science.dadeschools.netscience.dadeschools.net/secmeStarsIII/doucments/1516/… · Web viewSchool report card grades for quarters 2 and 4. District Interim Assessment in Science

5.1 PROJECT ABSTRACT

Miami-Dade County Public School’s SECME Stars III will serve students and their

families from Comstock Elementary, Earlington Heights Elementary, Irving and Beatrice Peskoe

K-8, and Maya Angelou Elementary. All four schools are Title I, predominantly minority schools

and did not meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2014-2015. The afterschool program will

serve a combined total of at least 480 students. Through an infusion of STEM activities,

students apply collaborative problem solving skills throughout problem based learning across

the curriculum, helping to prepare even the youngest of learners for the educational and career

demands of a global 21st century workforce.

5.2 CONTINUING IMPROVEMENT

The Formative and Summative evaluations uncovered areas that can be refined,

improved and strengthened. For instance, it was found that SECME students appear to be

experiencing challenges in meeting proficiency levels in reading. It was recommended that the

program continue to provide workshops to adult family members and professional development

to teachers on improving student reading skills. With that in mind, Family Literacy Activities

align to reading. Although the program’s main focus was STEM, reading was closely integrated

at every one of our sites during their academic Project Based Learning (PBL) activities. The

goal was to integrate reading in any activity that took place. In addition, SECME teachers,

based on current data were able to identify those SECME students who were experiencing

challenges in their reading class so that more targeted strategies can be implemented for those

students.

5.3 PROGRAM EVALUATION

5.3.a Evaluation Plan

Q-Q Research Consultants (QQRC) will serve as the evaluator for SECME III. QQRC is

a full service research and evaluation firm staffed with professionals with over 20 years of

experience in program evaluation including experience evaluating 21st CCLC programs in

M-DCPS SECME Stars III 2015-2016 21st CCLC RFA

Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. QQRC staff has advanced academic training in quantitative

and qualitative research methodologies. For SECME III, QQRC will conduct the following

evaluation activities: data collection, program monitoring, evaluation reports including a

formative evaluation summary and summative evaluation reports.

The evaluation process will include data collection activities at the start of the program

(e.g., baseline data), mid-year (mid-data), and at the end of the year (end-of-year data).

Baseline data will be collected for each participant enrolled within two weeks of enrollment.

These data will be quantitative and will include enrollment data, attendance data, academic data

(e.g., reports grades, FSA data to be collected in conjunction with APR reporting guidelines),

and data captured from other proposed assessments and surveys outlined in the Measureable

Objectives, Measurement Tools, Activities, and Timeframe Table. In addition to student level

data, data will also be collected from participating students’ adult family members and school

day teachers to examine stakeholder perceptions of the impact of SECME III Program on

student academic and personal development. Parent surveys will be made available in English,

Spanish, and Haitian Creole to accommodate the bilingual population.

QQRC will be responsible for collecting assessment data and survey data. Students’

demographic and academic data will be amassed by program staff. All of students’ self-report

data will be collected using web-based surveying. Mid-year data will be collected at mid-point of

the contract year (in November, in time for data collection submission due in December) and will

be compared to baseline data in order to examine progress towards meeting objectives. All

enrolled students who are currently participating at the time of the mid-point data collection will

be included in the mid-year data collection and reporting.

End-of-year data collection will be conducted at the end of the Spring semester (May).

Baseline, mid-year, and end-of-year data will be used to demonstrate achievement of objectives

and enrollment and participation rates from the start of the year to the end of the year. Data and


reporting will be aligned with federal data collection requirements. All data will be submitted to

FDOE electronically utilizing the required data collection format by the FDOE deadline.

Using quantitative data, baseline/mid-year/end-of-year analyses will be conducted to

examine changes that occurred as a result of program participation. Analyses will include

descriptive analyses on program and participant characteristics (e.g. mean Math report card

grades); outcome/goal analyses to examine changes based on the implementation of academic

enrichment, personal enrichment, and adult family member services (e.g. pre and post test

scores); and quantitative analyses to identify youth, parents’, and staff’s perspectives on

program services via parent and student surveys, and program staff surveys and interviews.

