Piscataway Township Schools s2

Piscataway Township Schools Piscataway, New Jersey

Grandview Elementary School

2013-2014 Strategic Plan

William F. Baskerville, Jr. Principal

For additional information, please visit the: Grandview School Website GRANDVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCHOOL PROFILE NARRATIVE

Grandview Elementary School is a progressive learning community that consistently promotes and affirms the value of cultural diversity as well as academic excellence. It is a kindergarten through grade three school of nearly 625 students located in Piscataway, New Jersey. Our school’s diversity is virtually a cornucopia of culture and languages which is reflected in our learning community: 40% of our student population is Asian/Pacific Islander, 26% African American, 13% Caucasian, 14% Hispanic, 5% Multiracial, and 2% American Indian. Altogether, our student population is vibrant and engaging.

Grandview’s vision is guided by the fundamental principles of unified purpose and shared decision-making. Teachers, support staff, parents and administration work collaboratively to provide an environment that fosters and celebrates achievement for all of our students, which is articulated in our mission statement:

Grandview Elementary School is a progressive educational environment that supports the development and diversity of young minds. We know and value the life long process of learning and are committed to the highest quality of instruction and participation in the development of our school community.

As such, we actively encourage and are committed to our students’ academic, social and emotional growth. Our students possess diverse learning requirements and talents. Thus, we provide rigorous inquiry-based curricula to summon the best of educational experiences. Academic Support Services, English as a Second Language, and Integrated Instructional courses are among the range of programs we provide to facilitate our pupils’ educational requirements. In addition, the curriculum is challenging and provides opportunities for differentiated instructional strategies that meet the needs of individual students. Furthermore, opportunities such as our Gifted and Talented LEAP (Local Enriched Academic/Arts Program) offer enrichment in academic areas as well as the visual and performing arts, enhancing and developing the skill sets of our student population. Our students are honored daily as they work to achieve their highest potential as young citizens in the 21st century. At Grandview, we nurture the whole child by honoring proclivity and predilection as well as social-emotional development.

Through ongoing parent interactions and conferences, we maintain open lines of communication with our students’ families and the community-at-large. Every day, we work diligently to guarantee that the unique talents and skills of our pupils are challenged in a supportive, engaging learning environment. Consequently, professional development is ongoing, and offered to staff on a school and district level.

As a result of practices rooted in excellence, Grandview School was one of three schools in the state of New Jersey to receive the Amistad Exemplary Practice Award for infusing African-American culture throughout the curriculum. Our faculty has been the recipient of three district sponsored S.T.A.R (Students and Teachers Achieving Results) Grants for best practices. Moreover, we are in the third year of our PBSIS (Positive Behavior Support in Schools) initiative, which is a grant that partners our school with the Boggs Center at the New Jersey Department of Education.

Our curriculum guides are aligned with the Common Core Standards. Investigative approaches are research based, and teaching methods are highly supported through district wide standards for excellence in teaching and learning practices. Our faculty and staff are trained in current instructional methodologies, utilizing progressive curricular materials that provide a wealth of learning opportunities for our pupils. We are well into the implementation of our Balanced Literacy Program with the Readers/Writers Workshop model and also the Wilson Reading Program for phonemic awareness. Furthermore, our inquiry based mathematics curriculum emphasizes open-ended problem solving and practical applications to everyday life as well as fundamental mathematical pedagogy.

Long, intermediate, and short term goals are established for our students and instructional staff utilizing available data such as performance assessments, standardized test scores, benchmark and holistic assessments for analysis. In addition to New Jersey state test score statistics, we employ other resources such as Response to Intervention (RTI), Exceed RTI/Child Study Team reports, district report cards, school based attendance accounts, school climate surveys and annual program summaries to determine the actions required to optimize our school's performance.

2 Strategic Objective: Develop High Expectations for all students. Measure: Decrease in the “gap” between demographic groups by meeting Annual Progress Targets for all subgroups. Target: Decrease gap in LAL proficiency between lower and upper performing demographic groups by 8%-18.6%.

