Public Schools of RobesonCounty
2009-2012 School Improvement Plan
School Name ____Long Branch Elementary School School Number _____780-340____
Approved by Staff:
Date of Approval by Staff: _September 27, 2010Results (% Approval) ______
Principal’s Signature______
Vision Statement: / “Learning Today for a Better Tomorrow”Mission Statement: / Our mission at Long BranchElementary School is to establish a foundation for life-long learning while building strong moral character so students can become productive citizens of tomorrow.
Beliefs: / Our beliefs at Long BranchElementary School are as follows:
- Student learning is the chief priority for the school.
- Students need not only to demonstrate their understanding of essential knowledge and skills, but also need to be actively involved in solving problems and producing quality work.
- Students need to apply their learning in meaningful contexts.
- Students learn in different ways and should be provided with a variety of instructional approaches to support their learning.
- A safe and physically comfortable environment promotes student learning.
- Schools need to function as a learning organization and promote opportunities for all those who have a stake in the success of the school to work together as a community of learners.
- The commitment to continuous improvement is imperative if our school is going to enable students to become confident, self-directed, life-long learners.
Projected Outcomes: / The desired projected outcomes in student learning for Long BranchElementary School are as follows:
- Students will demonstrate effective use of communication skills across the curriculum.
- Students will demonstrate effective use of analytical thinking and problem solving skills.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively with a group.
- Students will demonstrate skill in using technology as a tool for learning.
- Students will use a wide variety of approaches, resources, and tools for learning to accommodate different learning styles.
- Students will treat self and others with respect, while accepting and appreciating various cultural differences.
School: Long Branch School______Year: __2010-2011 ______
School Profile
Please provide a brief description of your school, student composition, and community.
Long Branch Elementary School is a public elementary school located in a rural part of Lumberton, N.C. It is located at 10218 Highway 72 East. It consists of Pre-K through fourth grade. There are approximately 440 students in our school.Long Branch Elementary School has a School Improvement Team which is an elected body of individuals representing each of the six grade levels (Pre-K – 4), classified staff, resource personnel, parents and administration. This site-based management team develops goals and guides the staff toward achieving these goals. The SIT meets regularly to establish the School Improvement Plan and to oversee the continuous implementation of the goals needed to meet the mission and vision of our school. The primary task of the SIT is to develop and monitor the School Improvement Plan. Careful consideration of the school’s mission and vision statements is given priority while being aware of student academic performance, a positive and nurturing environment, high expectations for our learners, the health of our students, and continued staff development to implement new and innovative methods and materials to utilize in our instruction. Through implementation of the plan, our school is committed to community involvement, interaction with parents, and participation from local business and business professionals that provide support in our Partners for Education Program. After the SIP is developed, it is approved by the staff, and implementation is reviewed and modified as necessary.
The Advisory Council of Long Branch Elementary along with the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) are active stakeholders that share and voice concerns as well as provide positive incentives for Long Branch students and staff. The PTA also provides school support through enriching projects and fundraising. Data analysis and continuous monitoring of student progress also help us in our efforts of continuous improvement. Individual classroom assessments, EOG Benchmarks, SuccessMaker and Waterford test data are among the many initiatives that are in place to help monitor the progress of our students.
At the beginning of each school year, the School Improvement Team (SIT) systematically reviews our school’s mission, vision, and purpose through the development of a current School Improvement Plan. Additions and revisions to the plan are made as deemed necessary. Both the School Improvement Plan and vision statement are formally established by staff vote. Stakeholders can access our School Improvement Plan at any time on our website.
“Learning Today For A Better Tomorrow” is the vision statement to which the faculty, staff, community, parents,and students of Long Branch Elementary School are committed. Our vision is also shared with stakeholders during various events throughout the school year. These include: P.T.A. meetings, open house, parent conferences, parent curriculum night, Books at Home programs, and awards day presentations. Understanding of
and commitment to the vision statement among stakeholders is built by having our mission statement printed on various forms of written communication and by displaying it in various places on our campus. Our vision statement is placed on all correspondence letters and memos, including letters to parents, student and parent handbooks, and weekly homework sheets.
Daily instructional design, student services, tutoring, and volunteer initiatives all showcase the standards of commitment to our vision at Long Branch Elementary School. Classroom observations, adherence to policy and procedures, safe school efforts, and open communication help create an understanding among all stakeholders of our school's vision. Our vision allows us the opportunity to engage our students in activities that will enable themto become 21st century learners.
Long Branch Elementary School has partnered with various local businesses, churches, and governmental agencies to enhance community support for academic excellence. We are beginning to fulfill our vision statement as we work in conjunction with such partners as McDonald’s, Kiwanis Club, Skate Zone, Pizza Hut, Ci-Ci’s Pizza, Papa John’s, Taco Bell, Robeson County Library, Britt’s Volunteer Fire Department, BB & T, and North Carolina
Extension Services. We believe it is necessary to function as a learning organization and promote opportunities for all those who have a stake in our school’s success to work together as a community of learners.
