An anomaly -- or not much of a surprise?

Sleepy Eye

successful in

educating minority students

By KREMENA TODOROVA

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- While students with limited English missed annual progress goals -- and their schools were labeled "failing" as a result -- Sleepy Eye Schools were conspicuously absent from the "failing" schools list.

Sleepy Eye has enough students of minority background to get that sample counted -- it is just that these students are doing fine, in both English and math.

It is a rare occurrence for a school of a similar size and demographics, acknowledges Superintendent Jay Haugen. He, however, cautions against reading too much into reports that have not been around long enough to establish a trend.

Yet Haugen also points to a few things that the Sleepy Eye district may be doing right.

The school system does not "teach to the test," Haugen says. It is, instead, making a concerted, long-term effort to sucessfully educate every student, regardless of background or income.

The school system's focus on success for everyone is not new -- it is "definitely more than five years old" -- older than the "No Child Left Behind" law behind school "report cards". So, efforts started in the past are possibly paying off.

Pressed for specifics, Haugen points to successful attempts to raise extra financial resources -- such as federal and state grants -- available for "targeted" programming. These resources have helped maintain strong summer, after-school and school-day programs -- even without an operating referendum.

"People sometimes don't realize we are not taking money away from something else" -- just agressively going after funds that would otherwise remain unavailable, Haugen stressed.

Sleepy Eye has also done some "pioneering work" with individual learning programs and computerized instruction -- becoming something of a "showcase" for other schools to learn from.

The school system has mobilized community resources -- driving home the idea, during "souper suppers" and other public awareness forums, that a small community's vitality depends on its inclusiveness.

"We have all these community resources -- like the Culture Palace -- and we use them," says Haugen. Not every student has a computer at home -- but students who don't can use one at the Palace.

"We've tried a lot of things -- these are some that seem to have stuck."