Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan s3
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
School Name: Turner County Elementary SchoolSchool Mailing Address: 705 Hudson Avenue Ashburn, Georgia 31714
LEA Name: Turner County Schools
LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Name: Dr. Joy Gentry
LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Signature: / Date: 12/15/2014
LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Mailing Address: P.O. Box 609 Ashburn, Georgia 31714
Email Address:
Telephone: 229-567-3338
Fax: 229-567-3285
SWP Template Instructions
Notes:
· All components of a Title I Schoolwide Program Plan and a School Improvement Plan must be addressed. When using SWP and SIP checklists all components/elements marked as “Not Met” need additional development.
· Please add your planning committee members on the next page.
· The asterisk (*) denotes required components as set forth in Section 1114 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).
· Please submit your School Improvement Plan as an addendum after the header page in this document.
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
Planning Committee Members:
NAME / POSITION/ROLEVickie A. Brown / Principal
Zetta Daniels / 3-5 Assistant Principal
Bernard Joiner / K-2 Assistant Principal
Tiffany Williams / Instructional Coach
Tommie Ruth White / Kindergarten Teacher
Cassandra Jackson / First Grade Teacher
Carmen Odom / Second Grade Teacher
Lendy Hayslip / Third Grade Teacher
Stephanie Muhammad / Fourth Grade Teacher
Cindy Harrell / Fifth Grade Teacher
Ronnie Blackstock / 3-5 Counselor
Catrice Warthen / K-2 Counselor
Corine Alt / RESA School Improvement Specialist
Keri Williford / Parent/PTO President
Krystal Metcalf / Parent/PTO Member
Martessia Wood / Parent/PTO Member
Dr. Joy Gentry / Interim Superintendent/Title I Director
Michelle Owens / Special Education Director
Rachel Lyons / Assistant Director of Federal Programs
SWP Components
Response:
o We have developed our schoolwide plan with the participation of individuals who will carry out the comprehensive schoolwide/school improvement program plan. Those persons involved were the administrative team, grade level leaders, leadership team members, counselors, instructional coach, system level leaders, RESA School Improvement Specialist, parents and community members.
Committees of stakeholders met multiple times (i.e., stakeholders’ meetings, data retreat, leadership meetings) to address each of the required components of the plan. Members divided the requirements and examined school archives and educational research for appropriate data.
The Title I Director and the consultant from Coastal Plains RESA provided technical support in data analysis, financial expenditures of state and federal monies, professional learning offerings, parental involvement policies, and current educational research to support proposed reform strategies.
School administrators and teaching staff brought unique perspectives to the planning process. They expertly identified subgroups with deficits in learning, interpreted various assessment data which formed the basis for the comprehensive needs assessment, and fluently described the scientifically researched based reform strategies comprising the core of the school wide plan.
Parents served on committees with school personnel to review descriptions of the criteria required for the plan, evaluated the effectiveness of the previous school wide plan, and made suggestions for improvement for the current year (2014-2015).
Each member took information back to their grade levels or groups and received feedback which they brought back to the team. Input was gained through face-to-face communication and email. Minutes from meetings are available for review. The Title I Comprehensive School Plan and School Improvement Plan are reviewed and revised yearly based on current data and goals.
o Turner County Elementary School has used the following instruments, procedures, or processes to obtain this information…
· A comprehensive needs assessment that examined multiple areas of school performance
· Summative academic performance was based on state mandated assessments: CRCT for 3rd through 5th grades and 5th Grade Writing Test. First and second grade performance was determined by the locally administered CRCT. Kindergarten progress was assessed using GKIDS (Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills).
· GRASP (Georgia RESA Assessment of Performance) was used as a universal screener and progress monitoring for Math and Reading.
· Academic growth for all students was further determined from formative assessment data from Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS) grade level benchmark tests.
· Focus School data from the Georgia Department of Education, academic and behavioral safety nets for struggling students, implementation of Best Practices of Instruction, continuing implementation of CCGPS, and grade level input also were considered.
· Parent, staff, and student surveys
· Other areas of school functioning such as RTI, attendance, discipline, and Title I Parent Involvement surveys were analyzed to determine effects on student and school performance.
