Phoenix Day School for the Deaf School Profile

Fall 2018

Principal Courtney Fritz

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We Believe in Who We Are 3

About Us 3 Introduction 3 Overview 4 Shared Purpose 4 PDSD Operating Principles 5 Academic Achievements 6 Program Additions/Continuations 6 Community Relations 7 Sports and Extracurricular 7

We Believe in Growth 8

Continuous School Improvement 8 School Improvement Plan 8 Comprehensive Support and Improvement 10

We Believe in Who We Serve 11

Demographics 11 Enrollment 11 Annual Expenditures Ratio Report 12 Attendance Summary 13 2018 Graduation Rate 13

We Believe in Success 14

Teaching and Learning 14 Effective Learning Environment Observation Tool (ELEOT) 14 State and District Assessment Results 15 Aims-A Science and MSAA alternate assessment scores are not available at time of print. 15 AzMERIT 15

AIMS 15 Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) 16 ACT College Admissions Test 16 Post School Outcomes 17 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Data 18

Disciplinary Data 19

We Believe in Social Opportunities 20

Athletics and Extracurricular 20 Extracurricular Activities 20 Athletics 21

We Believe in Communication 22

Surveys 22 Annual PDSD Survey 22 AdvancED Climate and Culture Survey Summaries 24 AdvancED Student Engagement Surveys 29

Appendix A: School Calendar 32

Appendix B: Assessment Calendar 33

Appendix C: Survey Calendar 34

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We Believe in Who We Are

About Us

Introduction Phoenix Day School for the Deaf profile provides a broad overview of the school, its programming and student-level data, thus providing insight into student academic performance levels for the 2017-2018 school year. The primary goal of this document is to make data readily available to stakeholders, parents and the community, in order to make more informed decisions as they endeavor to improve student learning. The secondary purpose is to meet AdvanceED’s (a nationally recognized education agency accreditation organization) standards for data-driven decision-making (Standards 2.5 and 2.6).

Standard 2.5: The organization gathers, analyzes, and uses formative and summative data to improve learning and the delivery of programs and services as evidenced by:

● Staff analyzing data from a cohesive set of formative and summative assessments that lead to the demonstrable improvement of programs and services and increased achievement and success individual and collective groups of learners.

● All staff consistently use data to improve program and service delivery, modify instruction, and improve student learning experiences.

Standard 2.6: The organization implements a process to continuously assess programs, services, and organizational conditions to improve organizational effectiveness as evidenced by:

● The organization implements a formal, documented evaluation process that includes contextually based research and an ongoing systematic analysis of comparing data related to program delivery, services, and organizational effectiveness.

● The organization consistently uses results from the evaluation process to make informed decisions and improve and refine programs and services.

Information collection sources include outcome, demographic, perception and program data:

● Outcome Data: Describes how a group or individual is achieving; can measure effectiveness and is measurable and quantifiable.

● Demographic Data: Provides profile information and identity factors. ● Perception Data: Describes beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions. ● Program Data: Provides information about programs, processes, curriculum, instructional

strategies, and assessments.

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Overview The Phoenix Day School for the Deaf (PDSD) is a campus located in Phoenix that is a division of the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. PDSD has been providing quality educational programming for children who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing, for 50 years, within the metropolitan Phoenix area. PDSD was established in 1967 because parents wanted their children to go to a school closer to home. PDSD started with 26 elementary students and five teachers. The high school department was established in 1979 with the first graduating class in 1983. Today, PDSD has over 300 students in attendance from preschool through high school and 135 faculty. PDSD has been fully accredited by the North Central Association since 1982. PDSD offers a variety of programming. Programs: Preschool, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Career and Technical Education, Life Skills Program, Specials (Electives-Fine Arts, Physical Education, Technology, CTE Action Lan), and PLUS (ASL, Sustainable Living, Character Education, Career, Language Arts Lab). Services: Language and Communication (ASL and Speech Therapy), Auditory Training, Audiology, Counseling, Nursing, Media, OT/PT, Library, ASL community classes, several after school extracurricular activities.

