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BALDRIGE GUIDED

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

Title I School ARCOLA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Mr. Eric Wilson, Principal 2009-2010

1 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Baldrige Categories/School-wide Program Components Page (s) I. Leadership 3 • Mission/Vision II. Organizational Performance Results 4 • Content Goals/ Objectives III. Student and Stakeholder Focus • Comprehensive Needs Assessment 5 - 17

IV. Faculty and Staff Focus • Instruction by Highly Qualified Teachers 18 - 20 • Strategies to Attract Highly Qualified Candidates • Ongoing Professional Development (italicized items) V. Strategic Planning • Baldridge Linkage Charts 21-22 • Effective Reform Strategies (Reading/Math Action Plan) 23 – 36 • Plans for Assisting Pre-School Children in the Transition to Local Elementary School • Activities to Ensure that Under Performing Students Reach Proficient or Advanced 37 – 42 • Increased Parent Involvement Implementation Plan (Family Involvement Action Plan) 43 • Coordination and Integration of Federal, State, Local Funds VI. Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management • Measures to Include Teachers in the Decisions Regarding the Use of 38 Academic Assessments VII. Process Management • Monitoring the SIP goals 39 VIII. Attachments section - School Improvement Plan Committee membership - Family Involvement Committee membership - Title I Focus Allocation & Budget Sheets/SIP minigrant - BOE Policy Family Involvement - Title I Parent Involvement District Level Plan - Title I Local School Parent Involvement Plan - Parent/School Compact - Compact Feedback Form

2 Arcola Elementary School I. Leadership

The Arcola Elementary School (AES) mission states: Arcola’s mission as a caring and collaborative community is to provide a rigorous academic instructional program through respect, communication, and high expectations for all in order to maximize achievement. Our vision is for all students and Arcola families to be present and engaged in an enriching environment where all academic and social needs can be met and/or exceeded to ensure success in aspects of future endeavors.

To implement our mission, AES is committed to continuous improvement using the Baldrige- guided School Improvement Process (BGSIP). As part of this continuous process, we collaboratively analyze school and classroom data with stakeholders to develop and refine action plans that focus our efforts. In order to involve and engage our families and community in this effort we provide open invitations to all committee meetings and commit to parent representation in our school improvement team meetings and family involvement committee meetings. We continue to recruit and advertise the need for parent participation in school decision making. Our family involvement committee and parent community coordinator continue to make parent contacts to ensure parents continue to participate as part of our school improvement team.

The administrative team includes the principal and assistant principal. These individuals guide the mission of the school. The leadership team, which consists of team leaders, the staff development teacher, academic intervention and content specialists, gifted and talented teacher, and the instructional specialist from the Division of Title I Programs, parent community coordinator, support staff representative(s), & parent representative(s) meet once a month to ensure two-way communication across the school and community regarding instruction, school procedures, family involvement and related issues.

The mission and expectations are communicated through a variety of sources. Monthly parent newsletters are distributed via students in both Spanish and English. Back to School Night(s), Title I information meetings, assessment meetings, parent meetings through the parent community coordinator, Connect-ED calls, email messages, and academic content nights provide opportunities to share our core goals expressed through the mission and vision with the parent community. Staff meetings, weekly staff bulletins, as well as team meetings, planning sessions, and email provide continuous updates to the professional and support staff community.

School Improvement Team Meeting Dates: July 28,29,30 (afternoon meetings) September 29, 2009 October 27, 2009 November 24, 2009 December 22, 2009 January 26, 2010 February 23, 2010 March 23, 2010 April 27, 2010 May 25, 2010

A listing of the School Improvement Team committee members is included in the attachments section

3 II. Organizational Performance Results

Arcola Elementary School will meet specific, annual measurable objectives developed in accordance with the state’s measure at adequate yearly progress.

Long Range Goal:

By Spring 2010, Arcola Elementary School will make adequate yearly progress by meeting the annual measurable objectives set in reading and mathematics for students in the aggregate for each student subgroup (African American, American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, White, students with limited English proficiency, students receiving special education services, and economically disadvantaged students receiving free and/or reduced meals)

Objectives for Arcola Elementary School as a K-5 school

Arcola ES will meet the following Maryland 2010 annual measurable objectives (+ confidence interval):

81.2% (within the confidence interval) of all students and of the eight subgroups will demonstrate proficient or advanced performance in reading on the MSA.

79.4% (within the confidence interval) of all students and of the eight subgroups will demonstrate proficient or advanced performance in math on the MSA.

Please refer to the Baldrige Linkages charts on pages 15 & 16 to see the specific percentages related to increased student achievement within the subgroup data.

4 III. Student and Stakeholder Focus

Comprehensive Needs Assessment

The data sources include the Maryland School Assessment (MSA), the TerraNova II (TN2), Measures of Academic Progress in Reading (MAP-R), math unit assessments, the Early Childhood Observation Record (ECOR), the Montgomery County Public Schools Assessment Program (MCPS-AP–in pre-K and Head Start), and teacher data from student work. The data is maintained in the Strategic Monitoring Tool (SMT) provided to Arcola by the Office of School Performance, in the MCPS data warehouse system known as MyMCPS.

Data Analysis Process:

At each monthly School Improvement Team meeting, AES staff members and parent representatives gather to analyze data, monitor student progress, and discuss interventions or modifications that could improve student performance. Under the Baldrige guided school improvement process, stakeholder groups are invited, including all instructional teams, paraeducators, supporting services staff, parents and community members. The Baldrige process is about continuous improvement. Baldrige emphasizes growth over time, organizations work to grow and learn from mistakes, and a continued focus on measurable goals maintains a structured approach towards progress.

Student achievement data is also reviewed in weekly team meetings and monthly leadership meetings, which include all instructional team leaders, school administrators, and academic support teachers. In addition, weekly grade level team meetings include Title I funded teachers and focus on student performance and students at risk. Data is used to structure flexible grouping and identify appropriate interventions. Formative and summative data is evaluated in the light of our school improvement goals for the academic year.

Student achievement data is shared and discussed with parents and community members in several ways, including the summer parent information packet, Back to School Nights, monthly parent newsletters that are published in English and Spanish, Family Curriculum Nights, PTA meetings and summer open house. Each school year, there is a parent data information meeting where data from the previous school year is shared and school improvement goals for the current year are explained to parents. This is followed by a question and answer session with administration and staff to address parent inquiries.

Data Analysis Findings & Implications:

Reading

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on MSA is one of the most prominent sources of student achievement, and the MSA data has been helpful in developing our school wide planning for the year. Overall aggregate results of Arcola students on the 2009 MSA in reading show that 83.5% of students scored at the proficient or advanced levels. This exceeds the benchmark of 76.5 by 7 percentage points.

When reviewing the MSA reading data by grade and by performance level, all grade levels performed at the same levels with Grade 4-5 students (86% proficient + advanced) performing slightly better than Grade 3 students (82% proficient + advanced) by 4 percentage points. Grade 5 students had the highest percentage (34 %) of students performing at the advanced level; however, this well below local county and state averages.

5 2009(AMO=76.5) Level Percent % Advanced 15.1 Grade 3 Proficient 67.1 Basic 17.8 Advanced 11.0 Grade 4 Proficient 75.3 Basic 13.7 Advanced 33.3 Grade 5 Proficient 53.6 Basic 13.0

All grade levels performed above the AMO target; however, we know as a school, we can achieve even greater results. One of the root causes to account for this data is the inconsistent monitoring of formative student data at the student level. For the past two years, the only data we looked at school-wide and held teachers accountable for were the quarterly summative assessments. In weekly grade-level team meetings, some teams conducted actual data discussions to drive instructional decisions, while others would only have content discussions or share interventions in a broad, unfocused manner. Under this model, we were not completing thorough data analysis with frequency or consistency to make changes to student instructional programs. We have now created a focused, teacher-driven approach to analyzing student data that targets cusp students on the low end of proficient and the high end toward achieving advanced performance. Another root cause was lack of consistency in the implementation of Guided Reading. In all grades, more emphasis was put on learning reading skills imbedded within the text of core novels, as opposed to learning the strategies explicitly through short leveled readers as is done with more frequency in the primary grades. Grade 5 students’ outperformed Grade 3-4 students by more than double in terms of advanced performance. This can be attributed to the consistent implementation of Junior Great Books strategies as well as aspects of the William and Mary program of literature circle discussions. Both of these strategies engaged students in higher order critical thinking that needed to be followed up in written responses. A third root cause was low student confidence/stamina. The students received a great deal of preparation through weekly MSA prep sessions and 4 MSA practice tests where students worked in their accommodated groups; however, during the week of actual testing, we found that students were not finishing sections of the test or were fatigued not able to give complete focus toward reading passages and answering questions effectively. During our MSA preparatory sessions this year, we will work on reading speed and identifying strategies to help students skim passages to find information pertinent to the questions. Our Gifted and Talented teacher will continue to work with staff to implement differentiated strategies such as William and Mary, and Junior Great Books to engage our highly able students and encourage potential growth in our proficient students in an attempt to increase the percentages of our students performing at the advanced level on MSA.

AES focused on reducing the achievement gap between racial/ethnic groups, as well as students receiving special services, including Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS), Special Education, and English Language Learners (ELL). Within confidence intervals, all Arcola ethnic and special services groups met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals for reading on the 2009 MSA.

All Arcola ethnic groups, surpassed the state Annual Measurable Objective in MSA reading of 76.5%, with Asian students exceeding this benchmark by a significant margin. Targeted intervention will be given to our White, Hispanic, and African-American students to eliminate this gap in student performance. We will continue to focus our staff development on high expectations, building relationships for students, and responding to reading in order to reach all subgroups.

2009 Students Group Results(AMO=76.5) (% Proficient) Tested 6 Reviewing these results by grade level shows that most groups in grades 3-5 demonstrated solid performance in the number of students scoring proficient and advanced. Grade 4 and 5 students performed slightly better than Grade 3 students.

2009(AMO=76.5) Results Group %Prof.+Adv. Asian 23.5 points above 100 AMO Afr. Am. 6.5 points above 83 AMO Grade 3 Hispanic 2.5 points above 79 AMO White 23.5 points above 100 AMO Asian 23.5 points above 100 AMO Afr. Am. 9.5 points above 86 AMO Grade 4 Hispanic 10.5 points above 87 AMO White 9.5 points below 67 AMO Asian 23.5 points above 100 AMO Afr. Am. 9.5 points above 86 AMO Grade 5 Hispanic 7.5 points above 84 AMO White 23.5 points above 100 AMO

In Grade 3, all ethnic subgroups exceeded the 2009 reading AMO. Asian and White students outperformed the African- American and Hispanic students. We will continue to monitor formative data more closely and provide strategies and interventions where needed. A closer analysis of our data shows an increased need in vocabulary development, responding to text in terms of providing detail from the text making appropriate text connections. We are also going to continue our after-school boys and girls clubs for targeted students to improve self-esteem, confidence, and motivation. These are characteristics we find lacking in a number of our African-American and Hispanic students, particularly when it comes time to taking standardized assessments.

In Grade 4, all ethnic subgroups except the White students exceeded the 2009 reading AMO. Asian students were the highest performing subgroup with 100% proficiency. Gaps still persist among the African-American and Hispanic subgroups, we will continue to monitor progress of these subgroups using the strategies outlined above. The subgroup for White students is very small, so we must ensure that we are closely monitoring student performance of this subgroup on formative assessments throughout the school year and provide prescriptive interventions when needed.

In Grade 5, all ethnic subgroups exceeded the 2009 reading AMO. Again, Asian and White students demonstrated perfect proficiency standards and outperformed the African-American and Hispanic students. We will continue to monitor formative data more closely and provide strategies and interventions where needed. Grade 5 tends to have a variety of activities such as middle school articulation, mentoring opportunities, patrol duties, and musicals which are all great 7 incentives and foster growth and responsibility. Nevertheless, we need to ensure that that these opportunities are channeled appropriately and do not distract students academically.

AES students receiving special services demonstrated solid performance on MSA reading for 2009. All students receiving special services surpassed the AMO benchmark of 76.5% proficiency. All special services subgroups are performing at the same satisfactory levels of proficiency; however, as the AMO rises annually, we need to ensure that we are monitoring the progress of these students to maintain increasing proficiency standards.

2009 Students Group Results(AMO=76.5) (% Prof.+Adv) Tested FARMs 82 129 5.5 points above AMO Special Education 81 21 4.5 points above AMO LEP 81 86 4.5 points above AMO

Students who did not meet the A.M.O. or are at risk for not meeting the AMO will be given consideration for inclusion in intervention groups taught by our Title I Focus teachers. We also have solid special education and ESOL teams that plan regularly with general education grade-level teams. We also use a prescriptive model of plug-in and pull-out models to provide special services to our students. Students are a part of the whole group instructional program and receive specialized instruction based upon their IEP or ESL plans that are aligned with content and indicators being covered in the general education classroom.

Math

Overall aggregate results of Arcola students on the 2009 MSA in math show that 81.9% of students scored at the proficient or advanced levels. This exceeds the benchmark of 74.2% by 7.7 percentage points. Overall, our students performed slightly better in reading than in math.

When reviewing the MSA math data by grade and by performance level, Grade 4 students performed significantly better than Grade 3 and 5 students by 17.9 and 13.5 percentage points(proficient + advanced) respectively. The number of students meeting the advanced level of performance in Grade 4 was 13 points higher than Grade 5 and twice that of Grade 3. Although we had accelerated classes’ at all three grade levels, there were fewer gaps in content knowledge for our Grade 4 students, and they were able to learn the Grade 5 curriculum while retaining on-grade level content.

