hh school improvement plan.pdf

Georgia Department of Education Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent July 2014 ● of 27

SCHOOLWIDE/SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN TEMPLATE

School Name: Hickory Hills Elementary School District Name: Marietta City

Principal Name: Kristen Beaudin School Year: 2014-2015

School Mailing Address: 500 Redwood Dr. Marietta, GA 30064

Telephone: 770-429-3125

District Title I Director/Coordinator Name: Adria Griffin

District Title I Director/Coordinator Mailing Address: 250 Howard St. Marietta, GA 30060

Email Address: [email protected]

Telephone: 770-422-3500 x 260

ESEA WAIVER ACCOUNTABILITY STATUS (Check all boxes that apply and provide additional information if requested.)

Priority School Focus School

Title I Alert School

Principal’s Signature:

Date:

Title I Director’s Signature:

Date:

Superintendent’s Signature:

Date:

Revision Date: Revision Date: Revision Date:



SWP Template Instructions

• All components of a Title I 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 first ten components in the template are 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.



Planning Committee Members NAME MEMBER’S

SIGNATURE POSITION/ROLE

Kristen Beaudin Principal Christina Wagoner Assistant Principal Dawn Elliot Kindergarten Team Leader Erin Babb First Grade Team Leader Sue Veldman Second Grade Team Leader Melanie Wilson Third Grade Team Leader Annie Radding Fourth Grade Team Leader Jillian Horsey Fifth Grade Team Leader Rachel Neese Special Education Team Leader Mary Gagliardi Specialist Team Leader Amy Baringer Media Specialist Beth Silvey/Angela Pezzella EIP Candy Bennett/Vilma Thomas ESOL



SWP/SIP Components 1. A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school, (including taking into account

the needs of migratory children as defined in Section 1309(2)) that is based on information which includes the achievement of children in relation to the state academic content standards and the state student academic achievement standards described in Section 1111(b)(1).

Response:

A. Hickory Hills Elementary has developed our school-wide plan with the participation of individuals who will carry out the comprehensive schoolwide/school improvement program plan. Teachers, paraprofessionals, parents and administrators were involved in providing input to the school-wide plan for 2014-2015. All members of the school leadership team were closely involved in the development of the plan. Persons involved in the development of the school improvement plan analyzed the following data sets: student achievement, student attendance, school demographic. Following a root cause analysis, the planning committee identified areas of school improvement and developed the strategies included in the school improvement plan. The school governance team and parent liaison were involved in a comprehensive review of the plan, providing feedback and input.

B. We have used a variety of instruments, procedures, or processes to obtain this information regarding student achievement. We utilize CRCT, 5th Grade Writing Assessment, MCS district unit assessments and ongoing running records to identify academic strengths and weakness per student and grade level. Three times during the school year, MCS will administer the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) norm-referenced assessment. We will utilize the data from this assessment to determine further testing for gifted education and will plan for students needing additional supports through RtI. We utilize ACCESS scores to determine the instructional proficiency levels for EL students. Surveys also provide valuable data from parents, students, and teacher in areas such as curriculum, instruction, culture and professional learning. GKIDS, the state-wide assessment for Kindergarten students, is utilized to determine grade level instructional strengths and weakness; in addition to being used as a tool to determine student proficiency with kindergarten standards. A systematic process is in place to collect and disaggregate data in several ways. Our grade level teams and school leadership team meet on a regular basis to review diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments. At the beginning of the year and at the end of each quarter, teachers collect data including running records, district unit assessments, writing assessments, math exemplars and MAP results. Teachers, the leadership team and administration utilize this data to determine student achievement, school-wide trends, and the strengths and weaknesses of students and teachers.

C. Hickory Hills currently does not have any migrant students. However, if we have students

who would qualify as migrant, tutoring services would be available through Community in Schools, a part-time Title I tutor and extended day tutoring programs. We have taken



1. A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school, (including taking into account the needs of migratory children as defined in Section 1309(2)) that is based on information which includes the achievement of children in relation to the state academic content standards and the state student academic achievement standards described in Section 1111(b)(1). into account the needs of homeless, neglected and migrant children by ensuring compliance with The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and MCS policies regarding the education of homeless and migrant children. We offer various types of support. In addition, the school social worker, parent liaisons, and counselors assist families with assessing community resources. All homeless students receive free lunch and a backpack of school supplies. We work very closely with many of our local churches to provide the necessities for our homeless students.

D. Hickory Hills leadership team, staff and administrators have reflected on current

achievement in effort to understand the subjects and skills in which teaching and learning need to be improved (see data tables below).

Percentage of Students Meeting/Exceeding State Standards on StatewideAssessments2013‐2014GRADE READING

CRCTELACRCT

MATHCRCT

SCIENCECRCT

SSCRCT

WRITINGASSESSMENT

3 89 81 76 67 88 4 81 75 63 60 63 5 89 91 86 84 69 68Asyoucanseefromthetableabove,mathinstructioncontinuestobeanareathatneedsfocusatHickoryHillsinallgradelevels.Scienceandsocialstudiesinstructionalsoneedattentioninallgrade levels. With the inclusion of these content areas is CCRPI, they will receive greaterattentioncomparedtopreviousschoolyears.



1. A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school, (including taking into account the needs of migratory children as defined in Section 1309(2)) that is based on information which includes the achievement of children in relation to the state academic content standards and the state student academic achievement standards described in Section 1111(b)(1). PercentageofStudentsMeetingorExceedingREADINGCRCT 2011‐2012 2012‐2013 2013‐2014ALL 89 90.3 86.3White TFC TFC Black 94 91 Hispanic 96 96 SWD 60 64 65ELL 86 90 70ED 85 92 87Asyoucanseefromthetableabove,studentswiththegreatestachievementgapintheareaofreadingareStudentswithDisabilitiesandELstudents.

