L4GA Grant Application Last updated: 02/15/2018
Upload your Local Education Agency (LEA)-Partnership Narrative (to be completed by LEA-Community Literacy Task Force) 15 Points
This narrative is a highly important factor in ensuring that the reviewer understands the community, the local education agency (in most cases, this is a school district), the feeder system identified, and how this initiative will assist with the literacy development across the identified community, including in and out of schools. The Narrative should be limited to 2500 words.
This section should include the following:
LEA name Identification of feeder system(s) in the LEA-Partnership (preschool/early care provider(s), elementary, middle, high) Identification of the community served by the feeder system (name of city, neighborhood, and/or region) Identification of all LEA-Partnership partners (organization, role of the organization in partnership, contact person, title, contact information) A brief description of the feeder system(s) identified, and history of the LEA-Partnership Specific questions: What local community assets exist to support families and children? Is this an established “Get Georgia Reading” community? Is this a proposed “Get Georgia Reading” community? Is this community a recipient of a GOSA Community Coalition-building grant? Population demographics of the community: Get Georgia Reading Campaign data; Kids Count data Climate Ratings for each school involved in the proposed partnership and/or status of implementation of PBIS Student literacy/ELA outcomes of the feeder system Plan for routinely engaging early childhood education and care providers Plan for routinely engaging community-organization partners Plan for routinely engaging P-20 research-practitioner partnership(s) and literacy faculty in the local teacher preparation programs as part of the community coalition https://L4GA2017.fluidreview.com/resp/14355894/4HgXZDJBrN/
1 / 9 Upload your LEA-Partnership Management Plan and Key Personnel (to be completed by LEA-Community Literacy Task Force) 10 Points
This section will apprise the reviewer of how the grant will be supported from the district level. Who are the key people involved in the grant? How will the grant function in terms of the whole district strategic plan? How will financial aspects of the grant be handled? Will there be a dedicated staff member at the district office with the responsibility of grants administration? Though this is certainly not an exhaustive list, these questions should be covered in your response. The Management Plan should be limited to 1000 words.
This section should include the following:
LEA office support for grant management Key people involved in the grant (names, titles, contact information) Statement about how this grant relates to the whole district strategic plan and comprehensive needs assessment (CNA)? Detail how the grant will be handled internally Detail the grant work will flow Detail the grants management responsibility Describe the LEA’s ability to adequately administer the funding: Past grant experience Discuss financial and programmatic audit findings over the past three years Discuss controls for spending https://L4GA2017.fluidreview.com/resp/14355894/IAeBZWlVsM/
Upload your Established Need (to be completed by district office) 10 Points
This section requires an initial analysis of current third-grade reading growth over the past three years (2015-2017) for all students in the LEA. It should include students who are economically disadvantaged, students with disabilities, and English learners This analysis should be used as a basis to establish need for an L4GA project. This can include Milestones outcomes in addition to other assessments. The Established Need section should be limited to 1000 words. https://L4GA2017.fluidreview.com/resp/14355894/PsCP7R6AQ9/
2 / 9 Upload Assets and Needs Assessment with Root Cause Analysis (to be completed by district office) 10 Points
This section should describe the needs assessment process. What assets exist? How were root causes determined using the needs assessment process, and how will this information be used to develop a project that will impact all students birth to grade 12 in the LEA community? The Needs Assessment and Root Cause Analysis should be limited to 1000 words.
Some of the areas described below can and should be used in the analysis, but this is not an exhaustive list. The LEA is not required to use a particular needs assessment. Care should be taken to analyze to a level that is sensitive to established need. Consider using outcomes of analyses conducted with Georgia’s System for Continuous Improvement as a starting point.
Areas to consider include:
Coherent Instructional System
Past instructional initiatives Current instructional initiatives Cross-curricular connections to literacy
Community and Family Engagement (This should be completed by community and early care/learning partners working with the LEA team)
Community assets (How are (or how could) community assets engaged by the schools and centers?)
Engaged Leadership
Routines and processes for on-going engagement of leaders (administrators as well as the leadership team)
Positive Learning Environment
Social and emotional supports for families and students School Climate ratings over the past few years Other developmental supports available for the Whole Child (see http://www.gadoe.org/Documents/Whole%20Child2pgr.pdf and http://www.ascd.org/whole- child.aspx )
Professional Capacity
3 / 9 Time for professional learning for all levels (early care and learning, elementary, middle, high) and all relevant staff (e.g., family-community engagement specialists, school library-media specialists and community librarians, mental health providers, social workers, school leaders, teachers) Approaches to professional learning Teaching workforce credentials and needs (e.g., degrees for early care and learning providers, advanced degrees for P-12 teachers, certification status, retention/attrition of staff, and future retirement forecasts) https://L4GA2017.fluidreview.com/resp/14355894/oFv3gD3BuW/
Upload your Plan, Procedures, Goals, Objectives, and Support (to be completed by district office) 10 Points
This section should provide the reviewer with the actual implementation plan proposed for funding. The reviewer must understand who, what, when and how the actual performances will utilize assets and address the needs determined in the “root cause” analysis. It will not be enough to name programs and strategies; the application should show how the strategies and programs align to best practices and directly address the needs of the children in the community by working through community organizations, early care/learning providers, and schools. The plan should show how the community-level supports, instructional strategies, delivery models are consistent with Evidenced Based Practices and directly address the needs of the students, educators, parents and community. The Project Plan should be limited to 1000 words
https://L4GA2017.fluidreview.com/resp/14355894/G2AdqQg0EM/
4 / 9 Upload Assessment/Data Analysis Plan (to be completed by disctrict office) 10 Points
In this section, indicate what community-level data will be utilized (e.g., poverty, transportation, healthcare, etc.) in addition to assessment data. For example, vision screeners may be an essential data point as a way to target vision supports for students.
In addition, it is important to spell out specifically who, what, when and how the assessments will be given at the school level and how they will be analyzed by a team representing the early care providers, the community, local teacher educators/professional development providers, the schools, and the district.
The procedures involved in determining how instruction is developed based on the assessment data should be carefully described. Assessment protocols are specifically detailed including: who, what, and when the assessments will be given as well as analyzed. Procedures for educators’ analysis of local assessment data to inform instruction should also be included. The Assessment/Data Analysis Plan should be limited to 1000 words.
https://L4GA2017.fluidreview.com/resp/14355894/Rc3HpXSzmb/
5 / 9 Upload Professional Learning Strategies Identified on the Basis of Documented Need (to be completed by district office) 10 Points
Professional learning is a key component of the grant. There should be a direct tie to literacy instruction as well as include all teachers of reading/literacy including early care and learning providers, CTAE, Special Education teachers, all content teachers as well as community partners and parents as appropriate. This section of the grant should provide the district’s overall plan for engaging LEA-Partners with L4GA Professional Learning offerings. NOTE: LEA-Partners must agree to utilize their L4GA professional learning plan as their singular plan for literacy-related professional learning to avoid layering conflicting professional learning opportunities that could be available in a large LEA. The Professional Learning plan should be limited to 1000 words.
Areas to consider include:
Institutes Online PL supports Local PL assets and supports (e.g., training and consulting for early care providers, PLCs, collaborative planning, coaching, mentoring) Professional learning associated with any purchased or adopted program Time allocated for collaborative planning time per age/grade level team and vertical teams Topics of interest for PL for each audience (e.g., early learning; secondary education; community/family liaisons; etc.). Topics that the LEA-Partnership could provide to the L4GA PL catalog due to particular LEA- Partners’ expertise or experiences with positive outcomes. (Involve the P-20 and RESA partners and outstanding teacher leaders when determining what the LEA-Partnership can offer to the L4GA program). https://L4GA2017.fluidreview.com/resp/14355894/caMmp29TJQ/
6 / 9 Upload Resources, Strategies and Materials to Support Implementation of the Literacy Plan (to be completed by district office) 10 Points
This section details all of the strategies and instructional resources that will be used or purchased as a result of L4GA funding. They should all tie back to the needs assessment, student data and root cause analysis. They should directly impact literacy, access to print, community engagement, student supports, instructional engagement and/or teacher support. It is not necessary to name specific products; generic descriptions will be adequate. Any technology purchases must be justified as a way to support literacy improvement. The Resources, Strategies and Materials section should be limited to 1000 words.
https://L4GA2017.fluidreview.com/resp/14355894/LckfRNwAIc/
7 / 9 Upload School/Center Literacy Plans (to be completed by each school and/or early care center involved) 15 Points
Each school in an LEA is unique and therefore should have a detailed literacy plan that supports literacy implementation for children and families that are part of the school and/or early care center(s). This literacy plan should be consistent with LEA- partnership goals, objectives, professional learning and models of tiered supports. It also should support coordination of all resources available so thatL4GA funding is used to fill strategic gaps determined in needs assessments. The school/center literacy plan (1 plan for birth to five) should be limited to 2500 words. It is not necessary to write the plan in narrative form if the school/lea would rather develop or use a template.
When crafting literacy plans, there is no required template or guide. Consider using REL plan tools as guidance. It is vital that schools and early care providers coordinate both internally with staff during development and in partnership with the LEA- partnership team to ensure consistency with LEA goals. Discussion in the plan should include:
School History Administrative and Teacher Leadership Team Community assets Past Instructional Initiatives Current Instructional Initiatives Individual school professional learning needs Need for a Striving Readers Project
https://L4GA2017.fluidreview.com/resp/14355894/10Wpet2IMg/
8 / 9 Upload your Budget Summary (to be completed by district office) Unscored
Each application should have a budget summary in narrative form. The budget summary will highlight how the LEA/schools/centers/organizations plan to use their L4GA grant funds. The readers will have access to the budget summary so they can get a sense of the completed project. The budget summary will not be scored by readers. The budget summary will be reviewed by a committee of GaDOE staff including: Federal Program managers, Grants Accounting Personnel, L4GA program staff and a member of the Audit team. The budget summary should be limited to 600 words.
Prepare a brief narrative informing the readers about the budget indicating what the LEA/agency or organization has determined as overarching needs and how the budget supports strategic activities. https://L4GA2017.fluidreview.com/resp/14355894/4TLHZGefX3/
Appendix A References
Upload your reference list. https://L4GA2017.fluidreview.com/resp/14355894/8qhrMKmaPk/
Appendix B Get Georgia Reading Grant Requirement
Upload "statements of commitment" (as one pdf file) from your Get Georgia Reading Campaign Community partners stating their respective commitment to strengthening the development of children's language and literacy. Each organization may serve a particular segment of the population of children, from birth through grade 12, and their families. The statements of commitment should indicate the target audience that the organization serves and what activities the organization will do as part of the partnership. https://L4GA2017.fluidreview.com/resp/14355894/65RecSM5sL/
Please provide the names of the primary authors of this grant application.
Please provide names, titles, email and contact numbers in the event program staff needs to contact you concerning this submission.
Sarah Cruz, ELA Coordinator, [email protected] Tracie Livingston, Media Program Specialist, [email protected]
9 / 9 Richmond County School System
Partnership Narrative The L4GA grant provides a unique opportunity for Richmond County School System (RCSS) to positively impact the lives of children in our target community from birth through college. We have created a unified plan to improve literacy. Our plan, Literacy Lifts Richmond County, includes elements that will help students arrive in Kindergarten ready to learn by exposing the babies in our community to more language and print. In addition, we will see increase in student reading and writing achievement through improved teacher effectiveness and increase in school climate ratings through improved teacher strategies for educating students in poverty in our community. Lastly, our outlined program, Literacy Lifts, will place students on a trajectory for success after high school by helping them to make proud choices and ensuring they have the skills necessary to achieve success in both college and career. Richmond County School System is in Augusta, Georgia. We are a district that serves 30,563 students in 33 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, 8 comprehensive high schools, 4 magnet schools and 3 special schools. Although many of our schools need support in literacy, we selected two feeder tracks for the Literacy for Learning, Living and Leading in Georgia grant. Schools selected for the L4GA grant are on two tracks based on a feeder band. Schools within this feeder band were selected based on specific achievement and community data and are also included in the targeted areas for improvement through local, state and federal programming. The Richmond County School System is partnering with the Georgia Chief Turnaround Office to support school and district improvement efforts. This partnership will provide ongoing support and focus to a limited number of school-based and district-level priorities. As a part of the partnership, external providers conducted school and district-level needs assessments. Both quantitative and qualities data was triangulated to identify a small number of priorities for each school and the district. Enhancing literacy skills, addressing students’ non-academic needs, climate/culture, and leveraging community stakeholders and recourses are critical elements of our partnership. The Turnaround Office’s Director of Partnerships and Community Engagement will be a critical component to our ongoing communication and engagement with our many partners. As noted prior, our district is partnering with the Chief Turnaround Office. The Turnaround Office provides a full-time coach to support the implementation and execution of identified priorities via an ongoing 90-day plan approach. The components of our L4 grant are aligned with the priorities on our 90-day plans – therefore, the coach will provide consistent feedback and guidance to ensure execution with the highest fidelity. The 90-day plan incorporates metrics for leading indicators so that we can make midcourse corrections anchored by data.
Track one consists of Wilkinson Gardens Elementary, Murphey Middle School, and T. W. Josey High School. These schools serve a total of 1,738 students; Forty-nine percent are female, and 51 percent are male. The ethnic breakdown is as follows: 89.3% African American, 0.5% Asian, 3.5% Caucasian, 4.9% Hispanic, and 1.8% Multi-racial. There is an average of 2.2% of students
Richmond County School System 1
Richmond County School System
with limited English proficiency, 10.4% students with disabilities and no migrant students. The climate ratings for the schools in this track are 3 for Josey High School, 1 for Murphey Middle School, and 3 for Wilkinson Gardens Elementary School. Wilkinson Gardens Elementary School is poised to start a Responsive Classrooms program next year, which will coach third through fifth grade teachers to respond in positive ways to students. Responsive Classroom is an evidence-based approach to address students social and emotional learning (Responsive Classroom website, 2018). The elements of Responsive Classroom that are in implementation at Wilkinson Gardens are Meditation Mornings and Teachers as Advisors. Meditation Mornings begins at 8:15. Students are encouraged to report to the gym after breakfast to participate in yoga style meditation while listening to calming music. They are coached to become more mindful of their motivations and actions. Teachers as Advisors is a program in which every child in the building has an adult they can go to for help or advice. These two elements together have helped decrease noise, confusion, and fighting in the school.
Josey and Murphey will also be implementing the PBIS model for improvement for positive climate and culture as part of the 2018 Cohort 3. They will begin training and implementation in the Summer 2018 with the PBIS Statewide Initiative. Both schools are already implementing many of the positive behavior interventions and supports as part of their daily routines and rituals. They have formed partnerships with local agencies to support wrap around services for children in our to meet the needs of children.
Track two consists of Glenn Hills Elementary, Glenn Hills Middle School, and Glenn Hills High School. These schools serve a total of 1,773 students; Fifty percent are female, and fifty percent are male. The ethnic breakdown is as follows: 89% African American, 0.07% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 3.4% Caucasian, 5.4% Hispanic, 1.4% Multi-racial, and 0.2% unknown. There is an average of 1.6% of students with limited English proficiency, 11.5% students with disabilities, and 0.06 migrant students. The climate ratings for this track are 1 for Glenn Hills High School, 2 for Glenn Hills Middle School, and 1 for Glenn Hills Elementary School. Both Glenn Hills Middle and Glenn Hills Elementary are PBIS schools and began implementation in 2015. Glenn Hills Elementary has recently been trained to implement PBIS Classrooms. Classroom Teachers will also be trained on Responsive Classroom in Summer 2018 to ensure teachers have research based classroom strategies to support the work of PBIS. This training will be specifically for teachers in grades 3-5. Responsive Classroom is an evidence-based approach to education that focuses on the strong relationship between academic success and social- emotional learning (SEL)
The PBIS program at Glenn Hills Middle School entails supporting teachers and students in decreasing inappropriate behaviors and absences. They have implemented an incentive program that includes monthly raffles, Thirsty Thursdays, celebrations, and an end of the year raffle. Students receive Seminole Stash for exhibiting positive behaviors. Incentives are also provided Richmond County School System 2
Richmond County School System
to the teachers in the form of catered lunches, and free jeans days. All the teachers were trained on how to implement the program during professional learning days. In turn, the PBIS plan was explained to the students during homeroom and reinforced throughout the school day. PBIS utilizes the SWIS data collection process so that the leadership team can review discipline incidents, frequency of problem behaviors, target times and locations of incident and is based on other positive rewards, interventions and supports to ensure that students learn the appropriate behaviors that lead to a positive school climate.
