Attachment 2 Needs Assessment and Root Causes



Appendix A InformationLEA Name NCES ID#School NameNCES ID #Tier ITier IITier III5401620VanDevender Middle540162001180xAttachment 2 Wood County Schools Needs Assessment and Root CausesRequirement 1: The LEA has analyzed the needs of each Tier I, Tier II and Tier III school identified in the LEA's application and has selected an intervention model (Tier I and Tier II) or activities (Tier III) for each school.As part of the requirements for the WV five year strategic plans, each district and school in the State must annually complete and/or update a comprehensive needs assessment. The sections of the needs assessment require each district and every school to review and analyze data in the following categories:Overview of school AYP dataExternal trend dataStudent achievement dataOther student outcome dataAnalysis of culture, conditions and practicesAccordingly, to align the grant application with the current requirements for the needs assessment in the district and school strategic plans, each LEA submitting an application for 1003(g) school improvement funds must analyze the needs of each Tier I, Tier II and Tier III school identified in the LEA's application using the indicators below. In addition, Wood County Schools has provided additional information for many of these indicators. WVDE Category 1 Overview of school AYP data?AYP statusIdentification of the AYP targets the school met and missedStudent participation rate on State assessment in reading/language arts and mathematics by grade and subgroup School improvement status and applicable sanctions Number of required instructional days/minutes within the school year Number of instructional days/minutes fulfilled annually (excluding days of instruction lost for inclement weather or other emergencies?Summarize the conclusions reached after examining AYP data.Wood County Schools Overview of AYP Data:Van Devender Middle School (VMS) made AYP last year. VanDevender also made AYP two years ago, except in the special education subgroup. VanDevender’s participate rate has continued to improve over the past few years. Over 99% of students participate in the state assessment. VanDevender continues to be on the restructuring stage of improvement and offers both school choice and SES services. However, if VanDevender makes AYP this year, they will be off of improvement and no longer offer these services.VanDevender offers 180 days of instruction and fulfills this requirement, excluding days of instruction lost for inclement weather or other emergencies.The school and district has reached several conclusions upon review of the data. While VMS continues to do well in comparison to other middle schools in terms of overall achievement, the school continues to struggle with the special education subgroup. The number of continually enrolled students in this cell was 49 last year and thus not counted. One more student and this cell would have been counted for AYP. The percentage of students proficient in this category is extremely low.WVDE Category 2 External trend data ?Local demographic trends are reviewed for the impact on student achievementDistrict and school poverty ratesMother's educational levelNumber of college graduates in the districtMedian age of district populationSubstance abuseUnemployment rateMobility rate of studentsReadiness for School IndicatorsNumber of pre-k centers and pre-k enrollment?Summarize the conclusions reached after examining AYP data.Wood County Schools External Trend Data:In reviewing the data, Wood County continues to serve thousands of students in poverty. Wood County ranks 4th highest of all West Virginia counties in the number of poverty students aged 5-17. While the total number of students in Wood County (5-17) decreased last year, the total number of students in poverty increased. Wood County serves 2,520 students in poverty, which is an increase of 249 students over last year’s number. Wood County is also only 9 students away from taking 3rd place in the number of students in poverty. The percentage of students in poverty is now 20.8%, which is higher than last year’s 19.0%. As a district, Wood County has some of the highest poverty schools in WV, based on free/reduced lunch percentage. The percent of students receiving free and reduced meals at VanDevender is 69.44 (10th highest among middle school in the state). According to Kids Count, 18.3% of students are born to mothers with less than a 12th grade education. In addition, Wood County has one of the highest percentages in WV of students that are in single parent families (25.6%). Wood County has a high number of people with a bachelor’s degree or higher (15.2%). The median age of Wood County residents is 39 years old. The unemployment rate in Wood County is 9%.At VanDevender, 15.3% of 6th graders and 34.8% of 8th grade students stated that they used alcohol in the past year. While these numbers are below the national average, VanDevender students reported that they used illicit drugs more than the national average. Over 23% used illicit drugs compared to the national average of 16%. Student mobility is high for VanDevender. VanDevender had 89 mobile students which is 24% of the 374 students.In terms of readiness for school, Wood County is involved with the Preschool Assessment of Local Students (PALS) screening which provides a general picture of a child's growth and development to determine if there is a need for early intervention. Physicians, dentists, optometrists, nurses, speech pathologists, audiologists and developmental specialists screen health, dental, vision, speech and language, hearing and development progress. In addition, all pre-school students are assessed with the creative curriculum assessment and students wishing to enter Kindergarten early take the First Step program.Wood County is close to universal pre-kindergarten. This year, there are 40 classes and 740 students registered.In reviewing the data, poverty continues to be a problem for both the LEA and VMS. Overall alcohol and drug use continues to be a problem at VMS. The elimination of the Safe and Drug free Schools program (Title IV) will make it harder to actually obtain this data in the future, so it will be very difficult to determine if we make gains in these areas. Pre-K is a bright spot as we may be universal soon.WVDE Category 3 Student achievement data ?Assessment DataData analysis includes review of student achievement trends over time from several data sources, not just WESTEST 2 scores.Percentage of students at or above each performance level on State assessments in reading/language arts and mathematics by grade and subgroup. Average scale scores on State assessments in reading/language arts and mathematics by grade, for the "all students" group, for each performance level and for each subgroup Percentage of limited English proficient students who attain English language proficiency Number of classes utilizing Acuity, Writing Road Map and techSteps and the benchmark results from these assessments Results of PLAN and EXPLORE assessments (if applicable)Comparative gap analysis for all subgroupsNumber of students failing reading and mathematics per grade levelGrade distribution per teacher (i.e., % of A, B, C, D, and F) ?Summarize the conclusions reached after examining AYP data.Wood County Schools Student Achievement Data:Although the benchmarks changed for mastery, making direct comparisons difficult, the WVDE calculated what the percentages would have been had last year’s benchmarks been used. This allowed Wood County to compare the results for schools and subgroups. VanDevender made AYP in all subgroups. VanDevender has made AYP every other year for the last several years. VMS continues to see gains in mathematics, with an 8.21% gain in 7th grade. Overall, VMS was tied or better than both the county and state in all grade levels in mathematics. Reading scores, however, are down in both 6th and 8th grade and both of these grades are below the county and state. Seventh grade reading scores, however, increased 11.5%. Seventh grade scores were above the state average and slightly below the county average. The following charts indicate the reading and math proficiency of the school and each grade level.Percentages Reading Proficiency?SchoolCountyStateNovice34.1027.6630.19Below Mastery28.7127.7927.86Mastery23.0724.5723.78Above Master10.5114.7113.62Distinguished3.585.254.53Number Tested3908,672180,326Proficient37.1644.5341.93Percentages Math Proficiency?SchoolCountyStateNovice35.5630.3832.33Below Mastery19.8425.7525.70Mastery19.8423.5622.44Above Master19.5814.7714.31Distinguished5.155.515.19Number Tested3888,669180,403Proficient44.5743.8441.94Mathematics Scores by GradeClassTestedEnr.FAYEnr.TestedFAYTestedPart.RateNoviceBelowMasteryMasteryAboveMasteryProficient0615514015414099.3531.4320.0022.8620.0048.5707121110121110100.0028.1815.4525.4524.5556.3608115991139998.2640.4020.2014.1420.2039.39?Reading Scores by GradeClassTestedEnr.FAYEnr.TestedFAYTestedPart.RateNoviceBelowMasteryMasteryAboveMasteryProficient06155140155140100.0040.0027.1420.0010.7132.8607121110121110100.0022.7328.1832.7310.0049.0908115991149999.1332.3227.2721.2115.1540.40There