Reform Commission ReportJill Adams, Tom McInroy,

Bradley Ocker, Larry R. Redding, Patricia Wargo

District ContextTotal Enrollment: 2199Percent of Low-Income: 39.07%Special Education Enrollment: 372Number of Schools: 6Gifted Enrollment: 88Student Attendance Rate: 95.13%Limited-English Proficient Enrollment (LEP):

4 

Number of Professional Staff(School Year 2010-2011)

Number of Support Staff(School Year 2010-2011)

Professional Staff Full-Time Part-Time

Support Staff Full-Time Part-Time

Administrative/Supervisory 12 Instructional Aides 33

Classroom Teachers 181 School Administrative Support 11

Counselors 5 Library/Media Support

Librarians 4 District Administrative Support 11 2

Other Service Coordinators Other Support Services 39 17

Level of Teacher Education(School Year 2010-2011)

Teacher Years of Experience(School Year 2010-2011)

Degree Administrators Teachers Years of Experience Administrators Teachers

Less than Bachelor’s Degree 1 0 1 – 5 2 73

Bachelor’s Degree 3 136 6 – 10 1 40

Master’s Degree 7 52 11 – 15 2 20

Doctor’s Degree 1 2 16 – 20 3 19

21 – 25 0 11

26 – 30 2 9

31 – 35 1 14

Over 35 1 4

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP)

Schagsville Area School District

School District Revenue Sources

Local Funds: $10,080,298Real Estate: $6,991,435Earned Income:

$1,150,000Act 1 E.I. $805,000Nuisance Taxes: $137,268Other Taxes: $232,595Interest: $225,000Miscellaneous: $144,000IDEA-B: $395,000

State Revenue: $12,242,166

61%

5%

11%

9%

3%4%

2%3% 2%Basic Ed

Slot $

Spec Ed

Trans.

Rental

FI CA

Retire

Block

Misc

Basic Ed.: $7,346,983Slot $: $670,911Special Ed.:

$1,386,415Transportation:

$1,098,500Rental Pmts.:

$384,499State FICA: $444,709State Retire.:

$269,935Block Grant:

$357,214Miscellaneous:

$283,000

Title I: $414,019Title II: $148,147ACCESS: $200,000

55%

19%

26%

Title I

Title I I

ACCESS

• 1000-Instruction: $12,996,184

• 2000-Support Services $7,965,982

• 3000-Non-Instruct. Services $70,186

• 4000-Facilities Improve. $15,000

• 5000-Other $3,123,085

54%

33%

0%

0%13%

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

49%

14%

3%

3%

13%

5%

0%

4%9%

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

• 1000-Instruction: $12,996,184

• 2000-Support Services $7,965,982

• 3000-Non-Instruct. Services $70,186

• 4000-Facilities Improve. $15,000

• 5000-Other $3,123,085

Financial ProjectsNew Financial SoftwareCurriculum/Classroom UpgradesDistrict School Psychologist

Projected savings of $13,000Close the Robert P. Schags Elementary School

Projected savings of $100,000 the first year.

~VISION~

TODAY I WILL IMPROVE

MISSIONWORKING TOGETHER TO INSPIRE ALL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO BECOME LIFE-LONG LEARNERS AND PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL CITIZENS

BELIEF STATEMENTSSTUDENT, FAMILY, SCHOOL AND

COMMUNITY SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR LEARNING.

EVERY STUDENT DESERVES A WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION WITH HIGH ACADEMIC STANDARDS.

EVERY STUDENT CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.

BELIEFS con’dEVERY STUDENT LEARNS DIFFERENTLY.LEARNING TAKES PLACE BEST IN A

POSITIVE AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT.MEANINGFUL INSTRUCTION HAS A REAL-

WORLD APPLICATION.LEARNING IS LIFE-LONG.

