Schoolwide Plan
Division Name: Fairfax County Public Schools
School: Woodley Hills
Date: 10/1/17
Revision
Title I schools implementing schoolwide programs are required to develop schoolwide plans in accordance with Section 1114(b) of the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA). Guidelines for plan development include the following:
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The plan should be developed with the involvement of:
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Parents;
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Other members of the community to be served;
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Individuals who will carry out the plan, including teachers, principals, other school leaders, administrators, paraprofessionals present in the school;
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The local education agency;
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To the extent feasible, tribes and tribal organizations present in the community; and
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If appropriate
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Specialized instructional support personnel;
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Technical assistance providers;
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School staff; and
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If the plan relates to a secondary school, students and other individuals determined by the school;
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The plan should be available to the Local Educational Agency (LEA), parents, and the public; information in the plan should be in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language that parents can understand; and
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If appropriate and applicable, the plan should be developed in coordination and integration with other federal, state, and local services, resources, and programs, such as programs supported under ESSA, violence prevention programs, nutrition programs, housing programs, Head Start programs, adult education programs, career and technical education programs, and schools implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities or targeted support and improvement activities under section 1111(d).
The ESEA requires four components to be included in the schoolwide plan. The template below provides a framework that may be used to develop and/or update a schoolwide plan. For each component, the narrative section in the template should becompleted in sufficient detail to document how the component has been thoroughly and thoughtfully addressed. Schoolwide plans should be reviewed annually and revised as necessary to promote continuous improvement and to reflect the school’s initiatives to upgrade the entire educational program of the school.
To maintain focus, eliminate duplication of effort, and promote comprehensiveness, schools should operate under a single plan if at all possible. A school that already has a plan for school improvement might consider amending it, rather than starting over, provided that the existing plan was based on a comprehensive needs assessment and can be revised to include the four required schoolwide components. This template can be used by schools with existing Indistar® plans to reference indicators and tasks in the Indistar® plan that related to the schoolwide components.
Directions: Complete each of the four components by following these steps:
Using Indistar®:
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Access the Title I Schoolwide Plan template from the “Complete Form” tab of the Indistar® dashboard.
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Provide a narrative response that describes how the school has addressed the requirements for each component;
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Where applicable, identify the indicator(s) and task number(s) from the school’s Indistar® plan that align with each required component;
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Click “Save” at the bottom of the form to save your responses; and
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Submit the plan to your LEA Division Contact by returning to the dashboard. Under the “Submit Forms/Reports” tab, go to the Title I Plans section, and select the Title I Schoolwide Plan “Submit” button.
Not Using Indistar®:
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Access the Title I Schoolwide Plan template on the Title I web site.
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Provide a narrative response that describes how the school has addressed the requirements for each component; and
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Submit the plan as directed by your LEA Title I Coordinator.
Resources:
Schoolwide program resources, including USED guidance on Designing Schoolwide Programs, Supporting School Reform by Leveraging Federal Funds in a Schoolwide Program, and Title I Fiscal Issues, can be accessed at the Title I website under Guidelines and Procedures/Federal Guidance.
A Virginia Department of Education presentation on Requirements and Implementation of a Title I Schoolwide Program can be accessed at: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/federal_programs/esea/index.shtml.
Component 1 §1114(b)(6):
A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that takes into account information on the academic achievement of children in relation to the challenging state academic standards, particularly the needs of those children who are failing, or are at-risk of failing, to meet the challenging state academic standards and any other factors as determined by the local educational agency.
Evidence: A systematic effort involving multiple stakeholders to acquire an accurate and thorough picture of strengths and weaknesses of the school community, thus identifying student needs through a variety of information-gathering techniques. A data analysis summary must be included which incorporates benchmarks used to evaluate program results. The results of your data analysis must guide the reform strategies that you will implement to improve instruction for all students.