2009(AMO=74.2) Level Percent % Advanced 20.5 Grade 3 Proficient 53.4 Basic 26.0 Grade 4 Advanced 32.9 Proficient 58.9

8 Basic 8.2 Advanced 14.5 Grade 5 Proficient 63.8 Basic 21.7

Overall, we are pleased with results in math for all three grade levels; however, we hope to mirror the results in Grade 4. Small group, differentiated instruction occurred daily to maximize student learning. Teachers monitored student performance toward the various math indicators. During our MSA preparatory sessions this year, we will work on writing to explain math reasoning, as well as increase the frequency of MSA preparation with an emphasis on VSC assessment limits. This was done more consistently in Grade 4. Our Gifted and Talented teacher will continue to work with staff to implement differentiated strategies to engage our highly able students in an attempt to increase the percentages of our students performing at the advanced level on MSA. In weekly math meetings, grade-level teams will be targeting students just below the proficiency standard and just below the advanced standard to increase overall student performance in both bands. We are also focusing in the area of Number Sense, providing ongoing staff development and intervention strategies in this area that is pervasive throughout all grade levels K-5. We are also implementing a school-wide basic facts program that focuses on sight fluency of basic facts.

In an effort to strive towards our county benchmarks and system-wide initiatives, we are focused on a insuring a high degree of rigor in our math instruction. The county has devised a path to achievement with specific performance targets that need to be met annually in order to ensure rigor in math. For the 2008-2009 school year, we had 33 students enrolled in Math 6. This comprised 48% of our fifth grade population. This surpassed the county benchmark of 41.9% participation in Math 6. The demographic breakdown of this class was as follows:

 Hispanic – 52%  Asian – 26%  African American – 13%  White – 3%

All students enrolled in the Math 6 class successfully completed the course with a grade of ‘C’ or better as defined by local county standards. Thirteen or 39% of the class earned a grade of ‘A’ in the course. The table below shows the grade distribution among various subgroups.

% Students %Students %Students Group earning A’s earning B’s earning C’s Asian 75 25 African American 33 67 Hispanic 25 63 12 White 33.3 33.3 33.3 LEP 38 54 8 IEP 100 FARMS 39 52 9 Asian students were the highest performing subgroup with 75% of the subgroup earning an A. The remaining subgroups performed on average with the total class percentage (39%) earning an A for the course. It is important to note that there was only one child with an IEP who took the course. As we look to increase the number of students participating in advanced math courses, we will provide a system for support and scaffolding to help fill in some the concept gaps. This will come in the form of Title I Focus Teacher support as well as paraeducator support. For the 2009-2010 school year, we have 38 students enrolled in Math 6. This comprises 49% of our fifth grade population. This surpasses the county benchmark of 44.1% participation in Math 6. The demographic breakdown of this class is as follows:

 Hispanic – 53% 9  Asian – 13%  African American – 21%  White – 13%

AES focused on reducing the achievement gap between racial/ethnic groups, as well as students receiving special services, including Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS), Special Education, and English Language Learners (ELL). Within confidence intervals, all Arcola ethnic and special services groups met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals for math on the 2009 MSA.

All Arcola ethnic groups surpassed the state Annual Measurable Objective in MSA math of 74.2%, with Asian and White students exceeding this benchmark by a significant margin. Targeted intervention will be given to our Hispanic and African-American students to eliminate this gap in student performance. We will continue to focus our staff development on High Expectations, building relationships for students, consistent data monitoring, and Number Sense to reach all subgroups. 2009 Students Group Results(AMO=74.2) (% Prof.+Adv) Tested Asian 91.7 24 17.5 points above AMO African American 75.5 49 1.3 points above AMO Hispanic 80 100 5.8 points above AMO White 100 15 25.8 points above AMO

Reviewing these results by grade level shows that most groups in grades 3 and 4 demonstrated solid performance in the number of students scoring proficient and advanced. Grade 4 students performed better than Grade 3 students.

2009(AMO=74.2) Results Group %Prof.+Adv. Grade 3 Asian 10.8 points above 85 AMO Afr. Am. 78 3.8 points above AMO

10 Hispanic 3.2 points below 71 AMO White 25.8 points above 100 AMO Asian 25.8 points above 100 AMO Afr. Am. 6.8 points above 81 AMO Grade 4 Hispanic 17.8 points above 92 AMO White 25.8 points above 100 AMO Asian 25.8 points above 100 AMO Afr. Am. 3.2 points below 71 AMO Grade 5 Hispanic 1.8 points above 76 AMO White 25.8 points above 100 AMO

In Grade 3, all ethnic subgroups, except the Hispanic subgroup, exceeded the 2009 math AMO. The performance among Asian and African-American students was balanced with no real gap in student performance save that of White students who were the highest performing subgroup with 100% performing at proficient and advanced. The subgroup for Hispanic students performed significantly lower than the others, so we must ensure that we are closely monitoring student performance of this subgroup on formative assessments throughout the school year and provide prescriptive interventions when needed. We need to work with our ESOL teachers to provide for any gaps in vocabulary or language barriers associated with BCR components in math.

In Grade 4, all ethnic subgroups exceeded the 2009 math AMO. In fact all subgroups except the African-American subgroup demonstrated 100% proficiency or very close to it. The performance among Asian, Hispanic, and White students was balanced with no real gap in student performance. We will continue to focus on monitoring math indicators from the VSC and mathematical problem-solving strategies. For African-American students, we will continue to build confidence and motivation during testing situations.

In Grade 5, all ethnic subgroups, except the African-American subgroup, exceeded the 2009 math AMO. The performance among Asian and White students exceeded benchmark (100% proficient/advanced) and was significantly better than that of the African-American and Hispanic subgroups. We must ensure that we are closely monitoring student performance of these subgroups on formative assessments throughout the school year and provide prescriptive interventions when needed. We need to work with our ESOL teachers to provide for any gaps in vocabulary or language barriers associated with BCR components in math. We also need to ensure that concepts of Number Sense are reviewed on a regular basis and content knowledge is acquired through the support of focus teachers.

AES students receiving special services demonstrated mixed performance on MSA math for 2009. FARMS and LEP students surpassed the AMO benchmark of 74.2% proficiency; however, Special Education students performed below this benchmark by a significant margin. We have a group of self-contained School Community Based program special education students who are assessed using Alternate MSA (Alt.MSA). These six students all received a basic score in math which were factored into our already small special education subgroup. Without nearly all (14/16) of our special education students whose Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is the general education classroom and the confidence interval, we would not have made AYP in the Special Education subgroup. We are benchmarking with other schools administering the Alt.MSA to ensure goals, artifacts, and portfolios are measurable and compliant prior to presenting them

11 for scoring. We will continue to review strategies for success with our all our Special Services students to match overall achievement demonstrated in 2009.

2009 Students Group Results(AMO=74.2) (% Prof+Adv) Tested FARMs 80 129 5.8 points above AMO Special Education 61.9 21 12.3 points below AMO LEP 77.9 86 3.7 points above AMO

Students who did not meet the A.M.O. or are at risk for not meeting the AMO will be given consideration for inclusion in intervention groups taught by our Title I Focus teachers.

Terra Nova Second Edition (TN2) - Findings and Implications

TN2 was administered to second graders in April 2009. Although this data is not a predictor of student success on MSA, the current third graders will be monitored closely using formative data during this school year to ensure that these students meet the MSA reading and math standards in 2010. MAP-R data, MCPS Math Unit Assessment data, mid- quarter progress reports, weekly formative assessments, VSC indicator progress charts, and quarterly report card data will be used to monitor and guide instructional decisions for our current third grade students.

Arcola Elementary School 2009 TN2 Subgroup Reading Math % At/above % At/above 50th PR* 50th PR All 44 38 African Am. 29 29 Asian 44 56 Hispanic 44 33 White 75 100 FARMS 44 33 LEP 31 20 SpED 17 0 GT 83 94 *PR=Percentile Rank

Montgomery County Public Schools benchmark TerraNova2 with 70% of each subgroup performing at or above the 50th percentile rank which is the national performance standard. This data tells us that students are performing about the same in math and reading overall as only the White student subgroup met or exceeded the 70% benchmark. All students currently in grade 3 have significant gaps in performance according to this data and need to be monitored closely. The TN2 has a large read aloud component to it. Comprehending spoken language is very difficult for our English Language Learners that comprise over 50% of our school. We will benchmark with schools with our similar population to find ways to help prepare our students to be more successful on this assessment. We would like to see 100% of our identified Gifted and Talented students at the very least performing at the 50th PR or median level; this did not occur in math or reading. We plan to incorporate critical thinking initiatives so our second grade students are exposed to high-level differentiated strategies focusing on learning at the interpretive and evaluative levels highlighted in such programs as Junior Great Books and implementation of literature circles.

Montgomery County Assessment Program-Primary Reading (MCPSAP-PR): Findings and Implications

The MCPSAP-PR, also known as MClass: Reading 3D, is a Kindergarten through Grade 2 formative reading assessment that utilizes a PDA platform. The assessment includes screening and diagnostic measures to inform instructional practice and measure progress. Benchmark assessments are administered three times a year within a designated testing window. Overall aggregate results of Arcola students on the 2009 Spring MClass assessment show that 87.7% of students met the 12 end of year benchmark for their specific grade level K-2. Grade 2 is the only grade level with an end of year target established by MCPS. The Grade 2 achievement of 89.1% exceeds the county benchmark of 86.5% by 2.6 percentage points.

When reviewing the MClass reading data by grade and by performance level, all grade levels K-2 performed at the same levels of high performance. In fact, Kindergarten had 69% of the students performing at a Level 6 reading benchmark which is one of the Seven Keys to College Readiness, an new initiative to promote rigor established by MCPS.

2009MClass Level %at/above EOY Benchmark Advanced 69 Kindergarten Proficient 17 Basic 14 Advanced 45 Grade 1 Proficient 43 Basic 12 Advanced 35 Grade 2 Proficient 54 Basic 11

All grade levels performed admirably and above the established EOY target for Grade 2; however, we know as a school, we can achieve even greater results. One of the root causes to account for this strong data is the consistent monitoring of formative student data at the student level. Another root cause was the consistency in the implementation of Guided Reading. Learning reading skills and strategies explicitly through short leveled readers as a student’s reading level, supported by independent centers to reinforce comprehension and vocabulary as is done with more frequency in the primary grades. Grade 5 students’ outperformed Grade 3-4 students by more than double in terms of advanced performance. We will ensure that Junior Great Books is being implemented in the primary grades, as well as PADI strategies to engage our highly able students and encourage potential growth in our proficient students in an attempt to increase the percentages of our students performing at the advanced level on MSA once they reach Grade 3.

AES focused on reducing the achievement gap between racial/ethnic groups, as well as students receiving special services, including Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS), Special Education, and English Language Learners (ELL).

All Arcola ethnic groups, are making good gains in reading achievement as measured by MClass. Targeted intervention will be given to our African-American students to eliminate this gap in student performance. Motivation and extra practice are the areas that will help bolster improvement for our African-American students. We will continue to focus our staff development on high expectations, building relationships for students, and responding to reading in order to reach all subgroups.

2009 MClass Group %at/above EOY Benchmark Asian 97 African American 78 Hispanic 86 White 92

13 Reviewing these results by grade level shows that most groups in grades K-2 demonstrated solid consistent performance in the number of students meeting the End of Year benchmark. Again, Grade 2 students exceeded the benchmark.

2009MClass Results Group %at/above EOY Grade 2 Target=86.5% Benchmark Asian 100 TBD Afr. Am. 84 TBD Kindergarten Hispanic 82 TBD White 88 TBD Asian 91 TBD Afr. Am. 75 TBD Grade 1 Hispanic 89 TBD White 88 TBD Asian 13.5 points above target 100 EOY benchmark Afr. Am. 11.5 points below target 75 EOY benchmark Grade 2 Hispanic 1.5 points above target 88 EOY benchmark White 13.5 points above target 100 EOY benchmark

In Kindergarten, all ethnic subgroups demonstrated consistent performance. Asian students outperformed all other subgroups. We will continue to monitor formative data more closely and provide strategies and interventions where needed. A closer analysis of our data shows an increased need in vocabulary development, letter identification, and fluency. We also will continue to challenge our Kindergarten students in regards to responding to text through written comprehension. This will enable us to have more students reach the advanced reading levels in Kindergarten, which in turn will hopefully translate into more students achieving advanced reading levels on MSA by Grade 3.

In Grade 1, gaps still persist within the African-American subgroup in relation to other groups. We will continue to monitor progress of these subgroups using the strategies outlined above. A real focus will be extra guided reading to build fluency and sight word vocabulary. The subgroup for White students is very small, so we must ensure that we are closely monitoring student performance of this subgroup on formative assessments throughout the school year and provide prescriptive interventions when needed.

In Grade 2, all ethnic subgroups, except African-American students, exceeded the 2009 MClass End of Year benchmark. Again, Asian and White students demonstrated perfect proficiency standards and outperformed the African-American and Hispanic students. We will continue to monitor formative data more closely and provide strategies and interventions where needed.

AES students receiving special services demonstrated solid performance on the MClass end of year benchmark, except Special Education. This is a small subgroup, so if we are not monitoring carefully, students in this subgroup do not achieve benchmark status. We need to ensure that general education teachers are planning regularly with special education teachers. Instruction based upon students’ IEP’s need to be aligned with content and indicators being covered in the general education classroom.

2009 MClass Group %at/above EOY Benchmark 14 FARMs 80 Special Education 42 LEP 89

Students who did not meet the A.M.O. or are at risk for not meeting the AMO will be given consideration for inclusion in intervention groups taught by our Title I Focus teachers. We use a prescriptive model of plug-in and pull-out models to provide special services to our students.

Problem Clarification

Process Beginning in August 2009, AES staff, parents, and community members began to analyze the results of the 2009 MSA tests administered to students in grades 3-5. This analysis took place in July during the Leadership Team and grade level team meetings. Teachers were provided with detailed MSA performance results of current students. Instructional teams met with administrators and the staff development teacher to review the data.

Data reviews have centered on critical practices identified on the mdk12.org website and the mdreportcard.org website. Practices such as:

 Understanding the target (what is assessed and how it is scored)  Teaching the indicators  Assessing the indicators  Monitoring student progress  Intervening with students not succeeding

School Improvement Team Meetings review our school improvement plan including action plans which are being implemented to provide rigor for all students and academic support for students working towards math and reading benchmarks.

