COMMENDATIONS
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The School District of Osceola County is commended for the following goals, programs, and practices:

  1. Board Policy Manual Review
    Osceola School Board has made a long-term commitment to annual review and updating of its policy manual.
  2. Innovative Communication Tools
    1. FAX Facts: informative inserts on FAX cover sheets, regularly updated.
    2. Revolving information packets available on the Osceola County School District website homepage.
  3. Meeting Student Needs
    Osceola COunty Schools have a Wide variety of programs to serve students in grades 6-12.
  4. Academic Programs
    The district is commended for academic success including:
    1. The percentage (14.6) of students enrolled in AP courses compared to a mean of 10% for the cohort group and an effectiveness level of 12.
    2. The percentage of students taking the associated AP exams (5.2%) compared to the mean of 2% and the effectiveness level of 3.2%
    3. District status of 19.72 on American College Testing (ACT) compared to a cohort group average of 18.4, giving the district momentum to work toward the effectiveness level of 20.4.
    4. A student attendance rate of 94% above the mean of 92% and near the effectiveness level of 95%
    5. The district is commended for implementing the Jump Start program to assist eighth and ninth grade students in bolstering their academic achievement.
  5. Leadership
    1. Parents, teachers and administrators all indicated on the Perception Survey that: parents teachers and students can talk with the principal when they need to, principals give teachers and staff members the change to learn and improve, principals set school goals and let parents and teachers know about them.
    2. Exemplary efforts to articulate programs between elementary and middle schools and middle schools and high schools.
    3. The Osceola School District is commended for providing a high level of English for Speakers of Other Languages professional development courses and workshops for teachers.
    4. The central office staff is perceived as approachable by the staff in the schools.
    5. The knowledge of the administrators in the area of curriculum and instruction is evident.
    6. Many of the principals in the schools visited by the team displayed exemplary leadership traits.
    7. The school system is commended for its participation in the Ponce- Ventura Inter-community Council which meets once a month. The Council facilitates school and community efforts to ensure efficient services. This is a collaboration among the Osceola County School District, the Osceola County Commissioners, the City of Kissimmee and the City of St. Cloud.
  6. Emphasis on Learning
    1. The International Baccalaureate Program housed at Gateway High School creates a strong academic press for students in Osceola County and higher expectations for student achievement. The ability of the district to be successful in this effort is related to its willingness to re-train its teaching staff and to establish a more rigorous curriculum. The Osceola County Schools have established the International Baccalaureate Program to enable student scoring well on the IB test to be given the opportunity to receive college credit. They also have an advantage in gaining admission to colleges and universities throughout the world.
    2. Students are praised and rewarded for their achievements in school, good student academic work is formally recognized, and the schools support activities that help teachers improve their skills according to data gathered in perception surveys and interviews.
    3. A wide range of foreign languages is offered.
    4. The district opened PATHS high school in order to provide students more opportunities for vocational/technical training in those high-demand careers in today’s job market. TECO was awarded in excess of $1 million in grant funding last year alone for new and continuing programs such as the Wireless Technology and Hospitality Concierge Operations. .
    5. The district offers has a plethora of remediation and tutoring programs for students.
    6. The Foundation for Osceola Education, Inc. has made a commitment to provide scholarships for students to attend higher education or vocational training. Additionally students are awarded scholarships in grade six for community college scholarships. To date a total of $1.3M has been awarded.
    7. Academic support organizations provide recognition to academic achievements.
    8. The dual language program implemented in four elementary schools appears to be effective in helping students to be bi-literate, bi-cultural, and bilingual.
    9. The district is commended for promoting the high success/high poverty school program initiated at Michigan Avenue Elementary School.
    10. The district is commended for supplying the schools with technology for use in the instructional program. The computer to student ratio of 4:1 is one of the best in the state.
    11. There is considerable evidence of gender equity in terms of student enrollment in Advanced Placement courses in science and mathematics and in post-secondary dual enrollment programs.
  7. School Climate
    1. The schools that were visited were clean and orderly inside as well as outside and the perception surveys indicate parents, teachers and administrators agree that this is the norm for Osceola County.
    2. Observations during school visits and the results of perception surveys indicate a high degree of acceptance of student backgrounds and a celebration of diversity in Osceola schools. 59
    3. Available acreage has been provided for expansion of schools.
    4. A deep appreciation for and celebration of the student body. Dr. Alonzo A. Crim, former Superintendent of the Atlanta, Georgia, Public Schools, described the student population of the East Side Union High School District, San Jose, California, as a "human flower garden" embraced, celebrated, and nurtured by San Jose educators. The on-site visitation team is pleased to confer the same findings on educators and stakeholders in Osceola County.
    5. Commend the senior administrators and principals in the Osceola School District for being responsive to the needs of the ESOL and ESE staff.
  8. Community Involvement
    1. Osceola County Schools is commended for having its own cable TV station and for studying ways to better utilize this facility.
    2. The school system leadership is commended for extending their facilities to the community beyond traditional school hours.
    3. The district is commended for the availability of a dedicated cable channel for use in the district.
  9. Human Resource Management
    1. The use of structured interviews for administrative and teacher position selections helps to ensure student-centered teaching in the district.
    2. Efforts to encourage teachers to obtain National Board Certification are commendable with a total of 17 currently within the district.
    3. Principals have been empowered with considerable authority to manage their schools.
    4. Perception Surveys indicate that parents, teachers and administrators all believe that teachers and staff are of a high quality and effective.
    5. The collaborative bargaining process has been effective reducing conflicts, improving communications and in resolving human resource issues.
    6. The district is to be commended for implementing a number of activities designed to recruit teachers, such as the Teacher Job Fair, the C.O.R.E Program, the “Grow Our Own” program, and seeking applicants from other countries.
  10. Facilities
    1. The Osceola School District joined the City of Kissimmee, the City of St. Cloud, Osceola County and taxpayers in extending the one-cent sales tax for 20 years. By the year 2025 this effort will provide over $321 million dollars for school construction.
    2. The Osceola School District, with assistance from Osceola County, raised impact fees to the highest in the state to generate over $6.8 million per year for school construction.
    3. The Osceola School District joined the City of Kissimmee, the City of St. Cloud, Osceola County, and the two local chambers in creating the Osceola Legislative Effort where educational funding has been the number one priority the past few years. This effort has already resulted in the school district in receiving an additional $6.9 million dollars for school construction.
    4. District officials are taking the lead in working with legislators to pass a state law providing extra capitol funds for fast growing, low-income districts.
    5. By building a district elementary school next to a charter school, the district will save close to $3 million by buying less land and sharing the cost for the development of the site and construction of the building.

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