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WSFCS LEA PLAN

2014-2015

In order to help low-achieving children meet challenging achievement academic standards, the plan shall include the following:

STUDENT ACADEMIC ASSESSMENTS Describe the high-quality student academic assessments, if any, that are in addition to the academic assessments described in the State plan. Include specific measurable achievement goals for each subgroup of students identified.

A variety of assessments, such as COGAT (Cognitive Abilities Test), ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills), and DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) are universal screening tools used systemically to identify students needing additional support or interventions. Other district-wide assessments include K-2 Literacy and Math assessments, ACCESS for ELLs®(Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State) for LEP students, and district benchmark assessments in selected subjects and grades administered twice a year. These assessments in conjunction with formative assessments developed by teachers in their learning teams are used in the Winston Salem/Forsyth County Schools to identify student needs and to drive instruction; they are also reviewed to determine the staff development needs for teachers. Consequently, data collected from these assessments allow for goal setting at the student, teacher, and district level.

Assessments utilized through the Exceptional Children’s program include normed and criterion-referenced tests such as Woodcock Johnson III Test of Achievement; Woodcock Johnson III Cognitive (bi-lingual), WISC-IV (Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children), Brigance, and CORE. Title I schools use the data from various high-quality academic assessments to monitor student progress and improve instruction, including: ClassScape; STAR Reading and Math; Compass C-PAS; iReady - Math,Pearson’s SuccessMaker; Scott Foresman IRI (Informal Reading Inventory); Waterford Assessment; Reading 3D Assessments, and learning styles’ inventories.

Pre-Kindergarten teachers use Teaching Strategies GOLD as the formative instructional assessment in the four-year-old school readiness classrooms. This authentic instructional assessment administered BOY, MOY and EOY supports the teacher and the parent in goal setting throughout the year and allows the teacher to differentiate instruction. Additionally, to monitor growth each teacher maintains an electronic portfolio for each child.

OTHER INDICATORS At the LEA’s discretion, describe any other indicators that will be used in addition to the academic indicators described in section 1111 for the uses described in such section.

In addition to the academic assessments listed above, the following indicators are among those that could be used to determine schools needing additional local assistance and support:

  • Poverty level
  • Schools needing additional support as a result of results on EOG or EOC assessments
  • Title III LEP student AMAO (Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives)
  • LEP students showing progress in ELPA (English Language Proficiency Assessment)
  • LEP student proficiency in ELPA (English Language Proficiency Assessment)
  • LEP student proficiency as measured by the LEP specific AMO (previously AYP).

PROVISION OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE Describe how you will provide additional educational assistance to individual students assessed as needing help in meeting the State’s challenging academic achievement standards. Incorporate scientifically- based research strategies.

Third-, fifth-, and eighth- grade students most at risk of not meeting the State's standards are provided opportunities to receive additional instruction before, during, or after-school. Individual schools may offer extended day instruction to educationally-needy students in additional grades as well. A Personal Education Plan (PEP) is developed for every student who scores below proficiency on EOG tests. The plans are revisited on a regular basis. Saturday Academies are provided at other schools, based on the needs of the students and their families. Intensive academic acceleration is often provided during the regular school day using Title I and other funding sources. At-risk funds are used to tutor students in grades K-12 after school. Additionally, students not proficient on reading and/or math EOG tests in all grades will be required to re-take the test. Students in those grades not proficient after the second test administration are invited to attend a system-wide SummerAcademy in the subject(s) in which they are deficient. After additional instruction, the EOG is re-administered. Those students not proficient after the third test administration may be required to repeat the grade. Summer school programs are offered to students in other grades at some schools. Extended-Year programs are provided for some Exceptional Children (EC) whose IEPs indicate very significant educational needs, and are offered at our three SIG (School Improvement Grant) schools. Some Limited English Proficient (LEP) students are invited to participate in a summer program to increase language skills as it relates to reading and math.

English as a Second Language (ESL) services are available to students in grades 1-12 who have difficulty understanding, speaking, reading or writing English because it is not their primary language. Students attend regular classes and school activities but receive additional English language instruction with an ESL teacher. Various other models of delivery are utilized in the ESL program including sheltered classes, transitional bilingual classes, dual language immersion, and co-teaching models. An ESL Academy, housed at Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy, is available for recent immigrant students arriving in Forsyth County with a gap in their education, limited first language skills (students with limited or interrupted formal education - SLIFE) as indicated on home language surveys. Students are referred to the academy for English-proficiency testing and other services. The ESL Academy also serves middle- and high-school students who cannot speak English and are not literate in their native languages. Students may attend the academy for one year. Tutorial and translation assistanceis provided when feasible.ESL programs are located at 28 elementary, 11 middle,and 8 high schools. Toyota Family Literacy Programs are offered in four schools, and help support student language and literacy skills while parents improve their English skills.

