title i schoolwide plan for - cobb county school web viewa state released optional crct test was...

McCall Primary Title I School-wide Plan 2012-2013 2

Table of Contents

Page1. Comprehensive Needs Assessment

A. Participation of Individuals……………………………………..………………………………. 5B. Instruments, Procedures, or Processes……………………………………………………… 6C. The Needs of Homeless, Neglected, and Migrant Children………………………............. 6D. Current Achievement Data……………………………………………………………………. 7E. Information about All Students………………………………………………………………… 11F. Summary of Needs/Data Conclusions……………………………………………………….. 12G. Measurable Goals/Benchmarks………………………………………………………............. 12

2. School-wide Reform Strategies that are Scientifically ResearchedA. School-wide Reform Strategies that Provide Opportunities for All

Children……………….12

B. Effective Means of Raising Student Achievement…………………………………............. 13C. Effective Instructional Methods that Increase Learning Time……………………………… 14D. Address the Needs of All Learners…………………………………………………………… 15

3. Instruction by Highly Qualified Professional StaffA. Strategies to Attract Highly Qualified Teachers……………………………………………... 15B. School Status of Highly Qualified Teachers………………………………………………… 15

4. Professional Development for StaffA. Include Teachers, Principals, Paraprofessionals, and Others…………………….......... 16B. Aligned Professional Development with State’s Academic Content……………………. 16C. Professional Development Activities that Address the Root Causes……………………. 16D. Include Teachers in Professional Development Activities Regarding the Use of Academic

Assessments……………………………………………………………………… 16

5. Strategies to Increase Parental involvementA. Involve Parents in the Planning of the Comprehensive Schoolwide Program…………… 17B. Parent Involvement Policy and Parent Compact……………………………………………. 17

6. Plans for Assisting Preschool Children in the Transition From Early Childhood Programs and/or Students Entering Middle School or High School………………………………………... 19

7. Measures to Include Teachers in the Decisions Regarding the Use of Assessment………… 19

8. Coordination and Integration of Federal, State, and Local Services and ProgramsA. List of State and Local Educational Agency Programs and Federal Programs that will

be Included……………………………………………………………………………………….20

B. Description of How Resources from Title I and Other Sources will be Used……………... 20C. Plan Developed in Coordination with Other Programs……………………………………… 20


9. Activities to Ensure that Students who Experience Difficulty Mastering Standards shall be Provided with Effective, Timely AssistanceA. Measures to Ensure that Students’ Difficulties are Identified on a Timely Basis………… 21B. Periodic Training for Teachers in the Identification of Difficulties…………………………. 21C. Teacher-Parent Conferences………………………………………………………………….. 22

10. Description of how Individual Student Assessment Results will be provided to Parents………………………………………………………………………………………………... 22

11. Provisions for the Collection and Disaggregation of Data………………………………………. 22

12. Provisions to Ensure the Disaggregated Assessments Results are Valid and Reliable………………………………………………………………………………………............ 22

13. Provisions for Public Reporting of Disaggregated Data………………………………………… 23

14. Plan Developed During a One-Year Period…………………………………………………...…. 23

15.Plan Developed with the Involvement of the Community to be Served………………………... 23

16.Plan Available to the LEA, Parents, and the Public……………………………………………… 24

17.Plan Translated………………………………………………………………………………………. 24

18.Plan is Subject to the School Improvement Provisions of Section 1116………………………. 24

19. Appendices Parent Involvement Policy…………………………………………………………………………. 25 Parent Compact …………………………………………………………………………………….. 27


1. Comprehensive Needs Assessment of the entire school that addresses all academic areas and other factors that may affect achievement.

A. We have developed our Title I school-wide plan with the participation of individuals who

will carry out the comprehensive school-wide/school improvement program plan. Those persons involved were administration, an academic coach, grade level team leaders, Special Education leader, school counselor, parent liaison, school social worker, bookkeeper, paraprofessional, parents, and other community members.

The persons involved were:

Thomas Farrell Principal

Trici Smith Assistant Principal

Kelli Stagich Academic Coach

Paige Hill Bookkeeper

Alli Woody Parent Liaison

Cassandra Marshall Kindergarten Teacher

Mandy Dixon Kindergarten Teacher

Holly Bradford Kindergarten Teacher

Lorri Skaar Kindergarten Teacher

Angela Sisk First Grade Teacher

Patricia Wehr First Grade Teacher

Sharon Wallace First Grade Teacher

Stephanie Smith Special Education Teacher

Missy Johnson Counselor

Kim Evans Social Worker

Brian Ingram Parent

Karen Dukes Parent

Callie Binzer Parent

Amanda Lutes Parent

Valory Stopczynski ESOL Teacher

Each member of the committee played an active role in the development of this plan. A needs assessment was conducted that included an analysis of data, predicted outcomes and the establishment of targets. The committee also reviewed school-wide reform strategies, planned for professional development and brainstormed ways to increase parental involvement. Finally, members of the committee helped to write, publish, and share the document with the community.


B. We have used the following instruments, procedures, or processes to obtain this information: the Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS), district Checkpoint and Benchmark assessments, and local school Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) and sight word assessments. Finally, staff and parent input was reviewed from district and local school improvement surveys.

GKIDS Checkpoint and Benchmark assessments provide teachers with information on how students perform on specific Georgia Performance standards in math, and language arts. Teachers can look for trends in this data to set instructional focus. DRA provides information on guided reading level. Teachers use this information to flexibly group students. The DRA helps teachers plan for individualized instruction providing information on specific strengths and weaknesses in the areas of fluency, comprehension, and accuracy. School Improvement Surveys provide to the building leadership team information on areas such as curriculum, assessment, instruction, planning and organization, student/ family/ community, professional learning, leadership, and school culture. The building team then uses this to focus our key teams on specific objectives for school improvement.