STRENGTHSTraditional Rural CommunityIn-House Alternative EducationTremendous Athletic ProgramInvolved Ministerium Involved ParentsStrong Support of the Liberal ArtsAccess to Higher Education Institutions

WEAKNESSESDeclining enrollmentOver 39% Free & Reduced Lunch StudentsDrop-out rate is increasingA recent change with incomes (more

diversity)Test scores are high achieving with minimal

growthDisjointed professional development

OPPORTUNITIESCommitted veteran staffEmerging technology Utilization of specific grant opportunities

which align with the strategic planIncreased revenue from transfer taxPotential for growth in high-tech industriesNewness of diversity within the community

THREATSBecoming a bedroom communityClosing of schools due to District

restructuring at the elementary levelConsistency with programs effected by

teacher attrition/retirement Local Charter SchoolBudget

• Anticipated low index • Higher percentage of PSERS retirements

DISTRICT GOALSSTUDENT ACHIEVEMENT GOALS

Early Identification of Students at Risk Remedial Reading ProgramData-Driven Assessment

COMMUNICATION GOALSProfessional Learning Communities

WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT GOALSCommunity Outreach

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT GOALS Student knowledge and skills will improve in reading, math

and science and measured by an increase on the PSSA of 2% per year.

Academic achievement benchmarks will be developed and implemented for grades 5, 8, and 11.

Remediation and alternative programs will be developed and implemented for grade 5, 8, and 11 students not achieving bench marks.

Students will be required to achieve the benchmarks in order to receive a SASHS diploma.

Graduation requirements will be reviewed every two years and revised as needed to remain competitive.

The SASD will develop and implement more alternative programs to increase student achievement.

Communication GoalsA school newsletter will be sent with each

progress report and report card.The SASD will maintain an up to date

newsletter on the District web page for communication with the public.

Student grades will be available to students and parents electronically.

The SASD will develop and implement a public relations department by the beginning of the 2010-11 school year.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT GOALSThe SASD will develop and implement K-12

career education and work standards.

The SASD will form a work force committee to connect school and career.

A review of the academic achievement of the elementary programs

Findings of the ReviewIssuesLack of collaboration between the School

District and private preschools• Lower income families on the increase• Dual Parent employment Current half-day kindergarten curriculum not

meeting the Academic and Social needs.

Recommendations• Increase collaboration with private preschools

– Purposeful play (West, Germino Hausken, Collins, 1995 )– Curriculum which stimulates creativity and imagination (Ackerman,

Earnett, Robin, 2005)• Half-day semester one and Full-day semester two kindergarten

recommended– Maintain the December cutoff date (Morgan, 2004)– Instruction will focus on:

• character education• student collaborative lessons• interactive lessons which foster creative problem solving skills

• Kindergarten teachers will be tutoring grades one, two, and three during semester one

• ABG will help fund salaries – only when tutoring• Increase in achievement test scores (Elder, Lubotsky, 2008)

• Reduction in the number of students diagnosed with ADD and ADHD (Elder, Lubotsky, 2008 )

• Reduction of discipline referrals (Elder, Lubotsky, 2008)

Meeting the Literacy Needs of Our Economically Disadvantaged Children

“Research shows that many children who begin school with fewer experiences in and less knowledge about literacy are unable to acquire the prerequisites quickly enough to keep up with formal reading instruction in first grade.” (Bodrova)

Background…”Use everything we know about effective

instruction for students at risk and direct all aspects of school and classroom organization toward the goal of preventing academic deficits from appearing in the first place.”

“Some children need more help than others and may need different approaches than those needed by others, but one way or another every child can become a successful reader.’ (Slavin)

State & Federal MandatesFederal Law 107-110 – “No Child Left

Behind” Act of 2001Title I of NCLBFederal Law 103-382 – Elementary &

Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965Pennsylvania Department of Education

Chapter 4 Curriculum RegulationsPSSA Benchmarks for AYP

Reading Performance as measured by the PSSA’sGrade Level Tested Year % Not

Proficient (All)

% Not Proficient (Econ Disad)

Grade 3 2007-08 23.1 38.2

Grade 3 2006-07 27.2 43.5

Grade 3 2004-05 32.0 51.0

Grade 5 2007-08 38.5 58.2

Grade 5 2006-07 40.1 60.4

Grade 5 2005-06 39.4 62.5

Grade 5 2004-05 35.9 56.7

Reading Intervention Alphabetics Fluency Comprehension General ReadingAchievement

Accelerated Reader PotentiallyPositive

PotentiallyPositive

Corrective Reading PotentiallyPositive

PotentiallyPositive

Daisy Quest PositiveEffects

Early Intervention In Reading (EIR)

PotentiallyPositive

PotentiallyPositive

Earobics PositiveEffects

Fast ForWord PositiveEffects

Kaplan SpellRead PositiveEffects

PotentiallyPositive

PotentiallyPositive

Peer-Assisted LearningStrategies (PALS)

PotentiallyPositive

PotentiallyPositive

PotentiallyPositive

Reading Recovery PositiveEffects

PotentiallyPositive

PotentiallyPositive

PositiveEffects

Start Making A ReaderToday

PotentiallyPositive

PotentiallyPositive

PotentiallyPositive

Stepping Stones toLiteracy

PositiveEffects

Success for All PotentiallyPositive

PotentiallyPositive

“You can enhance or destroy students’ desire to

succeed in school more quickly and permanently

through your use of assessment than with any

other tools you have at your disposal.”

