive years.
GULF
Corey Leppelmeier named the District’s Student Volunteer of the Year;
Lydia Buenfil captured fourth place at the annual Invention Fair; 18
students participated in the Florida Bandmaster’s Association Solo and
Ensemble Music Performance Assessment (13 received Superior and five
earned excellent ratings); successfully met Adequate Yearly Progress.
TRAFALGAR
Earned the Five Star School Award for parent involvement; earned the Golden
and Silver School Awards for volunteer involvement; earned an “A” grade from
the FL DOE (six consecutive years); students captured third place in the State
History Fair; school captured second place in the National Award Scholastic
Book Fair; Odyssey of the Mind team captured first place for Southwest
Florida Region; implemented new Chess Club with students receiving State
recognition; implemented new Angling Arts class with students receiving Boater
Safety Licenses; Girl’s Volleyball and Girl’s Soccer County Champions.
VARSITY LAKES
Winner of a $10,000 Bealls and Whistles Grant; Odyssey of the Mind
Team went to State Competition; Math Team won first place in the
District Middle School Algebra competition; Boy’s and Girl’s County
Track Championships; winner of the 2011 District Book Battle.
HIGH SCHOOLS
CAPE CORAL
Boy’s soccer team State Champions; football team District Champions; Aldo
Nardiello named Boy’s Soccer Coach of the Year; Jokira Jiles named The News-
Press Track Athlete of the Year; Justin Mitchell named a Hillmeyer-Tremont
Scholarship winner; Liz Alvarez named a Gates Millennium Scholarship winner;
Seahawks Eye Newspaper named an American Scholastic Press Association first
place winner; Alicia Miller named the District’s Language Arts Teacher of the
Year; Liz Kominar named the District’s Environmental Science Teacher of the
Year; Marguerite Husebye named the District’s Art Teacher of the Year.
CYPRESS LAKE
Earned the Five Star School Award for parental involvement; named
a Florida Alliance for Arts Education’s Arts Achieve Model School;
earned a “B” grade from the FL DOE; class of 2011 received almost $4
million in scholarships; earned the Gold and Silver School Award for
volunteer involvement; Boys’ Golf Third Place at Districts; Volleyball
Third Place at Districts; Boy’s Tennis Regional Doubles Champion.
DUNBAR
Academy for Technology Excellence (ATE) Program had 221 Certified Students,
with 497 Certification Tests passed in 2010/11; earned an “A” grade from the FL
DOE; City of Fort Myers proclaimed January 18, 2011 as Dunbar High School Day;
named a Magnet School of Excellence (four-time winner); nominated for SW Florida
2011 Innovation Award by SW Florida Regional Technology Partners; nominated for
the Greater Chamber of Commerce Chrysalis Award for Education; Cynthia Webb
named the District’s Exceptional Student Education Teacher of the Year; Colin Kelly
named the District’s Drivers Education Teacher of the Year; Rebecca Jamme named
the District’s Language Arts Teacher of the Year; Laurie Metz selected as a Golden
Apple Finalist; Rita Effing, Catherine Griffin and Eric Reynolds selected as Teachers
of Distinction; Girl’s Track and Field team Conference and District Champions.
EAST LEE COUNTY
Drama Club captured Best Implementation of Theme and Best Costumes at the
Lehigh Acres Spring Festival Parade; successfully completed first year of the AVID
program; Sarah Miller named the Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce Teacher of
the Year; Spanish Department won first place in the Quiz Bowl; students earned
411 Industry Certifications; Terrell Davis named MVP of the Lee County Football
All Star Game; Jerrick Mark played in the Florida State All Star Football Game;
Boy’s Track and Field placed sixth in State; JROTC won first place in District
Drill Competition, accumulated 1,429 community service hours conducted
three schoolwide blood drives collecting 693 pints (highest in the County).