Narrative:
Woodley Hills is fully accredited based on being fully accredited for the past three years. We met the designated benchmarks in Reading, Math and History but are warned in Science. The percentage of students in grades 1-6 meeting benchmark on the DRA2 was 55%. The percentage of students in Kindergarten meeting benchmark on the DRA-WA was 72% with 52% reaching a DRA Level 4. The percentage of students passing the Reading SOL in Grades 3-6 increased from 58% to 65%.
We had an increase in the pass rates for English in Gap Groups 1 (54.91% to 60.62%); Gap Group 2 (51.39% to 67.24%); and Gap Group 3 (54.04% to 56.52%). Questions that required the higher level thinking skills such as application and analysis remained areas of concerns. After conducting grade level data dialogues, reviewing end of the year SIP reflections, and delving deeper into the DRA2, findings indicated that the strategic actions were being taught in isolation with limited independent practice. In turn, students had difficulty transferring these skills to independence and developing metacognitive awareness. We will be focusing on increasing student conversation as well as increasing independent reading time. Teachers will be supporting the students by implementing frequent opportunities for academic conversations, Reading Partnerships and conferring with students.
In the area of mathematics, our overall scores in grades 3-6 did not change significantly with a pass rate of 61%. The percentage of students in K-2 meeting benchmark on the MRA was 79%. We had an increase in the pass rates for Mathematics in all Gap Groups 1 (54.43% to 60.41%); Gap Group 2 (56.94% to 68.42%); and Gap Group 3 (52.14% to 57%). Gap group 2 met the AMO benchmark. The teachers will continue to utilize Number Talks with the students as well as continue to implement Performance Tasks. In addition, we will focus on increasing academic conversations/student discussions.
Overarching Goal:
Student achievement in mathematics and language arts, grades K-6, will improve and the achievement gap will close through the consistent use of best practices in instruction and implementation of highly effective collaborative learning teams.
Specific Goals:
Based on the reading and mathematics data above, Woodley Hills Elementary has set the following Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-oriented, Time-bound and Rigorous (SMARTR) goals for student growth and performance.
2017 – 2018
Reading
Baseline/Initial Goals:
All Kindergarteners exempt from or below the 39th percentile on the iReady assessment will have the following DRA2WA Tasks administered: 1-3 and 5-7.
All 1st - 3rd grade students reading below DRA2 grade level benchmark will have DRA2WA or related tasks administered focused on segmenting.
All 4th - 6th grade students reading below DRA2 grade level benchmark will have DRA2WA or related tasks administered focused on Segmenting & Structural Analysis (28, 34, 35, 37, 38 and 39)
Interim Goals:
All Kindergarteners assessed on DRA2WA Tasks 1-3, 5-7 will increase at least one level of control, as measured by the DRA2WA rubric on related Word Analysis Tasks focused on segmenting.
All 1st - 3rd grade students assessed on segmenting tasks will increase at least one level of control, as measured by the DRA2WA rubric.
All 4th - 6th grade students assessed on structural analysis tasks will increase at least one level of control, as measured by the DRA2WA rubric.
Interim Goals – As Needed:
All Kindergarteners assessed on DRA2WA Tasks 1-3, 5-7 will increase at least one level of control, as measured by the DRA2WA rubric on related Word Analysis Tasks focused on segmenting.
All 1st - 3rd grade students assessed on segmenting tasks will increase at least one level of control, as measured by the DRA2WA rubric.
All 4th - 6th grade students assessed on structural analysis tasks will increase at least one level of control, as measured by the DRA2WA rubric.
End of Year SMARTR Outcome:
The percentage of Kindergarteners reaching DRA2 level 4 by the end of the fourth quarter will be 75%
The percentage of 1st & 2nd grade students meeting or exceeding DRA2 benchmark by the end of the fourth quarter will increase from 60% to 75%.
The percentage of students passing the 2018 Reading SOL in Grades 3-6 will increase from 66% to 75%.