Qualitative data will be captured from site visits conducted during the fall and spring semesters,

surveys and interviews with teachers and other program staff, and annual parent focus groups

held in April.

QQRC will provide program staff with a Formative Evaluation Summary (February)

which will include baseline and mid-year data analyses. The Formative Evaluation Summary will

include data-driven program decisions based on the mid-year data collection findings regarding

progress toward achieving program objectives. QQRC will meet with program staff to discuss

modifications based on Formative Evaluation Summary. SECME III staff will report any

enhancements or changes made to the program based on formative evaluation findings in the

FDOE reporting format. The formative evaluation summary will be submitted by the FDOE

required deadline.

A comprehensive summative evaluation report which will include student attendance and

enrollment rates for Summer and Academic Year programming, indication of achievement of

program objectives, reporting of overall operations, final partnerships table, teacher surveys on

each student, and parent satisfaction surveys, and recommendations based on findings from

the summative evaluations. All summative reports will be submitted utilizing reporting formats

provided by the FDOE by the required deadline (August).


QQRC will also conduct site visits in late Fall and early Spring comprising the following

activities: (1) completion of a semi-structured interview with program staff to ascertain

compliance with proposed service delivery model, (2) observations of the delivery of program

components, and (3) an exit meeting to discuss monitoring findings. Follow-up site visits will

also be conducted to evaluate any changes to the program’s service delivery model based on

the findings and recommendations from initial site visits. QQRC will meet with program staff no

less than monthly to monitor program’s progress. Formal guided-discussions on findings from

data analyses of baseline and mid-year data will occur the month following data collection.

Dissemination of Findings; Evaluation results will be shared with the community through

multiple mediums. First, SECME III will have a designated website and Facebook page to post

evaluation findings and upcoming events. Additionally, all partners will post a link on their

website and Facebook page that leads to the program website. The website and Facebook

page will be updated regularly to add any new reports or upcoming events. Evaluation findings

will be clear and free of technical jargon. Second, QQRC will also attend Advisory Board and

program staff meetings no less than three times a year to provide a review of all reports and

observations from monitoring visits, and to discuss any feedback. These meetings will inform

continuous quality improvement efforts. Evaluation findings will be disseminated to all staff to

inform professional development activities. Stakeholders will receive copies of reports via

Constant Contact, email distribution software.

5.3.b Measurable Objectives and Assessments

English Language Arts:

SECME Stars III program supports the new Language Arts Florida Standards (LAFS)

and the Just Read Florida! Initiative. According to a report by the National Endowment for the

Arts (2007), strong readers find more financially rewarding jobs and career opportunities and

employers rank reading and writing as the top deficiencies in new employees.

Objectives/Assessments:


1.) At least 80% of regularly participating students (students attending the program 30 days or

more) will increase their reading achievement as demonstrated by such measures as:

a. School report card grades for quarters 2 and 4

b. District Interim Assessment in Reading (such Mid-Year Assessment)

Activities: Students will improve their reading proficiency as they are introduced to problem-

based learning activities through a series of engineering projects that include challenges of

increasing complexity. These projects will allow students to practice communication and peer

collaboration as they improve their reading comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary skills. In

addition, SECME Stars III program students will also utilize resources from i-Ready Curriculum

Associates and Imagine Learning. I-Ready computer based materials increase students’

comprehension skills and is aligned to the Florida Standards. English Language Learners (ELL)

students will receive language support through the usage of Imagine Learning, a research

based computer program geared for ESOL Level 1 students, and it provides strategic first-

language support in a gradual release model to prepare students for English-only environments.

Through these approaches, the program will address the Just Read Florida! Initiative.

