Rockdale County Public Schools

Schoolwide Title I Plan

Barksdale Elementary School Plan Originated: February 2008 Plan Revised: May 24, 2016

1. A comprehensive needs assessment: Barksdale Elementary continues to be eligible for Title I schoolwide services. Faculty members have met through the Leadership Team, Strategic Planning Team, Title I Team, and grade level teams to review and discuss the best practice options of service for our students. In addition, input from parents and community members has been sought through multiple surveys, a self-assessment through AdvancEd, the Title I Team, School Council and PTO. A comprehensive schoolwide plan has been written based on the evaluation of our current school programs and the disaggregation of data to include student enrollment, parent survey results, standardized test scores, demographic information, students’ classroom performance, and school-wide discipline.

Barksdale’s schoolwide plan is written for all students in the school based on the following areas of need:

An increase in students qualifying for the free/reduced lunch program.

2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16

Enrollment 539 572 593 560 565

F/R 63% 64% 64% 64% 68%

Continued high numbers of students referred for special services including the following

service enrollments:

Gifted Education

Special Education

Early Intervention Program.

2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16

Gifted 10.5% 11.6% 13.9% 11.5%

Special Ed 9% 11.5% 13.9% 10.7%

EIP Segments 148.5 132 165 215

Increase parental participation in the Parent Teacher Organization and in understanding

content expectations and their child’s progress.

Parent Survey SY 2016 (out of 12 responses)

Increasing parent awareness of subject area expectations 75%

Working with parents in understanding child’s progress 58%

Getting parents involved in surveys (% of students represented in results) 2%

Focus on student growth in all academic areas, increasing the percent of students in the

typical/high growth ranges. Chart below indicates the percent of SY 2016 3rd and 4th graders in

each of the identified categories: *test scores including all students from initial testing in

April.

ELA Math Science Social Studies

Achievement Levels 2, 3, 4 81.87 90.15 89.67 86.77

Typical/High Growth 40.35 46 53.82 38.97

% of Students

qualifying for

EIP services for

SY 17

4th 14% 25%

5th 27% 34%

Increase in student reading achievement in 5TH grade

*At the end of SY 2016 39% of 4TH graders scored in the below grade level Reading Status on

the Milestone End of Grade Assessment.

Increase in students performing in the average to above average range on mock writing

assessments.

Professional growth for individual teachers and staff to support all academic content areas

and classroom management to reduce the number of minor incidences that disrupt classroom

instruction.

Disregard

Direction

Classroom

disruption

Rude/

Disrespectful

Horseplay

Minor Incidences 70 67 49 42

Major Incidences 7 5 4 1

Prioritized Needs Data Source(s) Participants

Involved

Communication to Parents and Stakeholders

1 Students meeting or exceeding expected grade appropriate reading levels

STAR Assessment; GA Milestone EOG Assessment (growth and achievement)

K-5 students, staff and school administration

Individually through parent/teacher conferences; school-wide through newsletters & parent meetings

2 Students scoring average to above average on mock writing assessments

Write Score data reports

35 students Individually through parent/teacher conferences; school-wide through newsletters & parent meetings

3 Increase in collaboration among faculty/staff members and parents to improve student achievement

Parent survey results; GA Milestone EOG Assessment (growth and achievement); EIP services;

All school staff, parents

Individually through parent/teacher conferences; school wide through newsletters & parent meetings

4 Professional Learning opportunities for faculty/staff

STAR Assessments; GA Milestone EOG Assessments; Write Score mock writing assessments; EIP services; Discipline data

All staff School-wide through newsletters & parent meetings

2. Schoolwide reform strategies:

At Barksdale Elementary school improvement is an ongoing process. Faculty and staff members are committed to implementing reform strategies that provide all students with a program of instruction that enables them to reach their highest potential, while striving to meet or exceed state expectations of standards mastery and growth. We will continue to seek input from students, parents, and staff members as we determine best practices that will meet the needs of our students. LEA funds allow for the provision of 25 classroom teachers (PreK-5th), three full-time Early Intervention Program teachers, and 14 ½ paraprofessionals. Additionally, three special education resource teachers and three READY classes provide instruction to meet the needs of special needs