Individual Growth
Baseline/Initial Goal:
Baseline data will be gathered based on teacher assessment and student self-assessment using school selected elements of the Portrait of a Graduate Rubric by end of September 2017.
Interim Goal:
All students will increase at least one level on school selected elements of the POG rubric, as measured by teacher assessments and student self-assessments by end of January 2018.
End of Year SMARTR Outcome:
All students will increase at least one level on school selected elements of the POG rubric, as measured by teacher assessments and student self-assessments by end of June 2018.
Science
Baseline/Initial Goal:
At least 70% of 4th and 5th grade students will achieve a passing score on a common unit assessment at the end of the first quarter.
Interim Goal:
At least 70% of 4th and 5th grade students will achieve a passing score on a common unit assessment at the end of the second quarter.
Interim Goal – As Needed:
At least 70% of 4th and 5th grade students will achieve a passing score on a common unit assessment at the end of the third quarter.
End of Year SMARTR Outcome:
At least 70% of students will achieve a passing score on the 5th Grade Science SOL.
At least 70% of 4th grade students will achieve a passing score on a common unit assessment at the end of the fourth quarter.
Budget Implications:
Title I funding will be allocated to the following: 2 math specialists, .5 Advanced Academics Resource Teacher, data dialogue and curriculum planning day coverage for teachers and funding for transportation for parents to attend training for homework help and testing support. Funds will also be allocated to provide extended day opportunities for students based on data to increase student mastery in reading, mathematics and science.
Please see Component 4 regarding Program Evaluation
Component 2 §1114(b)(7)(A)(i):
Provide a description of schoolwide reform strategies that provide opportunities for all children, including each of the subgroups of students (as defined in section 1111(c)(2)) to meet the challenging state academic standards.
Evidence: Scientifically-based research strategies based on identified needs and designed to raise the achievement level of all students on content standards. Provide information on how the selected strategies will increase student achievement in underperforming subgroups, if applicable. Include a description of how the reform strategies will be evaluated for effectiveness.
Narrative:
Summary of the problem
The Woodley Hills Elementary School staff recognizes the following challenges in the area of mathematics:
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Struggle with number and numbers sense as well as computation:
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Struggle with problem solving and retention of skills;
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Inconsistent use of rigorous task that are cooperative in nature during Math Workshop.
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Inconsistent focus on building understanding of mathematics academic vocabulary;
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Lack of meaningful academic conversations about mathematics concepts among students during collaborative times;
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Inconsistent achievement on division Horizon assessments and team-developed formative assessments, with specific concerns for performance of students in the Hispanic, Limited English Proficient (LEP), and economically disadvantaged demographic groups;
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Inconsistent use of communicating learning targets to students; and
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Inconsistent use of “I can” statements to facilitate goal-setting by students.
The Woodley Hills Elementary Leadership Team recognizes the following challenges in the area of literacy:
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Inconsistent incorporation of phonemic awareness and phonics instruction;
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Lack of background knowledge to create connections to new content;
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Inconsistent implementation of targeted focus lessons and explicit vocabulary instruction;
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Inconsistent with providing students time to choose what to write about during writing workshop;
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Inconsistent tracking of data to monitor interventions;
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Inconsistent use of formative assessments before administering common assessments; and
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Inconsistent use learning targets to facilitate goal-setting and self-monitoring by students.
Proposed strategic actions
The following is a list of proposed solutions within the areas of mathematics and literacy to achieve enhanced learning opportunities for all students, including students in each subgroup, to close achievement gaps.
Mathematics:
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Math Workshop
Differentiated Math Workshop will provide students the opportunity to practice math skills at their current level of understanding while expecting them to deepen their level of understanding. This model puts students at the center of the instruction, and gives them ample time to problem solve, learn with their peers and be deeply engaged in learning math concepts.
