Buford Middle · PDF fileBuford Middle School ... testing, increasing the number of students in advanced content courses, ... Black Hispanic Multi-Racial

Buford Middle School 2017-2018 School Improvement Plan

Believe * Motivate * Succeed

The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement

Platinum Award for making Greatest Gains in Student

Achievement

Georgia Title I Reward School –

Highest Performing

AdvancedED Accredited

http://gosa.georgia.gov/

Building Community; Serving Students 2

Mrs. Melanie Reed Mr. Chad Cole Mrs. Laura Beth Short

Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal

3

Buford Middle School

2017 – 2018 School Improvement Plan

Name of School: Buford Middle School Date: August 1, 2017

Principal: Melanie Reed Year: 2017-2018

Identified Goals for Improvement: Each school must develop action steps based on school improvement goals. The Buford Middle School Local

School Improvement Goals are based on the Georgia Department of Education College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) for Grades

6-8. Additionally, school improvement goals are developed based on overarching needs, as identified in the 2017-2018 State Comprehensive Needs

Assessment School Report. The following pages provide a breakdown of the Buford Middle School Improvement Goals. The actually School

Improvement Plan submitted to the Georgia Department of Education, including the action steps relating to the improvement goals, are outlined on

pages 10-34 of this document.

Statements of Assurance:

1. The plan has been reviewed by the following stakeholders:

Leadership Team: Melanie Reed, Chad Cole, Laura Beth Short, Lisa Winter, Kathy Childers, Susan Nabors, Sandy Hughes, Lea Johnson,

Katie Duncan, Lori Petroni, Amy Perkins, and Brandon Manders

School Council: Christi Gowen (parent), Nicole Wylie (parent), Mary Brody (parent), David Johnson (business representative and parent),

Mark Anthony (business representative), Ashley Curington (business representative), Lisa Mathews (BMS staff & Teacher of the Year), Lisa

Winter (BMS staff), and Melanie Reed (Principal)

2. Budget and resource allocations have been considered for the support and implementation of the School Improvement Plan.

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Buford Middle School

2017-2018 Student Achievement/School Improvement Plan (based on the State *CCRPI – BMS goals are listed in red)

* The College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) is Georgia’s annual tool for measuring how well its schools, districts, and the state

itself are preparing students for the next educational level. It provides a comprehensive roadmap to help educators, parents, and community members

promote college and career readiness for all students.

The CCRPI includes four main components: Achievement, Progress, Achievement Gap, and Challenge Points. These components, encompassing

multiple indicators, are combined for a total CCRPI score on a scale of 0-100, with a possibility of 10 additional points. The current CCRPI score

is actually a reflection of the 2015-2016 school year. Buford Middle School’s rating indicates strong growth and achievement. The current

BMS CCRPI score is 90.5, which is among the top scores in the state. The State of Georgia average for middle schools is 72.1.

Additionally, schools receive a School Climate Rating using data from student, parent, and school personnel surveys, along with student discipline,

and attendance records for students and school personnel. Each school receives a 1-5 star rating, with five stars representing an excellent school

climate, and one star representing a school climate most in need of improvement. Buford Middle School’s current School Climate Rating is five

stars. For additional information regarding the CCRPI report or School Climate Rating, go to: ccrpi.gadoe.org.

CCRPI Score

90.5 Sum of Achievement, Progress, Achievement Gap, and Challenge Points

Challenge Points

ED/EL/SWD Performance

Points

Exceeding the Bar Points

3.1 0

3.1

5

2017 College and Career Ready Performance Index, Middle School Grades 6 – 8

CONTENT MASTERY (COMMON CORE ASSESSMENT DATA):

1. Weighted percent of students scoring at Developing Learner or above on the Georgia Milestones English/Language Arts (ELA)

End of Grade (EOG) - (required participation rate ≥ 95%) - BMS goal is 100%, with at least 60% at the Proficient or Distinguished level

2. Weighted percent of students scoring at Developing Learner or above on the Georgia Milestones Mathematics EOG or EOC

(required participation rate ≥ 95%) - BMS goal is 100%, with at least 60% at the Proficient or Distinguished level

3. Weighted percent of students scoring at Developing Learner or above on the Georgia Milestones Science EOG


4. Weighted percent of students scoring at Developing Learner or above on the Georgia Milestones Social Studies EOG


*Developing Learners are weighted at 0.5, Proficient Learners are weighted at 1.0, and Distinguished are weighted at 1.5.

