Northwest School of the Arts Self Evaluation Form
Self Evaluation Form
2014-2015
Northwest School of the Arts Contact InformationSchool: / Northwest School of the Arts / Courier Number: / 482
Address: / 1415 Beatties Ford Road / Phone Number: / 980-343-5500
Charlotte, NC 28216 / Fax Number: / 980-343-5593
Learning Community: / North Learning Community / School Website: / http://schools.cms.k12.nc.us/northwest HS
Principal: / Melody Sears
Learning Community Superintendent: / Tonya Kales
# / %
Male / Female / Male / Female
Total Students Enrolled: / 279 / 741 / 27 / 73
Race / Non-Hispanic / 251 / 696 / 25 / 68
Hispanic / 28 / 45 / 3 / 4
Ethnicity / African American / 113 / 386 / 11.1 / 37.8
American Indian / 1 / 3 / .1 / .3
Asian / 1 / 12 / .1 / 1.2
More Than One / 17 / 33 / 1.7 / 3.2
Pacific Islander / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
White / 119 / 262 / 11.7 / 25.7
Exceptionality / General Education Students: / 199 / 572 / 19.5 / 56.1
Exceptional Children Students: / 35 / 43 / 3.4 / 4.2
Academically Intellectually Gifted Students / 45 / 122 / 4.4 / 12
Limited English Proficient Students: / 0 / 4 / 0 / .4
McKinney Vento / 2 / 4 / .2 / .4
504 Plans / 32 / 49 / 3.1 / 4.8
Suspensions: / 47 / 58 / 4.6 / 5.7
Retentions: / 7 / 15 / .7 / 1.5
What is distinctive about your school?
Our school is an arts magnet. Our drama department won state recognition and participated at the national level. Our spring musical was recognized at the district level and swept the major award categories. Our students won national and state awards for our visual arts, instrumental music, choral music, theatre, and musical theatre. A spring orchestra recital featured a composition written specifically for our school by a guest artist. We collaborated with a school in Denmark which allowed a two week exchange of Danish and Northwest students in the dance department. We are the only school with a full time piano instructor and offer higher level dance classes unique to Northwest. We are the model for the southeast region in dance education. Northwest School of the Arts’ reputation for its climate and culture is known statewide as accepting, tolerant of others’ differences, peaceful, pro-caring, and anti-bullying. We have a very high EC and 504 population. We are a 2014 National Magnet Schools of America School of Distinction. Last year we exceeded growth and our graduation rate was 96.9%, one of the highest in CMS. We have also been noted this year for our growth in ACT in reading and math scores. We are a pioneer in the CMS redesign process, re-configuring our middle school core classes for double blocking in all math and language arts classes. This reduces class size in all core academic classes at the middle school level and offers our teachers the flexibility and the time to strategically target necessary subgroups as indicated by our data. We also have added five teachers given to us by the district for this initiative and have gained a REACH teacher and a REACH associate through flexible HR management at the school level.
How effective is your school?
Very Effective
· How do you know?
Our 96.9% graduation rate, we exceeded growth and our growth in our ACT reading and math scores. More than 80% of our high school graduates enrolled in a college or university. Our EOC and EOG test data indicates we exceeded growth for our composite scores and most notably exceeded growth in middle school math and Math I. We also exceeded growth in reading at the middle school level. We have state and national awards in all arts areas, and we are recognized as the model for music education and dance education in the southeast.
· What are your school’s notable strengths?
Our climate and culture is known statewide as accepting of others’ differences. Our 96.9% graduation rate, we exceeded growth and our growth in our ACT reading and math scores. More than 80% of our high school graduates enrolled in a college or university. Our EOC and EOG test data indicates we exceeded growth for our composite scores and most notably exceeded growth in middle school math, Math I, and middle school reading. We have state and national awards in all arts areas, and we are recognized as the model for music education and dance education in the southeast.
· What are your school’s main areas for improvement?
Our proficiency scores in biology and in English II need to rise. Our growth scores in science grade 8 need to rise, as well as in biology. A gap continues to exist between our AIG subgroup and our SWD subgroup for students who are college and career ready.
1. How effective is your school in ensuring high quality achievement for students in all grades, especially in the core subjects?
Effective
· How do you know?
We have passed the state with our ACT scores, on average across tested areas. We are a National Magnet School of Distinction. We have gotten the AP Stem Grants to get funding for two of our AP courses. Our composite scores have increased 4.4% in proficiency and we have gone from met growth to exceeded growth from last year. Our graduation rate remains above 95% for the second year in a row. Our college enrollment remains above 80% for our graduating seniors.
· In which subjects and grades do students do best, and why?
Our students perform best in English and English related electives, along with social studies and the social sciences. Arts students tend to gravitate toward those areas.
· In which subjects and grades is improvement needed, and what action is currently being taken?
Science needs improvement. Currently, we are working on a program that will ensure in school tutorials on Thursdays and Fridays, and a peer-to-peer mentoring program. We have embarked on the school re-design process which is double blocking math and English at the middle school level and so directly lowers class size in middle school science. We have hired a Biology teacher with a proven track record in raising test and growth scores.
· Is there evidence of disparities in student achievement by subgroups? If so, what action is being taken?
