swp/sip components - fayette.k12.in.us sw… · web view1.a comprehensive needs assessment of the...

Georgia Department of EducationTitle I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan

Dr. John D. Barge, State School SuperintendentApril 2015 ● of 26

SCHOOLWIDE/SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN TEMPLATE

School Name: Gray Elementary District Name: Jones County

Principal Name: Leslie Poythress School Year: 2015-2016

School Mailing Address: 365 Hwy 18 East, Gray, GA 30132

Telephone: 478-986-6295

District Title I Director/Coordinator Name: Dr. Gail Wincey

District Title I Director/Coordinator Mailing Address: 125 Stewart Avenue, Gray, Ga 31032

Email Address: [email protected]

Telephone: 478-986-3032

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: May 28, 2015 Revision Date: Revision Date:


SWP/SIP Components1. 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: The school has developed a school wide improvement plan with the participation of individuals who will carry out the comprehensive school wide improvement plan. Those persons involved were the members of the 2014-2015 Better Seeking Team (BST), which was composed of the grade level lead teachers as well as members of the 2014-2015 Gray Elementary School Council. This team of individuals was involved with gathering and analyzing student achievement data, researching methods and techniques to improve student achievement and deciding on methods to implement the plan in 2015-2016. The school improvement plan team used the following instruments, procedures, or processes

to obtain this information: Data Director, an assessment management system that collects data for analysis; brainstorming in small and large groups, data from the Online Assessment System (OAS) and the Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS). Data Director compiles all student scores from the CRCT and countywide benchmarks. This program has the ability to create graphs and tables of student achievement data for individuals, grade levels, special interest groups, and/or school-wide achievement. The SLDS compiles historical testing data and attendance information. Teachers use OAS as a tool for assessment of learning. Student results on assessments help teachers identify learner needs and strengths and guide instructional practices. We collaboratively analyze the data and brainstorm methods that we can implement with the students to improve their achievement scores. Teachers compare and contrast day-to-day formative assessments of students to determine effective teaching. Conversations, brainstorming, weekly grade level meetings and professional judgment play a part in our data analysis. This has led much of our School Improvement Plan and our ongoing Continuous Improvement Plan as we have moved forward throughout the years.

The team took into account the needs of migrant children by taking the following steps when a student enrolls:

o Identifying migrant students upon enrollment.o Ensuring that migrant students are provided with appropriate educational services.o Providing immediate assistance, as needed, through support programs (Title I, Early

Intervention Program (EIP), etc.). o Offering outreach to parents of migrant students through the counselor, EL (English

Learner) coordinator and/or Parent Coordinator.o Provided translated documents when needed.o Determining if outside agencies can be of assistance to the child and/or family

(Health organizations and/or private providers, social services, youth and civic groups, etc.).



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).

Overall Gray Elementary CRCT Scores Meets or Exceeds2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

G Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

3 95 92 86 97 94 90 94 90 81 98 95 864 95 92 86 92 93 85 95 98 95 98 95 965 98 97 94 96 97 86 100 95 98 100 97 100

Students with Disabilities Meets or Exceeds2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

G Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

3 100 100 67 91 95 87 100 89 69 100 100 584 87 93 87 87 87 87 100 100 100 91 90 915 100 83 100 93 87 87 100 100 75 100 93 100

African American Students Meets or Exceeds2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

G Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

3 86 76 76 95 94 87 81 75 70 95 91 764 90 96 64 93 92 87 94 94 82 94 98 945 94 100 91 95 96 87 89 95 100 100 95 100

Economically Disadvantaged Students Meets or Exceeds2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

G Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

Rd.%

ELA%

Math%

3 92 83 77 96 94 87 90 83 70 97 93 764 92 90 79 93 92 87 84 92 88 96 91 965 96 98 88 96 96 90 88 88 96 100 93 100

Overall Gray Elementary CRCT Scores Meets or Exceeds2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

G Sc% SS% Sc% SS% Sc% SS%3 87 87 82 86 87 904 81 85 84 87 89 885 93 85 97 87 93 90

Students with Disabilities Meets or Exceeds2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

G Sc% SS% Sc% SS% Sc% SS%




3 90 91 53 60 90 804 85 86 63 63 75 755 96 89 50 50 66 64

African American Students Meets or Exceeds2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

G Sc% SS% Sc% SS% Sc% SS%3 91 87 57 67 68 824 87 76 85 80 84 845 93 62 84 79 83 78

Economically Disadvantaged Students Meets or Exceeds2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

G Sc% SS% Sc% SS% Sc% SS%3 77 81 70 77 77 814 60 70 96 74 82 825 90 80 72 69 94 79

Retention and Placement DataGrade 2013-2014 2014-2015

Retained Placed Retained PlacedKindergarten 2 2 1First 9 2 9Second 1 3Third 2

Mid-Year Benchmark Data Meets or Exceeds2014-2015

G Rd.% Math%1 97 932 97 93

Math SLO Data Meets or Exceeds2024-2015

G Math %1 832 43

K Reading SLO Data 2014-2015

Letter 97%Sound 81%Blends 84%




Sight Words 83%Overall Average

84%

Grade 3: Writing AssessmentPercent of students scoring at Meets or Exceed

2012-2013 2013-201487% 89%

Grade 5: Writing AssessmentPercent of students scoring at Meets or Exceed

2012-2013 2013-201481% 81%

Write Score Practice 2014-2015Grade 5 Above/Below Report Feb Test 1 Type: O Nov Test 1 Type: IBelow Average 46.67 75.24Average 50.48 21.90Above Average 2.86 2.86*28.58 increase in students scoring in the Average range!!