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Collaborative Practices in Mathematics
All grade level teams will:
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Utilize the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle in grade level teams to map curriculum, unpack standards for instruction, develop common assessments, and design lessons;
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Plan common mathematics lessons to include the Virginia Mathematics Process Goals and opportunities for academic discourse;
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Analyze common assessments using the “Here’s What, So What, Now What” protocol and plan intervention and enrichment for students, by name and by need, based on this analysis;
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Implement a weekly mathematics CLT meeting at each grade level;
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Use grade level common assessments including the Mathematical Reasoning Assessment (MRA) in grades K-2, assessments included on the division’s Horizon assessment system, released SOL assessment items, exit tickets, end of unit assessments, and teacher observation to monitor student progress and effectiveness of instruction; and
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Use division resources within the electronic Curriculum Assessment Resource Tool (eCART), including pacing guides, extended scope and sequence, and print resources.
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Mathematics Intervention
Continue oversight of reading and math interventions by the Instructional Leadership Team, ESOL Team and Reading and Math Specialists in conjunction with grade level teams using the RIPT (responsive instruction protocol template) protocol. Teachers will utilize a protocol to guide and document Responsive Instruction Interventions and the information will be consistently entered into EDSL. This ten-minute protocol will require grade-level teams to collaborate to identify a specific skill that students find challenging. The teams will then determine an appropriate intervention, identify who is responsible for the intervention, when it will take place, how it will be monitored, and when the follow up discussion will take place to assess student learning and make plans for next steps. Finally, teams will determine if a new skill and/or intervention needs to be targeted. The school-based Strategy technology specialist, instructional coach, and administrators will work together to support this process.
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Mathematics Professional Development
Woodley Hills Elementary will implement the following professional development approaches for mathematics:
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Participate in the Mathematics Workshop course, Math Recovery as well as the Number and Operations sessions offered by the county;
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Based on team reflections and surveys, the instructional coach and math specialists will lead grade level teams in reading and discussing relevant articles and books to help build their mathematics conceptual understanding and to help them develop lessons that are meaningful, purposeful, and engaging for students, including Teaching Mathematics Developmentally by John Van de Walle as a primary resource for this professional development;
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With guidance from the grade level lead teacher and math specialists, teachers will:
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Develop deep understanding of the Virginia Mathematics Process Goals; and
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Participate in CT and staff development sessions on utilizing discourse in the mathematics classroom.
Literacy:
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Vocabulary and Strategy Development
Lessons will be designed to scaffold language and incorporate explicit student-friendly content vocabulary so that all students can access the key understandings and vocabulary prior to the unit of study. Evidence of lesson design will be lesson plans, collaborative team meeting agendas and discussions of lessons as well as classroom observations. Strategy Ladders, Socratic Seminars and use of vocabulary banks will be modeled by the Reading teacher, Advanced Academic Resource and classroom teachers to show how strategies can be used for reading comprehension.
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Collaborative Practices in Literacy
All grade level teams will:
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Focus on language arts instruction during a weekly CLT meeting;
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Develop and use grade level common assessments that consist of assessments from the division Horizon assessment system, released SOL assessment items, Strategy Ladders, exit tickets, and/or teacher observations such as running records and anecdotal notes to monitor student progress and effectiveness of instruction;
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Use division resources within eCART, including pacing guides, extended scope and sequence, assessments, and instructional materials;
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Utilize support from the instructional coach and reading teachers to improve language arts instruction and to facilitate CLT work; and
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Continue and deepen current practices by CLTs in analysis of data to determine each student’s strengths and needs to inform instructional practices.
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Literacy Intervention
Students in grade K-6 will be identified for reading intervention based on the division beginning-of-year assessment, classroom observation, formative assessments, and other division assessment information. Teachers will utilize a protocol to guide and document Responsive Instruction Interventions in EDSL. This ten-minute protocol will require grade-level teams to collaborate to identify a specific skill that students find challenging to learn. The teams will then determine an appropriate intervention, identify who is responsible for the intervention, when it will take place, how it will be monitored and when the follow up discussion will take place. Finally, teams will determine if a new skill and/or intervention needs to be targeted. The RI committee and school-based technology specialists will work together to support this process.