Instructional Coordination Meetings are conducted at our schools in need of improvement (Carver High School, Kennedy High School, Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy, Wiley Middle, Mineral Springs Middle, Flat Rock Middle, Philo-Hill Magnet Academy, Ashley Elementary, Cook Elementary, Diggs-Latham Elementary, Easton Elementary, Forest Park Elementary, Gibson Elementary, Griffith Elementary, Hall-Woodward Elementary, Kimberley Park Elementary, Konnoak Elementary, Middle Fork Elementary, North Hills Elementary, Old Town Elementary, Petree Elementary, South Fork Elementary, and Speas Elementary). These meetings provide opportunities for central office instructional staff, school administration, and Assistant Superintendents to work together to plan for school improvement. Teachscape, a web-based platform, is used to support the monitoring of instruction through classroom walkthroughs. Administrators collect and analyze data from various observations to identify research-based trends and highlight patterns of classroom practices. Instructional Coaches then work with identified schools to provide support to teachers through demonstration lessons, observation and feedback, collaborative planning, and monitoring of instruction. Furthermore, teachers meet in grade-level and/or subject-level learning teams several times a week to plan instruction and support each other in implementation in the classroom. The Central Office supports these learning teams (or PLCs) through the provision of Learning Team Facilitators at selected schools and through learning team and PLC coaches.

The Local Assessment Team produces and scores system-wide benchmark assessments in reading and math for grades 3-8; science assessments for grades 5 & 8; social studies assessments in grades 6-8, andMath I,English 2, Biology, World History, Civics and Economics, and American History I and American History II assessments for high school.We administer benchmark assessments in middle and high school social studies. In addition we are ending the US History course and it is being replaced by American History I and American History II. The assessments are conducted twice during the academic year: at elementary (for grades 3-5 math, the district benchmark assessments are administered at the end of first, second, and third quarters) and middle schools, the assessments are administered at the end of the first and third quarters; for high schools, the assessments are given at 12 and 24 weeks for full-year courses and at 6 and 12 weeks for semester courses. The assessments are aligned with Common Core/Essential Standards and provide rich sources of timely data. Access to this data allows teachers to focus on and target specific academic needs, and to differentiate instruction. Blue Diamond Instructional Management Suites allows for the generation of various reports using assessment data. The assessment team conducts sessions with grade-level/subject-level teams, curriculum coordinators, principals, as well as with students to assist in interpreting and using benchmark data. These work sessions also serve to increase the depth and breadth of understanding of the Common Core/Essential Standards.

High student mobility, especially in our Title I schools, has presented challenges for both students and teachers particularly because in the past, each elementary school implemented its own reading program. To address the issues of high mobility, during the 2010-11 academic year, the district began using the Imagine It! reading program in all Title I schools.

Response to Intervention (RtI) is a problem-solving model that offers a formalized intervention plan in response to the individual needs of students experiencing difficulty. Problem Solving Model (PSM) is utilized in all schools as part of the Instructional Support Team (IST) process in order to offer research-based interventions to struggling students that help address their individual needs. Inclusion is an instructional model used for EC students at all grade levels. Co-teaching is another instructional model used in some general education classrooms to support EC and LEP students.Compass Learning Credit Recovery offers web-based, on-line courses that allow high school students to regain lost credits. NC Virtual Public Schools (NCVPS) is a distance learning provider that makes available courses that students are unable to take at their local schools. Early College is now available to students beginning in ninth grade, which allows them to obtain college credit.

The WS/FCS system has 21 magnet school programs, with seven at the elementary school level, seven at the middle school level, and seven at the high school level. Special schools that focus on daily living skills, communications and occupational preparation are also available for students who would have great difficulty functioning in a less restrictive environment. In addition, the school system offers alternative educational options for students who need a different learning environment than the traditional school.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. Describe the strategy to be used to coordinate programs under this part with programs under Title II to provide professional development for teachers and principals, and, if appropriate, pupil services personnel, administrators, parents and other staff, including LEA staff in accordance with sections 1118 and 1119.

