School Improvement Plan s11

Avery County School System

School Improvement Plan For

Riverside Elementary 2008-2011 Vision

Our school community, including staff members, parents, and community members, will work together to ensure our students are enthusiastic learners and that we utilize each individual’s unique strengths. We will utilize 21st Century technology and educational strategies/practices to enhance our school community and prepare our students to compete in the global economy.

Mission The mission for Riverside Elementary School is to provide a wholesome learning environment and foster a co-operative effort among school personnel, parents, students, and the community to prepare students to be globally ready for the 21st Century. School Improvement Plan School Improvement Team Members

Name Role Signature Pre-Kindergarten Lee Aldridge Teacher

Ginny Austin Parent

Lisa Bell Teacher Assistant

Jada Daniels Parent

Rosetta Fisher Parent 5th Grade Carole Long Teacher

Nate McCollum Parent

Mike McKinney Parent

Amanda Nance Parent

Beth Thompson Parent

Ricky Ward Principal Art/Music Janice Wise Teacher School Improvement Plan Approval Form

Initial Approval by Staff

Date of Presentation/Approval Vote

Results of Approval Vote

Principal’s Signature

Approved by Superintendent/Designee

Superintendent/Designee Signature

Approved by Avery County Board of Education

School Improvement Plan 2008-2011 Statement of Assurances

The school improvement plan submitted for approval to the Avery County Board of Education has been developed in accordance with Public Law 115C-105.27. In the development of this plan, be assured that:

 representatives of the assistant principals, instructional personnel, instructional support personnel, and teacher assistants were elected to serve on the school improvement team by their respective groups by secret ballot;

 parents were elected to serve on the school improvement team by the parent/teacher organization of the school (or if none exists, by the largest organization of parents formed for this purpose);

 parents serving on the school improvement team reflect the racial and socio- economic composition of the students enrolled in this school and shall not be members of the building-level staff;

 school improvement team meetings were held at a convenient time to assure substantial parent participation;

 notice of time, date and location of school improvement team meetings were posted according to public meeting guidelines;

 the principal presented the proposed school improvement plan to all assistant principals, instructional personnel, instructional support personnel, and teacher assistants assigned to the school building for review and vote; and

 the vote for approval of the school improvement plan was by secret ballot.

Professional Development – As prescribed by G.S. 115C-105.30 over 75% of the state staff development funding allotment has been distributed to our school. The school improvement team insures that these funds are used to implement the school improvement plan. All staff development activities in this school embrace the professional development vision adopted by the North Carolina State Board of Education in March 2003. Classroom practice and school leadership in North Carolina will be improved through tailored, intensive professional development that includes follow-up, support, practice, feedback and evaluation. It is a collaborative effort that provides every student access to a competent, caring and highly-qualified teacher. All fiscal and human resources within the educational community support classroom instruction and interactions that prepare students to thrive and contribute to a complex, dynamic global and multicultural society. Activities result in implementation of classroom practices that lead to improved student achievement.

School Improvement Plan Planning Time and Duty Free Lunch – In accordance with G.S. 115C-105.27(b)(6.) there is a plan in place to assure planning time during the regular student contact hours and duty free lunch to the extent resources are available. The current planning and duty free lunch schedules have been approved according to the School Improvement Plan approval process.

Safe Schools Plan -- In accordance with G.S. 115C-105.47 our school has developed a safe school plan, which promotes a climate of respect and appropriate personal conduct for students and school personnel, and provides for safety, security and order. This plan is on file in the principal’s office.

Healthy Active Children (K-8 schools) – The components of State Board of Education policy HSP-S-000 Healthy Active Children (HAC) have been considered in the school plan and are imbedded in the school schedule. The school is committed to providing regular physical activity for students both with a physical education specialist and during recess. In accordance with HSP-S-000 recess will not be taken away as a punishment.

Reading by Grade 2 – (Elementary only) Embedded throughout the school improvement plan are projects and initiatives to achieve the goal that students will read at grade level by the time they enter second grade. The improvement strategies include the use of assessments to monitor student progress in learning to read, research based interventions for students having difficulty, and best practice staff development for teachers. In accordance with legislative requirements, the school has processes in place for notifying parents or guardians when the child is not reading at grade level or may not be reading at grade level when s/he enters second grade.

