La Vega Independent School District

La Vega Independent School District Center Final Report Cycle 7 July 31, 2014 La Vega High School Center # 4

1. Executive Summary

La Vega High School in La Vega ISD is Center Number 4 in La Vega ISD’s (LVISD) 21st CCLC Cycle 7 Grant. La Vega ISD is part of the Waco Metropolitan area in McLennan County outside Waco. The La Vega High School ACE Program serves 9-12th grade and is a Title 1 school. La Vega ISD has an enrollment district- wide of 2,875 and 90.2% of the students in LVISD have been identified as Economically Disadvantaged, 23.4% African American, 52.8% Hispanic, and 21.9% White. 2.6% of the students are English Language Learners (ELL) and 56.9% of the students are at risk for not graduating high school. La Vega High School (LVHS) campus has an enrollment of approximately 734 students. The ACE Center was required to serve 75 regular students and 15 adults in grades 9-12. The goal was exceeded because 97 Regular students and 143 Non-Regular students were served during the 2013-14 school year. Almost one-third (32.6%) of the students at the campus attended the ACE Program as either a regular student or non-regular student.

Overview of the Evaluation - Key Findings:

La Vega High School ACE Program Academic Support: 1. An average of 143 students in the fall and 177 students in the spring enrolled in the ACE program. On Friday an average of 2 students attend the morning program. 2. The average daily attendance for all ACE students in the regular day was 15%. 3. 30 ACE students (30.9%) increased their attendance from fall to spring. 4. 81% of ACE students passed the ELA/reading STAAR test and 96% passed the mathematics. STAAR test. These scores included first-time testers as well as students who were taking the STAAR test for the 2nd or 3rd time.

1 5. 48.5% of the Regular ACE students showed an increase or maintenance in grades (GPA) from fall to spring. In 2013, 55% of ACE students improved or maintained their GPA in all core courses. 6. 100% of the students were promoted to the next grade level. 7. The Academic Program makes up 45% of the total ACE Program. 8. The ACE Academic Program is aligned to the Regular School Day Program at 100%.

Enrichment: 1. The ACE Enrichment Program is 50% aligned to the Regular School Day Program 2. The ACE Enrichment Program makes up 13% of the ACE Program 3. The Enrichment Component of the ACE Program includes a variety of programs aimed at providing students at the high school level with interesting topics as well as some college and career readiness activities.

College and Career Readiness: 1. The ACE College and Career Readiness is 10% aligned with the Regular School Day 2. The ACE College and Career Readiness Program is 42% of the total ACE Program 3. College and career awareness are embedded into the activities in the ACE Program and are also provided by Communities in Schools (CIS) staff.

Parent and Family Support: 1. The ACE Parent and Family Support Program is 10% aligned with the Regular School Day 2. The ACE Parent and Family Support Program make up about 10% of the ACE Program – this portion of the program is done after the academic and enrichment program is finished and is in addition to the regular ACE Program.

Intermediate Outcomes Increased Attendance 1. Attendance in the regular school day increased from (93.8% in 2013 to 94.2% in 2014) 2. 30 students (30.9%) increased their attendance from fall to spring. 3. The average daily attendance for all ACE students in the regular day is 68%. 4. 87.9% of ACE students attended the ACE Program for 1-49 days; 12% attended the ACE Program from 50 to 99 days and 1 ACE student attended the ACE Program from 100-149 days.

2 Increased Academic Performance See Academic Support page 1 of this report Decreased Behavior Problems  Criminal behaviors decreased from 3 in 2012-13 school year for ACE students to 0 in 2012-14

 Discretionary removals for ACE students increased from 23 in 2012-13 to 33 in 2014 Increased Graduation Rates 24 (100%) of ACE students graduated from high school in 2014. Increased Family Participation 20 more adults than required were served in the ACE Program.

Level of Funding: The level of funding for the ACE Program was $1,481 per student.

Assessment of implementation fidelity:

Fidelity of implementation occurs when the components of the program are implemented at high levels. The La Vega High School ACE Program has implemented the following program components at the levels noted:

Increased Academic 48.5% of Regular ACE students improved or maintained their GPA from fall Performance (GPA) to spring in all core courses. More students had declining science grades than the other subjects. In 2013, 55% of ACE students improved or maintained their GPA in all core courses. STAAR (academic 81% of Regular ACE students passed the ELA/Reading STAAR test and 96% achievement) of Regular ACE students passed the mathematics STAAR. These scores do include students who have re-tested.

Increased Attendance 30 Regular ACE students (30.9%) increased their attendance from fall to spring. Attendance rate on the campus increased from 2013 to 2014. Decreased Behavior Criminal behavior decreased from 3 to 0 from 2013 to 2014; however, discretionary behavior Increased by 10 incidents from 2013 to 2014. Increased Promotion All ACE students were promoted to the next grade level Rates Increased Family More adults were served in the ACE program than in previous years Engagement Activities Increased graduation 100% of ACE students graduated from high school. rates

For the third year of implementation the LVHS ACE Program was implemented with a high level of fidelity.

3 Summary of any survey findings from stakeholders:

Surveys from stakeholders in the ACE Program (12 regular teachers replied to the survey; 8 ACE teachers; 28 students) were done in the spring. 87%% of the ACE teachers reported that the quality of the curriculum instruction in the ACE Program was “Excellent or Adequate.” 75% of the teachers in the Regular Day Program and rated the quality of the curriculum and instruction in the program as “Excellent.” (See survey results at VI Stakeholder Perceptions).

Commentary about next steps:

The Site Coordinator recognizes that there are some changes that can be made for the upcoming 2014- 15 school year.  Increase activities for College and Career Readiness by including more awareness activities in all of the activities that lend itself to that topic  Increase Parent Engagement activities and offer more activities that meet the needs of parents.

 Increase the amount of time that students who are enrolled in the program attend daily activities. Increase the student dosage of time in the activities.  Provide follow-up training for ACE staff during the year.

II. Introduction and Purpose of Program

Describe the ACE Program – Four Areas of Focus

The purpose of La Vega ‘s 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) Program (known as ACE) is to provide high-quality extended learning opportunities before and after school to students in need of academic assistance. La Vega’s ACE program is designed based on a community, district, and campus needs assessment in conjunction with each campus’s improvement plans in a collaborative, comprehensive and coordinated approach. La Vega’s ACE Program has used grant funds to build and expand a systemic infrastructure of extended learning opportunities. The approach is centered on a specific framework and foundation and included assurances for effective implementation and high quality programs for the attainment of TEA’s objectives. The strategies implemented also complement TEA’s overarching goals and critical success factors. The ACE Program is intended to improve the following outcomes for students in 1) Academic Performance; 2) Attendance; 3) Behavior; 4) Promotion Rates; and 5) Graduation Rates. LVHS is one of 4 campuses located in La Vega ISD.

4 The following chart outlines the demographics of LVHS:

Total Campus Enrollment: 734 Category Number Percentage Category Percentage African 206 28.1% Attendance rate 93.8% American Hispanic 371 50.5% Annual dropout rate (Gr 9-12) 0% White 146 19.9% STAAR (students passing all tests) 63% TAKS commended 2013 performance, all 2 or more races 7 1% N/A tests (sum of all grades tested) Economically 601 81.8% Students taking the ACT and/or SAT N/A disadvantaged Limited English Average SAT score (number value, not a 66 9% N/A proficient (LEP) percentage) Disciplinary Average ACT score (number value, not a 33 3.9% N/A placements percentage)

According to the census there were 9,901 people, 3,513 households residing in the city of Bellmead. The racial makeup of the city is 42.5% White, 17.2% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race is 37.8% of the population. The average income for a household in the city was $43,523, and the median income for a family was $34,511. The per capita income for the city was $16,910. Within the population 65.7% have graduated from high school and nearly 11% of these people have completed a higher degree.

