wces 2014 si plan january submission part 2 schoolwide

8/21/2019 WCES 2014 SI Plan January Submission Part 2 Schoolwide

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Georgia Department of Education

Title I

Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan

Dr. John D. Barge, State School SuperintendentApril 2011 Page 1 of 24

School Name:Worth County Elementary School

School Mailing Address:1401 North Isabella Street

Sylvester, GA 31791

LEA Name:

Worth County Schools

LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Name:

Christie Foerster

LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Signature: Date:

LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Mailing Address:Director of Federal Programs

504 E. Price St.

Sylvester, GA 31791

Email Address:[email protected]

Telephone:229.777.8395

Fax:229.776.8603


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Title I School-wide/School Improvement Plan

Planning Committee Members:

NAME POSITION/ROLE

Steven Rouse Principal

Marilyn Herring Assistant Principal

Dr. April Smith Assistant Principal

Chad Pate School Improvement Coordinator

Crissy Turner Media Specialist

Betty White Parent Involvement Coordinator

Cindy Bryan Counselor

Wanda Hembree School Council/Parent

Lynn Manley School Council/Parent

Kyle Tomlinson Business Member/Piggly Wiggly

Tatina Tucker Business Member/PTO President

Shala Juster Science Lab Instructor/Science Team

Michael Fulp Fifth Grade Language Arts Teacher


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SIP Components

*1. A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that addresses all academic areas

and other factors that may affect achievement.

A. The Worth County Elementary School (WCES) school-wide/school improvement (SW/SI)

plan was developed with the individuals who will carry out the comprehensive school-wide

initiative. The persons involved were administrators, school improvement coordinator,instructional team leaders, school counselor, media specialist, parents, and community

members.

Members were involved in developing the SW/SI plan by meeting collaboratively to reviewand discuss the needs of the school. Data from the CRCT, CRCT-M, ITBS, Georgia Writing

Assessment, STAR readingand math (Universal Screening), and benchmarks were

disaggregated by subgroup and content area for all grade levels. The teams worked together toidentify the strengths and challenges to plan and prioritize instruction, identify at risk students,

and to place students in appropriate intervention programs. Research based programs were then

utilized to analyze data. Using the results to foster student achievement is an on going process.The leadership team meets to review and analyze current data to see if gains are being made.

The school improvement coordinator provides weekly and monthly staff development

meetings with teachers to analyze data from current assessments, benchmark testing, andcomputer based programs. Teachers are provided opportunities for professional development

in the areas of data analysis, disaggregation of data, and researched based instructional

practices. Teachers keep agendas and meet by grade level to collaboratively plan together, look

at student work, share instructional strategies, and adjust instruction based on findings of data

analysis. Worth County Elementary School teachers are also offered professional learningopportunities through Southwest Georgia RESA and Georgia Learning Resource Service

(GLRS).

B.Worth County Elementary School teachers participate in an annual Needs Assessment

Surveyto determine professional learning needs. The data from this survey is collected and

analyzed by the leadership team to determine the needs of professional learning for theupcoming year. The school improvement specialist meets with the instructional team leaders to

brainstorm and develop a plan to ensure that specific professional learning is offered to all

teachers.

C. Migrant students are identified through the registration form the Worth County School(WCS) has in place. The school counselor contacts family members to determine needs. The

migrant students are then referred to the school testing coordinator to be evaluated to determineacademic needs. Interventions are offered and available to all migrant children through

referrals generated by teachers, parents, and/or administrators. All students are served under

the Response To Intervention (RTI) initiative and receive all interventions based on the needsof the student, if applicable. Migrant children are provided additional support in math and

reading through inclusion, differentiation, tutoring, co-teaching strategies, pullout services, and


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modifications. Migrant students are tracked throughout the school year by progress monitoring

using benchmarks, universal screeners, and formative and summative assessments. If needed,referrals are made to the school social worker or other outside agencies such as Southern Pines

Migrant Agency located at RESA in Lenox, Georgia.

D.A comprehensive study of CRCT data is conducted to analyze and disaggregate data todetermine strengths and challenges, and to prioritize curriculum based on findings. The goal of

the comprehensive study is to strengthen core academic programs and to provide supplemental

instruction for those students not meeting state standards. Current CRCT results indicate that

students are performing better in reading than in math. However, reading skills and vocabularyacquisition are deficit areas for many students. Trend data shows an increase in mastery as

students move from grade three to grade five. Current math CRCT results indicate an decrease

in the percentage of students meeting state standards in math, especially the Black subgroup,Students with Disabilities (SWD) subgroup, and Economically Disadvantaged students (ED)

subgroup.

Data are disaggregated by grade level, classroom, subgroup, and individual students.

Leadership and faculty members meet to review and discuss data to analyze the strengths and

challenges at the building level. Faculty members meet by grade level to further disaggregatedata by domains and individual students. Struggling students are identified and placed in

appropriate research based intervention programs.