The process for developing a profile and systematically maintaining and using information that describes the school, its students, and their performance is accomplished through the annual School Improvement Plan prepared by the School Improvement Team (SIT). The plan is then presented to faculty and staff for a vote. The School Improvement Team utilizes information from the following sources: NC Wise(student information on attendance
and demographic information), parent and student surveys, testing data, teacher collected data, the North Carolina Teacher’s Working Conditions Survey, and the North Carolina School Report Card.Student profile information acquired through various data is gathered by school and student submitted forms suchas Home Language Surveys, Free and Reduced Lunch information, student data updates, demographic updates, attendance logs, internet use forms, and cumulative folders.
Our vision at Long Branch School is to establish a foundation for life-long learning while building strong moralcharacter so students can become productive citizens of tomorrow. We believe that the commitment to continuous improvement is imperative if our school is going to enable students to become confident, self-directed, 21st Century, and life-long learners.
Leadership at Long Branch School is a team effort. The team, while led by the administrator, is composed of teachers, parents, students, and other stakeholders working collaboratively in various roles to ensure the vision, purpose, and goals are used to guide teaching and learning. Our school has several elected bodies that assist in the decision-making process. One of these is the Advisory Council, which is a team of parents that serve to ensure that the vision and goals are communicated, understood, and utilized to drive instruction. Other elected bodies that assist in decision-making at our school include the PTA officers and the School Improvement Team. Leadership ensures that the school’s vision, purpose, and goals guide the teaching and learning process by communicating the mission statement to all stakeholders, requiring that objectives from the NC SCOS be posted in each classroom, requiring lesson plans that implement strategies to teach the NC SCOS, providing opportunities for staff development, use of performance appraisals, holding staff meetings, requiring and participating in grade level planning, and requiring a daily schedule which includes 90 minutes of math and 120 minutes of English/Language Arts. The leadership implements a master schedule that allows common planning time for each grade level. The leader participates as teams analyze data continuously using Data Notebooks. Student progress is monitored by progress reports and report cards. Testing data is used to provide a frameworkfor grade level planning. The principal communicates information concerning our vision, purpose, and goals
through e-mails, weekly announcements, and staff meetings. Various forms of technology are utilized. In-school tutoring programs support and enhance our academic program. Leadership also budgets funds to support instructional resources, purchase materials, and provide professional development opportunities.
Several strategies are implemented to ensure that the vision and purpose of the school remain current and aligned with the school's expectations for student learning and school effectiveness. Some of these include high expectations for student learning, providing lessons that are rigorous, relevant and challenging, continuously monitoring student data and staff expectations, acquiring community feedback, and assessing the overall culture
of our school. Using the vision as our overall foundation, teams and committees monitor and revise as needed. To ensure that we have current data, we administer county benchmark tests, teacher generated tests, and maintain student portfolios and personal education plans for students as needed. The schedule allows for common grade level planning which allows the teachers to focus together as a group on the vision and school's expectations for
student learning.
The School Improvement Team, the Advisory Council, the Parent Teacher Association, grade level teams, the Student Services Management Team, and the administrator constantly monitor teaching and learning to ensure effectiveness and alignment with current expectations. The School Improvement Team follows the School Improvement Plan which is created by the staff and stakeholders. The School Improvement Plan is organized by goals and objectives aligned with the NC ABC Standards, NCLB AYP Standards, and SACS Standards. The results/measurement for the goals and objectives are listed and analyzed. Strategies (processes) are listed for each objective. There is a collaborative effort to examine each strategy to determine alignment to the staff development plan, timeline, method of evaluation, person(s) responsible, time-line for monitoring, resources needed, and funding sources. Data analysis, teacher involvement, remediation/acceleration, high expectations, and attendanceare a few of the required considerations. Plans for Title I Parent Involvement, Title I, Safe Schools, Highly Qualified Staff, and Technology are also included in the School Improvement Plan. Because the development ofthe School Improvement Plan requires effective collaboration, organization, and thoroughness, it ensures that the vision and purpose of the school remain current and aligned with the school’s expectations for student learning and school effectiveness.
Long Branch Elementary School has an effective learning community. Our students, faculty, staff andstakeholders are actively engaged in learning. Our School Administration plays a big role in the learning community by making regular visits to classrooms to observe and encourage students and staff. The stakeholders are made aware of the expectations of students’ behavior and achievement at Long Branch and together everyone works as a team to reach our mission, “Learning Today for a Better Tomorrow.” Long Branch’s volunteer program is a vital part of making our school learning community successful. Therefore, everyone has the opportunity to engage in work at school. Our volunteers have an orientation that is presented by the school counselor. Long Branch also utilizes our Fairmont High School's future teachers program to tutor students who need extra assistance in instruction.