MSA data will be shared with parents at our initial data meeting for Arcola families which will be held in early October 2009. Data from 2008-2009 will be shared and the school improvement goals for 2009-2010 based on that data will also be explained. Program supports to ensure we meet those goals will be described by representatives from the staff. The final portion of the meeting will be a question and answer session so parents can clarify their understanding. This will be presented in English and Spanish. Student data was also shared and discussed at the SIT meeting held in September.

Grade level teams have used MSA and TN2 results, in conjunction with other academic indicators, to identify students for smaller group academic support and extended day clubs.

Grade level teams (K–5) have developed monitoring tools to measure student progress on indicators. Grade level teams have also developed plans that capture the essential questions, key concepts, and critical vocabulary for each reading unit. Plans are posted on the school’s computer network so that Title I focus teachers, ESOL, and arts teachers can have access to the long-term plans of each instructional team. In this way, teachers who work with the same students are able to collaborate on instructional strategies for students. This will help to deliver more focused instruction to students in academic support groups, including students receiving special education services, and ESOL students.

The SIT will be meeting monthly to monitor student progress and update our action plans to identify strategies that support identified students who are at risk of not scoring at the proficient level. Title I focus and academic intervention staff are collaborating with grade level teachers to identify students at each grade level who will receive supplemental instruction in reading and/or math. Our ESOL and special education staff participate in these meetings, to ensure all instructional goals are aligned when students are receiving multiple services and supports.

MSA results will be shared with parents at the PTA meeting in November. Discussions about our MSA results will continue throughout the year. In addition, our monthly Family Curriculum Nights will be focused on helping parents learn about helping their children become stronger readers, being successful in school, and meeting their full potential. 15 We also plan on discussing the MSA with our parents during a Family Curriculum Night in February where we will identify specific strategies parents can use to help prepare their children for the MSA.

The school day has been organized so that each grade level team has a solid uninterrupted block of time for reading/language arts instruction. Currently four ESOL teachers meet the needs of our English Language Learner population which is over 200 students. ESOL teachers are supporting the reading/language arts curriculum when they meet with small groups. Our Title I funded ESOL support teacher works with ESOL students in reading and supplements in class math instruction for an intensive primary group.

In addition, all grade level teams have been provided with increased academic support during the reading/language arts and math block. We have organized our master schedule to provide for a reading block of 90 minutes and a math block of 75 minutes for extended instruction in the realm of support as well as acceleration. K-5 teachers have the support of special education resource teachers to provide instructional support and information on reading and math intervention. The school system has funded a Reading Recovery teacher to support at risk first graders and to provide professional development to grade level teachers. Title I focus teachers also provide additional small group reading and math support to students in grades K–5. This support includes Benchmark Phonics, supplemental small groups for guided reading and guided math practice, additional ESOL vocabulary groups, and focused instruction on specific reading and math strategies. Title I paraeducators also provide small group reading support to all grade levels during the reading/language arts and math block.

Professional development opportunities focused on reading comprehension strategies and math differentiation are integrated in all content based action plans. Professional development will continue this year to ensure there is fidelity of implementation for running record procedures. SIT meetings, school committees, staff meetings, and professional days are focused on strengthening the Professional Learning Community and strategic responses to students’ academic needs. The staff has a clear planning focus on reading, math, and effective use of assessment and progress monitoring data for instructional decision making. By aligning all resources and monitoring our data, students will increase achievement in math and reading/language arts.

Ensuring Stakeholder Input

We are collecting input through focused meetings, surveys, committee feedback, team feedback, anecdotal logs, and informal exchanges of email.

Information is collected from our parents through evaluations at the end of parent meetings, through monthly PTA meetings, parent satisfaction surveys, Individualized Education Program and Educational Management Team meetings, parent conferences and communications with staff. Student input is gathered through meetings with the SGA, class meetings, and via student surveys. Input from staff is collected in a variety of ways, including a leadership retreat days, informal and formal discourse during team meetings and committee meetings, evaluations at the end of all meetings, staff surveys, needs assessments, and during the leadership meetings.

We are working to reorganize our PTA in order to continue and restructure the organization as it was set up for the first year of Arcola’s existence. We want to incorporate the Family Involvement committee’s efforts as part of the PTA agenda to ensure there is alignment between the two groups and they are supportive of one another.

PTA meetings have a school-related topic on the agenda bi-monthly, so that parents have a clearer understanding of the instructional programs that take place at AES. Curriculum nights offer parents an opportunity to gain an awareness of academic and performance standards specific their child’s grade level. That feedback has assisted us in crafting the school’s current mission statement. Interactive discussions are held during parent conferences in November, where parents are presented with the Title I Home-School Compact. The Home-School Compact outlines the ongoing collaborative agreements between the school, the staff, and the community. Informal/formal dialogue is encouraged between teachers, parents and students throughout the year and is often facilitated by the parent community coordinator to serve the needs of our Spanish speaking families. In addition, parent representation on our family involvement committee provides an essential perspective as we initiate programs and events that promote home school collaboration.

16 IV. Faculty and Staff Focus Based on our system initiatives, required program models, and local school needs; the following topics will be the focus for professional development at Arcola ES in 2009-2010:

1. Support MCPS initiatives for cultural competency and high expectations 2. Plan instruction to ensure attainment of the 7 Keys to College Readiness 3. Establish a protocol/criteria for examination of written responses (BCR) to inform instruction and academic support 4. Effective implementation of guided reading as a vital component of balanced literacy 5. Establish a protocol/criteria for examination of student performance in the different facets of number sense to inform instruction and academic support 6. Continuation of student/teacher data notebooks and other Baldridge tools 7. Implementation of Home School Model

17 Instruction by Highly Qualified Teachers/ Strategies to attract Highly Qualified teachers to high-need schools. Highly Qualified Teachers Plan for Montgomery County Public Schools Date: July 1, 2009

School System Objective #1: To recruit, select, and retain highly qualified and certified teachers with a cadre of experiences that can address the diverse needs of the students enrolled in the Title I Schools. Tasks Office(s) Responsible Time Line Task Review Dates 1. Recruit and hire a cadre of certified and highly qualified teachers for Title I Office of Human Schools Resources/Department of Continuous Monthly Staffing 2. Strive to fill vacancies from a broad-based and diverse candidate pool that Office of Human August-June April includes balance in terms of gender, ethnicity, and experience Resources/Department of Staffing 3. Evaluate the credentials of applicants with experiences related to the needs Office of Human November- Monthly; November-April of the students and conduct interviews by asking questions related to the Resources/Department of April needs of the students. Work cooperatively with principals to select Staffing applicants with the skills set that addresses the needs of the students Allow Title I principals to review new candidate files prior to other principals.

4. Monitor voluntary and involuntary transfers, substitute teachers and Office of Human April-June April-June instructional assistant coverage for employee absences Resources/Department of Staffing 5. Provide consulting teachers to each first-year teacher as part of a Office of Organizational August-June January and June comprehensive teacher induction program. Development

6. Assign a staff development teacher to all schools to ensure that staff is Office of Organizational August-June January and June supported in job-embedded professional development linked to the school Development improvement process.

18 Highly Qualified Teachers Plan for Montgomery County Public Schools Date: July 1, 2009 Tasks Office(s) Responsible Time Line Task Review Dates 7. Provide training to school teams on effective practices for coaching and Office of Organizational July-June January and May supporting colleagues. Development, Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs 8. Provide job-embedded professional development linked to the School Office of Organizational October- January-May Improvement Plan . Development, April Department of Curriculum and Instruction 9. Provide best practices training for gifted and talented teachers. Office of Organizational August - May September, November, Development, Enriched January, and March and Innovative Instruction, Academic Support-Federal and State Programs

Local School Initiatives to support the system plan Office(s) Responsible Time Line Task Review Dates 10. Title I focus teachers provide supplemental instruction to high needs Div of Title I Sept-June Quarterly students using plug in and pull out models. Title I Focus Staff 11. Social and Wellness Committee sponsoring teacher dialogue groups as well Local School Sept -June Monthly as social and health oriented activities for staff staff/committee members 12. Administrative informal mini-conferences where staff and administrator or Administration October Quarterly SDT meet w/ all staff members during a planning time or before/after school Staff development teacher -May time to discuss management, instruction, climate, needs, and wishes of each staff member to gauge their level of satisfaction or need and address any items necessary to improve working status. 13. Staff Incentives “gator pond” program, where staff are recognized for Administration October Monthly at first staff assisting colleagues, going above and beyond, or providing resources for the Staff development teacher -June meeting betterment of the school. 14. Administrative one on one data chats. Administration Fall , Winter, Fall, Winter, Spring Spring Our specific faculty and staff focused activities are incorporated in to our action plans in the strategic planning section. Professional activities are displayed in italicized font.

19 Leadership Arcola ES Reading Linkages Chart Performance Results DRAFT Arcola’s mission as a caring and collaborative community is to provide a rigorous instructional program through respect, communication and high 2008 MSA % Prof/Adv2009 MSA % expectations to maximize achievement for all students. Prof/Adv3rd grade82.882.2African news letters * web site staff meetings Am.81.382Asian83.3100Hispanic87.179Whit Student & Stakeholder Focus parent meetings e60.0100FARMS87.881LEP72.277SpEd1008 Based on the disaggregated MSA and TN2 daily announcements 04th grade71.686.3African data, we found in reading: Am.58.386Asian100100Hispanic7087White- Grade 2 (Current Grade 3): 67FARMS69.288LEP54.590SpEd1001005th Based on the total grade level data, 44% of Strategic Planning grade 2 met or exceeded the 50% NCE grade-86.9African Am.-86Asian- As a result of analyzing disaggregated MSA AYP data and TN2 data, our benchmark. 27% met the 70% 100Hispanic-84White-100FARMS-86LEP- Grade 3 (Current Grade 4): focus will be to ensure that these subgroups will meet or exceed the A.M.O. In order to ensure continued growth in of 81.2%. 84SpEd-50 meeting the AMO for 2009-2010, the Measurable Goals: following subgroups will need to be Grade 2 (Current Grade 3): closely monitored. Each subgroup will increase by 30% or more to ensure all students SubgroupScoreHispanic79%LEP77%IEP meet or exceed the 50%NCE benchmark for 2009-10. We will strive 80%Grade 4 (Current Grade 5): to increase percentage of students meeting 70%NCE from 25% to In order to ensure marked growth in 35% of grade level. (34 students) meeting the AMO for 2009-2010, the Grade 3 (Current Grade 4): following subgroups will need to be 21% of the Hispanic subgroup will move from basic to proficient closely monitored. (8 students) SubgroupScoreWhite67% 23% of the LEP subgroup will move from basic to proficient (10 students) 20% of SpEd subgroup will move from basic to proficient (1 student) 10% of total grade level population will move from proficient to advanced (7 students) Grade 4 (Current Grade 5): 30% of White subgroup will move from basic to proficient (2 students) 10% of total grade level population will move from proficient to advanced (8 students)

Faculty & Staff Focus Process Management Based on staff feedback and needs Incorporation of vertical dialogue on leadership team. assessments the following will be Measure progress towards achieving SIP goals at monthly SIT meetings, addressed: Utilize model, coach, apply method for Instructional team meetings, data meetings, and leadership team meetings structured data meetings at grade levels. with focus on identified students. Measurement, Analysis, & Knowledge Establish a protocol/criteria for Identification of a process for more focused data collection and monitoring Management examination of student work related to student achievement. Walk throughs 2 times a year (BCR/ECR) Monitor Baldrige action plan for reading through reading committee and Progress monitoring (K-5) Continuation of training on small group team meetings. MAP-R guided reading, intervention and Assess staff development needs, effectiveness and future follow-up based Running records w/ increased frequency for assessment. evaluations, student data and PDP’s below grade level students Continuation of student data notebooks. BCR scored using MSA rubric Use PDSA process for problem solving with SMT Student & teacher data notebooks Quarterly report card grades Structured data meetings/team instructional meeting with examination of student work 20 T1, T2, and T3 for reading indicators Leadership Performance Results Arcola ES Math Linkages Chart - Arcola’s mission as a caring and collaborative community is to DRAFT provide a rigorous academic instructional program through respect, 2008 MSA % Prof./Adv.2009 MSA % communication, and high expectations to maximize achievement for Prof./Adv.Grade 386%73.9%African all students. This will be articulated through staff meetings, parent Amer75%78%Asian83%85%White100%10 meetings, daily announcements, school website and monthly news 0%Hispanic90%71%FARMS83%70%LEP8 Student & Stakeholder Focus letters. Based on the disaggregated MSA and TN2 3%70%SpEd100%80%Grade data, we found in reading: 485%91.8%African Grade 2 (Current Grade 3): Amer83%81%Asian100%100%White- Based on the total grade level data, 38% of grade 2 met or exceeded the 50% NCE Strategic Planning 100%Hispanic80%92%FARMS83%89%LE benchmark. and 27.3% met the 70% As a result of analyzing disaggregated MSA AYP data and TN2 data, our P73%90%SpEd100%100%Grade 5- Grade 3 (Current Grade 4): focus will be to ensure that these subgroups will meet or exceed the 78.3%African Amer.-71%Asian- In order to ensure continued growth in A.M.O. of 81.2% and increase percentage of students meeting advanced meeting the AMO for 2009-2010, the standards in 2009-10. 100%White-100%Hispanic-76%FARMS- following subgroups will need to be Measurable Goals: 79%LEP-73%SpEd-50%Summative closely monitored. Grade 2 (Current Grade 3): Measures-MSA, TN2 SubgroupScoreLEP70%Hispanic71%Afri Each subgroup will increase by 30% or more to ensure all students can American78%SpEd80%Grade 4 meet or exceed the 50%NCE benchmark for 2009-10. We will (Current Grade 5): strive to increase percentage of students meeting 70%NCE from All subgroups currently meet or exceed the 25% to 30% of grade level. (32 students) AMO for 2009-2010; therefore, we plan Grade 3 (Current Grade 4): to focus on the movement from proficient 30% of the LEP subgroup will move from basic to proficient to advanced in the following subgroups. ( 13 students) SubgroupSpEdLEPHispanic African 29% of the Hispanic subgroup will move from basic to proficient American (11 students) 22% of African American subgroup will move from basic to proficient (5 students) 10% of total grade level population will move from proficient to advanced (7 students) Grade 4 (Current Grade 5): 10% of each subgroup will move from proficient to advanced SpEd 1 student LEP 4 studentsHispanic 4 studentsAfrican American 2 students