are only two LEP students at VanDevender and this is not a countable cell for AYP.Nearly all classes in all schools are using Acuity, Writing Roadmap and TechSteps. In many cases the benchmarks are determined by administrators and shared with teachers. The schools have used the data to improve instruction. The data have shown areas where students have been taught a concept, but not in the way it is assessed on Acuity. The data have also shown which teachers are teaching the CSOs, and which teachers need to make changes in what they teach and in their teaching style. The TISs have been a key component in assisting teachers in using all technology-based assessments.ACT EXPLORE scores for VanDevender show a 13.6 in English, a 15.1 in Math, a 15.5 in Science, and a 14.6 composite. All of these scores are higher than last year’s results, except for the science score which remained flat with a 1/10 of a point drop. While the composite is lower than all other schools in the county, it was close to the other schools. With the exception of Jackson Middle, all other middle schools ranged from 14.7 -16.1. VanDevender had the second highest score in Math as compared to other Wood County middle school students.In analyzing the gap between the all group and the special education cell at VMS, the gap is very large in terms of proficiency. The gap between the all category and the special education category is the largest among middle schools in Wood County. The special education scores are also well below the county average. VMS only has 2 LEP students.Grade distribution problems have improved over last year as some of the teachers who gave Ds and Fs to most of their students have left the school. There continues to be a couple of teachers at VMS who give failing grades to 20% of their students and this issue is being reviewed by the Title I Assistant Principal. In reviewing the data, VMS made AYP in all subgroups on the benchmarks. In the area of mathematics, VMS students achieved scores that compared to both the county and state. Reading is still an area of concern for 6th and 8th grade because the scores were below the county and state.WVDE Category 3 Other student outcome data? Dropout rates (if applicable)AttendanceStudent-teacher relationshipsPromotion/Retention RatesDropout Rates (if applicable)Discipline ?Summarize the conclusions reached after examining AYP data.Wood County Schools Other Student Outcome Data:VanDevender has had problems with attendance over the past several years. The conclusion has been that attendance rates at the elementary and middle school level are mainly a parent problem and not a student problem. For this reason, VanDevender has hired, through ARRA funds, a Truancy Diversion worker. School and county officials believe that this position will assist the school in improving attendance rates. In terms of out of school suspensions, VanDevender had 83 incidents where they gave out of school suspensions. Most of these were for insubordination and habitually breaking class rules.Student teacher relationships are very positive in all schools and the teachers care about the students. Nearly all of the administrators spend countless hours beyond the regular work week to make sure the students have everything that they need. There are a couple of teachers, however, that do not treat students as well as they should.The top reasons at VMS for office referrals were because of disobeying staff in willful manner, failure to attend detention, and indecent act/language toward staff. The retention rate and dropout rate is 0%. Discipline is an area of concern for VMS with too many suspensions and office referrals. The VMS administration is aware of these issues and working hard with the assistance of the Truancy Diversion Worker to try and minimize disruptions. In addition, the new gender based model that they started this year will continue to expand with the hopes of assisting with discipline issues.WVDE Category 4 Analysis of culture, conditions and practicesAnalysis includes a review of the following data:Cultural Typology or Cultural Survey results conducted by the State System of Support (SSOS)Current governance structure – presence of engaged principals, teacher input into decision-making, the organization of teachers by teamsInstructional Practices Inventory conducted by the SSOSUse of standards-based instructional practices Availability of current technology and degree to which technology is integrated into instructionFederal monitoring reports for NCLB, IDEA and state reports for the Office of Education Performance AuditsQuestionnaires