Dear IVMS Families,

SCHOOL GRADES RELEASED
    I am happy to announce that Island Village elementary and middle schools both received a school grade of "A." Both schools made 95% of AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) based on NCLB standards. The information can be found on the Florida Department of Education's website. IVM North did not receive a grade due to the small size of its population, but students also showed great improvement at this campus compared to previous scores.

    As always, we do have room for improvement and are serious about our responsibilities in this regard. However, an "A" is excellent and shows that we are in very good shape in comparison to statewide requirements for school accountability. We should all be proud of the efforts we made last year.

    Part of the "A" is based on student improvement which is not reflected in the FCAT raw scores that were published this spring. Our middle school went from a "C" to an "A". This is not a small achievement. Our reading scores continue to be high. Especially noteworthy is the improvement of our ESE and minority populations.

    Thankfully, the State takes into great consideration the annual progress of students and not just their standard scores on the test. Many of our students improved tremendously this year in all subject areas. This is what we monitor carefully throughout the year and what really makes the difference for your children. I ask you to keep this in mind when I say that making yearly decisions on placement for your children is not in their best interest. Stay the course.

    Our data shows that the vast majority of our returning students improve greatly as they stay with us. The Montessori methodology, in particular, is based on this type of student retention. That is why we have learning environments that span multiple years and ages. We are after a balance between academics and maturity. This is rarely accomplished in one year.

    Congratulations to all IVMS students and faculty for their efforts and dedication to make this result possible.

CONSTRUCTION AT THE SOUTH CAMPUS
    The new buildings are here and being assembled. We are set for an August 8th completion date. The middle school building is the most complete right now. Site crews have been connecting plumbing and electrical. It is very exciting around here right now!

Kym