Process Management Faculty & Staff Focus Measurement, Analysis, & Measure progress towards achieving SIP goals at monthly SIT meetings, Utilize model, coach, apply method for Knowledge Management structured data meetings at grade levels. structured team data meetings, math committee, and leadership team Math unit assessment monitoring Establish a protocol/criteria for meetings Math formatives (T1, T2) examination of student work and progress Monitor Baldrige action plan for math through math committee and team BCR’s within the school wide focus of number meetings Examination of student work in teams sense Access staff development needs, effectiveness and future follow up for math Student data notebooks Conduct mid and end of year review staff Quarterly report cards/grades based on evaluations, student data, and PDP’s Data meetings/team instructional meetings survey to identify staff needs and Implementation of school-wide basic facts and number sense initiative One on one data chats with administration satisfaction. SMT analysis and structured data meetings 21 Unit assessment math reports Walk-throughs V. Strategic Plannin g

Our school improvement plan is aligned with the Baldrige management process and this section of our plan begins with our Baldrige Linkages charts which provide a graphic representation of our school improvement efforts as organized by the categories of Baldrige. We have integrated the required Title I components in to each of these categories. The categories combine data, instructional programming, decision making processes, and goal setting. The following section describes the scientifically research based strategies and initiatives that comprise our core academic program and address the learning needs of all students attending Arcola ES. This year we have revised our instructional blocks and related schedules in order to maximize student learning time and provide teachers with greater common planning time to examine data and identify most appropriate strategies to address learning needs. Our schedule has changed in the following ways:

 Daily 75 minute instructional math block increased from 60 minutes last year  Weekly common planning time for all grade levels, including those with more than three team members  Weekly TN2/MSA preparatory sessions at each grade level 2-5 beginning in September  More flexible scheduling of Title I focus teacher support

The following scientifically research based programs are being implemented at Arcola ES in order to meet the varying needs of students. The programs described below include acceleration and enrichment efforts as well as intervention and supplemental instruction to ensure underperforming students master grade level indicators and reach proficient or advanced on the MSA.

The William and Mary Reading/Language Arts Program: The program was developed by the Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary specifically to meet the needs of high ability students. The program includes a series of curriculum units designed to challenge students to read advanced texts and perform a variety of tasks. The literature and tasks increase in complexity as students move from one grade to the next. Through consistent use of the curriculum’s specific teaching models, students build competence in reading, writing and thinking. In class the students read and discuss short pieces of literature – poems, short stories, speeches, and essays. They keep a response journal to clarify thinking and to help prepare for written and oral assignments. Students respond to the literature and think critically about it by analyzing ideas, vocabulary, and structure. The units include reading and research activities that require work outside of class, and students may need support in the classroom and at home. Instruction focuses on active learning, problem solving, research, and critical thinking. In addition to receiving direct instruction, students are encouraged to work individually and in small groups. The use of rubrics to evaluate work is a strong component. A pre/post-test assesses progress made in the areas of literature, grammar and writing; students maintain a writing portfolio that documents growth in writing; and a number of projects are assessed through three perspectives – self, peer, and teacher. In MCPS highly able students participate fully in the William and Mary Curriculum. Instruction includes the sequence of lessons and full integration of the reasoning and research components. All students in MCPS participate in partial implementation of the William and Mary Curriculum through consistent application of the teaching models along with selected readings and lessons from the units.

Junior Great Books Program: This program is proven to help students develop the essential skills of reading carefully, thinking critically, listening intently, and speaking and writing persuasively. Teachers in classrooms most often lead the program with students of mixed abilities as an integral part of the regular language arts curriculum. However, it is flexible enough to focus

22 on the needs of English language learners, gifted, and Title I students or to use as an after-school program led by parents, volunteers, or librarians.

Fountas & Pinnell Primary/ELL Phonics Strategies: This program provides teachers with scientific information about the complex, intricate relationships between letters and sounds and ways in which they work to support developing readers. The program provides a complete Phonics and Word Study Curriculum for each of the primary grades. It includes 100 Mini lessons. These lessons include:  Early Literacy Concepts  High-Frequency Words  Phonological and Phonemic Awareness  Spelling Patterns  Letter Knowledge  Word Structure  Letter Sound Relationships  Word-Solving Actions  Word Meaning Students benefit tremendously from these lessons.

Reading Recovery: This program identifies first grade students who are significantly at risk. Students work one on one with a trained Reading Recovery teacher. Working on a text selected to provide an appropriate level of challenge, students are taught to integrate the three cueing systems: visual, meaning and structural, and to cross-check, self-monitor and self-correct while reading.

Supplemental Guided Reading / Jan Richardson Model: This initiative provides an additional session of small group guided reading for foundational, emergent, early fluent and fluent readers. Teachers use specific intervention reading strategies ranging from decoding to comprehension depending upon the literacy component that the student(s) are experiencing difficulty with as they are immersed in the learning to read or reading to learn. The purpose of these strategies is to provide students with the knowledge that they can do things to help themselves better understand and enjoy what they are reading. In addition, this year Dr. Jan Richardson will be providing on- site training for all instructional staff members to provide differentiated training for all staff based on their knowledge of this model.

Harcourt Math: Harcourt Math provides a focused instruction on key skills, plenty of practice for mastery and retention, comprehensive assessment, and focused intervention. According to a study by Jennifer J. Conner, Bob B. Greene, and P. Lloyd, entitled Winter Spring 2000 Study of Instructional Effectiveness and “conducted by Educational Research Institute of America, the researchers documented how effective Harcourt Math is in raising test scores. Students were administered pre and post tests before and after instruction using the resources from this program. Data indicated gains that were statistically significant in scores of all the units taught from grades 1-5 after each unit of instruction was completed.

Math Achievers: This program serves as an extended day program that is a research based supplemental short term program from Great Source Educational group. The program focuses on specific math concepts including number sense, basic operations, measurement, geometry, algebra and patterns, and basic problem solving. Student math data will determine the number concepts used for this after school club. We are currently making club determinations but we expect for this research based club to be repeated based on the success of the club in 2008-09.

23 Description of school’s plan for incorporating additional activities before school, after school, during the summer and during any extension of school.

All Title I schools in Montgomery County Public Schools participate in the Extended Learning Opportunities Initiative which provided a summer program. The Extended Learning Opportunities Summer Adventures in Learning (ELO SAIL) – Extended Year program is designed to provide additional instruction in reading/language arts and mathematics to entering kindergarten through Grade 5 students in our school. Specifically, the ELO-SAIL program seeks to:  Alleviate the loss of academic skills that some students may experience over the summer months;  Extend learning by continuing to review concepts and skills that were taught in the previous school year;  Strengthen basic skills that are the preconditions of later learning;  Accelerate learning by previewing concepts and skills to be taught in the grade students will enter in the fall; and  Provide continuing English language instruction for speakers of other languages.

The ELO SAIL program consists of four hours each morning for a four-week period. The program is offered at no cost to families, as federal funds are used to support the program. All students receive breakfast, lunch and transportation to and from the program at no cost. The duration of the daily instructional component of the program is a minimum of three hours. The instructional schedule includes reading/language arts for two hours and mathematics for one hour.

Extended Day programming is funded locally by the district. In addition, Arcola is using a small portion of its funding to continue academically based extended day clubs. Use of this funding is to support students throughout the school year. It will be used to provide intervention and acceleration for students. We will invite specific students to attend clubs that will hone in on their needs and strengths. The plan will be updated when clubs are finalized. Finalization is based on student needs and sponsors willingness to implement in those areas of need. We are considering the following options for this year:

Reader’s Theatre MSA Math and Reading Study Island Literacy (Homework & Comprehension/BCR) Math Achievers

Strategies used for assisting preschool children in the transition from HeadStart; early childhood programs in to elementary school programs

Kindergarten orientation was in April 2009 in order to give parents an opportunity to visit the school with their child. During this activity, information on the kindergarten instructional program and registration process was provided. Staff members were available to answer questions about the school. Representatives from the Health Department, Division of Title 1 Programs, and Arcola’s Parent Community Coordinator and office staff were available to assist parents. This event provided parents with opportunities to apply for health insurance, register their child for summer school and learn about family involvement opportunities from the parent community coordinator. Students new to Arcola, met with teachers from the kindergarten team to participate in assessment activities that provided baseline information about academic and social skills. Information gathered from this event provided feedback for the development of the 09/10 kindergarten groupings. During the summer, when the Extended Learning Opportunities: Summer Adventures in Learning Program was in session incoming kindergarten families

24 were invited to a Kindergarten Toolkit parent training. This training presented all kindergarten families with a box of instructional games and materials for use in the home to promote foundational language, literacy, and math skills. The Title I specialist and a Spanish speaking staff member presented 2 workshops to accommodate parent schedules. In addition, parents were given the opportunity to observe their children in classrooms during instructional time. The Parent Community Coordinator also provided a Question/ Answer session for English and Spanish speaking parents of incoming kindergarteners. Prior to Back To School Open House, the kindergarten team presented a parent information session as well to present vital information regarding procedures, expectations, and overview of the kindergarten experience from the student and parent perspective.

In the transition process from Pre–K/Head Start to Kindergarten, the pre-K team will meet with the Kindergarten team in January 2010 to discuss students who will be attending AES in the fall of 2010 and to begin sharing data on incoming students.

Strategies in place to foster smooth transition from new grade 5 in to the feeder middle school

The guidance counselor and the grade 5 team leader are spearheading the effort to network with E. Brooke Lee Middle School. Contacts have been made with the grade six counselor at Lee M.S. & a meeting is set up for October so that the grade 5 to middle school timeline and action plan can be documented. The grade 5 team and the guidance counselor from Arcola and E. Brooke Lee plan to have a family information meeting to share the timeline and promote the exciting program at the middle school which incorporates specific components of the district’s middle school reform effort. There are also plans to provide parent information meetings to share middle school magnet program opportunities. We are discussing the possibility of having representatives from the middle school observe our grade 5 classes and have our grade 5 teachers observe the grade 6 classes in order to integrate procedures and expectations that are familiar to this group of students. There is a summer orientation provided for all incoming sixth graders as well as a parent information meeting hosted by the middle school.

Strategies to be used for assisting students in the transition from other schools into the school-wide program after the beginning of the school year have commenced.

When a new student is enrolled, he/she is warmly and enthusiastically welcomed. Available achievement data/student records are reviewed by instructional focus support staff in order to make the most accurate placement decisions. A great number of our newly enrolling students are English Language Learners. ESOL support is carefully considered in making class assignments. Baseline assessments are given to students new to Montgomery County. Student information on MCPS transfer students is accessed through the myMCPS database. Classroom teachers and ESOL teachers work with the student to assess instructional levels in reading, writing, and math, and provide feedback to school administrators. If the assessments determine that a student is in need of intervention or services, the administrators work with Title I focus teachers to identify appropriate academic support. Parents are also asked to provide input regarding the student’s needs and strengths. The school attendance secretary, parent community coordinator and guidance counselor welcome and inform new parents about school policies and procedures. When the student arrives for his/her first day at Arcola, he/she is met in the office, given a briefing with the guidance counselor and walked down to class by the school counselor or an administrator. The new student is assigned a buddy to help them become acclimated to the school. Class meetings are used to introduce new students and to provide every child a voice in the classroom community. In addition, our Parent Community Coordinator meets with families upon arrival to ensure they have an understanding of school procedures and expectations. She

25 provides new families with the schedule of parent coffees that address local school topics and relevant initiatives that may benefit their families. The Arcola home school compact and parent involvement policy are also provided at the time of new family enrollment.