This school improvement plan represents goals and strategies for addressing improvement of student performance and includes components that focus on high student performance; safe, orderly and caring schools; quality teachers, administrators and staff; strong family, community and business support; and effective and efficient operations.

School Name Riverside Elementary

Principal Signature Date Appendix B

School Improvement Plan Section I: Vision, Mission, Beliefs

Write a brief narrative to articulate your school’s vision, mission, and beliefs.

Riverside Elementary School Vision: Our school community, including staff members, parents, and community members, will work together to ensure our students are enthusiastic learners and that we utilize each individuals unique strength’s. We will utilize 21st Century technology and educational strategies/practices to enhance our school community and prepare our students to compete in the global economy.

Riverside Elementary School Mission: The mission for Riverside Elementary School is to provide a wholesome learning environment and foster a co-operative effort among school personnel, parents, students, and the community to prepare students to be globally ready for the 21st Century.

Beliefs: Riverside Elementary School believes:  That all students are capable of learning  That learning should be fun  That the community and parents are an essential part of the learning process  That learning should be a lifelong process  All our students will graduate high school and be successful  We can provide students with the 21st Century Skills they will need for school and beyond  Education is essential

The main focus of our vision, mission, and beliefs is that we all take part in educating our students. The community is a major part of what we do to educate Riverside students. As a result we focused on how the community influences our school to ensure the success of the students. We want our students to be prepared and ready to go on to the next step of learning and be successful. We strive to provide students with the necessary skills to finish high school and go on to college or the workplace to be life-long learners. We truly believe that all students can learn, and we strive to have students internalize that belief as well. The Riverside family cares about one another and will do whatever is necessary to help students achieve. Appendix C School Improvement Plan Section II: Profile

Re p o rt of Da t a A na lysis

Riverside Elementary School is a small rural community school nestled in a valley between Newland and Spruce Pine. The Majority of students are white, English speaking, with a small population being minority with English being their second language. Life in the Riverside Community is rural and calls upon the land as a primary source of income. Those people not involved in agriculture find employment in nearby towns. The Riverside School serves families with a wide variety of educational backgrounds. There are those that are high school dropouts, high school graduates, trade school graduates, college graduates, to some that have earned advanced college degrees. Most parents are very supportive of the school and do what they can to assist with their children's education. At the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year there were 135 students enrolled in the school. Membership by class is represented as follows: Pre-K 11 Females 4 Males 15 Total Kindergarten 11 Females 10 Males 21 Total First Grade 11 Females 12 Males 23 Total Second Grade 11 Females 11 Males 22 Total Third Grade 8 Females 9 Males 17 Total Fourth Grade 8 Females 11 Males 19 Total Fifth Grade 9 Females 9 Males 18 Total

Riverside School participates in a school wide Title I program with 47% or students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Children receive Title I services through reduced class size and additional support with assistants in the classroom. Riverside School was created 77 years ago and has been housed in three different locations. The current building has served the community for 23 years. It opened its doors in the 1985-86 school year. The school faculty and staff consist of a principal (who is new to the school this year), eight regular classroom teachers, and one teacher serving special education at eighty percent. The school has part time teachers serving in physical education, music, art, speech, media, and guidance. In addition there are seven teacher assistants working with students in the classroom. The additional staff consists of one full and one part time office assistants, a custodian, two cafeteria employees, and three bus drivers. This is very little turn over in staff from year to year. We are very fortunate to keep our teachers and primarily only hire when someone retires. There are many volunteers from the community and parents that assist with school needs. The PTO is very active and works hard to fund many of the school needs. We all work together to provide a quality education for our students with a strong emphasis on excellent character. Riverside has a strong tradition of high achievement and strong community support. In the previous school year the test results did slip more then we expected and we did not make Adequate Yearly Progress or ABC Growth. We are focusing on improving our test results and getting our students to where they should be. Incorporating the goals from the School Improvement Plan will help us be more successful and prepared. One of the major areas of focus is on providing better ongoing formative assessment. We want to have a clear picture of where the students are throughout the year. Improving this area will allow us to better determine what goals the students need to focus on more and spend more time practicing. Implementing the ClassScape assessment program will be a useful tool to assist us in this area. We also want to improve communicating the students’ progress with the parents. This will allow them to help their child with needed skills and practice. We know from test results that there are several areas of concern that need to be improved. Teachers have looked at desegregating the test data to help with these weak areas. Math is a main area we are focusing on, and we have started using the Voyages Math Program to help get our students better prepared. We are also using Weekly Essentials from DPI to use as a pacing guide for instruction. We are confident that with focused intervention and implementation of school goals will we see progress with our students. The following information is test results from the 2007-2008 school year. The reading data has not arrived.