C. We have taken into account the needs of our ELL, homeless, neglected, and migrant children by supporting them through our ESOL program and our local educational agency (LEA). School communications, such as flyers and telephone calls through our Intouch system, are translated into Spanish as frequently as possible. Interpreters are made available for parent conferences and school wide meetings.

Through a continued effort to increase awareness of and within this at-risk population, we provide support to involve parents in instructional opportunities and youth related activities throughout the community. Our school employs teachers and paraprofessionals who are bilingual in Spanish and English. They act as interpreters and meet with English Language Learner (ESL/ESOL) parents as needed. Additional interpreters from our International Welcome Center also provide much needed support to parents of ELL students at registration, teacher conferences, and other school related functions.

Our school supports the enrollment of ESL/immigrant students by providing ESOL teachers and instructional materials within the classroom. For this school year, 92 students are eligible for ESL/ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) services. Two full-time ESOL teachers provide instruction, progress monitoring, and academic support for students who are in the process of acquiring English language skills. The school has a Parent Liaison, counselor, and a school social worker who works to connect families with community resources and act as a liaison between the families and schools. Using the district level database and the enrollment of immigrant, ESL, and homeless students, we can advocate for the resources that are available in our community to benefit these students and their families. Some of these community agencies are churches, after school programs, community youth groups, and school-sponsored activities to enhance learning opportunities for our at-risk students.

Currently, McCall has an enrollment of 447 students. 30% percent of the student population is African-American, 40.9% is Caucasian, 18.3% is Hispanic, 0.4% is American Indian/Alaska Native, and 4.5% is Asian. Approximately 58% of our students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch.


D. We have reflected on current achievement data that will help the school understand the subjects and skills in which teaching and learning need to be improved. McCall did meet AYP criteria for the 2010-2011 school year. Due to the discontinuation of first grade testing on the CRCT, there is limited longitudinal data to report. Needs are determined through the triangulation of several local and district level assessments as well as the limited data provided by the GKIDS. A State released optional CRCT test was administered in Math.

Reading/English/Language Arts Data

Sight Words

Indicators StudentGroupBaseline

2010-2011K First

Words WordsAverage number of

sight words identified in March 2011

assessment. (Kindergarten students are expected to have 90 sight words by the end of the school year

and first grade students are expected

to have 200.)

All Students 63 163Asian 72 192Black 61 164Hispanic 56 160American IndianWhite 61 160Multi-racial 65 162SWD 51 118ELL 56 159

McCall Primary assesses sight words quarterly. Words used are from the Dolch word list. Knowing these words will build reading confidence, free up a student’s energy to tackle more challenging words, and help with comprehension by providing clues to a sentences meaning.

Checkpoint

Indicators

Baseline

2010-2011

# of students %

% of students with a score of 50% or higher on the Cobb County 1st grade Checkpoint assessment in Language Arts

192/223 86%

Indicators

Baseline

2011-2012

# of students %

% of students with a score of 50% or higher on the Cobb County 1st grade Checkpoint assessment in Language Arts Summative Test

221/236 94%


Checkpoint assessments are a Cobb County assessment. They are administered in November each school year. Scoring 50% or higher on the checkpoint is a good predictor of success on the CRCT.

DRA

Indicators Group

Baseline2010-11

n % on % above

#/% of students reading on or above grade level in Kindergarten as

measured in March administration of the DRA-II

All Students 238 41% 52%Asian 13 23% 62%Black 79 42% 48%Hispanic 47 60% 32%Amer IndianWhite 105 37% 59%Multi-racial 12 42% 50%SWD 19 53% 26%ELL 50 58% 36%

Indicators GroupBaseline2010-11

n % on % above

#/% of students reading on or above grade level in grade 1 as measured in March administration of the DRA-II

All Students 227 34% 39%Asian 6 33% 67%Black 93 41% 33%Hispanic 33 33% 36%Amer IndianWhite 81 27% 43%Multi-racial 13 15% 54%

SWD 33 21% 18%

ELL 42 40% 29%

The Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) is administered several times throughout the year. The DRA assesses comprehension, fluency, and accuracy. It is clear that there is much room for growth on the DRA. 27% of first grade students were below grade level on the DRA.

GKIDS

Baseline


Indicators 2010-2011

% of students meeting and exceeding standards on the Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills Language Arts Total

214/249 85.8%

The GKIDS is a state administered assessment. 14.2% of kindergarten students did not meet standards in language arts on the 2010-2011 GKIDS.

Math Data

Checkpoint

Indicators

Baseline

2010-2011

n %

% of students with a score of 50% or higher on the Cobb County 1st grade Checkpoint assessment in Math

177/222 79.7%

Indicators

Baseline

2011-2012

n %

% of students with a score of 50% or higher on the Cobb County 1st grade Checkpoint assessment in Math Summative Test

172/235 73%

Checkpoint assessments are a Cobb County assessment. They are administered in November each school year. Scoring 50% or higher on the checkpoint is a good predictor of success on the CRCT. 27% of first grade students were at risk of not meeting standards in math.

GKIDS

IndicatorBaseline

2010-2011


n %

% of students meeting and exceeding standards on the Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills Math Total

220/249 88.4%

The GKIDS is a state administered assessment. 11.6% of kindergarten students did not meet standards in math on the 2010-2011 GKIDS.

Benchmark

Indicator Baseline Results

2010-2011 2011-2012

Average student score on Cobb County School District 1st grade Benchmark 1.

