S.I.P.

I. Purpose.................................................................................................................................... 3

II. Comprehensive Needs Assessment of the School............................................................... 4-7

III. Schoolwide Reform Strategies............................................................................................ 8-9

IV. Instruction by Highly Qualified Teachers............................................................................ 10

V. High Quality and Ongoing Professional Learning........................................................ 11-12

VI. Strategies to Increase Parental Involvement........................................................................ 13

VII. Transition of Students to New Grade Span......................................................................... 14

VIII. Decisions Regarding the Use of Assessments.................................................................... 15

IX. Coordination and Integration of Services and Programs.................................................. 16

X. Effective and Timely Assistance to Students........................................................................ 17

XI. Disaggregation of Data........................................................................................................ 18

XII. School Improvement Survey………………………………………………...…………19-21

XIII. Survey Results……………………………………………………………….………...22-29

· All students learn when provided high-quality instruction that is engaging and challenging.

· All students must have a physically and emotionally safe learning environment.

§ Well-prepared, responsible, and caring employees are committed to excellence in

§ Parents, community members, staff and students, are full partners in the education of

The Muscogee County School District is committed to providing education experiences that will enable a student to become a lifelong learner, enter the work force with necessary skills and achieve academic and personal potential.

II. Comprehensive Needs Assessment of the School

Teachers, paraprofessionals, Local School Council, PTA Council, parents and students were involved in the determination of the school’s needs. Members of the school faculty and leadership team collect and analyze student achievement data, information describing stakeholder perspectives, and other indicators of school performance on a regular basis and post it in our data room as part of our balance scorecard. At the conclusion of each quarter, staff members meet in vertical teams to identify strengths and weaknesses in our instructional performance and organization. Staff suggestions for improvement are noted and become elements that inform the school improvement process. Monthly Leadership Team members analyze data, brainstorm solutions to problems, look at research, and communicate information to and from horizontal teams. Stakeholder perspectives are identified and addressed through surveys, parent conferences, PTA meetings, and Local School Council meetings. Survey summaries are presented to the faculty for analysis and discussion. Goals and objectives are formed based on trends identified by examination of a summary of data collected from the school year. Strategies to help address organizational weaknesses and achievement of academic goals are identified and placed in the school’s annual improvement plan. These strategies are researched based and aligned to the Georgia School Standards. The plan is presented to the faculty and action steps along with teacher expectations are established. Formative impact checks are scheduled throughout the year.

Data collected, analyzed, and disaggregated by stakeholders for the purpose of developing the School Improvement Plan include:

-Seek professional development opportunities in the area of differentiated instruction to address the needs of our diverse population of learners.

-Create units of study for the genre of Non-Fiction. Provide more Non-Fiction materials for 3^rd through 5^th grade. Incorporate more graphic organizers and NF grids. Strengthen the Reading / Writing connection in this genre.

-Target bubble students to increase the exceeds category. Use small group instruction to accelerate target students.

-Increase time spent on reading for information. Seek professional development for differentiated instruction techniques.

-Collect and study alternate schedules and creative ways for developing time for staff to collaborate. Establish protocols for examining student work.

-Monitor the group and seek help from the Instructional Specialists for intervention.

-Establish and monitor a school wide Behavior Plan. Seek professional development opportunities for student motivation. Celebrate positive student behavior.

-Apply more convention lessons in the context of real writing pieces. Collect lessons and materials to teach revision.

Goals

Georgia Department of Education Identified Goals for Improvement for the Comprehensive LEA Improvement Plan (CLIP)

- Students in grades 1-5 will increase Reading and ELA achievement by 3% meeting or

-The number of students, grades 1-5, scoring in the exceeds category in Reading and Math

- All students with special needs will be served in their least restrictive environment and

reach high academic standards at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in Reading /

Midland Academy provides opportunities for all children to meet the state’s proficient and advanced levels of academic achievement by maximizing resources available to the school. These resources include:

-Lab students and student teachers provide for more individualized instruction for at risk

-At risk students in grades 3, 4, and 5 are provided after school tutoring to increase CRCT achievement in the areas of reading and math.

-Classroom assistance for teachers is provided in a variety of ways including tutoring

services for small groups or individual students, special project help, displaying student

-Fourth and fifth grade students tutor at risk students in content areas directed by the

Effective actions and instructional strategies will be used to address identified needs, particularly the needs of low-achieving children and those at risk of not meeting proficiency.