2007-2008 Math Test Results

Grade Percent Proficient Growth 3rd 45.0% -3.26 4th 65.0% -1.759 5th 60.87% -8.104 6th 87.5% 5.463

Last year's third grade is definitely a group that we are focusing on bringing up. We also want to focus on growth across all grade levels. We no longer have 6th grade, the district decided to have all 6th graders attend one of the middle schools. This brought our enrollment down somewhat from last year, but we continue to focus on our students we currently have this year. Once the reading scores come in we will look at the data and come up with a plan for reading. We focus on educating the whole child and work on ways to integrate subjects as much as possible. The Star Reader program allows us to get a get picture of the students reading level and work with them accordingly. School Improvement Plan Section III—Goals and Strategies

State Priority: NC public schools will produce globally competitive students. System Goal: Utilize Professional Learning Communities to analyze data, develop curriculum maps/pacing guides/curriculum alignment, and develop and implement common, formative assessments. School Goal: Implement Professional Learning Communities at the school level. Team SMART Goal Strategies/Action Steps Responsibility Timeline Measure of Effectiveness

Create a PK-2 teacher, a 3-5 Schedule a range of relevant Principal October 2008 Feedback from teachers. teacher, and a teacher assistant topics to discuss that will SAT Ongoing each Impact on instruction. learning communities that will meet impact teaching and learning month Minutes from meeting. monthly to discuss and analyze a for each group. Examine and range of topics. discuss data and plan interventions based on the information. School Improvement Plan Section III—Goals and Strategies

State Priority: NC public schools will produce globally competitive students. System Goal: Utilize assessments that infuse 21st Century Skills and technology School Goal: Utilize assessments to infuse 21st Century Skills and technology Team SMART Goal Strategies/Action Steps Responsibility Timeline Measure of Effectiveness

Utilize ClassScape for ongoing Train teachers to use Principal Training October Data analysis formative assessment to determine ClassScape. 3-5 Teachers 24. Test results the students’ understanding of Implement ClassScape into Ongoing throughout subject material throughout the instruction. the school year. year. Analyze data Midyear evaluation Work on interventions for students in trouble areas.

Utilize K-2 Assessment for ongoing Perform student assessment Ongoing K-2 Teachers Test analysis formative assessment to determine throughout the year and the students’ progress throughout examine results for areas of Assistants Student Progress the year. concern and intervention with SAT Students Assistants Team. School Improvement Plan Section III—Goals and Strategies

State Priority: NC public schools will produce globally competitive students. System Goal: Increase the use of instructional strategies that require students to exhibit a range of functional and critical thinking skills related to information and media technology. School Goal: Increase the use of technology as an instructional tool and a student resource. Team SMART Goal Strategies/Action Steps Responsibility Timeline Measure of Effectiveness

Incorporate technology, as an Provide a projector, Smart Principal Installed by Installation of equipment instructional tool, into daily Board, and a document camera Teachers December 2008 lessons. for each classroom.

Incorporate student use of Flexible access to computer lab Principal Ongoing The number of computers technology into daily lessons and for teachers to use with their Teachers added to each classroom. provide flexible access to the lab. class. Log of computer lab use. Provide refurbished computers from the computer lab to classrooms for student use.