school-age and preschool students identified in the school’s community. Eight paraprofessionals are provided to support the Pre-K and Special Education population of the school. John Hattie’s synthesis of over 800 meta-analysis focused on student achievement, in the publication Visible Learning, states that practices with a .40 effect size or higher can yield a minimum of 1 year in student growth. In comparing various strategies from the publication, Barksdale’s current achievement levels, Barksdale’s goals for student achievement and the school’s instructional design, the concepts of class size reduction (.35 effect size) and small group learning (.48 effect size) best support the school’s current needs. With the staffing supports currently in place, Barksdale Elementary is able to provide students in K-3 with smaller class sizes ranging from 17.5 to 20 students per class. These numbers are reduced to at least half during reading and math instruction due to a master schedule that pushes in additional support through the use of parapros and EIP teachers for small group learning. These same numbers, however, do not hold true for 4th and 5th grades. By using only LEA provided funds, class sizes in these two grade levels fall between 23 and 25 students. Based on the larger class sizes, even with additional instructional supports, small groups will range from 12 to 14 students. To reduce this ratio to maximize effectiveness Barksdale’s Title 1 funds will be used to add 1 additional classroom teacher to 4th and 5th grades, creating class sizes of approximately 18 students, which will in-turn reduce small groups for learning to less than 10. These numbers support other research that states class sizes of no more than 18 students per teacher is required to produce the greatest benefits. In addition to reduced class sizes and small group learning, students in grades 1st -5th will be clustered based on their gifted eligibility with a gifted endorsed teacher for advanced content instruction, or participate in a gifted collaborative model. K-2nd grade gifted students will be clustered in their classes and will meet with a county gifted endorsed teacher once a week in addition to being served through the collaborative model on a daily basis. Third through fifth grade students will attend the county’s gifted program at the Program Challenge Center one day a week. EIP teachers will provide remediation initially to students based on end of the year eligibility following the RCPS EIP guidelines. As their schedules allow, they will provide services for students who are recommended by their teachers based on their at-risk status. 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students will independently use Achieve 3000 on a regular basis, tracking and monitoring their own progress on 1st tries and Lexile level adjustments. In addition, classroom and other support teachers will use the stretch passages and lessons to support grade level instruction for below grade level readers. The inclusion, collaborative and resource models will be used for identified special education students in the areas of reading, writing and math. These models will enable teachers to provide on-grade level instruction, as well as remediation activities, as needed. Special Education students in grades 1st through 5th will be clustered in classes based on the service modeled used at each grade level. Students also participate in technology, art, music, physical education, guidance and media center lessons as part of the daily schedule. Progress and student achievement will be monitored through the implementation of a multi-tiered process. Grade level teachers will continue to meet weekly within the instructional schedule in professional learning communities (PLC) to participate in professional learning, review student work, plan performance tasks and assessments, and plan daily instruction. Teachers will review student achievement and discipline data and reflect on implemented strategies. The data will be used to develop skill specific intervention groups. Teachers will meet weekly with the schoolwide RTI Student

Support Team (SST) which includes the assistant principal, school psychologist, principal, teacher and parent to discuss strategies, analyze student assessments, and make recommendations for continued support of identified students at the tier three level. Teachers will continue to review multiple pieces of student achievement data, including mastery of report card standards, and will develop tier two intervention groups as needed. In addition to weekly team meetings, quarterly data meetings will be guided by the school administration. During these meetings the grade level team, including support personnel and administration, will review quarterly progress and achievement based on a variety of assessments, to include: STAR assessments, report cards, benchmarks, Achieve 3000, etc. Safety net caseloads, including EIP, Tier 2 groups and tutoring will be adjusted to meet the identified needs of the students. Students not making adequate progress or demonstrating expected mastery will be closely monitored for the next quarter using the Barksdale At-Risk monitoring process. Parents of these students will be contacted and requested to attend a conference to develop a remediation plan. Students may also be referred to SST or considered for additional services. Students will work with teachers to set academic goals. This will take place as students review their benchmark performance; STAR Assessments in reading, literacy and mathematics; standards mastery; writing progress; daily work; Accelerated Reader (AR) and/or Achieve 3000; and Accelerated Math progress. Teachers will conference with students and train them in giving feedback on their own work, as well as that of their peers. Students will keep individual data and progress monitoring folders, focusing on 2 to 3 skills each for reading and math. After piloting student-led conferences during the 2011-12 school year, this best practice strategy was implemented schoolwide beginning with the September 2012 conferences. Student-led conferences will continue for the 2016-17 school year during the county designated conference weeks so students can share with their parents their goals, work, and progress in all academic areas, creating what John Hattie refers to as an assessment capable learner, a student who knows where they are, where they need to be, and monitors for the success criteria which indicates when they reach the goal (Visible Learning For Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning, 2012).