65.7% 70.7%

The benchmark is a Cobb County administered assessment. There was a 5% increase in average student score on the assessment when compared to the previous. Analysis of benchmark results provides specific direction for math focus in the summary of needsReleased CRCT

Indicators Group

Baseline Results

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11

n % n % n % n % %

#/% of students who meet / exceed standards on 1st grade Math CRCT

All Students

m=122e=50

m=54e=22

m=105e=96

m=44e=40

m=84e=110

m=38e=50

m=97e=101

m=44.9e=46.8

m=49.5e=39

Asian TFC TFC m=4e=6

m=40e=60

m=e=

m=e=

m=1e=2

m=33.3e=66.7

m=17e=83

Black m=45e=9

m=63e=13

m=37e=14

m=61e=23

m=36e=24

m=50e=33

m=29e=24

m=47.5e=39.3

m=57e=28

Hispanic m=27e=3

m=56e=6

m=19e=16

m=41e=35

m=16e=20

m=38e=48

m=27e=16

m=57.5e=34

m=61e=27

Amer Indian TFC TFC TFC TFC m=0

e=0m=0e=0

m=e=

m=e=

m=e=

White m=39e=31

m=48e=38

m=40e=51

m=38e=49

m=27e=52

m=32e=61

m=34e=55

m=36.2e=58.5

m=41e=49

Multi-racial

m=8e=4

m=44e=22

m=5e=9

m=29e=53

m=4e=9

m=27e=60

m=5e=4

m=50e=40

m=25e=75

SWD m=8e=1

m=32e=4

m=9e=6

m=30e=20

m=3e=2

m=25e=17

m=14e=2

m=56e=8

m=37e=24

ELL m=26e=3

m=55e=6

m=21e=15

m=44e=31

m=20e=12

m=53e=32

m=25e=16

m=58.1e=37.2

m=39e=46

There was a 3.2% decrease in the number of students meeting and exceeding standards in Math when compared to the previous school year.

E. We have based our plan on information about all students in the school and identified students and groups of students who are not yet achieving to the state academic content standards and the state student academic achievement standard including our ELL/ESOL students, black and Hispanic students and our students in Special Education. Due to the fact that we are a primary


school, we receive no state data that is disaggregate for economically disadvantaged students.

An analysis of school-wide data provides evidence that there is a significant difference in achievement between our various student groups. Evidence also indicates a discrepancy in achievement between regular education students and students with disabilities. On the March 2011 administration of a sight word assessment, first grade students with disabilities averaged 45 less sight words than the average of all students. On the DRA, 34% fewer students with disabilities met or exceeded standards when compared to all first grade students. First grade ELL and Hispanic students had 4% fewer students meeting or exceeding standards on the DRA.

We also have identified a gap between our students with disabilities, Black students, and English Language Learners in math. ELL and Black students averaged 3.5% fewer students meeting and exceeding standards on the State released optional CRCT, while 27.5% fewer students with disabilities met or exceeded standards. It is important to note that there was a 3.2% decrease in the number of students meeting or exceeding standards on the Spring 2011 administration of the CRCT. First grade teachers only became aware of the administration of the test in March 2011. This did not allow for ample opportunity to build student stamina to take this lengthy test or to build test taking strategies. The results showed that students truly did perform well with knowing the first grade curriculum.

F. Summary of Needs/ Data, Conclusions:We have looked at data and related assessments to reach conclusions regarding achievement. The major strengths we found in reading include the areas of comprehension of narrative elements, identification of letters and letter sounds, and blending. For reading, data teaming and use of the Braidy Doll have been effective. Braidy is a plush manipulative used to teach narrative development from the Descriptive Sequence to the Complete Episode levels to preschool through first grade students. In math, areas of strength include skip-count by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s, forward and backwards; to and from numbers up to 100, and knowing now the single-digit addition facts to 18 and corresponding subtraction facts with understanding and fluency. For both academic areas differentiation through the workshop models has been impactful.

In 2010-2011 the Cobb County school district raised the bar on what is considered on grade level in reading. We have much room to grow in the number of students on grade level. In math we demonstrate a weakness in the ability to decompose numbers from 10-99. For both content areas, we feel there is a need to increase direct vocabulary instruction. Writing is also an area with room for growth.

The needs we will address include more accountability for teachers to utilize programs and strategies identified to increase achievement. For reading and language arts, we will continue our use of the Braidy Doll to enhance comprehension, we will continue our focus on improving commentary and feedback. In the area of writing, we will continue to closely monitor students through data teaming and begin utilizing vocabulary strategies in large group and small group reading instruction. For math, we will work on problem solving and math vocabulary daily. Guided math will be utilized to provide differentiated instruction.

The specific academic needs of those students that are to be addressed in the school wide


program will be identified and addressed through the data teaming process. Plans for differentiated instruction and models of exemplary work will be provided for students to meet proficiency.

There are several root causes that we discovered for each of the needs. Many students at McCall lack pre-school experience. In addition, we have many English Language Learners that are just acquiring English vocabulary. A significant number of students live in poverty and may lack experiences and the advantage of being raised in a print rich environment.

G. The measurable goals/benchmarks we have established to address the needs are:

Students will demonstrate proficiency in reading and writing.Based on the March 2011 administration of the DRA we are setting a goal of 77% of all first grade students meeting or exceeding standards on the March 2012 administration of the DRA. We are setting a goal of 77% of black students meeting or exceeding standards on the DRA.73% of Hispanic students will meet or exceed standards on the DRA in Reading. 73% of ELL students will meet or exceed standards on the DRA in Reading. 58% of students with disabilities will meet or exceed standards on the DRA in Reading.

Students will demonstrate proficiency in mathBased on our Spring 2011 CRCT results we are setting a goal of 92% of all students meeting or exceeding standards on the CRCT in Math in 2012. 88% of black students will meet or exceed standards on the CRCT in Math. 90% of Hispanic students will meet or exceed standards on the CRCT in Math. 90% of ELL students will meet or exceed standards on the CRCT in Math. 65% of students with disabilities will meet or exceed standards on the CRCT in Math.