or observations completed by staff or external evaluators Description of the overall culture, conditions and practices that exist in the school Results of classroom walkthroughsHighly qualified teacher dataNumber of administrators in the building, definition of roles, years experience, specialized training and advanced degreesUse of professional and paraprofessional staff to support studentsNumber of content and program specialists (e.g., counselors, health staff and social workers)Professional development (e.g., opportunities available to teachers and principals, number of days dedicated to professional development and the amount of teacher generated professional development, percentage of teachers regularly attending professional development)Teacher average monthly attendance rates Parent training and support for familiesDegree of meaningful parent involvement and amount/frequency of communication with parents.A description of the conclusions reached after examining the culture, conditions and practices.Wood County Schools analysis of culture, conditions, and practices:A High Yield Practices Inventory Report was conducted by the WVDE at Franklin last year. This report has not been conducted at the other schools.All teachers are involved with professional learning communities and have grade level teams and subject matter teams depending on grade configuration and school type. Professional learning communities are embedded into each school. Routine staff meetings and faculty senate meetings give teachers input into decision making at the school level. Administrators at all schools have an open door policy for suggestions on ways to improve the learning process. Mr. Taylor and Ms. Pierotti attend the WVDE session on IPI at Stonewall earlier this year and looking at implementation in the near future.Standards based instructional practices and formative assessments are being used by all teachers and verified through walkthroughs and classroom observations.Wood County spent a great deal of ARRA funds on technology and professional development for technology. VanDevender has six computer labs, seventeen interactive whiteboards, and laptops for many teachers. In addition, VanDevender has 9 document cameras, and 4 sets of responders. VanDevender also has a Technology Integration Specialist (TIS) who is responsible for assisting teachers with integrating technology into the curriculum. The TIS is a research-based method of improving student achievement.Wood County Schools has not been monitored by the USDE in over 5 years. VanDevender has not been visited by the Office of Education Performance Audits since 2001. Teacher observations are done by the three administrators in the building. Once these observations are complete, the administrator and the teacher have a brief conference regarding the lesson. Walkthroughs occur on a weekly basis and feedback is given to the teachers. Team planning time is used for the administrators to present important information about students’ achievement, attendance and discipline. VanDevender Middle School is currently using gender based classroom curriculum. The 6th grade students are in single-sex classrooms for their core subjects. During their rotation schedule these students are in mixed-gender classes. The single-sex classrooms will be implemented into the 7th grade next year and, in 2012- 2013, all of VanDevender will have the single-sex classroom design. Classroom observations have been conducted by principals as part of their walkthroughs. In addition, central office staff often observes lessons at these schools. The county support team schedules monthly meetings with VMS administration and staff.At VanDevender the most recent walkthrough focused on CSOs, student engagement, differentiated instruction, critical thinking, and assessments. Teachers are working with the teacher coaches and the assistant principal of curriculum to assist with student engagement. Teachers are using flex time for Tier II instruction. Each teacher has 13 students during flex and every teacher assists with Tier II during this time. Engagement is occurring through hands-on activities such as using basic fraction skills to make a bag of trail mix that had the proportion of pretzels, nuts, etc. as the teacher directed. Students are participating in the use of motivating and engaging hands-on visual tools and technology such as Smart boards, teacher laptops with projectors, and Elmo’s, being used in basically every classroom. The extend refine lesson embedded in each learning focused unit emphasizes higher order thinking