Barksdale Elementary will continue to provide a comprehensive school program that accelerates student learning. Each day we focus on meeting the needs of a more diverse student population, the need for more parent involvement, and interventions that will meet the academic needs of our students. Plans are in place to continue programs that are currently effective and add new programs that will benefit and accelerate the learning of our students. These programs include:

Accelerated Reader

After School Enrichment Program (Math, Technology, Fitness, Art, Robotics)

Before/After School Tutorial Programs (Reading, Writing and Math)

Kindercamp

Arts Outreach Programs

CHAMPS (Choosing Healthy Activities and Methods Promoting Safety)

Junior Beta Club

Junior National Honor Society

Media Center Club

Fire Patrol Club

Flag Patrol Club

4th-5th grade Chorus

WBES News Crew Club

4-H

Reading Bowl Team

Marathon in a Month Club

Mileage Club

Math Team Club

Robotic/Rockbots-LEGO Club

Honors Day Programs

Oratorical Showcase

Spelling Bee

Young Georgia Author’s Writing Competition.

Our goals and activities support Rockdale County Public Schools’ strategic goals of increasing student achievement, effective and efficient use of resources, and stakeholder satisfaction. In addition, the goals and activities are aligned with the AdvancED accreditation and school improvement expectations and process. Through the development and quarterly monitoring of the Barksdale Strategic School Improvement Plan, progress on meeting specific goals focusing on academic achievement, quality instruction, classroom management, student engagement and parental involvement is updated regularly. The staff continues to examine the effectiveness of each program and initiative. Teachers will meet weekly to analyze test data: Georgia Milestones, RCPS SLO Assessments, county benchmarks, pretests/posttests, mid-quarter testlets, and weekly common assessments. They will identify strengths and weaknesses, create an instructional plan of action, and implement research-based instructional strategies in the classroom. Student success in reading, writing, math, science and social studies will be documented using county benchmarks, mastery checklists, progress reports, report cards, performance-based assessments, and weekly assessments. All Barksdale students will participate in curricular activities to master the curriculum standards as set by the state of Georgia.

3. Instruction by highly qualified (HQ) teachers. All faculty and staff members at BES are highly qualified to teach in their area and fully certified by the state of Georgia. Sixty percent of the faculty members hold advanced degrees, and additional members are working on advanced degrees and/or endorsements. All certified staff members have completed the technology proficiency certification. Administrators attend local and state job fairs as scheduled, post available positions on TeachGA and use the school’s website to attract teacher candidates. Candidates for hire are screened first by the principal and assistant principal, and must have certification in their field and a successful completion of the GACE. Candidates are recommended to an interview team consisting of administrators, counselor and teachers as part of the hiring process. Once hired, new teachers are provided with a Teacher Support Specialist (TSS) to assist them in becoming acclimated to the school, lesson planning, classroom observing, and professional growth. New teachers also meet with the administrative team for reflection on their teaching and support of school-wide processes.

Faculty and staff members are provided training for new program initiatives which will enable them to be qualified to teach our students. Current initiatives include training for common formative assessments, technology, writing and cultural competency. Faculty and staff members are encouraged to attend workshops and training sessions offered through other programs and individuals. Rockdale County follows the state of Georgia’s guidelines in implementing TKES (Teacher Keys Effectiveness System) as an evaluation instrument. Informal and formal evaluations are administered and supervised by the school’s administration. Teacher progress is monitored through the administration and Teacher Support Specialists. As a component of Teacher Keys, teachers will utilize teacher growth plans in setting individual professional goals. Feedback to teachers and a focus on the growth of these goals are the foundational elements of the Teacher Keys.

4. In accordance with Section 1119 and subsection (a)(4), high-quality and ongoing professional development for teachers, principals, and paraprofessionals and, if appropriate, pupil services personnel, parents, and other staff to enable all children in the school to meet the state’s student academic achievement standards.