POST MIDDLE SCHOOL READINESS:

5. Percent of English Learners with positive movement from one Performance Band to a higher Performance Band as measured by

the ACCESS for English Language Learners (ELL) – BMS goal is 95%

6. Percent of Students With Disabilities served in general education environments at least 80% of the school day –

BMS goal is 80%

7. Percent of students in grade 8 achieving a Lexile measure equal to or greater than 1050 on the Georgia Milestones ELA EOG –

BMS goal is 90%

8. Percent of students completing 2 or more state defined career related assessments/inventories and a state defined Individual

Graduation Plan by the end of grade 8 – BMS goal is 100%

9. Percent of students missing fewer than 6 days of school – BMS goal is 75%

6

PREDICTOR FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION:

10. Percent of students’ assessments scoring at Proficient or Distinguished Learner on Georgia Milestones EOGs - BMS goal is 60%

Exceeding the Bar Indicators

In addition to the t e n (10) items within the College and Career Ready Performance Index, middle schools may earn additional points for these

supplemental indicators.

1. Percent of students earning a passing score in three middle school courses in the fine arts, or career exploratory, or world languages by the end of

grade 8 (courses must be in the same area of concentration) – BMS goal is 95%

2. Percent of students earning at least one high school credit by the end of grade 8 (ELA, mathematics, science, social studies, world languages, fine

arts, and Career, Technical, & Agricultural Education (CTAE) and scoring at Proficient Learner or above on the required Georgia Milestones EOCs

(End of Course) – BMS goal is 15%

3. School has earned a Georgia Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) or Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM)

Program Certification – To be determined

4. Percent of teachers utilizing the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) – BMS goal is 100%

5. School or Local Educational Agency (LEA)-defined innovative practice accompanied by data supporting improved student achievement: examples

include but are not limited to Charter System, Georgia College and Career Academy, Race to the TOP, Striving Reader initiative, dual language

immersion program, Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) and/or Mathematics Design Collaborative (MDC), Response to Intervention (RTI), Positive

Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS), local instructional initiatives, etc. Practice must be reported via the CCRPI Data Collection application.

– To be determined

6. School or LEA Research/Evidence-based Program/Practice designed to facilitate a personalized climate in the school: examples include but are not

limited to Teachers as Advisors program; mentoring program; Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS); service-learning program; peer

mediation; conflict mediation. – To be determined

To be included after statewide implementation:

School's performance on the Georgia Teacher Effectiveness Measurement (TEM)

School's Performance on the Georgia Leader Effectiveness Measurement (LEM)

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Buford Middle School’s Plan for Improvement

The Buford Middle School Improvement Plan was developed by the BMS Leadership Team

(comprised of teachers and other staff members), parent advisory groups, and school

administrators. This plan outlines action steps used to achieve the goals set forth by all

stakeholders. The BMS School Improvement Plan is available for review on the BMS website and

in the BMS Parent Resource Center.

Goal: BMS will show a 3% increase on rigorous assessments.

Additionally, all students at BMS will score as a Proficient Learner (Level 3) or Distinguished

Learner (Level 4) in the knowledge and skills necessary at their grade level/course of learning on

the Georgia Milestones EOG or EOC Assessment. We strive for an increase in students achieving

at the Distinguished Learner (Level 4) category in all areas. Methods for achieving this goal

include, but are not limited to, vertical teams, flex classes, frequent parent contacts, collaborative

planning, an emphasis on writing across the curriculum, differentiated instruction, benchmark

testing, increasing the number of students in advanced content courses, constant data review, and

using various forms of technology.

Georgia Milestones Assessment System

The new Georgia Milestones Assessment System replaced the Criterion-Referenced Competency

Test (CRCT) in the spring of 2015. This new Assessment System is designed to provide

information about how well students are mastering the state-adopted content standards in the core

content areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Importantly, Georgia

Milestones is designed to provide students with critical information about their own achievement

and their readiness for their next level of learning – be it the next grade, the next course, or

endeavor (college or career). As such, Georgia Milestones serves as a key component of the

state’s accountability system – the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI).

With the implementation of the Georgia Milestones Assessment System, Georgia educators have

developed four achievement levels to describe student mastery and command of the knowledge

and skills outlined in Georgia’s content standards. Most students have at least some knowledge of

the content described in the content standards; however, achievement levels succinctly describe

how much mastery a student has. Achievement levels give meaning and context to scale scores by

describing the knowledge and skills students must demonstrate to achieve each level.