Shared Purpose

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PDSD Operating Principles

We, the Phoenix Day School for the Deaf community, promise to cultivate an environment that … Honors the well-being of its students, families, staff and community members by:

● Instilling a sense of pride, unity and appreciation of Deaf culture ● Providing a safe, clean and well-structured environment ● Respecting quality relationships that are healthy and positive ● Nurturing the unique journey of each Deaf and Hard of Hearing child ● Committing to dual language development in ASL and English ● Celebrating accomplishments of individual and group goals

Promotes academic engagement of its students, families, staff and community members by:

● Cultivating purposeful community involvement ● Valuing strong family partnerships and cultural diversity ● Communicating in a respectful, constructive and open manner ● Focusing on intentional and consistent development ● Achieving academic excellence through Active Participation ● Implementing creative and differentiated instruction ● Maintaining a growth mindset wherein skills and abilities of all are developed

Believes in success of its students, families, staff and community members by:

● Upholding high expectations ● Fostering independence ● Applying learned skills ● Empowering all stakeholders to be accountable ● Inspiring confidence for lifelong learning ● Preparing college- and career-ready graduates

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2017-2018 ~ Notable initiatives, recognitions and accomplishments

Academic Achievements ● Three high school students participated in the state HOSA- Future Health Professionals

conference and received awards in the areas of Home Health Aide, Personal Care, and Speaking Skills.

● Sent four students to the Arizona Department of Education Transition Conference to perform the national anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance.

● Winners and recipients of the 7th annual Shell Science Lab Challenge. ● Recipient of the Lion’s Club Future of the Peace art contest for three middle school students. ● Battle of the Books Blue and Buff teams made it to Nationals in Washington D.C. at Gallaudet

University. ● The high school academic bowl team was selected to go to Nationals in Washington D.C. at

Gallaudet University. ● One student participated in the State Education Rising Conference and won 1st place in the

Lesson Plan and Delivery - Humanities category and qualified for Nationals in Florida. ● Middle school math club competed against other students in a math competition at Rochester

Institute of Technology (RIT) in New York. ● Student participated in the State Optimist Clubs competition.

Program Additions/Continuations ● Continuation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports through our Positive

Reinforcement In Deaf Education (P.R.I.D.E.) program in the 5th-8th grades. ● Addition of a new position and class, Sustainable Living and Lab, that provides knowledge about

the propagation of plants for food and fiber after receiving an initial grant from Annie’s, Inc. Grants for Gardens.

● Addition of a new high school course, Literacy Enrichment, designed to provide additional instruction and support to students in reading and literacy.

● Continuation of our partnership with EdOptions. ● Continuation of our partnership with Metro Tech and Moon Valley High School and began a

partnership with West Mec. ● Implementation of a Comprehensive School Improvement (CSI) Core Team, English Language

Arts Team, and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Team. ● Recipient of a grant from ADE to support our CSI efforts. ● Recipient of $1,000.00 Vocational and Community Training grant from the Walmart Foundation.

Community Relations ● Hosted a tour of PDSD for Justin Romney from the State Office of Strategic Planning and Budget

(OSPB). ● Amber Akpanitis was named Arizona’s PBS Digital Innovator.

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● Hosted a visit from President Cordano of Gallaudet University. ● Welcomed Governor Doug Ducey to show his support of House Bill 2022 to expand funding for

early childhood education. ● Hosted PDSD’s 50th anniversary gala.

Sports and Extracurricular ● Hosted the Western States Basketball Conference. ● Spotlighted PDSD’s football team spotlighted in Arizona Central and The Arizona Republic. ● Invited Nancy Rourke to hold a two-week long residency and, with the help of students, paint a

mural to commemorate PDSD’s 50th anniversary. ● Sent students to attend Camp Leap transition camp. ● Awarded PDSD’s girls basketball the Desert Duel trophy. ● Inducted three football players into the National Deaf Interscholastic Athletic Association

(NDIAA). ● Awarded first place in the Arabian Horse Art Contest

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We Believe in Growth

Continuous School Improvement

School Improvement Plan 2017-2018 Goal: Develop a comprehensive Preschool through 12th grade assessment system (collection, access and distribution) that documents results in student achievement, demographics data, perception, and program data as measured by a student and school profile.

Strategy: Provide professional development (PD) on the usage of student data spreadsheets. Responsible: Data Committee Completion Date: August 2017 Evidence: PD schedule (partially completed - carryover to 2018-2019)

Strategy: Provide ongoing assistance and guidance with the student data spreadsheets.

Responsible: Teacher Leader/Educational Diagnostician/Supervisor of Academic Services Completion Date: May 2018 Evidence: Meeting schedule, Core meeting agenda (partially completed - carryover to 2018-2019)

Strategy: Train professional and support staff in the evaluation, interpretation and use of data.

Responsible: Supervisor of Academic Services and the Organization Development Division Completion Date: May 2018 (carryover to 2018-2019) Evidence: Training schedule

Strategy: Train professional and support staff in the software programs that are used for assessment purposes.

Responsible: Supervisor of Academic Services and the PLT Completion Date: May 2018 (carryover to 2018-2019) Evidence: Training schedule

Goal: Increase student reading scores in grades Preschool-12th by 1.0 Grade Equivalent score annually as measured by scores on the AZMerit English Language Arts assessment, Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP), Teaching Strategies GOLD®, Beyond Textbooks, Accelerated Reader or other assessments.

