NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ONE SCHOOL’S STORY

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT BEING ON “THE LIST?”

THANKS FOR INVITING ME It’s no great shame to be on the list but It’s no great honor either!

THE EDDIES June, 2003 Finalist: Elementary School of Excellence

2003 NHEAIP SCORES ANNOUNCED! HIGHEST ELA SCORE: 252; UP 10 POINTS FROM 2002 HIGHEST MATH SCORE: 254; UP 10 POINTS FROM 2002 PERCENTAGE SCORING BASIC AND ABOVE IN ELA UP 21% PERCENTAGE SCORING BASIC AND ABOVE IN MATH UP 22% PERCENTAGE OF SED STUDENTS SCORING BASIC AND ABOVE UP 12% PERCENTAGE OF WHITE STUDENTS SCORING BASIC AND ABOVE UP 22% PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WITH AN EDUCATIONAL DISABILITY SCORING BASIC AND ABOVE UP 30% in MATH

ONE SMALL PROBLEM! STUDENTS WITH EDUCATIONAL DISABILITIES FAIL TO MAKE ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS IN ELA!

THE BEGINNING  New Principal  New Literacy program  New third grade teachers  Population explosion  No Child Left Behind  Title One troubles

 “Watch List”  CSRD Literacy Program continues  Professional development for teachers in Four Blocks, Comprehension Strategies and Six Traits Writing  Eddies Elementary School of the Year finalist  HOPE Institute

RUN FOR THE HILLS…

BUT INSTEAD…. Press release touting the positive achievements Letter to parents with same message Helped to maintain staff morale, at the same time “upping the ante” Revived HOPE team, opening it to additional staff Rehired HOPE facilitator to assist in developing the Improvement Plan Team reviewed outcomes of Root Cause Analysis

The Planning Process K.I.S.S. Expand participation through school visitations Use facilitator to encourage buy-in Update vision to meet current realities

THE GOAL Within two years, Grade 3 students with educational disabilities will make AYP in English/Language Arts.

Pre-Requisites for Success Acknowledge the problem Accept responsibility Believe that improvement is achievable Involve as many stakeholders as possible Celebrate success Take advantage of offers of help Strive for consistency Integrate the Improvement Plan strategies with existing initiatives

 Started in 2000 Reading Task Force  Developed to determine what was working in our district and what needed to be improved.  Research and visitations followed

May 2001 Debriefing of Reading Task Force and teachers found that programs that were successful in other schools had: –Common Language –A balanced literacy program –An uninterrupted literacy block –Professional Development

Fall 2001 Awarded CSRD Grant Three Goals: Establish a positive school climate based on mutual respect and inclusion of constituents Reorganization of space, time and team practices in ways that optimize student learning and teacher effectiveness. All students reading at or above grade level by third grade and every year thereafter.

Interventions Two Reading Specialists: –Grades K-2 –Grades 3-5 Family Literacy KINDERBLOCK Reading Recovery (fully implemented) Summer Reading Camp Multiple copies of books and a Teacher Resource Center

STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS Provide one session of all-day Kindergarten for those assessed to be “most needy” Provide before and after-school reading support for targeted Grade 3 students Provide supplemental instruction in testing strategies for targeted Grade 3 students Provide universal design language arts software for Special Needs students

Student Strategies for Summer Reading camp for 45 students K-2 Individual reading tutoring for below level readers Grades 3-5 Summer reading assignment for all students Grades 3-5 Bookmobile visits neighborhoods and recreational areas weekly: 187 students participated; 1014 books loaned; over 300 miles traveled

Strategies for Staff Continued training in Balanced Literacy Training in coordination of services for multiple interventions Continued training in analysis of data to drive reading instruction

MORE STRATEGIES Workshop on allowable testing accommodations Database to track achievement and program results for students with educational disabilities Collaborative grade level groups worked with a trained facilitator focusing on instructional improvement

A LUCKY COINCIDENCE Over 60 hours of training in “best practices” in fulfilling regulations. of IDEA Staff development in effective instructional methods for students with disabilities

Staying On Track Two-day summer workshop on Differentiated Instruction with a focus on Literacy 15 days of imbedded training throughout the school year Continued literacy training

WE DID IT!

NCLB: THE GOOD Terrific Professional Development New Programs New materials Greater attention paid to the needs of Elementary Special Needs children Total cost for implementation $101, Cost to the HDSD budget: $14,000 (toward all-day kindergarten)

THE BAD Can we sustain the same programming and momentum when moving from one grade level to three? Will we have adequate financial resources to maintain programs and strategies already in place?

THE UGLY We’re still on “the list!” We will now need to make AYP in three grades, 36 different categories. Benchmark for making AYP rises for the fall 2005 tests.

THE BOTTOM LINE