Rick StigginsAssessment Trainers Institute

DATA-DRIVEN ASSESSMENTS Common AssessmentsAny assessment given by 2 or more instructors with the intention of collaboratively examining the results for

•shared learning, • instructional planning for individual students, and/or

•curriculum, instruction, and/or assessment modifications.

Common AssessmentsCreated collaboratively by teams of teachers FrequentFormativeConnected to the essential outcomesGiven to all students enrolled in the same

class, course, or grade level

How do common

assessments assist

everyone (students, teachers,

schools) in achieving

more?

Why Common Assessments? DuFour, DuFour, Eaker,1999

EfficiencyFairnessEffective Monitoring

Informed practice

Assessment literacy

Raised expectations

Team capacityCollective Response

Summative / Formative Assessment

Assessment of Learning (Summative Assessment):

How much have students learned as of a particular point in time?

Assessment for Learning (Formative Assessment):

How can we use assessments to help students learn more?

AssessmentAssessment

““OF”OF”• SummativeSummative

• Norm Referenced / Norm Referenced / Standardized Standardized

• A snapshot in timeA snapshot in time

Essential Question:Essential Question:

• What have students What have students already learned?already learned?

AssessmentAssessment

““FOR”FOR”• FormativeFormative

• Often teacher-madeOften teacher-made

• A moving pictureA moving picture

Essential Question:Essential Question:

• How can we help How can we help students learn more?students learn more?

Which is which?

It isn’t the method that determines whether the

assessment is summative or formative it is how the results

are used.

“The vision of practice that underlies the nation’s reform agenda requires most teachers to rethink their

own practice, to construct new classroom roles and expectations about student outcomes, and to teach in

ways they have never taught before”, Darling -Hammond and McLaughlin, 1995.

Helping teachers rethink their practice takes professional development that involves teachers who teach and learn as well. The professional learning community concept is a model for organizational change that can provide a school and its staff with the momentum and expertise to improve student achievement and faculty commitment and satisfaction,(Dufour & Eaker, 1999).

The professional learning community concept was borrowed from the business sector in terms of the capacity of organizations to learn. In education, the concept of a learning organization became that of a learning community that would strive to develop collaborative work cultures for teachers (Thompson, Gregg, & Niska, 2004).

Two Key learning community assumptions:Knowledge is situated in the day-today lived experiences of

teachers and best understood through critical reflection with others who share the same experience.

It is assumed that actively engaging teachers in professional learning communities will increase their professional knowledge and enhance student learning, (Buysee, Sparkman, & Wesley, 2003).

Schagsville School District Professional Learning Community FocusA Focus on Student LearningFocus changes from teaching to” learning for all”Timely intervention rather than remediationDirective additional assistance until masteryCollaboration What do we want students to know? How will we know when they know it?What will we do if they do not know it? What will we do if they do know it?Teachers systematically work together to analyze and improve their classroom practice by working in teams, engaging in ongoing cycles of questions with the objective of creating deep team learning about their shared students as evidenced by higher levels of student learning.Professional learning communities and teaching practiceAll teachers are assigned to a team. All teams generate lists of essential outcomes, different kinds of assessments, analyses of student achievement and strategies for improving results. Teams develop norms to clarify expectations regarding roles, responsibilities, and relationships. Student achievement goals are adopted that are linked with school and district goals.Shared leadership opportunities- book review leaders, PLC committee leadersContinuous teacher learningHigher quality solutions to problems and increased confidence among all staffTeachers able to support one another’s strengths and accommodate weaknessesAbility to test new ideasMore support of new teachersExpanded pool of ideas, materials, methods (Judith Warren Little)

Schagsville Professional Learning Community District Wide Action Plan Areas

Goal Area: Student Assessment - The goal of the Assessment initiative is to continue the development of a data-driven decision making model that publishes an annual school district report card that reflects the current achievement of all students, establishes annual achievement goals and educational priorities, allows student academic progress to be monitored and provides teachers with the information required to implement instructional strategies and proactice4s that meet the needs of all students.