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Literacy Professional Development
Woodley Hills Elementary will implement the following professional development approaches for literacy:
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Professional development will be provided by Reading teacher and the Instructional Coach, focusing on the designing formative assessments and analyzing for instructional implications.
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Classroom teachers will continue staff development during weekly Collaborative Learning team meetings, facilitated by the Reading teachers, focusing on components of literacy instruction with an emphasis on phonemic awareness.
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Professional development sessions will continue to support schoolwide implementation of phonemic awareness and the writing workshop model.
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Collaborative Teams will have a professional development focus that supports individual team needs. Examples may include: running record analysis, developing strategy ladders, developing focus lessons, and balancing the strategies of the Reading and Writing Workshops.
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Ongoing professional development will be provided by the Instructional Coach, ESOL teachers and reading specialist for staff on meeting the needs of English learners.
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Implementation of Advanced Academic Strategies and curriculum in all classrooms.
Budget Implications:
Title I funding will be allocated to the following: .5 Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, pay for teachers to work after school, paying for buses to transport students home, data dialogue and curriculum planning day coverage for teachers and paying for substitutes for half or full-day in-house professional development. Funds will also be allocated to provide extended day opportunities for students based on data to increase student mastery in reading.
Please see Component 4 regarding Program Evaluation
Component 3 §1114(b)(7)(ii):
Provide a description of schoolwide reform strategies that use methods and instructional strategies that strengthen the academic program in the school; increase the amount and quality of learning time; and help provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum, which may include programs, activities, and courses necessary to provide a well-rounded education.
Evidence: Scientifically-based research strategies or activities that strengthen and enrich the academic program by: extending the school day; embedding reading and/or mathematics curricula into other instructional areas; or other strategies as appropriate. Include a description of how the reform strategies will be evaluated for effectiveness.
Narrative:
The Woodley Hills Elementary School Leadership Team recognizes the following challenges in the area of instructional practice:
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Limited familiarity with the underlying conceptual knowledge behind mathematical reasoning and understandings among some teachers, despite familiarity with mathematical procedural knowledge;
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Inconsistent focus on building understanding of mathematics vocabulary;
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Lack of meaningful academic conversations about mathematics concepts among students;
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Inconsistent understanding and use of the Virginia Mathematics Process Goals;
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Inconsistent in the implementation and analysis of formative assessments to check student learning
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Lack of teacher knowledge of strategies for how to support English learners and how to build background knowledge and academic vocabulary.
The Woodley Hills Elementary Leadership Team recognizes the following challenges in the area of amount and quality of learning time:
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Inconsistent use of rigorous learning activities that will support student conversation;
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Inconsistent use of collaborative learning and engagement strategies;
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Inconsistent documentation of data from Responsive Instruction lessons to confirm that intervention has been successful; and
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Inconsistent use of scaffolds such as sentence frames and vocabulary graphic organizers to support participation and engagement of Level 1 – 4 ELLs
The Woodley Hills Elementary Leadership Team recognizes the following challenges in the area of enriching and accelerating student learning:
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Inconsistent in integrating Advanced Academic strategies into lessons – at times viewed as add-on or isolated.
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Inconsistent in utilizing rigorous tasks in literacy and math instructional blocks.
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Inconsistent use of higher order Boom’s taxonomy questions and thinking in instruction for our ELL students.
The following is a list of proposed solutions within to strengthen and enhance the overall academic program.
Instructional Practice:
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Academic Discourse
Teachers will purposefully plan for academic conversations in mathematics and reading. The teachers will appropriately plan scaffolds and supports to assist our ELLs in participating in the discussions.