Project Benchmarks Persons Responsible Costs Measures of Success/ (Estimate $) Student Output Balanced Literacy: 2012-2013 Principal Student Performance to be  Use error analysis data from October General and Special determined by baseline and running records to identify fluency February Education Teachers final running record levels. and comprehension areas in need April Support Specialist 80% of all students will of remediation and/or enrichment. June Assistant Directors evidence growth by reading Students will achieve a 96% to on or above grade level 100% accuracy rate as per their expectations as per the Independent Reading Level Fountas and Pinnell  Use formative assessments to continuum. properly monitor student comprehension and teacher Formative Assessments to instruction, and to promote maintain and increase independence during the work proficiency rate to 80%. period of the Reader’s/Writer’s Workshop through appropriately Maintain proficiency rate on leveled assignments/activities. Learning Targets.  Continue to develop student Conferencing; Reader’s reading strategies designed to /Writer’s Notebooks. support a variety of genres through the use of multicultural mentored Increase in proficiency texts during Reader’s/Writer’s Reading/Writing scores on Workshop. Learning Targets by 10%.

End of Unit Assessments where progress will be measured based on baseline data/goals.

3  Incorporate guided reading All subgroups of students will strategies across the curriculum reach or surpass the Annual through the use of leveled text to Performance Target (APT) on promote an understanding of the the NJASK in mathematics elements of nonfiction (glossary, and language arts, with subtitles, table of contents, Blacks scoring 65.8% captions) as well as narrative elements (setting, proficient in LAL. characterization, plot, sequence).  Use Orton Gillingham and/or the Wilson Reading program to promote phonemic awareness.

T.O.M. (Tools of the Mind) T.O.M. Storyboards and components: differentiated center plans  Provide multicultural and multi- (scaffold student writing). level stories to enhance understanding of literature. NIEER K ELS (Early Learning  Provide materials to be used at Scale). home to provide continuity and increase retention of skills.

W.I.N. (What I Need): Formative  Use data from formative and Assessments/Benchmarks/ summative assessments, Learning Targets based on Learning Targets, baseline data/goals and progress benchmarks, and anecdotal monitoring. notes to homogenously group students 30 minutes daily for remediation and/or enrichment. Groups will occur in five week cycles. Utilize Support Specialists to provide: 2012-2013 Principal Student Performance to be  Daily Tier-2 Targeted and October Support Specialists determined by baseline and final Tier-3 Intensive Interventions/ February running record levels. 80% of Support to students using April students will evidence growth by Orton Gillingham and/or the June reading on or above grade level Fundations Phonics program to expectations as per the Fountas provide one-on-one and/or and Pinnell continuum. 4 small group multi-sensory Decrease in the number of Tier-3 skill instruction as well as students by 4%. reinforcing reading strategies taught during Formative Reader’s/Writer’s Workshop. Assessments/Benchmarks where progress will be measured based  Staff Development: Facilitate on baseline data/goals. with principal S.T.A.R. (Student Teacher Assistance W.I.N Pre/Post Assessments. and Resources) process.  Support teachers with intervention strategies for differentiation.  Workshops regarding running record data analysis.  Reading A-Z

Technology Integration: Principal Diagnostic Data from Razkids to  Use Razkids and Think Central Support Specialists align with multiple assessment to extend Balanced Literacy and General and Special Ed. measures. mathematics initiatives. Teachers  Starfall.com (Kindergarten) Assistant Directors online leveled learning and assessments

Incorporate investigation strategies 2012-2013 Principal Increase of 5% proficiency on throughout math curriculum: October Support Specialists Learning Targets regarding skills  Examine NJ ASK cluster scores February General and Special Ed. identified by NJ ASK cluster to identify areas of strengths and April Teachers score reports. weakness. June Assistant Directors  Regularly incorporate group Improved performance on activities and games for problem Learning Targets by 5%. solving.  Continued use of Investigation and the Go Math curricular Improvement in Math Exercise resources. scores by at least 10%.  Coordinate W.I.N groups with the G&T program to offer inquiry-based instruction that Students will reach or surpass promotes conceptual the School-wide Annual development through problem- Performance Target (APT) on 5 solving. the NJASK in mathematics of  Continue the use of the Mental 89.8% proficient. Math exercises to promote number sense and computation.