WCES provides several intervention programs that impact all grades and provides more time

on task for students who are at risk for not meeting the state academic standards. All identifiedstudents are provided additional instruction with highly qualified, certified teachers and

paraprofessionals. The push in and pullout models are used based on studentsneeds. Allteachers and paraprofessionals have been trained in computer based programs, intervention

strategies, and direct instruction using scientifically research based materials. Multiple criteria

are used to identify studentsneeds.

The criteria includes:

CRCT and CRCT-M Universal screening Benchmarks Early Intervention Program (EIP) reading and math STARreading and math Common assessments Writing assessments Teacher recommendation


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Response to intervention seeks to prevent academic failure through early intervention, frequent

progress monitoring, and increasingly intensive research based instructional interventions forchildren who continue to have difficulty. A universal screener, STARreading and math, is used

to identify struggling students. They are placed in appropriate intervention programs based on

need. Students are progress monitored weekly and monthly to ensure the program is working.

If a student is not making adequate gains, the intervention program or frequency of theintervention is changed.

Students, under the RTI initiative, receive a minimum of two 30 minute segments per week

that focus on specific, targeted areas of weaknesses. However, the frequency, duration, andintensity of interventions are determined based on student needs. If the students are not making

adequate progress, the frequency of the intervention time increases or another program is used.

Interventions are fluid and based on specific needs of students.

Intervention Programs:

The SONDAYSystem I and II is a scientifically research based multisensory structuredphonics, reading, writing, and spelling program that guides beginning reading instruction, and

supports language deficits for English Learners (EL). The methodology utilizes phonetics and

emphasizes visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles. Instruction begins by focusing onthe structure of language and gradually moves towards reading. The program provides students

with immediate feedback and a predictable sequence that integrates reading, writing, and

spelling. The student is directly taught reading, handwriting, and written expression as one

logical body of knowledge. Learners move step by step from simple to more complex material

in a sequential, logical manner that enables students to master important literacy skills. Thiscomprehensive approach to reading instruction benefits all students.

Other data used for comprehensive needs assessment include:

Universal screening conducted three times during the school year STAR reading and math Benchmarks Accelerated reading

The school improvement coordinator and RTI coordinator meet with teachers to analyzestudent data and to discuss the needs of the school. Data are disaggregated by individual

classrooms, grade levels, subgroups, and content area domains of instruction. Teachers alsoconduct item analysis of assessments. The data are then compared to previous data todetermine strengths, challenges, and achievement gaps. Teachers meet weekly by grade level

and content areas to analyze data. Teachers are given support from the school improvement

coordinator and provided professional learning, identifying specific areas of need. Teachers arealso provided opportunities to attend outside professional learning workshops.


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E.The SWD subgroup is an area of concern for WCES, especially the areas of math, science,

and social studies. The 2013 CRCT scores show that the SWD subgroup had significantdecreases from the 2012 scores in math, science, language arts, and reading. Administrators

and staff are working with the state school improvement specialist to improve academic

achievement in this area.

To improve academic achievement for SWD, the Special Education Director and Ward and

Anderson consultants worked with administrators on effective scheduling of inclusion

classrooms. Teachers were provided with two days of intensive co-teaching training which

included modeling of classroom instructional strategies. The training is to be followed with afidelity-walkfor co-taught classrooms to provide feedback to teachers.

Data are disaggregated and all students that are not meeting state standards are identified andprovided research based intervention programs based on individual needs. Teachers continue to

use formative and summative assessment data to monitor areas of strengths and areas that need

improvement. Assessment data provide a basis for the choice of supplemental materials and theinstructional strategies to be used. All students receive differentiated instruction and are

considered Tier 1 students under the RTI process. Students that are not successful receive

additional differentiated instructional support in the classroom. If students are still not makingadequate progress, they are referred to the RTI team for evaluation and possible advanced tier

placement in the RTI program.

F. The data has helped us reach conclusions regarding achievement or other related data in the

following ways:

WCES believes that one of our major strengths is the use of research based programs todrive instruction, provide assessments, and to track student achievement. One of theprograms used isRenaissance Place. This is a leading provider of technology based

school improvement and student assessment programs for K-12 schools. It has

enhanced our current curriculum by providing the tools for daily formative assessmentand periodic progress monitoring, support for differentiated instruction, and

individualized practice in reading, writing, and math for students.Renaissance Place

serves as a valid and reliable assessment of studentsstrengths, weaknesses, and

growth.

The reports generated withRenaissance Placeprovide teachers with a wealth ofinformation that can be used for instructional planning, progress monitoring, screening,

recommended skills, and specific, targeted interventions. Reports can be generated in

graph form and provide specific information on student growth, estimated proficiencyand mastery of state standards on the CRCT, and valid documentation for teachers and

parents.

Renaissance Placeis also used for school-wide screening purposes under RTI andgiven three times per year to identify students performing below state standards and


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evaluate where the school is performing. A comprehensive report identifies students as

At/Above BenchmarkorBelow Benchmark. The report breaks down the data into thefollowing categories: On Watch, Intervention, Urgent Intervention. The RTI team and

teachers meet to discuss the data and to target specific deficits of students falling in the

UrgentandInterventioncategories. Students falling in the Urgent Interventioncategory

are automatically placed into intervention programs and provided additional instructionoutside the classroom. Students falling in theInterventioncategory receive additional

differentiated instruction and small group instruction in the classroom.