MARINER
Students placed in Edison Regional Science Fair, Science Olympiad and
Inventor’s Fair; Lucrecia Lucero named the District’s ESOL Teacher
of the Year; Sara Hamilton named the District’s Music Teacher of the
Year; home to Helyn Ferlazzo, the District’s Educational Support Person
of the Year: school’s robotics team named Rookie Team of the Year at
First Robotics Competition; captured two first-place and two third-place
awards at the Florida State Technology Student Association Competition;
Odyssey of the Mind team placed fourth at State competition; Future
Business Leaders Association earned nine awards in Accounting, Business
Law, Economics, Spreadsheet Application, and Business Calculations.
NORTH FORT MYERS
Advanced Orchestra Earned Superior rating at the Florida Orchestra
Association District 18 Music Performance Assessment (second
consecutive year); 50 seniors passed a total of 196 Cambridge AICE
exams; students earned a total of 2,365 college credits through
Dual Enrollment and early admissions programs; JROTC won the
Founder’s Award for most community service hours in the county
(7,000+); Odyssey of the Mind team made history by sending three
teams to the World Competition; Paul Pescatrice named a Volunteer
of the Year for Lee County and the State of Florida; teachers Rob
Daly and Becky Pacl honored as two of 10 world-wide for having the
highest number of students passing industry certification exams.
RIVERDALE
Paula Sizemore named a Golden Apple Teacher; Future Business
Leaders of America team named District Chapter of the Year and
national champions in Digital Design; cheerleaders named National
Champions; highest IB diploma rate in school history; AP and
SAT scores above District, State and National Average; Teacher
M.L. Hill received the Lifetime Achievement Award for English.
SOUTH FORT MYERS
Graduating class earned $4,019,737 in scholarships; home to nine
AP Scholars; Don Payne named a Golden Apple Teacher; Cynthia
Jeffcott named the District’s Media Specialist of the Year; 73% of
students earned certification via the Veterinary Academy; 100%
of students earned their Phlebotomy Certification via the Medical
Academy; Leadership Academy students completed 3,990 hours
of community service; students in Communications Academy
captured third place in the CNN “Studentcam” News Contest and
the Country Video Competition (documentary division); Girl’s
Soccer earned the Good Sportsmanship Award; District champion
in Wrestling; District and Regional Championship in Football.
COMBINATION SCHOOLS
JAMES STEPHENS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY
Boy’s basketball team County runners up; earned the Five Star School
Award for parental involvement; successfully implemented the
Criterion Writing Evaluation System for eighth-graders; art students
won a Gold and Bronze medal from Art of the Olympians contest; one
student earned a runner-up medal in the Florida Radon poster contest;
implemented the National Watch D.O.G.S. program; successfully
conducted an IB Primary Year Program (PYP) authorization visit.
8

LEHIGH ACRES
Showed a 20% increase in eighth-grade students scoring 4.0 or higher on
FCAT Writes; had a 31% increase in eighth-graders scoring 5 or higher on
FCAT Writes; more than 300 students visited at least one college campus,
with many visiting three or four; honored as the first and only certified
AVID middle school in the District; had All County Band and Chorus
participants and one All State Band participant; Girl’s Cross Country,
Boy’s Basketball, Boy’s and Girl’s Volleyball qualified for playoffs; Boy’s
Soccer east area champions; Girl’s Basketball District Champions.
LEXINGTON
Recognized as an IB-MYP World School; named a Ding Darling
National Wildlife Grant Winner; Lee County Foundation Grant Winner
for Art Projects and a Holocaust Unit; home to first- and secondplace
winners in the Ding Darling Environmental Education Cartoon
Contest; home to two Ben Carson Scholarship recipients; home to
a 2011 Golden Apple Teacher Finalist; Math Team took third place
at District competition; Girl’s Volleyball South Region Champions
and County Runner-Ups; Boy’ s Volleyball County Semifinalists;
Boy’s Cross Country County Champions (three consecutive years);
Girl’s Cross Country County Champions (two consecutive years).
MARINER
Successfully started the AVID Program for students; certification
granted to become an IB Candidate School; three teachers
participated in the ADI Grant/Florida Digital Educator/STEM project;
Odyssey of the Mind team participated at State Competition; band
received a Superior Rating at the Florida Bandmasters Associations
District Music Performance Assessments; eighth-grade student
Kaylee Bement named the poetry winner by the Lee Council
Teachers of English; won the Harry Chapin Food Drive.