The Georgia Milestones four achievement levels are: Beginning Learner (Level 1), Developing

Learner (Level 2), Proficient Learner (Level 3), and Distinguished Learner (Level 4).

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2016 & 2017 Georgia Milestones Results

These scores show the percentage of students who achieved at the level of

Proficient (Level 3) or Distinguished (Level 4)

ELA MATH SCIENCE SOCIAL STUDIES

BMS STATE BMS STATE BMS STATE BMS STATE

2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017

6 59 61 39 40 74 78 35 38 60 N/A 38 N/A 49 N/A 32 N/A

7 55 54 36 37 72 71 37 42 57 N/A 35 N/A 67 N/A 36 N/A

8 59 66 39 42 62 71 37 34 59 69 32 29 62 67 33 39

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MILESTONES PERFORMANCE FLAGS

Legend:

Subgroup

met both

State and

Subgroup

Performance

Targets

Subgroup

met

Subgroup

but not

State

Performance

Target

Subgroup

met State

but not

Subgroup

Performance

Target

Subgroup did

not meet

either the

State or

Subgroup

Performance

Targets

Not Applicable

Subgroup

met

Participation

Rate, State

Performance

Target and

Subgroup

Performance

Target

Subgroup

met

Participation

Rate and

Subgroup

Performance

Target but

not State

Performance

Target

Subgroup

met

Participation

Rate and

State

Performance

Target but

not

Subgroup

Performance

Target

Subgroup

met the

Participation

Rate, but did

not meet

either the

State or

Subgroup

Performance

Targets

Subgroup Performance Milestones End of Grade

English Language Arts Mathematics Science Social Studies

American Indian/Alaskan

Asian/Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic

Multi-Racial

White

Economically Disadvantaged

English Learners

Students With Disability

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BMS Other Performance Assessment Data

Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) Results

2016-2017 Benchmark Assessment Results Benchmark Assessments provide teachers with continuous data throughout the year to help measure each

student’s success. Teachers participate in Data Talks to collaborate with colleagues and analyze their data.

These results help drive instruction in the areas of Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. The

assessments are cumulative and provide indicators of standards which have been mastered. The tables below

represent the average score for each content area and grade level.

6th Grade 2016-17 7th Grade 2016-17 8th Grade 2016-17

ELA 78 ELA 80 ELA 80

Math 79 Math 76 Math 80

SC 81 SC 78 SC 84

SS 82 SS 88 SS 79

GRADE

LEVEL

READING

TOTAL

LANGUAGE

TOTAL

MATH

TOTAL

CORE

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

6 59 55 52 50 52 56 54 53 61 56 68 62 59 58 64 61 57 55 55 59

7 55 59 55 55 54 56 59 52 59 59 68 71 64 71 70 59 62 56 64 63

8 60 57 55 56 55 62 59 56 55 59 69 71 67 66 72 64 62 59 61 64

The Iowa Assessments measure a student’s progress in key academic areas and allow for a comparison of their

performance to that of students across the U.S. This nationally norm-referenced test is administered in grades

6, 7, and 8 at Buford Middle School. Results from the fall administration help identify students’ areas of

academic strength as well as areas that need improvement. Teachers use the fall results to inform instruction and

monitor growth. The BMS student average percentile rank over the last five years is listed in the chart below.

Fifty percent is the average national percentile rank (NPR). For example, a Core Composite NPR of 57

indicates that, on average, a student scored as well as or better than 57% of U.S. students on the test.

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Georgia Department of Education School Improvement Plan

1. GENERAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN INFORMATION

District Name Buford City Schools

School Name Buford Middle School

Team Lead Melanie Reed

Position Principal

Email [email protected]

Phone (770) 904-3690

Federal Funding Options to Be Employed (SWP Schools) in This Plan (Select all that apply)

✔ Traditional funding (all Federal funds budgeted separately)

Consolidated funds (state/local and federal funds consolidated) - Pilot systems ONLY

“Fund 400” - Consolidation of Federal funds only

Factor(s) Used by District to Identify Students in Poverty (Select all that apply)

✔ Free/Reduced meal applications

Community Eligibility Program (CEP) - Direct Certification ONLY

Other (if selected, please describe below)

mailto:[email protected]

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2. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GOALS

2.1 CREATING IMPROVEMENT GOALS Effective goals assist schools in attaining collective agreement about what work needs to occur for improvement

to take place. Goals should focus and prioritize the efforts and resources of the district/school to the previously

identified needs and create a focus for improvement. Setting goals should be a strategic process which aligns the

goals within one of the five systems: Coherent Instruction, Effective Leadership, Professional Capacity, Family

and Community Engagement, or Supportive Learning Environment.