The major weakness is the time needed to provide intensive training for staff membersin how to effectively utilize all components ofRenaissance Place. Furthermore, thetechnology director and media specialist are working together in an effort to provide

professional learning for all teachers.

Major concerns in reading include comprehension, main idea, and authors purpose.Most students at WCES are fluent readers, but have problems in other areas. Theseneeds have been addressed in professional development, and teachers are providing

differentiated instruction, small group instruction, and one on one instruction to help

struggling students. The students that have been identified as Urgentare receivingadditional instruction outside the classroom.

WCES believes that one root cause is a need to identify the intervention necessary toaddress weak subgroups. Our focus is targeted toward the Black, Students with

Disabilities, and the Economically Disadvantaged subgroups. WCES is committed tobeing responsive to each childs individual needs, and the focus is always on matching

the appropriate intervention to target specific skills based on student needs. Teachers

and intervention specialists are provided professional learning on all computer basedprograms and how to interpret the data on all assessments used by the school. Teachersuse assessment data to monitor students progress andensure they are on track and

making adequate gains.

G. The specific academic areas of improvement we have established to address the needs are:

Increase percent of students that meets/exceeds on the Grade Five Writing Assessmentas indicated in Appendix A.

Increase percent of English Learners with positive movement from one performanceband to a higher performance band as measured by the ACCESS for ELS in AppendixB.

Increase opportunities for parent involvement in decision making and problem solving. Increase percent of all students meeting and exceeding standards in all academic areas

with a focus on the multi-racial and students with disabilities (SWD) subgroup as

indicated in Appendix C.

Increase percentages of post elementary school readiness indicators as outlined inCollege and Career Ready Performance in Appendix D.


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*2. Schoolwide reform strategies that are scientifically researched based.

The WCES SW/SI plan for 2012-2013 includes reform strategies that are scientifically based

supporting our effective methods and instructional practices. The plan focuses on the specificgoals, interventions, resources, and assessments for increasing achievement and performance of

all students. The following strategies are denoted by boldfaced type, and citations verifying the

effectiveness of these practices follow each one.

Focus Walks: Resnick, L.(2001).Focus Walk: Learning thru a walk-through. TheInstitute for Learning, 2001.

Response to Intervention (RTI):Fuchs, L. and Stecker, P. Progress Monitoring.PowerPoint retrieved fromhttp://www.studentprogress.org/library/Presentations/ScientificallyBasedProgressMonitor

ing.pdf

Renaissance Place: Renaissance Place (2002) Commitment to Scientifically BasedResearch. Retrieved from Renaissance Place Website, August 18, 2011.

Schlechty, Phillip (2002). Working on the works: WOW. Josey-Bass: A Wiley Imprint. Full inclusion, co-taught classes for special education students. Villa, R., Thousand,

J., & Nevin, A. (2008). A guide to co-teaching: Practical tips for facilitating student

learning, (2nd

ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Training on the use of effective instructional practices and differentiation tomaximize instructional time. Marzano, R., Pickering, D. and Pollock, J. (2001)

Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student

achievement. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
http://www.studentprogress.org/library/Presentations/ScientificallyBasedProgressMonitoring.pdfhttp://www.studentprogress.org/library/Presentations/ScientificallyBasedProgressMonitoring.pdfhttp://www.studentprogress.org/library/Presentations/ScientificallyBasedProgressMonitoring.pdfhttp://www.studentprogress.org/library/Presentations/ScientificallyBasedProgressMonitoring.pdfhttp://www.studentprogress.org/library/Presentations/ScientificallyBasedProgressMonitoring.pdf


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2(a). School-wide reform strategies that provide opportunities for all children in the

school to meet or exceed Georgias proficient and advanced levels of studentperformance.

The following strategies are utilized to ensure the achievement of our goals:

Three universal screenings are conducted annually usingRenaissance Place Full inclusion co-teaching Ongoing assessments to meet individual needs Additional remediation and acceleration are provided for at risk students through

additional math and reading intervention while being progress monitored weekly to trackprogress

Computer based reading and math programs are used to increase reading and math skills Intervention teachers target at risk students and provide differentiated instruction and

interventions usingRead Naturally, Voyager reading andmath, and SONDAY System

Small instruction of groups for targeting specific skills and using differentiatedinstruction

Progress monitoring to assess students and track progress Continuous use of analyzed data to drive instruction Intervention teachers use scientifically research based resources to provide students with

additional instruction

Teachers monitor student progress in reading and math using benchmark assessments,Accelerated readingandmath,Math Facts in A Flash, Voyager readingandmath,Read

Naturally, and Georgia Online Assessment System (OAS)

A writing block has been implemented and teachers are collaboratively planning andworking with students to improve writing skills and writing performance

Screening for all EL students using WIDA Placement Test (W-APT)/AssessingComprehension and Communication in English State-to-State (ACCESS)

Increase in number of Gifted Endorsed Teachers The creation of a science lab Computer based program,English in a Flash, for EL students Positive Behavior Planimplemented and partnered withPiggly Wiggly, a Partner in

Education, to provide incentives and motivation strategies


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2(b). Are based upon effective means of raising student achievement.