Mathematics:

The SECME Stars III program supports the Mathematics Florida Standards (MAFS).


2.) At least 80% of regularly participating students will increase their mathematics achievement

as demonstrated by:


b. District Interim Assessment in Mathematics (such Mid-Year Assessment)

Activities: SECME Stars III mathematics will center on cross-curricular, problem based learning

with real world applications and will be implemented to support the regular school day.

Additionally, SECME Stars III will use a variety of technology and telecommunication programs,

including Scratch, a computer based coding program developed by the Massachusetts Institute


of Technology (MIT), which allows young students, as young as kindergarten, to develop and

practice writing code for programming, and i-Ready Math, an adaptive, diagnostic program that

provides rigorous grade level instruction and differentiate instruction.

Science and Technology:

The SECME Stars III program supports the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards

(NGSSS) in Science.


3.) At least 80% of regularly participating students will increase their science achievement as

demonstrated by such measures as:


b. District Interim Assessment in Science (such Mid-Year Assessment)

Activities: SECME Stars III students will use foster critical thinking skills in science through

hands on problem based learning projects that include an engineering component. Students

will use the APEX Science curriculum developed by the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of

Science, with funding from the National Science Foundation. The APEX Science curriculum

addresses age-appropriate science concepts, including life science, nature of science, energy,

matter, environmental science, forces and motion, and Earth and space science, supporting the

Next Generation Sunshine State Standards in Science. The 32 inquiry-based lessons provide

opportunities for indoor and outdoor investigations.

To capture all reading, math, and science into one robust program, SECME Stars III will

also provide each site with a mobile technology lab; this would be a critical component of the

SECME Stars III program. This lab will provide the schools with a class set of laptops that will

be safely housed in a special SECME Stars Technology Lab.

Personal Enrichment: Physical Education/Nutrition

SECME Stars III supports the healthy physical development of its youth through

activities that support both positive physical activity and proper nutrition.



4.) At least 75% of regularly participating students will increase their physical fitness and

healthy habits as evidenced by:

a. Pre/post assessments.

Activities: Physical fitness, nutritional and recreational activities will be provided to all SECME

Stars III students. They will participate in a variety of team and individual sports/activities

utilizing SECME Stars III equipment. Students will also participate in the FITNESSGRAM

comprehensive fitness program. FITNESSGRAM consists of a health-related fitness

assessment that provides students, teachers, and parents with information regarding the current

level of fitness of a student. Art and music activities will also be incorporated to provide

additional recreational activities. During inclement weather, physical fitness will be held indoors.

Adult Family Member Services:

Parental commitment and involvement is a vital component of SECME Stars III

afterschool program. Family engagement is one of the most effective early intervention

strategies for inspiring students to embrace the learning environment and to explore innovative

educational experiences together as a family. Research by the Harvard Family Research

Project (2007) found that family involvement has a direct, positive effect on children’s

achievement and is the most accurate predictor of a student’s success in school.

Consequently, there will be opportunities for adult members to take an active role such as

SECME STEM-design activities rocket seminar, mousetrap car seminar and SECME Olympiad

and Festival at the Miami-Dade STEM Expo.

Objectives/Assessment:

5.) 60% of adult family members of regularly participating students will participate in at least

one adult family member event or activity.

6.) At least 80% of adult family members of regularly participating students will increase

knowledge on topics presented.


Activities: On going, year round adult family members services are available for SECME Stars

III parents and families through The Miami Dade County Public Schools Parent Academy. The

MDCPS Parent Academy website describes their purpose as “a district wide initiative designed

to support community and family involvement across the district.” The Parent Academy partners

with local and national organizations in order to provide a wide range of free resources in an

effort to assist parents in becoming full partners in their children’s education. The Parent

Academy also provides parents with constructive parenting practices designed to support them

help their children succeed at school and in life.” Workshops and Classes are offered in English,

Spanish and Creole and are divided into the following categories: Arts and Culture, Health and

Wellness, Helping Your Child Learn, Parenting Skills and Personal Growth. Additionally, site-

specific family programs will be initiated upon identification of local needs and will encourage

parent/student interactions that support academic achievement.