The professional learning plan for BES is based on the school strategic improvement plan goals, strategic plan, AdvancEd self-assessment and an analysis of staff members’ needs and is available for all faculty and staff. All training is focused on the outcome of 100% of the student body meeting or exceeding standards. Based on data analysis of the Georgia Milestones, RCPS Summative Assessments, Star EL, SRI, quarterly benchmarks and classroom performance, training sessions are planned to assist faculty and staff members in identifying areas of need and/or planning interventions and strategies. Each year staff members complete the SAI survey and school generated surveys to give feedback that is used to develop the school’s professional learning plan. Barksdale’s professional learning plan and implementation is designed by administration, instructional leaders, teachers, and paraprofessionals. Each staff member is afforded the required time necessary to complete training. Technology training, the sharing of conference strategies, programs that enrich the teaching of the curriculum, and training to meet the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of the student body will continue to be a part of the school’s professional learning plan. The Barksdale Strategic School Improvement Plan encompasses all areas deemed appropriate for school improvement, based on current data. Increasing student reading levels will be a focus. As a part of professional learning current materials used will be reviewed for rigor and relevance. Current practices for reading instruction will be evaluated and professional learning will be implemented to enhance any areas seen as a deficit. Teachers will receive additional training in using, interpreting, and planning instruction based on the STAR assessments and Achieve 3000. Target areas of professional learning will include reading comprehension, writing, technology, math, student engagement to reduce classroom disruptions and cultural competency. Teachers will continue to be encouraged to attend conferences, county level training sessions, and other school programs to gain new strategies and techniques. Teachers will participate in the Appreciative Coaching peer observation process, being both the observer and the observed. Teachers are encouraged to participate in county level committees and task force teams. They are given time to

collaborate with fellow teachers on a daily basis, at weekly grade level professional learning community time, and at faculty meetings. Barksdale uses a vertical team approach with representative staff members from each grade level or grade band working together to set academic and social goals for our students. Data analysis will be an ongoing process to determine student needs. Instructional and professional learning decisions will be data driven. We will evaluate the effectiveness of instruction, strategies, and programs through the Title I program in order to best serve our students and parents.

5. Strategies to attract high-quality highly qualified teachers to high-need schools.

Strategies to attract highly qualified teachers to our school will be employed. Administration will attend job fairs as scheduled and, along with members of the Barksdale Interview Team, will seek the most qualified teachers. As positions come available, potential candidates will be invited to participate in the interview team process.

6. Strategies to increase parental involvement in accordance with Section 1118, such as family literacy services.

Parents have multiple opportunities to be involved in their child’s education at BES. A strong PTO Board and membership support numerous activities throughout the school year, and parents are active as classroom tutors, mentors, and volunteers. In addition, parents and community members serve on the School Council, Strategic Planning Team, and Title I Committee. At the beginning of the school year, parents and students are invited to attend Open House where students meet their teacher and parents have the opportunity to ask questions about the upcoming school year and learn about volunteering opportunities. Curriculum Nights are scheduled for each grade level during the first few weeks of each semester of school. Parents are given specific information about the curriculum, daily instructional schedule, attendance, communication, assessments, classroom and school procedures, standards-based grading and reporting, and ways to support their child at home. Parent conferences for students qualifying for EIP are also held within the first ten days of student enrollment in the program. Communication tools for parents include school agendas, communication folders, classroom newsletters, the Buccaneer News and Captain’s Log (principal’s newsletters), the school’s web site, Facebook, parent/teacher conferences, electronic phone messages, itsLearning, Infinite Campus Parent Portal, AR Home Connect, progress reports, and report cards. The newsletter, Home School Connection, is provided for parents through Title I funds. Surveys have been completed by parents to gain their input in planning training opportunities that are applicable to their needs. Parenting classes will include technology resources, science curriculum, math and reading strategies, community resources, test-taking strategies, and preparing for pre-kindergarten-kindergarten. During Kindercamp, parents are provided with resources and strategies to use in assisting their child with the transition to pre-kindergarten and/or kindergarten. Parent, student and teacher conferences are held school-wide two times per school year. Additional conferences may be scheduled by the parent or teacher as needed. Parents are provided with an update on their child’s progress, areas of strength and need, and resources to assist the student and parent. A copy of each child’s Georgia Milestones/RCPS Summative Assessment scores are sent to