Incorporate Jacob's Ladder for Teachers 2008-2009 school Amount of growth for these Provide advanced differentiation advanced readers in grades 3-5 year students. programs with high level thinking and Mentoring Mathematical activities and problem solving Minds for advanced math skills. students in grades 3-5. School Improvement Plan Section III—Goals and Strategies

st State Priority: NC public schools will be led by 21 Century professionals. System Goal: Work with instructional staff to develop understanding of the Professional Teaching Standards School Goal: Introduce and familiarize staff with the Professional Teaching Standards and 21st Century goals. Team SMART Goal Strategies/Action Steps Responsibility Timeline Measure of Effectiveness Provide the staff with a copy of Include a copy of the Principal 2008-2009 School Teacher understanding of the Professional Teaching Professional Teaching Standards Year the standards. st st Standards and the 21 Century and the 21 Century Goals in the PLC Notes Goals to review. Lead Teacher Handbook. Introduce to discussions examining each of the staff. Go over each standard standards and goals. during a PLC meeting with the teachers to help them be familiar with what is expected of them. School Improvement Plan Section III—Goals and Strategies

st State Priority: NC public schools will be led by 21 Century professionals. System Goal: Train professionals in existing technology, then expand training to include innovative software/hardware School Goal: Train professionals in use of Projector, Smart Board, and Document Camera and select additional software Team SMART Goal Strategies/Action Steps Responsibility Timeline Measure of Effectiveness Find or provide training for Teachers will attend technology Technology Teacher Assistant All teachers Amount and quality of technology that will be bought for trainings. technology trained training. classrooms. (Projector, Smart Look for ways to provide training by June 2009 Sea System Records Board, and Document Camera) at the school. School Improvement Plan Section III—Goals and Strategies

st State Priority: NC public schools will be led by 21 Century professionals. System Goal: Provide professional development in disaggregating data. School Goal: Provide professional development in disaggregating data. Team SMART Goal Strategies/Action Steps Responsibility Timeline Measure of Effectiveness Look at test data in-house to Attend data disaggregation Principal Monthly during Discussions and solutions determine possible improvement meeting. Examine test data SAT PLC Meetings that come from our findings. during grade level Professional together as a team to come up Learning Community meetings. with trends and solutions as a team to improve instruction across grade levels. School Improvement Plan Section III—Goals and Strategies

State Priority: NC public school students will be healthy and responsible. System Goal: Create/ensure a safe environment and eliminate bullying School Goal: Create/ensure a safe environment and decrease bullying Team SMART Goal Strategies/Action Steps Responsibility Timeline Measure of Effectiveness Work with Greene Valley Fire Work with the local fire Principal 2008-2009 School Improved Fire Drill System Department to improve department to improve our fire Green Valley Fire Department Year Monthly Fire Drill emergency procedure drill procedures. Have secondary documents. effectiveness. routes in case the main route is blocked.

Incorporate our Character Integrate themes within the School Social Worker Weekly Discipline data. Education monthly themes into curriculum and activities within Feedback from students on daily lessons and activities the classroom. Guidance lessons will also focus on these areas. surveys.

Train lower grades teachers in 2008-2009 Completion of training. Implement Conscious Discipline Principal Conscious Discipline program. Kindergarten Feedback from teachers. strategies in the lower grades. 2009-2010 Discipline Records First Grade 2010-2011 Second Grade School Improvement Plan Section III—Goals and Strategies

State Priority: NC public school students will be healthy and responsible. System Goal: Provide wellness programs for students and staff. School Goal: Provide wellness programs Team SMART Goal Strategies/Action Steps Responsibility Timeline Measure of Effectiveness Implement wellness program for Have Kerry Buchanan work with Kerry Buchanan Twice a month Change in student health rd th rd th 3 through 5 grades. students in the 3 and 4 grade to Teachers and lifestyle. develop good eating and workout habits. They will visit the YMCA monthly to work on wellness activities.

Implement Yoga instruction with Students reactions to Have Pre-Kindergarten students Pre-K teacher One time a week Pre-Kindergarten students. techniques and effectiveness work with yoga techniques for instructional of program on student promotion of a healthy lifestyle. sessions performance. School Improvement Plan Section III—Goals and Strategies

State Priority: Leadership will guide innovation in NC public schools. System Goal: Increase parental and community involvement and input. School Goal: Increase parental and community communication and involvement. Team SMART Goal Strategies/Action Steps Responsibility Timeline Measure of Effectiveness Increase communication Use new forms of communication Principal Monthly newsletter Parent feedback between the school and home. to keep parents informed of what Weekly emails Increased communication is happening at Riverside and help AlertNow starting with parents. them better communicate with the September 2008 school, such as ( Newsletters, the AlertNow phone system, email, and the School Web Page.) School Improvement Plan Section III—Goals and Strategies