We show disparities between the total composite scores. Our greatest disparity among subgroups is between SWD and AIG in EOC and EOG subjects. We have engaged in the school re-design process which has netted us five additional core teachers at the middle school level. This has reduced class size in the middle school and allowed our teachers time and flexibility to target subgroups. We have hired a biology teacher with a proven track record in raising test and growth scores.
· How is your school addressing the specialized needs of EC and LEP students?
We work off of IEP’s and stay compliant with our EC requirements. We have over 80 EC students, and over 60 504 plans. These students are helped by four EC teachers, and we need more help in this area. We have very few LEP students, so we do have pull-out sessions with our part-time LEP teacher. We employ the inclusion model to provide our EC and LEP students with access to the standard curriculum in all subjects.
· How does your school use student performance data to take and adjust actions to improve student achievement?
The data is examined by the whole staff and in PLC meetings, where courses of action are debated, voted on, and adapted to classroom needs. The process is monitored by administration and by lead teachers and department chairs. Teachers use data to re-teach and re-assess in their effort to help students master course objectives.
· How does your school allocate available resources to improve student learning and achievement?
In PLC’s and department meetings, teachers brainstorm and research what is needed to help students, and then they make recommendations to the administration concerning purchases. The staff works closely with administration on prioritizing budget items.
2. How effective is your school in providing a relevant and appropriate curriculum for all students, grades and sub-groups?
Very effective
· How do you know?
Administration monitors classroom teachers who are delivering the curriculum through weekly walk-throughs. Lesson plans are posted every day. The AF monitors the middle school, along with the AP, and the API monitors the high school. The principal meets with the administrative team every Friday for reports, and monitors all grades.
· How is alignment with the Common Core and Essential Standards ensured?
Lesson plans are posted daily, teachers are monitored, and evaluated on a regular basis. Professional development provided by the school district is aligned with Common Core standards throughout the year.
· How does your school ensure a broad range of learning experiences?
Our school is an arts magnet. We try to incorporate the arts in the core classes, and the core subjects in the arts electives. As part of our re-design process, we ensure that we have ongoing collaborations through PLC’s to disaggregate data, plan meaningful lessons, and vertically align course objectives. This collaboration of staff provides our students with a broad range of learning experiences.
3. How effective is the quality of teaching and instruction in ensuring high quality learning, progress and achievement?
Effective
· How do you know?
We have National Magnet School of Distinction label. Our ACT scores are higher than the state. Our retention rate in middle school grades has decreased and we have increased the number of middle school teachers to enable us to double block math and English. In the high school, all teachers are highly qualified or specialized in the courses that they teach.
· Which are the strongest features of teaching and learning and why?
Arts integration is our strongest feature. Creativity is the highest level of thinking in Bloom’s Taxonomy. The next strongest feature comes from the accepting atmosphere that produces a fear-free environment in most of our classrooms.
· What aspects of teaching and learning most need improvement and what action is being taken?
Science needs improvement. Currently, we are working on a program that will ensure in school tutorials on Thursdays and Fridays, and a peer-to-peer mentoring program. We have embarked on the school re-design process which is double blocking math and English at the middle school level and so directly lowers class size in middle school science. We have hired a Biology teacher with a proven track record in raising test and growth scores.
· How do teachers assess students’ achievement of learning objectives and adjust instruction with assessment information?
On their lesson plans, teachers have the differentiation piece they must address in every lesson. They adhere to 504 and IEP plans/accommodations. Teachers test students and analyze the data to determine adjustment of instruction. A better job is taking place in PLC’s in the analyzing and prescription processes of the data, but unique to our school is the concept that a single teacher may be responsible for an entire core subject area for one entire grade. Our school has created and adopted its own academic probation policy and its own grading policy.
4. How effective is your school in ensuring high quality leadership and management?
Very Effective
· How do you know?
Teachers rated consistency in discipline management by assistant principals as one of our school’s highest areas of improvement. This is because middle school and high school discipline is being covered by the two AP’s respectively, and they meet to ensure calibration of discipline on a regular basis. The middle school AP also functions as the PLC leader at the middle school level and serves on the school re-design team along with the principal. The high school API holds regular department chair and new teacher meetings. She also works closely with our professional development coordinator to tailor professional development for teachers. Our testing coordinator received highest praise from our teaching staff on systems and processes he put in place for testing. We were able to mail out student schedules prior to the first day of school, something that has not happened here in the history at this school. This has caused a smoother opening of school.
· Which are the strongest aspects and why?
Teachers indicate that the principal is strongest in the areas of setting high professional standards for them, being proactive with building external relationships with parents and the community, and making sure that there are systems in place to deal with legislative mandates. She is also strong in using the school’s mission and vision, values and beliefs to inform decision making. Teachers also feel empowered to make decisions that have a positive impact on student achievement.
· What most needs improvement and what action is being taken?
The teachers indicated at the end of last year that communication among all stakeholders needs improvement. The principal has a monthly newsletter and calendar that is posted on the school website and distributed in classrooms. In addition, one of our staff members has taken on a weekly staff newsletter and actively seeks input from administration, teachers, and other community members. Our monthly staff meeting and department chair agendas consistently cover news and events.