parents along with a cover letter that explains the test scores and offers additional assistance through the school’s testing coordinator, counselor and classroom teacher. At the first conference of the year, teachers review individual student Georgia Milestones/RCPS Summative Assessment scores and identify areas of focus. Parents are provided with suggestions of activities and strategies to use at home in reinforcing the standards. Upon completion of the quarterly benchmarks, letters are sent home to make parents aware of student results. Parents are given the option of scheduling a conference with school personnel for more information. Parent participation in PTO membership and events is highly encouraged. PTO meetings include student performances and recognition, parent tips, an annual art show, and informational sessions on the curriculum, and community services. The annual fall festival and walk-a-thon involve many parents and also reach out to include community members as they make donations to the events and/or participate in the activities. In addition, the PTO works to support classroom instruction by encouraging parents to serve as tutors and mentors. The PTO provides parents with their own web site to highlight events, fundraising information, and ways that parents can volunteer. Through the action steps of the strategic plan, the Parent Resource Center has been updated and made more accessible to parents. New materials and brochures are available in the front office, and the resource center has been relocated to a better-suited area of the media center. An informative bulletin board is located in the main hallway to provide parents with calendar dates of special events, training session details, community services, and PTO news. A suggestion box is provided for parents, students and staff members to utilize in offering ideas. Parents also have the opportunity to participate in a school climate survey as they offer feedback on various components of the school. The results are analyzed by the Title I Team, Leadership Team, Strategic Team and School Council. Suggestions and recommendations are taken into consideration and changes made as needed. At BES, we encourage an environment that is friendly and inviting to all stakeholders. Parent and community volunteers are honored each year through our annual Volunteer Recognition Celebration as a way to showcase our appreciation for their support of our school. Through our needs assessment and climate surveys, we realize the need for and importance of parental involvement. Our goal is to make available more volunteer opportunities, resources, and training for our parents in order to strengthen that partnership between home and school.

7. Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs, such as Head Start, Even Start, Early Reading First, or a state-run preschool program, to local elementary school programs.

A state-sponsored Pre-K program will continue to be implemented at Barksdale Elementary for the 2016-17 school year. This state funded program utilizes the Bright from the Start model. One full-time teacher and paraprofessional provide the instruction and support that aligns with the curriculum. Twenty-two students will be enrolled in the class. The teacher ensures that communication takes place between her and the parent. Parents will meet with the teacher as they make the transition to Barksdale Elementary. The teacher will arrange a conference with parents twice a year. Areas of instruction and development will be discussed, and parents will be made aware of their child’s progress.

Local day care centers and church sponsored pre-school programs contact the Assistant Principal/site- based Transition Team Director to schedule spring visits for their Pre-K/kindergarten students. Barksdale staff members welcome these students and arrange for chaperones to tour the school, visit the kindergarten classrooms, and have a snack in the cafeteria. Information is distributed to the area pre-school programs about Round-Up and Kindercamp. Barksdale’s Kindergarten Transition Team consisting of BES and RCPS instructional leaders, kindergarten teachers from BES, and area daycare teachers provides several activities for parents and students who will transition to an elementary school setting. In the spring, the annual Kindergarten Round-Up is held when students zoned to attend BES visit the school with their parent. They are given a screening by a current kindergarten teacher in the building to help with later placement. Parents who attend Round-Up are given information about the Kindercamp that will be held in July each summer. A Kindercamp for incoming pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students is implemented each summer. The camp is hosted by BES staff members for incoming pre-kindergarteners and kindergarteners each school year. Parents are invited to tour the school, learn strategies to help their child in school, and make materials to assist their child in mastering academic, social and emotional skills. Administrators and staff members give parents information to assist them in the transition to school. Students tour the school and experience a modified school day. The schedule includes reading and math activities, lunchroom procedures, specials classes (art, music, PE) and story time. Students have the opportunity to ride a school bus to learn safety rules, as well as meet new friends and teachers. Providing this program for the school’s youngest students allows them to become acclimated to the school prior to the beginning of the new school year.

8. Measures to include teachers in the decisions regarding the use of academic assessments described in Section 1111(b)(3) in order to provide information on, and to improve, the achievement of individual students and the overall instructional program.

Teacher input is sought and valued each day at Barksdale Elementary. A variety of processes are implemented as teachers have the opportunity to give feedback on varying components of the school’s structure. The Strategic Team consists of grade level representatives, a specials teacher, a special education teacher, paraprofessionals, the school counselor and administrators. This team is responsible for monitoring the progress of the action steps and delivering updates/recommendations to the faculty, staff and parents. The Leadership Team comprised of grade level representatives, specials teacher, special education teacher, media specialist, EIP teachers, counselor, paraprofessional representatives, and administrators meets monthly during the school year to discuss instructional needs and other issues that impact schoolwide student achievement. This team also meets during the summer to participate in training/team-building activities, analyze end-of-the-year data, including the Georgia Milestones/RCPS Summative Assessment data, and review the strategic school improvement plan goals. Vertical teams for reading, writing, math, science and social studies meet during the school year to review data and plan instruction to support these academic areas. These teams are responsible for developing the school goal and action steps for their area at the beginning of the year, collecting and