OAK HAMMOCK
Home to a Golden Apple Teacher Finalist; school’s Step Team
named County Champions; Boy’s Soccer County Champions;
awarded the Solar Panel Generator Station Grant; earned
two Superior ratings at the Florida Jr. Thespian Festival; took
second place at the District’s Book Battle Competition.
PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR
Donated 1,000 items for the Army Canned Food Drive; donated
the profits from the Yankee Candle sale to the American Red Cross;
three students selected to perform with the Lee All-County Concert
Honor Band; three students awarded Superior medals at the Florida
Bandmasters District 18 Solo and Ensemble Festival; captured fourth
place in the Lee County Middle School Math Team Competition; earned
an “A” grade from the FL DOE; Boy’s Track Regional Champions.
THREE OAKS
Named a Five Star School for parental involvement; took second place
for School Showcase in the Southwest Florida Fair; Pamela Forsyth
named the District’s PE Teacher of the Year; Stanley Strickland named
the District’s Environmental Education Teacher of the Year; Jennifer
Kuehl named the District’s Learning for Life Teacher of the Year;
Helen Davis named a 2010/11 Golden Apple Teacher of Distinction;
County Boy’s Basketball Champions; Daley Cline Girl’s Cross Country
County Champion; Odyssey of the Mind team took second place at Sun
Regional and third place at State competition; student Jennifer Gravitt
took first place in Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest and first place in
environmental calendar contest sponsored by Keep Lee County Beautiful.
ESTERO
Austin Young took first place and Antonia Jacobse took third place in
Behavioral and Social Science at the Regional Science Fair; Taylor Roberts
captured the Gold Medal and Jacob Flores took the bronze medal at the
Art of the Olympians (most creative); Molly DuBrasky was a five-time
State Champion in swimming; sophomore Kacy Smith a two-time State
Champion in Cross Country; Girl’s Cross Country won the FHSAA 2A State
Team Title; Boy’s Cross Country won the FHSAA 2A State Team Title.
FORT MYERS
Ranked 90th out of 33,000 high schools across America by The Washington
Post; four National Merit School Based Scholarships (out of seven
Districtwide); ranked a top 100 high school by Newsweek magazine; IB
Program ranked sixth in Florida, eighth in America; eight District Titles,
Two Regional Titles, 10 LCAC Championships; Sarah Span Individual XC
Class 3A Champion; Mock Trial Team District and Regional Champion.
IDA S. BAKER
Earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE (two consecutive years); nine students
qualified for the DECA State conference; earned the Gold Achievement
“Program of Work” award from Florida DECA; 26 students passed rigorous
Electrocardiogram Tech. test through the National Healthcare Association (first
time the program offered at a high school in SW Florida); Willie Mansfield a
State finalist in the VSA Florida 8th Annual Exemplary Participant Recognition
Program; students Myah LaPread (first place) and Kristin Countin (second
place) in the Dunbar Festival Committee 2011 Annual MLK Essay Contest;
student Shayna Talbott nominated by Congressman Connie Mack to attend
the Page school program in Washington D.C.; home to Golden Apple Teachers
of Distinction Nicole Lemme, Theresa Moroscoand Fernando Vazquez.
ISLAND COAST
Nancy Loughlin named a Golden Apple Teacher; Jan Klein and Allan Dyen-
Shapiro named Golden Apple Finalists; Whitney Oakwood named the District’s
Beginning English Teacher of the Year; Vicki Santini named the District’s
Health Teacher of the Year; Susan Shoemaker named the District’s Guidance
Counselor of the Year; Christine McDaniel named the District’s Career
Teacher of the Year; Fallon Melendez named the Florida Hispanic Heritage
Educator of the Year; school named the Florida Parent Involvement Award
Winner; football team District and Regional Champs (ranked third in State);
wrestling team District Runner-Up; varsity baseball team District Champs;
varsity track ranked seventh in State; Gator Battalion earned 11 trophies (county
& state) during the Lee County JROTC Raider Challenge Competition.