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Supplemental Mathematics Teachers
Two mathematics teachers will collaborate with the instructional coach, administration and grade level teachers to provide professional learning for teachers during grade level CLT meetings and school-wide professional development days. The math specialists will also teach small groups, co-teach with the general education teachers and model lessons when needed.
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Professional Development
Woodley Hills Elementary will implement the following professional development approaches for strengthening instructional practices to achieve these strategies:
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Facilitation training for grade level team leaders to further develop the effectiveness of Collaborative Learning Teams.
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Training on developing academic conversations in reading, writing and mathematics.
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Professional development sessions centered around phonemic awareness.
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Coaching and CLT professional development support in instructional strategies by the reading and mathematics teachers.
Amount and Quality of Learning Time:
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Designated Math Intervention & Enrichment Time
Students in kindergarten through sixth grade will be identified for mathematics intervention and enrichment by name and by need based on the mathematics assessments, classroom observation, anecdotal notes, and additional formative and summative assessments. Mathematics intervention and enrichment will be implemented during as well as after school. The teachers will utilize VMath, Number Worlds, Do The Math or Math Recovery as determined by math screeners, SOL results and iReady data.
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After School Intervention and Enrichment Program
An after school intervention program will be provided for students in grades 1-6 who are struggling or at risk for failing the math, science, social studies or reading SOL. These program will help students build their conceptual understanding in the specific content areas as well as learn to demonstrate their knowledge on standardized tests.
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Professional Development
Woodley Hills Elementary will implement the following professional development approaches for improving the quality of learning time to achieve these strategies:
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Professional Development focused on Phonemic Awareness and phonics.
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Training in VMATH, Number Worlds, Do the Math and Leveled Literacy Interventions for intervention teachers.
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CLT focus at least once monthly on pacing and application of the daily instructional block for literacy, mathematics, and science.
Enriching and Accelerating Student Learning:
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Rigorous Tasks
Use of performance-based tasks that are rich in higher level mathematics will allow students opportunities to practice problem solving, critical thinking, reasoning, and communication skills. The use of Socratic Seminar, Jacobs Ladder and Book clubs are some strategies utilize to improve students thinking skills.
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Supplemental Advanced Academics Resource Teacher Support
Extending time for the Advanced Academics Resource Teacher (AART) to full time will allow this individual to more consistently share resources and work collaboratively with grade level teams to support high expectations and use of higher order Bloom’s questioning. The AART will also support students directly by working in small groups for identified students and in whole group critical and creative thinking lessons. The AART will also provide professional development during CT meetings as well as during school-wide professional development days.
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Professional Development
Woodley Hills Elementary will implement the following professional development approaches for enriching and accelerating student learning to achieve these strategies:
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Coaching from the AART and instructional coach for teachers in applying rigorous tasks and higher order questions.
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Monthly staff meetings will focus on higher order questioning and thinking skills, with strategies and resources for teachers.
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Labsites, modeling and peer observations will be utilized to support teacher learning in math and reading.
Budget Implications:
Title I funding will be used to support Title I math and Advanced Academic teacher positions that will support professional learning, CLT development and model effective pedagogical strategies for teachers. Title I funds will also allow for professional development and grade level planning days as needed throughout the year.
Please see Component 4 regarding Program Evaluation
Component 4 §1114(b)(7)(iii):
Provide a description of schoolwide reform strategies that address the needs of all children in the school, but particularly the needs those at risk of not meeting the challenging state academic standards, through activities which may include—
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Counseling, school-based mental health programs, specialized instructional support services, mentoring services, and other strategies to improve students’ skills outside the academic subject areas;
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Preparation for and awareness of opportunities for postsecondary education and the workforce, which may include career and technical education programs and broadening secondary school students’ access to coursework to earn postsecondary credit while still in high school (such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, dual or concurrent enrollment, or early college high schools);
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Implementation of a schoolwide tiered model to prevent and address problem behavior, and early intervening services, coordinated with similar activities and services carried out under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.);
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Professional development and other activities for teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school personnel to improve instruction and use of data from academic assessments, and to recruit and retain effective teachers, particularly in high-need subjects; and
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Strategies for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood education programs to local elementary school programs and, if programs are consolidated, the specific state educational agency and local education agency programs and other federal programs that will be consolidated in the schoolwide program.