There are several categories of goals which may be used in school improvement but the one type which focuses

on improving results and not just enhancing processes is a SMART goal. SMART is an acronym for:

Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time-bound

An example of a SMART goal is:

By the end of the school year 2017-2018, all teachers will have training and be included in a PLC for their

content-specific area.

2.1.1 Completing the Improvement Goals Tables Enter the school’s two to four overarching needs and related root causes, as identified in the 2017-2018

Comprehensive Needs Assessment School Report. Determine a goal for each overarching need and include the

goal in the last row of each corresponding table. For each overarching need, complete the planning tables

covering the five systems from Georgia’s Systems of Continuous Improvement. Use the codes below to list the

structures addressed through the goal within each system. For each system, identify one to six action steps that

will be taken to address the root causes that have created the overarching need. Finally, identify any supplemental

action steps necessary to ensure the necessary supports are in place for the listed subgroups.

Coherent Instructional System Family and Community Engagement

CIS-1 Planning for quality instruction FCE-1 Welcoming all families and the community

CIS-2 Delivering quality instruction FCE-2 Communicating effectively with all families

CIS-3 Monitoring student progress and the community

CIS-4 Refining the instructional system FCE-3 Supporting student success

FCE-4 Empowering families

Effective Leadership FCE-5 Sharing leadership with families

EL-1 Creating and maintaining a climate and the community

and culture conducive to learning FCE-6 Collaborating with the community

EL-2 Cultivating and distributing leadership

EL-3 Ensuring high quality instruction in Supportive Learning Environment

all classrooms SLE-1 Maintaining order and safety

EL-4 Managing the district and its resources SLE-2 Developing and monitoring a system of

EL-5 Driving improvement efforts supports

SLE-3 Ensuring a student learning community

Professional Capacity

PC-1 Attracting staff

PC-2 Developing staff

PC-3 Retaining staff

PC-4 Ensuring staff collaboration

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2.2 OVERARCHING NEED #1

Overarching Need

Coherent Instructional System (CIS) - 2 Delivering quality instruction:

Guidance for teachers in the area of interventions and differentiation for and among students to improve

academic achievement.

Root Cause #1

Teacher knowledge of strategies

Root Cause #2

Teacher implementation of strategies

Root Cause #3

Lack of sharing Professional Learning (PL) strategies with teachers

Root Cause #4

Root Cause #5

GOAL By the end of the 2017-2018 school year, BMS will show a 3% increase in ELA, Math, and

Science scores on rigorous assessments.

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COHERENT INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEM

GOAL By the end of the 2017-2018 school year, BMS will show a 3% increase in ELA, Math, and Science scores on rigorous assessments.

Structure(s) Coherent Instructional System (CIS) - 2: Delivering quality instruction

Evidence-based Action Steps: Describe the evidence-based action steps to be taken to achieve the goal.

a. Timeline for Implementation

b. Method for Monitoring

a. 2017-2018 School Year

b. Schedules and Assessment Results


b. Flex Group Schedule and Assessment Results


b. Assessment Results


b. Professional Learning Communities and Assessment Results




b. Curriculum Meeting Minutes and Assessment Results

Supplemental Supports: What supplemental action steps will be implemented for these subgroups?

Economically Disadvantaged Foster and Homeless

Transportation is provided to students attending After School and Summer School.

English Learners Migrant

Saturday School is specific to EL students and transportation is provided to those

who attend.

Race/Ethnicity/Minority Students with Disabilities


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EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP


Structure(s) Effective Leadership (EL) - 3: Ensuring high quality instruction in all classrooms





b. Master Schedule and Assessment Results


b. Curriculum Calendars/Minutes and Assessment Results


b. Curriculum Calendars/Minutes and Assessment Results


b. Teacher certifications, CPI report, and Assessment Results

a.

b.

a.

b.




Teacher collaboration will occur for monitoring EL students.


Students with disabilities will be placed in the least restrictive environment.

Teacher collaboration will occur for monitoring students with disabilities.

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PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY


Structure(s) Professional Capacity (PC) - 2: Developing staff and PC - 4: Ensuring staff collaboration





b. Vertical Team Agendas/Minutes and Assessment Results


b. Colleague Observation forms and Assessment Results




b. Mentor/Mentee Notebooks and Assessment Results

a.

b.

a.

b.