· As part of the evaluative process, anecdotal data, as well as brainstorming ideas were considered, especially in terms of increasing parental and community support for the school.
o We have taken into account the needs of migrant children by ensuring that migrant children have access to all services and materials of the school and system through the Homeless Liaison and ESOL teacher.
· Region 2 Migrant Education Agency, which is responsible for providing support and technical assistance to schools, will be contacted when the need arises.
· Region 2 MEA will provide assistance with program planning and implementation, program evaluation, social services information, identification and recruitment of migrant children, and professional development.
· Region 2 MEA, upon request, will provide Spanish speaking interpreters for migrant families.
· English Learner (EL) support classes and resources are available to migrant students during the school day. (Teachers have been trained in ESOL strategies.)
· Migrant students, based on academic needs in reading and math, will be provided tutoring by a retired, certified teacher during exploratory class time.
· Migrant students will also be provided a summer program focusing on reading and math; the teacher will make home visits to deliver resources.
o We have reflected on current achievement data that will help the school understand the subjects and skills in which teaching and learning need to be improved. Even though students are increasing in mathematics, we have not met state level benchmarks. Therefore, math continues to be an area of focus, and our FLP is focusing on math. We are addressing deficits in reading through emphasis on Lexiles. We are addressing deficits in science and social studies through reading instruction and writing through the implementation of a new writing program.
2014 CRCT
Class / Grade / % Did Not Meet / % Meets and Exceeds
Reading / 1* / 19 / 81
2* / 12 / 88
3 / 10 / 90
4 / 3 / 97
5 / 9 / 91
English/Language Arts / 1* / 32 / 68
2* / 18 / 82
3 / 20 / 80
4 / 12 / 88
5 / 7 / 93
Mathematics / 1* / 13 / 87
2* / 15 / 85
3 / 22 / 78
4 / 28 / 72
5 / 6 / 94
Science / 3 / 24 / 76
4 / 26 / 75
5 / 27 / 73
Social Studies / 3 / 18 / 82
4 / 32 / 68
5 / 26 / 74
Writing / 5 / 44 / 56
*Locally Administered CRCT
o We have based our plan on information about all students in the school and identified students and groups of students who are not yet achieving to the State Academic content standards [the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS)] and the State student academic achievement standards including:
· Economically disadvantaged students were identified as underachieving on areas of the CRCT: Language (85.5% meeting or exceeding), Mathematics (78.3% meeting or exceeding), Reading (92.1% meeting or exceeding) Science (71.9% meeting or exceeding), and Social Studies (72.3% meeting or exceeding).
· Students from major racial and ethnic groups identified as underachieving on specific areas of the CRCT were Black students in Language (82.7% meeting or exceeding), Math (78.8% meeting or exceeding), Science (65.5% meeting or exceeding), and Social Studies (67.8% meeting or exceeding); Hispanic (71.4% meeting or exceeding), Science (82.7% meeting or exceeding), and Social Studies (75.8% meeting or exceeding).
· Students with limited English proficiency were also identified as underachieving on specific areas of the CRCT: Mathematics (73.4% meeting or exceeding), Reading (80% meeting or exceeding), Science (73.3% meeting or exceeding).
o The data has helped us reach conclusions regarding achievement or other related data.
§ In order to get out of the focus school status, TCES was charged with increasing achievement of our SWDs by 25% over three years. We set the goal to increase our achievement by 8% each year, and we again met that goal with our SWD in 2014. Due to an increased focus on our Students with Disabilities, SWDs experienced an overall significant increase in every academic area, exceeding the state targets for SWDs in each area and with gains from 34-49% from 2012-2014. The percentage of SWDs who met or exceeded were Reading - 95%, English/Language Arts - 85%, Mathematics - 88%, Science - 65%, and Social Studies - 62%.
§ In comparing data from All Students, there has been an increase of students meeting or exceeding in every subject area except ELA from 2012-2014 ranging from 1.7-3.3% in the academic areas: Reading – 93%, Mathematics – 81%, Science – 74%, and Social Studies – 75%. ELA experienced a 4.7% decrease in students meeting or exceeding which was 87%.