· Kindergarten students will be tested individually or in small groups twice during each 9 week grading period to create an individual instruction plan and to measure progress toward meeting the GPS and GKIDS assessments.

· Safety nets will be established in the forms of in-school tutoring and after school tutoring for at-risk students in grades K-5 with an instructional focus on reading and math.

· All classroom teachers will have regular communication with their students’ families to inform them of classroom and school-wide events, student progress, and current topics of study.

· To better serve state identified gifted students, at least one teacher on each grade level will earn an endorsement in gifted education.

· Student Support Team procedures will be reviewed and the Pyramid of Interventions will be implemented for determining student placement in the least restrictive environment.

· The computer lab is used for acceleration and remediation on a bi weekly basis.

· Individual teachers support learning by providing intervention and remediation during the day or after school for students who continue to exhibit academic problems.

· MAP (mock CRCT) tests are given three times a year to assess student progress toward meeting the standards. Results are disaggregated, targets identified, and instruction is adjusted to meet individual and class weaknesses.

· Individual teachers give formative assessments throughout the year to check for understanding and adjust instruction based on the data.

The teachers and administrators of Midland Academy will determine if student needs have been met by:

The Strategies listed above have been identified as effective classroom practices in the research of Robert Marzano. In his meta-analysis, he examined numerous effective instructional methods, and rated which strategies were more successful in reaching significant gains in student achievement. Sources for Research-based practices are:

In accordance with NCLB, state and local regulations require all teachers to be Highly Qualified in order to be considered for employment. When interviewing candidates for certified teaching positions, Midland Academy will select highly qualified teachers.

· MCSD’s hiring process keeps schools informed on the candidates that have highly qualified status through their data base and Human Resource guideline information.

· The leadership actively promotes the school by participating in the county wide recruitment fairs and maintaining high visibility through public relation opportunities.

· The ongoing partnership the school has with Columbus State University offers an opportunity to meet many pre-service teachers and become involved with their training. This networking opportunity helps in meeting and observing new teachers in action and possible candidates for hire.

· Our faculty and custodial staff are dedicated to keeping our school warm, attractive, and inviting. We strive to create a positive, safe, drug-free environment which is conducive to teaching and learning. Tours are given to parents, community members, and perspective applicants upon request.

· The leadership accepts resumes throughout the year and will meet with interested persons as time permits.

The school offers a variety of high quality ongoing professional learning for the faculty, staff, community, and parents. A common planning time is built into the schedule to facilitate weekly teacher collaboration and professional development. Monthly Faculty meetings and Early Release days are designated as professional learning days also. The administration provides ongoing, job-embedded professional learning through presentations, discussions, articles, presenters, brainstorm sessions, and projects. Information is redelivered from MCSD by school representatives and the curriculum council liaison regularly. Faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in School District sponsored opportunities. Paraprofessionals are offered monthly meetings on a variety of topics. Parent and community workshops are sponsored through PTA and school staff to support new initiatives such as: curriculum changes, new report cards and strategies for home learning.

Although Midland Academy continues to be a high performing school, attention to declining trends in achievement will help improve the instructional program. The action steps taken in the 2009-2010 school year are aimed at weaknesses seen through data disaggregation and stakeholder feedback. Maintaining a data room to study and track instructional progress will be of assistance in reaching the school’s full potential.

Mathematics will be the focus in raising test scores in the upcoming year. Developing curriculum maps and Rubicon units will help strengthen understanding of the math standards and support more rigorous classroom instruction. State and county staff development initiatives such as; Standards Based Classrooms, Five Easy Steps to a Balanced Math Program, and Rigor Relevance will support our efforts in this year’s plan.

Differentiated instruction will continue to be a focus as gifted learners are cluster grouped and inclusion students are placed in the regular education classroom for co-teaching opportunities.

Professional development will be obtained to help teachers implement strategies required for a diverse population of learners.

Professional learning at Midland Academy is aligned to state standards, as well as, the MCSD CLIP initiatives. Various evaluations are used to identify the strengths of our program and to identify areas needing improvement. These indicators include data derived from student work, CRCT test scores, formative assessments, classroom observations, and stakeholder surveys. Vertical team meetings are held quarterly to identify strengths and weaknesses of the instructional program and to ensure that the school is focused on continuous improvement.

Teachers and administrators use multiple sources of information to guide improvement and address areas of weakness. Disaggregated student data is used to determine adult learning priorities. Assessments include, but are not limited to, the CRCT, MAP, GA Writing Assessment, End of Unit assessments, Star, and Report Cards. Information about student achievement, perception data from stakeholders and implementation rubrics all play a part in assessing the impact of the professional learning offered.