Academic Support (Interim Report 2 Workbook & Activity Average Daily Attendance Report) Activity Students Days Attended Student ADA Enrolled Mathematics Assistance 127 49 5 Science 125 36 2 Social Studies 125 38 7 Sunrise Study Lounge 246 70 5 Homework Help 126 27 4 Computer Lab 127 49 5 Debate/Speech 226 27 3

Description: The Sunrise Study Lounge begins each day at 7:15 AM and is in session Monday through Friday. Afternoon Math, Science and Social Studies Assistance are held every day for students who need additional assistance (from teacher referral). Both the morning program and the Academic Assistance are 100% aligned with the regular school day. This is evidenced by the fact that regular classroom

5 teacher lesson plans and the ACE teacher lesson plans are coordinated at a high level. Skills that are being taught in the classroom are transferred to the ACE Program in a diligent manner. Rosters of students, the skills they are lacking, and the skills that they have mastered are available in the SC’s office. The first hour of the afternoon program is devoted to Homework and core subject area assistance Monday through Thursday. All of the instructors for core subject area assistance on are certified teachers on the campus. One Saturday Academy was held to provide additional assistance with students prior to the STAAR test. Students are referred to the program by a teachers or campus administrators. Teacher-assigned homework as well as project-work makes up most of the instruction in the program. Plato Lab is used for problem solving and for students who need to make up course credits. Small group interventions are held for students who are in need of additional and intense one- on-one instruction (identified through teacher referrals and STAAR benchmark assessments). During the fall semester students attended a total of 482 total hours of Academic Assistance (Interim Report # 2). Academic Enrichment is 45% of the total ACE Program.

Enrichment Activities (Interim Report 2 Workbook) Activity (Fall) Students Enrolled Days Attended Student ADA Art Club 124 29 5 Choir 123 11 3 Young Achievers 123 26 5 Icing on the Cake 27 44 11 Communities in Schools (CIS) Pirates 17 14 3 Scrapbooking 11 9 2 Theatre Arts 17 23 3 Water Robotics 20 26 2 Y Achievers 20 44 6 YMCA Leadership 12 62 6 Dance 175 26 2 Games Corner 226 55 5 Girls Talk 127 49 5 Media Exploration 17 62 6 Creative Minds at Work 25 62 7

Description: Portions of the ACE Enrichment Program are provided through the YMCA and Communities in Schools (CIS) Programs in Waco, Texas. The ACE Program offers a variety of enrichment activities for high school students and is held Monday through Thursday. Student Voice and Choice is an important part of the enrichment activities that are offered to students and although the overall theme of the activity does not change, the activities within are scheduled based on student interest. Alignment with

6 the regular school day is approximately 50%. Every attempt is made strategically to tie an academic skill that is being taught in the regular school day to the Enrichment Program. Lesson plans from classroom teachers and the ACE staff are coordinated so that the skills being taught during the regular school day are transferred to the after noon program at a high rate. The Enrichment portion of the ACE Programs makes up 13% of the total program.

College and Career (Interim Report 2 Workbook) Activity (Fall) Students Days Attended Student ADA Enrolled AVID: ACT/SAT Prep 125 49 3 Icing on the Cake 27 44 11 Water Robotics 20 26 2

Description: On the Interim Report # 2 seven activities were listed as College and Career (ACT/SAT; Debate/Speaking; Icing on the Cake; ESL/GED; Parent Events; Jay’s Boot Camp. However the evaluator concluded that three of these activities are parent involvement activities (ESL/GED; Parents Events; Jay’s Boot Camp). Debate/Speaking is an enrichment activity. This leaves ACT/SAT Prep and Icing on the Cake (already listed in Enrichment). Although lesson plans for the ACE activities do occasionally embed college and career awareness activities into the activities as they are presented to the students, this does not meet the intent of the ACE programming for College and Career Readiness. The Interim Report # 2 states that College and Career composes 10% of the ACE Program and is aligned to the regular school day at <1%. Family and Parental Support – Parent Involvement Activities # Of Parents Attending GED Classes 3 adults were enrolled; offered 28 times; 3 adults attended ESL Classes 3 adults were enrolled; offered 28 times; 3 adults attended Jay’s Boot Camp 1 adult was enrolled; offered 53 times; 1 adults attended Parent Events/Activities 21 adults enrolled; held 1 times; 21 parents attended Description: 35 adults (parents and community members) have been served through the ACE program. The Family Engagement Specialist (FES) schedules and supervises the adult ESL and GED Programs and Jay’s Boot Camp. Site Coordinators are responsible for offering parent workshops and sessions that relate to the specific Center. It is estimated that Family Support composes approximately 5% of the ACE

7 program and is 10% aligned with the school day. This is documented through Leadership Meeting Minutes and Logs that show the ACE SC meetings frequently with grade level teams and the campus team to discuss family involvement programs that are going to be held and what teachers are working on in their classrooms to encourage parent involvement.

Summary of Academic, Enrichment, College and Career Readiness and Family Engagement Activities:

The Academic and Enrichment activities are targeted to the students needs and are well implemented. The alignment to the school day and the amount of time scheduled for the Academic and Enrichment activities are appropriate and meet the needs of students (STAAR scores; GPA; attendance). Although a large number of students enroll in these activities, the quartile dosage of student attendance needs to be increased. For example, during the fall semester 15 Academic and Enrichment activities were offered to students; however, none of the activities had students attending in the 3rd or 4th quartile of the time the activities were offered. In the spring 0 out of 18 scheduled activities had students attending in the 3rd or 4th quartile. The charts below Illustrates that the quartile dosage of attendance is low.

0-25% 25-50% 50-75% 75-100% Computer Lab – 73 students enrolled 70 3 0 0 Math Extra! 55 students enrolled 51 3 1 0 Sunrise Study Lounge– 44 enrolled 41 2 0 0 Water Robotics - 10 enrolled 7 2 0 1 *Activity Attendance Percentage Chart Although the Activity Attendance Percentage Chart details the low numbers of students attending for extended periods of time, there have been some modifications made to better align activities. Some of the lowest attending activities were dropped after the fall semester. College and Career Readiness Activities are virtually non-existent in the program and will be a recommendation for improvement. The Family Engagement component of the program needs to be more clearly aligned between the Family Engagement Specialist and the Site Coordinator. Although the Site Coordinator did host some parent and family activities, the Family Engagement Specialist will need to assist in individualizing the activities for the LVHS Center. This will also be a recommendation. Three of the highest attending activities were (Interim Report # 2):

 Icing on the Cake –Enrichment & College & Career Activity

8  Art Club – Enrichment Activity

 Computer Lab – Academic Activity

The three lowest attending activities were: ( Interim Report # 2)

 Science Extra! – Academic Activity

 Health/Career Exploration – Academic Activity

 ACT/SAT Prep – College & Career Activity

Activities Offered Fall Only; Spring Only; Both Fall & Spring

Academic Activity Fall Only Spring Only Both Fall & Spring Mathematics Assistance X Science X Social Studies X Sunrise Study Lounge X Homework Help X Computer Lab X Debate/Speech X

Enrichment Activity Fall Only Spring Only Both Fall & Spring Art Club X Choir X Young Achievers X Icing on the Cake X Communities in Schools (CIS) X Pirates Scrapbooking X Theatre Arts X Water Robotics X Y Achievers X YMCA Leadership X Dance X Games Corner X Girls Talk X Media Exploration X Creative Minds at Work X