· The major strengths we found in our program(s) were:
· The faculty and staff have had extensive professional learning in literacy over a five year period.
· Professional learning has been delivered by the TCES Instructional Coach and Coastal Plains RESA School Improvement Specialists.
· The universal screening instrument, GRASP, is consistently used in grades K-5 to progress monitor math and reading achievement as well as nine week Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS) benchmark assessments.
· Extensive data analysis is used to guide instruction. The school has data teams that monitor data and chart progress in a data room. TCES participates in a summer data review sponsored by the system to review yearly data and make recommendations based on data trends.
· A school wide reading framework is used to ensure all students get grade level direct instruction and leveled instruction.
· A school wide writing framework is used to ensure all students receive consistent writing instruction.
· Reading strategies are consistently and pervasively used in all English Language Arts classes:
o CLOSE Reading—thoughtful, critical analysis of text that focuses on significant details or patterns in order to develop a deep, precise understanding of the text’s form, craft, meanings, etc. CLOSE reading activities include:
§ Using short passages and excerpts
§ Diving right into the text with limited pre-reading activities
§ Focusing on the text itself
§ Rereading deliberately
§ Reading with a pencil
§ Noticing things that are confusing
§ Discussing the text with others
· Think-Pair-Share or Turn and Talk frequently
· Small groups and whole class
§ Responding to text-dependent questions
(1998, Patricia Kain, Writing Center at Harvard University)
o CLOZE Reading—refers to the ‘reading closure’ practice required when readers must fill in blanks left in the text, using whatever knowledge and experience they have. The teacher uses the CLOZE procedure to model a variety of problem-solving reading strategies. In a CLOZE activity words or letters are omitted from text in ways that require the readers to use specific reading strategies, or focus upon specific cues in the text. The teacher guides students through the text, helping them to focus on the following:
· Phonics/visual cues
· Sight and/or speaking vocabulary
· Prediction skills
· Cross-check cues
(Teach On by David Hornsby)
o Reciprocal Teaching—an instructional strategy in the form of a dialogue between the teacher and students regarding segment of text for the purpose of constructing meaning of the text by suing four specific reading strategies that are actively and consciously used to support comprehension: summarizing, question generating, clarifying, and predicting ( 1986, A. S. Palinscar, Reciprocal Teaching: In Teaching Reading as Thinking)
o Read Alouds—a time in the school day when the teacher reads a selection of literature orally to a group of students (2000, Americas Choice Comprehensive School Reform Model)
· The School Improvement Grant (SIG) has enabled TCES to purchase classroom libraries that support CCGPS English Arts.
· The use of flexible time and flexible scheduling has provided a structure for limiting pull-out instruction (e.g., Students with Disabilities, Gifted, and Intervention).
· The Flexible Learning Program Plan (FLP) has provided a structure for addressing the needs of Students with Disabilities as well as for other students with academic difficulties through the use of Classworks, an award-winning, rigorous, and engaging curriculum built on research-based instructional philosophy. Number Talks is used in the Flex time for FLP intervention for all students.
· TCES has been able to hire three faculty members who serve as Response to Intervention (RTI) teachers for students in Tiers 2 and 3.
· TCES experienced an overall increase in students Meeting standards on the CRCT, we had more Exceeding in some areas. Third grade Exceeds increased in Math, Science and Social Studies; fourth grade Exceeds increased in Reading, Science and Social Studies; and fifth grade Exceeds increased in Math, Science, and Social Studies. In Meets or Exceeds, third grade experienced increases in Reading, Math, Science and Social Studies; fourth grade experienced increases in every subject area. We also saw quite a bit of growth overall in Science and Social Studies.
· SWD made an 8% increase in overall achievement.
· The number of RTI Tier 2 students decreased by 2% and Tier 3 students decreased by 3%.
· Discipline referrals decreased 50% from 1274 incidents to 605.
· With an increased focus on grade level Lexile levels, each grade level saw an increase in students’ Lexile levels. Over half of kindergarten is reading on grade level. 1st grade improved from about 24% to 69% on grade level. 2nd grade from about 34% to 67%. 3rd grade from about 52% to 56%. 4th grade from about 51% to 66%. 5th grade from about 50% to 54%.