LEHIGH SENIOR
Earned the Five Star School Award for parental involvement; earned a Golden
School Award for volunteer involvement; first high school to be recognized
as a National AVID Certified School; teachers Peggy Leis, Monica Walker,
and Paula Yaniglos selected to present a the AVID National Conference;
host for AVID State Open Houses; principal Jeff Spiro named an AVID
State Board Member; Helen Sadler named a Golden Apple Teacher Finalist;
JROTC winner of the Founder’s Award; 15 students graduated with a high
school diploma and an Associate’s degree from Edison State College.
THE SANIBEL SCHOOL
Earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE (12th consecutive year); celebrated
a “Century of Education” on Sanibel Island; Dr. Nohora Rivera named the
District’s Outstanding Middle School World Language Teacher of the Year;
Dana Sanner named the District’s Outstanding Middle School Science Teacher
of the Year; seventh graders Gabrielle Cooper and Megan Rizzo named finalists
in the Trend Micro “What’s Your Story” Internet Safety national competition.
NORTH FORT MYERS ACADEMY FOR THE ARTS
Named an Arts Achieve Model School; earned a Positive Behavior Support Gold
Award; earned the Golden and Silver School Awards for volunteer involvement;
named a Five Star School for parental involvement; 11 Chorus students received All
State Honors; one band student received All State Honors; nine Junior Thespians
received All State Honors; chorus earned first place at Music City USA at Universal
Studios; dance (elem. & middle) earned first place at Music City USA at Universal
Studios; steel drums earned first place at Music City USA at Universal Studios; band
captured second place Music City USA at Universal Studios.
VETERANS PARK ACADEMY FOR THE ARTS
Earned an “A” grade from the FL DOE (third consecutive year); Gretchen Wahlberg
recognized as Florida Elementary Music Teacher of the Year; selected as a pilot
school for the Duke Reading Program for Advanced Readers in Middle School.
EDUCATION CENTERS
BUCKINGHAM EXCEPTIONAL
Nine students graduated with Special Diplomas; 18 elementary level students
participated in the Special Olympics; 82% of the IEP goals in reading, 91% of
the IEP goals in writing and 74% of the IEP goals overall for Grades PreK-12
were mastered; Target renovated library and donated books and supplies.
HIGH TECH CENTRAL
Became an AutoCAD training center and testing site; Medical Coder/Biller &
Medical Administrative Specialist programs and a second Air-Conditioning,
Refrigeration and Heating Technology program were added to meet demand;
received DOE approval for new Turbine Generator Maintenance, Inspection
and Repair program; partnering with Edison State College to offer two, fulltime
programs (Practical Nursing and Electricity) in LaBelle; students won two
gold medals at the national Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA)
contest; Commercial Foods & Culinary Arts students had a 100% pass rate for
the ServSafe industry certification test; students in the Correctional Officer,
Fire Fighter, and Law Enforcement programs had a 100% pass rate on their
certification exams; Practical Nursing students had a 92% pass rate on their
licensing exam and 99% of the graduates were employed in the field.
HIGH TECH NORTH
Successfully added two new full-time programs (Cosmetology and Pharmacy
Technician); six “ADDY” awards from The SW Florida Chapter of the American
Advertising Federation earned by Digital Design students in the annual competition
(including 2 gold and 4 silver); Electronic Technology class placed second in the SW
Florida Fair School Displays contest; students from the Health Science Occupations
Program competed in Region VI competition (HOSA), earning 15 Regional awards;
Chuck Baack named the District Technology Specialist of Year; 100% passing
rate for The National Licensure Exam (NCLEX) for Practical Nursing students.
ROYAL PALM EXCEPTIONAL
Salvation Army Canned Food Drive winners (seventh consecutive year); successfully
implemented new math adoption; increased Florida Assessment for Instruction
(FAIR) student scores; Exceptional Students Transitioning to Responsible Adulthood
(EXTRA) program volunteer hours totaled 3,138; increased therapy dog participation
throughout campus; implemented a successful science lab in elementary level;
increased AYP from 56% to 79%; underwent a complete campus renovation.