State Priority: Leadership will guide innovation in NC public schools. System Goal: Explore opportunities for business and community partnerships. School Goal: Explore opportunities for business and community partnerships Team SMART Goal Strategies/Action Steps Responsibility Timeline Measure of Effectiveness Utilize business and community Work in partnership with local Principal Ongoing Documentation of classroom partnerships to support learning. businesses and organizations for PTO visits, sponsorships, and quest speakers, donations, or other meetings held. contributions to improve the wider school community (Unimin, the Park Service, local churches, the Green Valley Fire Dept., etc.) School Improvement Plan Section III—Goals and Strategies

st State Priority: NC public schools will be governed and supported by 21 Century systems. System Goal: Improve Media Delivery/Program. School Goal: Improve Media Delivery/Program. Team SMART Goal Strategies/Action Steps Responsibility Timeline Measure of Effectiveness Improve Media Work with the media specialist to Principal First Semester Better collaboration Delivery/Program. collaborate with the classroom Media Specialist 2007-2008 staff occurring between both teachers to assist with projects and introduction to new parties. needed media skills. Explore media specialist flexible schedule options. Second semester 2007-2008 evaluation of program 2009-2010 Action steps toward flexible schedule

Appendix E School Improvement Plan Section III—Goals and Strategies

st State Priority: NC public schools will be governed and supported by 21 Century systems. System Goal: Explore options to provide interventions throughout the year (vs. remediation at the end of the semester or year). School Goal: Provide interventions throughout the year. Team SMART Goal Strategies/Action Steps Responsibility Timeline Measure of Effectiveness Use SAT to monitor ongoing Use tools such as ClassScape, Social Worker Monthly meetings Formative and summative formative assessments Great Leaps, Letterland, EC Teacher assessment results. throughout the year to keep track Accelerated Reader, Trophies of student progress and provide Reading Program, EdMark, appropriate interventions for volunteers to measure student increased student success. progress and provide appropriate interventions throughout the year. Continue to look for other ways to provide appropriate interventions.

Have a group from the school Completion of training and Participate in RTI training to Principal November 2008 participate in RTI training and implementation by the prepare for rollover to the RTI EC Director speak report back to the faculty. school. system with staff Spring 2009 attend training School Prioritized Plan- (To be Completed/Inserted Annually by Title I Schools Only)

Based on the annual review of the school needs assessment data encompassing all domains, describe the prioritized plans for the new project year that have the greatest likelihood of ensuring that all groups of students specified in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v) and enrolled in the school will meet the State's proficient level of achievement on the State’s academic assessments. Describe three to five prioritized program goals that address identified needs. NOTE: These program goals should be included in the school’s comprehensive plan for improvement and do not alone constitute a Title I plan.

Student Action Step(s) Assessment(s) Timeline of Professional Parental Achievement Goals. and/or Other Evaluation Development Involvement Include Targeted Measures Used Including Interim Needed to Needed to Support Subgroup(s) to Determine and Final Support the the Action Step(s) Outcome Action Step(s)

Increase Math Use Voyages Math Program and the ClassScape Formative 2008-2009 school ClassScape Support and practice scores for all assessment system to increase students growth on assessment year training. of math skills at students grades 3-5. the Math EOG. throughout the home. year.

EOG Scores

Use Title I funds to provide additional assistants in Input and support the classrooms to work with small groups and Student progress 2008-2009 school PLC Meetings with strategies in the Use Title I funds to help support instruction. year classrooms. students become K-2 Assessment successful.

Utilize Professional Learning Communities to 2008-2009 school Input on student PLC Professional discuss student needs and analyze performance Formative year needs. Utilize Professional Development data in order to provide appropriate interventions assessments Learning Communities Topics for student success and needed staff development throughout the within the school. for staff. year. Appendix E

School Improvement Plan Section IV: Monitoring Progress

Actual Results Prior to the beginning of the next school year, examine data from the year just completed and answer the following: Which Goals were accomplished?