analyzing data quarterly to monitor student growth, modifying action steps as needed, and reporting back to the entire staff. Weekly, teachers meet in grade level teams to develop strategies to increase student growth and performance and analyze common assessments. Quarterly data analysis meetings are also held to review report card mastery and benchmark results and plan accordingly based on students’ needs. Strengths and weaknesses on standardized tests will continue to be analyzed to determine specific skills areas that need to be addressed. Additional forms of assessments that are used to monitor student progress include: performance tasks, common assessments, student work, portfolios, projects, written assignments, and teacher observation. Classroom observations are conducted by administration to monitor instruction and student achievement. Administrators review test scores, demographics and other data to identify and enhance changes in students’ needs. Collaborative meetings allow teachers to plan together in order to meet the needs of our students. Teacher input is obtained during the year through the Standards Assessment Inventory (SAI) and is used to plan for professional learning. The implementation of peer observations and the establishment of weekly grade level professional learning communities are a direct result of feedback from those surveys. Teachers also have the opportunity to evaluate the school’s discipline program at the end of each school year and to make recommendations for improvement. The results of a faculty/staff climate survey are utilized by the Leadership Team in planning for each school year.

9. Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering the proficient or advanced levels of academic achievement standards required by Section 1111(b)(1) shall be provided with effective, timely additional assistance, which shall include measures to ensure that students’ difficulties are identified on a timely basis and to provide sufficient information on which to base effective assistance.

Student growth and mastery is monitored using an on-going process referred to as the “RCPS Cycle for Results”. In conjunction with the Barksdale Leadership Team, the RCPS Cycle for Results was enhanced to include school-level practices and named the BES Cycle for Results. As this is a cycle, the process is continually in motion and multi-leveled, including classroom, grade level and school-level. Teachers implement this cycle as part of their daily instructional practices of pre-assessing, teaching, assessing, re-teaching and re-assessing. Grade levels work in teams with administration to implement the cycle based on quarterly assessments.

Activities to support students struggling to master curriculum standards include:

Instructional support from administration, instructional team, academic coaches, technology

specialist

Collaborative planning

EIP

Morning/ during the day/Extended day tutoring

Data analysis

Paraprofessionals

RTI

Measures to ensure that students’ difficulties are identified in a timely basis (following the Cycle for Results) include:

Collaborative planning

Quarterly Benchmark Administration

Data analysis/profile meetings

Progress reports/report cards

Conferences

RTI

Attendance Support Team

Instructional Team

Classroom Assessments

Quarterly Mock Writing Assessments

StarEL/Star Reading/ Star Math

Student Goal-Setting and Self-Progress Monitoring

Achieve 3000 level set assessments (3rd, 4th and 5th)

10. Coordination and integration of federal, state, and local services and programs, including programs supported under this Act, violence prevention programs, nutrition programs, housing programs, Head Start, adult education, vocational and technical education, and job training.

Students at BES experiencing difficulty are identified by teachers and administration and an intervention is implemented. Students are identified as being at-risk according to the following:

Scoring in performance level 1 on the Georgia Milestones/RCPS Summative Assessment in

reading and/or math

Academic achievement falling below grade level expectations

Little to no growth in performance/achievement levels

Chronic absenteeism

Little or no home support

Consistent, inappropriate behavior patterns

Referral to the school’s RTI, guidance counselor, social worker, and/or administration

Dramatic life changes

Through the state-funded Early Intervention Program, three full-time teachers will be provided to work with students identified from state checklist. Students struggling in reading and math will receive extra support to reinforce skills they are lacking. Title I funds for the 2016-17 school year will provide for 2 additional classroom teachers, to be placed in 4th and 5th grades, to reduce class sizes and provide instructional support through the use of small instructional groups. Students who are at-risk will receive additional small group instruction at Tier 2 or individual support at Tier 3 through the RTI process. An intervention plan will be created for each student to assist staff members working with the child. Monitoring of this process will occur by grade level teachers and the SST Team. Staff members will work with parents in supporting the at-risk learners. Referrals will be made to the school’s social worker, psychologist, and other support systems as needed. Information and other resources will be made available through the school’s parent resource center and counseling department. Federal and state programs that support the instructional program at Barksdale include:

Early Intervention Program (EIP)

Special Education for students with learning disabilities, speech and language difficulties, and

those with developmental delays

Special Education for preschool aged students

ESOL

Response to Intervention (RTI)

Free/Reduced Meal Program

Title 1 teachers

BES Title I funds will be allocated in the following manner: Class Size Reductions Research has shown that small classes can have a positive influence on student achievement. Overall, smaller classes provide more opportunities for teachers to engage in instructional strategies shown by research to be related to higher student performance.