PercentageofStudentsMeetingorExceedingELACRCT 2011‐2012 2012‐2013 2013‐2014ALL 87.6 84.6 82.3White TFC TFC Black 91 88 Hispanic 96 96 SWD 52 60 53ELL 83 85 78ED 85 85 83Asyoucanseefromthetableabove,thestudentswiththegreatestachievementgapintheareaofELA are StudentswithDisabilities. ELL student proficiency also saw a noticeable decrease from2012‐2013to2013‐2014.



1. A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school, (including taking into account the needs of migratory children as defined in Section 1309(2)) that is based on information which includes the achievement of children in relation to the state academic content standards and the state student academic achievement standards described in Section 1111(b)(1).

PercentageofStudentsMeetingorExceedingMATHCRCT 2011‐2012 2012‐2013 2013‐2014ALL 71.3 74 75White TFC TFC Black 72 85 Hispanic 90 80 SWD 46 73 26ELL 66 74 70ED 76 73 76Asyoucanseefromthetableabove,thetwostudentgroupswiththegreatestachievementgapsintheareaofmathareStudentswithDisabilities,andEnglishLanguageLearners.

PercentageofStudentsMeetingorExceedingSCIENCECRCT 2011‐2012 2012‐2013 2013‐2014ALL 71.6 69.6 70.3White TFC TFC Black 80 69 Hispanic 80 73 SWD 42 33 41ELL 54 60 43ED 68 68 71Asyou can see from the tableabove, the three student groupswith thegreatest achievementgapintheareaofscienceareStudentswithDisabilities,andEnglishLanguageLearners.




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 the state academic achievement standards. Hickory Hills serves an ethnically, racially and socio-economically diverse community. A review of 2014 CRCT results indicates that individuals in most student groups met the standards in reading, with the exception of our Students with Disabilities subgroup. In English language arts and mathematics, students English language learners and students with disabilities subgroups did not meet state academic achievement standards. The performance of students in the areas of science and social studies are far below state academic achievement standards, which will be addressed as an area of underperformance for all students.

F. The data has helped us reach conclusions regarding achievement or other related data.

As we analyzed our data, we found that strengths existed in different academic areas for different grade levels. Reading is an area of strength for all students, with the exceptions of Students with Disabilities. In all grade levels, we found Reading Skills and Vocabulary Acquisition to be an area of strength. We attribute this major strength to our efforts in implementing Reader’s Workshop in all grade levels. Extensive professional learning occurred during the 2012-2013 school year to train and support teachers in establishing Reader’s Workshop as a structure to support differentiated instruction. All data suggests that teachers will need continued professional learning in implementing Common Core Georgia Performance

PercentageofStudentsMeetingorExceedingSOCIALSTUDIESCRCT 2011‐2012 2012‐2013 2013‐2014ALL 69.6 69.3 73.3White TFC TFC Black 72 71 Hispanic 80 67 SWD 35 50 36ELL 57 57 70ED 69 68 73Asyoucanseefromthetableabove,thefourstudentgroupswiththegreatestachievementgapintheareaofsocialstudiesareStudentswithDisabilities.




Standards and research-based instructional strategies in their classrooms so that all learners will have success.

We discovered major needs in across all grade levels. An area of concern in reading for all grade levels includes student performance in Information and Media Literacy (3rd: 56%, 4th: 65%, 5th: 54%). In grades 4 and 5, Research and Writing Process was the area with the greatest need. Areas of concerns in math include Numbers and Operations (3rd: 72%, 4th: 68%, 5th: 68%) and Measurement and Data Analysis (3rd: 68%, 4th: 55%, 5th: 66%).

The needs we will address are those identified in math and English language arts (reading and writing). Extensive support will be provided by the system literacy and math coaches to provide teachers with professional learning in implementing the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards. Teachers will engage in activities that strengthen their content knowledge in this area. Additionally, we will address the needs identified in science and social studies. Teachers have established a school-wide curriculum map for teaching integrated units of study.

To address the specific academic needs of our students, we will implement the following school-wide initiatives: Math, Writing and Reading Workshop Models to support differentiated instruction, Data Teams, all grade levels will focus on unpacking and understanding the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards in math, implementing a school-wide curriculum map for science and social studies, parent workshops, improved implementation of RtI process, and tutoring for struggling students. Additionally, grades K-5 will implement Daily 5 (or other management strategies – workstations) and CAFÉ. There is a need for math and literacy coaches in order to support to teachers with Common Core implementation.

The ROOTCAUSE/s that we discovered for each of the needs were lack of effective preschool experience for incoming Kindergarten students, limited English language, lack of differentiated instruction by teachers, teachers developing depth of content knowledge to scaffold and extend curriculum, high student transiency, wide range of student abilities, and lack of high expectations for all students by teachers, historical use of pull-out programs for EIP and ESOL, lack of inclusion for students with disabilities, primary focus on reading/math and not science/social studies, and limited parental involvement.

G. The measurable goals/benchmarks we have established to address the needs are defined in our School Improvement Plan. Hickory Hills created target goals in percentages of students meeting and exceeding on Georgia Milestones in all subject areas for every subgroup. The target goals were created to reflect the state targets set in the ESEA waiver. The chart 1 below shows the target goals for students meeting/ exceeding in reading, ELA and math. Chart 2 below shows the target goals for students meeting/exceeding in science and social studies. Actual percentages in red are below 2013-2014 performance targets.




