Executive Summary. Arden Elementary School

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1 Richland County School District #1 Dr. Peggie A Grant, Principal 1300 Ashley Street Columbia, SC Document Generated On October 17, 2014

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 3 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 4 Additional Information 5

3 Introduction Every school has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and learning takes place influences the processes and procedures by which the school makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way a school stays faithful to its vision. Many factors contribute to the overall narrative such as an identification of stakeholders, a description of stakeholder engagement, the trends and issues affecting the school, and the kinds of programs and services that a school implements to support student learning. The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and challenges it encounters. By doing so, the public and members of the school community will have a more complete picture of how the school perceives itself and the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement. This summary is structured for the school to reflect on how it provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis. Page 1

4 Description of the School Describe the school's size, community/communities, location, and changes it has experienced in the last three years. Include demographic information about the students, staff, and community at large. What unique features and challenges are associated with the community/communities the school serves? Arden Elementary is a small, urban school with an enrollment of 270 students in Pre-K through fifth. Arden is an urban school located in the Eau Claire Community of Richland County School District One. As a result of being a Title One school, we receive federal funds for instructional materials, additional staff and Professional Development. Approximately ninety-six point nine percent of the students participate in the free/reduced meal program. Sixty-six point three percent of the students are African American, one point one percent is Caucasian, and thirty-two point six percent belong to other ethnic groups. The school's population is highly transient. Our current staff consists of a principal, a curriculum resource teacher, a reading teacher and 16 classroom teachers. We have a full-time guidance counselor, who works closely with the school's part- time social worker and psychologist. Our special education department consists of two self-contained learning disabled classes and a learning disability resource class. We have a full-time K-2 Interventionist, a part-time speech therapist and a part-time computer lab manager. The related arts department is made up of a full-time physical education teacher and part-time music, art, strings, and Spanish teachers. Two full-time English Speakers of other languages (ESOL) teacher play a key role in working with limited and non-english speaking students at all grade levels. Our support staff includes 11 paraprofessionals; with one serving as a part-time in-school suspension supervisor. We have a full-time registered nurse housed in the school's health room that is equipped to support the health needs of our students. Our media center is staffed with one full-time media specialist. The offices area houses a full-time secretary and database specialist that keep our office running smoothly. Our cafeteria employs 2.5 workers that serve over 300 meals daily. A custodial team of two and a half members maintain the cleanliness and safety of Arden Elementary. Through the district's partnership with the Richland County Sheriff's Department we now have a full-time resource officer. Families of Columbia are employed in a variety of fields ranging from hospitals, schools, construction, landscaping and fast food chains in the surrounding area. Many of our families live in small mobile home communities, apartment buildings and older homes on small lots. The average home price in the area is $104,174. While the medium family income or Richland County residents is $48,420, the average income of our community is $32,260. The largest employers in our area are Palmetto Health Richland, Baptist Medical Centers and the University of South Carolina. The local truck stops, Bi-Lo, Piggly Wiggly, Food Lion and fast food restaurants have created more job opportunities for our families. The main challenge of our staff is to meet the needs of all subgroups of students. Our goal is to continue to move students forward academically in all core subject areas. Though several of our parents have sought employment, many of our families are not financially stable enough to remain stationary. Page 2

5 School's Purpose Provide the school's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values, and/or beliefs. Describe how the school embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students. It is our commitment to provide a quality education using best practices to increase student achievement. In this global society, a solid foundation is indicative for success in the future of developing our students into productive citizens. Presently, we are integrating programs to support us in our efforts to provide research-based, data driven instruction, professional learning teams of teachers, while building the character of our youth. Mission Statement We are Richland One, a leader in transforming lives through education, empowering all students to achieve their potential and dreams. Vision, in collaboration with the district, community, and School Improvement Council, is committed to embracing a school culture that shares decision-making, provides the necessary material and resources, and provide quality training and support to ensure student success in society. Values and Beliefs We value and believe: - Every individual has the right to learn in a safe, healthy, nurturing, and respectful environment. - All stakeholders, including students, play a major role for students' success. - There must be high expectations for all students. - Every student should be provided with a plethora of resources, and activities to promote a positive self-concept, respect for others, and an appreciation for diversity. - Students must learn to communicate effectively, problem solve, and think critically to have a positive contribution to our society. - Students' learning is enhanced when curriculum, instruction, and assessments are analyzed and evaluated on a continuous basis. - Teachers must be provided with appropriate professional development and support that ensures quality teaching and learning. Page 3

6 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement Describe the school's notable achievements and areas of improvement in the last three years. Additionally, describe areas for improvement that the school is striving to achieve in the next three years. Arden has received many accolades for sustaining academic success. The school has earned an A rating on the ESEA wavier. The school is currently a recipient of the Palmetto Silver Award for the high performance and exceptional improvement. The school community continues to perceive Arden's strength as its diversity which hinges on a more conscientious and flexible learning environment. Our students are supported by parents and community, i.e., United Way, Union United Methodist, and Columbia College volunteers who tutor and or serve as mentors. We are a fourth year recipient of the Fresh Fruit and Veggies Grant for the USDA Healthier U S School Grant. Several areas of strengths were noted: a) The faculty strives to review and disaggregate student data to drive instruction and to create flexible groups to meet the needs of all students; b) A variety of planned activities are provided for parents to encourage them to become active participants in their child's learning; c) Interest clubs have been established to provide exposure to non-academic areas; and d) We have the support personnel to provide the services needed to address the physical, social, and emotional needs of our students. Noted areas of weaknesses included: a) There is a need for more consistency in analyzing and using data more effectively; b) There is a need to establish more opportunities to reach out to all stakeholders; c) There is a need to ensure that each child has an adult advocate; and d) There is a need to appropriately assess students experiencing physical, social, and emotional difficulties and provide much needed services. The team's plan of action for addressing areas of concern consists of: a) There is a need to establish professional development to focus on the state's common core standards to actively engage and challenge all students. Data will be utilized to drive planning and instruction; b) The school's webpage will include SIC highlights, technology newsletters, and stakeholder activities; c) Interest clubs will be formed to maintain students' interest in learning; and d) Our mentoring program will be expanded to include all students. Page 4

7 Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. We have high expectations, committed and dedicated teachers, and on-going collaboration to foster a continual focus on learning for all students. Programs such as Accelerated Reader, Reading A-Z, Starfall, Balance Literacy, Leveled Literacy Intervention, SuccessMaker, Interest Clubs, Mentoring, and educational field trips support academic and behavioral success provided by our staff. Our parents and community play key roles to our positive school climate and are major contributors to the school/community relationships that Arden exhibits. Overall, our parents support their children's success by ensuring their child is ready for learning each day, attending parent conferences, volunteering by assisting with homework, attending Family Learning Night activities, and working with the laptop program. Page 5