All students that fail the CRCT the previous year are automatically placed into interventions, and

the lowest 16% are placed in appropriate intervention programs that provide additionalinstruction. Weekly progress monitoring is conducted using computer based programs and one

on one assessments. All interventions provided are targeted, special skill strategies based on

student needs.

Teachers and paraprofessionals continue to receive new training of reviews for the CCGPS for

standards based classroom practices, common assessments, teacher commentary and

conferencing, differentiated instruction, and learning styles. Additional professional learning

time is set aside for grade levels to design performance tasks and units centered on standards.

2(c). Use effective instructional methods that increase the quality and amount of

learning time.

WCES addresses the needs of all children in the school by demonstrating best practicesin the

classroom, providing full inclusion co-teaching classrooms and intervention programs. Co-

teaching classes have two highly qualified teachers and a paraprofessional. This gives the

students more opportunities for small group and one on one instruction. We also have a fulltimegifted resource teacher, and utilize the cluster model for gifted instructional teams. All other

students are provided with 75 minute blocks of mathematics and language arts, and 60 minutes

of science and social studies, as well as offering music, art, physical education, and computer

lab.

Under the RTI initiative, students not meeting academic goals are provided additional instructionbased on individual needs. If the student is not making adequate progress, the frequency ofintervention time is increased, or a new program is implemented. The classroom instructors teach

in two person teacher teams which allow the flexibility to move students into groups where

targeted, specific skills are addressed.

All students at WCES go to the science lab on a rotating schedule and receive hands-on

instruction about every 10 days. The science team, 1 teacher from each grade level and the

science lab instructor, meet collaboratively to plan standards-based labs to ensure that allstandards are being covered and students are receiving a rigorous curriculum in science that will

help them meet or exceed standards. The science lab experiences are in addition to the regular

science education.

With the integration of technology, WCES has purchased 5 iPad Carts to be utilized by all

students. The iPads are loaded with apps from each content area and can be checked out by

teachers to use during instructional time. Technology can be used effectively to enrich studentslearning, to encourage project-based instruction, to differentiate instruction, to meet specific

needs, and help give students the skills they need to succeed in the 21stcentury.


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2(c). Use effective instructional methods that increase the quality and amount of

learning time.

2(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 of1965 (ESEA).

The leadership team and teachers analyze school data to ensure that all students not meeting state

standards are identified and provided with additional instruction. The leadership team

collaborates with classroom teachers, special education teachers, and all resource teachers to

ensure that specific skill deficiencies are targeted for student success. Identified students aregiven additional instruction and interventions while being progress monitored by classroom

teachers, intervention specialists, and the RTI team. They will follow the RTI Tiers ofIntervention before being assessed for special education services.

Teachers administer frequent formative assessments to help drive instruction. This consistent

monitoring of student progress will help teachers focus instruction on individual student needs so

as to better serve each individual learner.The success of the RTI is evaluated through student achievement and observations of teacher

performance. Identifiable weaknesses will be addressed with scaffolding and extra remediation

for the student and/or groups.

*3. Instruction by highly qualified professional staff.

The goal of WCES is that all teachers employed in the school meet the federal definition ofhighly qualified. The system Human Resource Director works with the school principal to

determine that the existing teachers and all new hires meet this qualification. Within the school,

administrators and the school improvement coordinator provide teachers with professionaltraining, yearly goals, mentors, and teacher support services to ensure professional growth and

support. Staff members are encouraged and required to attend professional

conferences/workshops, continuing education college classes, and on site professional learning

classes. Teachers who attend conferences/workshops are required to redeliver the information to

other staff during faculty or grade level meetings. All new or beginning teachers are assigned amentor teacher to guide, support, and assist them throughout the next two to three years. Thepurpose of these cross grade level meetings is to provide teachers with a deeper understanding oftheories and instructional practices.


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*3. Instruction by highly qualified professional staff.

*3(a). Strategies to attract highly qualified teachers to high-needs schools.

WCES provides a welcoming, nurturing, and supportive working environment for all faculty and

staff. The administrators of WCES, as well as the Human Resource Director of the Worth

County Schools, continuously work to attract highly qualified teachers to WCES. The schoolactivities in the area of recruitment include networking, and making use of the Teach Georgia

employment website, posting positions on the WCS website, using RESA Teacher Alternative

Preparation Program (TAPP) resources, and encouraging all teachers to obtain advanced degrees.

Efforts are made to retain teachers through a strong professional learning program, supportivestaff and administration, and the assignment of mentor teachers.

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

A. WCES has included teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, pupil services personnel, parents,

and other staff in our development plan that addresses the root causes of our identified needs.

WCES is working in the following ways to address professional development:

The school is working on increasing the rigor and resources in science classrooms at alllevels. This is a regular topic at system wide school improvement meetings.

WCES is committed to providing professional learning opportunities for all staffmembers.

All teachers are provided with on site professional learning and offered opportunities forprofessional learning at RESA, GLRS, math conferences, Title II technology conferencesand co-teaching workshops.

