About Coopersville Area Public Schools
Over 150 years ago, Brown School, located near the corner of East and Cleveland Streets, became the first school building in what would eventually become the Coopersville Area Public School District. Benjamin Cooper donated the land in an area that was mostly wooded but would soon become the thriving city that would bear his name. Even then, the community members valued a good education for their children – a tradition that holds true today. Coopersville Area Public Schools has developed into one of the top school districts in the state.
Located in the Northwest part of Ottawa County, within 15 minutes of Grand Rapids, CAPS currently operates two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school serving a student population of 2,600 – all situated on one campus allowing for a dynamic exchange of staff and student resources. Additionally, the district has developed an early childhood program that incorporates infant care, pre-school, and all-day and before-and-after school day care programs. Coopersville High School received the Michigan Exemplary Schools Blue Ribbon status in 2004. Test scores for students continue to climb as the district prides itself on achieving Adequate Yearly Progress every year under the No Child Left Behind Act.
A 1999 bond issue renovated every site on the Coopersville campus with the high school expanding from 88,000 square feet to over 236,000 square feet. It has become the centerpiece of education in the area, housing outstanding facilities for art, music, theater, athletics, the industrial arts, and technology. Plans are well under way for a new 127,000 square foot Middle School that will be a state-of-the-art center for learning to be completed by the 2009-2010 school year.
Mission & Strategic Plan
The mission of Coopersville Area Public Schools is to inspire all students to have a life-long love of learning, to achieve their goals and to be compassionate citizens who contribute to the global community. That mission is the heart of the strategic plan that continuously demands excellence. The plan was last renewed in 2005 and will guide the actions of staff and students through 2011.
Governance
The district is governed by an elected seven-member Board of Education. The Board meets monthly as a single body to set or amend policy, develop long-range educational goals, and act upon recommendations of the Superintendent of Schools. The Board is also responsible for adopting and periodically amending the operating budget and evaluating school programs in accordance with governing laws. The Board uses the Carver model of board governance that focuses attention on the “end” goals of the district.
Curriculum
Coopersville Area Public Schools follows the state curriculum standards and benchmarks and has adopted the Grade Level Content Expectations crystallizing what should be learned at each grade level in the core areas of English-Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. The District Coordinating Council for Education is a team of 25 educators that meets monthly to supervise and plan future curriculum changes. The district collaborates with the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District to stay abreast of the continuing changes in curriculum from the state and federal governments.
Each year students are assessed using both the Michigan Educational Assessment Program and the Stanford 10 Achievement Test. Additionally, student progress is monitored through local assessments, DIBELS testing (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills), chapter/unit tests, and semester exams. These formative and summative assessments come together to create a meaningful monitoring of student academic success.
Activities
Our school district offers a hometown, small school atmosphere that gives our parents, students, and teachers an opportunity to really get to know one another. As with many other school districts, CAPS has a number of supportive organizations that collaborate to offer students a wide variety of extra-curricular activities. The Coopersville Recreation Department provides many athletic opportunities for children including soccer, baseball, and football (www.cityofcoopersville.com/recreation.htm). The CAPS PTA is an active organization comprised of parents and teachers that provides many extras for the schools. Band Boosters and Athletic Boosters support the efforts of their respective high school programs. In addition, our district is filled with many more clubs and groups such as Science Olympiad teams, Imagination Destination teams, Homework Clubs, the SADD Club, Rotary Interact Club, Jazz Band, and many more. The high school alone offers students 26 different clubs and organizations giving students a chance to gain experience in areas that appeal to their interests.
The Future
As the city of Coopersville and the seven townships served by the district continue to grow in population, our school district will be able to offer facilities that will allow optimum learning because of visionary planning that has already taken place. Enthusiastic staff members, dedicated parents, a dynamic community, and eager students will continue to make Coopersville Area Public Schools a great place to grow and learn.