Congratulations to the
2011 Profiles of Excellence Winners!

This year's Profiles of Excellence Competition recognizes the following innovative programs and efforts that serve as an example of educational opportunities for rural students. Below is a summary of the programs. For more information on individual programs, click on the title of the program.

Exemplary Program Award
Learning to Give
Heron Lake Okabena Schools
submitted by Chris Elzenga

The vision for the course, Learning to Give, evolved from a belief that volunteering can be taught. As Albert Schweitzer said, “You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it’s a little thing, do something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it.” Students should understand the significance of doing for their fellow men. They need to know they each can contribute and make a difference as a volunteer, both locally and globally. Students had opportunities to serve and make a difference in the “Learning to Give” class. They were personally empowered as they acquired new skills
in the process of giving and serving. Students will be able to take these acquired skills and apply them directly to their lives.

Students planned and carried out a fundraiser for an organization, as selected by the class. Students each read a book about a philanthropist or charity work being done around the globe. Guest speakers spoke of their volunteer work in the community and around the world. In addition, the class looked for chances to serve their community, region and state. This course connected students with life-long volunteer opportunities.

Because students connected with volunteer experiences, they met new people and acquired new skills through volunteering, developed leadership skills and enhanced their sense of self-esteem, learned to organize and implement plans for serving and giving, understood the meaning of altruism and the importance of being life-long volunteers, learned about issues and concerns around the world, in the country, in the state, in the region, and locally, and developed communication and team and management skills.


Award of Distinction
Elementary RTI Program
Luverne Public Schools
submitted by Stacy Gillette

The purpose of the Elementary RTI Program at Luverne Elementary School is to provide students with reading skills assistance to help them read at expected levels determined by established norms. The fluidity of the program allows us to serve a larger number of students. It also assures us that students only receive interventions that are needed.

The program identifies, through screenings, the bottom 20% of readers in kindergarten through fifth grade. Students identified are placed in “Power Hour” groups. These groups work on appropriate interventions in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency and/or comprehension skills. Once the groups are established, students meet four times each week for 25 minutes to work on invention skills.

Students in the Power Hour groups are given benchmark assessments each week to track their progress. Once a student meets the benchmark standard for three consecutive weeks, they are moved to a different group or are dismissed from the Power Hour groups. These continuous assessments allow our groups to be flexible and to move students in and out of groups according to their needs.

Through our weekly monitoring, we have found that students have been able to make significant improvements in their reading. The additional support the students receive enable them to perform better in the classroom and on achievement tests. More importantly, the students develop a love of reading that will last a lifetime.

Honorable Mention Award
After School Academy
Westbrook Walnut Grove Schools
submitted by Paul Olson

The purpose of Westbrook Walnut Grove After- School Academy is to build the confidence and skills necessary in each individual student in our building so they can meet or exceed the MCA Math and Reading tests.

We continually try to squeeze more into an eight-hour day because of the ever-looming presence of the MN MCA State Tests. We need to continually improve our best teaching practices and standards and rewrite the curriculum, as test items are continually being moved to a lower grade to be mastered. With that in mind, WWG looked to do more drill and practice after school for students in our Title I and Title III (ELL) programs. We brought both programs together in what we named our After-School Academy. We meet Tuesday and Thursday each week from 3:30-5:30 p.m.

We divided our 1st-6th grade students into 1st-3rd graders and 4th-6th graders. We then ability grouped the students depending on MCA Math and Reading test scores. We have six wonderful staff members who have dedicated themselves to helping student reach higher test scores. Without these 6 individuals our program would not be as far as it is in the first year.

Honorable Mention Award

The Heartland Ranch School works in cooperation with the SW/WC Service Cooperative and the Benson Public Schools to provide education for the residents of the Heartland Girls Ranch, a private non-profit group home licensed by the Department of Corrections. The majority of the students that attend the Heartland Ranch School have been court ordered to complete the program before returning to their homes, find foster care or possibly be adopted. One of the classes that is taught in our school is a Work-based Learning class.

The Work-based Learning class helps to meet the needs of the girls that struggle with the skills to fill out a job application, not to mention the skills necessary to find and keep a job. Many of our students are unable to obtain a job in the community due to their previous court violations. It was important, however, to not only have the girls learn the necessary working skills, but also to be able to put those skills into practice. In 2008 we started an Embroidery Business- In Stitches.

Students enjoy being able to earn the opportunity to work after school and earn money. We have seen great improvement with their school attitudes when we tie their behaviors with the ability to work for the In Stitches business. We have also seen an increase on some of their grades and an increased desire to do well. Some of our students have been able to secure jobs when they left the school using their In Stitches experiences as a resume starter. Girls have used staff as references after they leave the Heartland Girls Ranch, and they have found jobs because of the work ethic they gained while working at In Stitches.