School Improvement Mid-Year Reflection 2017

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT MID-YEAR REFLECTION 2017

Directions for School Leadership Team: As part of the February School Improvement Training we will engage in collaborative conversation and share best practices based on each school’s Mid Year School Improvement Reflections. After input from the leadership team, each school is asked to bring this completed form to the training.

1. Has your school made progress towards achieving the goal? A. How do the structures and systems in place at your school ensure all facets of the school culture? Create and predictable environments and a school climate that supports your SIP goal? B. What are the gaps that exist between your current state and your desired state? C. How will you address them between now and the end of this school year?

We are embedding social studies with our reading to support our ELA goal. iReady ELA and Math diagnostics, standards mastery, iReady lessons, and Achieve3000 are helping us to meet the differentiated levels of students. BAS is helping to meet quarterly targets and be able to progress monitor student reading levels. All of the above are helping us to bridge the gaps by analyzing data to drive and inform instruction. Our current state shows that we are not quite at desired proficiency, however our data shows that we are making positive gains in ELA, Math and Science. Our third, fourth, and fifth grade teams created crunch time plans, which addressed standards that needed to be reinforced, as well as standards that were not yet taught in ELA, Math and Science. Our lowest quartile students’ needs are being addressed through teacher planning and collaboration, academic camps, CARE PLC, support interventions, and on site tutoring.

2. Have alterable barriers been eliminated or reduced? (Alterable barriers are in-house infrastructure mechanisms such as scheduling, class structures, teacher attendance, student attendance, staff development plan, etc.) A. What evidence do you see that a barrier has been reduced or eliminated? B. What evidence do you have that the barriers are wide-reaching and will help you achieve your goal? C. If progress towards eliminating the barrier is not sufficient, where or what is the breakdown? D. Did you identify other barriers that could serve as effective re- entry points into the plan?

We have reduced alterable barriers by reducing class size, departmentalizing, professional development, and CARE PLC. We have also added a Math Coach and an Interventionist. With additional support staff we are able to meet student needs on a more wide range basis than in previous years. Through BAS assessments we are able to monitor individual student growth and set specific learning paths. However, a barrier to BAS is that it takes away instructional time from other students. Teams are developing strategic ways to implement BAS assessments while not sacrificing curriculum. We will begin to closely monitor the students’ attendance, tardiness, and leaving early, in order to determine whether these factors impact student performance.

3. Are your strategies being implemented with fidelity? A. Were decisions to continue, intensify, modify, or terminate strategies or action steps based on specific evidence? Our strategies are being implemented with fidelity. We are working continuously to enhance support, teaching strategies, and professional development to help with student performance.

4. What are your benchmarks for success? A. How will you progress towards your goal impact student achievement? B. What is your desired state? C. What gaps exist between your current state and your desired state?

Our benchmarks for success are to increase literacy, math, and science proficiency. If we show at least 50% learning gains with our lowest quartile in ELA and Math, then we will reach our student goals for achievement.