What changes will be made to work toward accomplishing the goals in the coming year? Avery County School System Character Education Checklist/Verification Form 2008-2011 School Year

SCHOOL:

Complete each question below about the Character Education program at your school: 1. Who should be listed as the character education contact for your school? CONTACT:

2. Does your school have a Character Education Committee (check YES or NO)? YES NO

If yes, are parents of students given an opportunity for input (check YES or NO)? YES NO

If yes, describe how.

3. Briefly describe what your school currently has in place concerning Character Education.

4. The law encourages instruction on 4 responsibilities: - Respect for school personnel - Service to others - Responsibility for school safety - Good citizenship

Do you foresee instruction in these areas for your school during the 2008-2011 school year? YES NO

If yes, who would provide instruction?

5. If you have any needs related to implementing your character education program, list them below.

______Principal Signature Date Appendix G

Safe Schools Checklist/Verification Form 2008-2009 School Year In accordance with policies and procedures outlined in the Avery County School System’s Positive Behavior Support plan, our school certifies we have complied with the following goals:

SCHOOL:

YES NO Review and revise safe schools plan to be compatible with the system- wide plan, including: 1. conduct a needs assessment in regards to safety 2. use and update critical response kit 3. distribute Avery County Student Code of Conduct to students 4. publish school rules in Student/Parent Handbooks

YES NO Inform students, parents, and school personnel the standards of behavior as well as the consequences for not adhering to these standards 1. develop and implement a plan to distribute and explain the Student Code of Conduct to all students 2. adhere to procedures for handling students in violation to Student Code of Conduct policies 3. refer students to student services, SAT team, and other resources as needed

YES NO Work cooperatively and effectively with law enforcement and court officials to maintain safe and orderly schools and to ensure that laws are 1. explore ways to increase visibility of School Resource Officer (SRO) 2. continue implementation of crime stoppers 3. meet with Department of Juvenile Justice 4. use and update critical response kit

YES NO Inform students, parents, and representatives of the schools and local communities about the integration of the safe schools plan with the total school program while providing ongoing implementation and 1. discuss safe schools plan with students, staff and parents 2. mail parent newsletter detailing the plan to each student’s home 3. conduct school safety student assemblies

Principal Signature Date Appendix H

AVERY COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM Healthy/Active Students Checklist/Verification Form 2005-2006 School Year

School:

Strategic Priority: Healthy Students in Safe, Orderly and Caring Schools

Objective Not Yet In Needs Addressed Progress Assistance or N/A Ensure all students have recess during the school day and that it is not taken away as punishment. Implement a coordinated school health program.

For each item below, mark YES or NO and then list the exact number of minutes the activity is provided over the 180-day school year. Activity Yes No Time Over 180 Days Provide physical education for every student taught by a physical education teacher. Provide physical activity/recess for every student.

School Health Advisory Council Separate Within Council Leadership Team Indicate the organization of the School Health Advisory Council at your school

What other areas of Coordinated School Health Programs are you working on implementing in your school? Please explain. AREAS Need Assistance (Please describe.)

Principal Signature Date

School Improvement Plan for 2008-2011 School-Based Management and Accountability Program Summary of School-Based Waiver requests for 2008-2009 School: ______

LEA: Avery County Schools LEA Code:

School Codes Requests for Waivers

1. Describe the waivers you are requesting.

A. Flexibility in use and assignment of teacher assistants. B. Ability to transfer funds allotted for textbooks to classroom materials, instructional materials, or equipment.

1. Identify the law, regulation, and policy from which an exemption is requested. A. G.S. 115C-105.25 Budget Flexibility allows a LEA to place teacher assistants outside of the K-3 grade placement if they primarily serve at least 51% of student population. B. G.S.115C.433 (c) Budget transfers allow the LEA to transfer monies from one appropriation to another.

2. State how the waiver will be used. A. A teacher assistant will be assigned to serve 100% of student population in the computer lab. B. Monetary transfers between budget codes will allow us to purchase supplemental materials and trade books in place of textbooks during textbook adoption cycles.

3. State how the waiver will promote achievement of performance goals. A. & B. Allows for personnel to meet the needs of all students within the school for testing, remediation, classrooms, and grade levels. B. This waiver allows for personnel to differentiate instruction and integrate content for all students.