Long Branch offers several opportunities for stakeholders to become a part of our learning community. We offer Curriculum Nights and EOG Nights for each grade level. Stakeholders are invited to attend a learning session presented by grade level teachers. The teachers offer helpful tips, information regarding grade level expectations, learning materials and the opportunity to ask any questions to help better the learning community. To end the evenings, the stakeholders and staff come together to share a meal.
Open communication between the school and its stakeholders is an essential part of a successful learning community. We send home weekly newsletters, monthly calendar, make weekly announcements on the school marquee and on our electronic marquee and we share community events through flyers home to parents. Long Branch submits articles to the AWARE, Chronicle and the local newspapers to help keep the stakeholders informed. Students at Long Branch need to feel appreciated and encouraged in a learning community. We offer many different incentives throughout the school such as: Terrific Kid, Honor Roll, Battle of the Books competition team, Token Economy, attendance awards, Accelerated Reader incentives, McDonalds Reading Program and Awards Day. We also offer in-school tutoring.
Long Branch Elementary School's greatest strength is our ability to provide high quality differentiated instructionto our diverse students. We have all highly qualified teachers who are dedicated to providing the best possible education to our students by analyzing data and using the most updated scientific research-based strategies and best practices to reach our goal. The availability of various forms of technology for students and teachers, as well
as providing a safe and orderly atmosphere that is conducive to learning are other strengths. Another strength of our school is our ability to foster effective communication and relationships with our stakeholders.
The greatest challenge faced by Long Branch Elementary School is the ability to solicit and maintain parentalinvolvement. The majority of our parents hold full-time jobs and have difficulty participating in the classrooms. The part-time positions of our data operator, our school nurse, and our social worker are also challenges. Our current media coordinator has a very hard time providing a flexible schedule for students and staff due to the lack of an assistant in the media center. Another challenge for us is the need for an additional custodian. We only have two custodians assigned to our school. The absence of an assistant principal position is another challenge. Our small facility is another challenge since it limits our traffic flow and parking on our campus.We will continue to provide opportunities to include our stakeholders and also continue our efforts to improve instruction for our students.
September 2010
ABC PLAN - CHECKLISTSCHOOL : Long Branch School PRINCIPAL : Dr. Penny C. Britt
THE COMPONENTS OF THE ABC PLAN:
School Central Office
A.Cover Sheet (School's Name, Principal's Name and Date,
Mission) page 1__X______
B.School Improvement Team Members (this sheet) page 2_ X______
C. I. High Academic Performance_X______
Grades PreK-8: Reading, Writing, Math
Grades 9-12:English I & II, Algebra I & II, ELPS, Biology, U. S. History,
Geometry, Chemistry, Physics, Physical Science (Final Grade count 25%)
*Required for all PreK-12 schools
*A. Data analysis/Comprehensive Needs Assessments__X______
*B. Teacher Involvement in Data Analysis__X______
*C. Strategies to improve academic performance__X______
*D. Remediation/Acceleration__X______
*E. Parental involvement__X______
*F. Site based management__X______
*G. Partnerships__X______
*H. Technology__X______
*I. Integration of funding (Title I, Indian Ed., Migrant Ed., all grants)__X______
*J. High expectations (Integration of Federal, State, and Local Services)__X______
*K. Address needs of diverse populations (E.C., A.G., 504, others)__X______
*L. Attendance/Drop-out Prevention/Graduation Rate/Cohort__X______
*M. SAT Preparation/Test Taking Skills__X______
*N. NCLB (Addressing Subgroup Strategies) __X______
*O. DSSF Strategies/Funding__X______
*P. Highly Qualified Staff__X______
*Q. Transition Plans__X______
*R. Rigor, Relevance, Relationships__X______
II. Title I Plan (include parental involvement) – K – 8 __X______
III. Safe School Plan__X______
IV. High Quality Staff Development Plan__X______
(Must also include specific strategies to address lateral entry and new teachers)
V. Individual School Waivers_ X______
VI. School Improvement Plan Summary__X______
VII. Resources Needed__X______
The following team members collaborated with school staff to develop the School Improvement Plan for our school.
School Improvement Team Members / Review TeamSignature / Position / Signature
Angie Bissell / SIT Chairperson / Second Grade Teacher
Dr. Penny C. Britt / Principal
Betty Hunt / Pre-K Teacher
Gracie Fergerson / Kindergarten Teacher
Kim Watson / First Grade Teacher
Jan Gebbie / Third Grade Teacher
Kay Pittman / Fourth Grade Teacher
Kim Jones / Resource Teacher
Kathy Martin / Teacher Assistant
Carol Smith / Parent
Mary Wade / School Counselor
Andrew Smith / Student
School Improvement Team Members / Review Team
Signature / Position / Signature
Data Sheet (K-8)