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Fast Facts

Overview

District

There are approximately 7,990 students, K-12, served by 1,170 teachers and support staff in six elementary schools (Grades K-5), two middle schools (Grades 6-9) and one senior high school (Grades 10-12). Community Education Services provides learning opportunities for all ages. The district serves Edina, a residential community of approximately 47,425 people adjacent to the city of Minneapolis.

School Choices

Elementary

Parents have three elementary (K-5) program choices:

  • Neighborhood Program which serves 70% of students
  • Continuous Progress in which teachers work with students more than one year in multiage groups
  • French Immersion which students enter in kindergarten

Secondary

There are two middle schools (6-9) serving students based on geographical boundaries. There is one high school.

Small Class Sizes

Edina Public Schools is committed to keeping class sizes as small as possible while retaining the educational support needed to ensure quality learning opportunities. Class size guidelines are: Kindergarten 18-21, grades one through three 21-24, grades four and five 24-27, grades six through nine 25-28, grades ten through twelve 29-32.

National Recognition

Edina Public Schools is the only district in the country to be recognized by all five of the national publications listed below.

National business publication Forbes.com recently named Edina Public Schools one of “America’s 25 Best Schools for Your Housing Buck.” Edina placed at the top of its category, communities with median house prices valued at $400,000 or under.
Family Circle Magazine ranked Edina one of its top 10 towns in the nation for families in its August 2009 edition. Edina Public Schools stood out in the survey, receiving the highest school ranking – 10 out of 10 – of any of the towns recognized.
In December of 2008 and 2009, U.S. News & World Report declared Edina High School a Silver Medalist School due to its high performance on state assessment tests and its college readiness score. This honor renders Edina High School one of the top 2 percent in the nation.
Edina High school once again listed as one of the "Best High Schools" in the Nation" by Newsweek Magazine in 2008. Edina also received this recognition in 2007 and 2003.
Edina High School named as one of the Best High School Athletic Programs in the nation by Sports Illustrated. (May 16,2005)

Academics and Recognition

Academic Achievements

Edina High School has had National Merit semifinalists and finalists each year the National Merit Foundation has been in existence. In 2009, there were 21 semifinalists and 25 commended scholars.

In reading, Edina has ranked as the number one district in Minnesota for five consecutive years.  In Mathematics, Edina has ranked number one for the past three years and is the only district in the state to rank in the top three over the past five years.

In 2008-09, on the MAP test, seventy seven to eighty-six percent of second through seventh grade students scored above the national average in reading and math. Overall, two to three times more Edina students than expected score in the top quarter of the nation.

In 2008-09, Edina students took over 1,900 Advanced Placement examinations in 27 subject areas, making it one of the largest AP programs in the Midwest. Eighty percent of the Edina scores were in the 3-5 range, making them eligible for advanced placement and/or credit at the college level.

The class of 2008 posted an average composite score of 26.2 – Edina’s highest ACT composite score in 13 years. The class of 2009 posted an average composite score of 26.0 well above the state and national averages. In addition, the number of Edina graduates who report taking the ACT continues to be between 75 and 85 percent.

Graduates

Ninety-four percent of seniors go to college. Eighty-six percent finish in five years. A recent survey conducted 10 years after graduation showed that 45% of Edina graduates completed graduate school degrees or were pursuing graduate degrees.

Other Recognitions

  • The Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP) named Dr. Bruce Locklear, principal of Edina High School (EHS), the 2010 Minnesota High School Principal of the Year.
  • Edina Public Schools has earned the Minnesota Department of Education’s School Finance Award for fiscal health seven years in a row.
  • All three secondary schools, Valley View, South View, and Edina High, as well as Creek Valley, Cornelia, Normandale, and Highlands elementary schools, have received the National School of Excellence award from the U.S. Department of Education.
  • In 2008, SchoolMatch service rated Edina as a Parents' Choice winner for schools that most match what parents want in a school district. Edina has won this award for the past 15 years.
  • In February of 2009, Edina High School received the 2009 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement. The award celebrates exceptional Advanced Placement programs and is only granted to one high school per state.
  • Edina KIDS Club, Edina Schools' quality, affordable care and enrichment program, was the first school-aged childcare program in the state to earn accreditation from the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs. It is available at each school site.
  • The board of education/superintendent team named top three in the nation by the New England School Development Council.
  • Edina Public Schools received the Award for Excellence in Education from Senator Mark Dayton for going above and beyond expectations for educating students. (January 2006)
  • Former Superintendent, Kenneth Dragseth, Ph.D., (1992-2006 ) was named National Superintendent of the Year for 2003-2004.
  • National Sleep Foundation 2000 Healthy Sleep Capitol of the Nation Award to the district

 

Arts

A full range of art learning opportunities are offered in both courses and co-curricular activities. Theater productions, and fine arts events and courses are offered each year. There is a rich tradition of excellence in the arts:

  • High school literary magazine, Images, has received recognition from the National Scholastic Press Association for 36 years running, including a First Class Rating in 2009. The Columbia Scholastic Press Association awarded Images the Gold Crown in 2001 and named the magazine a 2009 Gold Medalist.
  • Student newspaper, Zephyrus, received the Gold Medalist Certificate for 1999 through 2002 from Columbia Scholastic Press Association; 1st Place for 2000 from National Scholastic Press Association; and 1st Place with Special Merit for 1999 & 2001 from American Scholastic Press Association.
  • Student yearbook; Windigo, received 1st Class from National Scholastic Press Association and American Scholastic Press Association, a Silver Medal from Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and 1st Place from the Minnesota Journalism Education Association.
  • Edina High School’s 2009 production of Godspell won 16 Spotlight awards, including Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical.
  • High school concert choir has received outstanding performance honors at state competitions for over two decades.
  • The concert band has received superior ratings at Minnesota State High School League contests for over 50 years and the orchestra has received superior ratings for over 24 years.
  • Edina High School recognized as a GRAMMY Foundation Signature School for outstanding commitment to music education in 2005 and again in 2007.

World Languages

Eighty percent of students take at least one year of a world language. Spanish is offered at all elementary schools beginning in grade two. French immersion continues through middle school. Eight languages are offered in middle school and high school: Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Latin, Russian, Spanish and American Sign Language.

Technology

The incorporation of high tech resources into the teaching program is a major focus of the current teaching and learning goals. Computers are located in all classrooms and each school has computer labs. In addition, most elementary classrooms have SMART Boards. The new telecommunications network provides staff and students with improved communications, access to visual learning resources and computer-based learning tools.

Edina’s media and technology services team was named the TIES 2008 Minnesota Technology Leadership Team for its significant achievements in marshalling technology to transform learning for students.

Special Programs

Special Education

11 percent of students are served each year by Special Education in the areas of learning disabilities, mental handicaps, physical impairment, hearing and vision impairments, emotional/behavior disorders, communication disorders and autism spectrum disorders.

English as a Second Language

The English as a Second Language Program is growing and serves students speaking 39 languages.

Gifted Education

Gifted Education provides a comprehensive K-12 program for gifted students, offering support in classroom activities and the additional support needed to keep high achievers and extraordinary students challenged.

Values and Service

2009 marked the 20h anniversary of the district's Ethical Values Program which focuses on six values: Integrity, Courage, Commitment, Compassion, Appreciation of Diversity and Responsibility. The values were selected by the community and are incorporated into the learning program. All schools do service projects helping people locally and globally. High school students are expected to complete at least 10 hours of community service by graduation.

Athletics and Extracurricular

Athletes

Edina athletes have won a total of 140 state championships, making Edina Schools number one among the 500 members of the Minnesota State High School League. There are 12 sports for boys and 17 for girls offered at the high school level, with 10 sports offered in the middle schools. There are 29 sports offered at the high school level, with 10 sports offered in the middle schools.  In addition, several adapted sports are available through the South Suburban Adapted Athletics program. In 2008-2009, 124 seniors were honored as Scholar Athletes and 15 teams advanced to state tournaments.

Extracurricular

Edina Public Schools offers 41 non-athletic, extracurricular activities in fine arts, academics and social service. Ninety percent of high school students participate in one or more extracurricular activities, winning local, state and national recognition for their work and commitment.

Community Education

The goal of Edina Community Education Services is to support lifelong learning to meet the needs of the community. It has seven program areas:

Creating the Future Annual District Strategies

Our Mission:

The mission of the Edina Public Schools, working in partnership with the family and the community, is to educate all individuals to be responsible, lifelong learners who possess the skills, knowledge, creativity, sense of self-worth, and ethical values necessary to thrive in a rapidly changing, culturally diverse, global society.

Creating the Future, has four areas of focus:

  • We will work in partnership with the community to increase student assets.
  • We will work in partnership with the community to welcome and support diversity.
  • We will develop and implement programs and practices that will address gender differences in student performance and other measures of success.
  • We will maximize the achievement of all students by developing a clearly articulated curriculum and appropriate research based instructional strategies implemented by highly qualified staff.

Edina Public Schools Strategic Roadmap

In February 2007, Edina Public Schools began the process of reviewing and updating its strategic plan.  An advisory task force of 42 community and staff members worked with
TeamWorks International, an educational consulting firm, to complete the internal and external data analysis.  This included a review of:

  • student achievement results
  • financial and facility conditions
  • enrollment and demographic trends
  • curriculum patterns and offerings
  • community and school survey results
  • future educational and societal trends

The task force’s analysis was used to develop a strategic roadmap draft which included updating and affirming the district’s:

  • mission
  • beliefs and values
  • vision
  • strategic directions
  • strategic parameters

The draft document was shared with the Edina Public Schools community for input and suggestions. The task force met on May 31, 2007, to finalize its work on the roadmap and to provide input on the 2007-2008 improvement goals and action plans.  The draft was then forwarded to the School Board for its support. On July 23, 2007, the School Board approved the updated Edina Public Schools Strategic Roadmap. This roadmap provides the school district community a strategic educational vision through the year 2010. More

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