Strategy: Create a list of reading strategies. Responsible: Reading Committee Completion Date: May 2018 (on hold)

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Evidence: List Strategy: Define collaboratively each position/department’s role in the promotion or instruction of reading.

Responsible: Reading Committee Completion Date: May 2018 (on hold) Evidence: Reading document

Strategy: Implement Accelerated Reader in each department, as determined by the committee, with specific guidelines and expectations. Responsible: Reading Committee Completion Date: May 2018 (carryover to 2018-2019) Evidence: Guidelines

Goal: Investigate and implement a common grading system at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Strategy: Complete the PDSD grading philosophy document. Responsible: Grading Committee Completion Date: December 2017 Evidence: Finalized philosophy document Draft completed.

Strategy: Research and determine common grading criteria for each department.

Responsible: Grading Committee Completion Date: May 2018 (carryover 2018-2019) Evidence: Grade Level Guidelines/Syllabus

Strategy: Research and design a common grade reporting format (report card) for each department.

Responsible: Grading Committee Completion Date: May 2018 Evidence: Report Cards initial steps completed

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Comprehensive Support and Improvement In November 2017, the Arizona Department of Education identified PDSD as a Title I school in improvement. This was based on AzMERIT assessment scores from spring 2017. PDSD was in the bottom 5% of achievement. Through the Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) efforts, a root cause analysis was completed. The identified needs statements were:

PDSD needs a multi-tiered system of supports (academics and behavior) which will assist a more efficient allocation of resources (e.g., time, staff, and materials) which will increase student achievement. PDSD needs a system to adopt, systematically monitor, review and evaluate a curriculum which includes aligned assessments.

“Excellence is not a destination. It is a journey that

never ends.” - Brian Tracy

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We Believe in Who We Serve

Demographics

Enrollment

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Annual Expenditures Ratio Report State Allotted Instructional Programming Budget (June 2018)

Personnel Services $4,233,590.00

Employee Related Expenses $1,953,415.00

Professional and Outside Services $211,205.00

Other Operating Expenditures $61,243.00

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Attendance Summary

2018 Graduation Rate

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We Believe in Success

Teaching and Learning

Effective Learning Environment Observation Tool (ELEOT) Effective Learning Environment Observation Tool (ELEOT) is used to provide feedback to teachers. Teachers are provided feedback in seven areas. The maximum score is 4. The school-wide average score (2.83) is based on 93 completed observations during the 2017-2018 school year. The ELEOT summarization shows that being respectful among students, engaging in activities that are challenging, students collaborating with their teachers to monitor their learning progress by improving and/or revising their work, and using technology to gather, evaluate, and/or use information during their learning activities are strengths that were observed in the classrooms. The areas identified for improvement in the classroom include: recognizing diverse learners, promoting higher critical thinking, encouraging students to work effectively as pairs and/or as a team, allowing students to check the quality of their work, establishing classroom routine, and using digital tools/technology for communicating/networking.

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State and District Assessment Results Aims-A Science and MSAA alternate assessment scores are not available at time of print.

AzMERIT

ELA 3.7% passing

Gr 3 Gr 4 Gr 5 Gr 6 Gr 7 Gr 8 Gr 9 Gr 10 Gr 11 Gr 12

Minimally Proficient

100% 100% 100% 95% 94% 84% 100% 84% 93%

Partially Proficient

0% 0% 0% 0% 6% 12% 0% 0% 0%

Proficient 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 0% 0% 16% 0%

Highly Proficient

0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 4% 0% 0% 0%

MATH 2.3% passing

Gr 3 Gr 4 Gr 5 Gr 6 Gr 7 Gr 8 ALG 1 GEO ALG 2

Minimally Proficient

81% 89% 100% 95% 100% 96% 84% 50% 80%

Partially Proficient

13% 11% 0% 5% 0% 4% 11% 33% 20%

Proficient 6% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5% 17% 0%

Highly Proficient

0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

AIMS

SCIENCE 10.93% passing

Gr 3 Gr 4 Gr 5 Gr 6 Gr 7 Gr 8 Gr 9 Gr 10 Gr 11 Gr 12

Minimally Proficient

58% 84% 79%

Partially Proficient

37% 4% 5%

Proficient 5% 8% 16%

Highly Proficient

0% 4% 0%

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Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Average Rate of Growth - Fall 2017

Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 4 Gr 5 Gr 6 Gr 7 Gr 8 Gr 9 Gr 10 Gr 11 Gr 12

Math n/a 10.2 4.9 -1.5 4.6 4.3 5.9 2.2 1.3 3.5 3.6

Reading n/a 7.9 5.1 4.7 7.7 0.8 3.5 1.8 1.2 4.7 4.9

Language Usage

n/a 5.8 7.0 5.5 4.9 2.4 6.9 2.6 1.6 1.4 0.7

Science n/a 5.4 3.7 -0.5 6.7 6.1 1.8 5.2 1.1 n/a n/a

ACT College Admissions Test ACT scores range from a low of 1 to a max score of 36. The national average is 20.8.