Grade 4 Above/Below Report Feb Test 1 Type: O Nov Test 1 Type: IBelow Average 35.42 80.00Average 62.50 20.00Above Average 2.08 0.00**42.5 increase in students scoring in the Average range!! **2.08 increase in students scoring in the Above Average range!!

Grade 3 Above/Below Report Feb Test 1 Type: O Nov Test 1 Type: IBelow Average 77.63 88.16Average 22.37 11.84Above Average 0.00 0.00**10.53 increase in students scoring in the Average range!!

The 3rd– 5th grade teachers, as well as support teachers, analyzed and compiled data from the CRCT administration. The school wide data as well as individual grade level data was analyzed. The overall school wide results are listed below:




This document reflects current achievement data that will help the school understand the subjects and skills in which teaching and learning needs to be improved.

The team based this plan on information about all students in the school and identified students and groups of students who are not on target to meet the State Academic content standards and the State student academic achievement standards including:

o The students in third grade overall increased in all areas in 2014. However there were some drops in scores in the subgroups. In math, the percentage of students that met or exceeded on the CRCT in the subgroup students with disabilities dropped by 11%. Overall Math is the weakest area for the subgroups. All subgroups increased the percentage of students to meet or exceed in social studies or science on the CRCT. However we didn’t meet our goal set in the continuous improvement plan in all subgroups for math, science and social studies, or in the African Americans and economically disadvantaged students for ELA.

o The students in fourth grade overall increases their scores in reading, math and social Studies in 2014. We saw a 5% drop in Science and 3% drop in ELA. These areas should be a focus for fourth grade. The subgroup students with disabilities saw the greatest drop with a 9% drop in math and reading. They saw a 12% increase in both science and social studies. The subgroup economically disadvantaged students had a 1 % drop in ELA and a 14% drop in science. The subgroup African American students saw a 1% drop in science. Although there was an increase in many areas for fourth grade, we didn’t meet our goals set in the CIP for all of the subgroups in science and social studies or in students with disabilities in ELA or African Americans in math.

o The students in fifth grade increased overall in reading, ELA, and social studies in 2014. There was a 3% drop in math and 4% drop in science. In the fifth grade subgroups, we saw a 7 % drop in ELA for students with disabilities and with African American students we saw a 1% drop in both science and social studies. Although we saw an increase in most areas in fifth grade, we didn’t meet our goal on the CIP in math for students with disabilities, in ELA for African American and economically disadvantaged students, in science for students with disabilities and African Americans or in social studies in all subgroups.

o We saw an increase in writing third through fifth grade, but still need to continue to target this area to increase the scores to an adequate mastery level in writing with the continued rigor expected.

Kindergarten through second grade teachers use benchmark and SLO data to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the students. Since the rigor has increases under GMAS for grades 3-5, we have increased the rigor of the benchmark and SLO assessments for 2015-2016. Teachers also use data from the student’s portfolios to determine the students’ needs.

o Overall kindergarten students performed well on the Reading SLO. As the students




transition to first grade, many students will need support with blending and reading. For the last couple of years first grade has had a high retention and placement rate. It is important that we focus on phonics and reading for these students to help reduce that retention/placement rate for 2015-2016.

o Overall first grade students performed well on the midyear benchmark. However due to the increase of rigor on the 2015-2016 benchmark assessment, we feel that the students will benefit from additional support in reading. This conclusion is also supported by historical retention/placement data, student portfolios and EIP checklist data.

o Our second grade students did well on the mid-year benchmarks, but struggled with the Math SLO. We feel like to Math SLO was a more accurate indication of where the students are struggling than the benchmark. The SLO reflected the current rigor of the second grade standards. Since our 3rd grade math CRCT data also reflects a weakness, we feel it is important that the second and third grade students are targeted for math instructions through extra support.

The data has helped the school reach conclusions regarding achievement or other related data.

o Our major focus areas will be in 2nd, 3rd and 5th grade math; Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd

grade reading/phonics; 4th grade reading and math for students with disabilities; writing in all grade levels across the curriculum especially focusing on 4th and 5th grade ELA, and in social studies and science in 3rd-5th grade.

o We will target the above students with review time in one of more of the following areas: Early Birds morning program, STAR, differentiation in class time or in our Afterschool Tutoring program. Our support teachers and paraprofessionals will work with our students to help them develop study skills that will assist in this area. Parents will be asked to help students study their vocabulary words. Study guides will be provided for vocabulary development at school and at home.

o We are targeting PEC students as well as selected Tier 3 students through Activate. It is a system that helps brain training for ADHD and Autism and aids with cognitive function, memory, focus, and more. Our Activate groups meet Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:30. This is a computer based brain-training program.

o We will be restructuring our schedule in EIP and PEC to help target students better in a variety of classroom models. Daily intervention times will be developed to help students struggling in the focus areas.

