Georgia Department of Education Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan

Transcription

1 School Name: Morgan Elementary School School Mailing Address: 4901 Faubus Avenue Macon, GA Georgia Department of Education LEA Name: Bibb County School District LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Name: Dr. Lori Rodgers LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Signature: Date: LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Mailing Address: 484 Mulberry Street Macon, GA Address: Telephone: Fax: April 2011 Page 1 of 21

2 SWP/SIP Template Instructions Notes: All components of a Schoolwide Program Plan and a School Improvement Plan must be addressed. When using SWP and SIP checklists all components/elements marked as Not Met need additional development. Please add your planning committee members on the next page. The asterisk (*) denotes required components as set forth in Section 1114 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Please submit your School Improvement Plan as an addendum after the header page in this document. April 2011 Page 2 of 21

3 Planning Committee Members: NAME Dr. Terese Martin Dr. Terese Martin Susan Goins Mary Trice Khoriandre Watkins-Ware Valeria Wimbush Susan Goins Sarah Mayberry Susan Goins Christine Jones Amanda Coder Tiffany Coder Angela Wilson Somers Wilcox Tawanya Wilson Dr. Terese Martin Lynne Flournoy Wanda Major POSITION/ROLE Facilitator/Chair School Administrators School Counselor Special Education Representative Parent/Community Representative Data Team Representative Media Specialist Professional Learning Liaison Classroom Teacher(s)/Grade-level Chair(s) Writing & Editing Chair Instructional Coach Math Coach April 2011 Page 3 of 21

4 SIP Components *1. A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that addresses all academic areas and other factors that may affect achievement. A. We have developed our school-wide plan with the participation of individuals who will carry out the comprehensive school-wide/school improvement plan. Those persons involved were the CSIP Steering Committee, which consisted of administrators, teachers who served as grade-level chairs, the school counselor, the media specialist, academic coaches, as well as a parent involvement representative. The school-level representatives met to review the data and share ideas to generate a rough draft of the plan. The plan was shared with other school stakeholders and input was gathered from them for suggested revisions. The parent representative reviewed the plan and provided feedback. In addition, it was posted as a PDF document on the school s website for parents along with a link allowing them to review and provide suggestions for the plan. The CSIP Steering Committee reviewed the parents suggestions and made revisions. B. We have used the following instruments, procedures, or processes to obtain this information. First, the CSIP Steering Committee gathered data from multiple sources to assess the needs of the school, including the following: CRCT, ITBS, Georgia Writing Assessment, pre/post-assessments, benchmark assessments, attendance, discipline, parent surveys, and Teacher Needs Assessment Surveys. Then, the committee met to review the data and share ideas to generate a rough draft of the plan. The process of brainstorming was used to generate strategies for developing action plans to create the Needs Assessment Form and set goals for the upcoming school year. The plan was shared with other school stakeholders and input was gathered from them for suggested revisions. The parent representative reviewed the plan and provided feedback. In addition, it was posted as a PDF document on the school s website for parents, along with a link allowing them to review and provide suggestions for the plan. The CSIP Steering Committee reviewed the parents suggestions and made revisions. C. We have taken into account the needs of migrant children by adhering to the guidelines as indicated below: Inform the migrant liaison that the child is enrolled in our school. Immediately inform the ESOL Department and/or teacher. The ESOL teacher will inform an interpreter that we need his/her services if another language other than English is listed on the parental forms. The ESOL teacher will then assess the child to determine his/her level of aptitude and will assist the classroom teacher(s) with plans to help the child quickly adapt to his/her environment and classroom. This collaboration will aid the child in academic and social achievement. April 2011 Page 4 of 21

5 *1. A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that addresses all academic areas and other factors that may affect achievement. D. We have reflected current achievement data that will help the school understand the subjects and skills in which teaching and learning need to be improved. For example, we reviewed the most recent CRCT data for so that we could determine our strengths and weaknesses. A summary of the results are listed below: Math-76.2%; Reading/ELA-79.4%; Science-59%; and Social Studies- 59%. 5 th Grade Writing 70% This data assisted us in developing goals for our Needs Assessment Plan, as well as the necessary action steps that we need to take to increase student achievement in these areas. Although we were successful in reaching the goals in order to make Adequately Yearly Progress (AYP), we must continue to show gains in both reading and math for the upcoming school year and make significant gains in order to continue to reach the standards set forth by the Department of Education. E. We have based our plan on information about all students in the school and identified students and groups of students who are not yet achieving to the State Academic content standards and the State student academic achievement standard including Economically disadvantaged students... Students from Major racial and ethnic groups... Students with disabilities... Students with limited English proficiency... The data from the 2011 CRCT has been compiled and distributed to the appropriate grade levels. The administrators and academic coaches will lead the teachers in a data disaggregation analysis to determine areas of deficiencies and strengths of each sub population group. Lessons will then be planned for those pupils to both remediate and enrich. Additionally, benchmark and AIMSweb data from will be disaggregated to offer additional statistics to the teachers. This disaggregation will benefit not only the sub populations who have tremendous needs, but it will greatly benefit all students by identifying the needs of every student. F. The data has helped us reach conclusions regarding achievement or other related data. The major strengths we found in our program were Recall and Inquiry. Also, an upward trend is being noticed in the area of Numeracy. The major needs we discovered were found in Informational Reading. Students need additional practice in scanning for information and reading charts (both in words and in graphic form), and in higher order thinking that will result in better research and writing. April 2011 Page 5 of 21

6 *1. A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that addresses all academic areas and other factors that may affect achievement. The needs we will address are: Students need to read more informational material. Scanning the material for answers needs to be better developed by teachers giving more guidance in how to obtain answers from material in both word and graphic representation. This, in turn, will flow into the areas of science and social studies. Integrating these two subjects with math and language arts, respectfully, will give the pupils opportunities to practice the skills that they are learning in across the curriculum, as opposed to doing so in isolation. Furthermore, this cohesiveness throughout the curriculum will provide students with more opportunities to develop and use analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of material. The specific academic needs of our students that are to be addressed will be developed through daily instructional focus lessons and implemented through classroom lessons, as well as monitored closely using many formative assessments to ensure that the standards are being met for every student identified. The ROOTCAUSE(s) that we discovered for each of the needs were as follows: The teachers indicated that a need exist for additional professional development and modeling. They have a strong desire for learning new and effective ways to teach the lessons to the students, as well as how to develop quality, standards-based assessments, that will prove to be successful. G. The measurable goals/benchmarks we have established to address the needs are to demonstrate the following improvement gains: From 76% meeting and/or exceeding the standards in Math to 84%; From 79% meeting and/or exceeding the standards in Reading/ELA to 87%; From 59% meeting and/or exceeding the standards in Science to 65%; and From 59% meeting and/or exceeding the standards in Social Studies to 65%. *2. School-wide reform strategies that are scientifically researched based. The first type of school-wide reform strategy that is used is ensuring that all classrooms are standards-based. The teachers and administrators are constantly reviewing what a standards-based classroom looks like and where we are with implementation during sitebased professional learning sessions. This is done on a consistent basis so that we can routinely review our practices to ensure that we are utilizing best practices. Another strategy is the development of professional learning communities. The teachers plan their lessons collaboratively, and members of the Leadership Team join the weekly grade-level meetings. Minutes are recorded on a Grade-level Meeting Form, and a copy is turned in to the principal as a method of monitoring and evaluation. Furthermore, the GPS, system s curriculum pacing guides, and Department of Education frameworks are used to guide the instructional planning, and all lesson plans are saved electronically on a standards-based lesson plan template. April 2011 Page 6 of 21

7 2(a). School-wide reform strategies that provide opportunities for all children in the school to meet or exceed Georgia s proficient and advanced levels of student performance. A. The ways in which we will address the needs of all children in the school particularly the needs of students furthest away from demonstrating proficiency related to the State s academic content and student academic achievement standard are through ongoing monitoring of how the students are performing, as well as building in time for intervention in our Master Schedule all year long. Thirty-five minutes of tutorial and enrichment time is included in the schedule for all grade-levels on a daily basis, and the groups are constantly evaluated to allow for flexible grouping. Additionally, students who do not pass the CRCT or who are identified as not performing on grade-level are recommended to receive services through the Early Intervention Program (EIP). The EIP teachers provide additional support for forty-five to fifty minutes per day in the areas of reading and/or math. Students are also provided the opportunity to receive tutoring in the afterschool program and can receive individualized instruction via the computer during connection classes. Furthermore, the RTI Team also meets on a regular basis to identify specific, individualized strategies for students who have not met expectations in an effort to improve their academic and/or behavioral performance, and the classroom teacher is responsible for implementing the strategies identified and charting the student s progress as evidence. Furthermore, the coaches provide ongoing professional learning in the area of differentiation, as well as other identified areas of need. 2(b). Are based upon effective means of raising student achievement. B. Following are examples of the SCIENTIFICALLY BASED RESEARCH supporting our effective methods and instructional practices or strategies. Dr. Susan Drake and Joanne Reid have done extensive research for the partnership between the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat and the Ontario Association of Deans of Education. In their research article What Works? Integrated Curriculum, Increasing Relevance While maintaining Accountability (September, 2010), it was determined that integration of the curricula greatly increased student achievement. Additionally, an integrated curriculum increases the relevance of the learning for the students and is beneficial for many areas that encompass education, such as literacy. Non-fiction materials were used more with this implementation. Students felt more drawn to use technology means to communicate, and writing became more relevant to all children. However, it seemed to especially appeal to the male population. In the math world, it was a more difficult to implement the basics of math; however, it offered students an opportunity to focus on problem-solving and make real-life connections. April 2011 Page 7 of 21

8 In addition, integration encouraged students who were considered to be at-risk more opportunities for success. Students with special needs also benefited because they were being exposed to the same curriculum as the other students. Furthermore, teachers began to understand that working with the end in mind and knowing the expectations enabled them to better use formative tasks while working for mastery of the standard. Also, assessment was found to be more streamlined by using one performance assessment to address more than one subject area. Why implement RTI? First and foremost, this is an initiative that has been mandated by the reauthorization of Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) in RTI, when implemented with fidelity, will help raise the skills of underperforming students, will help to correct behavioral issues, and can also be used to enrich learning of higher achieving students. In the article, The Why Behind RTI, Buffum, Mattos, and Weber state that a response to intervention flourishes when educators implement the right practices for the right reasons, (Educational Leadership, Oct. 2010). Implementing RTI correctly requires educators to shift their thinking. In the past when a student did not achieve, the teacher thought the child could not learn. With this change, if a student is struggling, we must think of alternate ways to provide instruction. We seek to find better ways to meet specific learning needs. By using this process correctly, student achievement will be maximized, and we will be able to better help students to become productive and successful. 2(c). Use effective instructional methods that increase the quality and amount of learning time. C. We will increase the amount and quality of learning time by providing additional instructional support beyond the regular classroom environment. Intervention is included in the master schedule to provide all students who need additional assistance an opportunity to receive tutoring in a small group setting from their teacher, while their classmates who have mastered the standards are provided with enrichment opportunities from support staff members. In addition, the afterschool program provides assistance in reading and math for grades K-5. 2(d). Address the needs of all children, particularly targeted populations, and address how the school will determine if such needs have been met and are consistent with improvement plans approved under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). To ensure that the needs of all students are met, teachers utilize the Eight-Step Process as a method of Plan, Do, Check, Act so that Instructional Focus Calendars can be developed, as well as mini-lessons, mini-assessments, and flexible groups for remediation or enrichment. Teachers use the results from classroom assessments, benchmarks, and April 2011 Page 8 of 21

9 AIMSweb to decide which students require remediation and which students require enrichment. In addition, students individual needs are discussed. Students who are struggling to perform on grade-level receive additional support through the Response to Intervention (RTI) process. The RTI Team recommends instructional strategies that will help students to excel academically. *3. Instruction by highly qualified professional staff. Teachers are expected to utilize best practices and research-based strategies, such as the following: the teachers and students know and can explain the language of the standards; the teacher serves as the facilitator of the classroom; differentiation is prevalent; technology is integrated into the lessons to maintain active student engagement; students work in a variety of settings, including independently, pairs, and small groups; students are given more than one opportunity to demonostrate mastery of the standards; and teachers provide ongoing commentary and feedback. The specific strategies and teaching practices that are chosen on a daily basis are based on the results of the data, as well as the students needs. *3(a). Strategies to attract highly qualified teachers to high-needs schools. A. We will provide instruction by highly qualified teachers who meet the standards established by the state of Georgia. The district utilizes a strategic plan to ensure that it recruits and hires highly qualified instructors for the system. At the annual Middle Georgia Teacher Recruitment Fair, all individuals who are interested in teaching in Bibb County Public Schools are given a USB flash drive, which contains a link to the on-line application and directions for applying. Other information that is provided on the flash drive includes salary schedules, certification information, school locations, and contact information. In addition, the school has an interview team that participates in the systemlevel recruitment fair that conducts mini-interviews to potential candidates. Furthermore, an informational brochure is distributed to all potential candidates that provides an overview of the school. Candidate selection is based on the needs of the school in comparison to what strengths the chosen person has to offer that will meet those needs. To retain highly qualified instructors at the school, New Teacher Orientation is provided at the beginning of the school year for all new teachers. Each new teacher is assigned a Teacher Support Specialist (TSS mentor) who provides ongoing support for new teachers. Other support personnel, including the administrators, coaches, and grade-level chairpersons, also provide mentoring and instructional support for new teachers. The TSS meets monthly with their mentee to address any areas of concern. Additionally, coaches provide on-going professional development for all teachers in areas where improvement is needed or areas that teachers request they would like to enhance their skills. Teachers are provided the opportunity to develop in a teacher leadership capacity by serving in various leadership roles, including the following: Better Seeking Team member, grade-level chairperson, TSS, and an activities coordinator. Furthermore, a Teacher Retention Plan is April 2011 Page 9 of 21

10 *3(a). Georgia Department of Education Strategies to attract highly qualified teachers to high-needs schools. created and updated each year. *4. Professional development for staff to enable all children in the school A. We have included teachers, principals, paraprofessionals and, if appropriate, pupil services personnel, parents, and other staff in our staff development that addresses the root causes of our identified needs. To gain new ideas and learn new strategies and best practices, teachers meet with the academic coaches, as well as the technology and media specialists, on a weekly basis. This is known as Professional Learning Day. Teachers are provided with an opportunity to participate in training sessions, workshops, book studies, as well as various other professional development activities. Additional opportunities for professional development are provided during faculty meetings, which are also called Learning Labs. B. We have aligned professional development with the State s academic content and student academic achievement standards. Data analysis will be used continuously to identify specific academic weaknesses, influence curriculum decisions, and direct decisions regarding the types of high quality, sustained professional development offered to the school s staff. Below are examples of professional learning opportunities that will be provided for teachers to assist in the identification of student difficulties and to provide the appropriate assistance for identified difficulties throughout the school year: RTI, AIMSweb, Think Gate, Differentiated Instruction, Eight- Step Process, Balanced Literacy, Math Exemplars, science AIMS, and creating Professional Learning Communities. C. We have devoted sufficient resources to carry out effectively the professional development activities that address the root causes of academic problems. For example, teachers are provided with professional development by instructional coaches at least one day a week. Professional development is ongoing to meet the needs of the diversity of our students and teachers. Teachers also engage in professional development provided by the administrators to develop an understanding of critical areas using root-cause analysis to address any weaknesses as a means to increase student achievement. In addition, the administrators have provided professional development on learning styles and differentiated instruction to understand how students learn in order to meet their individual learning needs. Teachers must demonstrate this in their daily lesson plans. Furthermore, academic coaches, as well as outside agencies, have provided professional development on state, district, and or sitebased needs on a weekly basis that equipped teachers with learning for successful use of Learning Village, Georgia Performance Standards Frameworks, math manipulatives, Developmental Reading Assessments, and trait-based writing, which has proven to be beneficial to our students academic success. D. We have included teachers in professional development activities regarding the use of academic assessments to enable them to provide information on, and to improve, the April 2011 Page 10 of 21

11 *4. Professional development for staff to enable all children in the school achievement of individual students and the overall instructional program. The teachers meet in teams with the academic coaches and administrators on a weekly basis. Together, they work to create lessons that are engaging and interactive as the teachers push the students to meet the standards that were set prior to the beginning of the lesson. The teams utilize collaborative planning and scoring through the use of the Eight-Step Process to ensure mastery of every standard for each student. Effectively utilizing data from running records, observation, and formative assessments will better aid students in completing a cumulative performance assessment with accuracy. *5. Strategies to increase parental involvement. A. Involving parents in their children s education is a critical component of ensuring student success. In an effort to increase parent involvement, we have implemented the following activities and/or strategies: Include parents in the development and implementation of the school s Plan by having Parent Advisory Committee Meetings. Elect parents to serve on the PTO Advisory Board, as well as attend PTO meetings, to discuss school improvement projects, as well as school and student needs. Invite parents to attend parent/teacher conferences and RTI meetings to review student performance and discuss ways to improve student achievement. Offer academic workshops for parents and students to attend together so that parents can stay involved and learn ways to help their children at home. Encourage parents to volunteer at the school in a variety of ways, including assisting in the front office, chaperoning field trips, or supervising school-related activities and events. B. We have developed a parent involvement policy included in our appendices that includes strategies to increase parental involvement (such as family literacy services) describes how the school will provide individual student academic assessment results, including a interpretation of those results makes the comprehensive schoolwide program plan available to the LEA, parents, and the public (internet, newspaper, newsletters) compacts required include with policy Parent Involvement checklist included *6. Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs to local elementary school programs. A. Following are our plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs. Also included are transition plans for students entering middle school or high school and entering form private schools plus students entering our school throughout the school year. April 2011 Page 11 of 21

12 Pre-K to Kindergarten A Pre-K Orientation is held to invite new parents and students to the classroom for activities. During the first week of school, the teacher and paraprofessional help the students practice cafeteria procedures (i.e. standing in the lunch line, entering identification numbers into the system, and carrying their own lunch tray), as well as procedures for walking quietly in a straight line in the hallway. Throughout the year, the teachers continue to practice routines and procedures and work with students to prepare them to become kindergarten students. At the end of the school year, pre-kindergarten classes from the community are invited to visit the school s kindergarten classes. They come and spend the morning in the kindergarten classrooms. Furthermore, at the end of the year, an awards ceremony is held for all pre-kindergarten students in an effort to recognize them for their hard work and achievement. Elementary to Middle Smooth Move is held each year, which allows the fifth grade students to visit the middle school in their feeder zone, which is Weaver Middle School. This visit is coordinated by the counselors from both schools. Students are given an orientation and overview of middle school, including the expectations, curriculum, and schedule by the middle school students and staff members. Students are also provided the opportunity to see presentations by student representatives involved in various clubs and extra-curricular activities. In addition, selected middle school students and teachers also visit our school to talk to the fifth grade students about signing up for different sports and music programs. *7. Measures to include teachers in the decisions regarding the use of assessment to provide information on, and to improve, the performance of individual students and the overall instructional program. A. To include teachers in decisions regarding use of academic assessment, the teachers and academic coaches collaboratively plan the different types of assessments that will be utilized. Some examples of the standards-based assessments that are chosen are math exemplars, tasks from the Department of Education frameworks, as well as culminating projects, which are graded via a rubric. Research shows that teacher commentary is far more effective than re-teaching. Thus, teachers provide specific feedback to the students for the standards-based assessments so that students will have another opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the standards. Teachers also provide students with samples of student work, as well as the rubric, before assigning the task to the students. This gives the students an opportunity to see what mastery level work looks like and compare it to work that does not meet the standards. Additionally, teachers (as a grade-level) present at least one of their culminating projects to the staff during faculty meetings. This gives teachers an opportunity to share their ideas and strategies with all of their colleagues, as opposed to only with the colleagues on their grade-level. This also serves as a method of monitoring and evaluation, as the entire faculty can provide feedback and suggestions on each assessment. April 2011 Page 12 of 21

13 *8. Coordination and integration of Federal, State, and local services and programs. A. This component requires a description of how the school will implement the programs listed above, a description of how resources and other resources will be coordinated to support student achievement goals in the school improvement plan, and a listing of all state and federal programs consolidated in the schoolwide plan. All resources and programs are used to directly impact and improve student achievement in an effort to reach the school improvement goals that were identified. A more detailed list of the programs and resource utilized are listed below. 8(a). List of State and local educational agency programs and other federal programs that will be included. Below is a list of state, local, and federal programs that are utilized or will be utilized at Morgan this school year: Afterschool Program AIMSweb Balanced Literacy Criterion Online Writing Assessment Early Intervention Program Education City ESOL Math Exemplars Middle GA RESA training Program for Exceptional Children Razz Kids Response to Intervention Science AIMS Skills Tutor Success Maker 8(b). Description of how resources from and other sources will be used. Human resources funded by include teachers, paraprofessionals, and a math coach. Technological resources include funding online programs to assist teachers with providing effective strategies to use in the classrooms that will improve or enhance instruction, as well as other types of resource materials. Finally, professional learning activities and/or conferences will be utilized to help teachers grow or improve in identified areas of weaknesses. April 2011 Page 13 of 21

14 8(c). Plan developed in coordination with other programs, including those under the School-to- Work Opportunities Act of 1994, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act, and National and Community Service Act of These programs are not applicable to elementary-aged students. *9. Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering standards shall be provided with effective, timely assistance, which shall include: A. We are providing activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering proficient or advanced levels of academic achievement standards shall be provided with effective, timely additional assistance. Examples of these activities are as follows: Intervention (which includes additional time for Tutorial/Remediation) Early Intervention Program Universal Screener (AIMSweb) Other assessments (Benchmark, DRA, Star Reader, Star Math, Success Maker, classroom, etc). 9(a). Measures to ensure that students difficulties are identified on a timely basis. One method that students in need of additional assistance are identified is through the Eight- Step Process. Flexible groups are created for remediation and enrichment, and Intervention time is implemented into the Master schedule on a daily basis. Teachers use the results from classroom assessments, benchmarks, and AIMSweb to decide which students require remediation and which students require enrichment. In addition, students individual needs are discussed. Students who are struggling to perform on grade-level receive additional support through the Response to Intervention (RTI) process. Teachers typically identify students who are considered to be at risk based on the student s performance in the class; however, administrators, counselors, or parents can also make referrals. Different types of data are reviewed, including CRCT, AIMSweb, Star Reader, Star Math, and Benchmark assessments. The teachers are expected to implement specific, individualized strategies for the identified students for four to six weeks in an effort to improve student academic and/or behavioral performance. Should the strategies prove to be unsuccessful in Tier II or Tier III, then the team may seek a referral for educational testing. Once the evaluation process is finished, the RTI team meets again to review the results and determine the best course of action to take for the student. Another method is through the Early Intervention Program (EIP). Students who do not pass the CRCT or who are identified as not performing on grade-level are recommended to receive services through EIP. Parent approval is requested to provide these services. Once approval is received, the EIP teachers provide additional support for forty-five to fifty minutes per day in the areas of Reading and/or Math using either a pull-out or augmented model. In the pull-out model, instruction is provided in a small group of eleven to sixteen students. In the augmented April 2011 Page 14 of 21

15 model, instruction is provided in a collaborative setting where the EIP and regular classroom teacher collaborates within the same classroom. 9(b). Periodic training for teachers in the identification of difficulties and appropriate assistance for identified difficulties. Teachers that are identified as having difficulty are provided release time to observe specified teachers classrooms. The instructional coaches model lessons for the teachers on a regular basis, and the teacher records their findings on an Observation Form. The teacher and the coaches then participate in post-conference sessions to discuss the findings. Written reflections and questions about the observation are shared with the coaches and administrators. Additionally, the teachers invite the coaches to observe and provide written feedback in various areas, such as classroom management, maximizing use of instructional time, and providing effective responses to student performance. Teachers who are experiencing difficulty with classroom management may observe mastery teachers for effective classroom management strategies and best practices. In addition, they may register for suggested courses or workshops on classroom management. Other types of professional learning may include videotaping themselves or reading professional literature. 9c). Teacher-parent conferences that detail what the school will do to help the student, what the parents can do to help the student, and additional assistance available to the student at the school or in the community. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend regularly schedule parent-teacher conferences, as this allows time for teachers and parents to discuss student progress toward meeting his/her individual goals. Parents may request conferences at any time by calling the school or by sending the teacher a written request. Parents are kept abreast of their children s progress via the student agenda, weekly signed papers, Parent Portal (which is a way that parents can monitor grades online), Principal s Newsletters, progress report cards, report cards, etc. In addition, RTI meetings are scheduled by the teacher and the counselor for all students who are consistently struggling to perform on grade-level so that they may receive additional support. Parents are invited to attend these meetings, as well as the behavior interventionist and school psychologist. 10. Description of how individual student assessment results and interpretation will be provided to parents. Assessment data is articulated throughout the school year using various means of communication. A system of communication is maintained that allows parents to be informed on student progress and test data results. This information is made available by means of weekly signed papers, telephone calls, student agendas, progress reports, classroom April 2011 Page 15 of 21

16 performance on report cards, and individual parent conferences requested by the parent or the teacher. In addition, test talks are held throughout the year with the students. During test talks, every student is assigned an advisor who meets with him or her and reviews the test results, as well as establishes new goals to meet for the current year. Advisors include support administrative personnel and non-homeroom teachers. A copy of the results, along with a letter explaining what the results mean, is sent home with the students so that they can review this information with their parents. Parents who still have questions or would like for the teachers to explain it to them are asked to request a parent conference. 11. Provisions for the collection and disaggregation of data on the achievement and assessment results of students. The initial disaggregation of the data is received prior to the end of the year. Historically, during the month of July, Georgia Department of Education launches the results of the schools that made AYP on its website. Upon the opening of the school year, the administrative team will lead the teachers through the process of disaggregating the data of annual yearly state assessment to better assess specific needs of the school. This data is used in combination with the universal screener and benchmark results to determine strengths and weaknesses by teacher, grade-level, subject area, strand, as well as school-wide. SMART goals are then created by grade-level and subject area. 12. Provisions to ensure that disaggregated assessment results for each category are valid and reliable. The school has a testing plan in place to ensure that the results for each category are valid and reliable. This plan includes specific procedures and protocols that the teachers and administrators must follow. In addition, the tests are kept in a safe and secured location during times of non-testing, and they are returned to the district testing coordinator immediately after the testing process is complete. This process ensures that the results will be valid and reliable. 13. Provisions for public reporting of disaggregated data. An annual Meeting is held at the beginning of each school year. During this meeting, the school s CRCT data is shared with parents, teachers, and community members. In addition, a copy of the School Improvement Plan is posted on the school s website. Furthermore, the results for every school are posted on the Georgia Department of Education website for public viewing. 14. Plan developed during a one-year period, unless LEA, after considering the recommendation of its technical assistance providers, determines that less time is needed to develop and implement the schoolwide program. Response The school improvement plan is updated on a yearly basis in an effort to ensure that the data April 2011 Page 16 of 21

17 included in the report is the most recent data available at the time. This data is used to help make decisions regarding staffing and professional development, as well as set new goals for the upcoming school year. 15. Plan developed with the involvement of the community to be served and individuals who will carry out the plan including teachers, principals, other school staff, and pupil service personnel, parents and students (if secondary). All stakeholders, including administrators, teachers, other school staff, and parents who will carry out the plan played an active role in the development of the plan to obtain buy-in and ensure that they thoroughly understood it and agreed with its contents. 16. Plan available to the LEA, parents, and the public. An electronic copy of the plan is included on the school s website, and a hard copy of it is available in the school s media center for parents, as well as the public, to view when desired. 17. Plan translated to the extent feasible, into any language that a significant percentage of the parents of participating students in the school speak as their primary language. A Spanish version of the plan is included on the school s website since we have a high percentage of Spanish speaking students and parents. In addition, a translator is available to interpret or explain any parts of the plan if needed. 18. Plan is subject to the school improvement provisions of Section This plan follows the guidelines presented in Section April 2011 Page 17 of 21

18 Requirements Parents will be included in the development and implementation of the school s Plan. Communication with parents will include, but not be limited to a Annual Meeting, NCLB, School Performance Profile, School-Parent- Student Compact, quarterly Meet and Greet sessions with the principal, PTO meetings, parent workshops and meetings, and individual student assessment. Address the importance of eliminating parental involvement barriers through offering parentteacher conferences, workshops to explain curriculum, and forms explaining the assessment used to evaluate strengths and areas of improvement. Parents will have reasonable access to administration, faculty, and staff. They will Parental Involvement Plan Activities/ Strategies Participants Time/Date Evidence of Compliance Parent Advisory committee meetings with discussion of needs assessment, school improvement, and laws. The meeting will be held during the necessary time frame to accommodate parents. The School Performance Profile will be discussed at the beginning of the school year at a Annual / PTO Meeting. The School-Parent-Student- Compact will be developed by the Parent Advisory Committee and/or School Advisory Council in order to share responsibility for improved school achievement. Each student will be individually assessed with weekly papers, progress reports midway through each nine-week grading period, and report cards at the end of each nine-week grading period. Parents will be invited to conferences and workshops at the school and county level. Parents will be encouraged to use their student s agenda, district s Parent Portal, School Wires, telephone calls, and other devices to communicate with school staff concerning their child. Parents will be invited to Open House, Orientation, PTO Meetings, classroom observations, volunteerism, special events, etc. Administration, Facilitator, and Parent Advisory Committee Administration, Facilitator, Parents, Students, and Community Stakeholders. First 4 months of the school year Meetings before October Copy of minutes, Agenda Copy of Agenda, Newsletter, Flyer Principal Annually Copy of Agenda Parent Advisory Committee, and other interested people School Staff Teachers, Family Engagement Facilitator, Parents, and Students Annually Report cards are sent home at the end of each nine-week grading period, and mid-term progress reports are sent home midway through each grading period. County-wide conferences and ongoing seminars as needed Copy of School- Parent-Student Compact Copies of signed reports Copies of conferences, schedules, newsletters, and flyers Faculty and Staff ONGOING Copies of school visitation logs April 2011 Page 18 of 21

19 have opportunities to observe and participate in classroom activities. Home visits may be conducted. Training will be provided for all faculty and staff and parents on how to work together in a joint effort to reach out, communicate with, and form equal partnerships to improve the connection between home and school. Provide materials and training such as coordinating necessary literacy and use of technology training to help improve their child s academic performance. Develop partnerships with community- based organization and businesses. Conduct activities as feasible, such as those offered at parent resource centers and opportunities for parents to learn about child development and child rearing issues beginning at the birth of a child, that are designed to help parents become full partners in the education of their child. The school social worker, counselor and/or family engagement facilitator will make home visits when needed, in coordination with instructional staff. Morgan, with the assistance of the school district, will inform staff of professional development opportunities that demonstrate how to effectively implement strategies to utilize parent involvement. The Facilitator will conduct a training workshop for teachers and parents to establish and improve connections for student achievement. A Parent Resource Center has been established on a district level, which is open and available Monday- Friday, and sometimes on Saturday for special reasons. A community referral system will be established to offer available resources. Create community events to allow our parents access to some of their services. In addition, these partnerships will play a part in Morgan s volunteer program and provide recognition and achievements for students and parents. Develop and implement programs with the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension - Bibb County, P.E./Health Instructor, and community partners to provide basic and nutritional guidelines for students and parents. School Staff ONGOING Copies of home visit reports District Staff, Facilitator, Parents, and PTO. Administration, District Level Staff, Facilitator, and Parents Facilitator, and Community and Business Leaders Facilitator, Community based organizations ONGOING ONGOING ONGOING ONGOING Workshop agenda, sign-in sheets Copies of sign in/ out and referral sheets Letters to businesses asking for participation in programs at Morgan Copy of curriculum and/or agenda April 2011 Page 19 of 21

20 Involve parents in an ongoing and end-of-theyear assessment to evaluate the effectiveness of the parent involvement initiatives as a measure of performance evaluations of the school. To the extent possible, information will be sent home in the language in forms all parents can understand. Adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement. The process of program assessment has several components. A comprehensive end-of-the-year assessment will include all the individuals and groups who are involved, such as administrators, teachers, parents, and children. This assessment will help Morgan to reflect on the work of this year and begin to set goals that will strengthen our program in the coming year. Translation of notices, telephone calls, letters, and other documentation will be made available if feasible. Review and implement sample Parental Involvement Plans chosen by the state department. Administration, Parents and Students Facilitator, and ESOL Department Administration, Facilitator, Parents, and Students. ONGOING When available Ongoing with quarterly meetings to evaluate the level of parental involvement. End-of-the-year assessments Copies of district and school information translated in other languages. In process Provide other reasonable support for parental involvement activities as parents may request. The end of the year parent survey and evaluation will be used. This will allow Morgan to understand the needs of our parents and how we can best serve them. Facilitator and Parents When requested Parent surveys Involve parents in the joint development of the school-parent-teacheradministrative team compact that outlines how parents will be responsible for supporting student learning. Describe the school s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables the children served under to meet the State s student performance standards. Parents will create a home environment that promotes learning and reinforces what is being taught at school; contribute their knowledge and skills to the school, and show respect and support for their students, teachers, and the school. The school will provide an environment that is conducive to learning, use methods and techniques that work best for each class, effectively communicate with students and parents, provide information to parents and students on the students progress, provide special services for exceptional students as required, and help each student to grow to his/her fullest potential. Administration, Facilitator, Parents and Students ONGOING School-Parent- Student-Compact School Staff ONGOING School-Parent- Student-Compact April 2011 Page 20 of 21

21 Explain the ways in which each parent will be responsible for supporting their children s learning, such as monitoring attendance, homework completion, and leisure time; volunteering in the classroom and participating, as appropriate, in the decisions of their child s education. Address the importance of communication between teachers and parents on an ongoing basis through daily Morgan agenda, parentteacher conferences, progress reports, phone calls, and access to staff. Parents will encourage students to have good study habits at home, keep the lines of communication open to the school, help the student to resolve conflicts in a positive way, and help the student meet his/her responsibilities. Parents have access to faculty and staff through , phone calls, letters, the student s personal Morgan agenda, Parent Portal, and school visits. The school counselor and family engagement facilitator are available to assist parents with setting up conferences, providing information on their student s performance, attendance, and any other needs necessary. Parents ONGOING School-Parent- Student-Compact Facilitator, and Parents ONGOING School-Parent- Student-Compact April 2011 Page 21 of 21