skills. Students are asked to analyze, compare/contrast, synthesize, and justify data. All core teachers are using Acuity for benchmarking. They have also targeted CSOs that were below the county scores to track each grading period. They are using formative assessment along with Acuity to determine if these CSOs are being met.VanDevender does have one teacher who is currently taking classes to become highly qualified. By the end of this school year, 2010-2011, this teacher will be highly qualified. VMS also has one special education teacher who is working on permit for the area of multi-categorical.VanDevender is in the implementation of restructuring stage of school improvement. The principal at VanDevender has been there more than 10 years, but has a new assistant principal of curriculum. Wood County is fortunate to have brought experienced leaders to the schools. At VanDevender, Principal Steve Taylor has 24 years of experience and a Masters degree with additional hours. Assistant principal in charge of curriculum, Jodie Pierotti has 10 years of experience in education with one year in administration. She also has a Masters with additional hours. Kenneth Edge has 26 years in education with two in administration. He has a Masters with additional hours as well.VanDevender has a staff of Title I teachers and special education teachers that support instruction. In addition, music, PE and library teachers also support instruction directly and indirectly by allowing content area teachers to collaborate and plan. VanDevender has a full time counselor and full time health teacher. There is not a social workers hired for the schools, although the Truancy Diversion worker has provided similar services.VanDevender Professional Development PlanDATETOPICAUDIENCEMODE6/10/10Technology Just for Fun VanDevender TeachersRandi Tranquill, TIS8/16/10Technology Overload Made Easy WV Writes, Acuity, Grade Quick VanDevender TeachersRandi Tranquill, TISTeachers new to VanDevender received training on Learning Focused Strategies, introduction to VanDevender Middle School students and school goals. New teachers also meet on a monthly basis to cover classroom management, parent conferences etc. (see substeps)New teachers to VanDevender Middle SchoolTeam Leaders8/27/10Virtual SchoolsJodie PierottiJudy Johnson, Curriculum Director and WVDE presenter8/30/10Special Education Survival Guide Jodie PierottiRandy EdgeSteve TaylorBoard of Education Special Education Department9/15-16/10Title 1 Improvement ConferenceJodie PierottiSteve TaylorRandi TranquillWVDE Title 1 Department9/17/10Analyzing Student DataJodie Pierotti Teacher CoachesTammy McKnightTammy Stout9/20/10Strategic Plan WorkshopJodie PierottiSteve TaylorRandi TranquillJohn Merritt – Title 1 Director9/22-23/10New Principals Academy Jodie Pierotti WVDE 9/27/10Analyzing benchmarks and WESTEST2 data and developing an action planCollaborative TeamsTeacher CoachesSandy McKinney, Tammy McKnight and Robin Stout, Jodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant PrincipalWESTEST2 data analysisSpecial education staff Special Needs Academic Coaches – Robin and Kelly9/27/10Accelerated Reading – Why We Should Do It Language Arts Teachers Jodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant PrincipalSteve Taylor, Principal9/28/10Tim Brown Jodie PierottiLinda HindmanTim BrownJohn Merritt9/29/10IPI TrainingJodie Pierotti Steve TaylorWVDE9/30/10WVEIS WorkshopJodie PierottiSteve TaylorBob Mathews, MIS Department9/30/10Employee Code WorkshopJodie PierottiKaren Brunicardi, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary 10/6/10New Administration TrainingJodie PierottiCentral Office Staff10/7-11/10National Gender Based Education Conference – Las Vegas Jodie PierottiRandy EdgeDustin GarrisonMeredith HahnJay Lindamood Dr. Sax and other presenters throughout the country 10/11/10Destiny Edline/Grade QuickWV WritesAcuityTech Academy WebsiteVanDevender TeachersBill Stokes, Media SpecialistJami Riddle and Mackenzie Lackey, 6th grade teachersMe Read No Way!Collaborative Team6th Grade - Gender Jodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant Principal10/18/10Acuity Training with Special Ed TeachersSpecial Education StaffRandi Tranquill, TIS10/19/10Accelerated Reading MeetingLanguage Arts TeachersJodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant Principal10/25/10Data Analysis Jodie Pierotti Teacher Coaches10/27/10Lock System TrainingJodie PierottiRandy Edge Bob Mathews, MIS Department11/3/10Sonday Training Jodie PierottiShawn HaughtBrenda TwymanAli HarperCheryl Gray Judy Johnson, Curriculum Director and