26 Action Plans for Reading and Math

Reading Action Plan 2009-10

School: Arcola Elementary School Date: September, 2009

SIP Goal/Objective (Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) 2009):  81.2% (within the confidence interval) of all students and of the seven subgroups represented at our school will demonstrate proficient or advanced performance in reading on the MSA. All italicized actions relate to professional development Action steps/objectives/ processes Person(s) Resources Monitoring tools Monitoring: Results Timeline Responsible Needed or data points Date and by (include evaluation of processes for effectiveness and (formative & whom efficiency) summative) Review data from IMS, MClass, Leadership Scheduled mtg Gr.level teams: Documented Administrative feedback MAP-R, MSA,TN-2 at leadership Team times week 1–rdg meeting notes: Specialist support- team meeting. Specific focus on cusp Rdg Spec, week 2–math weekly by grade students as determined through drill classroom week 3–TAS levels turned in down data analysis process. Data will teachers students to admin include specific number of students in Monthly SMT data Monthly SMT subgroups. posting of postings & use intervention in data chats/ /acceleration focus mtgs/staff dev students Mock MSA Sessions for students Leadership Schedule Disaggregated Data in SMT TBD (comparison session 1 & 2) Session I used for instructional (gr.3,4, 5) Team/ Title Mock MSA SMT to monitor qrterly and decision making and progress monitoring 10/8/09 #1Grade 5 I staff/ materials student progress reviewed by 10/13/09 #1Grades 3&4 classroom Ldrship team & 11/5/09 #2Grade 5 tchrs,support tchrs 11/12/09 #2Grades 3 &4 staff 12/8/09 #3Grades 3&4 12/10/09 #3Grade 5 2/9/10 #4Grades 3-4 2/12/10 #4Grade 5 Mock TN2 Sessions for students Leadership Schedule Separate SMT to Data in SMT Session I used for instructional decision making and progress 12/10/09 (gr.2) Team/ Title Mock TN2 monitor student qrterly and monitoring and baseline data. 2/12/10 (gr. 2) I staff/ materials progress reviewed by

27 Action steps/objectives/ processes Person(s) Resources Monitoring tools Monitoring: Results Timeline Responsible Needed or data points Date and by (include evaluation of processes for effectiveness and (formative & whom efficiency) summative) classroom Ldrship team & tchrs,support tchrs staff Rdg Spec Reading Room S.A.N. E. Observations Observable use of running records and MSA Rubric in Conduct BCR and Running Records Rdg Focus materials documentation completed by classrooms, represented in formal, informal observations & sessions during Staff and Vertical tchrs Walk-Throughs admin and walk walk throughs. Evidence of running record and BCR data in Articulation meetings, using the Rdg. Sensitive throughs teacher data notebooks – reviewed by administration, rdg specialist and literacy support tchrs Sensitive Observation of Reading Committee Observation Behavior Program Model and the Effective Part I 3-CD Admin Data MSA Rubric for consistency classroom Package chats by qrtr II tchrs MSA Rubric (Dec 2009) Training on Fountas & Pinnell Rdg Spec Reading Room S.A.N. E. Feb/Mar one on Observable use of materials in classrooms, represented in Primary /ELL Phonics strategies and Rdg Focus materials documentation one formal, informal observations and extended day (same as above) materials tchrs (see Rdg Tchr/ T1 Phonics training for new and Fountas & tchrs in primary) intermediate teachers Pinnell Phonics kits Staff Meeting-qrtr 1 Literacy intervention through Reading Leveled readers Individual reading Title I Rdg Communication between Title I Rdg Focus tchrs and classroom supplemental guided reading via Title Spec J. Richardson student logs and Focus Teachers teachers- collaborative planning based on student progress & I literacy focused teachers K-5 Title I training and profiles needs. (J. Richardson model) Reading strategies for Jan Richardson Training 9/25/09 Focus supplementary November BCR session/training teachers guided rdg. during Staff Meeting J. Richardson book and DVD

28 Action steps/objectives/ processes Person(s) Resources Monitoring tools Monitoring: Results Timeline Responsible Needed or data points Date and by (include evaluation of processes for effectiveness and (formative & whom efficiency) summative) Training provided to teachers on Refer W& M materials Grade level lists Marking All students involved successfully in completing units or William & Mary Program, Jr. Great teachers to /units completed periods 3 & 4 consideration of movement in to Jr. Great Books and completion Books & Jacobs Ladder PDO (week 8 of each) PDO training by new staff. GT Teacher check in w/ staff

Implementation of William and Mary GT tchr W& M materials Grade level lists Marking periods All students involved successfully completing units or program (every class grades 3-5) Classroom /units completed 3 & 4 (week 8 consideration of movement in to Jr. Great Books Q3-TBD Q4-TBD teacher of each ) GT Tchr Implementation of Jr. Great Books for GT tchr Jr Great Books Grade level lists Marking periods All students involved successfully completing book or all students (grades K-5) Classroom materials /books completed 1 - 4 (week 8 of consideration of expanding differentiated groups Q1-TBD Q3-TBD teacher 2 stories per each) Q2-TBD Q4 TBD quarter

Training for facilitation of newly Admin T-Shared SMT Monthly Monthly leadership grade level data updates/presentation structured data team meetings Staff resources and Grade level Week 1 focusing on cusp students, both basic Development templates determined Week 2 and advanced (MSA, TN-2) Title I formative Week 4 data Literacy and Math support assessments presentation Teachers Team Leaders Monthly team meetings related to Ldrship Needs IMS Week 1 per Compare current progress of focus stakeholder /subgroups and literacy data involving classroom Team Assessment/ SIP Progress month- included Linkages charts teachers, Title I focus teachers, and Reading data monitoring data in Ldrship team reading specialist one week per month focused staff agenda or SIP(week2) Weekly Team Planning for literacy Grade Level Curriculum Weekly Planning 1 per week Team plans on T-shared available block based on student data Teams Guides Sheet

29 Action steps/objectives/ processes Person(s) Resources Monitoring tools Monitoring: Results Timeline Responsible Needed or data points Date and by (include evaluation of processes for effectiveness and (formative & whom efficiency) summative) Weekly progress checks between Title Title I staff Email Email All Persons Students of concern appear on week 3 agenda of team mtgs by I literacy focus teachers, GT teacher Rdg Spec Mtg notes Mtg notes Responsible to grade level Reading Teacher, special education ESOL maintain Data tchrs, and ESOL teachers focusing on Spec Ed., Notebook literacy as identified by literacy GT development teachers Progress monitoring K-5 K-5 tchrs MClass Tchr data Teacher: weekly Students or instructional objectives of concern appear on week 3 MClass Title I Rdg Formative in notebook/student Student: weekly agenda of team mtgs by grade level (see Measurement Analysis) focus staff class data data notebooks Fountas & Pinnell Progress Monitoring for K-5 Fountas K-4 tchrs F & P As needed based Rdg spec & Based on progress, develop pull out or in class intervention plan & Pinnell Benchmark assessments for Rdg Spec Benchmark on identification classroom tchrs between T1 staff & classroom or ESOL / Spec Ed- if so designated subgroups as listed in Title I Rdg Assessment kits and progress based on identified Student/Stakeholder focus, focus staff MSA Rubric monthly data BCRs will also be evaluated and review scored as part of the student’s overall reading assessment. Extended Day club offering for Rdg Spec Research based Weekly informal Weekly- Club roster developed based on student need-pre & post primary in the area of literacy: Title I staff materials assessments or club sponsor assessment Classroom following NCLB tasks accomplished Oct-Nov2009 tchrs criteria w/ proficiency Pre and Post assessment Home-School Connection: Reading A- PCC Software Log on usage Quarterly by rdg Number of times used off site by parents/training by PCC. Z Reading Passwords record spec Spec Schoolwide Reading Incentive Reading Data Gathering Monthly data chart (11/3/09- Correlation between high level of recreational reading and Program Spec R/LA completed by 3/31/10) reading progress Rdg Conference Page teacher/grade level Progress reports and rewards for meeting quantity goals – parent Committee posted on data wall Monthly data chart completed by teacher/grade level

30 Action steps/objectives/ processes Person(s) Resources Monitoring tools Monitoring: Results Timeline Responsible Needed or data points Date and by (include evaluation of processes for effectiveness and (formative & whom efficiency) summative) MSA Reading Night will occur for : Rdg Tchr MSA prep Evaluations Rdg Tchr Evaluations to be summarized and prepared for Title I families specifically with students in Rdg Comm materials Title I Rdg notebook Grades 3-5 ( 1/14/10) Classroom Curriculum Focus Tchrs Semester II Family Nights connected to reading and students in Pre K -5 (2/18/09) Tchrs Materials Specialist Title I Foundational Pre K -5 Literacy (2/18/09) Activities (Make Grades 3-5 ( & Take) 1/14/10) PPT presentations Study Island Program

Parent ESOL classes have also served ESOL tchrs/ Paper Class evals review class ESOL Teachers will coordinate with MCLC to provide to follow this up by encouraging MCLC Snacks evals & debrief sessions parents and students to go to Wheaton on effort w/ T1 Public Library to utilize their materials 10/6/09- both in English and their native 10/24/09 languages.

31 Draft Math Action Plan Template

School: Arcola Elementary School September 2009-2010

SIP Goal/Objective (Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) 2008):  79.4 (within the confidence interval) of all students and of the seven subgroups represented at our school will demonstrate proficient or advanced performance in mathematics on the MSA. All italicized actions relate to professional development Action steps/objectives/ processes Person(s) Resources Monitoring tools Monitoring: Results Timeline Responsible Needed or data points Date and by (include evaluation of processes for effectiveness and (formative & whom efficiency) summative) Review data from IMS, unit Leadership Scheduled mtg Gr level teams: Documented Administrative feedback assessments, MSA,TN-2, formative Team times- team mtg Monthly math meeting notes: Specialist support and pre-assessments Math schedule meetings data notebooks, More math support in grades 3-5 based on 08-09 data Aug/Sept for leadership team/ SIP Content SMT monthly team—ongoing monthly (monthly Coach, Math data/ curriculum meetings for grade Committee levels) classroom teachers Math training for new and veteran MCC Math Room S.A.N. E. Staff Meeting Observable use of materials in classrooms, represented in teachers focusing on specific math BENKS materials documentation MCC formal, informal observations materials throughout the school year math focus Math as needed teachers Committee TBD based on

32 Action steps/objectives/ processes Person(s) Resources Monitoring tools Monitoring: Results Timeline Responsible Needed or data points Date and by (include evaluation of processes for effectiveness and (formative & whom efficiency) summative) need

Develop survey to assess needs in the MCC Math Room S.A.N. E. May 2010 Observable use of materials in classrooms, represented in area of math for staff Math Focus materials documentation formal, informal observations and extended day tchrs Math intervention through MCC MCPS guides Individual math Title I Math Communication between Title I Math Focus tchrs and supplemental daily small group Title I Math Manipulatives student logs and Focus Teachers classroom teachers- collaborative planning based on instruction and co teaching with math Focus unit assessments MCC student progress & needs focus teachers teachers IDA Daily

Reduced math group numbers/small Title I Math Scheduling to Individual math Title I Math Communication between Title I Math Focus tchrs and groups to focus on students not Focus double up math student logs and Focus Teachers classroom teachers- collaborative planning based on meeting benchmark and in need of teachers instruction for unit assessments Title I Spec student progress & needs development of number sense focus students IDA Daily Accelerated math class per grade level Math focus Unit Data Grade level lists Following each All students involved successfully completing unit K-5 determined by pre-assessment, teachers MSA /units completed math unit assessments and challenge items. articulation, standard testing data, IDA TN2 Unit assessments & assessment, report card info and teacher obs. All SMT success w/ math focus and classroom challenge items classroom teachers SMT teachers Differentiated math literacy block in MCC MCPS guide Pre, Formative and monthly grade All students involved successfully completing unit all classes K-5 to focus on rigor as Math focus Manipulatives summative level data mtg at assessments and meeting unit objectives w/ complete well as completed and met grade level tchrs Supplemental assessments team meetings understanding. benchmarks Classroom resources T1, T2, T3 SMT Given varied and multiple assessments, students will be tchrs Accommodation SMT able to meet benchmarks by T3 Math Comm s members Training for facilitation of newly Admin T-Shared SMT Monthly Monthly leadership grade level data updates/presentation structured data team meetings Staff resources and Grade level Week 1 focusing on cusp students, both basic Development templates determined Week 2

33 Action steps/objectives/ processes Person(s) Resources Monitoring tools Monitoring: Results Timeline Responsible Needed or data points Date and by (include evaluation of processes for effectiveness and (formative & whom efficiency) summative) and advanced (MSA, TN-2) Title I formative Week 4 data Literacy and assessments presentation Math support Teachers Team Leaders Monthly data checks between Title I Title I staff Email Email Focus, ESOL Students of concern appear on week 3 agenda of team math focus teachers, MCC, special Math Spec Mtg notes Mtg notes team ldr/tchrs mtgs by grade level education tchrs, ESOL teachers, and ESOL Maintain Based on progress, develop TAS or in-class intervention homeroom teachers to identify Spec Ed contacts – plan between T1 staff & classroom or ESOL / Spec Ed – students of concern weekly

Progress monitoring K-5 K-5 tchrs Formatives in Tchr data Daily in Students or instructional objectives of concern appear on using district performance tasks at Title I Math class data notebook/student classroom week 3 agenda of team mtgs by grade level each grade level (T1T2T3) focus staff data notebooks performance tasks implemented based on MCPS guide MCPS Parent Newsletters & Info MCC MCPS Math MCPS unit At the Documented dissemination of academic publication in Sheets Math focus website newsletter beginning and multiple languages staff Documentation end of each notebk & records math unit Extended Day club offering in the area MCC Research based Weekly informal Club sponsors of math Title I staff materials assessments or Session I: Oct- Classroom following NCLB tasks accomplished Dec tchrs criteria w/ proficiency Session 2: Jan- Software Mar Passwords Family Math Night MCC Activity Packets Evaluations Parent Feedback Evaluations - Total School Night Math Make & Take Attendance Evaluations - MSA Info to be included Committee Manipulatives December 2009

34 Action steps/objectives/ processes Person(s) Resources Monitoring tools Monitoring: Results Timeline Responsible Needed or data points Date and by (include evaluation of processes for effectiveness and (formative & whom efficiency) summative) PCC Refreshments Classroom teachers School Math focused events- Math St.Jude Math Data wall in Updated by Measured progress over time percent of progress / percent -Maryland Math Month (St.Jude Committee Packet classroom or by marking period of improvement/ percent meeting goals in each math Fundraiser and Coin Drive) Classroom School program grade level –Math operation (+-x ÷) -Math Day teachers displayed to Committee Math team determines a basic facts program/system to -Math Night measure progress designee reinforce these computational skills appropriate for their - School wide Basic Facts Program grade. -100th Day celebration

Student Data notebooks K-5 tchrs Notebooks Grade level check Monthly parent Monthly parent feedback sheets Structure points/ feedback sheets Progress documented by quarter based on rubric or grade Teacher score feedback sheets

Gator Raiders Basic Facts Math Math Team Gator Raider Assessments from Weekly data Gator Raiders will start in October 2009 and be given Program- yearly Program program weekly Small group / 1 on 1 training based on Math Team Survey Results Training evals TBD as needs Skill based item analysis from math performance tasks or need of staff gathered from data arise unit assessments meetings on schoolwide focus concepts

There are specific reading and mathematics activities in our instructional organization that will be used to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering the proficient or advanced levels of academic achievement standards shall be provided with effective, timely additional assistance. This process will include measures to ensure that students’ difficulties are identified on a timely basis and will provide sufficient information on which to base effective assistance through the use of our monitoring tools and assessment data. When a situation arises where a student is having difficulty demonstrating proficiency, instructional staff collaborate to determine the root cause. Teachers organize and examine formative and summative data based on the student’s progress. We have instituted a structured data meeting process at each grade level where teachers discuss “cusp” students in terms of movement from basic to proficient and proficient to advanced. Teachers diagnose instructional challenges and specific strategies are identified and implemented on a short term basis as student performance is closely monitored in both math and reading. Student data is maintained on the Teacher Shared panel so all instructional staff working with these students have access. Grade level teams collaborate and review data on a monthly basis to assess the effectiveness of the strategies and impact on student performance. This information is reviewed with support personnel and instructional programming is examined in terms of supports beyond the classroom instruction.