Professional Learning for instructional strategies for students of poverty.


EL Professional Learning strategies will take place to enhance classroom instruction

among English Learners.


Co-teaching Professional Learning strategies will be delivered to staff members.

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FAMILY and COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT


Structure(s) Family and Community Engagement (FCE) - 2: Communicating with families and the community and FCE - 3: Supporting student success





b. Teacher web-pages/number of hits and Assessment Results


b. Weekly newsletters and Assessment Results


b. Emails, Progress/Report cards, and Assessment Results


b. Conference forms/notes and Assessment Results


b. Sign-in sheets, surveys, and Assessment Results


b. Visitor sign-in sheets and Assessment Results



Home visits to at-risk students/families occur as needed.


Translator is provided for all non-English speaking parents. Written communication

is provided in Spanish. A separate EL Parent Night is scheduled.


Parents will be encouraged to attend RTI and IEP meetings.

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SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT


Structure(s) Supportive Learning Environment (SLE) - 2: Developing and monitoring a system of supports and SLE - 3: Ensuring a student learning community





b. PowerSchool and Assessment Results


b. Lesson plans, discipline reports, and Assessment Results


b. Lesson plans, STEM day schedule, and Assessment Results


b. CTSO/Extra-curricular events and Assessment Results


b. Lesson plans, career day schedule and Assessment Results

a.

b.



Family assistance with food/clothing.



is provided in Spanish. Separate EL Parent Nights are scheduled.


Cultural assemblies will expose students to the arts and their connections to the

curriculum. Students with disabilities will be placed in the least restrictive environment.

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Overarching Need

Effective Leadership (EL) - 2 Cultivating and distributing leadership:

Building teacher leadership capacity

Root Cause #1

Mentoring

Root Cause #2

Leadership opportunities for teachers

Root Cause #3

Root Cause #4

Root Cause #5

GOAL By the end of 2017-2018, BMS will cultivate, enhance, and distribute leadership opportunities

among teachers.

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GOAL By the end of 2017-2018, BMS will cultivate, enhance, and distribute leadership opportunities among teachers.

Structure(s) Coherent Instructional System (CIS) - 2: Delivering quality instruction and CIS - 3: Refining the Instructional system





b. Colleague Observation forms and Assessment Results


b. Curriculum Meeting Minutes and Assessment Results



a.

b.

a.

b.

a.

b.



Teachers will enhance leadership skills by making home-visits to at-risk students.


Teacher collaboration to monitor EL students.


Teacher collaboration to monitor students with disabilities.

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Structure(s) Effective Leadership (EL) - 2 Cultivating and distributing leadership





b. PLC and Other Meeting Agendas/Minutes


b. Curriculum Calendars/Minutes


b. Leadership Team Meeting Agendas/Minutes


b. Committee Meeting Agendas


b. BMS schedule and Clubs/Activities Agendas

a.

b.




BMS Latino EL students will have the opportunity to attend the annual Latino

Youth Leadership Conference.


BMS Latino students will have the opportunity to attend the annual Latino Youth

Leadership Conference. Regular Education teachers will enhance leadership skills by contributing

information during RTI and IEP meetings.

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Structure(s) Professional Capacity (PC) - 2: Developing staff and PC - 4: Ensuring staff collaboration





b. Professional Learning and Mentor/Mentee Notebook


b. Teacher Certifications and CPI report


b. Vertical Team Agendas/Minutes


b. Colleague Observation forms


b. Professional Learning Communities and sign-in sheets

a.

b.




Teacher opportunities for additional EL certification.


Teacher opportunities for additional Special Education certification.

23








b. Teacher web-pages/number of hits


b. Weekly newsletters


b. Agendas, sign-in sheets, and survey results

a.

b.

a.

b.

a.

b.



Teachers will assist parents will no computer access by providing a hard copy of

the newsletter or computer assistance through the BMS Parent Resource Center.



is provided in Spanish. EL teachers will lead EL Parent Nights.


Teachers will enhance leadership skills by sharing important information with

parents during RTI and IEP meetings.

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b. Safety Plan notebooks and safety drill reports


b. Lesson plans and discipline reports


b. Grade Level discipline procedures and discipline reports


b. Student Leadership applications and events

a.

b.

a.

b.




EL lead teacher will organize the opportunity for BMS EL Latino students to attend the

annual Latino Youth Leadership Conference.