StudentGroup

%ofStudentsM/EonREADINGCRCT

%ofStudentsM/EonELACRCT

%ofStudentsM/EonMATHCRCT

2013‐2014Actual%

2014‐2015Targets%

2013‐2014Actual%

2014‐2015Targets%

2013‐2014Actual%

2014‐2015Targets%

AllStudents 86.3 95.2 82.3 93.8 75 89.4

Black 92.5 91 83.9

Hispanic 94.7 93 89.1

White 97.5 96.1 93.6

SWD 65 83.6 53 80.5 26 75.9

ELL 70 89.9 78 87.3 70 83.3

Econ.Dis. 87 93.1 83 91.2 76 85.3

StudentGroup

%ofStudentsM/EonSCIENCECRCT

%ofStudentsM/EonSOCIALSTUDIESCRCT

2013‐2014Actual%

2014‐2015Targets%

2013‐2014Actual%

2014‐2015Targets%

AllStudents 70.3 84.3 73.3 83.4

Black 75.4 75.2

Hispanic 81.9 80.8

White 91.5 90.1

SWD 41 68.3 36 66.4

ELL 43 74.2 70 69.5




Econ.Dis. 71 78.2 73 74.1 2. Schoolwide reform strategies that:

• Provide opportunities for all children to meet the state’s proficient and advanced levels of student academic achievement described in Section 1111(b)(1)(D).

Response: 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 . . . (Strategies to be used.)

• Workshop Model: The reading, writing, and math workshop models provide

student learning goals based on standards. The workshop model gives students actual examples of high quality student work and offers assessment criteria through rubrics. The workshop model constantly assesses student progress through conferencing and providing feedback with commentary. Coaching, instruction, and feedback become critical to ensure that students develop good habits and increase their proficiency. There is a focus on guided reading and guided math instruction and small group instruction that helps students gain confidence and build comprehension and fluency skills. The students learn the strategies well enough that they can use it independently while reading or problem-solving in math.

• Differentiated Instruction: Classroom teachers will frequently utilize assessment data and student interest surveys to plan and implement differentiation instruction that meets individual student learning needs. Teachers will utilize flexible groups in reading and math (guided reading/guided math) to differentiate based on student readiness. Independent workstations will be differentiated by student learning interests. According to Tomlison (2001) in a differentiated classroom “students have multiple options to taking in information, making sense of ideas, and expressing what they learn”. It provides different avenues to acquire content, process ideas, and develop products so that each student can learn effectively (Tomlison, 2001). Brandt (1998) found that people learn best when what they learn is personally meaningful, challenging, appropriate to their developmental level, and when they have choices. These are all components of differentiation.

• Units of Study for Writing Workshop: Hickory Hills embraces a culture of reading, writing, and ongoing learning. Lucy Calkins and the Teacher’s College at Columbia University have assembled The Units of Study as a resource for teachers




of reading and writing. The Units of Study help model rigorous, engaging reading and writing lessons which follow a coherent progression from early readers and writers, to more advanced learners. This resource will work to reconstruct the reading/writing content taught in our classrooms, and act as a consistent driving force from grade to grade.

• Daily Five/CAFE: In grades K-3, Hickory Hills will utilize the researched based

strategies from Daily 5/CAFÉ model for reading which is based and designed on literacy learning and motivation research. This program designed by the SISTERS (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) prepares the foundation for meaningful content and instruction tailored to meet the unique reading needs of students. The Daily 5 model for reading is a series of literacy tasks which students complete daily. The Daily 5 tasks are: read to self, read to someone, and listen to reading, writing and word work. In Daily 5/CAFE, students learn explicit modeling, practice, reflecting and refining reading and writing skills. The structure helps students develop daily habits and working with peers. It prepares the foundation for meaningful content and instruction tailored to meet unique needs of students. Students will learn strategies for comprehension, accuracy, fluency and expanding vocabulary. Using these strategies, students become successful readers. The system involves goal-setting, individual conferencing, posting of goals on whole-class boards, developing small group instruction and moving students ahead in reading levels.

• Fundations and Systematic Phonics Instruction: In K-1st grade all teachers implement Fundations as part of their Reader’s Workshop. Wilson Fundations is a phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics and spelling program, based upon the Wilson Reading System principles and serves as a prevention program to help reduce reading and spelling failure. Rather than completely replace core curriculum, Fundations provides the research-validated strategies that complement installed programs. Teachers incorporate a 30-minute daily Fundations lesson into their language arts classroom instruction. Fundations lessons focus on carefully sequenced skills that include print knowledge, alphabet awareness, phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, decoding, vocabulary, fluency, and spelling. Furthermore, targeted small group intervention is available for students in grades 2-3 in the lowest 30th percentile.

• Number Talks: Number Talks will be implemented at all grade levels. Number

Talks will improve our student achievement in math by developing computational fluency while thinking and reasoning like mathematicians. Also, to improve student achievement in math we will implement data teams focusing on number sense and numeration K-5; this is a content-heavy area in the Common Core Standards.




• Extended Day Tutoring Programs: Hickory Hills will offer before school tutoring, after school tutoring/homework services for students who need extra support. Only certified staff members will provide the instructional lessons to students who qualify for tutoring. We will utilize Odyssey CompassLearning as one of our intervention programs during our before/after school tutoring. This program is aligned with MAP (Measures of Academic Progress), which uses students assessment results in reading and math to plan instructional lesson. CompassLearning delivers content through a highly engaging interface that makes math and reading instruction, practice and assessment fun. The program is highly interactive, addressing multiple learning modalities and making students active participants in their learning and the game-like formats of many activities are challenging and motivating for students.