Student Attendance:

7.) At least 80% of the participating students will increase their attendance by attending 90% of

the days in a given grading period during the regular day school year.

5.4 PARTNERSHIPS, COLLABORATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

5.4.a Community Notice

In accordance with Miami-Dade County Public Schools Bylaws and Policies, each

school has a “school advisory council.” The Educational Excellence School Advisory Council

(EESAC) must be composed of the principal and an appropriately balanced number of teachers,

education support employees, students, parents, and other business and community citizens

who are representative of the ethnic, racial, linguistic, disabled and economic community served

by the school. Notice for EESAC meetings will be delivered a minimum of five days in advance

in order to allow community members the opportunity of providing input on agenda items.

5.4.b 21st CCLC Advisory Board


An Advisory Board comprised of the Program Director, students participating in the 21st

CCLC program, parents of participating students, program staff members, and members of the

evaluation team, will meet on a quarterly basis to review the program and recommend

improvements. Feedback from the Advisory Board will be used to identify any challenges that

participating students, family members or program staff may experience, and to recommend

solutions to those problems.

5.4.c Collaboration with Private Schools

Private schools located near each of the target schools were identified and contacted

with information. Specifically, through the use of emails, the following schools were approached

and provided notice of potential opportunities for students: Champagnant Catholic School and

Lincoln Marti School.

5.4.d Partnerships

There will be three major partners working closely with the SECME Stars III program:

SECME, Inc., Florida International University, and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.

SECME, formerly the Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering, has a 39-

year legacy of being the only professional development Institute dedicated to focusing on equity

in STEM initiatives. As a MDCPS partner for the past 20 years, SECME, Inc., will continue to

offer support to the SECME Stars III program including: providing professional development,

hands-on materials, lesson plans and real-life experiences that incorporate science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to support teaching and learning specifically as it

prepares them to impact student achievement. Additionally, goals include conducting STEM-

integrated Project Design seminars for teachers, students, and their families. Furthermore, the

organization will coordinate STEM competitions for students and convene the National SECME

STEM Institute. Finally, as a partner, SECME, Inc. will assist in providing a scholarship support

for M-DCPS SECME Stars III teachers to attend the National SECME Summer Institute for


diversity in STEM education, a forum for dissemination of this worthwhile project to more than

100 educators at our annual SECME Summer Institute.

Florida International University (FIU) has agreed to partner FIUteach students and staff

with SECME Stars III participants in order to prepare students for the rigors of new Florida

Standards. FIUteach is a secondary STEM teacher preparation initiative that is part of the

national UTeach model, which is creating a pipeline of highly-skilled teachers who will both

inspire and challenge students to become the math and science leaders of tomorrow. FIUteach

students will fulfill their required intensive field teaching experiences as assistants to teachers at

high needs schools and tutors, and mentors to their elementary students, such as those

identified to participate in SECME Stars III.

The third partnership will be with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (FTBG) is a world

renowned conservation and educational garden dedicated to preserving our planets biodiversity.

Accredited by the American Association of Museums, FTBG has offered to support SECME

Stars III through developing curriculum that supports problem based learning and scientific

thinking. FTBG will provide matching funds for students to attend Saturday field trips at its 83

acre botanic garden.

5.4.e Collaborations with the Regular School Day

The partnership between the SECME Stars III program and the regular school-day will

be constant. Communication will flow to insure continuity between MDCPS Pacing Guides, the

SECME Stars III Instructional Focus Calendars, School Site Instructional Focus Calendars and

SECME site teacher’s lesson plans. Data will be derived from formative assessments that will

impact instruction. Collaboration and communication with partners and involved entities,

including stakeholders, will take place monthly. A calendar delineating activities relating to

collaboration and partnership will be clearly provided. Additionally, the SECME Stars III

Leadership Team will conduct monthly meetings in the form of a Professional Learning

Community.