9

Elementary School Student Achievement
Elementary School Reading
4th Grade Standard Curriculum
Below Meets Exceeds
Elementary School Math
5th Grade Standard Curriculum
Below Meets Exceeds
Percent Scoring
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
20%
36%
44%
46%
35%
19%
g
ent Scoring
Perce
100%
12%
90%
25%
44%
80% 70%
60%
50%
28%
40%
63%
30%
20% 28%
10%
0%
1997/98 2010/11
0%
1997/98 2010/11
For 2010/11, 81% of fourth-graders met or exceeded
State standards in reading on the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test.
Manatee Elementary Principal Jill Louzao visits with students. Classroom
walkthroughs play a key part in ensuring academic achievement.
Elementary School Writing
4th Grade Standard Curriculum
Below Meets Exceeds
For 2010/11, 72% of fifth-graders met or exceeded State
standards in mathematics on the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test.
Elementary School Science
5th Grade Standard Curriculum
Below Meets Exceeds
The District has implemented
SmartBoards in schools across
the county. Students can have
interactive lessons using the latest
technology.
Scoring
Percent S
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
18% 22%
51%
31%
60%
18%
2005/06 2010/11
For 2010/11, 82% of fourth-graders met or exceeded
State standards in writing on the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test (FCAT). The State raised the minimum
score to meet standards to 4.0 (up from 3.0 in 2009/10).
cent Scoring
Perc
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
10%
34%
56%
18%
37%
45%
2006-07 2010/11
For 2010/11, 55% of fifth-graders met or exceeded State
standards in science on the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test.
“Imagine a place where every child feels safe, loved, and celebrated...where bullying, violence, and oppression are things of the
past.”—Mary Fischer, M.A., Vice Chairman, District 1
10

COMMITMENT
M M T
January
2012
sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday
Winter Break
Schools &
Administrative
Offices Closed
Schools Closed
Hurricane Makeup
Day for Schools (if
needed)
Professional Duty
Day–No School for
Students
New Year’s Day
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Florida 2012
Legislative Session
Convenes
Student Assignment
Preprinted
Applications Mailed
Out to Parents
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Schools &
Administrative
Offices Closed
Student Assignment
BATCH 1 Begins–
Jan. 17-March 2
15
Martin Luther
King, Jr. Day
16
17
18
19
20
21
1/25-1/27 FSBA Day
in the Legislature
(Tallahassee, FL)
FSBA Board of
Directors’ Meeting
(Tallahassee, FL)
22
23
24
25 26 27 28
Binding yourself to a course
of action despite obstacles.
Make yourself a
promise and keep it.
october 2011
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31
november 2011
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30
29 30
december 2011
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
january 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
february 2012
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29
31
march 2012
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
april 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
may 2012
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31
june 2012
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
july 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
august 2012
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31
september 2012
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30
october 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31
november 2012
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30
11

Middle School Student Achievement
Middle School Writing
8th Grade Standard Curriculum
Below Meets Exceeds
Middle School Math
8th Grade Standard Curriculum
Below Meets Exceeds
Middle School Reading
8th Grade Standard Curriculum
Below Meets Exceeds
ent Scoring
Perce
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
17%
58%
25%
32%
50%
18%
2005/06 2010/11
For 2010/11, 82% of eighth-graders met or exceeded
State standards in writing on the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test (FCAT). The State raised the minimum
score to meet standards to 4.0 (up from 3.0 in 2009/10).
Every year Duke University
conducts its academic talent
search, known as the TALENT
IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM
(TIP). The program seeks to identify
academically talented middle school students in a 16 state area.
One aspect of the TIP Program is giving middle school students
the opportunity to take the SAT or ACT, tests that are normally for
advanced high school students. This year, 194 seventh-graders in
middle schools across the county took the SAT or ACT test while still
in the seventh grade. When the final results were tallied, 70 Lee County
students earned State Recognition. Once again, the District recorded
the highest total of students tested in recent history. In addition, six
students earned the prestigious Grand Recognition designation.