9 College and Career Activity Fall Only Spring Only Both Fall & Spring AVID: ACT/SAT Prep X Icing on the Cake X Water Robotics X

Family Engagement Activity Fall Only Spring Only Both Fall & Spring GED Classes X ESL Classes X Jay’s Boot Camp X Parent Events/Activities X

Overall Goals (Intermediate Outcomes)

The La Vega ACE Community Task Force understands that the critical success factors reflect behavioral changes that must be demonstrated by students and families enrolled in the program or by the adults working on their behalf. These critical success factors are essential for the ACE Program to succeed in meeting the objectives for student success. The Community Task Force agrees that the following critical success factors for the ACE program are:  Students’ and families active participation and engagement in learning  Students’ and families increased sense of involvement in school  Use of assessment data to revise/evaluate student services  Implementation of strategies learned through training

The Intermediate Outcomes that LVHS ACE Program has outlined are: 1. Increase attendance 2. Increase academic performance 3. Decrease problem behavior 4. Increase promotion rates 5. Increase graduation rates 6. Increase family participation

Program Theory of Action

10 ACE Program Theory of Action – Students in need, spending additional time (min. 30 days) in well- structured and aligned afterschool activities, taught by qualified personnel, focused on the 4 activity components will yield improvement in the academic performance, attendance, behavior, and promotion and graduation rates of students.

Overall School Context and the Students Being Targeted

La Vega’s ACE Program was required to serve 75 students and 15 adults. However, the program far exceeded those goals serving 97 Regular students, 143 non-regular students, and 35 adults. With 743 students enrolled on the site campus, 32.5% of all of the students on the campus are enrolled in the ACE Program. The students at LVHS have scored below the state average for two years (2012 and 2013 with the exception of science in 2012). The preliminary STAAR scores for 2014 are also below the state average.

2013 All Tests Reading Math Science Soc Studies State 77% 80% 79% 82% 75% LVHS 63% 68% 74% 74% 55% Results Below State Below State Below State Below State Below State Average Average Average Average Average

III. Evaluation strategy/plan

Identify the Type of Research Design The program research design that has been developed for the LVHS ACE Center is a descriptive research model that will provide an accurate portrayal of the characteristics of the ACE Program. The description model will describe the data and characteristics of the LVHS ACE Program, discuss the finding of the data, and make recommendations.

Analysis Strategy That Will Be Employed The analysis strategies that have been employed are:  Interview forms/questionnaires for ACE staff

 Parent survey (Parent Involvement Specialist)

 Fall online survey for students, parents, and teachers.

 Evaluator observations – copies of site observations – project director formal site observations

11  Student attendance in ACE & regular school day; student academic achievement; decrease in student behavior problems during the school day  STAAR scores, AEIS for campuses served

 Tx21st Reports Sampling Plan Described for Surveys Surveys were developed and each Site Coordinator, Teacher, Regular Day Teacher, and ACE Student were asked to take the survey in the late fall of 2013. The ESC 12 Task Force composed of the Project Director, evaluator, representatives from community and educators selected a sample of elements in the form of a questionnaire for the target population (Regular Teachers, ACE Teachers, Site Coordinators, and students) to answer. The survey was meant to measure the attitudes of people who were associated with the ACE Program. The survey was developed at ESC 12 and distributed to each Site Coordinator through a computer link. The Site Coordinator then made respondents aware that the survey should be answered prior to the end of the first semester of the ACE Program. Probability sampling was the type of survey used -where a small randomly selected sample of the population is used to estimate the distribution of an attitude or opinion. (See VI Stakeholder Perceptions)

Participant Attendance

13.2% (97) of the students on the campus are Regular ACE students. More students (19.4%) of the students on the campus are Non-Regular Students in the ACE Program. The average attendance varies daily as represented by the chart below (TX 21st Center Attendance Count Calendar Report). On Friday there is no afternoon program. STAAR Camps were held in the fall semester for one day and an average of 6 students attended.

Average ACE Attendance 2013-14 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Students 26 42 41 38 2 63 1 1 0 2 0

The reports from the TX21st System are further discussed on page 26.

AEIS site level report 2012-13 (see Demographics Chart on Page 5)

IV. Program Design and Strategy - Logic Model

12 a. Fall-Spring Logic Model Data Elements

The Logic Model for LVHS ACE Center represents the history of the program for the 2013-14 school year. The Logic Model is in the appendix. Two Examples of Clear Logic Model Elements Descriptions 1). The LVHS ACE Logic Model clearly describes the Mathematics Academic Support for all math subjects. Certified teachers work with an average of 40 students; 62 days for one hour each day. It is clear from the Logic Model that the purpose of the activity is to assist in reaching the Intermediate Outcomes listed – increase Academic Performance. 2). Icing on the Cake is an enrichment activity that provides students with the opportunity to learn basic cake decorating, proper food handling, catering and explore the hospitality industry. The activity meets 3 hours a week for 18 students for 62 days.

Components of the Logic Model:

RESOURCES

Staff: According to the Logic Model Scott Warren is the Site Coordinator, 16 certified teachers, and 5 qualified program staff member’s work in the ACE Program. Students and Adults: The ACE Center is required to serve 75 students and 15 adults in the program. According to the logic model, 97 regular students, 143 non-regular students and 35 adults were served. Support for Program: The ACE Program is supported by he Project Director at LVISD (Lisa Drafahl); the Family Engagement Specialist (Nina Ruff); the After School Task Force; TX21st web-based tracking system; the Texas Education Agency; Edvance; La Vega ISD, local businesses and campus Site Based Committees. Curriculum: The curriculums that are used in the ACE Program are a valuable resource to the program. Other than TEKS, the ACE program uses ACE Activity Planning Tools (TEKS Aligned); Motivation Math, Science & Writing; Plato Lab, ESL/GED Training, and Bridges Training.

IMPLEMENTATION

The implementation of the LVHS ACE Program is to 1) provide opportunities for academic enrichment to help students meet the local student academic achievement standards in the core subject areas of

13 reading, mathematics, social studies and science; 2) to offer students a broad array of additional services, programs, and activities such as youth development activities, character education, counseling, art, music and recreation programs all designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic; 3) offer families of students served opportunities for literacy and related educational development. The ACE Program implementation is divided into the following areas: School Program Alignment – ACE activities are aligned to grade level TEKS; District/Campus improvement plans are aligned to the ACE Program; staff training on lesson plans and classroom management is provided for staff; needs assessments of the campuses served are done to identify specific campus needs that are to be addressed in the ACE Program; Cross Curriculum training and implementation is done; ACE staff have access to regular-day teacher lesson plans; tutorial materials are provided at the grade level to address specific students’ academic needs; grade level meetings are attended by the ACE Site Coordinator; the ACE Site Coordinator meets with the principal leadership team and teachers to ensure that there is a strict alignment of the regular school day and the ACE program. Recruitment and Retaining Students – LVHS is a Title 1 school so all students in the district are recruited to participate in the program. Students are recruited through informational meetings, talking directly with parents and talking with students directly in pairs or groups-especially 9th graders. To retain students the ACE program hires well-educated staff who have demonstrated an ability to connect easily with students, especially those identified as “at-risk”; offer quality and interactive programs that link youth to real-world experiences; offer flexible attendance policies and make the program accessible; overcome barriers for students such as transportation. Student and Family Voice/Choice - Listening to students and families when developing programming for students is vital to a well-run program. Surveys are given to students and family members several times a year to solicit input into the program activities; focus groups and face-to-face conversations with students and parents are held each semester to solicit input; lunch bunch program where ACE staff meet with teachers to solicit input about the program and discuss additional programming that will meet student and family needs. Ongoing Monitoring (data use and observation) – The Site Coordinator (SC) is responsible for the ongoing monitoring of the ACE Program on a day-to-day basis. The SC uses regular classroom teacher lesson plans to make sure there is an alignment from the regular program to the after school program; the SC observes in regular classroom teachers’ day classrooms to ensure that there is a continuity in areas of instruction and to observe students; daily and weekly conversations with teachers and