o Students in grades first through fifth will participate in writing exploratory to work on targeted writing areas. We will purchase Write Score online practice to help increase writing scores. Teachers will use the data and resources they receive after each practice test to help guide instruction for the targeted writing areas. Based on our CCRPI report, the red flags under ELA in our subgroups will be a strong focus for the




writing activities put in place based on student Write Score performance.o EIP teachers will serve designated students in reading and math in all grades. Support

teachers will primarily augment into the classrooms for reading and math services, but students will be pulled out for interventions as needed. Our Title I teacher will work with 2nd grade students in reading and 5th grade students in reading, writing and math. Our Title I paraprofessional will work with kindergarten students in reading, 1st

grade students in reading and writing and 2nd grade students in reading.o It is very important that technology is included in the classroom. We need to meet the

challenge of the technologically advancement of our students. The students’ high interest level in technology helps reinforce strategies and instruction methods used in the classroom. Technology through iPads gives the students access to multiple programs through apps and the Internet. The following technology items will be purchased in order to help increase math and reading performance: 8-12 iPads plus technology accessories/supplies and cart for storage.

o Additional resources and supplies will be purchased to help with instruction at school and home in reading, writing/language, math, social studies and science to target the areas of need listed in this plan for the school.

The root causes that we discovered for each of the needs were as follows:o Text complexity and reading level of science and social studies texto Lack of prior knowledge and experiences in the area of science and social studieso Limited time to teach science and social studieso Lack of basic numbers and operation understanding and skills.o Lack of basic foundational skills in phonics and reading.

The measurable goals/benchmarks we have established to address the needs are as follows: o Smart Goals (updated goals to be released Fall 2015)

At least 85 % of our students will respond to our positive behavior program as evidenced by Classroom Referral Forms and SWIS data analysis by having two minor referrals or less during the 2014-2015 school year.

Increase the number of third through fifth grade gifted students scoring at above average on the Write Score Assessment by 20%.

Decrease our retention/administrative placement rate by 25 % overall. o Grade Level Goals for 2015-2016

Kindergarten Kindergarten students will increase their SLO pre-test scores in

English/Language Arts by 30%. This will include letter recognition, letter sounds, sight words, and blending to read.

Kindergarten students will increase their Math standard of counting objects from 0-20 by 30%.




First Grade 85% of our students will score 1.7 or higher on STAR reading score by

the end of the fourth nine weeks. All first grade students will increase by 35% on their Math SLO.

Second Grade We would like to see each student increase his or her reading fluency

score by 30% from August 2015 to May 2016. We would like to see each student increase his or her math fact

computation by 30% from August 2015 to May 2016. We would like to see each student increase his or her SLO score by 35%

from August 2015 to May 2016. Third Grade

We would like to see students fluently master multiplication facts 0-10 by the end of the year.

We would like to see each student increase his or her SLO score by 35% from August 2015 to May 2016.

Fourth Grade We would like to see each student master their multiplication fluency of

facts from 0 – 12 scoring 80% or higher in five minutes. We would like to see each student build comprehension and vocabulary

skills by meeting their Accelerated Reader (A.R.) goal set each nine weeks.

Fifth Grade Students will score average or better on the spring administration of the

practice Write Score test. Students will increase by one grade level on the STAR Reading test by the

end of the year. Students will score 80% or better on multiplication and division math

facts by the end of the year.

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 the school will address the needs of all students in the school; particularly the needs of students furthest away from demonstrating proficiency related to the State’s academic content and student academic achievement standards are: Interpret and analyze on-going, school-wide assessments (e.g., ELA and Math

Benchmarks, GRASP (Georgia RESA Assessment of Student Progress) data, summative assessments, etc.).

Continue to implement and refine the Orton Gillingham and the Sonday System Reading Intervention Program. Both will be used which will lead to better instructional fidelity, as the instructors’ implementation will enter year three.

Continue to implement writing across the curriculum (i.e. writing exploratory for each grade-level once per week, open-ended questions and short response questions in the classroom and individual student writing journals, etc.).

Continue to implement bi-monthly written expression progress monitoring for students with Individual Education Plan objectives/goals established to address areas of weakness in written expression.

Continue to implement and refine Standards-Based Classroom components in all classrooms. Provide differentiated instruction for all students: Focus on the following areas: student commentary (verbal and written), student use of

technology and flexible grouping. Utilize co-teaching and inclusion model of instruction for students with disabilities, EL

students and EIP students. Provide before and after school instruction to preview and reinforce the curriculum. Incorporate use of technology (SMARTBoards, iPads, Student Response Systems, etc.)

during instruction. Utilize non-fiction selections (such as leveled readers and other high interest sources) for

teaching reading/language arts standards, science and social studies Incorporate project-based and cooperative learning in classrooms. Initiate goal setting (SMART goals) and monitoring/graphing results by students. Reinforce effort and provide recognition in classrooms and during school wide assemblies

and in parent communication. Students who are retained and/or did not meet expectations in reading for third and fifth

grade and math for fifth grade will have a Plan of Action (POA) established. This POA will include steps to be taken during the year to help the student reach mastery in all areas during the school year.

Students who exceed on the GMAS in any area will have a Plan of Action (POA) established in that area for the school year. The POA will outline ways to enrich the student throughout the year. Other high-achieving students can receive a POA based on the discretion of the administration.

Resources will be shared using file-sharing software, which allows quick access for the



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).

Professional Learning Communities. Communicate to students, parents, and the community through school newsletters, the school

website, planners, Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) meetings, School Council, and One Call Now.

Provide planning times and planning days for collaboration in vertical and horizontal Professional Learning Communities.

Develop ways to assist students with academic vocabulary instruction (e.g. vocabulary reviews, home-study guides, word walls, etc.).