The 2010/11 middle school students are:
ALVA: Dylan Hefner, Landon Reigelman;
BONITA SPRINGS: Samantha Coury, Ashley Foster, Nozomi
Watanabe, Sydney Wynn;
CHALLENGER: Dayanys Alamo, Stephanie Benitez, Kaylee
Brilhart, McKenzie Clark, Riley Downing, Kyle Prendergast,
Jarod Rehmann, Sean Swartz, Megan Wagner;
CYPRESS LAKE: Reed Brown, Samantha Brunson*, Joshua
Ellis, Cameron Fisher, Lindsay Holzhauer, Janar Kahr, Zachary
Reynolds, Sydney Sackman, Analiese Thomas Larocqu;
DIPLOMAT: Vincent Muollo;
DUNBAR: Sarah Adams, Garrett
Anderson, Liam Guerin, Geraldine
Leopold, Ciara McLaren*, Thomas Pugh*,
Grace Speas, Danielle Stella, Jordan
Taylor, Ashhab Thakur, Andrew Wheeler,
Diamond Williams;
ng
rcent Scorin
Per
100%
90%
80%
18%
70% 31%
60%
50%
40%
30%
32%
44%
20% 24%
10%
0%
51%
1997/98 2010/11
For 2010/11, 76% of eighth-graders met or exceeded State
standards in mathematics on the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test—a 3% increase in one year.
GATEWAY CHARTER SCHOOL: Kaylie Heyner;
GULF: Emma Berckman, Kiana Guerrazzi;
LEHIGH ACRES: Judah Bertolotti, Orfanel Fajardo, Elijah Hintz;
LEXINGTON: Rolando Otero, Nicole Soliz;
OASIS CHARTER SCHOOL: Sara Bryce, Marco Menendez,
Andrew Orbe, Jessica Paul, Hannah Theriault, David Victoria;
THE SANIBEL SCHOOL: Richard Walker*, Rachel Wexler;
THREE OAKS: Aaron Ferry, Cody Frosh, Taylor Kent, Olivia
Stover, Michelle Wahlund, Aubrey Walker*;
TRAFALGAR: Rachel Barnes, Alexandra Locascio, Hayden
McAdams, Alex Palmer, Ashley Pfeiffer, Brandon Sanzetenea;
VARSITY LAKES: Seth Matthies*, Tyler Millis, Logan Nelson,
Eduardo Santana;
VETERAN’S PARK ACADEMY: Jonathan Busquets
(* denotes Grand Recognition winners).
This year, a new group of students were able to participate in a
program by Duke University—it was the 2011 FOURTH/FIFTH-
GRADE TALENT SEARCH. The following elementary students
demonstrated exceptional academic ability and participated in this
program:
ALLEN PARK: Nara Guanes;
CAPE: Angela Rong;
EDISON PARK: Liam Mintier, Seth Rodenhofer;
GATEWAY: Tomas Bickel;
LITTLETON: Lakheria Hines;
THE SANIBEL SCHOOL: Jacob Lemmon, Jake Mann, Paul
Walker;
THREE OAKS: Spencer Buchanan, Piotr Elwonger, Jacob Stirns,
Sofia Halbisen.
Percent Scoring
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
13%
32%
55%
26%
37%
37%
1997/98 2010/11
For 2010/11, 63% of eighth-graders met or exceeded
State standards in reading on the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test.
ercent Scoring
Pe
Middle School Science
8th Grade Standard Curriculum
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
8%
35%
57%
Below Meets Exceeds
13%
37%
50%
2006-07 2010/11
For 2010/11, 50% of eighth-graders met or exceeded
State standards in science on the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test—a 5% increase in one year.