Partnerships are critical for success in implementing the program. Richmond County Schools recognizes that to achieve literacy success, we must address the whole child. This includes not only exceptional classroom instruction, but also supports for family, health, and social and emotional well-being. Our partners help us balance best classroom practices with vital human services. As a Get Georgia Reading Campaign Community, RCSS has cultivated supportive relationships in our local community. Among these assets are colleges and universities, healthcare providers, and libraries, community centers and other local non-profit and governmental agencies. We are calling on many of them to collaborate with us for the purposes of this grant.
We understand that due to the socio-economic circumstances of those living in our target community, many of the children are not exposed to a language-rich environment (GetGeorgiaReading.org, 2016). However, providing baby books to mothers can positively influence their beliefs about reading to their young children (Auger, Reich, & Penner, 2014). To address the language and literature anemic environment of 0-3-year-old children we are calling upon our partners at the Augusta Partnership for Children, First Book, the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library, and local childcare centers.
The Augusta Partnership for Children (APC) is a non-profit collaborative that partners with agencies, organizations and individuals to improve the lives of children and families in Augusta- Richmond County. The collaborative represents business; government; education; health care, faith-based, social service and youth organizations; and private citizens. They offer support services for expectant parents, families with young children, family self-sufficiency, and teen pregnancy prevention. Through their Parents as Teachers program, they provide home visits in which certified parent educators provide information, support, and encouragement parents need to help their children grow during the early years of life. The APC Parents as Teachers Program will integrate literacy training for parents of small children and distribute books to children age 0-5 in our target community. First Book is a national nonprofit social enterprise that transforms the lives of children in need by creating equal access to quality education — making everything from brand-new, high-quality books and educational resources, to sports equipment, winter coats, snacks, and more – affordable to its member network of more than 350,000 educators who exclusively serve kids in Richmond County School System 3
Richmond County School System
need. Since 1992, First Book has distributed more than 170 million books and educational resources to programs and Title I schools serving children from low-income families in more than 30 countries. First Book offers brand new children’s books and educational resources available to its network at deep discounts (average 65% below MSRP) or for free. First Book distributes more than 10 million free books to low income communities each year. We propose working with First Book for the purchase and distribution of books for community- based literacy events. Through these events, approximately 7,000 books will go home with children to begin or add to home libraries. We know that having access to books in the home is a strong predictor of academic success (Evans, Kelly, & Sikora, 2014). To build sustainability and to keep families reading, we have included the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library (ARCPL). ARCPL is a longtime supporter of the Richmond County School System. In the past, they have supported our summer reading efforts, reading bowl competition, as well as other reading and literacy programming. The ARCPL regularly plans engaging community events to support student reading and parent engagement. They will provide library card applications for the parent educators to distribute to families as well as information on library programming for children and families. Also, the elementary schools will strive to build relationships with the families by hosting literacy events throughout the year. There are five childcare providers within the Wilkinson Gardens boundaries and four within the Glenn Hills Elementary school boundaries. A list of these childcare providers was obtained from the Bright from the Start website. The list contains the name and contact information for the program administrator for each provider. Through our partners First Book and the Augusta Partnership for Children we will provide books for the children that attend these centers. According to a search on the Bright from the Start website, Richmond County School System is the largest Pre-K provider in the zip code in which Glenn Hills Elementary and Wilkinson Gardens is located. Glenn Hills Elementary School has two Lottery funded Pre-K classes. Wilkinson Gardens Elementary Schools has two Head Start Pre-K classes. The Big Day in PreK curriculum resources are used in all Richmond County School System PreK classes to support the Georgia Early Learning Standards (GELS) as outlined by the Department of Early Learning and Literacy (DECAL). This curriculum emphasizes social-emotional development, The RCSS Pre-K Project Manager is under the direction of the Curriculum Director and works closely with DECAL and Bright from the Start Program Managers to ensure that students’ academic needs are met and that students are ready for kindergarten. Augusta University will be another key partner with Richmond County. Professional Learning Communities have been proven to be powerful tools to improve teaching (Hattie, 2009 & Marzano, 2003). We will leverage the expertise of Augusta University's College of Educations to bring high quality professional learning and increase effectiveness in PLCs in each school. The Augusta University College of Education is committed to be a relevant, responsive, and respected institution with a keen focus toward high impact work in the community. The team at Augusta University will be a close partner throughout the grant as the goals and work will cover
Richmond County School System 4
Richmond County School System
the entire spectrum of initiatives. They will coordinate the resources of the university to develop job embedded professional learning modules for teachers in our target community. Teachers feel more confident and competent when professional learning is job-embedded rather than delivered in stand-alone workshops (Williams-Payne, 2013). So, to improve practitioner effectiveness, Augusta University’s College of Education will provide three literacy coaches (elementary, middle, and high). The coach will deliver direct instruction on literacy strategies to the teachers, model best practices, co-teach, observe, and provide feedback. The literacy strategies are research-based for balanced literacy; targeted small group instruction, recognizing reading behaviors in older children, vocabulary instruction, chunking text, concept mapping, and connecting kids to text for independent reading. Online modules will be custom made for RCSS featuring our teachers. Since these modules will belong to RCSS and survive the grant period, they will serve not only as a curriculum for the Professional Development Community but will also ensure that teacher learning can be sustained. Teachers will receive further training from the Department of School Improvement and Professional Learning of the Northwest RESA. The RESA plans and coordinates courses, workshops, endorsements, and training for school districts. Through this partnership, they will provide Reading Endorsement Program training and Reading Endorsement Program curriculum instructional resources, and assessment for teacher candidates. Media Specialists will also be included in partnering with the University and ELA classroom teacher to provide expertise in the essential skill of research. They will work with the research librarians at Augusta University to create information literacy lessons to prepare high school students for the rigor of college research. These lessons will be taught by both the research librarians and media specialists thus media specialists can carry on the work when the grant has expired. Field trips to the university campus for will also be arranged for the students to broaden the students' experiences. Teachers who work with children in poverty are often ill-equipped for connecting and communicating with those they teach. Augusta University in conjunction with the Augusta Partnership for Children will also develop a response to poverty workshop for the educators and community. The APC is an established Framework for Understanding Poverty community member (aha! Process, Inc. A Ruby Payne Company website, 2018). The Framework for Understanding Poverty curriculum helps educators identify and provide the whole spectrum of social and emotional resources required for success in school and in life. Richmond county knows well that teen pregnancy, STDs, and other health issues closely related to student social and emotional well-being can have a powerful impact on our students' ability to learn. In 2016, 26.6 in 1000 teen girls between the ages of 15 and 17 in Richmond County experienced pregnancies. In the same year 54.2 in 1000 teens between the ages of 17 and 19 reported having an STD (Kids Count Data Center website). The Augusta Partnership for Children will provide professional learning and curriculum support to health teachers at Glenn Hills High School, Glenn Hills Middle School, Josey High School, and Murphey Middle School through their Pregnancy Prevention Program. Their program is built on the Making Proud
Richmond County School System 5
Richmond County School System
Choices curriculum, a research-based approach to providing students with information, skills and confidence to protect themselves from unplanned pregnancy, HIV and other STDs (ETR website). Medical Associates Plus is a Federally Qualified Heath Care Center (FQHC) providing support for underserved and uninsured families in our community. Their goal is to provide 100% access to quality comprehensive health care. They provide dental, general health, and behavioral and mental health support to children in Richmond County Schools through their mobile clinic. Their support greatly benefits the wellness and academic performance of children in Richmond County Schools. The United Way of the CSRA identifies health and human service needs and secures resources to meet these needs. They will help meet the language and literacy deficits of students in our target schools through their AmeriCorps VISTA members. Another local entity that is right next to our school district is Fort Gordon. This Army base houses one of our schools, and we intend to partner with Captain Leonard Cruz, G3 Plans and Exercises, and the 7th Signal Command, to bring soldiers to our schools as reading volunteers and mentors.
Finally, we will reach out to our faith-based community to ask for additional support. We will look to them for volunteers to work in the schools as mentors and provide small group reading and writing feedback to our students. The RCSS Community Engagement Specialist, DeMargo Lewis, is cultivating relationships with the following local churches near our school tracks. The churches near the Josey High School track are Ebenezer SDA Church, MT Vernon Missionary Baptist, First Mt. Moriah Baptist, Morningside Baptist, and First New Hope Baptist. The churches near the Glenn Hills High School track are Hillcrest Baptist, Lutheran Church of Ascension, New Zion Missionary, Glenn Hills Baptist, In Focus Church and Trinity Christian Methodist. These are the churches that are most likely attended by the families that attend our identified schools due to their proximity.
The scope of this project is broad with many working parts. It is, therefore, critical to maintain routines to manage, analyze, and utilize data to take full advantage of resources and make data- driven decisions. Communication and data workflow will be managed through Fluid Review as well as face to face quarterly meetings. The Project Directors from the LEA are the English Language Arts Curriculum Coordinator and Media Programs Specialist. Each school site has a team comprised of members with various duties dealing with grant functions. One member of the team is responsible for maintaining data within Fluid Review. The project directors will review this data with each school team after each assessment window. The meetings will take place three times a year in September, February, and June in a face-to-face format or through the video conferencing. Furthermore, as a member of the Get Georgia Reading Community, the Curriculum Department and the grant Project Directors routinely attend regular meetings with many of the partners listed in this grant. Grant updates can easily be added to the agenda to keep everyone appraised of progress and to make needed adjustments. Student outcomes will be measured in a variety of ways. The primary summative metric will be the ELA Milestone Assessment. We anticipate a 10% increase in the Developing Learner and Richmond County School System 6
Richmond County School System
Above category each year in the grade 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 ELA Assessment and the grade 9 American Literature & Composition Assessment and American Literature & Composition Assessment. We will measure our progress through the DIBELS assessments in K-2, and the SRI assessments in 3-12th grade. Another vital metric is School Climate scores. It is our expectation that as the love for literacy and reading skills increase in each of the schools, so shall the school climate scores. Our goals are simple, and we need your help to accomplish them. The students in Richmond County deserve access to engaging literacy environments and high quality, 21st century instruction that will prepare them to be literate and contributing citizen in America.
Richmond County School System 7
Richmond County School System
Partnership Management Plan and Key Personnel Commented [LT1]: We need to cut 371 words This grant will be supported, implemented and maintained by a variety of stakeholders including, Augusta University members, district level personnel, school site members, and community members . The plan for implementation will include all stakeholders having regular communication of milestones and action steps required to make progress. The plan to implement Literacy Lifts in Richmond county: Milestone Action Steps Stakeholders initial meeting of all grant team Structure roles and routines for initial set up members from school sites, district office and of grant implementation. major partners: Augusta University, Augusta Establish weekly meeting times/dates and Partnership for Children, RESA locations Coordinate with Kim Barker of AU to begin Sarah Cruz, Tracie Livingstone, Dr. plans for implementation of their minigrant Lancaster, principal at Glenn Hills Elem., and work: Brenda Cherokee Taylor, Principal Wilkinson Gardens Set up of after school Literacy Clinic at Glenn Hills Elementary Coordinate with Glenn Hills High, and Josey High for advertising for high school interns Schedule times for AU to bring Social for teacher pathway Emotional Curriculum to the Kindergarten classes at Glenn Hills Elem and Wilkinson Determine monthly oversight meetings with Gardens Elem. AU and curriculum and instruction facilitator Grant manager at each school meet with Elementary schools-Identify families with Augusta Partnership for Children young children to receive home visits and resources Middle and High School grant managers schedule reproductive health curriculum coaching for 8 weeks with Health teacher. AU Instructional Coaches cohort meets Plan and schedule Professional Learning monthly with Curriculum and Instruction targets for teachers at each school/grade level ELA team members to strategize ongoing, job and determine delivery model; video session, embedded support for teachers. demo lesson, coteaching, and 2 AU Instructional Coaches 2 Curriculum and Instruction team members School site administration and teacher representative to plan 10-12 job embedded
Richmond County School System 1
Richmond County School System
professional learning and coaching opportunities for teachers Professional Literacy Learning video filming AU coaches meet with teachers to plan model and editing lessons for filming in Aug- Oct 2018 Schedule 10 teachers for filming during Fall- Winter 2018 at five of the schools. Videos are ready to use in Spring 2019 Set up Mommy and Me classes at Glenn Hills District Media Specialist meets with school Elementary and Wilkinson Gardens site media specialists to plan advertising and Elementary dates for weekly or bimonthly mommy and me classes for 18-36 month siblings at the schools. First meeting to take place in Sept. 2018 for classes to begin in October 2018. Order Classroom libraries with engaging ELA curriculum coordinator meets with books at lexile range of majority of student in publisher and school site Grant manager and classes ELA teacher teams at each school to choose books for each classroom. Summer 2018, 2019, and 2020 Order tables, chairs, monitor and tech for ELA curriculum coordinator meets with Jason presentation stations in middle and high Parker in IT and Todd Zills in warehouse to schools place orders for ELA classes. Summer 2018 Coordinate with Principal delivery, location, and set up of each presentation station Coordinate monitor and tech set up with Jason Parker in IT Plan Initial professional orientation for each teacher with this new tech access- 3 sessions in Sept 2018- Jan 2019 Enlist 80 Community Literacy Lifts ELA Coordinator, Katrina Moore, Dr. Volunteers Lancanster and Dr. Chatman meet with Dmargo Lewis, Community liason, to connect with Hunter Maynard In Focus church and other local churches, businesses, Ft Gordon Signal Officer Captain Cruz to distribute applications for volunteers. ELA facilitator will compile list of volunteers and
Richmond County School System 2
Richmond County School System
communicate locations to volunteers and school site contact. Determine initial training dates for volunteers Fall 2018. Second round of volunteer training for semester 2 will be Jan 2019. Trainings will be planned and conducted collaboratively with Murphey Instructional Coach and one Richmond county ELA facilitator. Coordinate with School administrators-Dr. Jackson, Dr. Lancaster, Dr. Quarles, Katrina Moore and Ms. Cherokee Taylor training times and dates for teachers that will have scheduled volunteers and how best to utilize them in the classroom. This will either be during a PLC or through a webinar.
Monthly data analysis checks with schools ELA curriculum coordinator and District Media Specialist will collaborate with each grant manager at the school site with monthly data analysis checkins via online shared notebook. Coordinate with Grant manager at each school site to establish baseline data points through initial testing
Placement of United Way Vista Members Vista Members will meet with grant coordinator at each school site to determine schedule/students to work with. Set up Thinking Maps Train the Trainer 5 day ELA curriculum coordinator will offer a Train sessions the Trainer series in order to build sustainable capacity within the school sites for these
highly effective reading and writing strategies. Administrators from each site will determine the 5 teachers from each site that will attend to become certified trainers. June –Nov 2018
Richmond County School System 3
Richmond County School System
Once certified, the trainers will hold Thinking Map sessions in their school sites in order to continuously train the whole staff. 2 sessions per site per year.