35 Based on the data, the grade level team and support personnel work in collaboration with the teacher to determine if a different intervention or specific plan for supplemental instruction by support teachers or Title I focus teachers and/or paraeducators is necessary. Classroom teachers and Title I focus teachers collaborate to develop an effective intervention plan in reading and/or mathematics. Research based and local interventions include Benchmark Phonics, Fountas and Pinnell Primary/ELL Phonics strategies, Reading Recovery, supplemental guided reading groups using the Jan Richardson model, and specific instructional extended day club offerings. When a student is experiencing difficulties in meeting math standards and making adequate progress, the same collaborative procedures occur. For the most part, our Title I mathematics focus teachers work in classrooms following a plug in model. In this format, the teachers serve as co-teachers where the focus teacher does an extended small group lesson with guided practice. In this situation, both teachers work in tandem with the students requiring additional instruction. In some instructional situations they use the pull out model when instruction occurs beyond the regular 75 minute mathematics block. Once an intervention or supplemental effort is implemented, focus teachers monitor progress and report back to the grade level team and leadership team if student progress is not evident. In addition, administrators meet one on one with staff members for data conversations; at this time when data and program interventions are examined for effectiveness. The initial focus for these data conversations are the students not meeting proficiency standards and are exhibiting minimal progress in the areas of math and /or reading. Teachers generate some of their own formative assessments to ensure they are developed in a student friendly fashion incorporating our ESOL strategies as well as formative district assessments including MAP-R, MClass and compare the data to MSA scores to ensure efforts are showing academic progress in the designated instructional areas. Student data can be shared and updated using the school shared database. This enables a number of staff to examine student data and receive updated information on a particular student.

Description of the activities that will be used to ensure that identified students who experience difficulty mastering the proficient or advanced levels of academic achievement standards shall be provided with effective, timely additional assistance which shall include measures to ensure that students’ difficulties are identified on a timely basis and to provide sufficient information on which to base effective assistance.

In the event, a student is having difficulty demonstrating proficiency, instructional staff collaborate to determine the root cause. Teachers organize and examine formative and summative data based on the student’s progress. This information is reviewed with support personnel and instructional programming is examined in terms of supports beyond the classroom instruction. Based on the data, the grade level team and support personnel work in collaboration with the teacher to determine if a different intervention or specific plan for supplemental instruction by support teachers or Title I focus teachers and/or paraeducators is necessary. Classroom teachers and Title I focus teachers collaborate to develop an effective intervention plan in reading and/or mathematics. Research based and local interventions include Benchmark Phonics, Fountas and Pinnell Primary/ELL Phonics strategies, Reading Recovery, supplemental guided reading groups using the Jan Richardson model, and specific instructional extended day club offerings. Once an intervention or supplemental effort is implemented, teachers monitor progress and report back to the grade level team and leadership team if student progress is not evident. Teachers will use formative assessments, district assessments including MAP-R, MClass and compare the data to MSA scores to ensure efforts are showing academic progress in the designated instructional areas. Student data can be shared and updated using the school shared database. This enables a number of staff to examine student data and receive updated information on a particular student.

36 Family Involvement

A vital element for the success of AES is effective family involvement. Parents were involved in providing input for the mission of the school and participating in discussion groups to articulate their ideas about successful school practices and what programs worked effectively for their families and students. All meetings included translators and documents were provided in English and Spanish.

Our family involvement committee was formed including a cadre of parents who have agreed to rotate their participation in these monthly meetings to ensure this stakeholder group will always be represented. We are in the process of recruiting some new parents to attend family involvement committee meetings and confirming the participation of parents who attended last year. This committee worked with the school improvement team to develop the family involvement action plan and monitors this document as part of each monthly meeting.

Arcola ES continues to build their PTA membership and promote it as a viable organization. The family involvement committee is working to align their efforts with the PTA in reference to student achievement and school improvement. A procedure is in place to have a family involvement committee member attend each PTA meeting and participate in the agenda to keep both groups abreast of one another’s efforts. This way we can reserve resources and promote activities that serve to inform parents, promote student achievement, and work collaboratively whenever appropriate.

Arcola has been fortunate to develop a number of community partnerships for the 2009-2010 school year. These partnerships have been cultivated by our guidance counselor, family involvement committee, PTA and administration. These partners include:

 Manna Food Center – provides weekly food provisions for 60 students  TIG Global – provides transportation, storage, and delivery of food from the Manna Food Center Program  Community Bridges – provides after school clubs for third, fourth and fifth grade girls focused on building self-esteem, problem solving and strategies for self advocacy  University Towers Condominium Association – provides volunteer services to assist in clerical duties throughout the school building  Christ Episcopal Church – provides food, clothing, books, and sponsor after school clubs that focus on the building self esteem and problem solving strategies for identified students.  Silver Spring Christian Reform Church – provides the Kids Hope USA program which is a worldwide mentoring program  Barnes and Noble – provides books for use in collaboration with family activities  Dunkin Donuts – provides food and coffee to support parent coffees held by our Parent Community Coordinator

The family involvement documentation is included in the attachment section at the end of the document.

37 Arcola Elementary School 2009-2010 Parent Involvement Action Plan

Action steps/objectives/ processes Person(s) Resources Needed Monitoring tools Monitoring: Date and Results Timeline Responsible or data points by whom (include (formative & evaluation of summative) processes for effectiveness and efficiency) General Requirements 1. Involve parents in the decision making Parent Survey feedback Sign in Ongoing process regarding how funds reserved for Involvement Budgets Agenda Administration family involvement are being spent. Committee (PIC) Notes Parent Involvement Administration Evaluation Committee Title I Specialist (SANE) 2. Review, revise and distribute the parent PIC Parent Involvement SANE Ongoing involvement plan annually to meet the School staff Plan Feedback Parent Involvement changing needs of the parents in the school. Administration Feedback Committee Parent

38 Community Coordinator (PCC) 3. Conduct parent meeting to disseminate Title I Specialist Title I Specialist SANE October/November information about the school’s Title I school Interpreter Title I Specialist wide program and parental rights. 4. Involve parents in planning, reviewing and PIC Survey feedback SANE Ongoing improving the school’s parent involvement PCC Parent Involvement program Committee

5. Develop/revise/disseminate school-parent PIC School-Parent School-Parent November 1 compact which identifies actions in which the Administration Compact Compact Title I Specialist parents, school staff, and students will engage Title I Specialist Template Sign off from to share the responsibility for improved Parents parents student achievement. Teachers School Students Improvement Plan

Building Capacity 6. Plan and implement parent information Title I Specialist PowerPoint SANE Ongoing meetings and events incorporating 7 Keys to PIC Parent Notification Title I Specialist College Readiness on the following topics: School staff Interpreter  Maryland School Assessment Babysitters Program ConnectEd  Maryland and MCPS Standards and Curriculum  How to Support Reading (responding to reading/BCR) and Math (Number sense) at Home Action steps/objectives/ processes Person(s) Resources Needed Monitoring tools Monitoring: Date and Results Timeline Responsible or data points by whom (include (formative & evaluation of summative) processes for effectiveness and efficiency) 7. Provide training to staff on the importance Staff Research articles SANE Mid November of family involvement and effective practices Development Handouts Title I Specialist in conducting parent-teacher conferences Teacher Title I Specialist

39 8. Work with other agencies and programs that PCC Contact person at Flyers Ongoing support parental involvement to plan and School the agency/program Meeting notes PCC implement a parent information meeting Counselor School Counselor focused on community resources available for Administration parents. Teachers 9. Communicate information to parents about Administration Interpreter Newsletters Ongoing school programs, meetings, and other School secretary Language Line Notices Title I Specialist activities in multiple languages as Teachers School newsletters Handouts to parents appropriate. (i.e., school newsletters, flyers, PCC Notices ConnectEd meeting notices, etc.) DFCP ConnectEd Title I Specialist Translation equipment School website 10. Provide reasonable support so parents may Administration PTA/Childcare SANE Ongoing participate in school activities as much as PCC Interpreter Flyers PIC possible (i.e., transportation, babysitting) FIC Title I Specialist

11. Collaborate with PTA organization and Schedule of FIC PTA/ FIC agendas, S.A.N.E. Monthly FIC identify connections via parent and teacher meetings notes (S.A.N.E.) documents liaisons with the Family Involvement Quarterly PTA Committee documents 12. Documentation from Parent Community PCC Weekly logs Weekly logs Monthly meetings & Coordinator record/ log book to articulate Title I Specialist documentation checks parent assistance and interaction 13.Develop and continue community PCC Contact persons w: Contact logs/emails Monthly updates at partnerships Counselor -Manna Food FIC Administration Center Selected FIC -TIG Global member -Community Bridges -University Towers Condominium Association -Christ Episcopal Church -Silver Spring

40 Christian Reform Church -Barnes and Noble -Dunkin Donuts 14. ESOL Parent Class for Beginner and ESOL Team MC Lit Council SANE ESOL team collects Advanced Beginning speakers Montgomery Fam Inv Funds- documentation weekly County Literacy Materials Sept-Nov2009 Council Rooms 15. Continue Kits4Kids Parent Involvement MCC K-5 kits Lending Lists by Quarterly Review of Academic Lending Packets Teachers Closet organization teacher Lending Lists and PCC Publicity Effort teacher feedback Accessibility 16. Provide additional support for parents with Administration Interpreter SANE Ongoing limited English proficiency, parents with School School Counselor Flyers PIC disabilities, or parents who are homeless Counselor ESOL teachers Title I Specialist PCC

17. Collect Parent Conference Data to Administration FIC chairperson & Teacher attendance Initiate Oct 2009 determine numbers of parents attending FIC selected members logs Complete Dec2009 conferences at school/via/phone/via written Title I Specialist Title I Spec Title I Compact report Title I Compact Documentation Documentation 18.Monitor student attendance and tardiness Administration Assistant Principal Student attendance Monthly updates and FIC Attendance (OASIS) follow up Secretary Phone contacts documentation FIC (selected) PCC PCC Other 19. Inform parents about the Maryland Parent PCC Flyers Newsletters November 1 Information Resource Center Title I Specialist School website Title I Specialist 20. Involve parents as active participants in Administration Accessible schedule SANE July-September the planning, review, and revision of the PCC Interpreter Review due quarterly School Improvement Plan. Title I Specialist to OSP

The term “parent” is intended to include parents, guardians, and other family members involved in supervising the child’s schooling.

41 Family Involvement Committee Meeting Dates:

September 15, 2009 October 13, 2009 November 10, 2009 December 8. 2009 January 12, 2010 February 9, 2010 April 20, 2010 May 11, 2010

A listing of all Family Involvement Committee members is included in the attachments

42 Coordination and Integration of Federal, State, and Local Funds

Describe how the Title I funds and resources provided to the school will be used to implement and support this plan.

In order to meet the needs of our diverse student population, several positions have been added to the school using district and Title I funding. These positions are:

Title I Funded: .5 Math Content Coach (K-5) .5 Gifted & Talented Teacher 1.0 ESOL Literacy Support 1.0 Reading Support .5 Math Support Intermediate .5 Math Support Primary .5 Reading Intervention Intermediate .5 Math Intervention Intermediate .3 Math Support .4 HeadStart Teacher 1.5 Focus Paraeducator .525 HeadStart Paraeducator .750 Community Parent Coordinator

Each of the staff members listed above provides a weekly log or planning documentation that enable administration and colleagues to maintain an overview of weekly activities related to instructional support.

District (MCPS) Funded / Academic Intervention Positions:

.5 Reading Recovery Position

Extended Learning Opportunities: Using Title I funding, students will participate in extended learning opportunities during the summer. All extended day academic offerings and transportation will be funded by the local district and Title I during the school year.

Universal Breakfast: All students at Arcola ES participate in this federally funded program which provides breakfast on a daily basis consisting of an entrée, milk and juice.

Fruit Program: All students and staff at Arcola Es participate in this federally funded program which provides a specific fruit once per week. Parents visiting and or attending school activities on these specific days also have the opportunity to partake of the fruit.

Title I budget sheets are included in the attachment section of this document.

The School Improvement Team received a MiniGrant for $1,300.00 from MCPS for summer leadership training. See attachment section.

37 VI. Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management

Description of the measures to include teachers in the decisions regarding the use of academic assessments in order to provide information on, and to improve, the achievement of individual students and the overall instructional program.

Teachers at AES are actively involved in decisions about instruction, intervention, and individual student needs. This involvement is facilitated through several structures that have been installed into the organizational system at AES. These structures include the use of a strategic monitoring tool (SMT) developed in collaboration with the Office of School Performance, quarterly reading comprehension monitoring tool, weekly team meetings, professional development days, monthly team leader meetings, and school improvement team meetings.