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:Gray Elementary will focus on Sonday System Reading Intervention Program, non-fiction literature and goal setting to help increase the quality of learning time. Scientific research is included for these programs.1. Sonday Reading Intervention Program:

Research shows that this program will help reduce the percentage of referrals to Special Education, implement Response to Intervention and is seamless with popular Progress Monitoring Programs (AIMSweb, DIBELS).

It is systematic, explicit, sequential and cumulative, student driven, easy to use and replicate. It uses multisensory practice to cement learning into long-term memory and is based on the Orton-Gillingham approach.

Here are some case studies: South Alleghany 38% percent referrals to special education in 2002-2003 in grades

K-3. After one year of the Winsor Learning / Sonday System program, 3% referral rate to special education in 2003-2004

Allentown Public Schools – Significant gains with DIBELS Caldwell County – 28% Average Gain in Reading Grades 1-5 Ideally suited for small

group instruction

2. Non-Fiction Literature: For years, we've known that the amount of independent reading students do contributes to



their reading skills. Students who read more tend to learn more vocabulary, become more proficient readers, find reading more enjoyable, and thus continue to read more and become even better readers (Stanovich, 1986). Poor readers, on the other hand, tend to read less and lose ground. Over time, these differences create a widening gulf in learning. Students at the 90th percentile of reading volume (reading 21.1 minutes a day) encounter 1.8 million words a year, while students in the 10th percentile (reading less than one minute per day) read only 8,000 words a year (Cunningham & Stanovich, 2001). Only in the past decade, however, have researchers begun to uncover that it's not just how much students read that matters, but also what they read. In particular, students need to read and comprehend informational texts as often—and as fluently—as they do narrative texts.

Traditional basal texts—which consist of largely narrative content—have come under increasing scrutiny. A comparison of an enrichment reading program and basal reading programs (Reis, Eckert, McCoach, Jacobs, & Coyne, 2008) found that the enrichment reading group scored significantly higher in oral reading fluency than did the basal reading group. Students in the enrichment reading group received instruction on thinking skills during teacher read-alouds; independently read self-selected books; participated in individualized reading conferences; and engaged in a variety of enrichment activities of their choice, including book discussion groups, creative writing, and other interest-based projects. The researchers concluded that providing "structured silent reading of self-selected challenging books, accompanied by supported, individualized reading instruction … may be a promising way to increase reading fluency" (p. 312).

In the Common Core State Standards, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers (2010) cite a compelling research base supporting the shift to more complex, nonfiction texts. They note, for example, that students who are able to answer questions related to complex text have a high probability of earning a C or better in an introductory-level college course in U.S. history or psychology.

One reason reading nonfiction may be so important is that it helps students develop their background knowledge, which in itself accounts for as much as 33 percent of the variance in student achievement (Marzano, 2000). Background knowledge becomes more crucial in the later elementary grades, as students begin to read more content-specific textbooks (Young, Moss, & Cornwell, 2007) that often include headings, graphs, charts, and other text elements not often found in the narrative fiction they encountered in the lower grades (Sanacore & Palumbo, 2009). http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec12/vol70/num04/Nonfiction-Reading-Promotes-Student-Success.aspx

3. Goal Setting: The effectiveness of an education program can often be improved when the teachers and

students set appropriate goals in place. There are a multitude of benefits that exist for students when specific learning goals are set. The greatest benefit is achieved when the students have a role in forming the goals, as they will feel more ownership and accountability towards the goals. Posting the goals in the classroom will serve as a visual


http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec12/vol70/num04/Nonfiction-Reading-Promotes-Student-Success.aspx

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec12/vol70/num04/Nonfiction-Reading-Promotes-Student-Success.aspx


reminder of the commitment they have made. In summary, with the appropriate goals implemented in the classroom, students will be

forced to take a more active role in their learning process. They will also likely develop a continuous interest in and concern about the world around them, which is important in developing lifelong learners. Students will also develop goal setting and flexible thinking skills that will be useful throughout their life. Source - http://www.ndt-ed.org/TeachingResources/ClassroomTips/Goal_Setting.htm

We have increased the amount and quality of learning time by incorporating an intense targeted instructional period at the beginning of the day STAR (Student Teacher Acceleration Remediation). The hands-on, direct instruction in a small group setting will assist them in attaining necessary skills to move forward. After school tutoring will be given to students below the meets category beginning in January to help advance their skills. Early Birds is provided to students who are struggling help in reading and math. Early Intervention Program (EIP), Title I and Special Education support are provided on a daily basis to give additional support in content areas. Our after school program provides students with instruction in homework and academic enrichment.

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

o the integration of vocational and technical education programs; and

Response: We use many strategies to address the needs of all students.

Students requiring interventions to meet individual learning expectations will receive support through a systematic and purposeful process. The number of students requiring interventions will decrease as the level of intensity through intervention increases.

Students are referred to our Early Intervention Program using statewide testing and benchmark data. If additional slots are available, an EIP checklist may be used to identify at-risk students who may benefit from the services.

We are a school wide Title I school so all students can receive services from our Title I staff. Flexible groups are created based on summative and formative data. As students progress, they are moved out of small groups that receive assistance and into larger groups. The flexible grouping allows teachers the ability to move students in and out of


http://www.ndt-ed.org/TeachingResources/ClassroomTips/Goal_Setting.htm


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

o the integration of vocational and technical education programs; and

groups based on subjects and needs. Classroom teachers and STAR teachers work together in collaboration to make changes to flexible groups, share instructional resources, target skills to remediate or enrich, and monitor student weekly progress in each group.