WVDE11/14-17/10Learning Focused Workshops – Tampa, FloridaJodie PierottiLearning Focus Teams from North Carolina11/16/10Acuity and TechStepsVan Devender StaffRandi Tranquill, TIS12/1-2/10New Principals Academy Step 2 Jodie Pierotti WVDE12/6/10Working with Benchmark DataCollaborative Team – 8th Grade Jodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant Principal12/7/10Parent Involvement Training Afternoon and Evening Edline Odyssey Acuity WV WritesParentsRandi Tranquill, TIS and Jodie Pierotti C&I Assistant Principal12/16/10Literacy Teams – The Reason Why, What, How, and When Jodie PierottiHelen HoltLinda HindmanAli HarperBriana Devore Noel Clinton Judy Johnson, Curriculum Director and WVDE1/4/11RTI – Understanding Tiers Literacy TeamJodie PierottiHelen HoltLinda HindmanAli HarperBriana Devore Noel Clinton Jodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant Principal1/14/11How to Schedule and Do Calendars to get needs metSpecial Education StaffJodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant Principal1/14/11Data and GroupingCollaborative TeamsJodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant Principal1/18/11Understanding the ACT EXPLORE ResultsCollaborative Teams8th grade Jodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant Principal1/18/11RTI – Strategies and Uses for developing a school wide planLiteracy TeamJodie PierottiHelen HoltLinda HindmanAli HarperBriana Devore Noel Clinton Jodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant Principal1/19/11Single – Sex Based Education Collaborative Teams6th grade teamEncore TeamParent Workshop in the eveningMr. Chadwell, Director of Single – Sex Education, state of South Carolina1/20/11Single – Sex Based Education Strategies that Work 10 Classroom TeachersC&I Assistant PrincipalMr. Chadwell, Director of Single – Sex Education, state of South Carolina1/25/11Working with Benchmark DataCollaborative Teams Jodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant Principal1/25/11How to Engage Students LearningLiteracy TeamJodie PierottiHelen HoltLinda HindmanAli HarperBriana Devore Noel Clinton Jodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant Principal1/26/11On-Line Writing WorkshopJodie PierottiSteve TaylorDianne Boggess, Testing Coordinator1/27/11FLEX and How it WorksCollaborative TeamsJodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant Principal1/27/11Title 1 Improvement Meeting Jodie PierottiSteve TaylorRandy EdgeCentral Office Heads1/31/11Title 1 Monitoring WorkshopJodie PierottiMackenzie LackeyJohn Merritt, Title 1 DirectorFrank Bono1/31/11 – 2/6/11FETC (Florida Educational Technology Conference)Technology Workshops Orlando, FloridaSteve TaylorRandi TranquillPresenters across the country1/31/11 and 2/1/11Understanding 8th Grade SchedulesCollaborative Team8th gradeJodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant PrincipalKelly Ubbens, PHS Counselor2/2/11 Working with Benchmark DataCollaborative Team 8th gradeJodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant Principal2/4/11Working with Benchmark DataCollaborative Team7th grade6th grade Jodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant Principal2/4/11Presenting to the Legislator about Truancy Workers in the schools – trying to help pass a billLegislatorsRandy Edge, Assistant Principal of Discipline2/10/11RTI – Designing RTI for Middle SchoolsLiteracy TeamJodie PierottiHelen HoltLinda HindmanAli HarperBriana Devore Noel Clinton Judy Johnson, Curriculum Director and Teacher Coaches2/14/11Understanding EXPLORE Test ResultsWorking with 8th grade studentsParent Workshop 8th grade teachers8th grade students8th grade parentsJack Wiseman2/14/11Me Read? No Way!Collaborative TeamsJodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant Principal2/15/11Presenting to the Legislator about Truancy Workers in the schools – trying to help pass a billLegislatorsRandy Edge, Assistant Principal of Discipline2/15/11Bullying Workshop Randy EdgeWVDE2/17/11Technology Training Student Engagement Special Education StaffTeacher CoachesKelly SwisherRobin GoldsburgRandi Tranquill, TIS2/21/11RTI – Workshop for Teachers to understand the RTI process and strategies to use in the classroom VanDevender StaffLiteracy TeamJodie PierottiHelen HoltLinda HindmanAli HarperBriana Devore Noel Clinton 2/23/11Technology Training - MimioCollaborative TeamsTeacher CoachesTammy McKnightRobin StoutRandi Tranquill, TIS2/28/11How to Handle ParentsStrategies to use in the ClassroomCollaborative TeamsTeacher CoachSandy McKinney3/2/11Title 1 Improvement MeetingJodie PierottiSteve TaylorRandy EdgeCentral