Title I funds in the amount of $399,165 were set aside for professional development. In addition, $1,152,000 was set aside for a district-wide instructional initiative including schools identified in our district tiers of support. Professional development opportunities are coordinated with the Title II program, based upon the results of the annual needs assessment and systemwide initiatives. A Professional Development Council was formed to guide and support professional development. Based on the needs assessment, the school system will provide training in content area knowledge and pedagogical skills, classroom walkthroughs, professional learning teams and strategies and activities related to English/Language Arts and Math instruction through the implementation of the following research-based practices. Funds will be used to:

  • Provide a cadre of instructional coaches to help build the capacity of school staff through data analysis, planning, training, modeling, co-teaching, conferencing, and mentoring, thus enabling educators to more effectively differentiate instruction. The coaches will incorporate instructional “best practices” as they relate to all students, but especially students in non-proficient and marginally proficient sub-groups. The level of support (instructional coaches) provided to specific schools is determined by indicators such as EOG test results in reading, math and science; EOC performance; NC Final Exam performance (Growth measures based on NC Final Exam data is used to determine teacher effectiveness and thus standard 6 ratings.);overall school performance composite and growth; and identification based on the NC state accountability model. Fourteen coaching positions work in the areas of English/Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP), Exceptional Children’s Program (NCSIP), Professional Learning Teams and Bilingual Programs. Additional coaching positions (Math, Science, Social Studies, English/Language Arts, PLTs) are funded by Title II.
  • Instructional coaches collaborate to serve teachers based on various data points. For example, Elementary Social Studies coaching is informed by English/Language Arts EOG results, instructional practices observed in the classroom and growth data. The collaboration between different content area coaches allows the elementary teacher, who serves as a generalist rather than specialist, to better understand the connectedness between the various content areas and how to integrate instruction to provide a quality and coherent educational experience for the learner. Providing collaborative coaching in areas such as Elementary Social Studies also ensures students are prepared for the middle school and high school Social Studies and English/Language Arts curriculum.
  • Augment the professional development plan for reading instruction in the EC Department, allowing acceleration of training modules and strategy implementation of the following NC State Improvement Project (NCSIP) intervention models:
  1. Reading Foundations
  2. Math Foundations
  3. Corrective Reading
  4. Reading Mastery
  5. Number Worlds
  6. Transmath
  7. Hill RAP
  8. Secondary Orton Gillingham
  9. Algebra Readiness
  10. Essentials for Algebra
  11. Language Live!
  12. High Performance Writing
  13. Reasoning and Writing
  14. Styers Fitzgerald Functional Curriculum
  • Provide “Learning Focused” training (lesson planning support) and ongoing support for all schools. “Learning Focused Solutions, Inc.” is a research-based achievement model focused on learning;
  • Provide training and ongoing support to implement a collaborative team model, Professional Learning Teams (PLT), and assist schools in developing strong data teams. Processes include Data-Feedback Strategy Method, Standards in Practice (Creating and Screening A Rigorous Assignment), Analyzing Student Work, and Assessment Literacy. Each process connects teacher learning to classroom instructional practices and student outcomes;
  • Literacy
  • Elementary-
  • Enhance teachers’ understanding and implementation of ELAs Common Core Standards
  • Implement Imagine It! a comprehensive balanced literacy program to ensure fidelity of literacy skill development including: decoding, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, and writing
  • Increase the understanding of early literacy acquisition for Pre-K through 3rd grade teachers
  • Provide resources through LearningVillage, a web-based platform for teacher support