• Literacy Integration Specialist/District Math Coach: Hickory Hills Elementary

will utilize a variety of researched based reform strategies to provide opportunities for all children in the school to meet or exceed Georgia’s proficient and advanced levels of student performance. In order for Hickory Hills to implement these researched based strategies giving full support to teachers and students, we will consistently utilize the district Literacy Integration Specialist (LIS) and Math Coach (MC). Both supports will be used to provide ongoing professional learning for our teachers. Both the LIS and MC are trained certified personnel who focus on improving students achievement by working directly with teachers and students.

Our reform strategies are based on effective means of raising student achievement and use of the following scientific based research: Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Every Teacher by Robert Marzano, Jana S Marzano and Debra J Pickering (2003), Getting Started: Reculturing Schools to Become Professional Learning Communities by Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour and Richard Eaker (2012), On Common Ground: The Power of Professional Learning Communities by Richard DuFour and Rebecca DeFour (2005), The Daily Five by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser (2006), The CAFÉ Book: Engaging All Students in Daily Literary Assessment and Instruction by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser (2006), Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning by Larry Ainsworth (2007), Number Talks: Helping Children Build Mental Math and Computation Strategies, Grades K-5 by Sherry Parrish (2010), How to Give Effective Feedback to Your Students by Susan M. Brookhart (2008), Impact of America's Choice on Student Performance in Duval County, Florida by Jonathan A. Supovitz, Brooke Snyder Taylor, and Henry May (2002), The Art of Teaching Reading by Lucy Calkins (2001), Pathways to the Common Core by Lucy Calkins and Mary Ehrenworth (2012), Guided Reading: Good First Teacher for All by Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell (1996), Guiding Readers and Writers by Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell (2001). At Hickory Hills Elementary, two reform strategies have been implemented with great intention.




The Workshop Model (America’s Choice Reform Model) as well as the Daily 5/CAFE Model have been implemented. The implementation of these reform models has provided an instructional framework that increases opportunities for teachers to differentiate instruction in reading, writing and math. In addition, this instructional framework supports the use of small group instruction to meet student learning needs. The professional learning has a strong focus on literacy being implemented in all content areas. The plan and implementation of staff development is long term and sustainable over time. Professional learning communities have been established that focus on continuous improvement and collaboration both vertically and horizontally. We recognize the need to continue professional learning in math and other content areas in order to address areas of underperformance.

Some research that we have reviewed includes an article entitled Impact of America's Choice on Student Performance in Duval County, Florida. It was published in 2002, by Jonathan A. Supovitz, Brooke Snyder Taylor, and Henry May. Their findings stated, “The America’s Choice Design is a K-12 comprehensive school reform model designed by the National Center on Education and the Economy. America’s Choice focuses on raising academic achievement by providing a rigorous standards-based curriculum and safety net for all students. The Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) at the University of Pennsylvania was contracted by the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) to conduct the external evaluation of the America’s Choice School Design in1998. Each year CPRE designs and conducts a series of targeted studies on the implementation and impacts of the America’s Choice design. Overall, the patterns in student standardized test performance indicate that students in America’s Choice schools regularly outgained students in other district schools in writing, and to a lesser extent reading and mathematics, after controlling for prior student achievement, and student and school demographic characteristics. In all three subjects, in both elementary and middle schools, there were multiple examples of significantly higher learning gains of students in America’s Choice schools in comparison to students in other schools in the district, while there were no cases where students in the other district schools statistically outgained students in America’s Choice schools.

Daily Five is a student driven management structure designed to fully engage students in reading and writing. Allington (2001) suggests that children should spend a minimum of one and a half hours a day reading in school. Instructional time occurs in addition to the reading time. The Daily Five is structured in a way that relies on the teaching of independence and management of the literacy block. Three to five focus lessons occur that allow for more intentional teaching and the integration of reading and writing. A variety of clearly defined routines are incorporated to accelerate learning. Students build stamina to ensure longer periods of time to successfully read and write while articulating behaviors that culminate in highly engaged learners. The Daily Five fosters independence and teaches students to understand and monitor their literacy goals. These tasks are proven through research to increase student achievement and motivation of learning.




The CAFÉ menu of strategies are research based, assessment driven, linked to the standards and identify students’ strengths and weaknesses in reading. Teachers are able to instruct students more effectively in strategy groups, during conferences and during focus lessons based on students’ needs.

• Use effective methods and instructional strategies that are based on scientifically based research that:

o strengthen the core academic program in the school. o increase the amount and quality of learning time, such as providing and extended

school year and before- or after-school and summer programs and opportunities, and help provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum

o include strategies for meeting the educational needs of historically underserved populations

Response: Hickory Hills Elementary will utilize a variety of research based instructional methods to increase the quality of learning time. Students will participate in before/after school tutoring, and in-school from a part-time Title I tutor. Block scheduling will be utilized to maximize instructional time in reading, writing and math. EIP and ESOL support services will be provided within the general education classroom. In addition, students with disabilities will have access to the general education curriculum by providing the least restrictive environment. Students will participate in remediation small group instruction during the day by provided by classroom teachers, special education teachers, EIP teachers and ESOL teachers. Our daily schedules have been created to include a 100 minute Readers’ Workshop, 100 minute Math Workshop and 60 minute Writers’ Workshop to increase the amount of direct and differentiated instruction. Each Reader’s Workshop and Math Workshop includes 60 minutes of differentiated small group instruction (guided reading and guided math). The use of effective instructional methods that increase the quality of learning time will be supported by a part-time school improvement specialist and district literacy/math coaches. These individuals will work with teachers to increasing the efficiency of lesson delivery through modeling and coaching teachers in the implementation of effective instructional practices. They will provide ongoing, job embedded professional development for grade level Professional Learning Communities. The focus is on working to ensure that 100% of teachers are using a workshop model in writing, reading, and mathematics. This is accomplished through providing training, modeling in the classroom, and follow-up support to ensure effective implementation. As teachers are provided time for collaborative planning of integrated units, the school improvement specialist and district literacy/math coaches are facilitating this planning to ensure that planned assessments and instructional strategies are aligned with the CCGPS. Support is also provided with increasing the consistency in providing differentiated small group instruction based on assessment data.



• Address how the school will determine if such needs have been met; and • Are consistent with, and are designed to implement, the state and local improvement

plans, if any. Response: Hickory Hills Elementary will address the needs of all children through the monitoring of student achievement of both formative and summative assessments. Assessments may include, but are not limited to, running records, performance tasks with rubrics, teacher made assessments, district unit assessments, MAP (measures of academic progress), GKIDS, and CRCT. The Leadership Team and administration will monitor student achievement quarterly. Grade Level Data Teams will monitor student achievement in math. Data Teams will meet weekly to create common assessments, review student proficiency, develop action plans for re-teaching students not proficient, and analyze final results. The RtI process will assure at-risk students are monitored, additional strategies are implemented and progress is discussed. We will 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 and approved under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).

• Include strategies to address the needs of all children in the school, but particularly the needs of low-achieving children and those at risk of not meeting the state student achievement standards who are members of the target population of any program that is included in the schoolwide program which may include:

o counseling, pupil services, and mentoring services; o college and career awareness and preparation, such as college and career

guidance, personal finance education, and innovative teaching methods, which may include applied learning and team-teaching strategies; and

the integration of vocational and technical education programs; and

Hickory Hills addresses the needs of all students, particularly targeted populations and determines successful and consistent implementation through the review of classroom, assessments, and performance data analysis processes. Weekly, with teams and co-teachers including special education teachers and other support staff, teachers constantly analyze student data to develop schedules, groupings, and types of instruction or programs daily. LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY Students who qualify for EL services are served by a teacher with an EL certificate endorsement according to State guidelines. Interpreters are provided for meetings with parents who do not speak English. EL students who qualify for Title services are served in that program area according to the school Title plan. EL students are assessed annually with ACCESS to determine their English proficiency level in areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS (Students with Disabilities) Special services are provided to students through an inclusive special education program and through the speech-language program. Special education services are provided through the inclusion model. Sawyer Road special education staff engages with our Department of Special Services to improve specialized instruction for each individual student through the development of learning profiles and Individual Education plans. Special education students who qualify for other Title services are served according to the school Title plan. IEP progress reports are sent



3. Instruction by highly qualified professional staff Response: We will provide instruction by highly qualified teachers who meet the standards established by the state of Georgia. All staff members at Hickory Hills are highly qualified according to Georgia standards. 4. In accordance with Section 1119and subsection (a)(4), high-qualified and ongoing professional

development for teachers, principals, and paraprofessionals and, if appropriate, pupil services personnel, parents, and other staff to enable all children in the school to meet the state’s student academic achievement standards.

Response:

A. We have included teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, and when appropriate, pupil services personnel, parents, and other faculty in our staff development that addresses the root causes of our identified needs. The Hickory Hills Elementary Staff collaborates in teams (School Improvement Committees - Georgia School Keys, Administration, Grade Level, Leadership, etc.) as an efficient/effective way to engage in professional development. This is done through discussions and activities with the school staff, as well as outside professionals. These professionals help us develop skills that will allow us to meet the factors affecting our success as a school.

SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS (Students with Disabilities) Special services are provided to students through an inclusive special education program and through the speech-language program. Special education services are provided through the inclusion model. Hickory Hills’ special education staff engages with our Department of Special Services to improve specialized instruction for each individual student through the development of learning profiles and Individual Education plans. Special education students who qualify for other Title services are served according to the school Title plan. IEP progress reports are sent on quarterly to provide information on individual IEP goals and objectives. GIFTED Gifted-certified teachers serve students identified as meeting requirements for the gifted program. These students receive instruction through the collaborative model, where their classroom teacher works collaboratively with another gifted instructor to provide daily enrichment activities or through the cluster model, where their homeroom teacher is also gifted certified and provides enrichment activities throughout the day. Quarterly gifted report cards and progress reports serve to track progress and provide information to parents.



4. In accordance with Section 1119and subsection (a)(4), high-qualified and ongoing professional development for teachers, principals, and paraprofessionals and, if appropriate, pupil services personnel, parents, and other staff to enable all children in the school to meet the state’s student academic achievement standards.

The professional learning will have a strong focus on Common Core implementation for all teachers, differentiated instruction, and establishing an academically challenging environment that promotes rigorous learning. The plan and implementation of staff development is long term and sustainable over time. Professional learning communities have been established that focus on continuous improvement and collaboration. The staff will participate in ongoing professional learning as a staff and in grade level teams. This professional learning will help to improve teacher content knowledge, planning rigorous learning experiences, and using student assessments to differentiate instruction.

B. The professional development at Hickory Hills Elementary is aligned to the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards and with the student academic achievement standards of the state. Each strand incorporates a thorough examination of the CCGPS and GPS and explores effective instructional strategies that will allow students to meet or exceed the academic achievement bars set by the state. In addition, we are incorporating professional development regarding the Teacher Keys Effectiveness (TKES) system and the Teacher Assessment of Performance Standards (TAPS) to provide ongoing support in the TKES implementation and a strong understanding of the research-based practices that impact student achievement included within the TAPS.

C. Sufficient resources have been devoted to carry out effectively the professional development activities that address the root causes of academic problems at Hickory Hills Elementary. Title I and Title II funds have been secured to fund the training programs. These funds provide release time for teacher training and collaboration, as well as materials. Numerous hours are devoted to professional development by way collaboration days, team meetings, professional development days, and after school training sessions. Creative scheduling has allowed for limited use for substitute teachers during teacher collaboration days (Super Specials). Additionally, human resources such as district coaches have been employed to provide training and support.

HickoryHillsSchool‐wideProfessionalDevelopmentPlan

ProfessionalLearning DeliveryModel Date• TeacherLeadersattend

SummerWritingInstituteatTCRWP

5dayconferenceatTeachersCollege,ColumbiaUniversity

June2014

• TeacherLeadersattendDaily5/CAFÉtraining

2dayconferenceinAtlantawiththeTwoSisters

July2014

• WeeklyGradeLevelPLCMeetings(MathDataTeamfocus)

GradeLevelPlanning EveryTuesday




• TAPSFamiliarizationProcess

FacultyMeetings,Planning Ongoing

• UnitsofStudyWritingInstitutefromTCRWP

4full‐daysK‐2:LaurenKolbeck3‐5:KateRoberts

8/25–8/28

• 1stQuarterMathPreviews

GradeLevelPlanningK‐5:KelliO’Connell

8/19

• SCERTSwithEmilyRubinWholeStaff

2hoursessions9/9

Times:TBD

• 2ndQuarterMathPreviews

SeptemberSuperSpecialsK‐5:KelliO’Connell

K–9/301–10/12–9/30

3–10/14–10/25–10/2

• UnpackingUnitsofStudyOctoberSuperSpecialsK‐3:HeatherWoods4‐5:LindsayBryan

K–10/281–10/292–10/28

3–10/294–10/305–10/30

• 3rdQuarterMathPreviews

NovemberSuperSpecialsK‐5:KelliO’Connell

K–11/181–11/192–11/18

3–11/194–11/205–11/20

• UnpackingUnitsofStudyJanuarySuperSpecialsK‐3:HeatherWoods4‐5:LindsayBryan

K–1/271–1/282–1/27

3–1/284–1/295–1/29

• 4thQuarterMathPreviews

February/MarchSuperSpecials

K‐5:KelliO’Connell

K–3/31–3/42–3/3

3–3/44–3/55–3/5

• UnpackingUnitsofStudyAprilSuperSpecialsK‐3:HeatherWoods4‐5:LindsayBryan

K–3/311–4/12–3/31

3–4/14–4/25–4/2

• Co‐teachingCoachingwithGRLS

AllCo‐teachingTeacherTeamsGradeLevelPlanning

8/21,10/24,12/2,Spring:TBD

• SCERTS CaseStudyTeams10/6,11/6,1/5,1/22,3/19

Times:TBD

A. We have included teachers in professional development activities regarding the use of

academic assessments at Hickory Hills Elementary. Teachers will be provided extensive training as the district implements a new norm-reference assessment, Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). Teachers will receive training on interpretation of the results and using results to differentiate instruction. MAP will be administered three times during the school year to provide teachers with ongoing feedback on student progress.




Training will be provided in the development of common assessments, and the use of data cycles to plan intervention for students not meeting academic standards. Teachers will be expected to use assessment data to drive instruction.

5. Strategies to attract high-quality highly qualified teachers to high-need schools. Response: In order to attract highly qualified teachers, Hickory Hills’ administrative team will screen highly qualified candidates using the Marietta City Schools personnel applicant system. The administration will implement the Haberman method for conducting pre-interview questionnaire to identify candidates possessing beliefs consistent with our school.

Hickory Hills will partner with local colleges and universities to provide pre-service and student teaching experiences, as a means to identify students who may be suited to work in our school. Currently, Kennesaw State University, Mercer College and Southern Polytechnic Institute partner with Hickory Hills to place pre-service and student teachers.

6. Strategies to increase parental involvement in accordance with Section 1118, such as

family literacy services. Response: We have involved parents in the planning, review, and improvement of the comprehensive schoolwide program plan in numerous ways. The School Governance Team (SGT) and PTA Executive Cabinet will be closely involved in the development and review schoolwide plan. Opportunities are available for parents to review the schoolwide program plan at any point during the school year. The entire plan is posted on the school website, in addition copies are available in the Parent Resource Room.

The parent liaison serves to educate parents about the plan and ways the plan supports their child’s academic achievement and success in school. Numerous opportunities are available to parents to provide feedback to the comprehensive schoolwide program. Effective home-school communication is established to increase parent involvement in the planning, review, and improvement of the plan. Hickory Hills Elementary offers effective forms of school-to-home and home-to-school communications about school programs and children’s progress. Our parent liaison provides a monthly newsletter communicating to upcoming school events and ways to get involved in their child’s education. The teachers develop classroom newsletters and Aspen Teacher Pages (websites) giving parents weekly updates on academics and helpful hints to support their children at home. Parents have access to our school website. We also



communicate in grades K-5 through Thursday Dragon folders that contain weekly commentary on the students’ academic achievement. We utilize student agendas in grades 1-5 which includes information on what the students are learning on a daily basis and what homework supports their learning. Hickory Hills communicates with parents through phone Dial-Outs/Email Blasts, Twitter and the Marquee Announcements by making them aware of academic activities for parents and students. Hickory Hills will provide informational / Q & A sessions for parents about test scores, Georgia Milestones, curriculum and instruction. Hickory Hills has a part-time Parent Liaison that provides Spanish translation and works closely with parents to help their child in their language to support academic achievement. Open House and quarterly Showcase Nights create a partnership between the school and parents that have a significant impact on student achievement.