2. School-wide Reform Strategies that are scientifically researched based.

A. The ways in which we will address the needs of all children in the school particularly the needs of students furthest away from demonstrating proficiency related to the State’s academic content and student academic achievement standard are:

1. Teachers have received and will continue to receive training on the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards. In order for students to perform successfully teachers need to have a deep understanding of the curriculum. New assessments will be geared towards the Common Core Standards.

2. Teachers will utilize standards based commentary to provide students with high quality feedback. Individualized feedback will give students the direction necessary for success. Students will show academic growth if they know specifically what their needs are.

3. Teachers will utilize the Braidy Doll (advance organizer) to enhance understanding of narrative elements. This strategy will specifically target comprehension which is necessary for improving reading.

4. Teachers will utilize the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) and running records to inform and guide instruction in reading. Utilizing theses assessments teachers will be able to specifically target student’s reading needs. They tailor their lessons to target fluency, accuracy, comprehension, or vocabulary.


5. Teachers will meet as data teams to discus student performance in Language Arts and determine effective strategies to utilize. Data will be monitored utilizing an interactive data wall. Monitoring how students are performing and specifically where their learning is breaking down will allow for effective individualized instruction. The data wall will allow teachers to see where their students are performing in relation to the rest of the school. Teachers can consult with other teachers regarding best practices.

6. Teacher teams will plan collaboratively. By working collaboratively teachers will be able to learn from each other what works best to meet the needs of their students.

7. After school tutoring is offered to our most at-risk students. Additional instructional support will benefit students who are below grade level in reading, math, and language arts as identified on our needs assessment.

8. Teachers will provide differentiated small group instruction through Readers Workshop, Writers Workshop, and Guided Math. In order for students to be successful you need to provide instruction that is tailored to the individual needs. The workshop models and guided math allow for small group differentiated instruction in all areas identified on our needs assessment.

9. District Benchmark Assessments will be given four times each year to monitor first grade student progress toward standards mastery in Math. Teachers review the data individually and with teams to determine which content skills need to be addressed and to develop action plans for individual students as needed. Knowing specifically which standards students are having difficulty on will lead to more focused interventions and will lead to student successes in the area of math which is and identified need.

10. McCall will hold a variety of parent classes. Classes will help parents to support student on identified needs and build a strong home school relationship. Parent involvement has been show support student and school success.

11. Teachers will use available technologies (IPAD, Promethean Boards, etc..) to promote student learning in Language Arts and Math. These technologies promote student engagement. Engaged students learn more and will have more success academically in the areas identified on our needs assessment.

12. Students will participate in the Million Word Campaign to recognize their growth in the area of reading. This program encourages students to read. More time spent reading will lead to improvements in reading which has been identified as an area of need.

B. Are based upon effective means of raising student achievement

Following are examples of the SCIENTIFICALLY BASED RESEARCH supporting our effective methods and instructional practices or strategies:

Teacher Collaboration: Yvonne Goddard, Roger Goddard and Megan Taschannen-Moran (2007) reported positive relationship between teacher collaboration and differences among schools in mathematics and reading achievement.

Feedback: Bellon, Bellon, and Blank (1992) note, “Academic feedback is more strongly and consistently related to achievement than any other teaching behavior….This


relationship is consistent regardless of grade, socioeconomic status, race, or school setting….When feedback and corrective procedures are used, most students can attain the same level of achievement as the top 20% of students.”

Data Utilization: Effective utilization of data is essential to school improvement. Schmoker (1996) indicates that “data are an essential piece of working towards goals”. In a study of a Colorado school district, Waters, Burger and Burger concluded that teachers “can base teaching decisions on solid data rather than assumptions, and they can make adjustments early on to avoid the downward spiral of remediation”.

Advance Orginizer: Bert Creemers (1994) lists advance organizers as an instructional strategy that supports student learning.

Differentiation: According to Tomlison (2001) in a differentiated classroom “students have multiple options to taking in information, making sense of ideas, and expressing what they learn”. It provides different avenues to acquire content, process ideas, and develop products so that each student can learn effectively (Tomlison, 2001). Brandt (1998) found that people learn best when what they learn is personally meaningful, challenging, appropriate to their developmental level, and when they have choices. These are all components of differentiation.

Parent Involvement: According to Marzano (2003) the extent of parent and community support and involvement in a school can have a positive impact on a school. “One or both of these two groups is identified in most attempts to synthesize the research on effective schooling”(Marzano, 2003).

Technology Utlization: Technology can have a positive impact on student achievement. Wishart & Blease (1999) found that if technology is used in innovative ways leads to improved learning and teaching. Technology also can assist with differentiation in the classroom. Bryant & Hunton (2000) found that technology can meet the needs of students with various learning styles through the use of multiple media.

Student Recognition: According to Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock (2001) “reward is most effective when it is contingent on attainment of some standard of performance.”

C. Use effective instructional methods that increase the quality and amount of learning time.

We will increase the amount and quality of learning time by minimizing classroom disruptions and providing uninterrupted blocks of instructional time throughout the day. We will also utilize after school time by offering extended day tutoring and summer school for our most at-risk students.

D. Address the needs of all children, particularly targeted populations, and address how the school will determine if such needs have been met and are consistent with improvement plans approved under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).


The faculty at McCall Primary understands that all children are different and provides instruction that meets the needs of all learners. We do this by providing students with high quality differentiated instruction. Students receive standards based instruction through Readers Workshop, Writers Workshop, and guided math. These frameworks allow for small group instruction that allow for students to be challenged at an appropriate level. Special Education students are served in settings that provide the least restrictive environment. We currently serve special education students through consultative, collaborative, co-teaching, and small group models. ELL/ESOL students are served on a daily basis through the inclusion model. Using this model, the general education and ESOL teachers work collaboratively to teach all students with/without language deficits in a shared classroom. All teachers are responsible for instructional planning and delivery, student achievement, assessment, and discipline. These models have helped our Special Education students and English Language Learners to receive appropriate academic instruction, support services, and modified instruction as outlined in the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965.