LEA office support: Sarah Cruz, ELA Curriculum Coordinator, [email protected] Tracie Livingston, Media Program Specialist, [email protected] Dr. Shelly Allen, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, [email protected] Ceecee Williams, Bookkeeper of Curriculum and Instruction, [email protected] Key people involved in managing the grant at the school sites: Katrina Moore, Instructional Coach at Murphey Middle School, [email protected] Brenda Cherokee Taylor, Principal at Wilkinson Gardens, [email protected] Pamela Jones, Assistant Principal at Josey High, [email protected] Bernard Chatman, Principal at Glenn Hills Middle School, [email protected] Rose Lofland, Instructional Coach at Glenn Hills Middle School, [email protected] Vanessa Lancaster, Principal at Glenn Hills Elementary School, [email protected] Don Quarles, Principal at Glenn Hills High School, [email protected] Augusta University: Dr. Kim Barker, Literacy Instructor, [email protected] Augusta Partnership for Children: Vicki Pruitt, Director of Parents as Teachers, [email protected]
Richmond County School System 4
Richmond County School System
The grant will function well within the districts whole strategic plan of increasing students’ literacy levels and preparing them for college or career. This grant will dovetail directly to continue the good work that has been started in each of these school sites through the GADOE grant Reading Mentors. Currently, Wilkinson Gardens and Glenn Hills elementary schools are both part of the Reading Mentors grant that will end this year. This groundwork for literacy training through the Literacy Specialists that have been in the schools working with teachers is a strong foundation that our new initiative Literacy Lifts can build upon. In addition, Augusta University was awarded five mini grants for literacy birth- age 8. We have agreed to begin those plans with the students at both Wilkinson Gardens and Glenn Hills Elementary in order utilize that asset and continue to work the soil through professional learning, teacher training, community engagement and materials outlined for our schools. This L4 Grant directly supports the district’s strategic plan of improving teacher efficacy in literacy through on-demand Professional Learning options by developing modules and webinars for teachers to obtain a strong understanding of reading behaviors in students. This grant will also be outlined in the district Curriculum and Instruction department plan. The financial aspect of this grant will be managed in the Curriculum and Instruction department by the bookkeeper CeeCee Williams. Commented [CS2]: Ask shelly who will financially manage She will collaborate with schools to be sure materials and personnel is administered. With the the grant help of the L4 Grant, our goals for of reading on grade level as measured by Lexile will be realized in the six schools we are targeting: 3rd grade 54%; 5th grade 62%; 8th grade 75%; HS American Literature 38% Internally, this grant will be handled through the curriculum and instruction office. The Richmond County LEA is diligent in administering grant funding as demonstrated through the GOSA grant Reading Mentors and an additional grant Growing Readers. The district office, Sarah Cruz and Tracie Livingston, with the support of the bookkeeper, and supervision of the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, will ensure that materials are purchased, coaches are funded, and schools will receive the resources and supports out lined in this grant.
Richmond County School System 5
Richmond County School System
Project personnel Qualifications Responsibilities Fiscal Agent Ceecee Williams BA in Human Resources Supervise spending as it Master’s in business relates to grant goals and administration timelines
Book keeper for Curriculum and Instruction Project Directors Sarah Cruz M.Ed, Reading –ELA Coordinate literacy Curriculum Coordinator program implementation with school site grant
managers Tracie Livingston MLIS, Media Program Coordinate instructional Specialist and professional development activities such as training dates and Dr. Shelly Allen Ph.D, Director of materials Curriculum and Instruction Train community volunteers Coordinate Literacy center activities with AU and schools Serve as a liason between community partners File all reports to GA DOE Campus Coordinators: Professional experience
Katrina Moore, Instructional includes teaching, Member of project Coach at Murphey Middle School instructional coaching, data committee analysis and leading
Richmond County School System 6
Richmond County School System
effective professional Attend all grant learning implementation meetings Coordinate program implementation at Brenda Cherokee Taylor, includes administration, campus principal at Wilkinson Gardens teaching, instructional [email protected] coaching, data analysis and Coordinate volunteers leading effective that help in schools
professional learning Gather student data and report to project directors quarterly Pamela Jones, Assistant Principal includes administration, at Josey High, teaching, instructional Lead data analysis [email protected] coaching, data analysis and protocol with ELA leading effective teachers to determine
professional learning growth, effectiveness, and recommendations
Discuss with stakeholders Bernard Chatman, Principal at includes administration, the success of Literacy Glenn Hills Middle School, teaching, data analysis, and Lifts and bring those [email protected] research suggestions to meetings Make recommendations Vanessa Lancaster, Principal at includes administration, for adjustments to Glenn Hills Elementary School teaching, instructional strategies or resources [email protected] coaching, data analysis and based on student data leading effective
professional learning
Dr. Don Quarles, Principal at includes administration, Glenn Hills High School teaching, instructional [email protected] coaching, data analysis and leading effective
professional learning
Dr. Kim Barker, literacy professor Instructing undergraduate, Lead and coordinate the at Augusta University and graduate level literacy implementation of courses, grant writing, preservice and prek [email protected] instructional coaching, curriculum advising, data
Richmond County School System 7
Richmond County School System
analysis, leading effective teacher professional professional learning learning Coordinate with Sarah Cruz for filming the professional learning webinars in the schools Implementation of the 5 EL&L minigrants for Richmond County Schools
Richmond County School System 8
Richmond County School System
Established Need The Georgia Milestone Assessments data for each school site per grade level show a deep need for literacy interventions for each of our proposed feeder tracks. Nearly 80% of all Richmond County students do not score proficient on the EOG for the 3rd grade. In Richmond County, the number of 3rd grade students that were reading on grade level for 2017 was 52% (1,276 students); in 2016, 56% (1,468 students) and in 2015 52% (1,273 students). This data is confirmed with our current iReady diagnostic scores that shows in the fall of 2017, 50% of 3rd grade students scored 2 or more grade levels below in reading, 25% were one grade level below and 25% were on grade level. The second diagnostic assessment revealed growth with 42% scoring on grade level, 26% scoring one grade level below and 32% scored two or more grade levels below. In Glenn Hills Elementary school, the 3rd grade ELA Milestones showed the following scores: Year Students reading on Grade Students Difference below state average Level on Georgia Milestones scoring proficient or above proficient or above
2017 49% (26 Students out of 53 14% (8 22% tested) students) 2016 56% (32 students out of 57 16% (9 18% tested) students) 2015 53% (31 Students out of 59 25%(13 11% tested) students)
After analyzing this three-year data trend of students performing multiple levels below grade level on the ELA portion of the Georgia Milestones, we conclude that students are consistently performing an average of 18% lower than the Georgia state averages. This information is consistent with our internal Reading Diagnostic assessments of iReady. Current third grade scores show that only 11 out of 75 students at Glenn Hills Elementary were scoring at early third grade reading levels. This means that about 75% of students in the third grade are reading one or more grade levels below. Lastly, this data was triangulated with our on-grade level Benchmark assessment scores. Glenn Hills Elementary results showed that the average score was 28% which is 52% lower than the passing score. These benchmark assessments cover about 12 Georgia ELA standards. In addition, the subgroup of Students with Disabilities at Glenn Hills Elementary demonstrates even greater need than that of the regular student population. In 2017, zero of the four students with disabilities tested scored proficient or reading on grade level on the End of Grade (EOG) Milestone. In 2016, one of the six students with disabilities scored reading on grade level but
Richmond County School System 1
Richmond County School System
none scored proficient on the assessment. In 2015, one of the four students with disabilities assessed scored reading on grade level, but none scored proficient on the assessment. The analysis of other subgroups shows that there were not enough students to comprise a subgroup such as only 2 or 3 students in another ethnic make-up or different socioeconomic status.
In Wilkinson Gardens Elementary School, the 3rd grade ELA milestones showed the following scores: Year Students reading on Grade Students Difference below state Level on Georgia Milestones scoring average proficient proficient or above
2017 30% beginning learner (23 4% 32% Students) 2016 40% beginning learner (27 7% 27% students) 2015 25% beginning learner (18 6% 30% Students)
The three-year third grade data trend shows that students at Wilkinson Gardens’ students are scoring an average of 29% lower than the Georgia state average of students scoring proficient or above on the state End of Grade assessment. The number of students reading on grade level is barely 30%. As you can see there is a strong need for literacy interventions for the trajectory to change. These scores are consistent with our internal iReady diagnostic screening assessment which shows 11 out of 106 students scored on grade level at the beginning of the year. Of the remainder, 63 students are two or more grade levels below and 32 are just one year behind in reading. When we triangulated this data with us on-grade level benchmark assessments, we found that the Wilkinson Gardens results show an average student score was 19%. This is 61% below the passing score. These benchmark assessments cover about 12 Georgia ELA standards. The subgroup of Students with Disabilities at Wilkinson Gardens demonstrates even greater need than that of the regular student population. In 2017, zero of the four students with disabilities scored reading on grade level or proficient. In 2016, two of the nine students with disabilities tested scored reading on grade level but none scored proficient, and in 2015, two of the eight students with disabilities were reading on grade level but none scored proficient on the EOG Milestone. The analysis of other subgroups shows that there were not enough students to comprise a subgroup such as only 2 or 3 students in another ethnic make-up or different socioeconomic status. The Principal identified critical professional learning needs for the teachers. "The professional learning for teachers, including PreK Teachers, is critical in order,
Richmond County School System 2
Richmond County School System
for our students to receive a high quality instructional model. This is the only access that these students will have to systematic literacy instruction." These trends continue to exacerbate as student achievement levels continuing up the grade levels in each feeder pattern are consistently reading below grade level and scoring beginning learner on the Georgia Milestones Assessments.
Dates School Site Grade Level EOC/EOG% iReady diagnostic on proficient grade level score 2017 Murphey Middle School 6th 5% 10% 7th 8% 11% 2017 Glenn Hills Middle 6th 7% 10% 7th 4% 10% 2017 Josey High 9th Lit 26% 9% 11th American lit. 13% N/A 2017 Glenn Hills High 9th lit 21% 4% 11th American Lit. 10% N/A
Additional data analysis was completed at each school to include all content, ancillary teachers including Special Education, CTAE, EL, Media Specialists and Paraprofessionals. Our Accountability and Curriculum Departments facilitated and presented these literacy data points during this meeting. At this time, all teachers and staff stakeholders were able to review and analyze the Lexile levels, attendance warnings, benchmark assessments and internal reading diagnostic screener scores. This has given a level of ownership and sense of urgency to each school staff to continue with rigorous instruction in order to grow our learners. It comes down to equity and access. The students in Richmond County deserve access to engaging literacy environments and high quality, 21st century instruction that will prepare them to be literate and contributing citizen in America. In addition to school data, the communities identified for this grant are located in areas of high need based on several key data points that directly impact a child's access to early learning and literacy. According to Get Georgia Reading statistics from 2017, 17% of mothers have less than 12 years of high school, 12% of children born are premature and 11% have low birthweights, and most impactful is that 64% to 84% of children are living in poverty. As a Get Georgia Reading Community Campaign Partner since 2016, our local campaign, Richmond County Reads, has allowed us to engage many organizations and agencies both private and public, and non-profits in local initiatives to support student literacy. This awareness and community action campaign is changing the conversation in our community and is shining a light on the needs of our children ages 0 to 8. We know that a child reading on grade level by the end of third grade, no matter, the poverty level, race or ethnicity, is on a trajectory for positive outcomes and future success.