The special education program has clear state and federally mandated guidelines for placement into the programs. Students are initially referred to Response to Intervention for interventions. There is a 4-Tier delivery model designed to provide support matched to student need through the implementation of standards-based classrooms. Our Parent Mentor helps parents of students with disabilities by referring them to outside counseling and providing them with local community resources as needed.

We provide programs and services through special education and related services to students with disabilities. These services focus on enhancing student achievement for these learners. This can include: accessible instructional materials, assistive technology, curriculum access and alignment, family engagement, least restrictive environment, positive behavior supports, and transition.

Our school counselor works on college and career awareness along with the help of the local 4H agency who teaches career awareness lessons, such as college and career guidance. Our fifth grade writing teacher works on career portfolios with the students each year.

Operation Early Intervention mentors serve students that are referred by our counselor.

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: Gray Elementary will determine whether we have met the needs of the students by reviewing final promotion data, student portfolio, RtI data, student’s plan of action, PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Support) data, anecdotal, statewide testing and benchmark data.



3. Instruction by highly qualified professional staffResponse: All of the professional staff at Gray Elementary School is highly qualified.

4. In accordance with Section 1119 and 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: The school includes the entire faculty and staff in our professional development opportunities that addresses the root causes of our identified needs. All faculty and staff receive a minimum of twenty hours of professional development in order to support the learning of our students. In addition, special education teachers receive additional hours based on need from the Program for Exceptional Children director.

The school provides in-house professional development workshops lead by certified teachers using resources from varied sources. During these workshops, certified and classified staff members are shown ways in which they can use methodology in their own classrooms and around the school. Colleagues are also encouraged to discuss, and problem solve current issues. Each horizontal team at Gray Elementary School will meet to discuss a variety of best practices necessary for student achievement. An example of their Professional Learning Community for the year is as follows: Teacher Keys, school/grade level/individual data analysis through benchmark testing, GMAS results, formative/summative assessments, RtI, and writing strategies: exemplars/rubrics/writing plans. The teachers will implement the information they gain in their classrooms. They will view grade appropriate videos on Edivation to accompany information gained from the meetings. Outside development hours are built in for the teachers to analyze scores from formative and summative assessments and prepare to discuss those scores during their meetings. Teachers will participate in Professional Learning Walks (PLV) and Formative Instructional Practices (FIP) throughout the year. The purpose of the PLV walks is to gain knowledge of best practices from co-workers and see building experts in action. The purpose of formative instructional practices is to give professional learning opportunities to educators. These professional learning opportunities will assist educators in learning about formative instructional practices and enhancing their own use of these strategies. They are important to help with the process of implementing new standards and assessments.

Parents are given opportunities to learn and grow at GES as well. Their professional development for the year will begin with a Title I Annual Review Meeting and Grade Level Curriculum Nights. During the curriculum nights, parents are given tips to help at home and what to expect in their child’s grade level. Parents will also help to determine our parent involvement/education meetings for the year at each event. Parents of students with disabilities will also receive ASPIRE parent training. This will allow them to communicate effectively during the student led conferences each year.




We have aligned professional development with the State’s academic content and student academic achievement standards. We continue to focus our annual professional learning plan on the current CIP (Continuous Improvement Plan) in place for the county and the school. In doing so, we align our professional development with the needs of our students and our faculty.

We have devoted sufficient resources to carry out effectively the professional development activities that address the root causes of academic problems. In our Better Seeking Team monthly meetings, we work together to determine the needs of the faculty and staff to best support our students. Our professional learning plan is revisited based on our continuous improvement plan. If we have specific issues that need to be addressed, we work to discover the root causes of those issues, and create targeted professional learning to focus on the specific need(s).

We have included teachers in professional development activities regarding the use of academic assessments. Our primary focus with Teacher Keys and Leader Keys for the 2015-2016 school year is on differentiated instruction, including student use of technology, commentary, and flexible grouping. Using this as a springboard, we will find ways to assist our students in math, science and social studies; these are the targeted areas shown as weaknesses in our data analysis of GMAS scores. Although our Write Score data has shown an increase, we feel this is due to the actions we have put into place the last couple years to improve writing. We will continue to address writing across the curriculum and we will address writing throughout all professional learning activities.

We have aligned professional development with the State’s academic content and student academic achievement standards. For the 2015-2016 school year Gray Elementary School will meet the academic standards for all criteria. We believe this will be directly related to our ongoing staff development programs. All professional development is focused on using standardized and local school assessment data to plan an instructional calendar that includes state and Georgia Standards of Excellence. We differentiate professional development so that faculty and staff can develop and improve their instructional skills.

We have devoted sufficient resources to effectively carry out the professional development activities that address the root causes of academic problems. This is done through planned, consistent and pervasive professional development during the school day through the support of our school and Central Office administration, our Title I school and local coordinator, and instructional coach. Professional learning occurs during and after school hours through direct instruction for teachers and staff. To that end, we have dedicated a portion of our Title I funds




and school funds to professional development.

We have included teachers in professional development activities regarding the use of academic assessments to enable them to provide information on, and improve the achievement of individual students and the overall instructional program in the following ways: Rotational horizontal meetings are held weekly to analyze student work, plan for common

formative assessments, evaluate student’s pretest and posttests and to reorganize our STAR groups. STAR is a dedicated time during each day where students are taught in flexible groups based on the Georgia Standards of Excellence. There is a focus on technology, hands-on instruction, cooperative learning, and most importantly differentiated instruction. The flexible groups are formed based on pre-assessments and formative assessments, summative assessments group movement occurs every four weeks at a minimum.

