Angela Blevins White, Principal Redbud Run Elementary School
School Information ● Redbud Run Elementary School, built in 1996, is one of eleven elementary schools in Frederick County, Virginia. As of March 2015, the enrollment is 670. There are currently 32 general education classrooms and 5 special education classrooms. Redbud Run was identified as a Focus School in 2014 and is accredited with warning in both reading and math. ● Approximately 50% of the students receive Free and Reduced Lunch, approximately 13% are ELL and approximately 10% receive special education services. ● Redbud Run is one of four schools in Frederick County participating in the VTSS grant opportunity. Teachers have been provided professional development in tiered systems of support for behavior and academics.
Pre-Assessment ●12 observations ●One Title I (one teacher) ●Three Special Education (3 teachers) ●Four Kindergarten (4 teachers) ●Two First Grade (2 teachers) ●Two Third Grade (2 teachers)
Noteworthy Highlights ●Several lessons included no high-yield strategies ●Half of all lessons had use of manipulatives ●Half of all observations included students not with the teacher using technology ●Upper grades did not yet have an intervention time built into schedules
Professional Development ●PLC meetings used to introduce observation tool and high-yield strategies vs. low-yield strategies ●John Hattie research read and discussed with all professional staff involved during a PD day in Jan. ●Observation tool used for Tier I instruction for school data ●John Hattie book given to all professional staff ●Objective-writing and goal setting were other topics of PLC mtgs.
Post-Assessment ● 23 Observations ● One Title I (one teacher) ● Two Special Educations (2 teachers) ● Four Kindergarten (4 teachers) ● Four Second (3 teachers) ● Two Third (2 teachers) ● Five Fourth (4 teachers) ● Five Fifth (4 teachers)
Noteworthy Highlights ●11 out of 12 high-yield strategies were evident in lessons observed ●Students were observed engaged in reading in 13 lessons and writing in 7 lessons ●In 4 lessons students were observed self-assessing their work ●Few low-yield strategies were observed in lessons
Comparison of Pre-Assessment and Post-Assessment ●PD on goal setting resulted in 3 observations of student setting own goals in 2nd set of walk-throughs ●All grade levels designated a set intervention time within schedules ●Greater gains in students engaged in reading and in creating/using tools
Professional Development ●Tiered Definitions ●Unit Planning ●Chapters 1-3 in Hattie book ●Continuation of student goal setting ●Providing specific feedback
PD for School Year ●Continuation of John Hattie book study ●Tier I core instruction/Explicit instruction ●Continuation of planning for high-yield strategies ●Unpacking SOL and unit design