Richmond County School System 3
Richmond County School System
Assets and Needs Assessment with Root Cause Analysis
Assets and Needs Assessment with Root Cause Analysis (10 points) The problem that we are contemplating is why students continue to struggle to read and write on grade level year after year. Each school site in Richmond County has completed a School Improvement Plan after working through a needs assessment process within the school with the principal, leadership team of teachers, and additional stakeholders such as parents and community members. Some of the systemic issues for Richmond County demonstrate that we are lacking in the four critical pillars for literacy outlined in Get Georgia Reading. Our student lack of Language Nutrition, lack of access to support and services, emerging positive climates, and undeveloped teacher preparation and effectiveness. These critical elements are addressed in each school’s improvement plans. These school improvement plans are a culmination of the analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data points. In addition to the Georgia Milestones assessments, schools analyze local assessment data such as iReady, benchmark assessments or internal intervention assessments. They also pull attendance data, parent surveys, ELEOT observational data, and TKES data. Root Cause 1: Low or total Lack of Language Nutrition. The home environments and Daycare environments in the zone around our targeted schools have low or total lack of language nutrition. These children are not being read to regularly or hearing the amount of words that are critical for them to be ready to read when arriving at school. Teachers quickly recognize the effects of low language skills or lack of pre-reading skills when students first enter kindergarten due to little or no exposure to print rich environments. They have very limited or no access to this oral language due to the cycle of poverty they were born into. Richmond County’s 121 licensed child care providers serve over 1,500 children from low income families who receive assistance from the Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program, but the quality of care from those providers is an ongoing challenge. Independent studies conducted by Frank Porter Graham of UNC Chapel Hill in 2008 determined that over three-fourths of Georgia’s family child care learning homes were “low quality.” Two-thirds of infant/toddler classrooms were scored as “low quality,” and one-third of non-Georgia Pre-Ks were scored “low quality.”District and School leaders recognize this deficit and are committed to reaching out to families in order to provide parent training and partnership. Schools recognize this and are making efforts but we truly need to address this issue in the daycare and preschool settings. It is also more beneficial to address the issue on the front end through home visits to help train and support parents of young children in this area. Root Cause 2: Emerging Positive Learning Climate. Another problem is the breakdown in teacher/student relationships when there is not a positive and intentional plan to address and work with students in poverty. This can create barriers to learning if teachers are not proactive to addressing the variety of student needs to be successful in school. Hattie reminds us that the effect size for teacher student relationships is a whopping .72! "If we want to ensure students read, write, communicate, and think at high levels, we have to develop positive, trusting relationships with students, all students" (Hattie, Fischer, and Frey 2016). Many times a teacher is unaware of the symptoms or action of poverty and the behaviors that follow. Knowing how to redirect this behavior in a positive way is critical for all students to feel welcomed and stay engaged in their learning. As our school work towards full implementation of PBIS and Responsive Classrooms, an additional piece that is necessary is specific training on working with students in poverty. Root Cause #3: Lack of Teacher Preparation and Effectiveness. The third issue for the school system is that many of our teachers are unprepared to teach and remediate the large deficits and academic need
Richmond County School System 1
Richmond County School System encountered in the classroom. Even though our teachers are experienced in understanding the standards for the grade level that they teach, all teachers in both feeder patterns do not have enough training in literacy. The teachers at all grade levels struggle to know the basic expected reading behaviors that are demonstrated developmentally. This is demonstrated in the lack of growth on screener assessments, and lack of implementation of high yield research based literacy strategies in order to accelerate these striving learners. This is confirmed by classroom observational data that showed only 48% of elementary classrooms were utilizing small guided reading groups to teach reading and differentiate instructional goals for these young learners. The students district-wide present a very large range of literacy skills at every grade level. This makes the task of knowing the breadth of reading behaviors critical for all teachers. Research suggests that children demonstrate greater academic growth when they are exposed to high-quality instruction in literacy at young ages. There is growing support that to meet this goal, teacher preparation programs are wise to include opportunities for “near-transfer of skills” – a term Dede (2009) used to describe authentic, real-world opportunities that allow transfer of theory to practice shortly after knowledge acquisition. This has prompted new discourse around teacher preparation and has helped to spur the evolution and proliferation of technology-based simulation in education preparation programs (Price & Moore, 2010). Proliferation is in part due the growing recognition of immersive simulations as an efficacious means to address a variety of gaps in educational programming. Augusta University’s Early Literacy Program will use multiple strategies to prepare pre-service teachers to rise to this challenge. One such strategy will be the use of immersive simulation to train and coach pre-service teachers both at the undergraduate and graduate levels at honing high-impact early literacy strategies. Richmond county recognizes and values job-embedded professional development and each school site has a schedule that allows for grade level collaborative time. During this time, teachers meet to review research based strategies, receive a Professional Learning from a district facilitator or analyze data before making instructional decisions. Our teachers only need more expert guidance on the literacy behaviors and ways to cultivate those behaviors to make literate citizens. Root Cause #4 Little Access to Support and Services. The students in Richmond county are lacking access to a print rich environment. Their homes are not burgeoning with books and language. Their day cares are not running over with songs, word play, and Read Alouds. Richmond County School System (RCSS) serves a population of children 38% of whom are living in poverty. Nearly 80% of RCSS students are not reading on grade level by 3rd grade. In the lowest performing elementary schools in the district, the student mobility rate is high ranging from 26-56% transition in students each year. One way that the school district is addressing the literacy challenges of this high-need, transient population of students is through the creation of the Intermediate Literacy and Math Center, a centrally located school where the 4th-6th grade students identified as most at-risk are transported for intensive intervention and monitoring designed to catch them up to their peers. This model mitigates the effects of housing insecurity sparked school transfers, since students continue to attend their designated school as long as they remain enrolled in the district. Augusta University’s Literacy Center has served citizens of Richmond County for 27 years. Tutoring services are provided free of charge at two locations in the city with need consistently exceeding capacity. While the Literacy Center has provided services for people of all ages and all abilities, families with children who need remedial literacy support have found themselves on a lengthy waiting list due to limitations of space and personnel. Also, transportation issues make the existing Literacy Center location off limits for many families with children in the areas of highest need. The demand for tutoring has exceeded the two previous locations, and parents and caregivers have expressed a desire for a location more centrally located to their neighborhoods. Situating coursework and tutoring in the context of the Richmond County School System 2
Richmond County School System community allows for teacher candidates to gain experiences working with families in authentic contexts. There is a real vacuum for opportunities for our neediest learners to engage in small group reading tutoring inside and outside of schools. Assets and Needs Assessments Each of our schools takes part in creating or revising a school improvement plan each year. Glenn Hills Elementary, Wilkinson Gardens Elementary, Murphey Middle and Glenn Hills Middle schools all revised their school improvement plans. The two high schools went through a more intensive and comprehensive needs assessment through GADOE to determine assets, needs and root causes. At Glenn Hills Elementary School, the Principal and her leadership team, including Instructional Coach, EIP teachers, GOSA Literacy Language Specialist, 21st Century Coordinator and teachers have analyzed multiple data points in order to determine root causes and needs for the school. The data collected includes iReady diagnostic reading assessments, Attendance information, DIBELS reading assessments, PBIS data, progress reports and report card data. Through the analysis of these different measures, Glenn Hills concludes that the issues come from a variety of causes such as low language levels of students entering Kindergarten, attendance issues with students missing many days of school, lack of school-wide behavior plan to address discipline referrals, and teacher training in handling high academic needs as well working with students in poverty and only four teachers at Glenn Hills Elementary have a Reading Endorsement. These root causes have been identified and addressed in the School Improvement plan. The goals set forth include increasing reading achievement on the Georgia Milestone assessment from 24% proficient to 45% proficient in 2018. The school leadership team has outlined the steps needed in order to address each of these issues. The action steps include a coherent instructional system. The school has initiated an RTI model in which the bottom quartile students receive targeted intervention from the Early Intervention Program teacher. Data from this group is monitored with DIBELS, iReady, and progress reports. The current instructional initiatives are to use research-based strategies, differentiate instruction, and increase student engagement and rigor. This is provided for K-2 teachers by the GOSA Literacy Language Specialist, the leadership team and the district Professional Learning Facilitators. In order to improve the learning environment, this school has also implemented PBIS in order to respond positively to student discipline and redirect learners in order to keep them engaged in learning. The staff is working towards a positive climate and environment through these consistent practices. At Glenn Hills Middle School, the leadership team including the principal, assistant principal, instructional coach, attendance team, PBIS team, parent representatives and media specialist met to analyze survey and evaluation data, Milestones data, iReady and benchmark data in order to create the School Improvement plan. The goals set forth for Glenn Hills Middle School include increasing the number of students scoring at or above Lexile level from 42% to 50% by May 2018. This school has some established assets that include an instructional coach that leads a “Lexile Team”, monitors and reports on growth and progress of student lexiles based on the iReady assessments administered three times a year. An interventionist is in place to address needs and work with the students in the bottom quartile in reading. Scheduled school reading time is another asset. All students participate in a Drop Everything and Read program for 30 minutes a day. Student reading logs are encouraged in order to measure time in books. In addition to these programs, GHMS has also provided Professional Learning for teachers on literacy strategies through partners such as CSRA RESA, district PL facilitators and the instructional coach. Their need is in understanding the expected reading behaviors on the developmental continuum. The teachers regularly have the majority of students arrive in their classes reading multiple Richmond County School System 3
Richmond County School System grade levels below. This in a huge challenge to the staff that has no specialized training in teaching reading. Glenn Hills High School is a priority school and has completed a very comprehensive needs assessment in order to revise and create a truly robust School Improvement Plan. The comprehensive needs assessment that was utilized from GADOE. The first step was to identify the team which includes, Don Quarles principal, LaChonna Avery, Will Atkinson, Valerie Smith assistant principals, counselors, department chairs from each subject area, CTAE and SPED teachers, ELA and Math interventionists, and parent facilitator Dorothy Walden. The team met twice a week for two months (July and August 2017) in order to go through the use of evaluations, surveys, Milestone data, internal assessment data, district level assessment data and then make an evaluation of the school for each standard. The analysis of 9th grade EOC Milestones scores showed 6% of students proficient in 2015, 2% proficient in 2016 and 14% proficient in 2017. The team went further with the needs assessment and root cause analysis in order to rate the school in many categories. The scores for the comprehensive needs assessment under instruction: Standard 1 coherent instructional system- emerging Standard 2 creating an academically challenging learning environment –emerging Standard 3 Establish and communicate clear learning target and success criteria- emerging Standard 4 Use research based instructional practices that positively impact student learning- emerging Standard 5 Differentiate instruction to meet specific learner needs- emerging Standard 6 Use appropriate, current technology to enhance learning- emerging Standard 7Provide feedback to students on their performance of the standards or learning targets- emerging Standard 8 Establishes a learning environment that empowers students to actively monitor their own progress- emerging Standard 9 Provide timely, systemic, data-driven interventions- operational Some of the operational systems, or assets that Glenn Hills High has put into place include collaborative teacher planning, tuning protocols, use of exemplars and anchor charts as well as common summative assessments. Some of the other data that was collected and analyzed were the student and parent surveys. On the student survey, some concerning findings were that the students rank drug related incidence, violent incidents, bully and harassment incidents very high. The parent survey results reported that parent “somewhat disagree” that Glenn Hills is a institution of teaching and learning, where interpersonal relationships have been established or parents are involved. These issues are acknowledged and the leadership team of all stakeholders are motivated to address them. These are definitely needs. Other needs that this document identified were literacy instructional strategies for the faculty. Josey High School has also completed a very comprehensive needs assessment. It revealed the goals of increasing Instructional effectiveness as a top priority. Based on this needs assessment and inventory, Josey stated they are “emerging” in the Instructional category of clear targets and success criteria. They also stated that the instructional standard of empowering students to actively monitor their own progress Richmond County School System 4
Richmond County School System is “not evident”. On page 18 of the comprehensive needs assessment report, Josey stated that in order to build a coherent instructional system, they need to identify learning targets and the teachers need professional learning on instructional strategies. Another noteworthy part of the data story of Josey is 65% percentage of the student population is Directly Certified students, which includes SNAP, TANF, homeless, unaccompanied youth, foster and migrant. The state average is only 37%. The 9th grade Literature EOC scores for 2016 were 52% of students scored developing and above. In American Literacy 39% of students scored developing and above. 24% of students scored developing and above in Algebra milestones data. Josey’s graduation rate from 2016 was 67% compared to the states 79%. In he needs analysis and root cause for professional capacity, it states, “TWJ continues to have difficulty recruiting and maintaining highly qualified staff. The building leader has changed twice in three years. The staff required administrators support through additional visibility in the classrooms, hallways and collaborative planning meetings. Priority support from Human Resource Department to recruit highly qualified special education and science teachers for T.W. Josey High School. Additional classroom visits to support teachers and provide immediate feedback to support teachers. Additional professional learning related rigorous instructional strategies to increase student achievement and monitoring to ensure the strategies are implemented in the classroom afterwards is crucial to student achievement.” It is clear that the staff needs additional professional learning on a continuous and systematic basis due to the turnover rate. Additional challenges that Josey has had this year are with both time in the schedule for in school reading and space. They are undergoing renovation at this time to make space for their new welding pathway. This qualitative data continues to paint the data story for Josey. It is a prime place full of potential for great success with the correct coordination of resources, personnel, and professional learning. Murphey middle school is in definite need of additional outside support. This school site continuously has the noble goal to increase the percentage of students scoring proficient or above on the ELA End of Grade Milestones exam. Last year resulted in only 7% actually meeting that goal (target was 20%). An asset of Murphy is that they are an AVID school (Advancement Via Individual Determination). They incorporate AVID strategies in all subjects. They also have some access to technology to implement literacy building programs such as Revision Assistant, IReady and Microsoft office products. Dr. Jackson, the principal, has written into the School Improvement plan research based steps to improve student achievement. This includes addressing the needs of the school such as implementing stations using flexible grouping, include a range of reading materials at students’ Lexile levels in all subjects. Murphey is a site that will thrive with additional teacher training in literacy as not one of the staff members is reading endorsed. They currently have only 13% of students reading on grade level based on the reading screener assessment administered in January 2018. The ELA teachers are not sure what to do with the intensive academic needs as the data also revealed that six of the ELA teachers had negative growth as their class average! The need is great but as a community we can pull together to provide the supports and resources necessary to change the trajectory of each of these young people.
Richmond County School System 5
Richmond County School System
Project Plan, Procedures, Goals, Objectives, and Support
Project Plan: Our Literacy project is a multipronged approach to provide solutions that reach each of the needs uncovered through the root cause analysis. It is our intention to address the anemic and impoverished reading environments that the students find themselves in from birth through increasing access to engaging print materials at home and school. We intend to partner with our colleagues at Augusta University, Kim Barker and Beth Pendergraft that have just received five minigrants from GADOE with very specific plans to design five early language and literacy projects that target the needs of the school district’s most vulnerable early elementary students. Together, the projects are the beginning of a vertical roadmap to propel forward and to support language and literacy development through the use of age‐appropriate and innovative approaches. The project proposals were awarded in January of 2018, and the grant activities are underway with projected completion dates for the projects spanning 2018‐2019. Our intention is to dovetail these projects by providing two additional years of funding through the L4 Grant to extend this initial work that AU will helm in order to provide a sustainable bedrock of literacy for our young people birth‐ age 8. While focused on children birth – 8 years old, the five projects touch stakeholders along the literacy spectrum through support for local child development programs, PreK teachers, preservice , inservice, and future teachers, and community members to build a stronger literacy foundation for the youngest citizens in Richmond County. The vision for this work is to build toward sustainable and elaborated partnerships, and in order for the projects to build and continue beyond the initial implementation period, additional funding will be required. Building on this work is advantageous to RCSS economically, and it provides greater opportunity to observe impact on student achievement longitudinally.
The five EL&L projects are:
1. Child Development Educators | Get GA Reading Pillars: Teacher Effectiveness and Language Nutrition This project will increase the effectiveness of early childhood educators by providing them with evidence‐based practices that support early language and literacy development. Only 35 of the 121 licensed child care providers within Richmond County are Quality Rated. This demonstrates that while these child care facilities are licensed by the state, 71% of them lack the rigor and effectiveness to support an early language and literacy program. By providing these teachers with the resources, training, and ongoing support they need to implement language and literacy instruction, this project facilitates practices and supports self‐efficacy of early childhood educators.
2. PreK Teachers | Get GA Reading Pillars: Teacher Effectiveness and Language Nutrition. This project will train preK teachers. When rigorous, developmentally appropriate pedagogical strategies are provided and then supported by intensive professional learning experiences and coaching, PreK teachers are equipped to engage their young learners at the highest levels (Yoshikawa, Weiland, Brooks‐Gunn, Burchinal, Espinosa, Gormley,... & Zaslow, 2013).
Richmond County School System 1
Richmond County School System
3. Social Emotional Literacy/Occupational Therapy Supports for Kindergarteners. This project directly addresses Get Georgia Reading’s pillars of Access and Positive Learning Climate as it targets understanding and preventing the high number of disciplinary actions in high‐need elementary schools within Richmond County. Specialized sensory needs and literacy evaluations will guide integrated interventions that target students’ unmet learning challenges to support their success in early elementary and to pave a way to high school graduation.
4. Community Literacy Clinic partnership (preservice teachers and secondary future teachers) |Get GA Reading Pillars: Access and Teacher Effectiveness.
This project would provide access for students in some of the most economically challenged neighborhoods of Richmond County by locating a literacy clinic within 3 miles of 4 of the lowest‐ performing schools in the district. As families change housing locations, their resource for literacy support would remain consistent and accessible.
Preservice teachers at Augusta University engage in intensive, site‐based field experiences from the beginning of their preparation program. Instructors teach coursework at various locations, and teacher candidates immediately apply skills learned in each context, linking theory to practice with children. Building on site‐based courses taught at locations such as the Augusta University Counseling Center and the Augusta University Literacy Center, this project develops a new location for site‐based courses, diagnostic reading assessment, and literacy tutoring. The demand for tutoring has exceeded the two previous locations, and parents and caregivers have expressed a desire for a location more centrally located to their neighborhoods. Situating coursework and tutoring in the context of the community allows for teacher candidates to gain experiences working with families in authentic contexts. These real‐world connections will prepare teachers who may decide to accept positions in RCSS.
The project also incorporates paid internship opportunities for students from the targeted feeder schools who are interested in pursuing careers in education. High school tutors will receive training and be supervised as they tutor children in literacy, a win‐win‐win relationship, since children will have access to quality literacy support in their own neighborhood, high school tutors will have authentic career pathway experiences, and RCSS will develop a “grow your own teachers” model (Schultz, 2011). Community‐based tutoring programs are one innovative way to develop and retain highly skilled teachers within communities who are committed to teaching in their own community
5)Technology‐enhanced professional learning for inservice and preservice teachers Rationale/Background | Get GA Reading Pillars: Teacher Effectiveness
The goal is to equip all teachers entering the teaching profession with experience of evidenced informed practices that will support early language and literacy development through experience using research‐based strategies. This grant will further provide training, resources, and continuous follow up support by effectively implementing these immersive simulation trainings of this unique educational setting to pre‐service teachers. As identified by the research in the previous paragraph, effectiveness is created through experience. Through immersive simulations using early literacy
Richmond County School System 2
Richmond County School System
strategies in a variety of situations, pre‐service teachers will become adept at identifying the most appropriate strategy and effectively implementing it in a given situation
We intend to fully support and expand the work of AU faculty with innovative teacher training through simulation technology for preservice teachers, including the language and early literacy programs for Richmond County teachers. A second partnership with Augusta Partnership for Children will provide books and parent training through home visits to the community near our selected feeder schools.