EL lead teacher will organize the opportunity for BMS Latino students to attend the

annual Latino Youth Leadership Conference.

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Overarching Need

Professional Capacity (PC) 4 - Ensuring staff collaboration: Professional Learning follow-up

Root Cause #1

Lack of follow-up opportunities for teachers once Professional Learning (PL) has occurred

Root Cause #2

Collaboration and time constraints

Root Cause #3

Root Cause #4

Root Cause #5

GOAL By the end of the school year 2017-2018, all teachers will have follow-up and reflection

opportunities within their Professional Learning Community.

26


GOAL By the end of the school year 2017-2018, all teachers will have follow-up and reflection opportunities within their Professional Learning Community.

Structure(s) Coherent Instructional System (CIS) - 2: Delivering quality instruction and CIS - 3: Refining the Instructional system





b. Flex Group Schedule and Assessment Results






b. Schedules and Assessment Results

a.

b.

a.

b.





Saturday School is specific to EL students and transportation is provided to those

who attend. Teacher collaboration will occur to monitor EL students.



Teacher collaboration will occur to monitor students with disabilities.

27



Structure(s) Effective Leadership (EL) - 3: Ensuring high quality instruction in all classrooms and EL 5: Driving improvement efforts





b. Grade Level/Team Meeting Minutes


b. Curriculum Meeting Agendas/Minutes


b. Leadership Team Meeting Agendas/Minutes

a.

b.

a.

b.

a.

b.



Staff members will take part in Professional Learning that include teaching strategies

for students in poverty.


Professional Learning with staff members will include teaching strategies for EL

students.


Staff members will receive Professional Learning on co-teaching strategies to help

students with disabilities.

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Structure(s) Professional Capacity (PC) 4 - Ensuring staff collaboration





b. Master Schedule


b. Curriculum Meeting Agendas/Minutes


b. Vertical Team Meeting Agendas


b. Meeting Agendas and Minutes


b. Colleague Observation forms/notes


b. Mentor/Mentee Notebooks



Staff members will collaborate and share strategies for teaching students in

poverty.


Teacher collaboration will include sharing strategies for monitoring EL students.


Staff members will collaborate and share co-teaching strategies to help

students with disabilities.

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b. Teacher web-pages/number of hits


b. Weekly newsletters


b. Conference forms/notes


b. Sign-in sheets and survey results


b. Visitor sign-in sheets


b. Parent and student survey results



Professional Learning strategies will be utilized and shared during home visits to

at-risk students/families.


Professional Learning strategies will be utilized and shared during EL Parent Nights.

Information, including newsletters, will be provided in Spanish.


Professional Learning strategies will be utilized and shared during RTI and

IEP meetings.

30








b. Academic and Discipline data in PowerSchool


b. Lesson plans and discipline reports


b. Grade Level discipline procedures and discipline reports


b. Staff and student survey results

a.

b.

a.

b.



Professional Learning with staff members will include teaching strategies for

students in poverty.


Professional Learning strategies will be incorporated during EL Parent Nights.


Cultural assemblies will include Professional Learning strategies to expose students

to the arts and their connections to the curriculum. Professional Learning strategies will be utilized and shared during RTI and IEP

meetings.

31

4. REQUIRED QUESTIONS

4.a - In developing this plan, briefly describe how the school sought advice from individuals (teachers,

staff, other school leaders, paraprofessionals, specialized instructional support personnel, parents,

community partners, and other stakeholders) was sought and included.

[Sec. 2103(b)(2)]

We have developed our plan with the participation of various stakeholder groups, including:

BMS Leadership Team (comprised of staff members), PTO Board Members, Parents attending

BCSS-CLIP Meeting, Parents attending Parent Involvement Nights, and School Council

Members. The ways they were involved include: analyzing testing data, participating in a Title I

and Parent Involvement overview presentation to all stakeholders, providing feedback regarding

parent involvement and Title funds, identifying research based strategies to be used by the

school, taking part in surveys and giving written feedback on ways to spend the BMS funds.

Members from the groups met to conduct a needs assessment. Formative, summative,

demographic, and perception data were collected and examined to identify school-wide issues

and student academic needs. This data were utilized to determine goals, to develop a plan,

and to determine how to best allocate funds and resources in order to improve student

achievement and meet academic state standards.

4.b - Describe how the school will ensure that low-income and minority children enrolled in the Title I school are not served at disproportionate rates by ineffective, out-of-field, or inexperienced teachers.