3. Highly Qualified Professional Staff

A. Strategies to attract highly qualified teachers to high-needs schools.

We provide instruction by highly qualified teachers who meet the standards established by the state of Georgia. We utilize the STAR online resource provided by the Cobb County School District to locate prospective candidates. We provide new teacher orientation prior to the beginning of a new school year and an on-going new teacher induction program for new teachers with appropriate mentors who are Teacher Support Specialist certified by the state. We set aside a specific time each week for members of grade level teams to meet as a group for planning purposes. We provide curriculum support from local and district level literacy and math coaches. We welcome students in teaching colleges to come to McCall for field experiences, practicum, and to student teach.

B. School status of highly qualified teachers to high-needs schools

HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS

Number of Certified Teachers

Percent of Highly Qualified Teachers

Teaching in Field for Entire Day

Number of Core Teachers

Teaching Out of Field for One or More Periods

During the Day2008-2009 44 100 0

2009-2010 43 100 0

2010-2011 45 100 0

2011-2012 44 100 0


4. Professional development for staff to enable all children in the school

A. We have included teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, other staff members, and parents in our staff development that addresses the root causes of our identified needs. For example staff members have access to PD 360. This online program allows for staff members to identify areas of weakness and allows them to participate in staff development based on their specific needs. Teachers collaborate with their grade level team, academic coach, administrators, and other teacher leaders during their planning and on scheduled planning days to ensure that instruction for our most at-risk students is consistent. Professional learning days are used to support the continuous learning process. The focus for professional learning days is to improve the quality of differentiated instruction and unpacking the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards. Regular faculty, team, grade level, and leadership meetings are held to ensure dissemination of information about local, state, and national initiatives and coordination of our efforts. Finally, parents are invited to workshop sessions where they are provided information regarding standards and instructional practices.

B. We have aligned professional development with the State’s academic content and student academic achievement standards through an analysis of strategy implementation, test data, and staff needs. Teachers and administrators regularly conduct focus walks to ensure consistent and pervasive use of the strategies presented in professional learning. The administration and academic coach conduct regular walk-throughs to monitor engagement, strategy utilization, thinking level, differentiation, and flexible grouping. Needs assessments and surveys are also conducted in order to identify staff needs and plan accordingly. Teachers are also encouraged to share professional learning gained from educational research and attendance at district and national presentations.

C. We have devoted sufficient resources based on our identified needs to carry out effectively the professional development activities that address the root causes of academic problems. For example: Title II Funds and School-Focused Professional Development Funds have been utilized to provide substitutes for teachers to attend in-services and trainings throughout the school day as well as time to collaborate with their colleagues. Title I funds have been utilized for Title (targeted assistance) employees to attend professional conferences. Instructional coaches have been utilized to conduct professional learning on best practices

D.We have included teachers in professional development activities regarding the use of academic assessments to enable them to provide information on, and to improve, the achievement of individual students and the overall instructional program in the following ways:

Teachers meet regularly to participate in data teaming and the analysis of language arts data from locally developed common assessments. Once the data is charted, specific students are identified who are not meeting proficiency and specific strategies are developed to meet their needs.

Feedback and commentary is provided to students in writing and other content areas.

Teachers use a variety of formative and summative assessments to evaluate students before, during, and after instruction.


5. Strategies to Increase Parental Involvement

A. We have involved parents in the planning, review, and improvement of the comprehensive school-wide program plan in a variety of ways. Parents currently serve on a committee alongside our school-wide leadership team where the plan is written, revised, shared, and discussed. Also, the plan was reviewed by the school council, and will be presented to our parents at the fall PTA meeting, where recommendations can be made for its improvement. Finally, the plan will be posted on the school web-site, available in the Parent Resource Room, and on display in the front office for parents to review and offer suggestions.

B. We have developed a parent involvement policy included in our appendices that include strategies to increase parental involvement. Parents are encouraged and welcomed to participate at McCall Primary in a variety of ways.

An Annual Title I Parent Meeting/Open House is held in August to welcome students and parents to a new school year and to share our Title I School-wide Plan.

Parent workshops provide learning opportunities for parents regarding our school and instructional practices. At McCall, our workshops are:

What Makes a Good Conference Workshop: Through this workshop parents are able to come and ask questions about their student’s conference, as wells as receive helpful tips on what most could benefit them from the conference.

Parents on Board: This is an on-going workshop that meets once a month. Through this workshop parents learn helpful tips in raising their children and helping to make them better learners.

Literacy Night: This night was a promotion on reading. Parents and students alike are able to come and do different activities that have to do with reading and make reading fun.

CRCT: Our CRCT Workshop will be held for first grade parents. This is to help parents in the preparation of their students for when it is time to take the test. Also, parents are taught how to read scores, as well as what each score means to the students and the school.

Our parent volunteers are involved with many activities associated with the school. These activities create opportunities for parents to network with other parents and discuss opportunities for student success they include:

Campus Clean-Ups: These happen twice a year. Parents and students are able to come and take pride in their school by putting down pine straw, planting flowers, and tidying up the outside of the school.

Million Words Celebration: Our goal at McCall is for students to read one million words by the end of the year. When the goal is achieved, we hold a celebration. Parents come and help man booths, chaperone the children, and add to the celebration.

International Festival: The International Festival at McCall is a way to bring diversity and culture into our school. This celebration is put on by our parents.


They bring in things – food, clothes, and artifacts – that represent their culture to share with the community.

Classroom Assistance: Whenever a classroom or team is having a function, they will ask parents to come in and help lead a station. Also, some teachers have parents come in to help with computer lab, making copies, or leading a rotation in their daily schedule.

Fall Festival: Our fall festival is put on by PTA. Their volunteers help to run the stations as well as organize the event.