The second area to address in our Literacy plan is teacher preparedness and development in handling the large amount of literacy deficits with students reading many grade levels below by the time they reach high school. In addition to training and coaching teachers on literacy methods, we intend to strengthen teacher efficacy by training them with strategies to address the generational poverty in the community. The professional learning and coaching for current teachers and school staff will be to increase confidence in sound instructional practice, responsiveness to the socio –economic status needs and to develop a deeper understanding of developmental reading behaviors. The development of high school students is to grow our own teachers.
The last area that cannot be overlooked in our project plan are the resources needed, both personnel and material to undergird the improvement plans. This includes partnering with local churches for reading mentors, purchasing presentation stations for ELA classrooms, providing access to text with classroom libraries and hiring Augusta University specialists as instructional coaches.
Goal 1‐Literacy and Language plans for Birth‐ age 4: In year one of the plan, we will work through our community partners such as Augusta University to train Child Development Educators. We will continue the work that they begin for 2 subsequent years in order to continue support, coaching and training to increase the quality of childcare and foster language nutrition for babies. Augusta Partnership for Children will highlight the importance of reading to small children as well as build at home libraries. This will be through giving out books to children birth through age 4. Augusta Partnership for Children has a First Steps program and Parents as Teachers curriculum in which they provide training to new families through structured home visits. Vicki Pruitt, Director of Augusta Partnership for Children, and her team will provide the bulk of interaction with these young families. We will provide the literacy and curriculum resources necessary to make this successful.
Objective 1: Continue the work of AU’s five EL and L projects (listed above for two subsequent years. ($180,000)
Objective 2: Identify young families within feeder pattern area that have young children(birth ‐4) and give two books to each child per year. Building at home libraries will increase access to 8,000 books to be purchased from the non‐profit First Book (Cost $20,880).
Objective 3: Connect families in feeder band to First Steps, a department of public health, family support services include providing families with a localized community resource guide, referrals to relevant resources and age‐appropriate information in at least the following categories: maternal health, newborn health, home and child safety, community and family safety, school readiness, and family economic self‐sufficiency.
Richmond County School System 3
Richmond County School System
Objective 4: Provide reproductive health information and check ups for high school students through partnership with August Partnership for Children. This organization will coteach and mentor our middle and high school health teachers through an 8 week curriculum on reproductive health. This will provide materials for teachers to use with each section of health classes. Materials include student workbooks that correspond to the curriculum. Three 8 hour sessions with two trainers. (cost $4800)
Objective 5: Start weekly Mommy and Me classes for the 18‐36 month old siblings of our school aged students at the media centers in Glenn Hills Elementary and Wilkinson Gardens. We will provide make and take books at each session. (cost $1500)
Procedure for K‐12 within the schools: In year one of the plan, we will set about gathering the resources, personnel and initial training of how the professional learning will take place. Year two and three will include coaching cycles around research based literacy practices and how to best utilize the volunteers, purchased materials and small group format that are available.
Goal 2: Professional Learning for Richmond Teachers‐ Hire Augusta University Literacy Coaches; 1 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high school to create 10 five to eight minute professionally edited videos of Richmond County Teachers on Literacy strategies. These would be the property of Richmond County, but to be used with AU teacher development course and of course offered to GADOE website for Georgia teacher training and efficacy building. This will create a sustainability for Professional Learning on the go with access to learn from these high quality videos. In addition to the videos, an AU faculty member would establish an online support class with discussion board to support the videos. The coaches will also facilitate the professional learning, demonstrate in classrooms and conduct coaching conversations with the teachers in order to improve instructional practices. This team will work in collaboration with the ELA Professional Learning Facilitators and Coordinator at the RCSS district office.
(Cost $125,000 first year; 150,000 for coaching the two additional years)
Objective 1: Coaches meet as a cohort to strategize the professional learning and goal setting for engaging the staff at each of the 6 schools in new learning. These meetings will happen monthly in corroboration with one of the currently established weekly meetings with the Curriculum and Instruction department at the Board office.
Objective 2: Coaches create the professional learning videos and supplementary training materials such as resources or tools used in videos to utilize during collaborative planning with teachers during the school day. Set up of demonstration lessons and coaching cycles with teachers after viewing and discussion video series based on grade level team goals. These plans and presentation schedules will be submitted to the Assistant Principal at each school site in order to align with the School Improvement Plans of increasing teacher effectiveness with literacy training. This will be communicated to staff through email and announcements for scheduled professional learning and collaborative planning. The PL videos will be accessible to all staff members in order to build sustainability and respond to self‐ directed learning. Adult learning research by Michael Knowles shows us that choice is highly important and self‐directed learning is most effective for adults.
Objective 3: 5 teachers/school site members will be trained as Thinking Maps trainers through a 5 day certification process. In turn they will hold 2 Thinking Maps training sessions per year to Richmond County School System 4
Richmond County School System
continuously train and sustain the vertical alignment of this high yield strategy of concept mapping throughout the feeder track k‐12. They will become assets to Richmond County and other schools will benefit by being invited to their training sessions. (Thinking Maps binders$ 27,000; Train the Trainer PD 25,000)
Goal 2: Increasing Access to Engaging materials‐ Purchase necessary resources to facilitate small group reading instruction in ELA classes k‐12 in the feeder pattern. This will be done in collaboration with school site grant contact and the ELA curriculum coordinator at the district office
Objective 1: Purchase one Presentation station for each ELA classroom in the two middle schools and two high schools. 8 per school x 4 schools = 32 stations. This consists of small group table with 40’ monitor and 6 chairs for each ELA classroom in the two middle schools and the two high schools for small group instruction. This station would allow for the screen to be shared with up to 4 students screens simultaneously to create collaborative projects or presentations. The ELA curriculum coordinator, District Media Specialist, Technology specialist and Assistant Director for New Construction in the district will coordinate to get these installed in each school site. Teachers will receive training in person or through video on this best intervention practice of working with a small group of students to increase achievement. (Cost 3,000 per station x 32= $96,000)
Objective 2: Purchase leveled classroom libraries with a Lexile range that is reflective of the students instructional reading level for k‐12 classrooms. These books will also be highly engaging and current as well as reflective of the cultural make up of the students served. Students and media specialists will give input through surveys as to the titles they are motivated to read. This will include book bins and book shelves to hold the resources that are easily accessible for student access. We intend to provide about 100 books for each classroom at both elementary schools and all the ELA classrooms at the 2 middle and 2 high schools for about 98 rooms total. Our book supplier will also provide webinar professional Learning videos on how to best utilize a classroom library in the ELA block and ELA classes. She has also agreed to do model an in class lesson with students on setting up a classroom library. (Cost $60,000)
Goal 3: Enlist community volunteers‐ Recruit, train and retain the reading volunteers from local church and business community to volunteer in classrooms 3 times per week. This component will reduce the teacher to student ratio in classes during the small group reading instruction time. This research based strategy is an effective method to provide more feedback to student on reading and writing production. It will provide another adult to increase student oral language opportunity to discuss texts that are read and increase motivation and audience for increased engagement in academic assignments.
Objective 1: Work through Community Engagement Specialist, Dmargo Lewis, to distribute reading volunteer applications and generate 80 volunteers for each school site. These volunteers will be recruited from our local churches, Fort Gordon military community, business members and medical professionals. (paper and printing costs $100)
Richmond County School System 5
Richmond County School System
Objective 2: Provide orientation and initial trainings (including back ground checks) to volunteers prior to entering the schools to work with teachers and small groups of students in reading, discussion of text and writing feedback. (orientation guide and initial training materials such as pens, paper, name badges, light refreshments $500 per training held; 2 per year=3000)
Objective 3: Instructional coaches and assistant principals will schedule and coordinate volunteers with reading and ELA classes in each school site for the set times they commit to working with the students. They will set a volunteer schedule and analyze data monthly at the leadership meetings. Ela Curriculum coordinator will coordinate application process, background checks, and biannual trainings.
Goal 4: Increase community awareness and engagement in literacy‐ELA Curriculum Coordinator will work with ELA district facilitators and AU instructional coaches to provide professional Learning centered around the Augusta Community to raise awareness of the impact of poverty on families and children.
Objective 1: Team of University Faculty will develop workshops centered around the book discussions and activities specifically for the Augusta/Richmond County community that focus on raising awareness of the impact of poverty on student achievement and family engagement.
Objective 2: Faculty will lead the workshops on site at the schools – number of times to be determined by the school. Parents and staff will be invited and food will be provided.
Objective 3: Community Engagement Activities will be held at the schools twice a year in collaboration with student performance or athletic events in order to increase participation and turn out. This will include a free book fair where families can select a book to take home. (Cost $70,000 for books, workshop speakers, supplies for workshops, supplies for 12 community engagement activities, content development fees, workshop delivery fees, project coordinator and )
Richmond County School System 6
Assessment/Data Analysis Plan Community Level data points will be reviewed twice annually by the Grant team for each feeder pattern for the 3 year duration of the grant. The Richmond County poverty level is 36% according to Get Georgia Reading Data. Richmond County absenteeism is another data point to review from Get Georgia Reading, 2015, shows that at Glenn Hills Elementary 36% of students were absent between 6-15 days and 13% of students were absent more than 15 days. At Wilkinson Gardens, 34% of students were absent 6-15 days and 13% of students were absent more than 15 days. This demonstrates a high level of absenteeism in the elementary schools. Richmond county Library circulation reports from all schools in feeder bands will be reviewed for increase in books checked out to students. In order to measure our impact on babies through age 4, we will administer and collect data through Parent surveys on number of books read to babies birth to age four administered during our Read To Me classes, Augusta Partnership or Children home visits, and at additional parent events. The attendance numbers from Community Attendance at Poverty Workshops will inform us of impact on Daycare providers, preK teachers at the Early Langugage.
School Level Assessment Data The team of representatives from each feeder pattern to include Richmond County ELA Coordinator, Media Specialist, Grant Coordinator from each school site, Administrator from each school site, School Interventionist, representative from Augusta Partnership for Children, representative from Augusta University, representatives from Reading Volunteers will meet three times annually; September, February, and June, to review the student progress on the following assessments to monitor growth give recommendations for adjustments that are needed:
DP3 (three-year olds) PALS Pre-k and PPVT (four-year olds and Pre-K) Dibels Next is K-3 based on L4GA Grant amendment to USED Scholastic Reading Inventory (3-12) This will be the core team to advise and make recommendations to develop budget, and performance plans. Participants will discuss their updates and success in small horizontal level school teams and then share out with the overall group. We also use a very helpful data platform called Performance Matters. The reports are easy to pull, and we intend to include this data in there for ease of analysis by LEA and school site stakeholders. This data will then be reviewed in collaborative planning with teacher and AU coaches to celebrate growth and set new goals for students.
The universal screener assessment currently used in RCSS is iReady and administered 3 times per year. This is administered kindergarten-9th grade in August, January and May. Classroom teachers in grades 3- 12th at each school in the feeder pattern will administer the Scholastic Reading Inventory during these assessment windows in lieu of iReady. Schools may choose if they wish to continue to track data through iready as well. In addition to this universal screener, we administer three benchmark assessments through an online platform, Performance Matters, in all Georgia Milestone tested grades; 3rd-9th and 11th. This assessment measures students’ progress against grade level standards. The data is then analyzed at the district level by Superintendent, Accountability office, Assistant Superintendent, Area Superintendents,
Director of Curriculum and Instruction, ELA Coordinator, PLC facilitators, the month following each assessment. Baseline data will be taken in Aug-Sept 2018; additional data points will include iReady progress checks, running records and teacher documentation of checklists for mastering reading goals.
School administration are guided in an analysis of their school data at a Principals and Assistant Principals meeting the month following the end of the assessment window. Principals are provided data analysis protocols, to include root cause analysis that analyzes teacher curriculum and pacing, school implementation of interventions, suggested interventions by iReady diagnostic reports and small groupings for in class interventions based on student literacy needs. We will continue to use this root cause protocol and small group needs tool in the school analysis of SRI and DIBELS data. The principals in turn go back to school sites and lead their teaching staff in this data analysis at an afterschool meeting or during collaborative grade level planning. School sites use this data to determine effectiveness of intervention program, and adjustments that need to be made to core instruction, pacing or interventions for individual students. The School Interventionist will be a key component in keeping track of the data on the students to be sure they are making adequate progress towards the goal. Both of our elementary schools, Wilkinson Gardens and Glenn Hills Elementary currently use DIBELS assessments in order to progress monitor the Reading Mentors GOSA grant that they currently participate in. They analyze this data on the Oral Reading Fluency Measures the month following the assessment window with their Language and Literacy Specialist in order to determine impact and necessary adjustments. This protocol will continue with grade level teams during collaborative planning three times annually after each assessment is administered. This will take place during collaborative planning with the schools literacy coach in person or via webinar. Small group reading goals will be tracked and analyzed from teacher observational notes, checklists and iReady growth checks.
Richmond County School System
Professional Learning Strategies Identified on the Basis of Documented Need The analysis of the School Improvement Plans for Glenn Hills Elementary, Glenn Hills Middle School, Wilkinson Gardens Elementary School, Murphey Middle School and the Comprehensive Needs Assessments from both Josey High and Glenn Hills high confirm the need for systemic and job embedded professional learning around literacy behaviors and strategies. In each school improvement plan there are provisions made for teachers to receive professional learning during their collaborative planning time during the school day. This has been identified by each leadership team at each school site in order to better train and prepare teachers to handle the academic and literacy needs that our students have as early as kindergarten. The strategy of job embedded literacy coaching is the primary method for delivering professional development to our teachers. Coaching is an effective method to allow teachers an opportunity to learn a new skill and then have the support to implement that skill in the classroom. The coach provides a safe place the model to follow and the questions necessary to push for growth. Jim Knight, Elena Aguilar, Cathy Toll and Laura Lipton are just a few of the researchers that have shown the highly effective nature of coaching educators to sound instructional practices. Through this coaching, the literacy strategies that will be covered in face to face professional learning and also in video format will be; clear learning intentions, setting and tracking individual goals with students, using small group instruction, conferring with readers, building comprehension with concept mapping, vocabulary instructional strategies, building student stamina, setting a purpose for reading, chunking the text, annotating the text, read alouds with modeled think alouds, and close reading strategies. Each of these high yield research based methods are essential for our teaching staff to have in their toolkit when working with our students each day. Due to the high number of students that qualify for Tier 3 interventions, 60‐80% of each school site, we have provisioned for community partnership in order to create the small group adult to student ratio that the Response to Intervention shows as a highly effective method for increasing literacy skills in a more concentrated learning environment. This will be a primary focus for our work with developing our teachers in effective literacy strategies based on the documented need for more specific goal setting and tracking.
Jim Knight, 2007, Instructional Coaching: A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction
Elena Aguilar, 2015, The Art of Coaching: Effective Strategies for School Transformation
Cathy Toll, 2014, Literacy Coaches Survival Guide
Bruce Welldon and Laura Lipton, 2001, Mentoring Matters: A Practical Guide to Learning‐Focused Relationship
Richmond County School System 1
Richmond County School System
Richmond County School System 2
Richmond County School System
Resources, Strategies and Materials to Support Implementation of the Literacy Plan
High quality professional learning in collaboration with the experts at Augusta University. All professional learning is not created equally. We have designed a way to bring 24‐7 professional learning to the teachers in Richmond County and beyond through our intent to create videos that teachers, coaches, administrators, and anyone could use during the school day or outside of it to continuously improve. This will help create a culture of on demand professional learning because we are sensitive and aware that adult learners need to be in the mental space to receive new instruction. That may happen after regular working hours.
Although we are intent to create videos and training modules to Leveraging Professional Learning , we will also provide certain methods for training and development for each level of educator on our continuum of birth‐20.