“Out of 67 districts in Florida, Lee County is one of only 13 to be designated ‘high performing’ by the State DOE. That’s a direct
reflection of the hard work of our students and teachers—well done!”—Jeanne S. Dozier, District 2
12

HONESTY
February
2012
sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday
2/4-2/5 NSBA
Leadership
Conference
(Washington, D.C.)
1
Groundhog
Day
2
3
4
2/5-2/7 NSBA
Federal Relations
Network Conference
(Washington, D.C.)
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
FTE Week
FTE Week FTE Week FTE Week
FTE Week
12
13
Valentine’s
Day
14
15
16
17
18
Schools &
Administrative
Offices Closed
Inservice Day–No
School for Students
19
Presidents’
Day
20
21
Ash
Wednesday
22 23 24 25
FCAT Writing
Being truthful and trustworthy.
Tell the truth.
26
27 28
Leap
Day
29
october 2011
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31
november 2011
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30
december 2011
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
january 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
february 2012
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29
march 2012
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
april 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
may 2012
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31
june 2012
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
july 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
august 2012
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31
september 2012
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30
october 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31
november 2012
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30
13

High School Student Achievement
High School Reading
10th Grade Standard Curriculum
Below Meets Exceeds
High School Math
10th Grade Standard Curriculum
Below Meets Exceeds
High School Writing
10th Grade Standard Curriculum
Below Meets Exceeds
Percent Scoring
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
8%
18%
74%
22%
20%
58%
ng
rcent Scorin
Per
100%
22%
90%
43%
80%
22%
70%
60%
50%
32%
40%
56%
30%
20% 25%
ent Scoring
Perce
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
19%
47%
34%
25%
49%
26%
10%
10%
10%
0%
1997/98 2010/11
0%
1997/98 2010/11
0%
2005/06 2010/11
For 2010/11, 42% of 10th-graders met or exceeded State
standards in reading on the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test. The number climbs to 82% by the 12th grade.
The GRADUATING CLASS OF 2011 earned
millions of dollars in scholarships and will be attending
colleges, universities and technical centers across the
United States.
Early data showed the Class of 2011 earned $46.8
million in scholarships, which is an increase of $5.7
million from 2010 and a whopping $11.7 million
increase in scholarships since 2009. The school with the
highest in scholarship monies earned was Fort Myers
High at $11.7 million (an increase of $2.1 million from
2010.) The breakdown in scholarship totals is:
Cape Coral High: $5 million
Cypress Lake High: $3.7 million
Dunbar High: $185,120
East Lee County High:
$1.9 million
Estero High: $1.5 million
Fort Myers High: $11.7 mil.
For 2010/11, 75% of 10th-graders met or exceeded State
standards in mathematics on the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test.
Ida S. Baker High: $1.9 million
Island Coast High: $4.7 million
Lehigh Senior High: $1 million
Mariner High: $3.7 million
North Fort Myers High: $2 million
Riverdale High: $5.4 million
South Fort Myers High: $3.9 million
Along with scholarship dollars earned, members of
the Class of 2011 reported on their post high school
plans. Of the students who provided information, the
breakdown is as follows:
Attend a Florida public community college: 659
Attend an out-of-state community college: 44
Attend a Florida public college/university: 2,002
Attend a Florida private college/university: 240
Attend an out-of-state college/university: 299
Attend a Florida Technical/Trade/Other: 274
Attend an out-of-state Technical/Trade/Other: 44
Enter the Military: 245
None of the above: 386
For 2010/11, 74% of 10th-graders met or exceeded State
standards in writing on the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test (FCAT). The State raised the minimum
score to meet standards to 4.0 (up from 3.0 in 2009/10).
rcent Scoring
Per
High School Science
10th Grade Standard Curriculum
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Below Meets Exceeds
4% 6%
31% 32%
65% 62%
2006-07 2010/11
For 2010/11, 38% of 10th-graders met or exceeded State
standards in science on the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test.
“It’s no coincidence that our drop-out rate continues to decline and our graduation rate continues to climb—we offer a wide variety
of educational options for students, which keeps them in school and graduating on time.”—Jane E. Kuckel, Ph.D., District 3
14

COURAGE
March
2012
sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday
FCAT Writing
Student Assignment
BATCH 1 Ends–Jan.