14 administrators regarding the ACE program activities; 3 and 6 week student report cards are examined by the SC to ensure that student academic progress is being made; attendance at SBDM meetings by the SC to ensure alignment of the ACE program and regular programs; results of benchmark testing is provided to the SC as the testing is done. Professional Development – Staff for teachers who work in the program attend an orientation at the beginning of the program each year to understand the general rules of the program and to understand the purpose of the program. Regular teachers training is aligned with the school day staff development and training. However, if a teacher has a problem or issue, the SC works with the regular teacher on an individual basis. Staff is encouraged to attend staff development at ESC 12 on a variety of programs that will enhance their teaching abilities. Paraprofessional training is done on an individual basis with staff as a need arises. Qualified Personnel: Staff that work in the academic support are a combination of certified teachers and trained ACE Staff that are not employees of the district. The Waco YMCA and the Communities in Schools provide activities for the Enrichment Program. To ensure that all staff is qualified, all ACE staff attends orientation and staff meetings and engages in daily conversations with the SC. The staff meetings are held for 3 days at the beginning of the school year and the ACE staff provides the curriculum for the training. Walk-through and feedback conducted by the SC provide the teachers with constant feedback as to their implementation of the ACE principles in the program.

OUTPUTS-ACTIVITIES

Academic Support, enrichment, family engagement, and college and career activities are all available at the LVHS ACE Program.

Academic Support – A description of the Academic Program is on Page 6 of this Report.

Enrichment – A description of the Enrichment Program is on Page 6 and 7 of this Report.

College & Career Readiness – A description of the College & Career Readiness Program is on page 7 of this report.

Family Engagement – A description of the Family Engagement Program is on Page 7 of this Report.

15 A summary of the four components of the ACE Program is on page 8 of this Report.

Outputs-Participation

The La Vega ACE Program ran for 62 days in the fall and 87 days in the spring for a total of 149 days. The Logic Model clearly defines the number of days each activity was held, the hours and the number of students who attended that activity. See Page 8 for modifications made to the ACE Program.

Intermediate Outcomes for La Vega ACE Program

 Increase Attendance  Increase Academic Performance  Decrease Problem Behavior  Increase Promotion Rates  Increase Graduation Rates  Increase Family Engagement

Impact

The La Vega Intermediate ACE Program has as the overall goal to impact each student at such a high level that all students will graduate ready for college and career. La Vega ISD has a graduation rate of 83% for 2014. However, ACE students had a 100% graduation rate. Therefore, for students to keep up with increasing graduation and promotion requirements, additional academic assistance is necessary for students who struggle. b. Modifications

b. Modifications

As previously stated on Page 8, there was no modification made to the program. Certified teachers from the campus and ACE Staff (Associate and Bachelor Degreed staff that are not employees of the district) work in the Academic part of the program. Certified teachers and ACE Staff work 4 days a week. Sunrise Lounge is held on Friday morning but regular afternoon classes are offered only 4 days a week. The YMCA and CIS organizations contract to work in the Enrichment Program. The activities within the YMCA and CIS Programs change based on student requests.

C. Research Questions

16 i. Program Structure: Was the program implemented as intended?

Overall the LVHS ACE Program was implemented as intended. The program provided an academic- focused program that is strongly aligned with the academic day in both the Academic Support and the Enrichment components. STAAR scores have not exceeded the state and the region average during the last two years. The Community Task Force and school administrators agree that improving the academic program is the main focus of the ACE Program. However, the Task Force understands that students need enrichment activities because these are students who live in rural areas on farms and ranches and do not have access to activities outside the school. Areas that are considered weaknesses in the program are:  Parent involvement activities that include parent-training type activities were not offered. Although 47 parents were served during the year, these were usually one-time activity-based programs. Low numbers of adults are participating in the ESL and GED Program.  College and career readiness is a weakness in the LVHS ACE Program. Some college and career activities were embedded within the enrichment activities during fall and spring (in lesson plans). However, rather than embedded within other activities, college and career activities need to be distinguished. Almost all of the students that attend the ACE Program are from families that are Economically Disadvantaged there needs to be a focus for students in this area on careers that are currently in demand so students can continue their post-secondary education or enter the world of work once they graduate from high school.  Increase the amount of time (student dosage) that students who are enrolled in the ACE Program attend the Academic and Enrichment Programs.  Look at the variety of the enrichment activities and make sure that there is enough variety for all types of students.  Very few modifications in the Enrichment Program have been made although some of the activities have very few students attending the activities.

Implementation on 10-Point Scale

Logic Model Areas Documentation for Implementation (Why do you 1-10 Points think that your rating is sound)

Targeted numbers (Operations Required student numbers were met. 10 Criteria) are met in all areas.

17 TX21st System

All 4 components are incorporated College and Career and Family Engagement were not 6 in activity planning. served at a high level & most activities had low numbers of students attending. ACE students scored better than “All Students Tested”

Logic Model; TX 21st Activity Attendance Participation

Student participants are There is a system implemented for targeting students 8 intentionally targeted. –report card grades; 3-week reports from teachers

TX21st System

Planning is intentional and specific It is evident from the student Voice/Choice Sheets, 8 to the needs of the student teacher input regarding activities; meetings with grade participants. levels of teachers and the campus site based committee that planning is taken seriously.

Planning is done in collaboration The Site Coordinator has monthly meetings with the 8 with the campus leadership team. principal where a plan for the next month of activities, lists of students, student attendance, and other pertinent information is shared.

Activities are monitored and The Site Coordinator visits in ACE classrooms and 8 adjusted to ensure higher quality regular classrooms during the day. Modifications are programming. made in programming as necessary; student voice and choice is apparent.

Classroom visit logs; list of activity changes

Intermediate outcomes are Student Voice/Choice; 3 week student reports; report 8 monitored and improved/revised. card grades; minutes of meetings with teachers & administrators

Budgets are monitored carefully to Site Coordinator keeps a spreadsheet with all 8 ensure expenditures are going to expenses by category as well as a payroll planning meet student needs and budget sheet each semester to predict how much will spend amounts are expended to meet in contract services and in payroll expenses. The those needs but not exceeded. Project Director gives the Site Coordinator high marks in budget monitoring.

Regular communication with all Documentation to show communicate with parents 8 participants (parent & student) is a and students; parent letters; phone calls, emails, sign- standard practice along with

18 outreach and community in sheets involvement

Total 7.2

ii. Resources: Were requisite resources available for program success? La Vega ISD has worked as a partner with the ACE Program from its beginning to ensure that the ACE Program is a success. The quality of the district contribution to the ACE program contributes to the quality of the program.  The district has made sure that rooms and space are available for the program to run smoothly- classrooms, computer rooms, library, and cafeteria.  District employees are encouraged to work in the program to ensure that there is a strong alignment between the regular school day and the after school program.  The district provides computers for students during the ACE Program as well as software programs  The district allows the ACE students access to technology labs.

 The district provide snacks at no charge to the ACE Program to assist with the Breakfast Club;  The district does not charge the ACE Program for the copy machine and miscellaneous materials and supplies for student and teacher use.

iii. Implementation Practices: Were program practices well implemented? School program alignment- The ACE Academic Program is 100% aligned with the school day and the Enrichment Program is 50% aligned with the school day. Documentation for this is that  100% of Academic activities are related to the school day; TEKS and STAAR objectives.