Prekinder and Daycare workers will have opportunities for workshops at the University. They will also receive job embedded supports from Augusta partnership for children.
K‐5th grade teachers will receive job embedded demonstration of balanced literacy instruction such as guided reading groups, shared reading and writing, one to one conferring, effective use of classroom libraries, and goal setting with students. Establishing a Literacy Clinic at each of the elementary schools and using the high school student interns as the tutors is such an exciting way to build the culture of reading in this corridor of poverty. This resource will not only build a community of literacy in the afterschool environment, but it will also give high school student the opportunity to contribute and begin learning skills that can lead them to a career in teaching. We are intent on growing our own literacy teachers in Richmond county and it starts as small as an opportunity to tutor a young person.
Middle schools will receive support, job embedded coaching conversations and demonstration lessons surrounding the critical area of need: teaching adolescents to read. This will include word work and word learning strategies such as Marzano's 6‐step vocabulary process. Another strategy the middle school teachers will receive in coaching is goal setting and tracking student progress. They will learn about the expected developmental reading behaviors in order to meet student needs anywhere on the continuum. Professional Learning on teaching reading will include Thinking Maps training because concept mapping has such a high effect size (.60) for student growth that it is a critical piece to begin allowing students to “draw it, talk it and then write it” about their reading. Marzano explicitly mentions Thinking Maps in his book. Research‐based reading and writing strategies include clear learning intentions, using small group instruction, conferring with readers, building comprehension, vocabulary instructional strategies, building student stamina, setting a purpose for reading, chunking the text, annotating the text, read alouds with modeled think alouds, teacher as facilitator, Thinking maps and close reading strategies. Each of these high yield research based methods are essential for our teaching staff to have in their toolkit when working with our students each day as found in Visible Learning for Literacy.
High schools
Richmond County School System 1
Richmond County School System
The resources and strategies that we have built into the plan are steeped in years of research and time tested to be proven effective in teaching reading. Early print exposure is a critical component to the healthy development of the baby's brain. It is essential to place young babies in a language rich environment. Brain development science clearly identifies that only age appropriate instruction will have an effect on student learning. Therefore, it is vital that child care professionals are given resources and training on how to adapt programs, resources, and models appropriately to ensure that wide array of needs of various age children are met. The strategy of continuous professional learning of early language and literacy for our prek and day care providers is essential. Additional training for parents to talk, sing and read to babies in our media centers will help to foster the language skills necessary for reading.
Professional Learning on teaching reading; Thinking Maps for concept mapping ( effect size .60)
Research based reading and writing strategies such as Hattie’s recommendation in Visible Learning to use clear learning intentions. Fountas and PInnell wrote many books relaying the importance of using small group instruction. This kind of teaching is supported by research. The National Reading Panel (NICHD, 2000), conferring with readers, building comprehension happens after reading, “the teacher skillfully guides a discussion that may involve students’ talking about their inferences, predictions, synthesis of new learning, analysis of aspects of the writer’s craft, and critique” (Fountas & Pinnell, 2006). Vocabulary instructional strategies such as teaching common language and a visual for new word learning is part of the Marzano 6 step process to word learning (. Hattie reminds us in Visible Learning for Literacy that vocabulary instruction yields .67 effect size, which is well over a years worth of growth! Isabelle Beck in her book, Bringing Words to Life even guides us to the types of words that are best taught in the classroom which are the Tier 2 words: general academic words. building student stamina, setting a purpose for reading, chunking the text, annotating the text, read alouds with modeled think alouds, and close reading strategies
Social/Emotional curriculum component for our kindergarteners support the overall goal of keeping kids in school so they can learn to read. These materials will help contribute to the overall positive environment of the school as young students are able to find coping strategies with feelings that are successful in school. The reproductive health and wellness training component for our middle and high school student has the same goal of contributing to increased attendance rates and decrease in activites that derail young people from achieving high levels in school. Educating High school Juniors and Seniors on reproductive health may seem unrelated to literacy to you, but it is a critical part of this plan due to the high number of students 25% that are derailed from their education before graduating high school. Each of these resources, strategies and materials contribute to a positive learning environment in which literacy can lift our students to new levels of achievement.
Richmond County School System 2
Richmond County Literacy Lifts Budget Ou
Line Item Subtotal $ 5,539 per year Salary, $ 1,214 per Grant Program Specialist year Benefits, $945.00 per year Insurance Extending AU early language $180,000 per year x 2= 360,000 minigrants by 2 additional years‐
Video Modules and coaching by AU $125,000 first year 150,000 x 2
First Book
Augusta Part. for Children reproductive health curriculum
Thinking Maps
42 presentations stations
In class libraries
Community volunteer trainings
Poverty workshops AU The bulk of the funding will be paid to Augusta University for expert coa and early literacy and learning programs. We will also use a portion of volunteer training and presentation stations (furniture for small groups). a grant manager to assist with the management and daily work to utline
Total
7,698
360,000
425,000
50,000
4,800
52,000
96,000
150,000
3,000
70,000
1,218,498 aching, poverty training workshops, the funding for books, resources, The last portion of funds will be for keep the programs effective. Reference List Aguilar, Elena. (2013). The Art of Coaching: Effective Strategies for School Transformation. Wiley. Auger, A., Reich, S., & Penner, E. (2014, July/August). The effect of baby books on mothers’ reading beliefs and reading practices. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 35(4), 337-346. doi: 10.1016/j.appdev.2014.05.007 aha! Process, Inc. A Ruby Payne Company website. (2018). www.ahaprocess.com Evans, M. D., Kelly, J., & Sikora, J. (2014). Scholarly Culture and Academic Performance in 42 Nations. Social Forces, 92(4). https://doi.org/10.1.1.825.7829 Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2006). Teaching for comprehending and fluency: Thinking, talking, and writing about reading, K–8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Get Georgia Reading website. (2016). http://getgeorgiareading.org/ Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to student achievement. New York: Routledge. Hattie, J., Fischer,D., & Frey, N. (2016) Visible Learning for Literacy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Hoff, E. (2013, January). Interpreting the early language trajectories of children from low-SES and language minority homes: Implications for closing achievement gaps. Developmental Psychology, 49(1), 4-14. doi: 10.1037/a0027238 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt website. (2015). http://www.hmhco.com/products/big-day-pre-k/ Knight, J., & Cornett, J. (2009). Unmistakable impact: a partnership approach to dramatically improving instruction. San Diego, CA: Corwin. Marzano, R. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Marzano, R. J. (2004). Building background knowledge for academic achievement: Research on what works in schools. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Responsive Classroom website. (2018). https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/ Schultz, B. (2011). Grow your own teachers: Grassroots change for teacher education. New York: Teachers College Press. Weisleder, A., & Fernald, A. (2013). Talking to children matters: early language experience strengthens processing and builds vocabulary. Psychological Science, 24, 2143-2152. doi: 10.1177/0956797613488145 Williams-Payne, T. (2013). Influencing teacher efficacy through action research: The implementation of an embedded, standards-based professional development approach (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Education database. (3599264)
AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY
College of Education Office of the Dean
MEMO:
Date: February 15, 2018
To: Angela Pringle, Ed.D. Superintendent Debbie Alexander, Ed.D. Associate Superintendent
From: Zach Kelehear, Ph.D. Dean, College of Education
Re: Letter of Support
Dear Drs. Pringle and Alexander,
The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) has created a literacy task force. As part of this new collaborative group, they have received funding for Literacy for Learning, Living, and Leading (L4GA). This new initiative is a competitive grant that focuses on creating local collaborative partnerships between schools, districts, Regional Education Service Agencies (RESA), higher education partners, and National Writing Project (NWP) sites. The goal of this grant is to implement culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate literacy practices that are grounded in practice and will support educational effectiveness. The design of this grant is to build a scalable and sustainable project in order to maximize the design and have a greater effect across all schools in Georgia. To this end, Augusta University’s College of Education stands ready to support your district with the design, writing, and implementation of this grant. We stand ready to support your district with research proven concepts that will build upon Georgia’s System of Continuous Improvement Framework which focuses on the systems and structures (the “what”) that must be in place for sustained improvement in student outcomes in the area of literacy. It also utilizes a problem-solving model (the “how”) to provide a clear process for identifying improvement needs, planning for improvement, implementation of the plan, monitoring, and evaluating the improvement efforts. Drs. Pendergraft and Barker from the Department of Teaching and Leading in the College of Education have been involved in the development of this initiative and look forward to the possibilities this grant can bring to the university and local community. The literacy initiatives proposed will provide professional learning for teachers, academic tutoring, professional support for early literacy educators, and will offer literacy resources. Literacy plays a tremendous role in the future success of our children. Together we can make sure that all of Augusta’s children are successful and prepared for a bright future. Augusta University is eager to provide the support to Richmond County as they embark on this new initiative. The ultimate end goal of this grant is to identify the needs of your community and find unique, comprehensive, research proven strategies that will support the growth of language and literacy for your district. As a local higher education partnership, we believe that our faculty, researchers, and Center for Innovation and Community Engagement can help you identify and implement a program that best suits the needs of your community. The CICE is able to assist you with the design and writing as well as grant management throughout the life of the grant and create and support sustainable practices. We know you have a number of options to support your continuous literacy learning so we hope that you think of ways that we can collaborate and support your efforts with this ever important endeavor. Please contact Dennis Dotterer, Director of the CICE, at [email protected] if we can be of any assistance. We look forward to a great collaborative partnership to support the children in your district.
Sincerely,
Zach Kelehear, Ed.D. Dean, College of Education Augusta University
Community Action Summit Augusta, GA August 30, 2016
Richmond County Data Profile
Health Indicators:
LBW Preterm Births
20 20
15 15 13.2 12.4 11.6 12.2 12.1 11.4 12 10 10.6 10.5 10.3 10 Percent Percent 5 5
0 0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Richmond 11.6 10.6 10.5 10.3 12.2 Richmond 13.2 12.1 12.4 11.4 12 Georgia 9.8 9.4 9.4 9.5 9.5 Georgia 11.4 11 11 10.7 10.8
Births to Mothers w/ <12 Years Education
30 25 22.1 20 19.5 18.6 17.5 16.9 15
Percent 10 5 0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Richmond 22.1 19.5 18.6 17.5 16.9 Georgia 20.4 18.4 16.8 15.6 15.8
1 August 2016 School Indicators:
School Absence <6 Days School Absence 6-15 Days
70 70 60 59.8 61.8 60 54.1 55.7 50 53.2 50 40 40 32.1 33.0 30.9 30 30 29.6 27.0 Percent Percent 20 20 10 10 0 0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Richmond 54.1 59.8 61.8 53.2 55.7 Richmond 32.1 29.6 27.0 33.0 30.9 Georgia 53.8 56.8 60.5 54.8 60.7 Georgia 36.4 34.3 31.2 35.5 31.1
School Absence >15 Days
70
60
50
40
30
Percent 20 13.8 13.8 10 10.6 11.2 13.4
0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Richmond 13.8 10.6 11.2 13.8 13.4 Georgia 9.7 8.8 8.4 9.6 8.2
3rd Grade ELA, 2015 Proficient or Above Richmond County 21.1%
2 August 2016 School School Absence School Absence Absence <6 Richmond County 6-15 Days >15 Days Days (2014-15) (2014-15) (2014-15) Barton Chapel Elementary 45.9% 41.6% 12.5% School Bayvale Elementary 54.1% 34.7% 11.2% School Blythe Elementary School 46.2% 38.6% 15.2% Copeland Elementary 49.2% 38.3% 12.5% School Craig-Houghton 37.6% 37.2% 25.2% Elementary School Deer Chase Elementary 62.0% 31.4% 6.6% School Diamond Lakes 48.6% 39.1% 12.2% Elementary School Freedom Park Elementary 57.3% 36.5% 6.3% Garrett Elementary 46.1% 41.3% 12.6% School Glenn Hills Elementary 50.6% 36.3% 13.0% School Goshen Elementary 53.7% 36.2% 10.0% School Gracewood Elementary 61.8% 32.1% 6.1% School Hains Elementary School 57.8% 34.7% 7.5% Hephzibah Elementary 41.5% 40.9% 17.6% School Jamestown Elementary 65.8% 29.3% 4.9% School Jenkins-White Elementary 41.7% 42.8% 15.5% Charter School Lake Forest Hills 68.9% 26.8% 4.3% Elementary School Lamar - Milledge 48.3% 39.4% 12.3% Elementary School McBean Elementary 49.2% 41.5% 9.3% School Meadowbrook Elementary 50.6% 36.3% 13.1% School Merry Elementary School 53.6% 36.7% 9.7% Monte Sano Elementary 57.4% 36.1% 6.5% School National Hills Elementary 57.6% 34.5% 8.0% School Rollins Elementary School 53.6% 35.7% 10.8% Southside Elementary 57.0% 35.2% 7.8% School
3 August 2016 School School Absence School Absence Absence <6 Richmond County 6-15 Days >15 Days Days (2014-15) (2014-15) (2014-15) Sue Reynolds Elementary 63.5% 30.3% 6.1% School Terrace Manor Elementary 53.4% 38.8% 7.8% School Tobacco Road Elementary 49.1% 39.3% 11.6% School W.S. Hornsby K-8 School 55.5% 30.30% 14.20% Walker Traditional 61.5% 34.3% 4.2% Elementary School Warren Road Elementary 61.5% 31.6% 7.0% School Wheeless Road 42.9% 40.7% 16.4% Elementary School Wilkinson Gardens 52.2% 34.8% 13.0% Elementary School Willis Foreman 56.4% 37.7% 5.9% Elementary School Windsor Spring Road 51.0% 39.7% 9.3% Elementary School ! ! Climate Kindergarten- 3rd Grade Directly Star 3rd Grade ELA, Certified Richmond County Rating OSS Proficient or Students (2015) (2014-15) Above (2015) (2015) Barton Chapel Elementary 2 20% 10.6% 77% School Bayvale Elementary School 3 8% 14.3% 75% Blythe Elementary School 4 4% 35.5% 54% Copeland Elementary 3 16% 13.5% 63% School Craig-Houghton 1 43% 0.0% 78% Elementary School Deer Chase Elementary 3 6% 25.0% 47% School Diamond Lakes Elementary 3 12% 15.1% 61% School Freedom Park Elementary 3 3% 43.6% 4% Garrett Elementary School 2 4% 26.5% 51% Glenn Hills Elementary 1 13% 13.8% 76% School Goshen Elementary School 3 6% 34.9% 36% !
4 August 2016 Climate Kindergarten- 3rd Grade Directly Star 3rd Grade ELA, Certified Richmond County Rating OSS Proficient or Students (2015) (2014-15) Above (2015) (2016) Gracewood Elementary 4 4% 16.1% 57% School Hains Elementary School 3 6% 16.9% 75% Hephzibah Elementary 3 7% 28.8% 54% School Jamestown Elementary 3 8% 19.1% 63% School Jenkins-White Elementary 3 10% 12.1% 79% Charter School Lake Forest Hills 4 0% 43.7% 37% Elementary School Lamar - Milledge 4 1% 3.3% 81% Elementary School McBean Elementary School 4 6% 22.5% 46% Meadowbrook Elementary 1 27% 8.0% 73% School Merry Elementary School 3 17% 27.0% 57% Monte Sano Elementary 3 20% 19.7 70% School National Hills Elementary 40% 4 5% 39.1% School (2015) Rollins Elementary School 3 10% 23.1% 72% Southside Elementary 2 24% 6.3% 65% School Sue Reynolds Elementary 3 4% 22.8% 32% School Terrace Manor Elementary 3 8% 7.5% 72% School Tobacco Road Elementary 2 18% 13.0% 54% School W.S. Hornsby K-8 School 2 14% 20.5% 81% Walker Traditional 3 2% 71.4% 26% Elementary School Warren Road Elementary 3 7% 29.2% 36% School Wheeless Road Elementary 2 23% 3.8% 79% School Wilkinson Gardens 3 9% 5.6% 80% Elementary School Willis Foreman Elementary 3 10% 24.0% 52% School Windsor Spring Road 2 11% 18.3% 66% Elementary School !