Teachers are better able to not only complete their lessons in smaller classes, but to develop their

lessons in more depth;

Teachers move through curricula more quickly and are able to provide additional enrichment

activities;

Teachers are able to manage their classes better and classes function more smoothly as less time

is spent on discipline and more on learning;

Students receive more individualized attention, including more encouragement, feedback, and

monitoring;

Students are more attentive to their classwork;

Students wait less time to receive help or have their papers checked;

Students have more opportunities to participate in group lessons.

Barksdale Elementary School will use Title I funds to hire an additional 4th and 5th grade teacher to reduce class sizes to create smaller groups and focus on targeted, individualized instruction. Strategies that will be more effectively implemented across the CSR grades include:

Visible Learning - a model of teaching and learning built on evidence-based research into what

actually works in schools to improve learning. This includes an attention to setting challenging

learning intentions, being clear about what success means, and an attention to learning strategies

for developing conceptual understanding about what student know and understand. As a result

of this Professional Development for teachers, our intent is to maximize achievement.

Achieve 3000 in 4th and 5th grade is based on decades of scientific research. Achieve3000 online

solutions deliver engaging, nonfiction content that supports core curriculum, Response to

Intervention, English language learning, special education, and other instructional models.

Reduced class sizes across the 4th and 5th grades will allow more time for students to engage with

this powerful learning supplement.

The daily schedule will create multiple opportunities for students to receive instruction in a variety of settings and models including large and small groups, inclusion, and pull-out. Paraprofessionals will be utilized to assist the teachers in working with students in small, flexible, skills-based groups throughout the school day. Parent volunteers will work with students as tutors to reinforce skills

being taught in class. The schedule will include blocks of time devoted specifically to reading and math, as well as the school-wide writing plan. Students in kindergarten, first and second grades will be instructed through the Saxon Phonics Program and components of Jack and Jilly to reinforce phonics skills, sight word recognition, decoding strategies, and reading comprehension. Trained paraprofessionals will support this program as they implement small groups under the guidance of the classroom teachers. All reduced size classes will benefit all students, especially the most at-risk. It will allow for the development of individuals, allowing students to become self-regulators, self- evaluators, and self-learners, generating opportunity for richer tasks in the learning process. Parental Involvement

Workshops will be provided for parents based on response to the yearly Title I survey.

Refreshments and childcare will be made available during the workshops. Materials and

resources will also be provided for the Parent Resource Center.

Salary for the BES Parent Involvement Coordinator

Improvement of Instruction Services

Funds for 8 teachers and substitute coverage for attendance to a writing conference

Funds for purchasing summer workbooks for at-risk students

Professional Learning Funds - Title II

Funds will be available to provide substitutes for teachers on a quarterly basis to review

student growth and performance on district and school-based formative assessments. Funds

will also be available for the purchase of professional learning resources, specifically The

Reading Strategies Book by Jen Serravallo. This book will be used during quarterly data

reviews and GL PLC meetings to match reading instructional strategies to skill specific needs.

Based on our needs assessment, we will focus on reading, writing, math, and science

professional development. In addition, Barksdale will participate in a Year 3 implementation

for Social Emotion Learning and Universal Design for Learning in collaboration with the

Marcus Autism Center, with the goal of increasing student engagement and academic

success.

Extended Programs Safety Net Funds

Tutoring sessions before, during and after the school day will be provided in the areas of

reading, writing and math.

Title 1 Funds

In July 2015, BES will host a Kindercamp for incoming Pre-K and kindergarten, with carry

monies used to support Kindergarten Transition Camps.

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

Test results for state and county assessments are provided for parents. Once results of state assessments are received at the school, parents are given a hard copy with a cover letter explaining the results. Interpretation of the results may also be given in a workshop and/or conference setting. County benchmark assessment results are sent home with an explanation of the student’s scores. Weekly classroom assessments are sent home along with rubrics and scoring procedures. Examples of items communicated include:

Annual CCRPI reports with Star Climate Rating

School’s state report card

Progress report/report card

Benchmark reports

Conference notes

Many modes of communication are in place to share assessment results and interpretation of those results to parents. School-wide practices include:

Student led conferences will continue to be implemented schoolwide during the 2016-17

school year with a focus on student goal-setting and self-progress monitoring.