Evidence: Scientifically-based research strategies or activities such as student support services; behavior intervention systems; tiered systems of support; teacher recruitment and/or retention activities; or other activities as appropriate. Include a description of how the reform strategies will be evaluated for effectiveness.
Narrative:
The children who attend Woodley Hills ES have varying needs and some require an extensive amount of social emotional and behavioral support. The students entering kindergarten have limited literacy and numeracy skills in addition to executive functioning. A significant number of students entering also have challenges exhibiting appropriate school behaviors. Our neediest children are often living multiple families in a single dwelling or many are homeless. This is often the result of the families being recent immigrants and/or parents lacking education from the US allowing them access to higher paying jobs. This also causes our mobility rate to be significant. We have also found that our students have experienced a significant amount of trauma and have mental health needs. Our staff has had some training but would benefit from a deeper understanding and additional training in support mental health concerns and trauma. The staff has limited understanding of some of cultural differences and how those differences might impact the children’s social, emotional, and academic growth.
Proposed strategic actions
The following are proposed solutions to address the needs of at-risk students to assist them in meeting the state’s academic standards.
Social, Emotional, and Mental Health:
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Clinical Support
Woodley Hills has been granted a fulltime Social Worker to support the emotional needs of the students. The Social Worker will work with the Guidance Counselors, Psychologists and administration to implement groups, individual and class counseling for children. The team will also provide professional development for the staff and support and resources for staff, parents and guardians.
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Business and Faith-Based Partnerships
Members of the Alexandria – Fairfax County Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity will serve as mentors for a group of fourth – sixth grade boys. Ft. Belvoir Morale and Welfare Department, Kid’s First, several Local Churches and other community organizations will provide support for our students. The organization will provide backpacks, school supplies, clothing and coats. Holiday Assistance for families will be provided by our partners for our economically disadvantaged students. A parent sponsored non-profit charity also provides nutritional food for students through our Food for Thought weekend food program.
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Professional Development
Staff members will participate in character education training as identified in our SIIP plan. The clinical staff will also provide training for individual teachers as well as staff members throughout the year. The administrators, school counselor, and social worker attended the Trauma-informed supervisor training during the summer. Staff members will participate in MANDT training, PBIS workshops, classroom management as well as FCPS online trauma training sessions and resources on the website.
Behavior and Goal-Directed Learning:
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Progressive Ongoing Feedback
Teachers will continue to provide parents with feedback on their students’ behavioral and social progress through various modes of communication including home visits, phone calls, conferences, and notes home. Student progress reports will continue to be sent home quarterly to document students’ growth. Students requiring Tier II or Tier III support will have strategies and data collected in the RI tool in EDSL.
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Student Leadership Academy
Sixth grade students who show academic potential will be selected to participate in a Student Leadership Academy 30 hour after-school program focusing on college and career readiness mindset and skills through a coding curriculum. This program will feature a college field trip, guest speakers from minority backgrounds to tell the story of their academic and career journey, and three parent-student events throughout the year.
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Professional Development
Woodley Hills Elementary will implement the following professional development approaches for establishing positive, productive school-wide and classroom cultures. All staff members will attend Cultural Proficiency training. The staff will participate in training for Class meetings, Community of Caring and classroom management training for all staff. The counselors and sixth grade teachers will attend training in use of Naviance, a career exploration and goal-setting technology program, to implement with sixth grade students.
