"The district strives to ensure all students are academic achievers, clear communicators, responsible citizens, complex thinkers, and quality producers, with the realization that learning is a lifelong process." --Theresa Maves

Twin Falls School District No. 411 serves over 7,000 students. It is comprised of seven elementary schools, two junior high schools, one alternative middle school, one traditional high school, and one alternative high school. Twin Falls High School and O'Leary Junior High School are in their third year of receiving the honored "Approved with Excellence" status from the Idaho State Board of Education.

The district, ranked eighth in size among Idaho's 112 school districts, operates on an annual budget of $24 million. It is one of the largest employers in an eight-county region, with approximately 437 certified and 340 classified staff. The percentage of low-income population varies among the twelve schools from as low as 21% to as high as 71%. O'Leary's percentage of low income is 29%.

The school district recently drafted a planning document intended to provide guidance through to the year 2009. Since 1995 the district has made aggressive and systematic efforts to improve test scores. Meile and Theresa have both been on the district curriculum committees for the last five years and have helped develop the math and science year-end assessments. Efforts have appeared to pay off as Twin Falls is one of the top-scoring districts on the ITBS and TAP this year. O'Leary has raised their test scores consistently over the last seven years.

• Strategic Planning: 2000 and Beyond

  "Our district has been recognized (merit program from the Idaho Department of Education) for the district inservice it has provided. Although our district is funded in the bottom 1% in the nation in per pupil funding, it has provided a myriad of inservice choices (comprehensive literacy courses, block scheduling, Cooperative Learning, inclusion, Mastery Learning, Control Theory, etc.) We have utilized the Albertson Foundation grants to the fullest extent. Dr. Donicht, the board and the Albertson Foundation have expected us to collect and analyze data and to report on the effectiveness of the strategies we employ. I can't say enough about the support we have received." --Wiley Dobbs, principal

O'Leary Junior High

O'Leary is one of Twin Falls District's two junior high schools and is located a block from Twin Falls High School. O'Leary serves students in grades 7-9. A staff of 40 work to serve the approximately 900 students. A refugee center was located in Twin Falls a few years ago, and the school has experienced an increase in the diversity of the student body, especially English language learners.

Change has been an ongoing process here since Wiley Dobbs became principal, and many of the innovations he either initiated or supported continue. Clear guidelines help define what is expected, and technology tools support an efficient school system.

• O'Leary Guiding Commitments

"Technology has also made the job of teaching more accurate and efficient. We transmit and organize attendance, discipline problems, lesson planing, district contacts, grades, team meetings, and parent contacts through databases. Our students benefit because we are on top on everything that goes on. It is not as likely that someone will slip through the cracks. We have systems for just about everything that could possible goes on in this school setting." --Theresa Maves.

School Schedule
O'Leary operates on an alternating eight block schedule with each block period lasting 85 minutes. Each day consists of four blocks, which rotate every other day. Since school colors are red and white, students operate on a "White Day/Red Day" schedule. Each teacher has planning time during one block period per day. Primetime is a "homeroom" time for students and teachers to watch the school's video news show, share successes or problem solve, and discuss school issues.

Rotating Daily Schedule
Primetime 8:20-8:37
Block 1/5 8:41-10:06
Block 2/6 10:10-11:35
Block 3/7 11:39-1:31
Block 4/8 1:35-3:00

School Culture
Six years ago vandalism, high teacher turnover, high numbers of expulsions, low standardized test scores, gangs, and drug usage prompted O'Leary Jr. High staff and a new principal to look into more effective ways to educate adolescent students. Research indicated that the middle school philosophy would address many of the problems facing the school. The transition began with the adoption of the inclusion model and the formation of academic teams of teachers and students.

Six years later, teaching teams are firmly rooted in middle school philosophy, integrated teaching projects are common, the inclusion model continues, and there is no evidence of vandalism anywhere on campus. School leadership supports innovation and nourishes improvement - change and growth are recurrent themes. Students play key roles in governance, and pride is evident.

Technology Access
At O'Leary, technology plays a integral role. Three computer labs can be accessed by students and teachers, and teachers all have at least one computer in their classroom. The Albertson Foundation provided O'Leary with a new computer lab used for professional development as well as for teaching students.

"Technology is an excellent learning tool when it is purposefully crafted to facilitate student understanding of concepts... Countless teachers are discovering the benefits of the Internet as a student research tool." --Wiley Dobbs, principal

Students have opportunities to use various technologies as they move through coursework at O'Leary. A video technology class creates and broadcasts a daily student-produced morning news show. Students have three electives and several of the electives are technology oriented: video production, programming, vocational lab, video yearbook, and school paper.

• 8th Grade Course Descriptions