Parent Breakfasts: Each year we have two parent breakfasts, Muffins for Mom and Donuts for Dad, which are put on and organized by our parents through the PTA.

VIPs: These are our Very Important Parents. They volunteer their time and come in to make copies and laminate for our school.

WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) is an innovative program of the National Center for Fathering that focuses on prevention of violence in our nation’s schools that was adopted by McCall Primary in 2010. This program encourages fathers, step-fathers, grandfathers, uncles or other male adults to spend at least one day at their students school volunteering. Dads support the school in a variety of ways: greeting students as they arrive, working with students in small groups and working with students one-on-one. As part of the McCall Primary strategic plan teachers are required to hold a minimum of one parent participation activity each semester. These events may include Authors Teas, community days, and should highlight standards based instruction.

At McCall Primary we communicate with parents in variety of ways. We utilize the InTouch phone system to contact parents regarding upcoming events. We utilize the McCall Parent Email Communication (MPEC) to communicate with parents weekly. Our school website is updated frequently to reflect a current calendar of events. Teacher and administrator contact information is also available at that location along with menus, the School Strategic Plan, Title I information and other school related topics. Finally we communicate in writing through our PTA Newsletter and other written correspondence. We make an effort to translate communications whenever possible.

Truancy Intervention Panels are held periodically throughout the school year where parents are invited to speak with school administrators, school social worker, and counselor regarding excessive absences or tardies. Action plans are developed to help improve attendance.

McCall Primary School will provide individual academic assessment results, including an interpretation of these results. These interpretations come through parent-teacher conferences, weekly communication folders, report cards, and phone conferences. A workshop for the CRCT is provided that gives suggestions for test preparation, as well as the means of interpreting test scores. As new assessments are being created for the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards, we will hold workshops explaining their meanings.

McCall makes the comprehensive school-wide plan available to the LEA, parents, and public by providing a copy in the front lobby of the school and posted on the school’s


website. It will be placed in the Parent Resource room, as well as shared at the fall PTA meeting.

The McCall parent compact was developed jointly with our parents and staff. All families and school staff are asked to participate by signing the compact to show their support. The compact will be distributed during the October Parent-Teacher Conference.

6. Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs to local elementary school programs and/or students entering middle school or high school

The following are our plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs. We conduct a kindergarten orientation each Spring to familiarize students entering kindergarten and their parents with McCall Primary. Our kindergarten students are screened before being placed in classrooms to assure that they will receive appropriate services. Additionally, we hold various opportunities throughout the year for preschool students to visit the school to learn about preparedness and the curriculum. Our parent liaison also provides information and opportunities for the students and families to ask questions and tour the school.

We work closely with our feeder intermediate school to insure the success of our students as they move on. We coordinate a field trip each year for our first graders to spend a part of the day at Acworth school- becoming familiar with the setting as well as routines and procedures. Our first grade teachers meet with second grade teachers to discuss vertical alignment and student needs.

7. Measures to include teachers in the decisions regarding the use of assessment to provide information on, and to improve, the performance of individual students and the overall instructional program.

McCall Primary is a school of shared governance. Teachers are involved with most decision making. Each teacher is involved in one of four Key Teams that are based on the Georgia School Keys. The school’s Building Leadership Team determines Key teams based on the triangulation of data from a GAPSS review, School Improvement Survey, and staff survey. Our Assessment Key team is responsible for determining the schools assessment plan, they determine what skills will be assessed in data teams, they determine the collection system, monitoring system, means for displaying results, and identify strategies that have been proven to help students reach proficiency on skills being monitored. In addition to the language arts data collected through our data team, school wide data is collected quarterly to monitor reading level, sight word acquisition and math progress through Benchmark testing. This data is disaggregated based on ethnicity, gender and services received (ELL, SPED). Teachers are deeply engaged in the ongoing process of collecting and reviewing data at their team and grade level meetings as well as individually. Student work and assessments are analyzed both individually and collectively as classes. This information is used to determine research-based strategies that can be used to guide instruction and support the improvement of individual performances.


8. Coordination and integration of Federal, State, and local services and programs

McCall Primary has been a Target Assistance Title I school for the last two years and has afforded us additional funds that can be used to supplement staff and programs to help meet the needs of our at-risk students. The strength of our Title I program lies in the positions it funds and the resources it provides to help meet the needs of all students, all teachers, all parents and community members.

A. List of State and local educational agency programs and other federal programs that will be included

McCall Primary works with a variety of programs Federal, State and local, to help meet the needs of our students. A combination of Federal Title I, Title II and State School Focused Staff development funds are utilized to support staff professional learning. Title I and State funded 20 Additional Day monies support extended day tutoring services. The Success for All Students program provides mental health services and truancy intervention support to McCall students. The district provides a Homeless Liaison to coordinate tutoring and other support services for homeless students. Finally state Early Intervention Program funds provide additional staffing to reduce class sizes for our students.

B. Description of how resources from Title I and other sources will be used.The majority of our Title I funds will be used to support personnel. An academic coach will provide ongoing professional learning support for our teachers and additional support to at-risk students. A half day teaching position will be allocated for additional instructional support for our at-risk students. A full time Parent Liaison will support parent involvement activities. The funds are also set aside for additional professional development opportunities. The parental involvement funds provide resources, activities, and snacks for parent workshops and the Parent Resource Room. The remaining funds are used for after school tutoring for struggling students, and other resources/materials needed to supplement instruction. Coordinators of each of these programs work closely with school staff and administration to ensure a seamless alignment.

C. Plan developed in coordination with other programs, including those under the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, the Carl D. Perkins vocational and Applied Technology Act, and National and Community Service Act of 1990.