In the spring, the School Community Team (SCT) will meet to begin the planning process for the 2015-2016 school year. The SCT will be facilitated by the parent liaison and administrators. Members of the SCT will serve as representatives of the school community. All parents will have the opportunity to serve on the SCT. We have developed a parent involvement policy included in our appendices that that includes many opportunities for parents to get involved. Parents are encouraged to share leadership in the school by serving on the PTA, School Governance Team, or School Community Team. Our Rosettta Stone Language Lab provides family literacy services for our ELL parents. Monthly parenting programs (iMoms and All Pro Dads) provide a platform for empowering parents with the skills to develop strong relationships with their children. Parents are provided conferencing opportunities twice during the school year to meet with the teacher to discuss academic achievement, assessment results and interpretation of those results. Additionally, parents can request a conference at any time during the school year. Parents have access to the comprehensive schoolwide programs by looking on our website. We have established a school compact that parents sign saying that they believe their children will be successful. They sign agreeing that they will get their child to school on time, will attend parent nights and conferences, will try to volunteer in the class, will communicate with the teacher regularly, will assist with school activities, will support the school developing positive behaviors and attitudes, will provide an encouraging home environment, will monitor television and video game times and they will stay aware of their child’s learning. During Open House parents are made aware of volunteer opportunities that they can be part of in the classroom, in the front office and during the school year. 7. Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs,

such as Head Start, Even Start, Early Reading First, or a state-run preschool program, to local elementary school programs.

Response: The following are our plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs and for helping students transition into Middle School. The transition of



preschool students to Kindergarten consists of a winter orientation (Sip and See) for students and parents, inviting local preschool students to tour the school, interact with Kindergarten teachers, students and the curriculum. In the spring, Kindergarten students and parents are invited to attend a second orientation (Dragon Tales) that allows them to participate in a 2-hour instructional block. A “Kindergarten camp” will be offered during the summer to aid in the transition from preschool to Kindergarten.

When parents of students who are not native English speakers register their student in the spring for kindergarten, they are encouraged to set up an individual assessment time with one of the EL teachers. The teacher spends time with the student in a relaxed environment and observes language, academic, and social skills. Individual tours and conferences also help to orient students and parents to the elementary program. Individualized Education Program meetings are held for special needs students and the special education kindergarten teacher meets with the support team (parents are a part of the team) to develop a kindergarten plan for the following year. For our fifth graders going to middle school, we have the following activities; Blue Devil Day at Marietta Sixth Grade Academy and MSGA parent night. 8. Measures to include teachers in the decisions regarding the use of academic assessments

described in Section 1111(b)(3) in order to provide information on, and to improve, the achievement of individual students and the overall instructional program.

Response: We include teachers in decisions regarding use of academic assessments in many different ways. Hickory Hills includes a variety of stakeholders, including teachers, in the development of our annual local assessment schedule as part of annual SIP process. We create school-wide data teams (grade level teams and leadership team) to monitor student achievement and adjust instruction as needed. We require examination of student work samples in writing and math (Math Exemplars). We utilize the data gathered through a variety of assessments to allow for flexible grouping in the classroom. We facilitate collaborative planning, bringing the results of classroom assessments to examine student strengths and weaknesses, i.e.- developing a focus for instruction using the Running Records; having teachers brainstorm explicit strategies for improving performance; using math data cycles (based on common assessments); opportunities to discuss curriculum & methods and determine effectiveness in individual classrooms. Grade levels collaborate weekly during planning and each month for 2 ½ hours to unpack standards and plan for instruction with district math and literacy coaches. 9. Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering the proficient or

advanced levels of academic achievement standards required by Section 1111(b)(1) shall be provided with effective, timely additional assistance, which shall include measures to ensure that students’ difficulties are identified on a timely basis and to provide sufficient information on which to base effective assistance.

Response: 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. We provide assistance through Response to Intervention (RTI) - active progress monitoring of students identified as not making adequate progress with an intervention plan and scheduled reporting time. ESOL and EIP Services are developed for small group support and vocabulary development. Marietta Intervention Program (MIP) is used to provide 1:1 Tier 3 support for students in reading. Grade level data team creates interventions for students not mastering critical concepts and review of growth. Classroom teachers identify students in need of intervention through ongoing assessment, such as; Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), quarterly unit assessments, running records, and common assessments. Hickory Hills will utilize Odyssey CompassLearning to provide re-teaching, practice, and reinforcement for all students. We use Student Profile Sheets - cards to communicate student performance levels from one grade level to another for vertical information sharing. SPED students benefit from oversight by case managers who share information with general education teachers and parents regarding progress towards IEP goals as well as success meeting state standards. Special education teachers also utilize specialized instruction and researched based programs such as Fundations, Just Words, Number Worlds, Key Math and Touch Math. Our counselor and social worker assist students and gives referrals for community resources. The implementation of our school-wide assessment plan will ensure that student weakness are identified on a timely basis. Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) will be administered three times during the school year to identify student weakness and measure individual student growth. We utilize data cycles and quarterly unit assessments for all students in reading, math and science. We also utilize formative and summative assessments to determine readiness and mastery of skills with a cycle of intervention as necessary for students. Classroom teachers commonly score math exemplars and student writing each quarter. Monthly math exemplars are administered to increase problem-solving in the classroom and quarterly writing prompts are administered in every grade level.

Hickory Hills School-wide Assessment Plan

Assessment Areas Assessed Frequency Grade Levels MAP Reading

Math August December May

K-5th

Running Records Reading Once per month for students reading below grade level Quarterly for students reading on grade level

K-5th

Quarterly On Demand Writing Sample

Writing 4 times per year K-5th (K only 2x/year)

Quarterly Common Assessments

Math 4 times per year K-5th



District Unit Assessments Reading/ELA Math Science

4 times per year 1st – 5th

All teachers will participate in ongoing training to identify the weakness and appropriate assistance for identified weakness. At the start of the school year, RTI training will be provided for all teachers to assist in identifying a student learning problem, determine the most appropriate intervention, and progress monitoring. The district intervention coach will provide training to teachers on approved intervention, as needs are identified. School RTI coordinator will assist teachers in analyzing student assessment data and determining students needing additional assistance. Grade levels will participate in monthly RTI meetings, which will help teachers in the identification of appropriate assistance for student weaknesses. Extended professional learning days will be offered monthly for all teachers to meet teacher development needs.

