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“LANCASTER PUBLIC SCHOOL, LANCASTER, MINNESOTA” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S11184 on Dec. 5, 2006.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
LANCASTER PUBLIC SCHOOL, LANCASTER, MINNESOTA
Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, today I honor Lancaster Public School, in Lancaster, MN, which will soon receive an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children.
Lancaster Public School is truly a model of educational success. Members of the staff, who understand that not all children learn the same way or at the same rate but that all children are capable of learning, work hard to personalize Lancaster's learning environment to ensure that every student's educational needs are met. To achieve this goal, the staff uses a variety of instructional strategies to accommodate individual learning styles. The result is a creative learning environment that is flexible, innovative, and highly successful.
Lancaster Public School has been recognized by Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services as a district that outperformed demographically similar school districts in reading and math proficiency for 4 the past 4 school years. Lancaster Public School is 1 of only 10 school districts in Minnesota that have attained this status. This achievement is particularly impressive because Lancaster is the smallest school in the group, with only 212 students in grades kindergarten through grade 12, and the most economically disadvantaged with 59.9 percent of the students qualifying for free and reduced lunch.
Lancaster Public School District has been recognized by the Minnesota Department of Education for making adequate yearly progress for the past 3 years. The school's high achievement on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment tests has earned both the elementary and secondary schools a five-star rating from the State Department of Education in reading.
Much of the credit for Lancaster Public School's success belongs to its principal, Bradley Homstad, and the dedicated teachers. The students and staff at Lancaster Public School understand that, in order to be successful, a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where students can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and students at Lancaster Public School should be very proud of their accomplishments.
I congratulate Lancaster Public School in Lancaster for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.
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