• Category 1

    Selected in 2012

  • Grades: pre k - 12
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 444
    Student Enrollment: 473
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 1%
    White/Caucasian: 43%
    Hispanic: 3%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 1%
    Native American: 52%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:13.5
    % Reduced Lunch: 79%
    % ELL Learners: 0%
    Founded: 1922
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Lisa Pitts
  • CONTACT:
    403 East Cook
    Ripley, OK 74062
    918-372-4242
    beamsk@ripley.k12.ok.us
Ripley Elementary
Ripley, OK
Our entire staff is positive. They enjoy their jobs and the students. We have made good hires and the teachers that have been here for years train the new staff to be like them. They are very sharing people.
Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.
Read-A-Thons are utilized for parents and students to spend quality time with their families reading. We have reward trips for parents to share with their students when goals are reached. Teachers are made available to discuss student acheivement during their planning periods and/or before or after school. Parent-teacher conferences are held twice a year and our parent participation is about 90%. Parent-Principal relationships are very good. Parents communicate any issues that they need assistance with, such as academic problems, personal problems(sometimes these do not relate to school), or behavior problems.
Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen the ties to your community.
Our school is the heart of our town. We do not have businesses to help support the school. Parents are encouraged to take pride in our school through athletics, band, music programs, academic successes, and pioneer day celebrations. The school has also joined the efforts of our community organization "Ripley Christian Connection" and surrounding churches to help our families with basic needs and community spirit.
Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.
As the world around us changes, we as a school need to prepare ourselves to make the appropriate changes in our classrooms to ensure that our students will be ready for the future.
What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
We would like to increase our technology for our students and we will continue to improve our teaching strategies to prepare for the common core and high test scores.
What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
Collaboration between grade levels and collaboration within the grades and subjects. Every teacher knows what their focus should be and each take responsibility for their grade and/or subject.Teachers communicate strengths and weaknesses of students with each other.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement.
The Reading First Initiative provided through our State Department of Education and the Federal Government provided accountability and funding. It was a six year initiative and gave us useful information and strategies to implement in our instruction. We also implemented 90 to 120 minutes of math and reading instruction in all grades.
Explain how Title I funds have supported your improvement efforts.
We currently use the money to help lower class size and to hire remedial teachers to help with low achieving students. We also buy supplies that assist with our assessments, intervention and instruction.
Identify the professional development activities you use to improve the teaching portion of the teaching and learning process.
We do book studies, workshops, webinar trainings, State Department of Education workshops, and communication with our Common Core Coaches.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
Multiple data sources are used to determine mastery of skills. Our data is used to plan instruction and intervention. Our students are progress monitored regularly.
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
Our entire staff is positive. They enjoy their jobs and the students. We have made good hires and the teachers that have been here for years train the new staff to be like them. They are very sharing people. Our community supports our school and Ripley Christian Connection provided all of our students with backpacks full of their school supplies and a free t-shirt. We help our low income families with food, clothing, and other necessities. We are still a Christian based community and our churches help us with our families in need. Taking care of students’ basic needs help them to learn in the classroom.
Stats
  • Category 1

    Selected in 2012

  • Grades: pre k - 12
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 444
    Student Enrollment: 473
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 1%
    White/Caucasian: 43%
    Hispanic: 3%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 1%
    Native American: 52%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:13.5
    % Reduced Lunch: 79%
    % ELL Learners: 0%
    Founded: 1922
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Lisa Pitts
  • CONTACT:
    403 East Cook
    Ripley, OK 74062
    918-372-4242
    beamsk@ripley.k12.ok.us