Teachers meet weekly and monthly to collaborate, share and discuss student work,analyze data, participate in Department of Education (DOE) Elluminate sessions, and

plan instruction based on findings. All paraprofessionals are included in grade levelmeetings and across the curriculum meetings.

WCES uses both the pull out and push in models for providing students with additionalhelp, and paraprofessionals are provided training in all programs used for interventions

and in the classroom.

Paraprofessionals are also given the opportunity for on site professional development byother professionals in the system. Staff development is offered to all personnel at WCES.

The leadership team examines the needs assessment survey, evaluations, school data, andpatterns of deficits in data to determine the needs of staff. Staff development needs are

prioritized to meet the needs of teachers and paraprofessionals. Professional learningopportunities are reviewed and correlated with teacher needs.


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

B.WCES has aligned professional development with the states academic content and studentacademic achievement standards. All WCES teachers have been provided professional learning

with the states academic content and student achievement standards. Instructional teams have

been created in each content area and grade level. Teachers developed curriculum maps that

mirror the state standards and use the states frameworks for instruction. All teachers arerequired to have standards and curriculum maps posted in their classrooms, including art, music,

physical education, and the computer lab. School benchmarks and common assessments are

developed with the states academic content, and teachers review data results to target

weaknesses and plan instruction based on needs. Data are disaggregated by building level, gradelevel, individual classrooms, and by students. Teachers review and discuss the data, and domains

of the content are disaggregated to identify specific areas of need.

C. WCES has devoted sufficient resources to effectively carry out the professional development

activities that address the cause of academic problems.For example,WCES has a full time school

improvement coordinator and other outside resources to carry out effective professionaldevelopment. The school improvement coordinator provides staff development in all areas of

curriculum and shares current student data with teachers in professional learning meetings.

D.WCES has included all teachers in professional development activities regarding the use ofacademic assessments to enable them to provide information on and improve the achievement of

individual students and the overall instructional program. For example, the plan allows and

encourages peer discussion related to the training sessions and workshops held at WCES as a

part of the overall professional development. Teachers at WCES participate in professionalcollaboration in all grade levels regarding best practices and common assessments and continue

to disaggregate data. Teachers are also involved in discussions about standardized testing data

and how to use the data effectively to guide instruction. The school improvement coordinatormeets with teachers to identify needs and align assessment. Formative and summative

assessments are developed based on needs and are aligned to the standards.

*5. Strategies to increase parental involvement.

A. WCES has involved parents in the planning, review, and improvement of the comprehensiveschool-wide/school improvement program plan by posting it to the WCES webpage, accessible

viawww.worthschools.net.WCES involves parents on the school council in planning,

reviewing, and improving the comprehensive school-wide/school improvement plan. The councilmeets during the school year to review data, plan, and make recommendations and suggestions tothe school administration. An open door policy encourages parents to visit the school. There are

additional plans to host a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) meeting to give parents a chance to

have a more in depth look into the plan and make suggestions. An all call communication systemis in place to notify parents and guardians of all important events and activities. Beginning in

January 2012, parents were granted access to PowerSchools parent portal by signing up with the

registrar. This allows parents to monitor students grades and attendance via the Internet.
http://www.worthschools.net/http://www.worthschools.net/http://www.worthschools.net/http://www.worthschools.net/


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B.WCES has developed a parent involvement policy that includes opportunities to increaseparental involvement such as:

Open House Chorus concerts PTO meetings Honor programs Field Day Science Fair Book Fair Ag week Art show Field trips

Sink the CRCT Career Day Read Across America School council Parent compacts Parent-Teacher conferences Family Night Reading Under the Stars

WCES communicates test data with parents, students, and teachers on an ongoing basis. All

teachers are given copies of CRCT data and other assessments and meet in professional learning

communities to review and analyze data to plan instruction. Assessment data is shared duringstaff meetings, school council meetings, parent conferences, school newsletters, and local

newspapers. Teachers conduct parent conferences to discuss student performance and test data.Test scores and interpretative information is shared with parents. Administrators, testing

coordinator, and school improvement coordinator are always available to meet with teachers and

parents if the need arises.WCES makes the comprehensive SW/SI Plan available to the Local Education Agency (LEA),

parents, and the public (Internet, newspaper, newsletters). Parents represented on the school

council are encouraged to ask questions and offer suggestions on things they would like to see

implemented at WCES. Additionally, at PTO meetings we encourage parents to review theSW/SI Plan, and offer suggestions too. Student agendas are sent home that contain compacts

which include school board policies.

To encourage parent involvement, WCES has a full time parent involvement coordinator and anactive PTO. The parent involvement coordinator provides monthly newsletters with activities

and workshops for parents throughout the school year. The parent involvement coordinator

works with PTO officers and the school administration to bring parents into the school asvolunteers, for meetings, celebrations, and educational activities. In addition, the parent

coordinator provides a resource room where parents may check out materials and resources to


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use at home.

The funding source for the parent involvement coordinator is Title I funds. As required by Title

I, an informational meeting is held once per year informing parents of Title I requirements.Parents are notified if their childs teacher(s) is not highly qualified.