5.4.f Sustainability

The SECME Stars III Project Director, with the assistance of Miami-Dade County Public

Schools and the support of 21st CCLC, will develop a strategic plan that will prepare the program

to evolve into a self-sustaining program as funding decreases or when the funds are not

available. The plan will include; learn about local businesses and corporation that could provide

various services, including resources, in-kind donations and even volunteering; identify and

develop relationships with nonprofit organizations that also share the same objectives to impact

student achievement. Presently, MDCPS is home to 118 SECME clubs that operate beyond the

traditional school day with support from schools staff, students, families, and the community.

5.5 PROGRAM PLAN

5.5.a Recruitment and Retention

The SECME Stars III program will utilize several tools to recruit students to participate in

the afterschool program. A focused recruitment will target students who have been identified by

the school as academically low-performing as indicated by standardized test results; at risk of

grade retention as determined by placement on pupil progression plans; demonstrating at-risk

behaviors such as truancy or behavior concerns as recorded in student referrals, and/or

documented at-home issues. A formal recommendation form will be available at the school

through the Community Involvement Specialist to assist with the recruitment of high-need

students. Site coordinators will share program information at “back-to-school nights” held in

August and at our regularly scheduled parent involvement meetings.

SECME Stars III will inform stakeholders of the availability of program activities in

numerous ways. Banners, school marquees, district and school websites, flyers and brochures

will be utilized to promote and recruit. The District’s automated home calling system, Connect-

Ed, will deliver voice messages that provide essential information such as period of registration

and other important information including adult family activities.


For student retention in program, close communication among site coordinators, project

director and parents will be imperative when students miss a stipulated number of days and will

provide assistance to improve student attendance. Academic and enrichment activities, such

as field trips, will provide additional motivation for students to meet attendance requirements.

Strategies to assist in maximizing retention of students in the SECME Stars III program include:

conducting student/parent interest surveys; frequent parent/family sessions; and needs

assessments to address family needs which may impact student participation in the program

and ultimately academic achievement.

5.5.b Student Program Activities

To accommodate rotating groups of students and their different learning styles

schedules will vary while keeping the integrity of the program. A typical day is as follows; Upon

dismissal from the standard school day, students in kindergarten and 1st grade will be picked up

and escorted by SECME staff to the cafeteria while students in grades 2 through 5 will report to

the cafeteria for attendance and a USDA approved snack. After-school snacks in Title I schools

are subsidized by the free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch program.

Certified teachers will facilitate the academic enrichment throughout the program day.

Following attendance and snack, student groups will be escorted outdoors, weather permitting,

to participate in 30 minutes of interactive personal enrichment through physical education

activities, health and nutrition lessons or character education development. Students will

participate in a variety of team and individual sports/activities utilizing SECME Stars III

equipment. During inclement weather, physical fitness will be held indoors.

Following personal enrichment, teachers will escort students to the computer lab where

students will spend 30 minutes using i-Ready Reading or i-Ready Mathematics computer based

programs, which are aligned to the Florida Standards and support individual learning on both

independent and grade levels. Students will be monitored to make sure that they are on task,

using computers appropriately while making progress.


Students will then be escorted to a classroom for daily 90 minute enrichment in

mathematics, reading/language arts, and science. Following an instructional focus calendar

that is aligned with the Florida Standards, student centered activities will include problem based

learning and hands-on learning experiences that support and extend classroom learning with

increasing levels of complexity using the gradual release model. Students may be working with

manipulatives to solve real world mathematic problems or conducting research and

investigations to explore problem based learning. Outdoor learning may take place in butterfly

or herb gardens.

Education in engineering will begin with students in kindergarten through 2nd grade.

These students will engage in computer science and specific programming in an engineering

context, in developmentally appropriate ways using Legos. Students in grades three through

five will be exposed to various areas of engineering technology including computer programing

and capstone type activities where students combine project-based learning activities with

engineering as they design, build and make their engineering projects come to life as well as

prepare them for competition at the school-site and ultimately at the Miami-Dade Stem Expo.

Also, 15 minutes of the program day will be devoted to home learning. Teachers will

support students as they complete assignments and extend their learning. At dismissal, all

students will be escorted to the designated parent pick up area. All students will be accounted

for during dismissal with sign out logs for parents and students.

A variety of structured student activities will appeal to students varying learning styles.

Activities are designed to meet the needs of the visual, aural, logical, physical and naturalistic

learners. Students will also have the opportunity to experience both intrapersonal learning and

interpersonal learning. ELL and SPED students will be identified and supported in meeting their

learning needs through appropriate strategies.

Students will also participate in several opportunities available to showcase their

engineering advancement including the M-DCPS’ STEM Expo and their participation in the


FIRST Lego League. This league is designed to get children excited about science and

technology and teach them valuable employment and life skills.

All program sites will meet for four days per week totaling three hours per day during the

school year. It will operate for a total of 140 days, starting on Monday, August 31st, 2015 and it

will end on Monday, June 6th, 2016. The program will operate for twelve hours a week

(excluding holidays, early release days and teacher work days). The days of operation will be

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Additionally, activities will be planned on four

Wednesdays during the school year. The students at Comstock Elementary, Maya Angelou

Elementary and Irving and Beatrice Peskoe (non-extended time schedule) in grades K-1 will

participate from 1:50 p.m. until 4:50 p.m. whereas students in grades 2-5 will participate from

3:05 p.m. until 6:05 p.m. The one extended day school, Earlington Heights will have sessions

for grades K-1 from 3:05 p.m. until 6:05 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

whereas grades 2-5 will participate from 4:05 p.m. until 6:20 p.m. on the previously mentioned

days including an additional session will take place on Wednesdays from 3:05 p.m. until 6:05

p.m.

5.5.c Adult Family Member Program Activities

Research by the Harvard Family Research Project (2007) found that family involvement

has a direct, positive effect on children’s achievement and is the most accurate predictor of a

student’s success in school. MDCPS supports adult family member involvement through its

Parent Academy. The Parent Academy is a District wide initiative to support family and

community involvement in education. Year round workshops are available at various locations

at no charge and are available in English, Spanish and Creole. School site program activities

will be designed to support parent needs as indicated on parent surveys. A program Open

House will take place at the beginning of the year to open the classrooms to adult family

members in order to walk-through our program and play an active role in their children’s


education. In addition, a series of hands-on activities and workshops will be offered to engage

parents and prepare students for high-stakes state testing.

Showcases, engineering competitions and the MDCPS Stem Expo will provide additional

opportunities for students and families to engage and interact with the SECME Stars III program

as parents and guardians participate with their children designing and building STEM-integrated

projects on college campuses during Saturday SECME STEM Design Seminars.

5.5.d Staffing Plan and Professional Development

The SECME Stars III program will include full-time Project Director (PD). This PD will be

a Curriculum Support Specialist assigned to the Department of Mathematics and Science. The

PD will be an experienced educator with a Master’s Degree who has experience working with

grants. The PD and school site coordinators will align classroom environments with real world

settings by fusing literacy, writing, mathematics, and science with creativity, critical thinking,

hands-on activities, communication, and collaboration. The PD will be responsible for; providing

direct services to and oversee four (4) 21st CCLC program sites; provide ongoing professional

development to program staff at all sites; coordinate field trips; manage 21st CCLC budget and

program staff; draft and ensure execution and fulfillment of contracts; complete reporting and

deliverables, which includes oversight of the external evaluator and data collection. During the

summer; the responsibilities will include the RFA preparation and development of PBL activities,

as well as professional and curriculum development.