Midland Academy provides parents an opportunity to have input into the school improvement plan and the annual review and revision. Initially data is collected from parents and students through a survey. The results are used to help highlight areas of weakness or help identify misconceptions of the school program. Assessment results and their interpretation are shared with parents through the Local School Council, the PTA Executive Board, the Data Room, and a PTA Meeting. Throughout the year, the SIP is made available for review to all parents upon request.

Midland Academy encourages parents to join with the school in ensuring student success. The school holds several Parent Night programs throughout the year to involve and educate parents on the various activities and programs offered through the school. These activities include programs on the CRCT testing and how it affects their children, GPS workshops on how the new curriculum is being implemented, meetings with ELL students and families with presentations given by our ESOL teacher. Math/Science night is an annual event where students and their parents enjoy an evening doing scientific experiments together along with other learning activities. Computer lab experiences are offered each year to assist parents with accessing online websites for practice activities and taking CRCT practice tests. Information is also provided for parents throughout the year concerning AYP and interpretations of achievement reports, the GaDOE Annual School Report Card, State Writing Assessments and other pertinent information to aid parents in the knowledge and understanding of the requirements for mastery of the Georgia Performance Standards. The home-school notebook is sent home daily to provide another opportunity to communicate about student learning.

Parent–teacher conferences will detail what the school will do to help the student, what the parents can do to help the student, and to make available any additional assistance to the student at the school or in the community. These compacts will enhance communication between parents and the school in order to enlist parent support toward goals which are established for individual students.

Midland Academy assists preschool students in the successful transition from early childhood programs such as Head Start, Even Start, state endorsed programs, or home to kindergarten by sponsoring tours of our school in the Spring. The pre-k program currently housed at the school is regularly exposed to kindergarten through a variety of events such as special programs, visits to the kindergarten classes, and other joint activities.

The month of March is designated as Pre-K and Kindergarten Round Up in the school district. Parents are asked to come to the school and pre-register their children for the upcoming school year. During that month, our teachers hold an “Open House” for parents and students so they can meet the teachers and learn more about the curriculum in which their children will be involved.

Midland Academy ensures that students in the exit grade (5^th grade) are meeting or exceeding standards by offering After School Tutoring for at-risk students, use of the OAS system within the school day, and CRCT workshops.

The school assists fifth grade students in the successful transition from our elementary school to a middle school setting by posting flyers throughout the school to notify parents about the middle schools’ open houses. Toward the end of the year, a fifth grade assembly is planned where feeder schools send staff to present information and answer questions about middle school.

During the year, Middle school Special Education teachers in our feeder schools are invited to participate in IEP meetings for the students that will attend their schools the following year.

Their input is key in making these students’ individualized programs fit their new routine and curriculum requirements.

Our guidance counselor also helps with the fifth grade transition to middle school by introducing units prepared for students to help them with middle school readiness in areas of social, emotional, academic, and career success. A field trip is taken to neighboring middle school in April of each year to tour the building and experience life as a middle schooler.

The DARE program sponsored by the Columbus Police Department helps to prepare our fifth grade students for healthy choices and to give them a variety of tools to use in peer pressure situations.

Teachers collaborate to design assessments aligned to GPS and classroom instruction. Both formal and informal assessments are used to monitor student progress and instructional practices. Teachers meet regularly in grade level meetings to discuss, develop, and apply effective assessments for their students. Formative assessments are given throughout the year to allow teachers to adjust instruction to meet the needs of students. Teachers meet three times a year to review data on the MAP tests (mock CRCT). Information from the results is used to drive instruction.

The MAC Team or School Leadership Team works across grade levels to coordinate efforts to more effectively challenge our teachers to design, apply, and review the assessment processes used so that students achieve their potential.

Student Support Team meetings allow the parent(s), teacher(s), counselor, school psychologist, and administrative designee to develop strategies to provide support to both the student and the teacher(s) with the outcome being improved student performance. Educators are able to work in a collaborative manner to address the individual needs of students who are not meeting success in the present setting with the intent of maximizing a student’s achievement in the regular classroom by adapting curriculum content, methodology, or instructional delivery.