Our Better Seeking Team meets monthly to review our progress on our Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP). The faculty and staff get frequent updates on the progress of the CIP through electronic updates and have a chance to give feedback to their leads and the administration.

Teachers have been trained in using Data Director and the Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS). Both programs collect and analyze student data.

5. Strategies to attract high quality highly qualified teachers to high-need schools.Response: The school provides instruction by highly qualified teachers who meet the standards established by the state of Georgia. The school currently does not have any certification deficiencies with our teachers. All members of our faculty and staff are highly qualified. However, if we did have a teacher who was considered not highly qualified, we would follow the procedures for notifying parents in writing regarding the status of the teacher. We would also actively seek to hire a teacher who was identified as being highly qualified as soon as possible. We work closely with local colleges and universities to provide field placements for students working on their teaching certificates. This is an excellent way for us to mold and monitor future GES 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 school wide program plan by developing a parent involvement policy included in our appendices that includes strategies to increase parental involvement. It describes how the school will provide



individual student academic assessment results, including an interpretation of those results. The comprehensive school wide program plan and school-parent compact are made available to the LEA, parents, and the public (internet, newspaper, newsletters). Some of our family events for 2015-2016 may include:

o Academic Focus Reading Under the Stars Bingo for Books Curriculum Night Academic Nights (possible topics: reading/ELA, math and science)

o Relationship Focus Fall Festival Family Movie Nights Fine Arts Night Fitness Nights Grandparent’s Day Holiday Craft Night Popcorn for Parents

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 students transitioning to kindergarten, fifth grade students to middle school and new students enrolling in our school from other school settings. Pre-K to Kindergarten

o Gray Elementary School collaborates closely with the Jones County Pre-Kindergarten, Head Start, First Baptist Pre-K, Children’s Delight Daycare, and Tender Years Daycare to assure the transition between Pre-K and Kindergarten is as seamless as possible. This smooth transition is accomplished by offering students and parents multiple opportunities to visit the GES campus, to review the schools policies/procedures and the opportunity to begin the process of becoming part of the GES Pups’ family.

Identified Pre-K students in Jones County and their parents are invited to family afterschool events in the spring through flyers delivered to their facility and advertising in the paper.

Gray Elementary EIP and Title staff tests pre-kindergarten students annually in the spring to help assess the individual student’s understanding of pre-kindergarten skills. These assessments help identify any students that are below the entering kindergarten expectations.

Pre-K students and upcoming kindergarteners and their parents have an opportunity to tour the campus and visit classrooms at Gray Elementary in the spring at our kindergarten transition day. The students participate in a lesson



with the kindergarten teachers while the parents are given information about kindergarten and the opportunity to ask questions they may have about day-to-day activities and grade-level expectations.

Each year kindergarten students and their parents are invited to the annual GES Open House to visit the student’s classrooms and teachers before school begins.

Kindergarten parents are also invited to attend kindergarten curriculum night to learn about school procedures and grade-level expectations.

5th Grade to Middle School: o 5th grade students visit Gray Station or Clifton Ridge to tour the campus.o Gray Station Informational Recruitment Activities (Band or Sports) come to speak

with the 5th grade students. New students are given:

o An opportunity to attend a new student orientation presentation at the beginning of the year.

o A tour for families moving to the area prior to enrolling in our school or upon parent request is offered.

o A tour of the school is offered as part of the enrollment process at Gray Elementary.o New student packets include information about Gray Elementary, the Jones County

School System, and our community.

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:The ways in which Gray Elementary School includes teachers in decisions regarding use of academic assessments are noted below: Teachers are involved in weekly grade-level discussions about on-going formative

assessments. Teachers compare assessments to help ensure students are graded fairly. Teachers create formative and summative assessments to share amongst their grade levels. When a student-specific need is identified, teachers will initiate the RtI process and a Tier II

meeting will be held with teachers within the grade level and interventions will be put into place. If needed, students will be moved to Tier III and the SST team will involve the parents and the classroom teacher and will identify some additional interventions that will better enable the student to be successful. RtI meetings are held on a regular basis to target students that have instructional needs.

Data Director and SLDS are used as a means to compare and contrast students to determine how changes in classes, groups, etc. need to be made. The teachers understand the importance of flexible grouping. Our skill groups are constantly changing based on a variety of grade-level assessment results.



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: Gray Elementary School RtI Team is made up of teachers and staff members that are relevant or involved with the specific student being met on, the parents of the individual and the RtI Coordinator. Students who are experiencing academic, medical, or behavioral difficulties interfering with their learning may be assisted using this support process. The team will meet for regularly scheduled meetings approximately every 8-10 weeks with Tier III students; with all parties involved in the students’ education to discuss the student’s data and progress, and to adjust the Plan of Action as needed. Tier II students will meet for regularly scheduled meetings approximately every 4-6 weeks with teachers and staff members that are relevant or involved with the specific student being met on and the RtI Coordinator.

