Miami-Dade County Public Schools Ms. Debra L. Dublin, Principal 655 NE 145th St Miami, FL 33161-2918 Document Generated On March 25, 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 3 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 4 Additional Information 5
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. <br><br> 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
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?, a Title I funded school, was built in 1954 on 10 acres of land located at 655 NE 145th Street in North Miami, Florida. Currently our school's enrollment is 576 pre-kindergarten through grade five students. In 2012 a bond passed and our school was selected to undergo construction to ensure our schools/students success in the future. The school has been rewired and networked to provide internet and intranet access to 100% of the classrooms and the Media Center. The school was augmented with a cafetorium and a media center which facilitates learning with two computer labs. Within the last three years ten portables were removed from the premises which have restored the beauty to which has been identified as a natural hammock. In addition, a large area was created to enhance the wellness program and the physical education curriculum. To improve ongoing communication in our school environment, a marquee was installed in front of the main entrance. The marquee displays updated information to inform the community of the school's upcoming events. has been the recipient of numerous environmental grants whereby two butterfly gardens and six edible gardens have been established on school grounds. This enables selected students and grade levels to participate in planting and maintaining an edible garden. The demographics of the students enrolled are as follows: White - 1.02%, Black - 89.78%, Hispanic - 7.98%, Indian -.41%, Multicultural -.41% and Other -.40%. The demographics of the faculty are as follows: White - 8.04%, Black - 87.06%, Hispanic - 4.90% and Indian - 0%. has many unique features that set our school apart from other schools in the area. Our students are exposed to numerous programs to enrich their learning experiences. Programs such as Common Threads, Carnival Kids, the Learn to Swim Program, Science Stars, and K-Kids (Kiwanis Club) enable our students to experience real-life adventures they normally would not be able to participate in. Challenges associated with the community our school serves are the fact that students come from single family homes, a mobile community, and several apartment complexes. This is a challenge because students are being raised by multiple family members and their home life is not a stable environment. In addition, communication skills are a barrier due to the large number of families that English is a second language; thus preventing our families from working with their children on home learning assignments. Another barrier is contributed to the large number of student enrolled in free and reduced lunch (over 97%) which prevents many of our families from exposing our students to extracurricular activities and providing their children with real life experiences outside the Miami area. Page 2
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. VISION and MISSION STATEMENTS is committed to the highest standards of education, by promoting a positive school environment and community involvement as well as maintaining the belief that: "every child can and will learn" in a multicultural society. This multi-ethnic, tri-lingual school presently offers rigorous academic programs through the use of technology, appropriate strategies, and parental/community involvement. The Mission of School is to improve academic skills, develop social maturity, physical potential and promote emotional growth of our Pre-K through fifth grade students. The staff, parents, and community accept the responsibility to provide a safe environment which will help our students develop the skills necessary to perform on or above grade level in elementary school and to succeed in a middle and high school curriculum. In addition, the staff and community of School are dedicated to nurturing every child's unique learning style in a safe and supportive atmosphere. We achieve this by providing a balanced instructional environment that challenges and promotes each child's intellectual, social, physical, and creative potential. We have a Special Education Program that assist student with specific learning disability, we also have an ESOL department that assist student on their primary language. We are devoted to: - Rising the development of the whole child through differentiated instruction, physical education, fine arts, and character education programs - Tailing and implementing innovative teaching techniques to promote and continue academic excellence - Probing and using research-based best practices that support critical thinking and problem solving - Employing current technology to enhance quality instruction - Strengthening the school and home partnership - Embracing and learning from our diverse community - Team up as a professional learning community Page 3
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. has been the recipient of numerous grants written by teachers which are funded by the Education Fund. In addition, North Miami was awarded a Title III grant worth in excess of $10,000.00. Eighteen teachers were adopted in the Adopt-A-Classroom program with an average of over $200.00 given to each teacher to spend on classroom supplies. The American Heart Association (AHA) and the William Clinton Foundation (WCF) with funding from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) spearheaded the Healthy Schools Program (HSP) launched by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. was awarded the Bronze Award from this prestigious organization whose goal is to halt the increase in childhood obesity. School collaborates with district programs and services, community agencies and the business community in order to integrate educational services to all students. North Miami Elementary is pleased to have a close partnership with the Young Mens Christian Association (YMCA). The YMCA provides onsite low-cost quality child care in the before and after care programs. Our school provides multiple levels of student support services which include counseling and tutoring. The Bruce Heiken Fund provides eye screening and glasses to needy students. Our on-site school clinic is available to assist students and parents. collaborated with different institutions. This collaboration includes: Head Start, Reading First, Early Reading First, America Reads, Miami-Dade District Pre-K and Early Intervention, Exceptional Student Education, Adult Education, Vocational Career Awareness, Staff Development Department, Miami-Dade County Health Department, community colleges, universities, ESOL/LEP Programs, Migrant, Neglected/Delinquent, At risk Programs, Homeless Agencies, the Parent Academy, the Parent Information and Resource Center (PERC), the PTS/PSTA, Upward Bound and Pre-collegiate programs at community colleges and universities, Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), Homestead Housing Authority, and through compacts with local municipalities as well as Metro Dade County. These collaborative efforts will eliminate gaps in service for the ELL students, children with disabilities, migrant children, N & D children, homeless children, and migrant children. An avenue will be provided for sharing information about available services, and for helping to eliminate duplication and fragmentation within the programs. Title I personnel will, on an on-going basis, work with the appropriate staff to increase program effectiveness of the instructional program. Representatives from these agencies will meet as necessary to coordinate various services for families and children to increase student achievement. Additionally, the school receives funding under the School Improvement Grant Initiative in order to increase the achievement of the lowest performing subgroups through comprehensive, ongoing data analysis, curriculum and instruction alignment, and specific interventions such as Differentiated instruction/intervention and classroom libraries. An area of improvement that is striving to achieve is to improve the school performance grade for the 2013-2014 school year. Additionally, more parent involvement, extra time for tutoring and an increase in student/teacher attendance rate is also needed in order to achieve this. Page 4
Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. Especially in the last few years, as the vision and mission of the education has been influenced and strongly lead forward by Administrators, staff, and parents, school has seen tremendous enhancement to both the facility itself, and the options and programs we are able to provide. With a "blended-learning model" in mind, we strive to offer the best school support along with on-site gardening and cooking opportunities for students and parents. enjoys a collaborative relationship with the surrounding colleges and universities. Students from Miami-Dade College and Florida International University provide tutoring for first grade students through the America Reads program. Whole foods and the Education Fund were responsible for creating an outside mural to highlight one of the edible gardens. teachers provide supervision to interns from Barry University and Florida International University. In addition, students from Miami-Dade College and William H. Turner are able to complete their observation requirements and community service hours at. A high percentage of students leaving attend North Miami Middle School. The Community Involvement Specialist and the fifth grade team work closely with the middle school on articulation issues to ensure that the entering sixth graders are prepared with the background they need to be successful in the next phase of their education. During election days, the school provides access to the public for voting purposes. Page 5