 50% of the teachers who work in ACE Academic Program are also regular classroom teachers.  ACE staff has access to teachers’ lesson plans and have received training.

 There is constant communication between the Site Coordinator and teachers on a daily basis as documented by the Site Coordinator and regular classroom teachers (surveys, logs)  The SC attends campus and district Leadership Meetings and has presents the progress of

19 the ACE Program at District and Campus Site Based Meetings. Recruiting and retaining students – Recruiting and retaining students to the ACE Program is done through teacher and administrator (principal/counselor) recommendation. At the end of each year a letter is sent to teachers and asks them to recommend students – behavior, attendance or academic-to the ACE Program. The Site Coordinator again provides teachers with ACE Student Referral forms at the beginning of the school year and asks for students that met the criteria for the program (did not pass STAAR or last benchmark assessment in reading or mathematics). As the semester passed, these forms are again provided to teachers every three weeks to recruit students that are new to the district or the teachers see falling behind. Parents and community members also receive ACE Student Referral forms and are asked to recommend students for the program. Teachers, parents and community members can recommend students for the ACE Program throughout the year. However, it is important that teacher recommendations are not only academic in nature– students with behavior issues and attendance issues are also recommended and enrolled in the program. Integrating student and family voice – The ACE staff receives input from students and parents through surveys every six weeks for parents and students, direct conversation with students and parents; focus groups of students at various grade levels; communicating with individual parents by sending home newsletters and information letters and inviting parents to activities that students are involved in. The ACE Program has an email system that is set up on district server and parents can ask questions about the program. Information is also printed in the local newspaper on a periodic basis. Periodically students discuss the activities that being offered and provide input about the activities and how they have enjoyed them. Observing and monitoring program participation – The Site Coordinator and the Project Director monitor the program. “Walk through” monitoring of classes as they are being taught during the regular day and in the afternoon program are done on a weekly basis. The Site Coordinator also visits in classrooms of students who may have had behavior or other issues in the ACE program to determine alternatives that may be implemented in the ACE program for student behavior. The Site Coordinator visits with teachers on a frequent basis about student progress and discusses with teachers how the students are progressing in academics, attendance, and behavior. Using report data - The ACE Program staff have access to student report cards and progress reports on a three and six weeks basis. Benchmarking testing results are available for the ACE staff as well as data on attendance and behavior of ACE students. STAAR results are provided to the ACE staff. Any other information such as medical issues is also made available to the ACE staff.

20 Staff professional development needs - The Site Coordinator holds an orientation meeting at the beginning of the program to provide ACE Staff (that are not employees of the district) with up-to-date information on the program. This training is a 3-day training with topics such as classroom management; TEKS implementation; communication with regular teachers. Any new staff are provided additional time to go over the ACE philosophy and other information they will need. Staff development needs are done on an individual basis for certified teachers who work in the program. Problems that arise with the staff are solved on an individual basis. The teachers in the Enrichment ACE Program (2nd hour teachers) are trained by the Site Coordinator on classroom management, software training, and any skills that the teachers feel they need. There is also a need for the Site Coordinator to refresh classroom management training more than once a year. As soon as the Site Coordinator sees that there is a problem, the SC should get with the teacher to discuss the problem and ways to solved the problem. The certified teaching staff and the Site Coordinator do not do any formal training since all the teachers are certified teachers and they attend trainings through the school. However, staff meetings to discuss issues within the ACE Program are held on an as-needed basis.

IV. Outputs-Activities: Are activities targeted to student needs and well implemented? Are activities targeted to student needs and well implemented? Activities in the ACE Program are targeted to student needs in the academic program. There is a 100% alignment between the school day and the ACE Program throughout the academic program as evidenced by comprehensive lesson plans that are shared with the ACE staff, district and campus needs assessments for the district and campuses that are carried through to the ACE Program, and primarily because the teachers in the ACE Program are also classroom teachers during the day. The Enrichment Program is 50% aligned with the school day. Although the Enrichment activities are “fun” for students, there are skills that are woven throughout the program that focus on skills that are being taught in the classroom. However, College and Career Readiness are not aligned to the school day. Other than careers that apply to the activity, there is no clear trail of alignment in the College and Career Readiness activities. Were program modifications made to better align activities offered with school learning objectives? There have been few modifications made in the program offerings that were not well attended by students. Strategies and processes utilized to align activities to student needs – The alignment of students’ needs to the ACE Program activities began at the end of the 2013 school year with a thorough needs

21 assessment that looked at STAAR scores for each student, classroom grades in all the core areas, behavior records on each ACE student, attendance and tardies to class for ACE students. During the year 3 and 6-week academic reports are received from classroom teachers and provided to the ACE staff so that alignment can be intentional and well streamlined with both the regular day program and the after school program. How was instructional quality managed or assessed? The Site Coordinator observes ACE teachers while activities are being taught in the ACE program to assess how well the ACE teachers are targeting the individual needs of students. Attending teacher staff meetings where student academic achievement goals and monitoring are taking place helps with the instructional quality of the ACE program. All ACE staff is provided with job descriptions so that the staff is highly qualified. The Site Coordinator does informational evaluations with ACE staff teachers each semester. Constant visits to the ACE classrooms in “walk-by” evaluations are done monthly. Basically, how were program modifications managed? Major modifications such as a program changes has to be approved by the Project Director in conjunction with the Site Coordinator. Modifications should also be discussed in the Leadership Team; modifications at the ACE program have been made from fall to spring for classes that were not popular with students.

V. Outputs-Participation: Were program modifications made to increase participation in program activities. Were program modifications made to increase participation in program activities? Modifications were made in the Academic and Enrichment portion of the ACE Program. The changes were to address low numbers of students attending the programs. How were they addressed? If enrollment decreased in activities, the Site Coordinator would talk with students in the program and asked for their input. Decisions to eliminate a program or add another program would be the result of student interest.

VI. Opportunity Analysis: How many and how varied were the proposed activities allocated to academic support, enrichment, family engagement, college and career? How varied were the activities in the four areas?

Academic Support activities are varied. Examples of academic support activities are Sunrise Study Lounge, and afternoon classes in math, science and social studies assistance. One Saturday Academy

22 was held to provide additional assistance with students prior to the STAAR test. Teacher-assigned homework as well as project-work makes up most of the instruction in the program. Plato Lab is used for problem solving and for students who need to make up course credits. Small group interventions were held for students who are in need of additional and intense one-on-one instruction (identified through teacher referrals and STAAR benchmark assessments). Students had many opportunities to attend tutorials and homework help sessions in all of the core academic areas. Enrichment – A large variety of activities for high school students is offered through the Enrichment program. Other than the YMCA and Communities in Schools offering programming, the ACE Staff offers a wide variety of activities. Art, Computers, choir, Cake Decorating, Water Robotics, Theatre Arts, and Leadership Classes are among the activities that are offered to students. Although a variety of activities are offered, few students attended enrichment activities on a regular basis. Family Engagement (per Logic Model) composes a small percentage of the ACE Program. GED and ESL programs are supervised by the FES and some campus family activities have been held. Other activities offered to families are a series of Parent Events and Jay’s Boot Camp. College and Career Readiness activities were not as extensive or varied as the Academic or Enrichment components. Some career information was provided during the activities but no formal College and Career Readiness program was evident. Some of the Enrichment Classes such as Cake Decorating had career skills embedded within the curriculum of the activity. Summary: In looking at the variety of activities (Logic Model, Interim Report # 2, Participant Activity Attendance Detail, and Participant Attendance Reports) in LVHS ACE Center’s program the Academic and Enrichment program were varied enough for students in grades 9-12. However, the College Readiness and the Family Support components are not varied enough to offer a program that meets the ACE requirements.