The implementation of the “Pyramid of Interventions” by the Georgia Department of Education in 2006 has helped our school to develop a specific plan of action at the first sign of difficulty for at-risk students academically or behaviorally. The unique approach our school has taken is one where the RTI Coordinator and individual teachers meet to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of individual students and then develop specific strategies to meet the struggling students’ needs. Strategies are tried for many weeks to see if improvement occurs. Many times, because of the corrective instruction or implementation of researched based interventions or intensive strategy instruction, no further referral to RtI is needed. To better serve students with special needs, Gray Elementary School offers a variety of services. One service that is offered is the Interrelated Program. This program is designed to meet the needs of students who have been diagnosed with specific learning disabilities, emotional behavioral disabilities, mildly intellectual disabilities, moderately intellectual disabilities, visual impairments, hearing impairments, speech/language impairments, and/or other health impairments. These students require a resource learning-disabled curriculum. The Interrelated Program serves students and is staffed by four full-time certified teachers and one and a half paraprofessionals. The Interrelated teachers attend professional learning pertaining to researched-based programs in the areas of Reading and Math to remain current on new strategies; allowing them to better assist the students they serve. Students are served through an inclusion, co-teaching model and the use of pullout groups as needed. Interrelated teachers work closely with homeroom teachers and with parents of the students they serve. Parents are frequently invited to discuss areas of concern, but all parents are invited to annual review meetings.

The Early Intervention Program (EIP) is a state-funded program that is designed to meet the needs of students in grades K-5 who are performing below grade level in the areas of language arts and mathematics. Gray Elementary School has three certified teachers who teach Reading



and Math students daily in the Early Intervention Program. These teachers have received intensive training, through the school system, about the components of comprehensive literacy. Students are served in either a reduced class model, an augmented model, or through a pullout model.

Speech and Language services are provided to students who met eligibility criteria and have a current Individual Education Program (IEP). Gray Elementary School currently has one full-time Speech/Language pathologist who serves students with articulation, language, hearing-impaired and/or voice disorders. Parents are invited in to go over test results when a child has been referred for Speech/Language services and they are also invited for annual review meetings.

Teachers are expected to keep parents informed of their students’ progress through phone calls, emails, conferences, progress reports, report cards, and weekly or bi-weekly signed papers. All teachers conduct a minimum of two parent conferences/meetings per year. Teachers have conferences/meetings with parents on an as needed basis, but keep documentation of their conversations. If retention is being considered for a child, the administration requests that the teacher have a minimum of three documented conferences/meetings with the child’s parents.

Report cards are sent home to parents each 9-week grading period. Midway through the grading period (4 ½ weeks), teachers send home deficiency reports to parents if necessary. Status letters are sent home to parents if their child is in danger of not meeting promotion requirements after the 3rd 9 weeks grading period.

Our afterschool-tutoring program begins in January. The tutoring focuses on basic math facts, reading strategies, and grammar/usage. Also, we teach the students helpful test taking strategies to help them “weed out” any illogical answers. Students are also taught strategies to help with answering constructive response questions.

Our Early Birds Program meets with students who struggle in reading and math from 7:35 until 8:05 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. During this intervention, students are working on hands-on activities including the use of technology and games to help students meet the standards.

Our Activate groups meet Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:30. This is a computer based brain-training program. We are targeting PEC students as well as selected Tier 3 students. Activate is a system that helps brain training for ADHD and Autism and aids with cognitive function, memory, focus, and more.

The Sonday System Learning Program is used with students who are struggling in phonics and reading throughout the school. The program is used in the upper grades as an intense intervention for phonics. It helps students build basic reading skills to become proficient readers. It uses multi-sensory techniques to help students read, write and spell simultaneously. It has a systematic structure that works through a logical progression from simple to more complex phonograms. Students may not move on until they have mastered the checkpoints.



Students in grades first through fifth will participate in writing exploratory to work on targeted writing areas. Write Score online practice is used to help increase writing scores. Writing exploratory teachers use the data to help construct lessons that focus on areas of need that have been pinpointed by the practice writing test. Teachers will use the data and resources they receive after each practice test to conference with the students and to help guide instruction for the targeted writing areas.

Teachers determine grade level goals for each year for our school-parent compact. Students throughout the year set smart goals to master for themselves. They are encouraged to set short-term goals that work towards a standard or skill they are trying to meet. As the student meets their goals, new goals are set. When the students set their own goals, it helps them feel more ownership and accountability towards their goal. Some goals are posted in the classroom to serve as a visual reminder of the commitment they have made while others are in personal goal setting folders.

We incorporate Student Teacher Acceleration Remediation (STAR) time for each grade level to be utilized for intervention and enrichment. Students are assigned to teachers based on common formative assessments. Once the students have been assigned a teacher, the teacher focuses on what that group of students needs to be successful in reading or math. These flexible groups are provided with hands-on tasks, technology, and high-impact strategies to make a difference in their day-to-day work in the general education classrooms. All members of the faculty and staff are involved in the STAR block except office personnel.

In order to move our students to higher levels our title I funds will be utilized to:

Support a Title I teacher and a Title I paraprofessional to target our student with specific high academic needs.

Supplemental support for instruction the purchase of 10 IPads with wired keyboards and cases.

Software program to support writing/ELA (weak area) Write Score.

Supplies to support the program would include ink, paper, construction paper, pens, and pencils.

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:



This plan has been developed in accordance with the regulations and guidelines of all local, state, and federal programs. The Jones County School System does not consolidate its federal funds. Each federal program is operated separately.