and the EELA wiki

  • Enhance teachers understanding of the writing process and provide strategies for writing across a variety of domains
  • Enhance Pre-K teachers’ understanding of the ELA Common Core State Standards
  • Provide exemplary units and pacing guides and suggested aligned resources for teaching the Common Core Elementary English Language Arts Common Core Standards
  • Secondary-
  • Implement a balanced literacy instructional approach based on the ELA Common Core State Standards
  • Develop teacher knowledge and skills of differentiated instruction, including strategies for English Language Learners
  • Implement a literacy focus across all content areas through vocabulary development, reading strategies, and frequent writing activities
  • Provide accelerated learning opportunities for all students
  • Provide intervention strategies for struggling students
  • Provide Learning Focused instructional planning training
  • Numeracy
  • Elementary/Secondary-
  • Implement Common Core State Standards for K-12 Mathematicsthat includes conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application with intensity
  • Ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn mathematics through rich, cognitively demanding tasks
  • Expand teachers instructional strategy repertoire to include differentiated instruction (forall students, especially struggling students, students with learning disabilities,andEnglish language learners)
  • Support an interactive process of mathematics teaching and learning in which classes explore mathematical ideas in a social context, where the communication of mathematical thinking (math talk) is an integral part of learning, and where students confidently engage in complex mathematical tasks designed to make real-world and culturally relevant connections
  • Integrate a variety of tools (e.g. manipulatives) and technologies into instruction to encourage critical thinking skills
  • Provide training for inquiry-based instruction
  • Provide training in facilitating mathematical discourse, problem solving, and question techniques
  • Provide training for formative assessment practices and individual student feedback
  • Scientific Literacy
  • Elementary/Secondary
  • Implement the North Carolina Essential Standards for Science (Based on the National Science Education Standards)
  • Provide training to increase teachers’ understanding of Science standards by conducing Curriculum Topic Studies (CTS) associated core disciplinary ideas/topic strands
  • Provide training to increase teachers’ understanding and use of literacy skills (informational reading, technical writing, and communication) and numeracy skills as relating to Science literacy (qualitative and quantitative data); whereas students increase cognitive understanding through providing claims, evidence, and argumentation based on observations (both qualitative and quantitative)
  • Provide training to increase teachers’ efficacy in providing inquiry-based instruction using inquiry-based programs such as STC and Little Scientists Kits (Title I only) and inquiry-based lessons centered around problem-based learning, project-based, and designed based learning.
  • Provide training to increase teachers’ efficacy in proving appropriate formative assessments based on the corresponding knowledge dimension (factual, conceptual, procedural or metacognitive)
  • Provide training for teachers to effectively plan and execute instruction based on the 5E Model (Elicit/Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaboration, and Evaluate)
  • Differentiation
  • Differentiation support is embedded into the core instruction and is based on the work of Carol Ann Thomlinson. The idea of differentiating instruction is an approach to teaching that advocates active planning for and attention to student differences in classrooms, in the context of high quality curriculums.
  • Professional Learning Teams
  • WS/FCS has developed a model blended from two previous models used in the district: Single School Culture (Palm Beach County, Fla.) and Professional Learning Communities (Dufour). The blended model engages teachers in discussions centered on improvements in student learning as identified by schools, teachers, and data. Teachers will construct formative and summative assessments to address how students are responding to instruction; teachers will analyze student work to reveal student understanding and misconceptions; teachers will create and screen assignments to ensure rigor and alignment to standards; teachers will use data to identify opportunities for growth and identify students in need of additional instruction; teachers will use research-based instructional strategies to address student needs identified in the data. Through continual dialogue and consistent use of analysis protocols, teachers will become adept at diagnosing, prescribing and implementing research-based interventions for students.
  • English Language Learner Strategies
  • Embed Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) into core areas. It comprises strategies for classroom organization and delivery of instruction for English Language Learners. It works in tandem with the Learning Focused Lesson Plan format.
  • Cultural Awareness
  • Accelerate training in understanding culture and its impact and influence on teaching, learning,and academic achievement of all students by focusing on non-proficient and marginallyproficient student subgroups as identified in the needs assessment. Topics may include: the culture of class, culturally responsive pedagogy, building positive assets oriented school culture, differentiation in instruction and students acquiring English, leadership capacity forbuilding equity, and promote alignment with North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards, Standard II: embracing diversity, incorporating contributions, countering stereotypes, and developing caring, nurturing relationships with students.Include professional development in culturally responsive RTI in order to help teachers understand how to differentiate interventions based upon their understanding of the influences of culture, as well as to address the findings of the Broad review which indicated there was little to no evidence of culturally responsive practice in schools that were a part of the site visits.
  • Behavioral Interventions(PBIS)
  • Provide behavioral intervention and support by implementing one or a combination of instructional strategies, provide consultation and training to classroom teachers, conduct functional behavior assessments, and develop behavior intervention plans.
  • Planning Time
  • Planning time will be a priority for schools as they must deliver new curriculum (CCSS), deliver strong instructional lessons, differentiate for every student, and provide enrichment and interventions.

COORDINATION OF SERVICES Describe how you will coordinate and integrate services under this part with other educational services at the LEA or individual school level. These services could include the following: