Description of School

Neighborhood/Attendance area

Hazel Wolf K-8 is in the Greenlake area of Northwest Seattle, Washington for the

next two years as they are awaiting the construction of their new building in the

Northeast sector of the Seattle School District. Due to this facility being an interim

facility not only does the school draw students from the Greenlake area but also the

Northgate area. There are no official boundary lines for this school because it is an

option school and as long as parents are willing to bring their student to the school they

are free to attend. However, busing is only provided for students who live around the

current building and the future site. All students may obtain an Orca pass if desired.

Hazel Wolf’s current geographic zone runs from NE 125th St in the north, to Lake

City Way in the east, NE Northgate way in the south, and 1st Place NE to the west. The

current transportation area is 145th to the north, 1st avenue to the west, 60th St. to the

south, and the shoreline of Lake Washington on the east boundary. The reason for the

large transportation area is because of the interim site that we are currently located. Once

the school is in their permanent building the southern border will diminish significantly.

Student/Parent SES, ethnicity

The Hazel Wolf K-8 community is a highly diverse community. The student

demographics are:

(http://www.addamsk8.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1583136/

File/Departmental%20Content/strategicplan/schoolreports/2012/

SchoolReport_2012_219.pdf)

American Indian 2%

Black 14%

Hispanic 12%

Asian/Pacific Islander 11%

White 55%

Multiracial 5%

The Seattle School District compiles it’s socio economic status by monitoring the free

and reduced lunch percentages. Hazel Wolf’s Free/Reduced Lunch population is thirty-

six percent.

Staff and faculty information

Hazel Wolf’s staff comprises of one principal, two assistant principals, forty-four

certified teachers, and fourteen support staff. The average teacher has been teaching ten

years and 71.1 percent hold a master’s degree.

(http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/summary.aspx?

groupLevel=District&schoolId=7623&reportLevel=School&orgLinkId=100&yrs=2013-

14&year=2013-14)

Businesses in the attendance area

The Businesses around the current site for Hazel Wolf K-8 are diverse. They

range from local and corporate coffee shops to professional offices. There are many

public and private schools within walking distance of the school. The neighborhood has

many different types of medical facilities such as dentist, therapeutic massage, natural-

path and western physicians, physical therapist, and eye doctors. The neighborhood has

many wonderful restaurants ranging in prices and cuisine. In the current attendance area

there is limited public services nearby, however many public services come into the

schools and the neighborhood to provide services, for example, lunch in the parks during

the summer.

Mission and Vision

District mission and vision

The Seattle School District’s mission is to enable all students to achieve to their

potential through quality instructional programs and a shared commitment to continuous

improvement. The vision is that every student will achieve and that everyone is

accountable in achieving this vision. The Seattle School District also has a set of core

beliefs, which are, “In the Seattle Public Schools we believe that:

The core work of Seattle Public Schools is effective learning and quality teaching built on

a rigorous curriculum, measurable outcomes, ongoing assessment, professional

development and continuous improvement.

Every student in Seattle Public Schools should have equitable access to quality

programs.

All students will achieve to their potential and the achievement gap will be eliminated

as every student is challenged to learn at or above grade level.

A high performing school district is based on a shared accountability to our students

among district professionals, school board members, students, parents, community

partners, and elected leadership.

Quality leadership, effective support structures, and efficient operations directly impact

high student performance.

Community collaboration and family commitment are fundamental to achieving and

sustaining excellence.

Placing the interests of students above all others in every decision we make is essential.

(http://www.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/visionmissionbeliefs.pdf)

School mission and vision

The school mission statement as stated from the Seattle School District’s school

report site states, “Jane Addams is an environmental science school empowering creative

and critical thinkers who nurture themselves, their community, and their environment.

The school has a shared vision and commitment to the school that they are attempting to

create. They are committed in to creating an exciting program with an emphasis on

environmental science. Along with a rigorous academic program the school offers an

integrated Spectrum program for advanced learners, bilingual services for English

Language Learners (ELL), special education services, and a variety of arts opportunities

to cater to the needs of all students. They believe that all students can learn and will learn

when we create a caring, inclusive, and rigorous learning environment. In order to do that

they focus on learning, they respect themselves and others, they take care of their school,

they solve problems, and they persevere”

(http://district.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/csip/janeaddams)

How the mission/goals/vision were developed

Hazel Wolf K-8 was established in the summer of 2009. During that summer the

first Building Leadership team (BLT) was formed. With the formation of the BLT the

first edict was to form the mission and vision statements. The BLT aligned their mission

and vision statements along with the district’s overall mission and vision statement. They

also studied other school’s mission and vision statements for inspiration. They then

added what makes Hazel Wolf K-8 a unique program in the Seattle School District,

keeping in mind the school’s commitment to rigorous education and teaching the students

to be responsible stewards of the environment.

How general decisions are made

The Building Leadership Team (BLT) makes the general decisions. “The BLT

leads the process of a comprehensive school review, which includes studying state,

district, benchmark, and classroom-based assessment data with input from staff,

parents/families, community members, students, instructional/content coaches,

educational directors and other district support staff or outside experts. The current BLT

consist of nine teachers, one staff member, one parent/guardian, one principal and two

assistant principals. The BLT members oversee committees to help facilitate activities at

the school, which includes school assemblies, school activities (dances, reading and math

night, and science celebrations, fundraisers, etc.), and professional development.

How the vision/goals are sustained over time

Since the inception of the school six years ago the vision and goals have

progressed. At the inception of the school Hazel Wolf’s focus was solely on

incorporating environmental science within the curriculum. Two years ago the vision

expanded and now the school is attempting to incorporate environmental science with an

E-STEM curriculum. With this change the vision is in need of revision and the current

draft states, “As students progress through the years, they will develop the ability to ask

questions about the world around them, define problems and develop solutions,

collaborate with diverse teams, justify thinking based on evidence, articulate their

thinking, and model and practice attitudes that grow and support innovation”. This

version of the vision statement is being revised within the E-STEM committee and the

BLT. The next step is bringing to the staff for their input and revisions. Before it is fully

adopted by the school, there will be a vote by the staff. So, the way the vision is being

sustained over time is that it is being discussed and revised over time.

The school created in the inaugural year a decision matrix to make it clear how decisions

are made in the building. The decision matrix was created by the BLT and then proposed

to the staff. It is updated semi-annually by the BLT and submitted to the staff to ensure

that the staff is fully represented in the important decisions of the school. 

Student Assessment Trends

Test results trends

Since Hazel Wolf is a K-8 there are two sets of data to consider, elementary and

middle school.

In the elementary, seventy-eight percent of third, fourth, and fifth grade students

are proficient on the state reading test. Seventy-eight percent is the in line with the district

average for reading. In math, sixty-seven percent of third, fourth, and fifth grade students

were proficient in math. This score is four percent lower than the district average. In

writing, sixty-three percent of students in the fourth grade were proficient on the Writing

test; this is six percent lower than the district average. Finally, eighty percent of fifth

grade students are proficient on the Science test, which is five percent higher than the

district average.

In the middle school, seventy-eight percent of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade

student were proficient on the state reading test, that is two percent higher than the

district average. In math, sixty-nine percent of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students

were proficient on the state math test, which is one percent less than the district average.

In Writing, ninety-three percent of seventh grade students are proficient, which is fifteen

percent higher than district average. Finally, the seventy-six percent of eighth grade

students were proficient on the state Science test, which is one percent higher than district

average.

Hazel Wolf has eighty-seven percent of their sixth grade students passing all

courses. Also, eighty-eight percent of their eighth grade students are ready for high

school math once they leave Hazel Wolf.

(http://www.addamsk8.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1583136/

File/Departmental%20Content/strategicplan/schoolreports/2012/

SchoolReport_2012_219.pdf)

Hazel Wolf’s proficiency on state Reading tests for different ethnicity groups is:

Black 68%- an increase of 8% from the previous year and 17% higher than

district average.

Hispanic 46%- a decrease of 9% from the previous year and 18% lower than

district average.

Asian/Pacific Islander 72%- an increase of 7% from the previous year and 7%

lower than district average.

White 87%- an increase of 7% from the previous year and 1% lower than district

average.

Multiracial 91%- no previous data and 10% higher than district average.

Free/Reduced Lunch 58%- an increase of 2% from the previous year and 2% less

than district average.

Hazel Wolf’s proficiency on state Math tests for different ethnicity groups is:

Black 54%- an increase of 14% from the previous year and 14% higher than

district average.

Hispanic 45%- an increase of 9% from the previous year and is 10% lower than

district average.

