2015 Academic Presentation (Based on data from 2014-2015 School Year) Tom Voelker 10/19/15

Goals for Presentation Review impacts of shifting to Pa Core Standards Provide deeper understanding of BHASD academic performance Understand steps taken by District to improve academic performance Review current curricular investigations

Standards Review National Common Core State Standards (CCSS) 42 states have adopted CCSS in some version (PA being one of those 42) Interesting Fact: There are 19 different tests used to measure the same standards Pennsylvania created PA Core Standards in English Language Arts (ELA) & Mathematics 2015 – First year PSSA was aligned to new standards What did BHASD do to prepare for this shift? Administrators and Teachers adjusted ELA and Math Curriculum Communicate with Families Spring 2015 – Curriculum presentation (LINK) Fall 2015 – Academic presentation by building

Last Year’s Presentation Focused on School Performance Profile (SPP) Feedback was to look at more meaningful data This Year’s Presentation No SPP data K-8 SPP data for HS not released to date Focus will be on data used to guide decisions as a district

Overview of Data Resources Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) Grades 3 - 8 (ELA, Math) Grades 4 & 8 (Science) Keystone Exams Algebra 1 Biology Literature Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System (PVAAS) Growth Model (need at least 2 years worth of assessment data) SAT (not an acronym) Critical Reading Mathematics Writing ACT (not an acronym) English Math Reading Science Writing (optional) Advanced Placement Results (AP) Various subjects

Overview of Performance PSSA Results Overview of Performance

PSSA Achievement

PSSA Achievement Points of Interest: General regression of achievement after 3rd grade Few “Advanced” students in Math starting in 5th grade Strong 4th grade Science achievement data Females out performed Males in ELA Students identified as Economically Disadvantaged scored ~15% lower on both the ELA and Math PSSA Students with IEPs struggled with the ELA, Math, and Science PSSA Students receiving Title 1 support scored lower on the ELA, Math, and Science PSSA

PSSA Results Subject Analysis - ELA Please keep in mind that the following graphs represent different groups of students.

3rd Grade ELA PSSA Results The Process: Identify areas for growth No more than 3 Research that area (http://www.pdesas.org/standard/PACore) Develop action plan for addressing areas for growth 3rd Grade ELA PSSA Results

4th Grade PSSA Results

5th Grade PSSA Results

6th Grade PSSA Results

7th Grade PSSA Results

8th Grade PSSA Results

Subject Analysis - Mathematics PSSA Results Subject Analysis - Mathematics Please keep in mind that the following graphs represent different groups of students.

3rd Grade Math PSSA Results

4th Grade Math PSSA Results

5th Grade Math PSSA Results

6th Grade Math PSSA Results

7th Grade Math PSSA Results

8th Grade Math PSSA Results

Subject Analysis - Science PSSA Results Subject Analysis - Science Please keep in mind that the following graphs represent different groups of students.

4th Grade Science PSSA Results

8th Grade Science PSSA Results

Overview of Performance Keystone Results Overview of Performance

Keystone Achievement Literature Algebra I Biology

Keystone Achievement Points of Interest: Literature Low math achievement Few “Advanced” on Literature Keystone Exam Students identified as Economically Disadvantaged scored ~15% lower on the Literature and Biology Keystone Exam Students with an IEP struggled with all of the Keystone Exams Algebra I Biology

Keystone Results Subject Analysis

Literature Keystone Results The Process: Same process as with the PSSAs

Algebra 1 Keystone Results

Biology Keystone Results

PVAAS Results Overview of Growth

PVAAS

PVAAS

ACT/SAT Test National Average Critical Reading 495 Mathematics 511 Writing 484 Test National Average English 20.4 Math 20.8 Reading 21.4 Science 20.9 Composite 21

AP 70% Pass Rate Subject Totals Music Theory Total AP Students in Your School: 39 School Totals for this View 5 4 3 2 1 Total Exams Number of Exams 10 11 19 8 9 57 Percentage of Total Exams 18 33 14 16 100 Number of AP Students 6 7 Subject Totals Music Theory English Literature and Composition United States Government and Politics United States History 13 World History Calculus AB Calculus BC Statistics Chinese Language and Culture Spanish Language and Culture 70% Pass Rate (score of 3+)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/27/upshot/is-college-worth-it-clearly-new-data-say.html “Americans with four-year college degrees made 98 percent more an hour…”

SUMMARY Pros Cons Systems in place to drive District forward and address areas of growth Benchmark assessments (CDTs), Department Heads, Data Dialogues, District Goals Significant alignment work yet to do (specifically in math) There is not a quick fix (this will take years) Remediation time not always available with current schedule Challenge (not a true “Con”): Finding the balance between educating the whole child and not stifling creativity while focusing on improving assessment results

Overview of Professional Development Plans Instructional Methodology Summative Data Analysis / Curriculum Conversations PSSAs & Keystones GOAL: Identify and close curricular gaps Formative Data Analysis / Student Conversations Classroom Diagnostic Tools (CDT) & STAR (not an acronym) assessment GOAL: Best ensure students successfully progressing through curriculum * The other major area of PD is centered on Instructional Technology.