Average SCORES

Graduation Year

Total Tested

English Math Reading Science STEM Composite

2018 8 12.13 14.88 13 14.5 14.88 13.63

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Post School Outcomes

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Career and Technical Education (CTE) Data PDSD partners with three off campus public education schools to provide a wealth of program opportunities for our junior and senior level high school students.

high school credits earned by 47 students through the EdOptions online partnership.

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Disciplinary Data There were 61 Incident Reports (IRs) that resulted in either out of school suspension or in school suspension. Implications: If students are not in a teaching environment, academic progress is impacted. For that reason, PDSD attempted to establish a behavioral system for few years, but to no avail. The number of IRs had been increasing which required the team to evaluate and investigate more effective programs. PDSD began the process of implementing Love and Logic, a campus-wide behavioral approach. Utilizing Love and Logic approaches will preserve and enhance the relationship with the student while maintaining a disciplined environment. Teachers will be able to spend more time teaching and less time disciplining. Meanwhile, in the process we will become a consistent, reliable, caring school, fostering staff to have high expectations and students who can meet those expectations Aggression- 69 Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs – 3 Harassment/Threat – 7 School Policy Noncompliance – 7 Sexual Offenses – 9 Technology misuse – 2 Theft – 0 Vandalism – 0 Graffiti – 2 Assault – 5 Defiance - 3

Love allows children to grow through their mistakes.

Logic allows children to live with the consequences of their choices.

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We Believe in Social Opportunities

Athletics and Extracurricular

Extracurricular Activities Middle School

● Battle of the Books: Gallaudet University’s Youth Programs provided opportunities for Middle school students to compete with other Deaf and Hard of Hearing schools by reading books and participating in tournaments. PDSD’s three teams (Buff 7.0+ reading level, Blue 5.0-6.0 reading level, and Green 3.0-4.0 reading level) participated in the Preliminaries, Playoffs, and National Tournaments.

● Rochester Institute of Technology Math Club: this was the first experience for our middle school students to participate with other Deaf and Hard of Hearing schools at the national level in Rochester, New York.

● Student Council: hosted after school parties (Halloween, Holiday, and Spring Fling).

High School ● Roadrunner Council: a student leadership organization that combines Student Body Government

and Jr. NAD. ○ Four students and two sponsors attended the National Jr. NAD conference in Nebraska.

● Academic Bowl: in collaboration with Gallaudet University, PDSD competed in tournaments at Washington School for the Deaf in Vancouver, Washington, University High School in Irvine, California, and New Mexico School for the Deaf in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

● International Studies: raised money for a trip to Cuba,which unfortunately was postponed due to timelines.

Additional after-school activities:

● PDSD School Play: four performances of Miss Nelson is Missing were provided for PDSD’s students, families, and community members.

● RASP (Roadrunner After-School Programs): provides program(s) to PDSD students from second through fourth grades. The focus of RASP is to support students’ academic needs, first and foremost, while also providing fun educational activities that promote social bonding, leadership and a commitment to lifelong learning and personal growth.

● Tutoring Program: with the funding from Arizona State Tutoring program, students below grade level in the areas of math, reading, and writing received additional tutoring services.

● ASL Family Classes: free ASL classes for family and friends were provided weekly at two locations - PDSD and Tolleson.

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Athletics PDSD’s High School is a member of the Arizona Interscholastic Association and provides high school students with opportunities to compete in:

● Football ● Volleyball ● Basketball: PDSD hosted Western States Basketball Classic. Five teams of boys and girls from

WSD, USDB, OSD, ASDB, PDSD competed for the WSBC title. ● Track ● Cheerleading

PDSD’s Middle School is a member of the Catholic Youth Athletic Association and provides middle school students with opportunities to compete in:

● Flag Football ● Volleyball ● Basketball ● Track

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We Believe in Communication

Surveys

Annual PDSD Survey Administered and Analyzed by ASDB

*All ratings on charts below are based on a 1.0 to 5.0-point scale where “1.0” represents the lowest possible value and “5.0” represents the highest possible value.