The program staff will also include, at each one of the sites, a site coordinator. Their

responsibilities will include: coordinate, oversee, and provide direct service in the day-to-day

operation of 21st CCLC, activities as well as ensure the goals of the program are achieved;

recruit parents and volunteers; monitor instruction students; lead field trip experiences; lead site-

specific planning meetings, and provide services to adult family members; maintain high

visibility of the SECME Stars III program at the school level site by posting posters and

distributing flyers with information of meetings and/or events and assists in evaluation activities


vis-a-vis data collection and reporting for measures which are not collected at the District level.

A SECME Stars III Leadership Team will be comprised of four site coordinators and the PD, and

will meet monthly in a Professional Learning Community to monitor program integrity and

compliance.

SECME Stars III sites will have at least five (5) certified-teachers, they will provide direct

instruction and assessment to actively participating 21st CCLC students, maintain program and

student documentation, participate in planning meetings, and supervise field trip experiences

during 21st CCLC program hours. The SECME Stars III staff will participate in professional

development within the areas of literacy, mathematics, science, physical fitness, nutrition,

technology, and character education. Staff will be informed of new instructional strategies to

address the Florida Standards and the Science Next Generation Sunshine State Standards

(NGSSS).

Additionally, at least five (4) program staff members will attend the 21st Century

Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) statewide along with the Project Director (PD). In

addition the PD will attend any regional workshops provided by FLDOE or The Children’s Forum

and national conferences. Furthermore, one staff member will attend the National SECME

Summer Institute for Diversity in STEM. All program staff hired will have successfully passed all

District employment requirements and will be in compliance with the Jessica Lundsford Act. All

teachers will have a current and valid Florida Department of Education teaching certificate on

file at the school site.

Each school site will also have an elementary school aide whose responsibilities will

include: greeting parents and/or visitors, answering telephones; developing charts in Word or

Excel to record students' information and assist with the documentation needed for the field

experiences; collecting daily attendance and inputting attendance information during the 21st

CCLC afterschool program; maintaining program and student files; assisting teachers with

implementing programs and services to participating students; supervising students during


dismissal and in-house field trips; verifying identification and sign-out documentation; and

completing all 21st CCLC data entry and reports.

Finally, each school site will also have three paraprofessionals or security personnel that

will: assist 21st CCLC teachers in providing instruction and assessment to participating 21st

CCLC students; oversee snacks, and maintain security/safety of students during the 21st CCLC

program; and also assist, support, and work closely with teachers and other team members in

providing educational benefits for students. The professionals will work with individual students

or small groups of students to reinforce learning materials or skills initially introduced by FLDOE

certified teachers as well provide assistance during emergencies. To work shoulder to shoulder

with them, there will also be FIUteach students providing assistance to teachers.

Qualified staff will be recruited (1) through administrative recommendation and (2)

through school site announcements of available positions. Each candidate will be interviewed

and required to sign a commitment letter upon hiring.

5.5.e Program Site (Center)

All locations are Miami-Dade County Public Schools facilities. Comstock Elementary is

located 2420 Northwest 18th Avenue in Miami, Florida 33142. Earlington Heights’ location is

4750 Northwest 22nd Avenue, in Miami, Florida 33142. Additionally, Irving and Beatrice Peskoe

K-8 is located at 29035 Southwest 144th Avenue in Miami, Florida 33033. Finally, Maya

Angelou Elementary is located at 1850 Northwest 32nd Street in Miami, Florida 3342. All centers

are located appropriately within the school boundaries and are safe due to the support of our

security staff. Daytime enrollment at each location exceeds the number of students who will be

enrolled in the afterschool program, thus ensuring adequate indoor and outdoor space to

accommodate the number of students in the program. Use of indoor and outdoor amenities is

as follows:

Classrooms – Equipped with the latest technology such as Smartboards, Promethean

Boards and Computers, students will experience interactive learning.


Library/Media Center – Students will have access to research resources for problem based

learning.