Rationale for the allocation of activities to each of the four program components areas (academic support, enrichment, family engagement, college and career) and its relationship to the program’s intermediate outcomes: According to the Site Coordinator the majority of activities that the ACE Program focuses on are academic in nature and tied to the intermediate outcomes of improving student academic success by improving STAAR scores, improving attendance, and decreasing behavior problems for ACE students. Each three-weeks regular classroom teachers provide important information regarding each student’s progress in academics, attendance and behavior. Specific, detailed information for each student’s

23 academic progress was detailed by specific math and reading skills. Therefore, the ACE staff knows exactly what skills each individual student needs to work on. The accumulation of the mastery of each of the skills pushed the students along to the program’s intermediate outcomes of increased academic performance; increased attendance; decreased problem behavior; increase promotion rates; increase graduation rates; increase family engagement. Intermediate Outcome #1: Increase Attendance 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 Increase/Decrease LVHS 96.5% 93.8% 94.2% Increased

Intermediate Outcome #2: Increase Academic Performance (STAAR Scores) 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 * Increase/Decrease All Subjects 79% 63% 61% Decrease Reading 70% 68% 42% Decrease Math 74% 74% 51% Decrease Science 81% 74% 72% Decrease *These results are preliminary results because testing has not been completed in several grade levels for students who are retaking STAAR tests.

STAAR scores at the LVHS Campus are above the State and Regional averages for the last two years and again in 2014. However, there is a continued focus in the ACE Program on grade level TEKS. Intermediate Outcome #3: Decrease Problem Behavior Mandatory Removals 2013 3 Mandatory Removals 2014 0 Decrease/Increase Decreased

Discretionary Removals 2013 23 Discretionary Removals 2014 33 Decrease/Increase Increase in discipline incidents

Intermediate Outcome #4: Increase Promotion Rates 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 Increase/Decrease La Vega ISD 100% 100% 100% Stayed the same *CISD Promotion Data – 8 students on the campus of 978 students were retained; 3 ACE students were retained.

Intermediate Outcome #5: Increase Graduate Rates 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 Increase/Decrease 92% 83% Decrease

Intermediate Outcome #6: Increase Family Engagement Activities 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 Increase/Decrease

24 4 activities 6 activities Increase

V. Program Participation

a. Reports from the TX 21 st system are to be used for this section of the report

 Center Attendance Count Calendar was used to determine the average number of ACE students who attended by the day of the week. This data shows that the number of students attending the ACE program is quite consistent -most students attend toward the beginning of the week. Only Breakfast Club meets on Fridays and had an average attendance of 61 students.  The Participant Attendance Report was used to determine the number of days students attended during the program, the total hours the student attended, and the number of regular and non-regular students in the program.  212 students attended from 1 to 49 days; indicating a 88% ratio  27 of the students attended from 50 to 99 days; indicating a 11% ratio  1 student attended from 100 to 149 days; indicating a <1% ratio  0 student attended150 or more days;  Student Attendance Percentage – Center Level report details in graph format. During the fall 11% students attended the program from 41-81+% of the time and during the spring 15%students attended the ACE program 41-80+% of the time. The attendance rate of students in the ACE program is 27%. Student attendance increased in the spring due to referrals by teachers for additional STAAR instruction and to assist students who are targeted to not be promoted catch up and be promoted to the next grade level.  Participant Activity Attendance Detail - report depicts the attendance count of each activity by date and time. Students in large numbers attended the Academic Assistance and the Enrichment Program.  Interim Report 2 – Fall Term - This report was used to determine the number of academic, enrichment, and career and college activities for the fall semester and the number of students enrolled in each activity as well as the hours of attendance per day, total hours attended and he median student attendance and an ADA of the students. b. Research Questions i. Right Students:

25 Characteristics of program participants:

 119 of the ACE students in the fall and 144 in the spring were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program (Student Economic Disadvantaged Report)

5 LEP ACE students attended in the fall and 11 LEP ACE students attended in the spring

 20 White students attended the ACE Program in the fall and 28 in the spring

 65 Hispanic students attended the ACE Program in the fall and 59 in the spring

 54% of the students in the program are classified as At Risk for not graduating high school

Do the regular program students differ from the non-regular or total school population?

The student population, regular students and non-regular students at the La Vega ACE Program do not differ. The characteristics of the students remain constant. Fall and spring participants do not differ. Since the characteristics of the students in the program are basically similar, recruitment and retention strategies for all students are the same. Since STAAR scores exceeded the state and regional average, grades of all students increased, and attendance in the ACE program increased, the right students were recruited and targeted for the ACE Program. ii. Right Activities

What are offered activities? The following activities are offered to students in the LVHS ACE Program and divided into Academic, Enrichment and College and Career Readiness.

Academic Support (Interim Report 2 Workbook) - The right Academic Support (45% of the ACE Program) activities have been developed and implemented in the ACE Program. The ACE Academic Program consists of a morning Sunrise Lounge and a series of Academic Assistance activities that are divided by subject level. Icing on the Cake, Art Club, and Computers were among the highest attended activities for the fall. 81% of ACE students passed the reading STAAR test and 96% passed the STAAR mathematics test. It is obvious that the right activities for Academic were provided.

Enrichment Activities (Interim Report 2 Workbook) – Seven to eight Enrichment Activities were available for students during both the fall and spring semesters. 13% of the ACE Program was devoted to enrichment activities. Although the Enrichment Activities were varied (Water Robotics, computers, choir, scrapbooking, art clubs, cooking, etc.), the attendance for these programs was very low. The

26 activities appear to be the right activities; however, with the attendance being so low, the activities may not have been of interest to students.

College and Career (Interim Report 2 Workbook) - A large amount of the time (42%) was allocated to College and Career Readiness according to the Interim Report # 2. The Interim Report did list some activities such as GED/ESL and Jay’s Boot Camp as College and Career Readiness and these are obviously Family Engagement activities. However, ACT/SAT Prep, FAFSA Night, and even Icing on the Cake (cake decorating as a profession) are College & Career Readiness activities. These activities did not take up 42% of the ACE Program. The activities offered were excellent activities; however, the attendance was again very low. These activities were the right activities; however, there needed to be offered more often and more students needed attend.

Family and Parental Support – Less than 10% of the time was spent in working with the Family and Parent Support Program from both the Center Level. 35 adults (parents and community members) have been served through the ACE program. Other than ESL and GED supervised by the FES, there is a lack of Family Support Activities. The right activities for family support and parent involvement have not been offered to adults in the ACE program.

Program Response to Low Attendance: There are some Enrichment Activities that have low attendance (both fall and spring). These activities should be monitored and if it becomes evident that the activity enrollment is not going to increase, the SC should talk with students in the activity to get an understanding of why the activity had a low attendance. In conjunction with the ACE staff and at times the Leadership Team, the decision would be made as to the continued status of the activity.

Percent of Time Allocated to Activities (Interim Report 2) Area of Activities Fall Spring What is the % of time allocated to academic support 45% 45% What is the % of time allocated to enrichment 13% 13% What is the % of time allocated to family engagement 10% 10% What is the % of time allocated to college & career <10% <10%

III. Right Student Level of Participation – Are students participating at appropriate levels to

27 benefit form the activities.