A new district and school website effectively manages communication between the school,

students, parents, and all stakeholders. The website is user friendly and provides information at

the system level and at each individual school. Teachers are able to create online webpageswhere they may post assignments, news, photos, and other links they might want to share with

parents and students. SW/SI plans and curriculum maps are also available on the school website.

Parents also have access to PowerSchool for viewing grades and attendance once they ask for

rights with their respective child.

*6. Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs to

local elementary school programs.

Plans for assisting children in the transition from early childhood programs to elementary schoolprograms and from elementary programs to middle school programs include the following:

The administration and counselor works with Worth County Primary School (WCPS) to ensure a

smooth transition is made from the primary school to WCES. In the spring, WCES invites allsecond graders to attendAloha Day. Students are introduced to administrators, are given a tour

of the school and are allowed to visit classrooms. The administration at Worth County Middle

School (WCMS) works with the administration at WCES to host Smooth Moves for all 5th

grade

students. The 5thgrade students are greeted by middle school students and taken on a tour of theschool. Then a general assemble is held and a program is presented by administrators, band,

chorus and cheerleaders. Both schools host an open house to welcome all students and parents

and provide opportunities to meet teachers and staff. This also provides parents the opportunityto discuss any concerns or issues.

*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.

WCES governance structure is based upon shared decision making. Teachers meet weekly andby grade level and content areas to discuss student progress and to analyze student work. Datadriven instruction is the underlying theme of our professional development initiatives, and the

process is modeled by the school improvement coordinator. Teachers then meet across grade

level and content area monthly to collaboratively plan, discuss data, and review student work.Teachers are included in decisions regarding the use of assessments in a variety of ways.

Teachers are also involved in developing curriculum maps, writing units, and aligning

curriculum with CCGPS and GPS. WCES uses these components to improve the academic


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performance of students and to strengthen instruction. All strategies taught during the

professional learning meetings are observed and revisited throughout the year to offer adequatesupport to teachers as they implement the process.

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

As a Title I school, federal funds supplement additional funding to support student achievement

and to help meet the diverse needs of all students through scientifically research based programs.WCES coordinates and integrates our services and programs by:

Providing professional development Title I : Supplements positions to pay for teachers, paraprofessionals, and a parent

involvement coordinator

Title II: Monies pay for school improvement coordinator position Title VI-B funds for special education personnel Early Intervention Program (EIP) Gifted funds Media funds Services for EL/ESOL services Purchase of resources and instructional materials

8(a). List of State and local educational agency programs and other federal programs that will be

included.

WCES utilizes state, local educational agency programs, and other federal programs in the

following ways:

Special education Professional learning Media Classroom guidance Business Partners/School Council Parent Involvement Coordinator School social worker Hiring additional teachers and paraprofessionals Parent Involvement activities Purchase of resources, supplies, and/or instructional materials; Early Intervention Program (EIP)


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Title I Title II Title III consortium Title IV consortium Response To Intervention (RTI) Gifted education Title VI-B (Special Education)

8(b). Description of how resources from Title I and other sources will be used.

Federal, state, and local funding is used to pay for paraprofessionals, certified staff, professionaldevelopment, and instructional materials and resources. Federal Title I funds are used to pay

teachers and allotted to purchase materials for classrooms to help increase reading, math, andscience achievement. Title VI-B special education funds support programs and instruction toaddress needs of students with disabilities. Local funds provide a music teacher, art teacher, and

computer teacher, as well as instructional support materials, and transportation.

8(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.

The WCES SW/SI plan is coordinated with other programs within the school that include RTI,

EIP, special education, gifted, and interventions. These programs are part of the strategiesimplemented to address the goals of our school-wide/school improvement plan.

With a renewed focus on preparing our students for a global workforce, WCES works with theDirector of Career Tech Agriculture Education (CTAE) at the high school to plan activities that

provide the high school students with an opportunity to interact with the elementary students and

apply skills learned in vocational classes. In coordination with the CTAE Director of the highschool, anAgriculture Day (AG Day)is sponsored once a year, and a Work Based Learning

Programis in place.

Agriculture DayAg Dayprovides the high school students the opportunity to share their knowledge and skills

with the elementary students. High school students prepare work stations where they display

charts, posters, visual aids, and talk about products grown in the local area. As classes rotatefrom station to station, high school students explain the process of farming, from plowing to

market. Other stations are set up outside with tractors, farm equipment, and farm animals. This

activity gives elementary students, especially those that live in the city, an opportunity to

experience a way of life that many will never get to experience.


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WORK BASED LEARNING

Work Based Learningprovides high school students with opportunities for instruction in bothacademic and occupational skills, career exploration, and guidance in identifying employment

and educational goals. Students have the opportunity to connect what they learn in school withwork site application to enable a smooth transition into the work force and/or education beyond

high school. Under the Work Based Learning Program, we currently have three students fromthe high school that assist teachers in our school.

Teaching as a Profession Mission: To provide high school students with classroom and field

experiences that will enable them to make informed decisions regarding careers in education.During their experiences, students will observe:

Teaching as a profession student interns are able to gain hands on experience whileassisting an early childhood education teacher.