Considerations have been made to incorporate the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 and others into our school-wide plan. Advanced reading and math content knowledge as well as diverse technology skills are crucial for student success in the years ahead. Our plan provides those strategies and programs for students to meet state academic standards set to prepare them for the future work force. Our student leadership group the McCall Ambassadors, career awareness programs and community-based projects prepare McCall students to achieve their personal best and be responsible, productive citizens now and in the future.


9. Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering standards shall be provided with effective, timely assistance, which shall include:

A. Measures to ensure that student difficulties are identified on a timely basis.

McCall teachers report pretest data and data for each post test on an interactive data wall. At a point at which 75% of students have reached master on a specific skill the students who are below and well below proficiency are documented. From these reports classroom teachers, Special Education, ESOL and the administrative team will target students who need assistance to meet curriculum standards and grade level proficiencies.

Once the students are identified, specific strategies are developed and implemented to meet areas of weakness. After a given period of time, follow-up assessments are given to see if students have mastered the targeted skill. If the students have not mastered the skill, additional interventions and strategies are documented through the Tier 2 or Tier 3 Response to Intervention Process (RTI). If needed, additional support is provided through Extended Day Tutoring, Early Intervention Program, summer school, and support staff (ELL teachers, speech pathologists, academic coaches, psychologists, counselors, administrators, etc.)

There are many opportunities for parents to be involved in the process of identifying and supporting struggling learners. Teachers send home weekly newsletters discussing the curriculum covered that week with ways to support their children. Parents of struggling learners receive updates through a communication folder, phone calls and report cards. Parents will be provided with strategies to support their child with their learning at home. Parents are also notified and invited to attend in the RTI Tier process.

B. Periodic training for teachers in the identification of difficulties and appropriate assistance for identified difficulties.

Teachers routinely receive training from district and school-based personnel regarding the identification of students having difficulties and strategies to meet their needs. Weekly grade level meetings and professional literature provide opportunities for teachers to dialogue about what works best to maximize instruction. Opportunities for observations of other classrooms within the building and across buildings are available to teachers.

C. Teacher-parent conferences that detail what the school will do to help the student, what the parents can do to help the student, additional assistance available to the student at the school or in the community.

Teachers will schedule conferences with parents during October to discuss progress towards mastering the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards. Additionally, parents are contacted and conferences arranged whenever the need arises in the interest of coordinating home/school efforts for the benefit of a child. Parents are always encouraged to schedule conferences with their child’s teachers before or after school as well as during planning time simply by contacting the teacher or the office.


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

Parents are invited to attend scheduled conferences during the year. During these conferences, current functioning and the results from standardized tests are explained to parents. Additional strategies and resources for remediation or enrichment are also provided. Report cards are sent home every nine weeks to parents as well as accompanying assessments. Written communication is sent home weekly and phones calls are made as needed. The school also has an open door policy where parents are encouraged to come in and request a meeting or conference at any needed time. Translation services are available as needed.

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

Teachers participate in the collaborative data team process. Results are posted on an interactive data wall. Teachers pretest students, provide strategies then post-test students. If student are unsuccessful after the first posttest teachers reevaluate the effectiveness of their strategies. Additional data is collected and disaggregated to monitor school wide progress quarterly. This data includes DRA, sight words, and math benchmark results.

Our district provides additional data from the CogAT, Benchmarks, and Checkpoints. All student data is easily accessible from CSIS and building reports for staff use.

12.Provisions to ensure that disaggregated assessment results for each category are valid and reliable.

Each year, test results from numerous assessment sources are analyzed to identify specific strengths and weaknesses in student performance. This information is used guide instruction. Data is collected from, CogAT, ACCESS for LEP (Limited English Proficiency),county benchmark assessments, portfolios, student writing samples, G-KIDS, Benchmarks, Developmental Reading Assessments, and running records. Multiple data sources are utilized to ensure that the disaggregated data is reliable and valid.

13.Provisions for public reporting of disaggregated data.

The following provisions will be made so that state and local assessment data is made available to the public: PTA Meetings School Council School website Parent Resource Center Newsletters Title I Plan


School Strategic Plan Annual Title I Parent Meeting

14.Plan developed during a one-year period, unless LEA, after considering the recommendation of its technical assistance providers, determines that less time is needed to develop and implement the school-wide program.

The School-wide Title I Plan and the School Strategic Plan are developed, reviewed, and revised as needed throughout the school year by a team of teachers, administrators, and parents. The plan is developed for a one year period.

15.Plan developed with the involvement of the community to be served and individuals who will carry out the plan including teachers, principals, other staff, and pupil service personnel, parents and students (if secondary).

The plan was developed with the involvement of those listed below:

Thomas Farrell Principal

Trici Smith Assistant Principal

Kelli Stagich Academic Coach/Parent

Paige Hill Bookkeeper/Parent

Alli Woody Parent Liaison

Cassandra Marshall Kindergarten Teacher

Mandy Dixon Kindergarten Teacher

Holly Bradford Kindergarten Teacher

Lorri Skaar Kindergarten Teacher

Angela Sisk First Grade Teacher

Patricia Wehr First Grade Teacher

Sharon Wallace First Grade Teacher

Stephanie Smith Special Education Teacher

Missy Johnson Counselor/Parent

Kim Evans Social Worker/Parent

Brian Ingram Parent

Karen Dukes Parent

Callie Binzer Parent

Amanda Lutes Parent

Valory Stopczynski ESOL Teacher


The remaining staff, parents, and community have agreed to follow and execute the strategies, programs, procedures, and policies included within the plan.

16.Plan available to the LEA, parents, and the public.

Our schoolwide plan, Parent Involvement Plan, and our School Strategic Plan will be made available for access on McCall’s local website. Paper copies are also available in the front office as well as in the Parent Resource Center.

17.Plan translated to the extent feasible, into any language that a significant percentage of the parents of participating students in the school speak as their primary language.

The plan is available for translation upon request.

18.Plan is subject to the school improvement provisions of Section 1116.