Student Attendance Percentage Report:

Attendance Percentage Fall Spring Total 9 0-20 77 7 174 4 21-40 9 52 101 41-60 15 23 38 61-80 2 5 7 81+ 0 0 0

As the chart above details, 143 students in the fall and 177 students in the spring attended the program. 17 students in the fall and 28 in the spring attended the ACE Program from 41% to 81+% of the time. No students in the program attended 150 or more days. Only 1 student attended from 100 to 150 days and the majority of students (211 students) attended from 1 to 49 days. This provides evidence to the fact that the ACE Program targeted and recruited students into the program; however, a greater number of students need to attend the program for more days to benefit at high levels from the program. The Activity Attendance Percentage Chart (See Page 11) provides examples of activities with low dosages of student attendance.

The Participant Attendance Report was used to determine the number of days students attended during the program, the total hours the student attended, and the number of regular and non-regular students in the program. See Student Attendance Percentage Report above. This provides evidence to the fact that the ACE Program during the first year of operation targeted and recruited students into the program; however, a greater number of students need to attend the program for more days to benefit at high levels from the program.

Participant Activity Attendance Detail report depicts the attendance count of each activity by date and time. As other reports have indicated, large numbers of student attend the afternoon Academic and Enrichment ACE Program. Again, more students need to attend the program for more days to get the full benefit of the program.

I nterim Report 2 – Fall Term - this report was used to determine the number of academic, enrichment, and career and college activities for the fall semester and the number of students enrolled in each

28 activity as well as the hours of attendance per day, total hours attended and he median student attendance and an ADA of the students.

Are students participating at appropriate levels to benefit from the activities?

Students are attending the ACE Program at levels that are not considered appropriate. The question is: Is the level of attendance is not enough to make a difference for students? The reports from the TX21st system do show large numbers of students attending in the first and second quartiles of dosage rather than in the third or fourth quartile. However, students have shown positive gains in mathematics achievement and reading. In fact ACE students scored above “All Students Tested.” All students in the ACE Program graduated from high school or were promoted to the next grade; almost half of the ACE students showed an increase or maintained their GPA from fall to spring. Although students did not attend large percentages of time, the program did benefit students.

Right student level of participation for the overall program:

Overall the student participation in the program appears to be at a level that is considered appropriate. Students participated in the afternoon program and they participated in both Academic Assistance and Enrichment programs. The exact level of participation for students to benefit has not been determined but only 1 student attended from 100 to 150 days. Although 111 students participated from 41% to 81+ %, it is clear that more students need to participate for more days and receive a larger dosage of activities.

Right student level of participation relative to other students:

32.6% of students at LVHS attend both the Regular and Non-Regular ACE Program. The chart below outlines the number of ACE students who tested in each area of the STAAR, the number of students who passed the STAAR at that subject’s area and the percentage of ACE students who passed the STAAR. 97 ACE students took the STAAR reading and mathematics test. 42% of “All Students” at LVHS passed the reading STAAR and 51% of “All Students” at LVHS passed the mathematics STAAR test. As indicated by the chart below, ACE students out-preformed “All Students” by significant amounts. ACE Students Who Took # ACE Students Passing % Of ACE Students STAAR STAAR Passing STAAR Reading 97 79 81% Mathematics 97 94 96%

These results point to the fact that the students who attended ACE performed well compared to other 29 students on the LVHS Campus and across the region and state.

Right student level of participation relative to their own set of activities: At this time there is no data to distinguish the ACE students who passed the STAAR and how many days they attended the ACE Program. Therefore, it is difficult to draw a conclusion as to the level of participation and each student’s own circumstances.

VI. Program Intermediate Outcomes

3 Research Questions:

Question # 1: Are There a Greater Number of Students Experiencing Improvement? 2012-13 2013-14 Increase/Decrease Increased Academic 215* 47 students increased Decrease from 2013 (see Performance (GPA) GPA explanation) Increased Attendance (School 93.8% 94.2% Increase from 2013 Days Absent) Decreased Behavior (Criminal 3 0 Decreased from 2013 referrals) Decreased Behavior 23 33 Increased from 2013 (Non-criminal referrals) Increased Promotion Rates 100% 100% Same as 2013 Increased Family Engagement 4 7 Activities Increase 2013 Activities Activities

Student Export (Excel Spreadsheet 2012-13 & 2013-14) Note: * In 2013 the ACE Program served 391 students in an Open Door Policy & not all of the students were the students “most in need.”

Question # 2: Are There a Greater Percent (%) of Students Experiencing Improvement? 2012-13 2013-14 Increase/Decrease Increased Academic 55% 48.5% Decrease from 2013 (see Performance (GPA) explanation) Increased Attendance 93.8% 94.2% Increase from 2013 (School Days Absent) Decreased Behavior .07% 0% Decrease from 2013 (Criminal referrals) Decreased Behavior .05% 13% Increase from 2013 (Non-criminal referrals) Increased Promotion Rates 100% 100% Same as 2013 Increased Family 4 activities 7 activities Increase from 2013 Engagement Activities

30 *Student Export (Excel Spreadsheet 2012-13 & 2013-14 Note: * In 2013 the ACE Program served 391 students in an Open Door Policy & not all of the students were the students “most in need.”

Question # 3: Are There Greater Amounts of Improvements by Students? Increased Academic Performance (GPA) Comparisons to 2013 are not possible because the Center had an Open Door Policy and 151 more students attended the program. Only 80 of the students in 2013 were Regular Students. Increased Attendance (School Days Absent) In the regular school day, the average daily attendance for all students increased for 2013. For ACE students the attendance rate in the regular school day was 89% and the attendance rate for students attending the ACE program is 36.2%. Decreased Behavior (Criminal referrals) Decrease in criminal behaviors for 2013 to 2014 Decreased Behavior Referrals increased from 23 in 2013 to 33 in 2014 (Non-criminal referrals) Increased Promotion Rates 100% promotion rate for 2013 and 2014 Increased Family Engagement Activities Increased 2013 to 2014 Summary: The ACE students are doing well academically. 48.5% of the students have shown increases or maintained grades that are “mostly As and Bs.” However, more students had non-criminal incidents than they did in 2013. The attendance rate of ACE students in the regular school day is 89% while the campus attendance rate is 94.2%. 87.9% of ACE students attended the ACE Program from 1-49 days. 12% attended the ACE program from 50-99 days and 1 student attended the ACE Program over 100 days. STAAR scores in ELA/Reading and mathematics exceeded the passing rates for “All Students.”

VII. Program Impacts

This section of the report is necessary if a QED is being used to analyze program impact

VIII. Stakeholder Perceptions

ACE Teachers’ Survey: LVHS ACE Program had 8 ACE Teachers, 12 Regular Classroom Teachers and 28 students respond a survey during the fall semester. 50 % of the ACE teachers spend between 1-9 hours a week in the ACE Program. 87% of the ACE Teachers responded that the quality of the curriculum and instruction in the ACE Program was “Excellent.” As far as the quality of the Enrichment Program 87% responded that was “Excellent”.” 50% responded that the quality of the College Awareness Program was “Excellent” and 37% said that it is “Adequate”. 50% of the respondents rated the Parent Involvement Program as “Needs Improvement.” The survey also recorded the following:

31 1. The ACE Program is aligned with the regular school day – 87% responded “Yes”; 15 of the respondents said they were just not sure. 2. As a teacher who works in the ACE Program, I communicate with other teachers on my campus who teach in the ACE Program – 62% responded “Yes” and 38% said that they do not communicate with other teachers about the ACE Program. 3. 87% of the teachers reported that they communicate with the ACE Site Coordinator weekly and 8% reported that they communicate weekly. 4. 38% of the teachers said they received 3 or more days of training before working in the ACE Program; 12% stated they received 2 days of training prior to the ACE Program starting; 50% said they received from 1 to no days of training 5. Overall, 87% of the teachers rated the quality of the ACE Program as Excellent and 13% rated it as Adequate. Regular Classroom Teachers’ Survey: 29 regular classroom teachers who do not work in ACE respond to the survey. When asked if the Site Coordinator meets with regular classroom teachers to discuss the ACE Program:  91% responded “Yes”