Examine the multiple responsibilities and understand the professional roles of a teacher. Explore diverse career options in education. Observe, explore, and utilize effective teaching practices. Develop an understanding of school structures, operations, and policies.

Both activities serve as real life learning experiences to high school and elementary students. It

gives the high school students an opportunity to apply skills they have learned and to assist themwith their career goals and job opportunities. It gives the elementary students an opportunity to

think about career choices.

Another program that WCES is in partnership with is the Worth County Extension Service (4-HClub). Worth County 4-Hworks to assist youth in acquiring knowledge, developing life skills,

and forming attitudes that will enable them to become self directing, productive, and contributing

citizens. The Worth County Extension agent meets with all 5 thgrade classes once a month anduses lesson plans linked to CCGPS/GPS.

The CCCPS/GPS covered under the 4-Hprogram are:

Reading: ELA5R1; ELA5R3; Writing: ELA5W1; ELA5W2; ELA5W3; Listening, Speaking, & Viewing: ELA5LSV2; and Health: HE5.1; HE5.2; HE5.3; HE5.5; HE5.6; HE5.7.

Worth County 4-HClub focuses on healthy lifestyles and offers a variety of experiences for

students including business, project work, educational programs, community service, recreation,

and social activities. During club meetings, students are given the opportunity to have leadershiproles and participate in community service projects.

Some of the projects that 4-Hcovers are as follows:

Club of the Month award 4-HWeek poster contest County and area project achievement contest Bulldog Buckreward store


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Canned food drive Aluminum tab collection Club of the Yearparty Summer camp Summer activities

*9. Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering standards shall be

provided with effective, timely assistance, which shall include:

WCES is committed to providing effective, timely, and additional assistance that meets the needs

of all students. A variety of scientifically researched based programs are in place to provide

activities and assistance to at risk students who experience difficulty in mastering proficient oradvanced levels of academic achievement. Students who are below grade level and experiencing

difficulty are provided additional instruction in specific targeted skills to meet specific needs.

Certified intervention specialists work with students in reading and math, and track their progress

weekly. When students are not showing adequate progress, they are provided additionalinstruction, and frequency is increased.

The following strategies are used to identify at risk students and provide intervention in specifictargeted areas:

Teachers review permanent records, previous test results, RTI folders, CRCT results,and benchmark assessments to determine strengths and weaknesses.

Results are disaggregated to determine and target specific needs. Teachers maintain class and student profiles to aid in planning instruction and to

target specific skills.

RTI folders are utilized for documentation.

Teachers meet to analyze data from universal screenings, math, ELA, and readingbenchmark assessments, STARreports, progress monitoring reports, and all

standardized testing data.

Teachers create practice tests using OAS and use the results to guide instruction. WAPT and ACCESS are used for screening to determine proficiency levels for EL

students and appropriate intervention are provided for specific needs.

Guidance Counselor referral.

9(a). Measures to ensure that student difficulties are identified on a timely basis.

WCES provides a variety of assessments to identify student needs. These assessments are given

in a timely manner to ensure struggling students are identified and placed in appropriateinterventions as soon as possible. Under the RTI initiative, a school-wide universal screening is

given to all students three times a year. All students that are not meeting state standards on the

universal screening are reassessed using assessments that target specific areas of difficulties to

ensure intervention specialists focus on areas of weaknesses.Student performance is identified in a timely manner at WCES using: RiversidesEdusoft


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assessment system, Classroom Performance Systems (CPS), and OAS. Teachers have these tools

at their disposal to help ensure they are able to manage the workload and paperwork required toprovide timely and effective feedback to students.

9(b). Periodic training for teachers in the identification of difficulties and appropriate assistancefor identified difficulties.

A needs assessment survey is given to all teachers at the end of each school year. The leadership

team reviews and analyzes the data to identify the needs of teachers, and appropriate assistance is

provided for the identified difficulties. Teachers are provided onsite professional learning by theschool improvement coordinator, technology director, and consultants. Outside resources include

RESA and GLRS. All teachers who attend outside training are required to redeliver in gradelevel meetings.

Although teachers meet weekly, specific training is provided for all teachers pertaining to

differentiated instruction. Teachers receive appropriate assistance in identifying difficulties and

planning instructional strategies to meet needs. When an area is identified for improvement,research is conducted to determine how the staff can best be supported in planning instruction for

the difficulties identified.

9c). Teacher-parent conferences that detail what the school will do to help the student, what the

parents can do to help the student, and additional assistance available to the student at the

school or in the community.

Parent teacher conferences are held on early release days in the fall and winter of each year tocommunicate achievement and progress toward meeting established grade level benchmarks,

common assessments, and state standards.

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

All standardized test scores are sent home in the students report card with an interpretation for

each test. All other assessments, including computer based programs, classroom tests,

benchmarks, and progress monitoring are sent home in student agendas. Parents are givenopportunities to discuss test scores and other assessments with teachers or administrators.

Additionally, there is a data room at both WCES and the Worth County Board of Education with

detailed charts of assessments.