As part of the evaluation of the 2008/2009 school year, the leadership team analyzed academic data in reading and math to determine if there were common needs across grade levels. Through the use of our SMT the following focus areas were determined:  Reading 1. PreK-Kindergarten – Letter identification 2. Grades 1-5 – Responding to text in writing  Math 1. PreK-5 – Number Sense At weekly team meetings, teachers discuss student progress in math and reading and the team works together to develop and implement strategies as a grade level that are aligned with the schools reading and math focus areas. These include strategies for re-teaching, referral of a student for an after-school club, or a decision to move a student from one reading group to another. Instructional Leadership team members attend weekly team meetings in order to dialogue with teachers regarding students not meeting benchmark targets and collaborate on educational decisions. This collaborative effort occurs by working with the staff development teacher, reading specialist, math content coach, and others, so the team may adjust their short and long-term plan based on the needs of their students. For example, the teams examine VSC assessment limits to be sure reading aligns with information in our instructional guides and determine content objectives where students need supplemental instruction.

In addition to team data discussions, teachers meet twice a year with school administrators. Individual teachers provide an overview of data with an emphasis on students participating in academic interventions based on varied sources of data including MSA, TN2, and related formative assessments. In addition to teachers identifying students in need of intervention, teachers are also identifying students who have displayed the potential for acceleration. This effort was initiated through the use of MSA, TN2, and MClass data. Teachers present progress monitoring information, student work samples, and updated instructional plans for these students. In addition, information is provided regarding academic acceleration and strategies for differentiation. These one on one discussions provide administration with an in-depth discussion of student progress, data based instructional decision making and effective classroom instruction.

School Improvement Planning (SIP) sessions are held monthly. SIP team members and parents are invited to attend. Instructional team leaders are responsible for making sure that their team is represented by at least one team member. At School Improvement Planning sessions, student data is reviewed and all participants work together to plan and/or review strategies for effectiveness in response to student needs through programming decisions. Decisions may impact the specific action plans that drive the school improvement plan. These changes are made by the committee chairs who attend the SIP meetings. Decisions made in SIP sessions are then shared with all staff and parents through newsletters, website, and meetings where the information is relevant. The Baldrige Linkages Charts for reading and math designate formative assessments and progress monitoring tools which were determined with input from classroom teachers and instructional support staff. In addition, formative assessment measures implemented district wide are also included in these charts. (pages 15 & 16)

38 VII. Process Management

We are incorporating the following processes to monitor the SIP goals:

- Measure progress towards achieving SIP goals at monthly SIT meetings, instructional team meetings, structured data meetings, and leadership team meetings using our online strategic monitoring tool.

- Monitor Baldrige action plan for math, reading and family involvement through committee and team meetings – Meeting notes and action items are documented to ensure follow up occurs.

- Establish and communicate goals for guided reading through reading committee and team meetings - Informal observations, walk throughs, and weekly team planning documentation posted online using the T-shared panel ensures this effort is being implemented with fidelity

- Access staff development needs, effectiveness and future follow up for math and reading based on evaluations, student data, and PDP’s – The analysis of these efforts are maintained in a professional development file maintained by the staff development teacher.

- Utilize Baldrige process Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) process for problem solving with Strategic Monitoring Tool (SMT) -

The use of the process management pieces is also referenced in to our Strategic Planning section and our Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management section.

39 Arcola Elementary School

School Improvement Plan

Attachments Section VIII.

40 School Name: Arcola Elementary School Date: September 2009

School Improvement Team Information

Principal: Mr. Eric Wilson

All members of the School Improvement Team who worked on the plan must complete the sign in sheet. Their signatures verify that they were active members on the team. The School Improvement Team leads the school community in making the school a positive place in which teaching and learning thrive. The team should be representative of the school community and work closely with school administrators to develop a comprehensive plan for school improvement.

Print Name Signature Position Staff (required): Eric Wilson Principal Jason Berg Assistant Principal Evan Pinkowitz Staff Development Teacher Carolyn Tharpe-Robinson Reading Specialist/Coach Henrietta Green Special Education Teacher Susan Ginsberg Title I Instructional Specialist Marisa Chase Reading Focus Robyn Shinn-Miller ESOL Team Leader Tracy Dupree Reading Focus Sarah Parker Walker Academic Focus Laura Bryer GT /Math Focus Wendy Smith Administrative Secretary/ Support Staff Rep Catherine Weir Grade 5 Team Leader Emily Parizer-Velez Grade 4 Team leader Krystle Massey Grade 3 Team Leader Betsy Nguyen Grade 2 Team Leader Priscilla Sinon Grade 1 Team Leader Alison Harper Kindergarten team Leader Martha Frye Media Specialist Tina Padilla Counselor Mary Beth Northern Arts Team Leader Parents (required): Claudia Gomez Parent Marsha Downs parent

Others (Students, Business/Community Members):

41 School Name: Arcola Elementary School Date: September 2009

Family Involvement Committee Team Information

Principal: Mr. Eric Wilson

All members of the Family Involvement Team who work on the Family Involvement Initiatives and Documents are listed below.

Print Name Signature Position Staff (required): Eric Wilson Principal Jason Berg Assistant Principal Evan Pinkowitz Staff Development Teacher Magda Ochoa Parent Community Coordinator Dianne Hope Music Teacher Susan Ginsberg Title I Instructional Specialist Marcelo Odulio Grade 5 Teacher Amy Rosenblum Grade 4 teacher Meg Ruane ESOL Teacher Kristina Padilla Counselor Liz Paschal Grade 2 Teacher Katie McKnight Grade 1 Teacher Betsy Perry School Community Based, SpEd Diane Tunis HeadStart David Szybalski Grade 3 Teacher Parents (required): Claudia Gomez parent Celia Franco parent

Attachment 3:

Hard Copies provided in plan forwarded to Division of Title I Programs

Title I Focus Allocation Grid Title I Budget Sheets Documentation of SIP Minigrant Approval

Arcola Elementary School accepts the Montgomery County Public Schools family involvement policy and has aligned its school level parent involvement plan accordingly.

POLICY 42 BOARD OF EDUCATION OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY Related Entries: ABA, ABA-RA, ACG, BMA, FAA, IEA, IEB, IED, IFB, IGP-RA, IRB-RA Responsible Office: Deputy Superintendent

A. PURPOSE 1. To reaffirm the Montgomery County public school system’s strong commitment to the role of parents as valued partners in their children’s education and to promote and increase effective, comprehensive parental involvement 2. To ensure that parental involvement efforts reflect the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of local school communities

B. ISSUE Family involvement in a child’s learning is a critical link to achieve academic success and to ensure a safe and disciplined learning environment.

C. POSITION 1. Definition In this policy, “parent” is intended to include parents, guardians, and other family members involved in supervising the child’s schooling. In this policy, “comprehensive parental involvement” is intended to include the research based, Six National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs as follows: a) Communicating b) Parenting c) Student Learning d) Volunteering e) School Decision-Making and Advocacy f) Collaborating with Community 2. Achievement of the purpose will be sought through a variety of efforts including: a) Effective two-way communication between all parents and schools regarding school system policies, practices and regulations, local school policies, and an individual child’s progress b) Activities to encourage parental volunteer opportunities in schools both in the classroom and in other areas of the school including attendance at local school programs and events c) Information and programs for parents on how to establish a home environment to support learning and appropriate behavior d) Information and programs for parents about how they can assist their own children to learn e) Assistance to develop parental involvement in educational advocacy through PTAs and other organizations, including school system task forces and advisory committees 3. While each division, office, and school must assess its role and plan of action to meet these goals, all MCPS employees are expected to convey a commitment to parental involvement. a) Consistent with this commitment, local schools are expected to: 1) Provide an inviting and welcoming environment where parent involvement is respected and valued 2) Develop activities and materials that provide for effective two-way communication between parents and the school on local school policies and practices and individual student progress 3) Support and encourage parental volunteer opportunities including participation in the development of school improvement plans 4) Provide programs that assist parents in learning how they can help children learn, including activities that are connected to what children are learning in the classroom 5) Work with PTA, other parent organizations, and parent outreach personnel to ensure parental input from a broad range of culturally and linguistically diverse groups b) Consistent with this commitment, local schools are encouraged, in collaboration with their parent community, to develop a local school statement which articulates a shared responsibility and strategies to support: student learning and high achievement; effective, frequent, two-way communication between school and home; and family, school, community partnerships aligned with school improvement plan goals

43 4. In addition, appropriate central office staff is expected to support local school efforts and, where relevant: a) Communicate with parents on school system policies and regulations b) Provide for the development of parenting programs and materials, including the use of cable television, pamphlets, adult education courses, parent resource centers, and programs designed to orient new parents to MCPS c) Support and encourage the use of interpretation and translation services whenever feasible d) Maintain and support parental volunteer opportunities with appropriate information and training e) Assist in the development of parental leadership through PTAs and other recognized groups f) Work with businesses, organizations, and other government agencies which by their policies and activities can provide support and assistance for parental involvement efforts g) Provide appropriate teacher and staff training to support effective parental involvement; conduct staff and parent training in ways to communicate and work together including problem solving, conflict resolution skills, and outreach strategies h) Identify and publicize promising programs and practices related to parental involvement i) Work with colleges and universities that prepare teachers and administrators to support the inclusion of school and family connections in their training programs j) Develop methods to accommodate and support parental involvement for all parents, including those with special needs, limited English proficiency, limited financial resources and individuals with disabilities k) Develop mechanisms for local schools to use in order to assess the effectiveness of their parental involvement efforts

D. DESIRED OUTCOME Schools and families will work together to ensure that the educational process includes quality learning at home, in school, and in the community.

E. IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES 1. The superintendent will assess the status of parental involvement, review existing policies and procedures, and develop necessary regulations and procedures to support this policy, including a review of staff and budget support. 2. The Board of Education will seek parental input on school system policies, including curriculum, facilities, and funding issues from a broad spectrum of our culturally and linguistically diverse community.

F. REVIEW AND REPORTING This policy will be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the Board of Education policy review process. Policy History: Adopted by Resolution No. 669-90, November 13, 1990; reformatted September 1996; amended by Resolution 489-02, October 28, 2002. Arcola Elementary School accepts the Montgomery County Public Schools family involvement regulation and has aligned its school level parent involvement plan accordingly.

REGULATION MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Related Entries: ABA, ABA-RA, ABC, BMA, FAA, IEA, IEB, IED, IFB, IGP-RA, IRB-RA Responsible Office: Deputy Superintendent

Parent Involvement

I. PURPOSE To ensure a strong home-school partnership, promote and increase effective, well structured, and comprehensive parental involvement practices, and ensure that parental involvement efforts reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of local school communities.

44 II. RATIONALE Involving parents in their children’s education results in mutually supportive relationships among students, parents, and staff that will guide and enhance the intellectual and social development of students.

III. DEFINITION The term “parent” is intended to include parents, guardians, and other family members involved in supervising the child’s schooling. In this regulation, “comprehensive parental involvement” is intended to include research based, Six National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs as follows: 1. Communicating 2. Parenting 3. Student Learning 4. Volunteering 5. School Decision-making and Advocacy 6. Collaborating with Community

IV. PROCEDURES FOR SCHOOLS All MCPS employees are expected to convey a commitment to parent involvement. School staff are expected to take the initiative to reach out to parents in a variety of ways to encourage parent participation. In addition, local schools are encouraged, in collaboration with their parent community, to develop a local school statement which articulates a shared responsibility and strategies to support: student learning and high achievement; effective, frequent two-way communication between school and home; and family, school, community partnerships aligned with school improvement plan goals. A. Each local school will include on its school improvement team: school staff, parents, and students (when appropriate) who reflect the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of the local school community.

B. The school improvement team should consider how parental involvement is incorporated into its School Improvement Plan.

C. Each local school should work in cooperation with parents, parent groups and PTAs, to develop and maintain a clear, regular two-way communication system that: 1. Provides information on issues such as: local school and school system policies, practices and regulations, including discipline procedures, instructional programs, opportunities for collaboration, school or system initiatives, regular student progress reports, assessments, and parent-teacher conferences, through a variety of traditional and non-traditional means such as, but not limited to, newsletters, school-parent orientation programs, checklists, web sites, and list serves 2. Solicits and considers parent comments and concerns, and makes use of parent talents 3. Strives to ensure that staff are accessible for parent-teacher communications 4. Uses the resources of the community and central offices

D. Work in cooperation with the PTA and other parent groups to support programs for parents to learn how to create and sustain a home learning environment by: 1. Sharing information, materials, and programs about how parents can: a) Recognize that they have an essential role to play in their children’s education by supporting, encouraging, and assisting their children to learn b) Get information on “parenting” topics such as nutrition, health, self esteem, parent/child communication, motivation, discipline, child development, and other topics relevant to the specific population 2. Providing space for parent training and parent materials, as feasible 3. Ensuring that parenting information is provided to parents on a regular, systematic basis by using such forums as parenting sections in newsletters, discussion groups, conferences, workshops, web sites, and list serves, etc. Parenting information should be translated, as appropriate and feasible.