5 August 2016
Community Indicators:
Children Living in Poverty
70 60 50 44.6 40 43.6 39.1 35.8 37.9 30 Percent 20 10 0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Richmond 39.1 35.8 44.6 43.6 37.9 Georgia 25.0 26.6 27.3 26.7 26.3
Percent of Children Receiving Subsidies August Enrolled in Quality Rated Child Care (1-3 stars) 2016 Richmond County 19.5%
6 August 2016
Per%1,000%Births:%Premature%Births,%2010;2014
0%to%<%97.2
97.2%to%<%113.7
113.7%to%<135.7
135.7%to%<%157.9
157.9%to%235.3
Per%1,000%Births:%Low%Birthweight%Births,%2010;2014
57.8%to%<%78.5
78.2to%<%103.7
103.7%to%<127.1
127.1%to%<%150
150%to%254.9 Per%1,000%Births:%Births%to%Mothers%with%<12%Years% Education,%2010;2014
0%to%<%69.1
69.1%to%<%177.3
177.3%to%<%236.1
236.1%to%<%330.3
330.3%to%500
Percent%Population%under%18%years%in%poverty
4.5%to%<%20.5
20.5%to%<35
35%to%<%48.1
48.1%to%<%63.2
63.2%to%84.3 Grade%3%Reading%(ELA):%%%Proficient%Learner%&%Above,% 2015
29.2%to%<71.4
22.8%to%<%29.2
15.1%to%<22.8
8%to%<%15.1
0%to%8
Climate%Star%Rating,%2015
5
4
3
2
1 Percent%Missing%Less%than%6%Days,%2015
37.6%to%<46.2
46.2%to%<50.6
50.6%to%<54.1
54.1%to%<61.5
61.5%to%<68.9
Percent%6%to%15%Days%Absent,%2015
26.8%to%<34.3
34.3%to%<36.1
36.1%to%<37.7
37.7%to%<39.7
39.7%to%<42.8 Percent%More%than%15%Days%Absent,%2015
4.2%to%<6.3
6.3%to%<8
8%to%<11.6
11.6%to%<13
13%To%25.2
Percent%of%K;3%Students%Receiving%Out;of;School% Suspensions,%2015
0%to%<4
4%to%<7
7%to%<10
10%to%<18
18%to%<43 Richmond County Reads Hosted by Richmond County School System
Friday, September 30, 2016
9:00AM- 3:30PM
Augusta – Richmond County Public Library Mark your calendar now
and Register your organization to attend at this link Register Here
As a leader in the effort to ensure children are reading on grade level by the end of grade three, you are invited to a community event to bring together local, state, and federal agencies that support children ages 0-8 literacy, health, social- emotional and family resource needs. Register your organization to attend this event to coordinate our efforts around GRADE LEVEL READING. Get Georgia Reading Augusta, Richmond County Event First Name Last Name Email Job TitleOctober 17, 2017 Organization Debbie Alexander [email protected] Associate Superintendent Richmond County School System Jonay Bailey [email protected] EIP Teacher Jenkins-White Tonethia Beasley [email protected] Principal Bayvale Elementary Nedia Belcher [email protected] Administrative Services Specialist CSRA EOA, Inc. Head Start Kourtney Bell [email protected] PBIS Program Specialist Richmond County School System Betsy Bouwhuizen [email protected] Instructor Augusta Technical College Patty Bradshaw [email protected] School Climate Specialist CSRA RESA Rodithia Carr [email protected] Department Chair Augusta Technical College La Shaun Coronel [email protected] School Social Worker Richmond County Board of Education Vanessa Darling [email protected] Principal Jenkins-White Elementary Sharon DuBose [email protected] Planner/Evaluator CSRA Economic Opportunity Authority, Inc. Lydia Dunn [email protected] School Social Worker Richmond County Board of Education Sonia England [email protected] Parent & Family Engagement Prog. Spec.RCBOE TONIA GIBBONS [email protected] Director Of Community Outreach MAYOR'S OFFICE Michelle Grammer [email protected] Title I Program Specialist RCBOE Paulette Harris [email protected] Director, AU Literacy Center Augusta University Jackie Hayes [email protected] Pre-K Program Manager richmond County School System Amanda Heath [email protected] Judge Augusta Circuit Juvenile Court Jose Hernandez [email protected] Pastor Iglesia Casa de Refugio Candice Hillman [email protected] Executive Director Augusta Partnership for Children, Inc. Elizabeth Julian [email protected] Dean, Early Childhood Care/EducationAugusta Technical College Deborah Keane [email protected] Program Specialist Georgia Dept of Education Katherine Kelly [email protected] 1st Grade Teacher Jenkins-White Stacey King [email protected] Administrative Intern Meadowbrook Elementary DeMargo L [email protected] Community Engagement Specialist RCBOE Vanessa Lancaster [email protected] Principal Glenn Hills Elementary School Eric Lewkowiez [email protected] Associate Dean Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University Melvin Lowry [email protected] COO Medical Associates Plus Rachel McRae [email protected] Principal Hains Elementary Demetrius Morton [email protected] Monbile Unit Administrator Medical Associates Plus Angela Moseley [email protected] Executive Director of Adult EducationAugusta Technical College Diane Murphey [email protected] Parent Facilitator Jenkins-White Elementary Lisa Murray [email protected] Nutrition Manager East Central Public Health District Luke Niday [email protected] Director First Presbyterian Church Augusta Cheri Ogden [email protected] Principal Diamond Lakes Elementary School Get Georgia Reading Augusta, Richmond County Event Lisa Palmer [email protected] VP, Economic DevelopmentOctober 17, 2017 Augusta Technical College Beth Pendergraft [email protected] Department Chair Augusta University Roshell Prince [email protected] Social Worker RCBOE Angela Pringle [email protected] Superintendent Richmond County School System Angela PringlePringle [email protected] Superintendent Richmond County Board of Education Vikki Pruitt [email protected] Deputy Director Augusta Partnership for Children, Inc Sharon Ray [email protected] Principal RCSS Patsy Scott [email protected] Board of Education Member RCSS Ernestine Smith [email protected] Head Start Director CSRA EOA, Inc. Head Start Angelina Tate [email protected] Program Specialist Title I Brenda CherokeeTaylor [email protected] Principal Wilkinson Gardens Elementary Terrence Wilson [email protected] Staff Attorney Georgia Appleseed Cassondra Wimberly [email protected] Training Coordinator Augusta Partnership for Children, Inc. Gardenia Wright [email protected] School Social Worker Richmond County BOE Terri Wright [email protected] DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL OPERATIONSBoys & Girls Clubs of the CSRA Glenn Hills Elementary School
School Literacy Plan
Logic Model for Glenn Hills Elementary School– School Improvement goals to increase 3rd grade students reading on grade level at a rate of 10% per year starting at 24% in 2018.
Inputs‐time, resources, personnel Outputs‐activities/products Short term outcomes –
Literacy clinic for afterschool tutoring Literacy clinic for extended 3rd grade demonstrate progress in path with paid high school interns/trained by day‐after‐school tutoring for towards reading on grade level at a rate of AU Literacy instructors. students 10% growth per year (5% in Jan) Student have increased access to highly Augusta University Literacy Coach for engaging text. GHES teachers Increased quality of literacy Students have increased access to small Classroom Libraries for independent instruction in core reading group instruction. reading time block K‐5 Teachers have access to expert coaching On‐demand Professional Learning videos Increased teacher confidence, support for balanced literacy components; effectiveness and use of Thinking maps training research‐based literacy Books for building at home libraries strategies such as small group Monthly data check ins with Curriculum instruction, phonics Poverty awareness workshops instruction, goal setting with students, concept mapping, Assets: data analysis, clear learning Medium Outcomes intentions Augusta University 5 mini‐grants around Increased quality of 5th grade students increase EOG milestone Early Literacy and Language instruction in scores from 23% developing and above to 33% in 2019 Curriculum: Benchmark Universe More academic and language Students have access to afterschool PreK nutrition in PreK classes tutoring by High School students.
Reading Mentors grant recipient‐ Decrease in behavior referrals Read with Me classes for foundation of learning siblings through media center DIBELS trained Long Outcomes
5 current reading volunteers Social Emotional wellness Schedule allows for collaborative Students will progress to middle school curriculum in kindergarten planning for Professional Learning and near or on grade level in literacy classes Coaching Increase in concepts about print and
Responsive Classroom training 2018 language in kinder students Increased compassion and effective strategies for teachers in working with communities in poverty Vertical alignment of literacy strategies in feeder band k‐12
Glenn Hills Elementary has a leadership team committed to improving literacy outcomes for all the learners at the school. This team has reviewed the school data of both iready reading levels and EOG milestone data. This team consists of the administrators, the EIP teachers, the instructional coach, K‐2 teachers, a GOSA Literacy Language Specialist, 21st century coordinator, and Saturday school
Glenn Hills Elementary School 1
Glenn Hills Elementary School coordinator. The past instructional initiatives have been to use the school site professional training to improve instruction. The curriculum of the past was a basal program called Reading Street. This allowed for no real differentiation. The newer adopted curriculum of Benchmark Literacy is a more balanced approach to literacy in that it highlights shared reading, Read Alouds, Guided reading. Teachers received professional learning on the use of this program, but still lack the underlying knowledge why each component is important. This school has been a recipient of the Reading Mentors Grant. Through this current instructional initiative, the teachers have benefitted from literacy training and building of a foundation of literacy instruction. The reading mentors have coached and supported the K‐3 teachers at this school site. The community assets that this school has are a few volunteers that come to the school site. They also have a Vista Parent Facilitator that coordinates community partners to host parent events. Title 1 nights, PTO sponsored events, Boys and Girls Club, and Medical Associates all participate in supporting the school through afterschool events centered around literacy. Another current initiative is the use of PBIS to increase a positive learning environment. Collaborative planning time is another current initiative that has set the stage for very meaningful learning and improved practice to take place. The individual school professional learning needs center around training on early language development, basic research‐based literacy practices for balanced literacy such as Read Alouds, Guided Reading, Setting goals and progress monitoring for students, one to one conferring, use of classroom libraries, effective independent reading time and concept mapping for comprehension and prewriting strategies. This school is in dire need of this reading project in order to increase the language nutrition for the babies that will eventually set food in the school. They also need the access to resources to provide print and high quality teaching to the students. The Faculty need expert guidance, coaching and hybrid (video and face to face) training on bedrock literacy strategies. The community surrounding this school will benefit from building home libraries, training for parents as teachers and responding to poverty.
Glenn Hills Elementary School 2
Glenn Hills High School
School Literacy Plan
Logic Model for Glenn Hills High School‐School Improvement goals to increase 11th grade students reading on grade level at a rate of 10% per year starting at 46% in 2018.
Inputs‐time, resources, personnel Outputs‐activities/products Short term outcomes –
Augusta University Literacy Coach for Increased quality of literacy 9th grade demonstrate progress in path teachers instruction in core ELA classes towards reading on grade level at a rate of Classroom Libraries for independent through high quality 10% growth per year (5% in Jan) a measured by iReady/SRI reading time professional learning and Student have increased access to highly On‐demand Professional Learning videos coaching of literacy strategies engaging text. for balanced literacy components ad reading behaviors Students have increased access to small Books for building at home libraries group instruction. Monthly data check ins with Increased teacher confidence, Teachers have access to expert coaching Curr/Instruct. Dept effectiveness and use of support Poverty awareness workshops research based literacy Students identified and employed in service Reproductive health curriculum strategies such as small group to our elementary school students Volunteers for ELA classes instruction, word work, goal Literacy clinic and tutor internship for setting with students, concept high school students mapping, data analysis, clear Presentation Station in ELA classrooms learning intentions
Increased access to engaging books at instructional Lexile levels
Reproductive health Assets: awareness Medium Outcomes
Curriculum: Pearson, Revision Assistant, Lessons that empower 9th grade students increase EOG milestone Turn it in students to actively monitor scores from 14% developing and above to Intervention materials: iReady, newsela, own progress 31% in 2019 Student motivation increases with Achieve 3000 Increased participation in personalized instruction Instructional Coach writing assignments and engagement Decrease in behavior referrals Schedule allows for collaborative planning for Professional Learning and Audience for reading essays, presenting work Long Outcomes Coaching PBIS school Small group instructional time Students will progress to high school near or on grade level in literacy Increase in writing scores Increased compassion and effective strategies for teachers in working with communities in poverty Increase in graduation rate due to decrease in teen pregnancy and std
Glenn Hills High School 1
Glenn Hills High School
Glenn Hills High School administration is new. He has been the leader for just two years. With any new leadership, as expectations change for the staff they are adjusting to the leadership style and system. The leadership team consists of the principal, three assistant principals, teacher representatives, guidance counselors, and department chairs. The past instructional initiatives of the school were to use the core classes to address student progress to standards and intervene with support to address the needs. This seemed to be too much for teachers to incorporate into the main classes. Since then, the leadership team has adjusted the schedule to provide for an intervention time in order to respond to intervention for the students that are scoring below grade level in reading. Another current initiative is the use of collaborative planning time for teachers in similar departments. This has been structured with protocols for meeting norms and tuning protocols. The format and structure is in place to receive high quality job embedded training, but there is still a lack of the expertise needed to lift the literacy across the school. Glenn Hills high is in the midst of trying to implement consistent and positive school wide behavior plans. This school is primed for reception of professional learning in core literacy instructional strategies. The ELA team needs a greater understanding of the developmental reading behaviors to know what to do with each student that arrives in the class. The entire school needs more professional learning in high yield instructional strategies such as clear learning intentions and concept mapping for greater student achievement as well as targeted goal setting and progress monitoring of students achieving those goals. This school needs a striving readers project that will incorporate the professional learning, resources, and support to give all students access to high quality instruction. Vertical alignment is an vital component for our school system and having training in Thinking maps will help to provide the high school teachers with the momentum and springboard to utilize strategies that students are already familiar. This and the additional coaching for teachers are truly going to make an impact on the growth in reading for our students.
Glenn Hills High School 2
Glenn Hills Middle School
School Literacy Plan
Logic Model for Glenn Hills Middle School‐School Improvement goals to increase 8rd grade students reading on grade level at a rate of 10% per year starting at 5% in 2018.