[Sec. 1111(g)(1)(B)]

All BMS teachers are instructing within their certified content area. No teachers hold a provisional

certification or teach out of field. Our current teacher retention rate is at 91% and only 10% of the

teachers have less than 4 years’ experience. Additionally, 20% have a Bachelor's degree, 29%

have a Master's, 49% have a Specialist's, and 2% hold a Doctorate degree. We do not have any

teachers currently on a Professional Learning Plan, and no teachers received an unsatisfactory

annual evaluation within the last several years.

BMS will implement the following strategies for meeting the educational needs of historically

under-served populations: additional instructional time with transportation provided (After

School, Summer School, Saturday School, flex time, and connections time), hands-on materials,

differentiation of instruction, additional teacher training, and additional colleague planning time.

The needs of each identified child will be addressed through the Response to Intervention (RTI)

team, along with teacher discussions regarding at-risk students (Kid-Talks). Students with

special needs (EL, disabled, migratory, homeless or immigrant children, neglected or delinquent

youth, and at-risk youth) will be provided all Title services for which they qualify.

32

4.c - Provide a general description of the Title I instructional program being implemented at this Title I

School. Specifically define the subject areas to be addressed and the instructional

strategies/methodologies to be employed to address the identified needs of the most academically at-risk

students in the school. Please include services to be provided for students living in local institutions for

neglected or delinquent children (if applicable).

[Sec. 1114(b)(7)(ii)]

Students who experience difficulty mastering the developing, as defined by the state, or

advanced levels of academic achievement standards will be identified through informal

observations, formative and summative assessments including quizzes and benchmark tests,

and teacher discussion during Kid Talks with the administrator and counselor. Academic

assessments that will be used to determine success of the students and the programs in place

may include, but are not limited to: Georgia Milestones, ITBS (Grades 3-7), CogAT (Grades 3

and 5), PSAT 8/9 (Grade 8), Diagnostic Achievement Battery (DAB-2) SPED, Study Island,

iReady Reading and Math, IXL, and motivational and creativity assessments. EL students will be

assessed as determined by state guidelines, which currently require administration of the

ACCESS.

Educational assistance will be provided to students assessed as needing help in meeting

academic achievement standards in ELA, Math, and Science through programs such as Title

One Interventionists, After School Program, flex time (during the school day), Saturday School,

and Summer School programs.

Additional enrichment and remediation activities are provided during EL, Special Education, RTI,

before school tutoring, After School, additional academic support, and Summer School. Special

area classes devoted to technology support the instruction received in the regular classroom.

The use of iReady Reading and Math, Study Island (all subjects), IXL (Reading and Math),

Saxon Math, fluency practice, and Kahn Academy activities will be used to assist struggling

students. These activities assist in assuring quality supplemental instruction, materials, and

devices for additional academic support. These programs will work to close the achievement gap

between low-income, minority, Students With Disabilities (SWD), English Learners (EL), and

other students by providing additional and small group instruction.

In order to meet achievement objectives, federal funds combined with local and state monies

provide resources and assistance, such as additional teachers, paraprofessionals, instructional

materials, technology, and 10% of funding toward professional development. Once a list of

priorities has been established and appropriate audiences identified, funding for each project will

be earmarked following specific guidelines for expenditure of federal, state, and local budgets.

Plans will then be made to train and implement the professional development activities in a

continuous, evaluative, and ongoing manner to address needs in the identified core academic

subjects.

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4.d - If applicable, provide a description of how teachers, in consultation with parents, administrators, and

pupil services personnel, will identify eligible children most in need of services in Title I targeted

assistance schools/programs. Please include a description of how the school will develop and implement

multiple (a minimum of 2) objective, academic- based performance criteria to rank students for service.

Also include a description of the measurable scale (point system) that uses the objective criteria to rank all

students. [Sec. 1115(b)(1)]; [Sec.1115(c)(1)(B)]

BMS is not a Title I targeted assistance school.

4.e - If applicable, describe how the school will support, coordinate, and integrate services with early

childhood programs at the school level, including strategies for assisting preschool children in the transition

from early childhood education programs to local elementary school programs. [Sec. 1114(b)(7)(V)]

Buford Elementary School addresses transitions to the elementary school in the following ways:

1) Buford Elementary has a positive working relationship with Buford Head Start and other area

Pre-K programs. Articulation meetings between Buford Elementary and the area Pre-K

programs are held several times each school year.