Establish a target Tutorial Program: 2012-2013 Principal NJ ASK Scores – 8% increase in  Identify students at risk for October General and Special Ed. proficient; 5% increase in partial proficiency on NJ ASK February Teachers advanced proficient. Literacy and Math through April Support Specialists multiple measures (i.e. June Asst. Superintendent for 50% of tutorial participants will benchmark data, Curriculum and Instruction score proficient on NJASK.. formative/summative Tutors assessments) 50% of tutorial participants will  Tailor tutorial to meet the needs evidence improvement as of identified learners through the measured by pre/post use of ILPs (Individual Learning assessments. Plans)  Incorporate PHS National Honor Society students as tutors

6 Strategic Objective: Offer Rigorous District wide Curriculum Measure: To increase the number of students moving to Advanced Proficiency Target: 5% More students will score Advanced Proficiency on NJASK

Project Benchmarks Persons Responsible Costs Measures of Success/ (Estimate $) Student Output Writer’s Workshop 2012-2013 Principal, 80% of students will score a 3 or  Continue to implement writing October General & Special above on the writing portion of skills using the 6 Traits of February Education Teachers District Progress Reports. Writing. April Support Specialists  Teachers will conference with June Assistant Directors Conferencing; Student Reader’s students to monitor their self- Counseling Department /Writer’s Notebooks, Anecdotal regulation of reading and writing PTO Records with individual goals. as well as their goals and Parent Volunteers progress. W.I.N Pre/Post Tests where  Rubrics will be used for the progress will be measured based on purpose of teacher/student baseline data/goals. evaluation. Formative Assessments/Benchmarks to identify needs determined by Item Analysis for targeted instruction. T.O.M. (Tools of the Mind) 85% of students exiting components: Kindergarten will have  Differentiated instruction for accomplished FCA (Focus writing provided through Correction Area) 2 on their scaffolding (i.e. sound individualized center plans which is recognition skills, phonics, to “utilize beginning capitalization, grammar) end punctuation, and proper  Weekly individual writing goals spacing.  Differentiated homework assignments  Articulate T.O.M. strategies (i.e. self-regulation) through grade 1.

Enrichment Opportunities  Before/After School Tutorial Student Performance to be  Literature Circles determined by baseline and final running record levels. 80% of  Independent Studies students will evidence growth by  Mock Trial reading on or above grade level  Invention Convention 7 expectations as per the Fountas and Pinnell continuum.

Students demonstrate increase level of critical higher order thinking skills (HOTS) in speaking and writing measured by rubrics, vocabulary and elaboration.

Technology Integration: Diagnostic Data from Razkids to  Use Razkids and Think Central align with multiple assessment (Soar to Success) to extend the measures. Common Core Standards, Balanced Literacy and mathematics initiatives.  Starfall.com (kindergarten)

8 Balanced Literacy at K-3 Level 2012-2013 Principal Multiple comparisons of  Use error analysis data from October General and Special running records taken running records to identify February Education Teachers throughout the school year. fluency and comprehension areas April Support Specialists Reading and writing scores in need of remediation and/or June Assistant Directors on district benchmarks to enrichment. Counseling Department increase by 15%.  Continue the use of running Child Study Team records to determine independent reading levels. Student Reader’s /Writer’s  Provide students with guided Notebooks. reading strategies in all curricular areas.  Differentiated goals and homework.  Small group instruction

RTI (Response to Intervention) Decrease the number of  Establish Tier 1 interventions referrals to the Child Study and strategies in every classroom Team by 60%. (Differentiated Instruction) Decrease in Office Referrals by 50%. After School Tutorial Program NJ ASK Scores – 8% increase in proficient; 5% increase in advanced proficient.

50% of tutorial participants will score proficient on NJASK.

50% of tutorial participants will evidence improvement as measured by pre/post assessments.

9 Utilize Support Specialists to provide: 2012-2013 Principal Student Performance to  Tier 3 RTI Interventions October Support Specialists be determined by  Staff Development February Staff Developers baseline and final April Teacher Leaders running record levels. Teacher Leaders June 80% of students will  Support with Danielson evidence growth by Framework reading on or above grade level expectations as per the Fountas and Pinnell continuum.