17-March 2
1
2
3
Student Assignment
BATCH 2 Begins–
March 5-May 24
End of 3rd Quarter
(43 days)
Professional Duty
Day–No School for
Students
4
5
6
7
8
2012 Florida
Legislative Session
ends
9
10
Spring Break
Schools Closed
Spring Break
Schools Closed
Spring Break
Schools Closed
Spring Break
Schools Closed
Spring Break
Schools Closed
Daylight
Saving Time
11
12
13
14
15
16
St. Patrick’s
Day
17
18
19
First Day
of Spring
20
21
22
23
24
The personal strength to
face difficulties, obstacles,
and challenges. Be brave,
make positive choices.
october 2011
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31
25
november 2011
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30
december 2011
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
26
january 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
february 2012
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29
27
march 2012
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
april 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
28
may 2012
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31
june 2012
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
july 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
29 30
august 2012
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31
september 2012
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30
october 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31
31
november 2012
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30
15

2009/10 School Grades in Lee County
Lee County Public Schools Eclipses the 90% Mark for “A” & “B” Schools
When the Florida Department of
Education released the school-by-school
grades for the 2010/11 school year, Lee
County Public Schools made
history yet again!
For the first time ever, more
than 90% schools graded
achieved an “A” or “B” in the
State Accountability System.
In addition, the District
once again achieved an
“A” grade (the third straight
year) based on Districtwide
student achievement. Both
achievements are based directly
on student-performance on
the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test (FCAT.)
What’s important to note
is that the District saw
(right) As
part of their
classroom
lessons,
students
at Gulf
Elementary
dressed up
as their
favorite book
character for
a storybook
parade.
mber of Schools
Num
performance increase despite increased
rigor implemented for the writing portion
of the FCAT.
School Grade History 1999-2011
9
5
34
54
14
8 6
1 1
1999 2011
* High Schools Pending
The School Board honored middle school students for attending and earning All-State recognition
and awards in various areas from the Florida Music Educators Association.
A
B
C
D
F
ELEMENTARY (K-5) 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Allen Park
Alva
Bayshore
Bonita Springs
Caloosa
Cape
Christa McAulliffe
Colonial
Diplomat
Edgewood
Edison Park
Fort Myers Beach
Franklin Park
G. Weaver Hipps
Gateway Charter (K-4)
Gateway
Gulf
Hancock Creek
Harns Marsh
Hector Cafferata
Heights
J. Colin English
Lehigh
Littleton
Manatee
Mirror Lakes
Oasis Charter
Orange River
Orangewood
Patriot
Pelican
Pine Island
Pinewoods
Ray V. Pottorf
Rayma C. Page
River Hall
San Carlos Park
Skyline
Spring Creek
Sunshine
Tanglewood
Three Oaks
Tice
Trafalgar
Treeline
Tropic Isles
Villas
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A B A B B C A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A B B B C B B
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A A A A A A A
NA
NA
A
A
A
A
A
B B C B A C B
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
D C B B A C C
A
A
A
A
A
B
B
A A A A A A B
C
B
B
B
B
C
C
NA NA NA NA NA A A
NA
NA
NA
NA
A
A
A
A B A A A B A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A A A A A A A
NA
C
A
A
A
A
A
NA A B A A A A
B
B
B
A
A
A
A
D A C A A A A
B
B
B
A
A
A
A
A A A A B C A
NA
NA
NA
B
C
B
B
C A B C B B A
NA
C
A
A
A
A
A
A B C B A A B
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
NA NA NA C A A A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A A A A A A A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
NA B B B B C C
NA
B
A
A
A
A
A
NA NA C B A A B
A
A
A
A
A
A
B
A A A A A A A
B
B
A
A
A
A
A
A A A A A B A
A
A
B
A
A
A
B
A A A A A A A
B
B
C
C
B
B
C
A A A A A A A
NA
NA
NA
C
A
C
A
A A A A A A A
A
A
C
B
B
A
A
16