PDSD Employee Survey Participation: 67% The PDSD End of Year Survey was sent to all employees in the PDSD Instructional email listserv. Seventy three employees took the survey for an estimated PDSD employee participation rate of 67% (110/165). The estimated participation rate the prior year was 44%. Number of Employees Taking Survey by Job Type

56 - Teachers 17 – Related Services 18 - Support Staff 19 – Instructional Assistants

Snapshot Comparison: May 2015 - May 2018, on a 1 to 5 Point Likert Scale Question Year Rating *Average level of knowledge/understanding of CSI efforts: 2018 - 3.20 *Average ability to improve students’ language/literacy: 2018 - 3.92 *Average level in managing student behavior: 2018 - 3.79 Average satisfaction with principal’s leadership 2015 - 4.54 2016 - 4.12

2017 - 4.26 2018 - 4.23

Average satisfaction with direct supervisor’s leadership: 2016 - 3.00 2017 - 3.81

2018 - 3.98

*The first three questions are new this year; therefore, this collected data will serve as a baseline for future graphs/charts for comparison purposes.

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Cross-tabbing satisfaction with the PDSD principal’s leadership, by job type, shows an approximate 0.85 scale point range between Teachers (4.52) on the high end of the scale and employees classifying themselves as “Related Services” (3.67) on the low end of the scale. On the extreme ends of the 1-5 point rating scale, 30 employees rated their satisfaction with the principal’s leadership a 5/5 and 2 employees rated his/her satisfaction 1/5. Last year, 29 employees indicated a 5/5 rating and 0 employee gave a 1/5. The average satisfaction rating with the principal’s leadership decreased from 4.26 in May 2017 to 4.23 in May 2018. This decrease is statistically insignificant.

Cross-tabbing satisfaction with the direct supervisor’s leadership, by job type, shows a 0.93 scale point range between Teachers (4.29) on the high end of the scale and employees classified as Instructional Assistants (3.36) on the low end of the scale. Overall, the average satisfaction rating with the direct supervisor’s leadership is 0.25 scale points lower than the average satisfaction with the principal’s leadership. A closer look at the comments will reveal what drives these numbers and which supervisors, in particular, are frequently cited by staff as being ineffective or unsupportive.

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AdvancED Climate and Culture Survey Summaries

Campus Staff (excluding teachers and instructional assistants)

Introduction: This inventory was conducted in December 2017 and is the data from 47 PDSD staff excluding teachers and instructional assistants, on PDSD’s on Climate and Culture. Findings: 96% of staff were full-time. 83% of them are support staff. 70% of respondents work in educational support. 86% of staff had more than four years of experience.

● To describe the expectations for students at PDSD as 81% stated ‘students are learning.’. 55% of employees described that ‘students understand’. 40% of employees described that ‘students are able to explain”.

● To describe how staff felt while trying to complete their responsibilities, 45% of them reported ‘hectic’ and 17% of them reported ‘relaxed’.

● To describe how staff think of their colleagues, 36% responded ‘inconsistent’ and 17% responded ‘consistent’.

● To describe the interactions with other staff at PDSD, 72% of employees stated ‘respectful’ and 11% of them stated ‘trusting’.

● To describe the physical spaces where staff spend most of their time, 58% stated ‘comfortable’ and 15% stated ‘stressful’.

● To describe how staff felt at work, 55% responded ‘challenging’ and 32% responded ‘pressured’. ● To describe the overall level of job satisfaction, 45% of staff stated ‘satisfied’ and 11% of staff

stated ‘unsatisfied’. Implications: Based on the data analyzed, there are areas that show discrepancy in overall staff feelings toward the culture and climate. For every positive response, there are responses that state the opposite. With this being said, a high percentage states that students are learning and the environment is respectful. Less than half of the staff are satisfied with their job. Next Steps: Another survey should be created to inquire about which aspects cause staff to feel hectic. Professional development workshops could be provided on time management to support staff. From this survey, we also need to obtain examples of what inconsistencies exist at PDSD. Likewise, professional development workshops could be arranged to build trust issues with team building activities campus-wide.

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Campus Teacher/Teaching Assistant Survey Introduction: This inventory was conducted in December 2017 and is the data from the responses of 48 PDSD teachers and teaching assistants’, regarding PDSD’s Climate and Culture. Findings: 94% of teachers and teaching assistants were full-time. 6% of them were part-time. 83% of respondents were teachers while 17% were teaching assistants. 79% of staff had more than four years of experience.

● To describe how teachers and teaching assistants felt while trying to complete their responsibilities, 73% of them reported ‘never enough time’’ and 4% of them reported ‘relaxed’.

● To describe how teachers and teaching assistants think of their colleagues, 29% responded ‘inconsistent’ and 15% responded ‘consistent’.