2) A 4 week Pre-K Summer School initiative is currently in place to better prepare students for

the transition to Kindergarten. All new Kindergarten students are screened during spring

registrations. Any student scoring below the fortieth percentile is given a bag of learning tools

(scissors, crayons, letter strips, etc.). The parents of these students are conferenced with (in

their native language) in how to use the tools with their child(ren). An invitation to attend a

parent workshop on how to help your child succeed in Kindergarten is also given, along with an

invitation for their child to attend Summer School. Parents who attend the workshop are given

strategies and tools, including a Leapfrog device.

3) A new parent meeting is held at the beginning of each school year to help parents with

transitioning into elementary school from Pre-K.

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4.f - If applicable, describe how the school will implement strategies to facilitate effective transitions for

students from middle grades to high school and from high school to postsecondary education including:

Coordination with institutions of higher education, employers and local partners; and

Increased student access to early college high school or dual or concurrent enrollment opportunities

or career counseling to identify student interest and skills.

[Se. 1114(b)(7)(II)]

Teachers address the transition from eighth to ninth grade in the following ways: counselors begin in

October working with students to complete an Individualized Graduation Plan for high school, Career

Tech teachers, along with teachers of the arts, talk specifically in classes about pathways provided at

the high school, teachers review graduation requirements and topics such as calculating GPA,

articulation takes place between eighth and ninth grade teachers regarding course needs for

individual students, the high school offers a parent orientation night, a registration night, and a

summer session for rising ninth graders, rising ninth graders are invited to attend a Fresh Start

summer session to help with the transition to high school, and Transition Service Plans are

developed for special education students and articulation meetings are held with high school

teachers.

Articulation between all grade levels helps students transition from one level to the next. Face to face

meetings are conducted to provide articulation before the beginning of the year. Open House gives

parents and students the opportunity to tour the building and meet teachers for the new year.

Curriculum Night, at the beginning of the year, helps students and parents understand information for

the transition from one grade level to another. Sixth grade teachers host a summer session, BMS

101, for rising 6th graders to help with the transition to middle school.

New students entering during the school year receive a packet of information which includes school

discipline information, the School-Parent Compact, dress code information, and bus information. The

registrar and counselor meet with students to welcome them to the school, review records, and create

a schedule. A peer helper assists new students in acclimating to the school floor plan and school

procedures. Students are given information concerning accessing materials and being involved with

technology at the school.

Students who are at risk of not meeting the state student achievement standards will have access to

the following at BMS: a variety of opportunities to allow students to experience cultural awareness

and respectful citizenship awareness, cultural assemblies to expose students to the arts and their

connections to curriculum, How Wolves Rise Up advisement lessons in small groups, including

lessons to increase awareness of the effects of bullying. Additionally, classroom guidance lessons

will be provided by the counselor and teachers regarding respectful behavior, students will participate

in Career Day activities to create an awareness of job possibilities after graduation, students may

work in the “Idea Factory,” located in the media center, to create or expand learning through

technology, and students are eligible to take a connections course called Consumer Math where

financial literacy will be taught to promote understanding and success in personal budgeting.

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4.g - Describe how the school will support efforts to reduce the overuse of discipline practices that remove

students from the classroom, specifically addressing the effects on all subgroups of students. [Sec. 1114(b)(7)(III)]

First and foremost, Buford Middle School staff members have a mindset that if staff work with parents

as equal partners in the educational process, student behavior and academic achievement will be

positively impacted. Therefore, Professional Learning is offered for all staff to educate them on the

importance of effective teacher/parent communication. Teachers are provided strategies for working

with parents and given an orientation of the Parent Resource Center so they can encourage parents

to use what is available. Our system social worker works with the faculty to become partners with

parents. Our counselors send advice for focusing on building ties between the school and home.

Home visits also take place as needed.

Students participate in How Wolves Rise Up advisement sessions, which include lessons devoted to

developing mindsets for successful behavior. The How Wolves Rise Up advisement sessions also

includes lessons to increase awareness of the effects of bullying. Additionally, classroom guidance

lessons will be provided by the counselor and teachers regarding cultural awareness, citizenship

traits, and respectful behavior.

Furthermore, administrators and teachers have developed grade-level discipline procedures to help

keep students in class. All teachers within a grade level follow the same plan so there is consistency

for students. Parent/teacher conferences, home visits, silent lunch, and after school detention are

some of the discipline interventions used to prevent students from missing instructional time. In

extreme cases, In-School-Suspension is used.

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