Inputs‐time, resources, personnel Outputs‐activities/products Short term outcomes –
Augusta University Literacy Coach for Increased quality of literacy 6th grade demonstrate progress in path teachers instruction in core reading towards reading on grade level at a rate of Classroom Libraries for independent block 6‐8 through high quality 10% growth per year (5% in Jan) a measured by iReady/SRI reading time professional learning and Student have increased access to highly e On‐demand Professional Learning videos coaching of literacy strategies ngaging text. for balanced literacy components ad reading behaviors Students have increased access to small Books for building at home libraries group instruction. Monthly data check ins with C/I Dept. Increased teacher confidence, Teacher access to expert coaching support Thinking Maps training effectiveness and use of Increased completion of writing Poverty awareness workshops research‐based literacy assignments Reproductive health curriculum strategies such as small group Volunteers for ELA classes instruction, word work, goal Writing contest with prizes setting with students, concept Presentation Station in ELA classrooms mapping, data analysis, clear learning intentions
Increased access to engaging books at instructional Lexile levels
Assets: Reproductive health Medium Outcomes awareness Curriculum: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 6th grade students increase EOG milestone Intervention materials: iReady, Language Lessons that empower scores from 17% developing and above to Live students to actively monitor 27% in 2019 Student motivation increases with Instructional Coach own progress Increased participation in personalized instruction Schedule allows for collaborative Decrease in behavior referrals planning for Professional Learning and writing assignments and engagement Coaching Long Outcomes PBIS school Audience for reading essays, presenting work DEAR‐ drop everything and read time Students will progress to high school
Small group instructional time near or on grade level in literacy Increase in writing scores Increased strategies for teachers in working with communities in poverty Increase in graduation rate due to decrease in teen pregnancy and std Vertical alignment of literacy strategies in feeder band K‐12
Glenn Hills Middle School 1
Glenn Hills Middle School
Glenn Hills Middle School has a history of continuous struggle. They have consistently had scores in the bottom 5% of the state in English Language Arts. This stems from the students that enter their classrooms consistently reading multiple grade levels below 6th grade. The staff at the school site are not trained reading specialists therefore are often unprepared to know the expected developmental reading behaviors for each student. This has been an issue in the ELA teachers knowing how to set specific reading goals based on students need and monitor the progress towards that goal. The Leadership team that consists of the principal, assistant principal, teacher representatives, instructional coach, lead teachers, media specialist, and PBIS team. This team has thought through the needs of the school based on their data from EOG, iReady diagnostic screeners, grades and observational data. The community assets for this school site include some parent support through attendance of school events, title 1 meeting nights, parent teacher conferences, and a curriculum night. We recognize the need to continuously increase the community support and participation. The past instructional initiatives of the school were to use the core classes to address student progress to standards and intervene with support to address the needs. This seemed to be too much for teachers to incorporate into the main classes. Since then, the leadership team has made adjustments to the schedule in order to provide for an intervention time in order to respond to intervention for the students that are scoring below grade level in reading. We have incorporated a Drop Everything and Read time daily into the school schedule. This has placd emphasis on reading, but teachers need a bit more direction on how to very effectively use this time. Language Live and iReady are two computer based reading programs that are recent initiatives at the school site to begin addressing the reading needs of students. Another current initiative is the use of collaborative planning time for teachers in similar departments. This has been structured with protocols for meeting norms and tuning protocols. The format and structure is in place to receive high quality job embedded training, but there is still a lack of the expertise needed to lift the literacy across the school. There are 3 reading endorsed teachers in the school, which is not enough to address the needs of the school. This school is primed for reception of professional learning in core literacy instructional strategies. The ELA team needs a greater understanding of the developmental reading behaviors to know what to do with each student that arrives in the class. The entire school needs more professional learning in high yield instructional strategies such as clear learning intentions and concept mapping for greater student achievement as well as targeted goal setting and progress monitoring of students achieving those goals. This school is in need of a striving readers project that will incorporate the professional learning, resources, and support to give all students access to high quality instruction.
Glenn Hills Middle School 2
Josey High School
School Literacy Plan
Logic Model for Josey High School‐School Improvement goals to increase 11th grade students reading on grade level at a rate of 10% per year starting at % in 2018.
Inputs‐time, resources, personnel Outputs‐activities/products Short term outcomes –
Augusta University Literacy Coach for Increased quality of literacy 9th grade demonstrate progress in path teachers instruction in core ELA classes towards reading on grade level at a rate of Classroom Libraries for independent through high quality 10% growth per year (5% in Jan) a measured by iReady/SRI reading time professional learning and Student have increased access to highly On‐demand Professional Learning videos coaching of literacy strategies engaging text. for balanced literacy components ad reading behaviors Students have increased access to small Books for building at home libraries group instruction. Monthly data check ins with Increased teacher confidence, Teachers have access to expert coaching Curr/Instruct. Dept effectiveness and use of support Poverty awareness workshops research based literacy Students identified and employed in service Reproductive health curriculum strategies such as small group to our elementary school students Volunteers for ELA classes instruction, word work, goal Literacy clinic and tutor intership for high setting with students, concept school students mapping, data analysis, clear Presentation Station in ELA classrooms learning intentions
Increased access to engaging books at instructional Lexile levels
Assets: Reproductive health Medium Outcomes awareness Curriculum: Pearson, Revision Assistant, 9th grade students increase EOG milestone Turn it in Lessons that empower scores from % developing and above to % in Intervention materials: iReady, newsela, students to actively monitor 2019 Student motivation increases with Achieve 3000 own progress Increased participation in personalized instruction Instructional Coach Decrease in behavior referrals Schedule allows for collaborative writing assignments and engagement planning for Professional Learning and Long Outcomes Coaching Audience for reading essays, presenting work PBIS school Students will progress to high school
Small group instructional time near or on grade level in literacy Increase in writing scores Increased compassion and effective strategies for teachers in working with communities in poverty Increase in graduation rate due to decrease in teen pregnancy and STDs
Josey High School 1
Josey High School
Josey High School has a history of struggling readers due to the consistent students that arrive reading below grade level. This is due to the root causes for low literacy levels that begin before elementary school of poor language nutrition, lack of access to resources, unprepared teachers and extreme poverty. Knowing this, the school continues to work hard for students each day. The school principal is just 3 years new to the site and is still establishing a culture of accountability with the staff. With any new leadership, as expectations change for the staff they are adjusting to the leadership style and system. Another shift in leadership was the ELA department chair. The School Interventionist has now taken this role instead of the senior ELA teacher. The leadership team consists of the principal, three assistant principals, teacher representatives, guidance counselors, and department chairs. The past instructional initiatives of the school were to use the core classes to address student progress to standards and intervene with support to address the needs. This seemed to be too much for teachers to incorporate into the main classes. Since then, the leadership team has adjusted the schedule in order to provide for an intervention time in order to respond to intervention for the students that are scoring below grade level in reading. The reading interventionist uses Achieve3000, a computer‐based literacy program. Another current initiative is the use of collaborative planning time for teachers in similar departments. This has been structured with protocols for meeting norms and tuning protocols. The format and structure is in place to receive high quality job embedded training, but there is still a lack of the expertise needed to lift the literacy across the school. Josey high is in the midst of trying to implement consistent and positive school wide behavior plans and is now a PBIS school. In addition to this, Josey High is an AVID school and works to use WICOR strategies schoolwide as a literacy effort. This school is primed for reception of professional learning in core literacy instructional strategies. The ELA team needs a greater understanding of the developmental reading behaviors to know what to do with each student that arrives in the class. The entire school needs more professional learning in high yield instructional strategies such as clear learning intentions and concept mapping for greater student achievement as well as targeted goal setting and progress monitoring of students achieving those goals. This school needs a striving readers project that will incorporate the professional learning, resources, and support to give all students access to high quality instruction. Vertical alignment is an vital component for our school system and having training in Thinking maps will help to provide the high school teachers with the momentum and springboard to utilize strategies that students are already familiar. This and the additional coaching for teachers are truly going to make an impact on the growth in reading for our students. With the support of the GADOE, willingness of staff and community, we are hopeful that Josey will continue an acceleration trajectory towards high student achievement.
Josey High School 2
School Literacy Plan Logic Model for Murphey Middle School‐School Improvement goals to increase 8rd grade students reading on grade level at a rate of 10% per year starting at 14% in 2018.
Inputs‐time, resources, personnel Outputs‐activities/products Short term outcomes –
Augusta University Literacy Coach for Increased quality of literacy 6th grade demonstrate progress in path teachers instruction in core reading towards reading on grade level at a rate of 10% growth per year (5% in Jan) a block 6‐8 through high quality Classroom Libraries for independent measured by iReady/SRI professional learning and reading time coaching of literacy strategies Student have increased access to highly On‐demand Professional Learning videos ad reading behaviors engaging text. for balanced literacy components Students have increased access to small group instruction. Books for building at home libraries Increased teacher confidence, Teachers have access to expert coaching Monthly data check ins with effectiveness and use of support Curr/Instruct. Dept research‐based literacy strategies such as small group Increased completion of writing Poverty awareness workshops instruction, word work, goal assignments Reproductive health curriculum setting with students, concept mapping, data analysis, clear Volunteers for ELA classes learning intentions
Writing contest with prizes
Presentation Station in ELA classrooms Increased access to engaging books at instructional Lexile levels
Reproductive health awareness
Lessons that empower students to actively monitor own progress
Increased participation in writing assignments and engagement
Audience for reading essays, presenting work
Small group instructional time Medium Outcomes
Assets: 6th grade students increase EOG milestone
scores from 21% developing and above to Curriculum: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 31% in 2019
Intervention materials: iReady Student motivation increases with personalized instruction Instructional Coach Decrease in behavior referrals
2 Schedule allows for collaborative planning for Professional Learning and Coaching
PBIS school
AVID school
Long Outcomes
Students will progress to high school near or on grade level in literacy
Increase in writing scores
Increased compassion and effective strategies for teachers in working with communities in poverty
Increase in graduation rate due to decrease in teen pregnancy and STDs
Murphey MIddle school is a school that has a history of continuous struggle. Being the feeder school to Wilkinson Gardens, we consistently receive sixth graders that are not reading on grade level. In fact they are reading multiple grade levels below. We set goals for achievement, but the scores have flatlined at about 7‐8% of students scoring proficiently on the Milestones. It is due to this that our teachers are very challenged in how to address these needs. The only reading specialist in the building does not regularly teach students as she is the media specialist. The principal is relatively new to the school site, and still establishing the staff culture of the school. There is much turnover in the staff as well which makes for a challenge to build momentum. The leadership team consists of the principal, assistant principals, instructional coach, media specialist, lead teachers, counselors, mentor teachers, and a parent facilitator. The Leadership team that consists
3 of the principal, assistant principal, teacher representatives, instructional coach, lead teachers, media specialist, and PBIS team. This team has thought through the needs of the school based on their data from EOG, iReady diagnostic screeners, grades and observational data. The community assets for this school site include some parent support through attendance of school events, title 1 meeting nights, parent teacher conferences, and a curriculum night. We recognize the need to continuously increase the community support and participation.
The past instructional initiatives of the school were to use the core classes to address student progress to standards and intervene with support to address the needs. This seemed to be too much for teachers to incorporate into the main classes. Since then, the leadership team has adjusted the schedule in order to provide for an intervention time called connections in order to respond to intervention for the students that are scoring below grade level in reading. Another past and current initiative is AVID (advancement via individual determination) for the past 3 years. iReady is a computer‐based reading program that are recent initiatives at the school site to begin addressing the reading needs of students. It is also the universal screener to capture students reading levels and growth. Another current initiative is the use of collaborative planning time for teachers in similar departments. This has been structured with protocols for meeting norms and tuning protocols. The format and structure is in place to receive high quality job embedded training, but there is still a lack of the expertise needed to lift the literacy across the school. The reading endorsed teacher in the school is not enough to address the needs of the school. This school is primed for reception of professional learning in core literacy instructional strategies. The ELA team needs a greater understanding of the developmental reading behaviors to know what to do with each student that arrives in the class. The entire school needs more professional learning in high yield instructional strategies such as clear learning intentions and concept mapping for greater student achievement as well as targeted goal setting and progress monitoring of students achieving those goals. The staff cares for students and is willing to put in the time and work to get them achieving at higher levels. This school is in need of a striving readers project that will incorporate the expert professional learning, innovative resources, vertically aligned strategies and community involvement to benefit the young learners that come to this school for their education.
4 Wilkinson Gardens Elementary School
School Literacy Plan
Logic Model for Wilkinson Gardens Elementary School– School Improvement goals to increase 3rd grade students reading on grade level at a rate of 10% per year starting at 3.9% in 2018.
Inputs‐time, resources, personnel Outputs‐activities/products Short term outcomes –
Literacy clinic for afterschool tutoring Literacy clinic for extended 3rd grade demonstrate progress in path with paid high school interns/trained by day; after‐school tutoring for towards reading on grade level at a rate of AU Literacy instructors. students 10% growth per year (5% in Jan) Student have increased access to highly Augusta University Literacy Coach for engaging text. GHES teachers Increased quality of literacy Students have increased access to small Classroom Libraries for independent instruction in core reading group instruction. reading time block K‐5 Teachers have access to expert coaching On‐demand Professional Learning videos Increased teacher confidence, support for balanced literacy components effectiveness and use of Books for building at home libraries research‐based literacy Monthly data check ins with C/I strategies such as small group Thinking maps Training instruction, phonics Poverty awareness workshops instruction, goal setting with students, concept mapping, Assets: data analysis, clear learning Medium Outcomes intentions Augusta University 5 mini‐grants around Increased access to books 5th grade students increase EOG milestone Early Literacy and Language scores from 16% developing and above to More academic and language 26% in 2019
Curriculum: Benchmark Universe nutrition in PreK classes Students have access to afterschool PreK tutoring by High School students. Mommy and Me classes for Reading Mentors grant recipient‐ Decrease in behavior referrals foundation of learning siblings through media center DIBELS trained Long Outcomes Social Emotional wellness Schedule allows for collaborative curriculum in kindergarten Students will progress to middle school planning for Professional Learning and classes near or on grade level in literacy Coaching Increase in concepts about print and Responsive Classroom training 2018 language in kinder students Increased strategies for teachers in working with communities in poverty Vertical alignment of strategies
Wilkinson Gardens history has been a continuous cycle of struggle. The students that arrive in kindergarten consistently are ill prepared for the tasks of basic kindergarten. The community is in a constant cycle of illiteracy and poverty and this is evident in the school. The leadership is fairly new with the current principal in her second year at the school site. The past principal retired after about 5‐7 years of service to the school site. This has created shift in the culture and climate of the school. Expectations have been raised and the staff is adjusting to the new leadership. This school’s leadership
Wilkinson Gardens Elementary School 1
Wilkinson Gardens Elementary School team consists of the principal, academic support specialist, assistant principal, literacy parapro, RESA consultants, GOSA consultants, Media specialist, and teacher representatives. The community assets of this school site are continuously encouraged. The school is definitely addressing this by working to engage the community through engaging parents and families through mom and dad breakfasts, grandparents day, volunteer training and celebrations, title 1 meetings, science fairs and other parent event nights. The curriculum of the past was a basal program called Reading Street. This allowed for no real differentiation. The newer adopted curriculum of Benchmark Literacy is a more balanced approach to literacy in that it highlights shared reading, Read Alouds, Guided reading. Teachers received professional learning on the use of this program, but still lack the underlying knowledge why each component is important. This school has been a recipient of the Reading Mentors Grant. Through this current instructional initiative, the teachers have benefitted from literacy training and building of a foundation of literacy instruction. The reading mentors have coached and supported the K‐3 teachers at this school site. The community assets that this school has are a few volunteers that come to the school site. They also have a Vista Parent Facilitator that coordinates community partners to host parent events. Title 1 nights, PTO sponsored events, Boys and Girls Club, and Medical Associates all participate in supporting the school through afterschool events centered around literacy. Another current initiative is the use of PBIS to increase a positive learning environment. Collaborative planning time is another current initiative that has set the stage for very meaningful learning and improved practice to take place. The individual school professional learning needs center around training on early language development, basic research‐based literacy practices for balanced literacy such as Read Alouds, Guided Reading, setting goals and progress monitoring for students, one to one conferring, use of classroom libraries, effective independent reading time and concept mapping for comprehension and prewriting strategies. This school is in dire need of this reading project in order to increase the language nutrition for the babies that will eventually set food in the school. They also need the access to resources to provide print and high‐quality teaching to the students. The Faculty need expert guidance, coaching and hybrid (video and face to face) training on bedrock literacy strategies. The community surrounding this school will benefit from building home libraries, training for parents as teachers and responding to poverty.
Wilkinson Gardens Elementary School 2