The McCall Primary plan is subject to the school improvement provisions of Sction 1116. If McCall enters “Needs Improvement,” we will complete and participate in all requirements according to state and federal guidelines. The schoolwide plan and the school improvement plan are not in isolation of one another they work together in assisting students in meeting and achieving state standards.

McCall Primary SchoolParent Involvement Policy

2011-2012Revised May 5, 2011

McCall Primary School is a Targeted Assistance Title I Program. McCall Primary School has jointly developed this policy and compact with our parents to describe how we will support the important role of parents in the education of their children. In cases where the students reside in a Neglected and Delinquent residential facility, a representative from that Facility can serve as a proxy for the parent (s). At McCall Primary, we build capacity for parent/community involvement by implementing the six types of involvement: Parenting, Communications, Parent


Volunteering, Learning at Home, Decision-making and Governance, and Collaboration and Exchanges in the Community. This policy will be distributed during conferences or by mail.

Based on the requirements of Title I Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Reauthorization, (ESEA) Section 1118 and the needs identified by our parents and school staff surveys, we will provide reasonable support for parental involvement activities as parent may request. The following strategies were outlined:

I. An annual Title I information session and other flexible scheduled meetings will be held throughout the school year. These meetings will cover the following information:

a. Title I Programsb. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)/School Improvement Statusc. Parent’s right to know about Teacher and Paraprofessional qualificationsd. Parent Information Workshops & Parent volunteeringe. School policies and proceduresf. School curriculumg. Student assessmentsh. Local and State assessmentsi. State content standardsj. Transitioning from Primary Elementary to Acworth Elementary.

II. Parents will receive information from our school in their child’s home language as much as possible, and in a timely manner. McCall Primary School uses the following communication methods to provide parent with timely information: newsletters, informational flyers, e-mail, phone calls (including dial-out), and the McCall Primary School website.

III. We encourage all families to be education partners in their children’s school success by:a. Inviting parents to attend all meetings by giving them the McCall Primary Parent Involvement

Activities Plan.b. Inviting parents to serve on committees such as the School Council, School Improvement Plan

Committee, Parent Policy/Compact Action Planning Committee, and the PTA. c. Providing meetings and workshops that are held during the school day as well as outside regular

school hours. These dates and times are listed in the McCall Primary Parent Involvement Activities Plan.

d. Visit the Georgia Parental Information Resource Center at www.georgiapirc.net for downloadable information for resources on early childhood through high school parent involvement.

IV. Parents will be provided information on school performance and student’s individual assessments:a. Information on school performance is sent home through the PTA newsletter. Student

performance is sent home through report cards. Additional copies are available, upon request, in the front office.

b. Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held to further assist parents the opportunity to give input on how to work with their children.

V. Parents and community members will be given timely responses to their concerns and suggestions.a. All concerns and suggestions submitted in writing or verbally are responded to in a timely manner.

Concerns and suggestions regarding the Targeted Assistance Plan will be submitted to the Title I Office. Information from parent surveys will result in the development of the McCall Primary Parent Activities Plan. The community has access to the Parent Involvement plan in the Title I Information Binder located in the front lobby.

VI. School Parent Compact


http://www.georgiapirc.net/

a. The parent compact was developed jointly with our parents and staff. All families and school staff are asked to participate by signing the compact to show their support. The compact will be distributed during the October Parent-Teacher Conference.

VII. School and Community Partnership a. Our school builds ties between home and school by educating teachers, pupil services personnel,

administration, and other staff by gathering input from parents on how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal educational partners. Our school builds ties with community by partnering with businesses to enhance student achievement. Some of our partners are Publix (Cedar Crest), Texas Roadhouse, Summit Baptist Church, City of Acworth, RBC Bank, Lake City Chiropractic, and Costco.

b. Our partners support our school by supporting student achievement, encouraging student performance and learning, donating supplies and resources, supporting teachers and faculty, supporting school programs, volunteering time in the classrooms, and supporting the school goals and vision.

If you have additional questions or concerns about this policy, you may contact Alli Woody, Parent Liaison at McCall Primary School, at 770-975-6775 ext. 251 or [email protected]

Revised May 5, 2011

McCall Primary School Compact2011-2012

Revised May 5, 2011

SCHOOL MISSISON: The mission of McCall Primary School is for every student to know their ABC’s: Aspire, Believe, and Cooperate.

TEACHER AGREEMENT – I believe that all children can achieve. I will: Provide a safe and secure environment Show respect for each student and his/her family


mailto:[email protected]

Enforce school and classroom rules fairly Demonstrate professional behavior and a positive attitude Come to class prepared to teach and to meet the academic needs of each student Provide opportunities for parents to be involved in their child’s education

Teacher Signature _______________________________ Date _______________________

STUDENT AGREEMENT – I believe that I can achieve. I will: Attend school regularly and on time Show respect for myself, my school and other people Spend time reading at home to help reach the goal of reading One Million Words Obey the school and classroom rules Follow the Safe Rider bus procedures

Student Signature ______________________________ Date ________________________

PARENT AGREEMENT- I believe that my child can achieve. I will: See that my child is punctual and attends school regularly Collaborate with my child’s teachers on a regular basis Support the school in developing positive student behaviors Provide a home environment that encourages my child to learn Show respect and support for my child, teacher, and the school Stay aware of important information and what my child is learning through take home folders or binders

Parent/Guardian Signature ______________________ Date ________________________

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM AGREEMENT- I believe McCall Primary will continue to achieve. We will: Provide an environment that allows for positive communication between the teacher, parent and student Support the teachers in providing high quality instructions Provide a safe and orderly environment conducive to learning Encourage students, their families, and staff to keep this compact

Principal Signature ____________________________ Date ________________________

Revised 5/5/11


title i schoolwide plan for - cobb county school web viewa state released optional crct test was...

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