Midland Academy receives funds from various State, Federal, and local sources. FTE funds are provided by the state to the local school district which are then dispersed among the schools based on student population and needs. The state funds are supplemented by local funds to support instructional practices and school level programs. Grants are available to the school through Title II, III, IV. These funds are used to purchase materials to support classroom instruction and the Extended Day Tutoring Program. Federal funds received by Midland Academy support the free/reduced lunch program, SWD, ESOL, and gifted students. The school will collaborate with program managers of available funds to prevent duplication of services and efforts.

Midland Academy will insure that students who experience difficulty in mastering standards will be provided with effective, timely assistance.

· The school will increase the quality and amount of learning time through the Instructional Extension Program.

· The Student Support Team will meet regularly to support students that are experiencing difficulty with academic performance, social / emotional problems, or classroom behavior issues.

· The Pyramid of Interventions help to organize and guide the level of support needed for students.

· Grade level teachers collaborate weekly to share practices and offer strategies for at risk students within the grade level.

· Individual strategies will be incorporated in the classroom; data will be collected and monitored.

· Columbus State University Partners, Peer Tutors, and Paraprofessionals assigned in Kindergarten and first grade will give additional assistance to students in the classroom.

· New classroom strategies will be incorporated into the classroom to support student learning this year such as: Differentiated Instruction, DRA formative testing, Guided Reading, Computer learning sites, Thinking Maps, leveled books for the classroom, more exposure to Non-fiction texts.

· Inclusion teachers and paraprofessionals working in classrooms serve as additional support to all students that need assistance.

· Classroom guidance sessions are provided to students on a regular ongoing basis.

· Student support groups and individual counseling is provided to students as needed.

The State provides collection and disaggregation of student achievement data results on adequate yearly progress assessments and for third, fifth and eighth grade writing assessments. The state makes efforts to report statistically sound assessment results. Disaggregated reports are published on the Georgia Department of Education (GADOE) website and released to the news media by the State Superintendent of Education. A link to the GADOE is provided on the MCSD website. The local television, radio stations, Midland Academy’s Local School Council, and newspapers provide the local citizens with detailed information about test results.

Below is a copy of this year’s Teacher survey for school improvement. Another version was created for parents and students to gather their feedback.

To help in writing the 2009-2010 School Improvement Plan, please complete the following survey. Please return the scantron to the envelope in Lisa Whitaker’s box and highlight your name off the back of the envelope. We need these back by Wednesday, May 6^th.

3. How often do administrators come into your room and visit to observe the implementation of the GPS standards?

(quizzes, journals, logs interviews, culminating performance tasks and projects)

10. How often do you differentiate instruction? (Key ideas: content, process, product, learning environment)

11. Do you group students by different abilities, learning styles, strengths, and/or interests?

12. Does our school provide additional time and support for students who have difficulty

21. How often do you communicate with parents/guardians about student expectations and progress?

23. How visible is the school administration in the building and at school events?

30. Does our school reach out to foster a sense of belonging among all individuals?

31. Is an atmosphere of trust to foster risk-taking and change encouraged in this school?

n Our stakeholders answered questions about curriculum, assessment, instruction, planning and organization, student, school culture, family and community support, and school leadership.

n Do Mrs. Miley and Mrs. Lafortune come in your classroom and observe what you are doing?

n Do you feel that teachers have a systematic approach and use assessment results to adjust instruction on a routine basis?

n Do the students and teachers of the school have knowledge of the mission statement?

n Is an atmosphere of trust to foster risk taking and change encouraged in the building?

n How often do you communicate with parents/guardians about student expectations?

n How visible is the school administration in the building and at school events?

Major School Initiatives:

School Year	Initiative or Reform Effort
2006-present	Extended Day Tutoring for At-Risk Students (IEP)
2006-present	Expansion of LRE Project for students with Disabilities
2006-present	Georgia Performance Standards Curriculum and Training
2008-present	New Georgia Writing Standards (K-5)
2008-present	ORFF Training
2008-present	Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships Training
2008-present	5 Easy Steps to a Balanced Math Program
2009-present	Thinking Maps

Student Demographic Data:

Homeless Children and Youth
School Year	Number	Percent of Student Population
2008-2009	3
2007-2008	20	4.8%
2006-2007	25	3.3%

Early Intervention Program (EIP)
School Year	Program Enrollment	Percent of Student Population
2008-2009	0	0%
2007-2008	0	0%
2006-2007	0	0%

Gifted Education
School Year	Program Enrollment	Percent of Student Population
2008-2009	34	6.4%
2007-2008	27	6.5%
2006-2007	68	9.1%

