The Journey: Climbing Away from CSI
Vinita, OK – A few years ago, (the 2023-24 school year), some of our schools began work led by the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) for CSI support with federal funds. CSI stands for Comprehensive Support and Interventions. Being on this list meant that 3 of our school sites were in the bottom 5% of the state and needed extra help to get back on track.
Because of the courage and persistence of our teachers and principals at Vinita Elementary School* and Vinita High School, we have great news to share! Through focused work, our schools have reached their goals. This summer, we will officially finish this part of our journey - with funding drawing to a close. We are no longer a "CSI district." This is a major win for our community that we plan to celebrate at our June Board of Education meeting!
Learn more about these details on the OSDE website, here.
*Per the OSDE Vinita Elementary School is a combination of Will Rogers and Hall-Halsell Elementaries. We presently have 3 schools and 4 campuses in Vinita Public Schools by the OSDE. Ewing Halsell MS was not identified as part of this grouping for CSI support.
The Work Today: Indicators 3 and 7
Even though we are off the bottom 5% list, the work of a Hornet continues. We are now focusing our energy on Special Services and how we help students who learn differently. We are focusing on two specific areas, as identified by the OSDE:
Indicator 3: This measures the participation and performance of students with disabilities on state tests.
Indicator 7: This focuses specifically on the growth and development of our youngest learners in preschool and early childhood.
To reach these goals and others within our district's Curriculum and Learning focus, we have spent nearly the last two years making a massive investment in our greatest resource: our people. We believe that to improve student learning, we must first support teacher learning. This has included targeted "in-service" training days where we have invited national and state experts to Vinita to provide hands-on coaching. We have also tapped into our own "resident experts"—our talented local teachers—to lead peer-to-peer training.
Our Principals are leading "Guiding Coalitions"—teams of teacher-leaders, some of whom are visiting other successful districts to see their instruction in action. Through ongoing dialogue, continuing training, and book studies like “Learning by Doing” and “All Means All,” we are working to ensure that every student has access to on-level content. Our goal is simple: every student should make at least one year’s worth of growth within our classrooms every single year.
This work is hard and it is incredibly important. If it were easy, anyone could do it! We believe that because of our teachers, every other profession is made possible.
How We Go Forward: The Path to the Top 5%
1. Professional Transparency: How the "Sausage is Made"
We want our community to understand how our schools are built. Each spring (January–March), our principals meet with the Central Office to look at student enrollment and course demands. They then spend months (ideally March–June, sometimes longer) designing the "Master Schedule" to be ready by the start of school.
This year, our Principals are bringing teachers and counselors into that design process earlier and for the aim of professional transparency. We want our staff to see the complexities of these decisions. As we "level up" to the High School, these choices become even more important as we coordinate with community partners for post-graduation jobs, college opportunities, and career paths. This is the gist of how we staff our schools with teachers and support personnel, by doing this we are able to have a better focus on the needs of our students.
2. Local Control and Big Support: The Power of Partnership
We appreciate our "local control," which allows our leaders to make the best choices for Vinita scholars. We are also leaning into unique partnerships that help us grow. For example, the Cherokee Nation has been a massive contributor to our district this year and last.
Just this past week, we received a verbal commitment to add new angled parking along the southbound side of N. Thompson St. at Hall-Halsell Elementary. This will support the new concession, storage, and restroom facilities that have been in development for about 18 months. It is because of these unique partnerships that Vinita is positioned to go from "Good to Great!"
3. College, Career, and Life Ready: Keeping the Balance
Improving is a lot like riding a bicycle. When you first start, it takes every bit of your strength just to get the wheels turning. That was our team of teachers and principals "CSI" journey—doing the heavy lifting to get us moving. And if we stay the course, we gain the speed needed to move forward and glide right past those old obstacles.
Once you find your balance and start moving forward, you build momentum. Now that we are moving, we stay successful by making small, subtle adjustments to our steering to keep the bike on the path.
Our Board of Education has spent the last two years setting strategic goals that focus squarely on "Curriculum and Learning." We are making sure every student is College Ready, Career Ready, and Life Ready. The road ahead is a journey, and we know it will not always be a straight line—as any math teacher or coach will tell you, growth is rarely a linear equation! While the work is constant, it is a beautiful challenge to steer together.
Thank you for being part of the Hornet community and helping us keep this momentum going!
For more information on enrollment and academic opportunities, please visit the official Vinita Public Schools’ district website at www.vinitahornets.com, your VPS Counselor, or enroll@vinitahornets.com to become a Hornet today.