Asian/Pacific Islander 66%- an increase of 16% from the previous year and 16%

lower than district average.

White 81%- and increase of 8% from the previous year and 2% lower than district

average.

Multiracial 55%- there is no previous data for Hazel Wolf K-8, but is 20% lower

than district average.

Free/Reduced Lunch 50%- which is an increase of 8% from last year, and is 10%

lower than district average.

(http://www.addamsk8.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1583136/

File/Departmental%20Content/strategicplan/schoolreports/2012/

SchoolReport_2012_292.pdf)

Student behavior data if available

There was no available data.

Student attendance data

Student attendance at Hazel Wolf K-8 is two percent lower than the district

average. Seventy-four percent of the students have ten or fewer absences per year.

Relevant Specialized Program

Enrollment percent

Hazel Wolf K-8 has a wide variety of programs to meet the needs of specialized

learners. Hazel Wolf K-8 houses three different programs including English Language

Learners, Special Education, and Advanced Learning Programs. The English Language

Learner comprises fourteen percent of the school population from grades K-8. Special

education comprises fourteen percent of the school’s population. The fourteen percent is

serviced with in class support, pull-out support, co-teaching, and self-contained. The

Advanced Learning Programs comprises thirteen percent of the population and is

serviced through rigorous in class curriculum and Walk to Math. Walk to Math is where a

student walks to a grade above or below to receive their math instruction depending on

their achievement in state wide, district wide, and classroom assessments [disposition

17].

Achievement percent

In reading Hazel Wolf’s thirty-three percent of English Language Learners pass the

state assessment. This is an increase of nineteen percent from the previous year and three

percent higher than the district average. Fifty-nine percent of the Special Education

students passed the state assessment. This was an increase of nine percent from the

previous year and twelve percent higher than the district average. Finally, a hundred

percent of the APP or Spectrum students continued to pass the state assessment, which is

one percent higher than the district average.

In math seventeen percent of Hazel Wolf’s English Language Learners passed the

state assessment, which is a two percent increase from last year. However, that increase is

still thirteen percent less than district average. In Special Education forty-one percent of

the students passed the state assessment in math, which is an increase of eleven percent.

However, it is still six percent less than district average. Finally, a hundred percent of our

APP and Spectrum students continued to pass the state assessment in math, which is one

percent higher than district average [disposition 16].

Impact on educational processes

The impact of having such a wide variety of services within the Hazel Wolf K-8

community is that it provides richness and diversity to the classrooms. It also provides

supports in the classrooms to other students who might not be identified, but are still in

need of additional assistance.

The Visionary Leadership Analysis

Advancing school-wide shared vision for learning

While the school’s vision is consistent with the district’s vision, the school’s

vision defines what each child needs to do to be successful in today’s society. The

school’s vision was developed to meet the needs of the unique qualifications that

distinguished Hazel Wolf K-8 from other schools in the district [disposition 16].

Hazel Wolf K-8 is unique from other schools because the school was established

only six years ago with an emphasis on the environment. With that the vision for the

school is still being refined. Owens and Valesky state, “One of the pivotal activities of

leaders is to engage constantly in the dynamic process of stating the vision of things to

come; then revising in light of emerging events, ideas, and beliefs; and restating the

vision of “where we are and where we are going” that binds the members of the

organization in mutual purpose and resolve. But in all its iterations, the vision of the

leader is always uplifting, pointing to new directions, calling for progress from where the

followers are to where they want to be, and describing how they will get there” (2006, p

14). While The E-Stem Design Team and BLT have been refining the vision, according

to the recent survey, many faculty members are still unsure of the current vision

[disposition 24]. Due to these new findings The Design Team, the BLT, and

administration have realized that the voicing of the vision and how we are progressing is

necessary for it to be shared by all. The different committees have now started to discuss

ways on how to convey this to the entire staff in meaningful ways where everyone not

only knows it but also understands it and can implement it [disposition 21].

To build a shared understanding and commitment among the stakeholders the

leadership teams (BLT, The Design Team, E-Stem Implementation Team) comprise of

different members, thereby ensuring that many have a voice in the decision making

process of the school [disposition 23]. Also, the principal continually comes back to the

shared vision when decisions need to be made and when setting goals.

Vision implementation

To implement the shared vision the building leadership teams plans professional

development around the key concepts and they budget time and money for the activities.