School Readiness and Transitions:
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Bridge to Kindergarten
A three-week extended orientation program will be offered to all rising kindergarten students so that they can be better prepared for the transition to kindergarten. Through this program, students will begin to form relationships with school staff and peers, as well as learn the classroom routines and expectations. This will also provide an opportunity to assess student readiness levels so that students in need of intervention are identified early.
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Special Education Preschool and Head Start Transition
Preschool students who are in special education classes in the division will be observed by a Woodley Hills ES special education teacher prior to the transition from preschool to kindergarten. The kindergarten teachers will meet with the Head Start teacher in the building to discuss each student’s strengths and needs and visit and meet with any other programs where there are Woodley Hills students in attendance. The teachers and administrators will attend local preschool (Gum Springs, Creative School, etc.) orientations as well as have the students visit the classrooms during the school day.
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Kindergarten Orientation and Workshops
The Kindergarten teachers have planned an orientation and several workshops throughout the year to support school readiness and parent support. The workshops will be held in August, October, and February. Parents will receive information about the kindergarten curriculum and ways to support their children at home. During the orientation the parents will receive kindergarten readiness materials translated into multiple home languages.
Budget Implications:
Title I funds will be used to support additional hours for our parent liaison to support communication between teachers and parents, translations of newsletters, emails and notes. The parent liaisons also interpret for conferences, phone calls, PTA meetings and evening events. District level funds provided support for a full-time school social worker to better support students, parents, and teachers in connecting to county and division resources.
Evaluation plays a critical role in the development, effectiveness, and sustainability of any program. Two questions will focus the evaluation of this plan:
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Is the program being implemented as the planning group intended?
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Did the students’ achievement in meeting the state and division academic standards increase to the desired level?
The goal of program evaluation will be practiced continuously through design, development, and implementation cycles to ensure that the schoolwide plan is effective and is implemented as intended. The program evaluation will be organized and carried out according to the following steps.
Step One: Identification of Purpose and Intended Audiences
An annual review of data will be examined by the school Leadership Team to determine the percentage of students not reaching proficiency on summative assessments, including SOL assessments as well as DRA2 and MRA results. The Leadership Team will review the effectiveness of the proposed instructional strategies and the degree of family engagement.
Step Two: Identification of Issues and Development of Review Questions
Development of questions for program evaluation began with a gap analysis, noted in the Comprehensive Needs Assessment section above, and identification of areas of concern. These school performance indicators (SOL assessments as well as DRA2 and MRA results) showed several areas for growth. As a result, the following questions will be used during the next review process:
Inputs. What resources were identified in the schoolwide program and to what degree were they utilized?
Activities. Did planned events such as professional development, family engagement activities, and schoolwide instructional initiatives take place as scheduled? What was the impact of such events on student achievement?
Short-term impact. What were the short-term results of implementing a particular strategy in the schoolwide plan? Was training provided for the targeted number of school staff? Did the training affect subsequent instructional decisions?
Long-term impact. What tracking components will be used to determine sustainable results? What incremental targets will be used to forecast long-term impact?
Step Three: Identification of Data Collection Instruments
Prior to the 2015-16 school year, the school Leadership Team will determine which data collection instruments will be used to measure progress. Both quantitative and qualitative measures will be used to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the current status. Measures will include, but not be limited to, summative assessments, state assessments, formative assessments, surveys, interviews, observations, running records, division Horizon assessments, and eCART resources.
Step Four: Collection of Data
Data will be gathered by the school Leadership Team at the beginning of the school year to gain a baseline measure and at the end of the school year to make comparative observations and determinations. Data collection will adhere to standard research processes to retain reliability and validity of results.
Step Five: Analysis and Interpretation of Results
Analysis and interpretation of results will be used as empirical evidence to make any adjustments or changes needed to achieve the goals and objectives of the schoolwide plan.
Step Six: Reporting
At the end of the school year, a report will be reviewed by all stakeholders. The plan will be revised each year to attain the desired outcomes for continuous improvement of student achievement.