Strategy: Response to Intervention – Staff members will be trained to develop key components of Response to intervention to meet the needs of at-risk learners. Educational practices include the artful use of infrastructure, continuous learning ethic, quality leadership and quality reaching.

Strategy: Progress Monitoring – A comprehensive assessment system will be developed that allows all students at all grade levels to be assessed in September, January and May. This assessment data will be shared with the staff and used to identify students below benchmark. Educational practices include the artful use of infrastructure, quality leadership, and quality teaching.

Strategy: Extended learning opportunities – Students at all levels that are not at the benchmark levels will receive after school and/or summer extended learning opportunities in the area of literacy. Educational practices focus on quality teaching.

Goal : District wide professional learning community development – This goal deals with the creation of collaborative, learning communities in each of our schools.

Strategy: To improve the quality of our schools through ongoing, systematic professional development. We will establish professional learning communities through a variety of approaches that include, but are not

limited to:1.The academy for learning which is a five-day summer professional development opportunity provided for new, experienced and substitute teachers. It is designed to support our teachers in their efforts to enhance their practice in the following instructional delivery methods: Interactive Read Aloud, Shared Reading, Guided Reading, Reading Workshop, Comprehension strategies ,writer’s workshop., team teaching, Collins writing program.2.Collaborative planning/teaching/reflecting: Teachers that choose this form of differentiated supervision will work in groups of 3-4 (at the same grade level). As a team, these teachers will plan lessons, take turns modeling the lesson and then providing reflective feedback to the Building Administrator. Each marking period, the group will meet and create a lesson from one of the main focus areas.3.Study Groups will be conducted monthly for specific educational materials(ex. Strategies that Work). Teachers and paraprofessionals will meet each month and use a text-based protocol to discuss classroom implications for this book that focuses on the importance of teaching children seven distinct comprehension strategies.

4. Co-Teaching Planning. Each month, common planning time will be provided to co-teaching teams.

5. Critical Friends Group. This strategy is a model to examine/discuss student work and to use consultancy protocols to address the concerns we have for students in our school.

6. Literacy trainings. A team of 16 teachers will be selected to be part of train-the-trainers model of professional development. This team will receive additional training in the Interactive Read Aloud, Shared Reading and the Reading Workshop models of delivery. In turn, they will assist their grade-level and building colleagues in the effective implementation of these approaches to reading instruction.

7. Literacy Coach. Through the Accountability Block Grant, we will fund a new position, K-8 Literacy Coach. This individual will plan, model, co-teach and help teachers reflect on their practices. Educational practices accentuates the areas of the artful use of infrastructure, continuous learning ethic, quality leadership and quality teaching.

Educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquire

and action research in order to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLC’s operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for the students is continuous, job-embedded learning for educators. DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, Many, 2006

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

School-to-WorkAct of 1994 signed into law by President ClintonLouisiana formed 9 school-to-work regional

partnershipsHigh Schools That Work (HSTW) has over

600 sites in 21 states (79 in Louisiana)4 Major Principles

1. Reforming Curriculum2. Providing smooth Transitions3. Increased Educational and Career Options4. Forming Partnerships with Business and Industry

Research Findings More than half our young

people leave school without the knowledge or foundation required to find and hold a job.

Over 70% of the jobs of the next decade require more than a high school diploma, but less than a baccalaureate degree.

Employers pay an estimated $210 billion annually for formal and informal training as a result of untrained and unprepared youth joining the American workforce.

Source: US Dept. of Labor

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over the last six decades, the percentage of professional occupations requiring a four-year college degree has remained at about 20 percent.

Over the same period, there has been strong growth in skilled occupations (those requiring one to four years of post-secondary education), from about 20 percent of workers in 1950 to almost 70 percent today.

The future educational requirements of skilled workers will continue to increase with technological advances.

Unskilled opportunities are moving. For those individuals without skills or a plan to acquire them, opportunities are decreasing and the outlook is gloomy.

Unskilled work is moving out of America to third world countries.

~VISION~

TODAY I WILL IMPROVE