Parent/teacher conferences are held at least twice a year. At-risk students have additional

conferences throughout the year.

Assessment results are sent home and meetings scheduled to discuss.

At-risk student documentation is sent home and conferences held.

Intervention plans implemented for at-risk learners and communicated to parents.

Workshops focused on understanding content mastery expectations and the assessments

used to determine mastery will be held and information communicated to parents.

Classroom and schoolwide newsletters to parents provide curriculum information and

resources.

The school’s website and teachers’ webpages provide curriculum information and resources

to parents.

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

Teachers and support staff members are thoroughly trained in the collaboration and analysis of data. On an ongoing basis through the implementation of the BES Cycle For Results teachers review multiple assessment types to identify weak areas. They work as a grade group to plan intervention strategies and produce pre/post tests and rubrics. Each student is monitored for progress. As an instructional team, administrators and teachers meet to analyze data and determine standards-based areas for focus. Intervention plans are put in place and students who are identified as at-risk for each identified standard are placed into one of many support programs. These support programs include RTI, tiers 2/3 intervention groups, extended day tutoring, flexible tutoring groups, EIP, counseling services, speech, and Attendance Support Team.

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

Assessments beginning at the classroom level are ongoing and analyzed each day. Numerous pieces of assessments are analyzed to determine areas of strengths and weaknesses. The results of this analysis are used to guide our instruction and intervention process. Data are collected from:

GKIDS

Individual Reading Inventories

EIP skills checklist

Math fact inventories

ITBS/CogAT

RCPS Quarterly Benchmarks

Georgia Milestones/RCPS Summative Assessment

Mock writing assessments through Write Score

StarEL/Star Reading/ Star Math

Accelerated Reader

Student portfolios

Student goal-setting and self-progress monitoring

14. Provisions for public reporting of disaggregated data. Barksdale ensures that all stakeholders have access to our school’s data by using the following:

Newsletters (Schoolwide, Grade Level, Teacher)

Website

SchoolMessenger

School Marquee

Parent conferences

School Council

PTO

Open House

Curriculum Night

School Brochure

Community Forums

Title I plan/Team

Strategic Team

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

Our school improvement goals and strategic plan are reviewed multiple times during the year to monitor progress and revise based on student needs by a team consisting of administrators, teachers, parents, and community members. The Title I plan is in alignment with the two plans mentioned previously and is reviewed and revised during the school year (beginning, middle and ending) by the administrators, instructional team, teachers, parents, and community members.

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

Barksdale Title I team members include:

Susan Norton, Principal Jill Murphy, Assistant Principal

Gwen Strong, Counselor/Parent Lynn Renz, Parent Liasion/Parapro

Sandi Watkins, K-3 Academic Coach/ EIP Teacher

Michelle Powell, READY Teacher

Nicole Johnson, 1st grade teacher/Parent Holly Campbell, Kindergarten teacher

Jeffrey Burris, Parent Bre Cline, 2nd grade Teacher

Shauna Roddenberry, 3rd grade teacher Patrick Randall, 5th grade teacher/Parent

Elizabeth Cotten, Special Education teacher Yandene Williams, EIP Teacher

Kim Stegall, READY SLP/Parent

17. Plan available to the LEA, parents, and the public. All components of our Title I Schoolwide Plan including the Parent Involvement Plan, Parent Compact, School Improvement Goals, and Strategic Plan, are available to all stakeholders upon request. Our plans are also available on the school’s website and in the Parent Resource Center.

18. 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.

All literature and correspondence can be translated into other languages and provided for parents upon request.

19. Plan is subject to the school improvement provisions of Section 1116. Barksdale Elementary’s Schoolwide Title I Plan is subject to the school improvement provisions of Section 1116. Section 1116, of the Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act,

states that schools must provide Supplemental Education Services and School Choice if the school did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) for two years in a row. Currently, all schools in Rockdale County have made AYP. If required, Supplemental Education Services will be offered to students to increase their academic achievement. These services may include academic assistance such as tutoring, remediation, and other educational interventions, consistent with the content, curriculum and instruction used by the school district. These services will be aligned with Georgia’s achievement standards.

Susan V. Norton 8.9.2016

Principal’s Signature Date

Title I Director’s Signature Date