● To describe the interactions with other teachers at PDSD, 56% stated ‘respectful’ and 21% of them stated ‘trusting’.

● To describe the physical spaces where teachers and teaching assistants spend most of their time , 50% stated ‘comfortable’ and 19% stated ‘stressful’.

● To describe how teachers and teaching assistants felt at work, 58% responded ‘challenging’ and 40% responded ‘pressured’.

● To describe the overall level of job satisfaction, 60% of staff stated either highly satisfied or ‘satisfied’ and 13% of staff stated ‘unsatisfied’.

Implications: A high percentage of instructional staff feel that there is never enough time (73%). In a profession that relies on a team approach, 29% feel that their colleagues are inconsistent, which could impact the percentages that feel stressed, pressured and unsatisfied. More than half of the staff are satisfied with their job, which shows a discrepancy with some of the other data points. Next Steps: Another survey should be created to inquire about what aspects are causing teachers and teaching assistants to never have enough time. Professional development workshops on time management could be provided. From this survey, we also need to obtain examples of what inconsistencies are at PDSD. Likewise, professional development workshops could be arranged to build trust issues with team building activities around campus.

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Elementary School Survey Introduction: This inventory was conducted in December 2017 and is the data from the responses of 46 Elementary students (3rd-5th grade), regarding PDSD’s Climate and Culture. Findings: In the survey, 59% were male and 41% were female. 66% of these students attended PDSD more than four years.

● To describe what students thought of their teachers, 85% of them reported ‘fun’ and 21% of them reported ‘curious’.

● To describe what students most often did in class, 63% responded ‘write’ and 27% responded ‘complete short projects’. 37% of students also mentioned they completed worksheets.

● To describe how students felt at school, 93% responded ‘happy’ and 46% responded ‘challenged’. Also, 34% of students felt ‘tired’ at school.

● To describe the overall level of school satisfaction, 70% of students stated, “I love school!” None of the students stated that they didn’t like school at all.

Implications: Based on the age of the students taking this survey, the results of the questions led to the possibility that the students did not understand and chose random answers. The validity of this survey may be in question. However, 93% of 3rd - 5th grade students reported that they were happy. 85% of them felt that their teachers were fun. 63% of students stated they wrote in class and 27% stated they completed short projects with 37% of them completing worksheets. Lastly, PDSD has a huge impact with 70% of 3rd-5th graders reporting that they loved school. Next Steps: A new survey must be developed by people that know their special populations (i.e. 3rd - 5th grade students). A signer must be videotaped and shown to all students for the survey to be consistent. There must be a button to click on each word to see that sign, before choosing an answer. The students may forget which word if they watched a person sign the entire section first. In order to increase our students’ involvement in the classroom, we must plan additional small projects and less worksheets.

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Middle/High School Survey

Introduction: This inventory was conducted in December 2017 and is the data from the responses of 146 middle school and high school students, regarding PDSD’s Climate and Culture. Findings: In the survey, 55% were male and 45% were female. 83% of students attended for more than four years.

● 52% of students felt high expectations from teachers, 26% of students felt some high expectations from teachers and 18% felt little expectations from teachers.

● 54% of students report that their teachers say, “We will be working on,” 34% of the students report that their teacher says, “You will be working on,” and 9% of the students report that their teacher says, “You are being taught.”

● 52% of the students had a calm demeanor, 26% of the students felt pressured and 13% felt tense while completing assignments.

● 46% of students had a positive perception of their teachers, 20% of students had an average perception of their teachers and 6% of students had a negative perception of their teachers.

● 63% of students felt they listened to the teacher most often while in class, 40% of students felt they worked with others while in class and 15% of students felt they completed challenging tasks while in class.

● 41% of students report having a normal classroom experience, while 15% of students report their classroom experiences are not as seamless as they could be.

● 59% of the students report positive interactions with the adults here at PDSD, while 14% report a negative interaction with the adults.

● 50% of the students report that the physical space where they spend most of their time is comfortable, 26% of the students report that the physical space is plain and 13% of the students report that the physical space is neglected.

● 58% of the students feel happy while they are at school, 27% feel supported while they are at school and 16% feel lonely while they are at school.

● 29% feel very happy with school and that school is awesome, 32% feel school is so-so and 6% of the students are very unhappy with school.

Implications: The individual experiences that the students feel and the perspectives of their teacher and learning experience is generally positive with scores averaging over 50%. However, when looking at the students’ overall feelings about school 32% of the students feeling neutral. Next Steps: Another survey should be administered with less choices to gather more concrete information. Staff should explain the purpose behind the survey before students take it. PDSD should continue to have professional development that focuses on new and effective teaching strategies for teachers to implement in the classroom.