For example, last year one of the goals of the Continuous School Improvement Plan

(CSIP) was to improve the math skills of the students, in order to facilitate this goal the

BLT planned professional development with an organization called Math For Love

[dispositions 18, 20]. Math For Love incorporates real world problems that students need

to solve while using mathematical and engineering concepts. To facilitate this

professional development the principal gave up some staff meetings in order to

incorporate this training into the schedule. Also, the BLT had to approve the funds to

reserve the presenters. One of the outcomes of this professional development is that

teachers started to base their goals off of the training and thereby their goals were aligned

with the shared vision [disposition 17].

While data does play a part in the vision the biggest contributor to the shared

vision is the community. When the school was created six years ago the community and

parents were a part of the design team. It was at that time decided that the best way to

serve the students was to develop a program that empowered creative and critical thinkers

and therefore all of the decisions have been made around the program to produce students

of that quality. An example that the school participates in on a yearly basis is Nature

Bridge. Nature Bridge is an outdoor educational program in the Olympic National Park

where students go out and participate in science in the forest. The students in fifth

through eighth grade go each year. All students are required to attend, if they cannot

afford to pay the fee the PTSA will fund the cost, because this program is not an

additional activity, but is simply school has moved into the woods for a week

[dispositions 22 and 27]. During the camp experience students are broken up into groups,

each group posses an essential question and goes about answering the question

throughout the week. At the end of the week the answers to these questions are solved

and are presented to the other students the following week back at school. While some

schools would not take a week of instructional time out of the school year each year they

find this week to be beneficial in shaping the overall student [disposition 19].

Developing stewardship of the vision

To uniquely serve the needs of the students in sustaining the vision the building

leadership teams plan professional development that is directly aligned with the vision.

For the students, the leadership teams along with the staff at large decided to pursue

becoming an E-STEM school two years ago. With the shift to E-STEM the students are

participating in problem based learning activities. An example is the sixth grade math

class students are designing the play structure for the new building where we will be

housed in two years. Another project involves the eighth grade students participating in

studying the effect of the removal of the Elwha dam. Part of this project takes place

during the educational week at Nature Bridge. While the environmental science focus has

been at the forefront of the mission from the beginning, evolving into an E-STEM and

project based learning school has been adopted in response to the overall vision

[dispositions 20 and 21]. Sokolow and Houston state, “Part of your task in life is to figure

out what your unique gifts and talents are, how to cultivate them, and how to share them”

(2008, p 19). The principal of Hazel Wolf K-8 believes that her gifts of articulating the

vision and planning the steps in order to see the vision come to fruition will benefit the

school community at large [disposition 26].

Hazel Wolf is in the process of developing the shared vision. Through trial and

error they are learning how to use the vision in order to develop and maintain effective

communication, nurture and maintain trust, and develop collaboration among

stakeholders. The biggest hurdle at this time is that the vision is still forming and being

refined. Due to this refinement many are still unsure of exactly what the vision is and the

BLT, Design Team and administration are working on defining and sharing the vision in

ways that the entire school community comes to understand [disposition 18]. Along with

the refining process does come a time of unrest in the school, however the buildings

leadership teams know that once the vision has become solidified the unrest will

disappear and a stronger school will have been created [dispositions 25 and 26].

The achievements or efforts towards the vision are celebrated by sharing out at

school tour nights and staff meetings. Hazel Wolf K-8 has won a few awards for

excellence since opening by decreasing the achievement gap for our struggling students,

but there is no formalized way to celebrate. The leadership team knows that this is

something that will need to be addressed eventually, but it is not a priority, yet, since the

vision is still being created. While there are no formal ways to celebrate achievements

yet there is a feel of celebration when an activity or idea comes to fruition that is inline

with the vision. However, the staff does celebrate in informal ways by gathering together

at local establishments or the principal’s home. These activities not only celebrate

achievements but helps the staff to develop a caring community [disposition 27].

Reference

Nelsen, Debbie. (2013-15), Continuous School Improvement Plan (CSIP). Retrieved

fromhttp://district.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/csip/

janeaddams.pdf

Owens, R. G. & Valesky, T. C. (2015) Organizational Behavior in Education

Sokolow, S. L. & Houston, P. D. (2008) The Spiritual Dimension of Leadership. In

Spirituality in Educational Leadership (pages 13-35). Thousand Oaks, CA:

Corwin Press.