Cafeteria – In addition to attendance and student snacks, this area will be used for parent

meetings and workshops.

Computer Labs - Students will spend 30 minutes per day using individual computers for

intervention in reading and mathematics.

Science Labs - Students will have access to equipment and materials that support science

objectives and problem based learning.

Music/Art Rooms - These departments will be used as resources for problem based

learning.

Restrooms - For student use throughout the buildings. Students will use the “buddy system”

when moving to restrooms outside of the classrooms, during their physical education time

and computer lab hour.

Outdoor Basketball/Hard Courts/Playing Fields - Students may use these areas for exercise.

Lessons on physical fitness and health will take place here.

Butterfly and Herb Gardens - Program activities such as environmental, botany and nutrition

lessons will take place here.

5.5.f Safety and Student Transportation

Student safety is a primary concern of M-DCPS’s SECME Stars III program. Only

MDCPS certified teachers and approved school personnel with current Level 2, which includes

fingerprinting, drug and background screening, as described in Fl. Statute 101.32. will be

employed by SECME Stars III. All program staff hired will have successfully passed all District

employment requirements and will be in compliance with the Jessica Lundsford Act.

These staff members will possess the necessary leadership skills and knowledge

needed to respond to critical incidents or other related emergencies that may occur in our

schools/community. Volunteers, also subjected to background checks, will be registered


through MDCPS and will be required to sign in. Bus companies will be MDCPS approved.

Each classroom will maintain a readily available red binder that contains the MDCPS and school

site emergency plans. All school sites are fully ADA accessible, and secure facilities with

fenced property lines and locked exterior gates and doors. All schools have a site-specific plan

to address all types of critical incidents. Some of the protective action procedures include the

evacuation of students/staff from the building(s), evacuation of the disabled and if necessary the

relocation of students/staff from the school campus, lockdown procedures and

holding/dismissing students during school, after-school, and community emergencies. Radios

will be provided to ensure communication among key personnel; including office personnel,

security, and coordinator for the safety of the students. Attendance records will indicate the

participants’ dismissal procedure. Emergency contact information will be kept in a binder with

the site coordinator. In addition, parents/guardians will be required to provide proper current

state approved driver’s licenses or identification when signing out their child during the SECME

Stars III program.

K-1 students who participate in the program will be escorted from their day-classroom to

their after-school class by a 21st CCLC staff. Grade 2-5 students will walk from their classroom

to a designated place for the after-school program. At the end of the program day students will

be escorted to the designated parent pick up location. Security and safety of students is

maintained at all times for all activities including educational field trips and field experiences

such as the SECME STEM Design Seminars and the SECME Olympiad and Festival. All field

trip experiences will require signed consent from parents through a District-approved field trip

form and will require a 10:1 student to chaperone ratio.

5.5.g Dissemination Plan

Information regarding the project and the locations at which it is offered will be

disseminated throughout the community using the following methods: program and school

websites, banners, posters, distribution of flyers sent home and posted at local community


events. SECME Stars III will design a detailed brochure that will indicate all key components of

the program and also serves as a contract for our parents. All information will be available in

English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. School community partners will assist in marketing the

program in their community businesses.

SECME Stars III sites, through partnerships and involvement with the schools’ EESAC

committees, governments and local organizations, will inform the community, which includes

private schools, of the after-school program through EESAC meetings, written notifications,

newsletters, and school and program websites. The program website will be maintained by

MDCPS Math and Science Department webmaster. Monthly SECME Stars III Leadership Team

meetings, SECME Stars III representation at EESAC meetings and focus groups with an

external evaluator will provide an additional layer of dissemination of information. Copies of the

formative and summative reports will also be made available to stakeholders through the

Advisory Board and EESAC meetings and PTA’s at each of the target schools.


Documents

science.dadeschools.netscience.dadeschools.net/secmeStarsIII/doucments/1516/… · Web viewSchool report card grades for quarters 2 and 4. District Interim Assessment in Science