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Parent Survey

Introduction: This inventory was conducted in December 2017 and is the data from the responses of 41 parents of students at PDSD, regarding PDSD’s Climate and Culture. Findings: 91% of parents who participated in the survey identify their child as Deaf, Hard-of- Hearing/limited hearing or with an Auditory Processing Disorder, while 8% identify their child as having multiple needs: blind & autistic, Deaf & physically disabled, etc. 20% of parents have a child in the preschool program—the largest demographic group to participate in the survey. The second largest demographic of parents to participate in the survey was parents with a child in the 9th grade. No parents of 2nd grade students participated in the survey. 60% of parents have a child who has attended PDSD for four years or more; 19% for at least two years; and 10% whose child attended PDSD for the first time during the 2017-2018 school year.

● 57% of parents say teachers communicate with students about tasks in the classroom with statements such as, “We will be working on,” while 17% say teachers communicate with students about what they are learning with statements such as, “You are learning,”.

● 55% of parents say teachers communicate successes with students by using statements such as, “You got it right!” and 31% say teachers tell students to explain their work.

● 64% of parents say that his/her child is most often spending time listening to the teacher while at school; 54% say s/he is working with other children/students; 36% say that his/her child is completing challenging work; and 36% say that his/her child is writing in classes throughout the school day.

● 60% of parents say that interactions between the child and staff at PDSD is important; 52% say it is supportive; 38% say it is trusting; and 79% say it is respectful.

● 46% of parents are strongly satisfied with the overall quality of education/services that PDSD provides; 24% are satisfied; and 20% are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

Implications: Parental participation in the survey was limited. This provided a limited sampling for the purpose of analyzing data from the larger/total population of PDSD parents. Next Steps: Teachers need to communicate with parents regarding classroom activities, expectations, and lessons taught, more frequently and with purpose (i.e. with included ideas of extended learning opportunities that can be carried out in the home [not necessarily homework]). This can be addressed with mandatory and quarterly classroom newsletters. With a majority of parents stating she/he feels/believes a large part of his/her child’s school day is spent in a direct instruction/lecture style of teaching, details need to be provided to parents about collaborative and student-lead learning opportunities in the classroom. An additional survey to explore parents’ home access to technology and internet connection is suggested to better aid teachers in their selection of communication modalities with parents.

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AdvancED Student Engagement Surveys

Elementary School Survey

Introduction: This inventory was conducted in January 2018 and is the data from the responses of 24 elementary students (3rd-5th grade), regarding student engagement. Findings: Approximately 80% of students have been at Phoenix Day School for the Deaf at least four years or more.

● 33% of students continued to set their learning goals on average, three to five times a year. ● 54% of students never participate in before or after school activities, such as sports, clubs,

tutoring, etc. ● 67% of students never had the opportunity to explore different careers. ● 92% of students indicated that the usage of technology in every classes helped them be

successful. ● 83% of students felt safe at school. ● 83% of students recognized that they received praise for their accomplishments and strengths. ● 54% of students also expressed that they never meet or talk with an adult, other than their teacher. ● 50% of students stated that they have given a presentation or shared their work with classmate, in

at least one of their classes. ● 58% of students stated that they are not using a rubric scoring guide to help them understand how

the assignment is being scored. Implications: Students have limited opportunity to interact with various adults as role-models. It may because of the lack of participation in afterschool programs or tutoring. With this being said, it is important that the students be able to meet adult role models and feel comfortable to talk with adults in order to maintain their language acquisition. Students demonstrated they have no self-confidence when giving presentations. It is important that the students understand the importance of being a fluent presenter to be in par with the standards for high school. The results of the survey showed teachers evidently support students in understanding their homework, what they have learned, and how to prepare for the next day’s assignments. Teachers are to encourage students’ understanding of how their assignment is being scored by using rubrics on a frequent basis. It will help students’ understanding of teacher’s expectations. It is imperative that the students be able to understand various careers they may have interest in which they can pursue when they enter high school. With no awareness of career opportunities, the students lose interest in the future. Next Steps: PDSD should consider expanding after-school programs for elementary students. This would be one way to increase student interactions with adult role models. A Career Day should be planned for all students. Class presentations and sharing student work, should be required as a rewarding experience, at least four times a year. Teachers should continue to explain how assignments are being graded.

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Middle School and High School Survey Introduction: This inventory was conducted in January 2018 and is the data from 175 middle school and high school students. Of the 175 students, 146 students responded to every question. Respondents were approximately 51% male and 49% female. 82% of the respondents have attended PDSD for four years or more. Findings:

● 70% of students felt they received praise or acknowledgement in half or all of their classes, while 8% felt like they received acknowledgement or praise in none of their classes.