 9% responded that they are not familiar with the ACE Program director When asked if as a regular classroom teacher, they have a list of ACE Program students that they teach:  67% said that they had a list of ACE students

 9% said they do not have a list

 24% said they did not know which students were in the ACE Program When asked if students that are in the ACE Program have shown improvement in homework completion:  17% said that 100% of their ACE students have shown improvement

 26% said that 75-99% of their ACE students have shown improvement

 34% said that less than 50-74% of their ACE students have shown improvement

 16% said they were not sure if their ACE students have shown improvement When asked if students that are in the ACE Program have shown improvement in student behavior:

32  17% said that 100% of their ACE students have shown improvement

 33% said that 75-99% of their ACE students have shown improvement

 9% said they were not sure if their ACE students have shown improvement

How would you rate the tutoring program?  67% said Excellent

 17% said adequate

 8% said needs improvement

 8% I have no knowledge of the tutoring program Does the Site Coordinator for the ACE Program communicate with you regarding the students that you serve in the regular classroom who are also ACE students?  91% said Yes, the SC communicates with me

 9% said No the SC does not communicate with me Does the ACE Program on your campus play a vital role on the campus?  92% said that the ACE Program does play a vital role

 8% said that the ACE Program does not play a vital role ACE Students’ Survey: 28 Students responded to the survey. As referenced in the chart below, the majority of students responded that they “Sometimes” they participate in various activities: Never Sometimes Often Total Get homework help or 3% 15% 82 tutoring at the 21st CCLC 1 4 21 26 before/after school program? Do art, dance, drama, music, 19% 11% 70% and graphic arts at the 21st 5 3 18 26 CCLC before/after school program? Do sports or games 21st CCLC 19% 23% 58% before/after school program? 5 6 15 26 Do college awareness and 4% 28% 68% preparation activities at the 1 7 17 25 21st CCLC before/after school program? 33 Do job and career activities at 4% 17% 82% the 21st CCLC before/after 1 5 20 26 school program? Get to use 4% 27% 69% technology/computers to do 1 7 18 26 your school work at the 21st CCLC before/after school program?

Of the students who responded to the survey, 38% stated that they attend the ACE Program daily. 30% said they attend the morning sessions, 39 said they attend the afternoon session, and 31% said they attend both sessions. Students also gave the ACE Program high marks for:  I get a chance to do a lot of new things – 100% agree  The activities before and after school are fun and educational – 100% agree.  100% said that they think they are a better student now than before they enrolled in the ACE Program

IX. Evaluator Commentary & Recommendations –

The evidence examined in this report suggests that the LVHS ACE Center in operation for the third year during the 2013-14 school year did made progress in providing programming that contributed to student growth and development in some areas. All of the components had low attendance (87.9% attending from 1-49 days) or student dosage. The strongest evidence for such a conclusion was the finding that of the Intermediate Outcomes defined in the Logic Model, four of the five (Academic Performance; Attendance; Behavior; Promotion Rates; and Graduation Rates) were met. Outcomes yielded evidence that the program is having a significant impact on student performance and a greater number and percentage of students are experiencing improvement (Research Question): 1)48.5% increase in students’ GPA from fall to spring (Academic); 2)81% o ACE students passed the ELA/Reading STAAR test; 96% of ACE students passed the mathematics STAAR test. These ACE students out-performed students in the region and the state on the STAAR test (Academic); 3)100% of students were promoted to the next grade level (Increase Promotion) 4)100% of the ACE students graduated from high school. 5)30 students (30.9% of Regular Students) did increase their attendance from fall to spring. 6)Criminal behaviors decreased from 2013; however, non-criminal behaviors increased from 23 in

34 2013 to 33 in 2014.

Recommendations:

The LVHS ACE program has made progress in adjusting to the challenges of implementing an after school program that addresses family and children’s needs as well as meeting the demands of complying with program regulations in the first year of a project. In addressing program objectives the program met criteria standards or made progress toward meeting standards in the objectives set forth in the grant application. However, there are some program objectives that remain particularly challenging. To assist with focusing program improvement efforts, recommendations are offered in four areas: staff awareness of goals and objectives, staff training, and program-classroom teacher collaboration. Many of these recommendations are interrelated. 1) Expand Training Opportunities for ACE Staff – Although the ACE Program provides 3 days of initial training to ACE Staff (not teachers employed by the district) at the beginning of each school year, one- fourth of the staff surveyed said they had received no training and one-fourth said they had received only one day of training. The recommendation is to do follow up training during the school year for “refresher-type” training or training for new staff. 2). Expand the College and Career Readiness Activities for Students- According to the Interim Report # 2 the college and career readiness activities did not meet the standard for activities that make a difference for students. It is recommended that the College and Career Readiness component of the ACE Program be intentionally planned to provide students with college and career readiness activities that are age and grade appropriate. The TASK Force can investigate College and Career Readiness Curriculums that are age and grade appropriate. 3). Expand the Parent Involvement Activities – It is recommended that additional parent involvement activities that are more educational in nature be offered to parents such as a Parent University offered several times a year in a seminar-type format. A variety of sessions should be offered to parents so they can choose two or three sessions to attend and over the course of a year they would have attended eight to ten information session on various topics. 4). More students need to attend the ACE Program a greater percent of the time. 87.9% of the students attended from 1 to 49 days in the program. There were no activities from any core component of the ACE program that had students participating in the 3rd or 4th quartile. It is recommended that the Task Force investigate ways to encourage students to increase the number of days they attend the program.

35 X. Site Coordinator commentary and next steps

Response to Evaluation:

Response to Evaluation As the Site Coordinator for the La Vega High Center Cycle 7 ACE Program, I agree with the evaluator’s summary of this year program. I feel that the ACE Program has accomplished many requirements and in its 3rd year, the program is well accepted on the campus and the students feel comfortable attending the program. Evaluator’s Recommendations: 1. More students need to attend the ACE Program a greater percent of the time. Steps: I agree that students need to attend more days than they are attending. However, high school students have jobs, play sports, and some have families they take care of. I do plan to meet with the subject area teachers as well as the administrative team on my campus and present the data to them that clearly shows that lots of students are attending the program but that the amount of days and hours in the program has to be increased for students to receive the maximum benefit from the program. I also plan to show them the STAAR scores for just ACE students and hopefully that will encourage teachers to recommend the ACE Program to struggling students.

2. Expand the Parent Involvement Activities. Steps: I plan on examining parenting curriculums that would be of interest to the families of my students and to the students in my program that have families of their own. I will also get input from the students as to what family activities they would like to see and ones that they think their parents would actually attend. I will encourage more parents to volunteer at the program and provide them with specific activities that they can be a part of. Parents tell me that they do not want to sit in meetings –they say they want to help.

3. Expand the College and Career Readiness Activities for Students. Steps: I will intentionally plan activities that foster college and career readiness and schedule these activities throughout the year. I will work with the school counselor and with the colleges in our areas to look at activities that engage students in the process of learning about college and career such as, having ACE teachers and ACE students collage activities for their favorite college to be displayed during the year.

36 At the high school level I will plan and facilitate financial aid meetings, more SAT/ACT Prep and more career information. With TSTC being close to us, I will work with them to involve students in activities at the college.

Scott Warren LVHS Site Coordinator August 11, 2014

XI. Appendices

All Tx21st reports used in the analysis (we do not want the student export data)