11. Description of how individual student assessment results and interpretation will be provided to parents.

Response: Classroom teachers will communicate with parents on a weekly/bi-weekly basis through signed paper folders about formal and informal assessments that take place during class instruction. Deficiency reports will be sent home halfway through each nine-week grading period. Report cards are sent home at the conclusion of each nine-week period. Communication will be on-going through phone calls, emails, notes home, signed paper folders, and parent-teacher conferences/meetings to ensure that parents are kept up-to-date concerning their child’s progress. Teachers share reports generated through Data Director and SLDS with parents to give them an overview of annual progress on testing.

Benchmarks are countywide tests that are given to elementary students midyear to monitor the growth of each student and their progress with the Georgia Standards of Excellence. These tests are used for instructional purposes only; therefore scores are not shared with parents. Results from specific skills may be shared if additional instruction is needed. Teachers and support staff review Benchmark results for individual students, as well as grade-level data during scheduled grade-level meetings.

The SLO is given in K-3rd as a pre and posttest and in non-tested subjects like music and PE.

The CRCT was given in the spring of 2014 for the last time. The Georgia Milestone Assessment System (GMAS) was given for the first time in the spring of 2015.

At the beginning of the school year each grade-level hosted a Curriculum Night that gave parents information on the new state mandated assessment. A testing workshop was held in the spring to give parents information on how the GMAS would be formatted and to review the Student Growth Model Reports with parents of 5th grade students. Results from the GMAS are not expected to be returned until late fall. At that time, teachers will discuss the results of the GMAS with parents as needed.

12. Provisions for the collection and disaggregation of data on the achievement and assessment results of students.

Response: The system testing coordinator ensures that all test data is collected in accordance with state guidelines. Disaggregated data and proper documentation is provided to the schools by the Georgia Department of Education. This information is made available to the media by the central office. Gray Elementary uses Data Director, which provides disaggregated data for the school,



each grade-level, teacher, and student. Data Director includes data over time for all populations tested for benchmark and CRCT tests. This data is very helpful when working with teachers to provide support for students who move into Tiers II and III in the Pyramid of Interventions. GRASP is used at a system level to track data of county wide universal screeners in reading and math. This program also provides progress-monitoring data for RtI. Data Director and GRASP information is also used by special education teachers as a source of information to assist in Individual Education Plan (IEP) preparation, to discuss student strengths and weaknesses with parents during annual reviews, and as one of many progress monitoring tools to help determine student progress toward grade-level curriculum mastery.

13. Provisions to ensure that disaggregated assessment results for each category are valid andreliable.

Response: GMAS, the State mandated assessment, meets research-based reliability and validity requirements are statistically sound data. Test items used for our county benchmarks are pulled from the test item bank from a state online assessment databank. This site allows educators to have access to test items aligned to the state mandated curriculum to develop assessments that inform teaching and learning.Classroom pre-tests, formative assessments, summative assessment provide student data as the year progresses. Administrators, instructional coach, instructional lead teacher and teachers analyze the data mentioned above in order to identify strengths and weaknesses to direct teaching strategies that guide instruction. The CRCT, GMAS and GKIDS have been certified as reliable and valid by the Georgia Department of Education. STAR Reading is also used to assess students. It is created by Renaissance Learning and is a valid and reliable actionable date used to help create flexible groups in reading.

14. Provisions for public reporting of disaggregated data.Response: The state and local school board of education make sure the College and Career Readiness Performance Index and local school system report is made available to the media. At the school level, a data room is provided and maintained with current disaggregated data for the public to view. Information is also made available to the public on the Gray Elementary School website for review. Printed copies are made available to those who do not have Internet access.

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 Gray Elementary’s Better Seeking Team (BST) developed this Schoolwide Plan with input given by teachers, parents, students, the School Council members and other stakeholders. This plan was a work in progress from March 2015 to May 2015. The schoolwide plan was developed by collecting and analyzing data to determine the needs of the students.



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: In the spring each year, teachers, students and parents are given the opportunity to offer input and feedback concerning the revision of all Title I documents at revision meetings or asked to send in comments and feedback. Parents are notified by flyer, newsletter, school webpage, calendar and newspaper of the opportunities to participate. Additional input is gathered through surveys, School Council and other Title I meeting sessions. Stakeholders assisted with the plan by participating in the analyzing of the data to determine the needs of the students through School Council meetings. The 2014 College and Career Readiness Performance Index were reviewed along with 2013-2014 benchmark data. Upon completion, the plan will be presented at the annual Title I meeting in the fall at Gray Elementary School.

17. Plan available to the LEA, parents, and the public.Response: The GES Title I Schoolwide Plan will be available to all parents and/or stakeholders for review. Copies will be placed in the front lobby and on the Gray Elementary website. All parents will have an opportunity to receive a hard copy at enrollment or at any time during the school year, upon request. Parents with an email on file will receive an electronic version of the document through our One Call system.

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: A translation of this plan will be provided upon the request of a parent and/or stakeholder of Gray Elementary. Enrollment forms, as well as other letters, including newsletters, are translated by Google translate as soon as the staff has identified the need. Currently, Gray Elementary has two identified families that need documents translated into Spanish.

19. Plan is subject to the school improvement provisions of Section 1116.Response: Gray Elementary School will abide by the requirements of the School Improvement of Title I, Section 1116. The Schoolwide Plan is based on the needs assessment of the school. This document provides the framework for improving academic achievement. Teachers and administrators refer to this document when planning for student instruction as well as professional development. Gray Elementary will use Title I funds to supplement, not supplant, other funds that would otherwise come from non-federal sources.


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