● 69% of students felt safe in all of their classes, while 12% felt safe in none. ● 44% of students reported that they never utilize counseling services, while 13% reported utilizing

counseling services six or more times a year. ● 71% of students reported working in pairs/small groups and 83% actively participate in class

discussions. ● 67% of students reported working on class presentations in a single class or half of their classes. ● 9% of the students reported that working in pairs/small groups and class discussions occurred in

none of their classes. ● 16% of students reported that presentations and sharing work with classmates were not required

in any of their classes. ● 70-80% of students reported working in half or all of their classes on real-life problems, personal

learning and challenging work. ● 52% of students reported using a rubric to guide their work in half or all of their classes. ● 68% of students reported completing relevant homework in half or all of their classes. ● 80% of students reported receiving feedback and an opportunity to improve their work in half or

all of their classes. ● 5% of students reported never receiving feedback or an opportunity to improve their work.

Implications: Students responded positively to the majority of questions stating that at least half or all classes were focused on them working both independently and with some form of pairing. While percentages were high in half to all of the classes, the percentage that responded positively in all classes could increase significantly. Next Steps: Teachers and staff need to be made aware of student perceptions of safety in their classes. Homework relevancy needs to be addressed by teachers as well as the relevancy made explicit to the students. The use of rubrics and student presentations is a potential area to be discussed.

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Teacher/Instructional Assistant Survey

Introduction: This survey was conducted in January 2018 and gathered data from 35 teachers and 13 instructional assistants. Of these 48 respondents, 43 work full-time, three work part-time, and two work temporarily or on an as-needed basis. Findings:

● 56% have a Master’s Degree. ● 38% of the staff surveyed have 10 or more years of experience. ● 32% of staff had access to mentoring programs that were ongoing, regardless of their experience

level. ● 49% of respondents felt that they participated in professional learning opportunities that were

designed to meet the needs of their students. ● 64% participate in regular professional collaboration with their peers. ● 20% of the respondents felt that they receive regular feedback from their supervisor regarding

their professional performance. ● 29% of the staff felt that they had ample resources to assist in meeting the needs of their students. ● 44% structure their lessons in a way that students utilize digital tools, frequently. ● 63% of the staff reported that their lessons are almost always based on high expectations. ● 55% of the staff base learning goals on the individual needs of students. ● 28% of the staff often include opportunities for student creativity. ● 49% almost always include activities that provide for active engagement. ● 59% of staff frequently use a variety of assessment types to evaluate student learning. ● 53% of staff utilize formative assessments to monitor student progress. In addition, 26% of

respondents almost always use a formal process for measuring the success of curriculum and instruction.

● 13% of staff receive regular training on interpreting student data. However, 51% of staff often use student data to modify instruction and materials for students.

● 23% of staff said that they rarely communicate with parents or families of students; however, 34% said that they provide opportunities for family engagement sporadically.

● 64% of staff noted that they had formal opportunities for students to develop positive relationships with their peers and adults.

Implications: A percentage of our staff have numerous years of experience, which allows them to utilize various instructional methods to address student needs. A large number of PDSD staff have high expectations for students. While this is a high percentage (63%), active engagement and student creativity should be high as well. The number of staff members with training in interpreting student data is limited and therefore the 51% of staff who are utilizing data to modify instruction may be doing so incorrectly. Parent communication and participation is low. Research shows that these are two key factors in student success. Next Steps: Parent engagement should be addressed in order to improve student outcomes. Teaching strategies such as active participation, differentiated instruction, and having resources available to teachers should be addressed. Formal training should be conducted for utilizing and interpreting student data.

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Appendix A: School Calendar

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Appendix B: Assessment Calendar AIMS A Science (Grades 4, 8, and 10 only)

Testing Window: February 1-February 28, 2018 MSAA (NCSC) ELA and Mathematics (Grades 3-8, and 11)

Testing Window: March 19 – May 4, 2018 AIMS A Science (Grades 4, 8, and High School)

Computer Based – March 26 – April 20

AzMERIT (3-8, EOC) Computer Based Writing – April 2 – April 13 Computer Based Reading/Math – April 2 – April 27

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Appendix C: Survey Calendar December · AdvancED (Climate & Culture) Parent Survey · AdvancED (Climate & Culture) Elem School Survey · AdvancED (Climate & Culture) Mid/HS School Survey · AdvancED (Climate & Culture) Staff Surveys · AdvancED (Climate & Culture) Teachers Surveys January · AdvancED (Inventories) Elementary School · AdvancED (Inventories) Middle/HS · AdvancED (Inventories) Teacher May · Agency P-12 Parent Surveys · PDSD End-of-Year Staff Survey

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