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

All schools in the WCS are required to have data rooms. It is the responsibility of the school

improvement coordinator to disaggregate all standardized test scores and chart them for the data

room. All other assessments and benchmarks are disaggregated by teachers with the help of the

school improvement coordinator. Through many of the computer based assessments, we have thetechnological capability of disaggregating the data and charting it. Subgroup achievement is

broken down per domain and overall for each content area test. Furthermore, the data is

comparatively charted to show trends and patterns in achievement.

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

reliable.

WCES uses disaggregated data from the CRCT, benchmarks, and universal screening. The data

that we collect from the CRCT is retrieved from the school report card and the Adequate YearlyProgress (AYP) report. The other instruments used are scientifically research based and data is

not only disaggregated by the reports that can be generated, but it is also cross referenced and

compared to other data to look for validity and reliability of the instruments.

13. Provisions for public reporting of disaggregated data.

The Georgia Department of Education is responsible for the reporting of disaggregated data atthe state level, and the Worth County Director of Testing would be responsible for the LEA. The

Georgia Report Card and AYP reports are posted on the Georgia Department of Education

website, and all information is sent to all school districts electronically and by hardcopy. Data isshared with all stakeholders, and individual reports are sent home with all students.

WCES communicates test data with parents, students, and teachers on an ongoing basis. All

teachers are given copies of CRCT data and other assessments and meet in professional learning

communities to review and analyze data to plan instruction. Assessment data is shared duringstaff meetings, school council meetings, parent conferences, school newsletters, and local

newspapers. Teachers conduct parent conferences to discuss student performance and test data.Test scores and interpretative information are shared with parents. Administrators, testing

coordinator, and the school improvement coordinator are always available to meet with teachers

and parents if the need arises.


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14. Plan developed during a one-year period, unless LEA, after considering therecommendation of its technical assistance providers, determines that less time is needed to

develop and implement the school-wide program.

The WCS recommends that the SW/SI plan be revised on a yearly basis and evaluated two times

each per year. The leadership team meets with all stakeholders to review and discuss the current

plan to make recommendations for improvement.

15. 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 servicepersonnel, parents and students (if secondary).

WCES partners with several community businesses under the Worth County Partners in

Education Program (WCPIE). The WCPIE is a program of the Worth County School

System/Sylvester-Worth County Chamber of Commerce. A partnership is a voluntaryrelationship that is formed between an individual, businesses, or organization (community

partner), and a school system. These relationships create a support system designed to meet the

needs of the school through the resources of the community partners to the benefit of both. All

stakeholders involved benefit from this program; school, business, students, teachers, andcommunity. The school improvement coordinator is the WCPIE representative from WCES.

The goals of this partnership are:

Strengthen Worth Countys commitment to education. Foster relationships between businesses and community groups and/or educational

system.

Stimulate academic achievement and life long learning.

Examples of partnership activities:

Volunteer for tutoring, reading, or mentoring Award good attendance, character, academic, or extracurricular achievement with

recognition and prizes

Provide food and refreshments for school events and programs Share a special skill with a class Speak at Career Day Create a mock business in the school setting with RAM bucks where students can

purchase items atPiggly Wiggly


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Donate school supplies Printing services Teacher Appreciation Week Host a best practices luncheon to discuss challenges they are facing and collaborate to

find solutions

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

The WCES SW/SI plan is accessible through the WCES website. A copy of the plan is placed in

the front lobby and media center at WCES. All members of the leadership team have a copy of

the plan. Finally, the Worth County Board of Education has a copy of the SW/SI plan.

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

Teachers and administrators interpret and articulate results using skills that are learned through

professional learning and in house services. They include:

Formal and summative assessments Standardized and benchmark tests Common assessments Anecdotal notes RTI folders Progress monitoring data and charts Teacher created tests and projects

They are then shared with stakeholders by midterm progress reports, report cards, progressmonitoring charts and reports, weekly assessment graphs, and/or newsletters. All data is also

discussed at parent conferences.

The school-wide/school improvement plan is written in the English language. WCES has a

language interpreter and sign language teacher at WCES and access to the website World-Class

Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA).WIDA translates all languages and providesmultiple forms for parents in many languages.

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

The WCES improvement plan is written and carried out in compliance with the Elementary and

Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Under the ESEA requirements, schools beingidentified asNeeds Improvementare required to develop a Title I school-wide/school

improvement plan in consultation with parents, school staff, community leaders, and the LEA.

The plan must be submitted for approval by the LEA (school system Superintendent and Boardof Education).


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WCES was established in 2010 by combining two sister schools, Sylvester Elementary Schooland Holley Elementary School. At that time Sylvester Elementary had made AYP for 6

consecutive years and had been a Title I Distinguished School for 6 years. Holley ElementarySchool had made AYP for 5 consecutive years and had been a Title I Distinguished School for 5

years. WCES made AYP in 2010 and was also named a Title I Distinguished School.

WCES is committed to developing a comprehensive school plan that incorporates effective

instructional strategies based on scientifically research based programs that will strengthen thecore academic subjects and address specific academic needs to ensure all groups of students meet

the states proficient level of achievement.

wces 2014 si plan january submission part 2 schoolwide

Documents