10. Coordination and integration of federal, state, and local services and programs, including

programs supported under this Act, violence prevention programs, nutrition programs, housing programs, Head Start, adult education, vocational and technical education, and job training

Response: The federal support provided comes from Title I and Title II. As a Title I school, Hickory Hills is afforded additional funds that are used to add staff to support daily planning time and instructional coaching for teachers. The funds will also provide opportunities for staff to attend conferences and participate in collaborative planning. These funds support monthly instructional planning in which all staff collaboratively develops instruction and participates in professional development.

The state and local funds allocate additional funding for the Early Intervention Program. These funds are utilized to hire extra teachers and reduce class sizes. The EIP staff engage in planning with general education teachers on the instructional planning days and throughout the week with the support of Title I funds, but resources are secured to support instruction through the funding from the state EIP budget. The state also allocates funds for the English Language Learner program. These funds are used to hire English Language Learner teachers. 11. Description of how individual student assessment results and interpretation will be provided to

parents. Response: Parents are invited to schedule a conference with their child’s teacher at any time during the school year, as well as the scheduled period set by the district. All teachers send quarterly progress reports home with students and communicate student performance on classwork and test/quizzes in weekly Dragon Folders. Teachers make routine contact with parents through written and verbal communication (i.e. phone calls, agendas, email, notes, etc.) We have an open door policy and consistently encourage parents to visit classroom events, parent curriculum



nights, or request a conference at any time. Accommodations are made for parents who do not speak English by requesting translators to make sure all parents understand their students’ academic performance. GKIDS, a Georgia Kindergarten Individual Assessment, is administered throughout the school year to Kindergarteners. Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), Running Records, quarterly unit assessment in reading/ELA, math and science, informal writing assessments and Math Exemplars are administered to all students throughout the year. Results are shared through individual student conferences, progress reports, and report cards and online grading systems (Aspen). All state standardized test results are mailed home to the address of record with the final report card. State standardized test results include GKIDS and Georgia Milestones. Parent-Teacher conferences detail what the school will do to help the student, what the parents can do to help the student, additional assistance available to the student at the school or in the community. Conferences are for all parents in September and March. Conference checklists are provided by administration that provides teachers with expectations for information sharing at conferences. There is online access to grades through Aspen for monitoring student progress for students in grades K -5. Hickory Hills offers letters/packets explaining what it means to be a Title I school and what services might be provided to assist students. RTI meetings require parent participation in Tier 3 and Tier 4 and Hickory Hills provides enough notice to all parents in order for them to be present. 12. Provisions for the collection and disaggregation of data on the achievement and assessment results

of students. Response: A systematic process is in place to collect and disaggregate data. There is a data team process in which teachers meet on a weekly basis to look at data from formative assessments and at groups of students by range of scores who are not meeting the standard. Strategies are developed to address the needs of those students. There is also a quarterly data collection process where teachers review running records, student writing and unit assessments to determine which students are making gains and which students are still needing additional remediation/acceleration. When Georgia Milestones test scores arrive in the spring, the data is disaggregated to identify the focus improvement and establish goals that will drive instruction and meet these needs. Programs, strategies, and professional learning are designed to accomplish these goals. 13. Provisions to ensure that disaggregated assessment results for each category are valid and

reliable. Response:



System and school provisions are in place to ensure state standardize assessment results are valid and reliable. – all certified staff completed Test Examiner’s training, proctors and monitors are assigned to all teachers during test administration, full testing security is maintain while testing materials are on-site. The state DOE accountability department screens all test results to ensure validity and reliability. Grade level teams compile and disaggregate formative assessment data on a regular basis. Teachers and administrators discuss data and compare assessment results to other classes and/or system unit assessments. Teachers also review assessment information in relation to students’ classroom performance to determine the validity and reliability of the results.

14. Provisions for public reporting of disaggregated data. Response: The School Leadership Team and School Governance Team review disaggregated data and discuss strategies in place. Administration holds a parent meeting in the fall –Title I Annual Parent Meeting– to share school-wide data and data trends with patents. Assessment data is posted on the Marietta City Schools website at the About Us, Balance Score Cards page. Assessment results are reported by the media. All parents receive printed reports of their child’s student scores. 15. Plan developed during a one-year period, unless the 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-wide Title I Plan and the School Improvement Plan are developed, reviewed, and revised as needed throughout the school year by the Leadership Team, Title I Planning Committee, administrators, and parents. The plans remain in place for one school year. 16. 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).

Response: The Title 1 plan was developed with the involvement of the community stakeholders, including the school governance team, leadership team, Title I Planning Committee, teachers, principals, other school staff and parents. 17. Plan available to the LEA, parents, and the public. Response:



The plan is reviewed with school governance team (SGT), PTA, leadership team, posted on the school website, shared with parents at conferences, and it is available in office upon request. 18. 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..

Response: The Title 1 School-wide Plan is available in the Parent Resource Room and on the school website in English. Translators are available to translate the Title I School-wide Plan, as requested. A majority of correspondence sent home is translated in Spanish, which is the primary language of the second language speakers in our community. Translations of additional documents are provided upon request. 19. Plan is subject to the school improvement provisions of Section 1116. Response: Our school plan is subject to the school improvement plans of section 1116. We will complete and participate in all requirements according to state and federal guidelines.

hh school improvement plan.pdf

Documents