*Mobility Rate of Students**
School Year	Number	Percent of Student Population	% of Transfer within System	% of Transfers Out of System
2008-2009	53	10%	26.4%	73.6%
2007-2008	41	9.9%	24.3%	75.7%
2006-2007	72	8.8%	19%	81%

Fifth Grade State Writing Assessment

Total Percent of 5^th Graders in each Stage

Stages	2008-2009	2007-2008	2006-2007
Does Not Meet Standard	10%	9%	15%
Meets Standard	58%	77%	67%
Exceeds Standard	32%	14%	18%
MEAN Score	234	225	226

Faculty/Staff Data:

*Attrition Rate of Teachers**
School Year	Number	Percent of Teacher Population
2008-2009	1	2.8%
2007 - 2008	2	6.5%
2006 - 2007	1	2.5%

*Attrition Rate of Administrators**
School Year	Number	Percent of Teacher Population
2008-2009	0	0%
2007 – 2008	0	0%
2006 – 2007	1	2.5%

Professional Learning:

The professional learning activities in the past two years that were focused on school

improvement are as follows:

Professional Learning Activity	Year(s) Offered	Number of Participants	On-site (school) or Off-site (Central office, conference, or other)
LRE Disporportionality Training	2007	60	Midland Academy
ESOL Inservice	2007	40	Midland Academy
Best Practice Workshops	2007-present	10	Off-site
Clarity Training	2007-present	4	Off-site
MAP Planning	2007- present	22	Midland Academy
K-5 New GA Writing Standards and GPS Training	2008-present	20	Midland Academy
Rigor, Relevance and Relationships	2008	27	Midland Academy
Rubicon Atlas Training	2008	33	Midland Academy
Building Bridges	2008	19	Midland Academy
5 Easy Steps to a Balanced Math Program	2008-09	27	Midland Academy
LRE / POI Training	2008-09	30	Midland Academy
Technology Training (NetTrekker, HB Math /MegaMath, Outlook, Lev. Readers, Integrade, Star AR, Science Resources, Network Training)	2008-09	20	Midland Academy
Paraprofessional Training Discipline / Motivation	2008-09	13	Midland Academy
Renaissance Place Training	2009	10	Midland Academy
Thinking Maps	2009	30	Johnson Elem.
Ron Clark Institute	2009	5	Off-site

Elementary School Profile Addendum

Demographic Data:

Enrollment
School Year	Total Enrollment	% Black	% White	% Hispanic	% Asian	% American Indian	% Multi-Racial	% Male	% Female	% Migrant
2008-2009	530	24%	47%	8%	0%	8%	8%	52%	44%	0%
2007-2008	415	28%	49%	9%	8%	0%	6%	53%	47%	0%
2006-2007	747	22%	59%	7%	7%	0%	5%	51%	49%	0%

Free and Reduced Lunch
School Year	Number	Percent of Student Population
2008-2009	145	27.3%
2007-2008	49	11.8%
2006-2007	96	13%

Special Education
School Year	Program Enrollment	Percent of Student Population
2008-2009	46	11.5%
2007-2008	39	9.4%
2006-2007	63	8.4%

Special Education Subgroups
School Year	% White	% Black	% Hispanic	% Other Ethnic Groups	% Male	% Female
2008-2009	52%	30%	8%	8%	72%	28%
2007-2008	56%	26%	10%	8%	69%	31%
2006-2007	63%	17%	9%	11%	73%	27%

Demographic Data:

English Language Learners
School Year	Total ELL	% of Total Student Population	ESOL program enrollment	% of Total student population
2008-2009	30	5.6%	24	4.5%
2007-2008	24	5.8%	24	5.8%
2006-2007	39	5.2%	39	5.2%

Title I
School Year	No Title I Program	Targeted Assistance	Schoolwide
2008-2009	X
2007-2008	X
2006-2007	X

Retention Rates: Percents should reflect the number of the retained students compared to the total number

of students in each category/grade.

Retention Rates
Retention Rates	Total Number	% in K	% in 1^st	% in 2^nd	% in 3^rd	% in 4^th	% in 5^th
2008-2009	0	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
2007-2008	6	33%	33%	0%	0%	0%	33%
2006-2007	2	50%	0%	0%	50%	0%	0%

Retention Rates by Subgroup
Retention Rates	% White	% Black	% Hispanic	% Other Ethnic Groups	% Male	% Female
2008-2009	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
2007-2008	33%	33%	33%	0%	66%

Janice Miley, Principal

School Improvement (SI) Plan 2009 – 2010

Part A – Narrative Section

Muscogee County School District (MCSD)