Next Steps Teachers/Administrators benchmark students and monitor growth using available resources (e.g. – CDT & STAR) Dir. of CIT and Principals meet quarterly for “Data Dialogues” Review progress of students Department Heads Continuous curriculum review Piloting programs/resources (Math) Meeting with other schools/teachers having success

Online Resources CDT STAR ST Math IXL Math Read 180 Digits SmartMusic What are some of the electronic resources we have available to help provide formative assessment feedback to teachers? CDT STAR ST Math IXL Math Read 180 Digits SmartMusic MicroType6 Other Vendor Resources * This is an instructional shift for many of our teachers. * Needs to be done in a way which doesn’t stifle creativity

Curricular Investigations STEM course offerings in K-8 Focus: hands-on, project-based, collaborative, creative (engineering, computer science, etc.) 8th grade Art FCS to HS as mandatory “Practical Living” course Pre-Kindergarten Program

District Goals vs Comprehensive Plan Systems are in place Data analysis an ongoing process Need for formalized process once every 3 years is minimal

Tentative District Goals I. INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP: Maintain focus of instruction and student learning CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT Continued emphasis on aligning curriculum vertically between grades (K-12) and horizontally across classrooms at the same grade level and across sections of the same course. Continue to implement annual curriculum review cycles. INSTRUCTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS Professional development focused on instructional methodology, utilizing assessments to drive instruction, as well as the effective use of technology in the instructional setting. Evaluate, research and implement efficiencies in the academic program through an analysis of staff utilization, scheduling considerations and course offerings within each building. DATA-DRIVEN & INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION Guide & support Administrators/Staff in identifying & implementing a range of appropriate data sources. Effectively analyze and use data to drive decision-making regarding individualized student instruction. Empower Department Heads to analyze and utilize data in curricular discussions and decisions. EFFECTIVE USE OF STUDENT ASSESSMENTS Continue to utilize a variety of balanced assessments which are linked to curriculum standards and content. Use assessment results to inform instructional modifications which support the development of a customized education program for each student. Adapt lesson plans, instructional practice and differentiated supervision through small group instruction to meet the needs of students. TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION Foster the use of instructional technology in the classroom district-wide. Continue to research and implement electronic curriculum (i.e., e-books). Leverage technology as a platform by which individualized instruction occurs. 2015-2016 School Year Specific Target Goals Create opportunities to balance the standards- driven educational model: Examine current instructional methodology to incorporate creativity in student learning/instruction. Expand science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) offerings. Develop and implement curricula to prepare students for everyday living. Emphasize the use of data results (standardized assessment, benchmark assessments, curriculum-based assessment) to guide decisions for instruction.

Tentative District Goals II. STUDENT PERFORMANCE / ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: Ensure that students receive a high quality education that prepares them for success in an ever-changing 21st century global society Achieve a graduation rate of 92% or higher (PDE 4-year cohort model). Achieve attendance rate of 95% or higher for each building. As required by Federal legislation under “No Child Left Behind (NCLB)”waiver, improve the School Performance Profile Score per building. Accentuate the importance of reading skills district-wide with a focused effort at Elementary School. Continue to support Reading through Title I Reading (K-5) and specialized reading support for students K-3 (iRead)and 4-12 (Read 180.) Integrate partnerships with United Way and local resources to support reading instruction for students in grades 1 and 2. 2015-2016 School Year Specific Target Goals Narrow achievement gaps on federal and state- wide accountability assessments: Closely analyze Pennsylvania standardized assessments results based on the PA Core Standards and curtail instruction to fill necessary gaps in English Language Arts, Mathematics and Science. Continued emphasis on improving secondary math skills in students. Monitor the effectiveness of the newly developed Honors General Science course for 9th grade students.

Tentative District Goals 2015-2016 School Year Specific Target Goals Effectively use exemplary educators for professional development during in-service training. Adhere to PDE mandates to develop a new Comprehensive Plan model for the school district including a revaluation of the professional development and student services plans for the school district. Professional Development goals for 2015-2016 will focus on: Instructional Methodology - Depth of Knowledge, Rigor, Using Assessments to Drive Instruction (2nd year goal: Close Read/Text Complexity). Instructional Technology - Implement resources to better engage and individualize instruction for all students. Data Analysis - Utilize available resources to better identify student comprehension of curriculum. Use data to drive instructional decisions. Curriculum Conversations - Provide opportunities within the professional development schedule to analyze data and make necessary adjustments to curriculum in order to better align to PA Standards/Assessment requirements. III. STAFF DEVELOPMENT: Sustain and strengthen a culture and climate of high expectations and continuous learning for staff Develop and nurture a culture in which staff members regularly use student data, current research, best practices, and theory to continuously adapt instructional practices and achieve improved results. Utilize the District Professional Development Committee to develop the district professional development opportunities for the coming school year to support District goals and individual Building needs.

Tentative District Goals IV. TECHNOLOGY: Effectively utilize technology resources to facilitate a comprehensive technology plan to increase effectiveness of instruction and student learning Continue to facilitate a seamless integration of technology to support curriculum and teacher instruction for optimum student learning. Implement and support electronic curriculum throughout the school district curriculum. Support 1:1 devices for all students K-12 and teacher devices. Analyze network infrastructure to ensure it will continue to support all technology initiatives. 2015-2016 School Year Specific Target Goals Analyze programs and make purchasing recommendations to capitalize on electronic media to support the academic programs. Research online assessment tools to shift lesson preparation from grading to individualizing instruction for students based on student performance.