45 E. Assist parents in playing an integral role in student learning by: 1. Providing appropriate information for staff to work effectively with parents in order to support the concept of learning at home, including such topics as: a) How to support academic and behavioral expectations b) How to share curriculum content with parents c) How to facilitate parent participation in children’s learning at home 2. Providing materials on what their child is learning and how to expand on school learning at home, as well as suggestions about available resources 3. Suggesting ways that parents can enrich and support the curriculum

F. In accordance with regulation IRB-RA Use of Volunteer Services, encourage parents to volunteer in the classroom, in other areas of the school, and/or at home by: 1. Providing information for staff use in the development of jobs for volunteers 2. Maximizing opportunities for parent volunteer participation, including the participation of parents with special needs or limited English proficiency, and parents of students with special needs or limited English proficiency 3. Providing orientation and training for parent volunteers, seeking support from central office personnel when appropriate 4. Identifying a member of the school staff to work cooperatively with the PTA, and other parent groups to encourage parent participation

G. Respect the right of parents to serve as advocates and support this advocacy by: 1. Recognizing that advocacy requires that people understand issues, and have information about the processes for addressing these issues, including due process rights 2. Encouraging parents to participate in the development, monitoring, and evaluation of the school improvement plan 3. Providing leadership/advocacy information for parents 4. Encouraging the growth and development of parent groups, PTAs, and other community groups that reach out within the school community, as well as participating in county, state and national efforts for children and for education

H. Collaborate with local community resources and informing families about those resources by: 1. Identifying resources that serve families within the community 2. Informing school staff of the resources for families available in the community 3. Involving community members in school volunteer and mentor programs 4. Providing information about community agencies that provide family support services and adult learning opportunities 5. Developing partnerships with local business and service groups to advance student learning and to assist schools and families

V. PROCEDURES FOR CENTRAL OFFICES All MCPS employees are expected to convey a commitment to parent involvement and demonstrate respect for parent involvement. To support this commitment and to ensure implementation of the parent involvement policy and regulation, appropriate staff in central offices will encourage and assist: A. Local schools in their comprehensive parent involvement efforts and in the use of interpreter and translation services whenever feasible

B. Communication with parents about school system policies, practices, regulations, and other general information

C. Development of parenting programs and materials for all parents including those who are English language learners or have special needs. This may include the use of cable television, pamphlets, adult 46 education courses, parent resource areas, parent information centers, and programs designed to orient new parents to MCPS by: 1. Providing materials and resources to inform staff and parents 2. Helping parents with school-related issues, resolving problems, and finding resources 3. Informing parents about the organization and function of the MCPS system 4. Disseminating information about school and community resources to parents and staff 5. Identifying and sharing successful parent involvement programs, plans, and activities for use by local schools

D. Countywide volunteer opportunities by providing appropriate information

E. The development of parent leadership through PTAs and other recognized groups

F. Collaboration with businesses, organizations, and other government agencies to gain support and assistance for parent involvement efforts

G. Information and training by: 1. Providing information for staff and parents to enable them to understand and support effective parent involvement 2. Providing training for parents and staff to develop positive communication skills, including cultural competence and collaboration skills, and parent outreach strategies 3. Including rationale for parent involvement in A & S training, as well as new principal and new staff training

H. Work with colleges and universities that prepare teachers and administrators to support the inclusion of school and family involvement practices in their training programs

I. Development of methods to accommodate and support parent involvement for all parents with special circumstances, including those who are English language learners, those with disabilities, and those living in poverty

J. Local schools to use the data obtained from a variety of sources, including such things as the MCPS parent surveys to develop their school improvement plans

Regulation History: New Regulation, August 21, 1991; revised July 21, 2003.

Montgomery County Public Schools Division of Title I Programs Title I Parent Involvement District Level Plan

47 Part I: General Expectations for Parent Involvement

Montgomery County supports the involvement of all parents/families. It is our belief that the education of our children is a shared responsibility. We believe that when parents are involved, students will be more successful. The school system as well as individual schools make the commitment to establish programs and practices that create a climate of mutual trust and respect and that support substantive parent involvement. All MCPS employees in Title I schools are expected to convey a commitment to parent involvement. Information will be provided to parents in the ‘major’ languages of the school system. This plan has been developed jointly with parents and is aligned with the Montgomery County Public School’s Parent Involvement Policy ABC and the MCPS Master Plan (Bridge to Excellence). (Section 1118 (a), (2), (A) (In this plan, ‘parent’ is intended to include parents, guardians, and other family members involved in supervising the child’s schooling.)

Part II: Description of how the Local Education Association (LEA) will implement Title I Parent Involvement Required Components:

The MCPS Parent Involvement Cross-Functional Team (Department of Family and Community Partnerships) participates in the joint development of the MCPS District Level Plan under the Master Plan (Bridge to Excellence.) Parents from Title I Schools are members of this committee. Section 1118 (a), (2), (A)

1. Coordination and Support

The coordination of Title I Parental Involvement efforts and technical assistance to Title I Schools will be provided by Title I instructional specialists from the MCPS Division of Title I Programs. The instructional specialists will provide support, guidance, and technical assistance to the school staff, at least monthly, in planning and implementing effective parent involvement activities to improve student achievement and school performance. Title I instructional staff will provide assistance with the development of the school-parent compact, School Level Plan, and other parent involvement activities. Documentation that demonstrates adherence to Title I federal and state requirements will be maintained in the office of the Division of Title I Programs. (Section 1118 (a), (2), (B)

The Division of Title I Programs coordinates and integrates parent involvement strategies with MCPS offices and divisions by participating on various committees throughout the year. For example, representatives from the Division of Title I Programs meet monthly with the Department of Family and Community Partnerships to coordinate workshops and outreach efforts for the Parent Academies. Title I also partners with ESOL and Head Start at least twice a year to coordinate training efforts for Title I parents. Through the 21st Century grant, the Division of Title I Programs supports parent education for Title I parents throughout the school year.

48 2. Providing Assistance and Training

Technical assistance is provided throughout the year to Title I instructional specialists through a variety of forums and on an array of topics related to their work as members of central office staff and school based staff. Since Title I instructional specialists assist in implementing, coordinating, and ensuring compliance of federal and state requirements, Title I staff will also receive training on relevant issues which they in turn will share with school staffs and families. Specific topics of training include:  Development of school-parent compact  Research and practice about importance of family involvement  Preparation and monitoring of family involvement budgets  Inclusion of parents in family involvement budget decisions  Proper use of federal funds

3. Ensuring Accessibility

All MCPS policies and publications will be available in the ‘major’ languages of Montgomery County Public Schools including but not limited to Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, and Amharic. Invitations, flyers, conference information, and newsletters are translated as needed. Interpretation services are available upon request through each school. MCPS policies are available online through www.mcpsmd.org, Division of Title I Programs web page, and individual office and school web pages. Section 1118-(e), (5)

4. Building Capacity for Parental Involvement

MCPS Parent Academies provide materials and training to parents at least twice a month during the school year, at various times and locations, on a variety of topics including: (Section 1118, building capacity, e-1 and 2)  Understanding state and local assessments and curriculum standards  Monitoring student progress  Working with educators to improve student achievement.  Helping parents work with their children

Additionally, at least annually, Title I instructional specialists provide materials and training to parents and school staff, at each school, on understanding Title I and the requirements. (Section 1118, building capacity, e-1 and 2)

The Title I office participates on each school’s Family Involvement Committee that meets monthly and includes staff and parents. These Committees meet to plan and develop professional development for school staff to work as equal partners with parents and to enhance parent outreach and communication between home and school. The Title I instructional specialists from the Division of Title I Programs participate on each school’s Family Involvement Committee that includes staff and parents. These committees meet regularly to ensure that parents receive training to support their children’s progress at home. (Section1118, e-3)

49 5. Integration with Other Programs

The Division of Title I Programs coordinates and integrates parent involvement strategies with MCPS offices and divisions by participating on various committees throughout the year. For example, the Division of Title I Programs meets monthly with the Department of Family and Community Partnerships to coordinate workshops and outreach efforts for the Parent Academies. Title I also partners with ESOL and Head Start at least twice a year to coordinate training efforts for Title I parents; through the 21st Century grant, the Title I Office provides funding for language classes for parents. (Section 1118, e-4).

6. Parent Involvement Activities

The Title I Office involves parents in the activities of schools at the district and school level by:  Ensuring parents are represented on decision making teams such as the MCPS Parent Involvement Cross-Functional Team, School Level Family Involvement Committee and School Improvement Team;  Providing opportunities at least annually for parents to have input into the development, review, and revision of the District Level Title I Parent Involvement Plan, School Level plans, and school-parent compacts;  Offering District and School Level workshops and training at least monthly through the Parent Academies, family outreach nights, and curriculum nights. Section 1118 (a), (2) and (F).

7. Parental Input on the Title I Parent Involvement Plan

The Division of Title I Programs will annually involve parents in the joint development, review, evaluation, and revisions of the MCPS Title I Parent Involvement District Level Plan. The Division of Title I Programs receives guidance from The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) on an ongoing basis. With this guidance a draft Plan has been created. Input from parents on the draft Plan will be gathered at Back to School Night, through the Family Involvement Committee, and School Improvement Team meetings. The DTP Family Involvement Committee will consider the input to develop the final plan. After final revisions, the plan will be provided to parents in multiple languages. The plan will be posted on the MCPS Title I website and references to the plan will be made in each school’s newsletter. (Part II, 1 and 6 - Section 1118, (a)(2)(A)(E)

50 Arcola Elementary School Title I Parent Involvement Plan: 2009-2010

Arcola Elementary School supports the involvement of all parents/families. It is our belief that the education of our children is a shared responsibility. We believe that when parents are involved, students will be more successful. In this policy, “parent” is intended to include parents, guardians, and other family members involved in supervising the child’s schooling.

We carry out the requirements for Title I schools in the following ways:

General Requirements  Involve parents in deciding how family involvement funds are being spent  Involve parents in the development of our school’s Parent Involvement Plan  Distribute the Parent Involvement Plan to all parents  Hold an annual Title I meeting to provide information about the Title I program, parental rights, and the important role parents play in their children’s education  Involve parents in planning, reviewing and improving our school’s Parent Involvement Plan and Program  Ask for parents’ comments about the Parent Involvement Plan and submit those comments to the Division of Title I Programs  Develop a written school-parent compact with parents  Ensure parents are represented at all school committee meetings whenever possible

Building Capacity  Help parents understand the Maryland School Assessment Program and the Maryland and MCPS Standards and Curriculum and the requirements of Title I  Provide materials and parent trainings/workshops to help parents improve their children’s academic achievement  Provide training for staff about how to work with parents as equal partners  Work with other agencies and programs that support parental involvement, such as Special Education, ESOL, Linkages to Learning, Judy Center, Health Department and Library  Communicate information in a format and language that parents can understand whenever possible  Provide reasonable support so parents may participate in school activities as much as possible, such as transportation and childcare  For building capacity provide parent trainings in small group, intimate settings based on parent request

51 Accessibility  Provide additional support for parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, or parents who are homeless  Provide information in a format and language such parents will understand to the greatest extent possible

Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC)  Inform parents about the Maryland Parent Information Resource Center and conferences  Include resources in meetings organized by school counselor

52 2009-2010 Arcola Elementary School – Parent Compact Effective schools are a result of families and school staff working together to ensure that children are successful in school. A compact is a voluntary agreement between these groups that firmly unites them. You are invited to be involved in this partnership. Shared Responsibilities for: School Staff Parent Student As a school, we expect all students to meet or As a parent, I will support education As a student, I will do my best and High quality curriculum exceed the MCPS grade level standards and and believe that my child can reach work hard. I will: and instruction the Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum high goals. I will:  come to school on time prepared (VSC). We will:  talk to my child about what is to learn  review assessment results to determine happening in school and about  pay attention in class and ask strengths and needs of students the importance of working hard questions when I don’t  use the MCPS curriculum to plan in school understand instruction that will improve students’  make sure my child goes to  complete all of my assignments academic performance school every day on time  follow the rules of the school  give students timely feedback and  make sure my child does  be respectful of the rules so I opportunities to show what they know homework and schoolwork serve as a role model regularly  make an effort to ask question about grade level topics so I can help my child

As a school, we will: As a parent, I will: As a student, I will: Parent-teacher conferences  hold at least one parent-teacher  attend meetings about what my  know what is expected of me in conference annually child is learning all of my subjects  assist parents in learning about ways they  ask questions about how I can  talk to my family about things I can help their children with homework help my child at home am learning in school and learning  make an effort to maintain  work hard to bring home all  arrange for additional conferences based quarterly contact if not more important information from my on student need often than that teacher

As a school, we will: As a parent, I will: As a student, I will: Communication/frequent  communicate with families about high  attend Back-to-School events,  talk to my family about things I progress reports academic standards, student progress and parent-teacher conferences and like about school the school’s overall performance other school-sponsored programs  ask my teacher for help when I  communicate with families in a language  communicate any concerns about have problems with my that they can understand, when possible my child’s learning schoolwork/homework  communicate with parents and students  tell the teacher or school when I  share all schoolwork and notices about academic progress and behavior do not understand something that with my family

53 through interims, report cards, data is sent home notebooks, and parent-teacher  make contact with the parent conferences community coordinator in the  provide frequent communication through event I can not reach my child’s announcements, newsletters, and the teacher school website to keep families informed of upcoming events  include Title I pertinent information throughout the year

As a school, we will: As a parent, I will: As a student, I will: Accessibility  provide reasonable access to the school  attend PTA meetings, parent  help other students staff trainings, and other special  respect all students and adults  make the school a friendly place for activities  appreciate the diversity and parents to meet, talk, and learn about their  ensure that the school will be uniqueness of all my peers child’s education able to reach me at any time  utilize ESOL and special ed resources on  inform the school when I have behalf of our parent community special needs to ensure they are met As a school, we will: As a parent, I will: As a student, I will: Opportunities to be  encourage all families to volunteer and be  volunteer for at least one activity  get involved in projects that will involved/volunteer involved in the school during the school year (helping in help my school and community  provide parents with opportunities to give the classroom, supporting special input about the school climate and activities at school, chaperoning a instructional program through the School field trip) Improvement Team, the Parent  join school committees, such as Involvement Committee and school the Parent Involvement surveys Committee or the School  encourage parents to participate in their Improvement Team child’s education through PTA events,  make an effort to call one other Curriculum Nights, conferences, and Arcola family to remind them of volunteering upcoming events  provide training on ways parents can volunteer in school or from home

In this compact, “parent” is intended to include parents, guardians, and other family members involved in supervising the child’s schooling.

54 Parent Feedback: After looking at the sample, what are your thoughts or suggestions on the Parent Involvement Plan?

General Requirements

Building Capacity

Accessibility

Parent Involvement Resource Center

55 Parent Feedback: After looking at the sample, what are your thoughts or suggestions on the School-Parent Compact?

Parent Students

High quality curriculum and instruction

Parent Teacher Conferences

Communication/frequent progress reports

Accessibility

Opportunities to Volunteer

National PTA Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs: Standard I: Communicating; Standard II: Parenting; Standard III: Student Learning; Standard IV: Volunteering; Standard V: School Decision Making and Advocacy; Standard VI: Collaborating with Community

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