Office Staff3/7/11Mock Monitoring with Dr. BonoTitle 1 StaffVanDevender StaffDr. Frank BonoJohn Merritt, Title 1 Director3/15/11RTI – Middle School Training for AdministratorsJodie PierottiWVDE3/16/11RTI – How it WorksAkron, OhioLiteracy TeamJodie PierottiHelen HoltLinda HindmanAli HarperBriana Devore Noel Clinton Presenters that have been working with RTI3/18-19/11Math SafariKelly SandyPresenters across the state3/28/11Stations that Work How to Manage StationsCollaborative TeamsTeacher CoachesKelly SwisherRobin Goldsburg4/5/11WESTEST 2 TrainingJodie PierottiSteve TaylorDianne Boggess, Testing Coordinator4/6-7/11New Principals Academy Step 3 Jodie PierottiWVDE4/7/11APTA WorkshopCheryl GraySteve Taylor Dianne Boggess, Testing Coordinator4/25/11WESTEST 2 TrainingVanDevender StaffJodie Pierotti, C&I Assistant PrincipalSteve Taylor, Principal4/11Read Night – WV AuthorsVanDevender StaffParentsWV Authors4/11Personal Finance – Math NightVanDevender StaffParentsWESBANCOTeacher absences have been calculated for SB6 and illness. Approximately 112 days have been missed by teachers last year. This averages out to about 3 days per teacher over the course of the year. Parent involvement has been a central component of Wood County Schools Title I program. Wood County believes that parents are the key component to a student’s success in school. Many events are planned and implemented by all Title I schools. VanDevender strives to communicate with parents by using a variety of methods. The most important contact is done daily on Edline. Several parents log on to Edline to see what is taking place in the classroom and in the school. This communication tool also allows parents to check their child’s grades. Parent workshops have been held throughout the school year for parents to learn how to access the Edline site. The school sends home a monthly newsletter with important information and dates along with the monthly menu. All the newsletters are posted onto each teacher’s Edline page. Wood County Schools has Channel 15 on the TV that runs 24/7 with important school related events. VMS posts all workshops for parents on this channel. Wood County Schools also has a school messenger phone system that allows administrators to call parents to inform them of important school related events. This phone system also calls parents when the child is absent from school. VanDevender has provided 14 different parent involvement activities this year including Single Sex Education, Personal Finance, Educational Computer Programs, and Understanding Title I are a few examples of these events. More information regarding parent involvement may be found in the school parent involvement polices and compacts included in each school’s strategic plan.Root CausesAfter the data have been examined and analyzed each school is required to determine the root causes from the results of the needs assessment. The root causes are identified for the following areas:Administrators) and teachers (i.e., teacher qualifications, number of years experience)Curriculum and resources (i.e., use of Teach 21 and balanced assessment system)Master schedule, classroom schedules and classroom management/disciplineStudents and parental involvementDetermining root causes means moving from problem finding to problem solving.Wood County Schools Root Causes (from 5 year plan): VanDevender Middle School Examine Possible Reasons for Not Meeting Objectives Ask "WHY?” Five TimesCurriculum and ResourcesSchedule and ClassroomAdministrator(s) and TeachersStudents and Parental InvolvementToo much to cover from large skill gapsDisciplineNot covering grade level CSOsAbsenteeismInconsistency of programs from grade levelClassroom support from special education teachersMore PD with accountabilityNo motivationInsufficient personnelSpecial Education coverage for inclusion classesUnwilling to changeDislike schoolLack of modificationsLack of involvement in SES, Critical Skills, and Extended year.Selection of an Intervention ModelBased on the needs assessment and determination of root causes, Wood County Schools will incorporate components of the Transformation Model for VanDevender. Wood County Schools believes that developing teachers and school leader effectiveness, implementing comprehensive instructional reform strategies and providing sustained support will improve VanDevender Middle school.District Capacity IndexEach LEA must complete a self analysis of the capacity it has to assist the low performing schools in the implementation of the selected intervention. This will be determined utilizing a scale of 1-3 ranking from poor (1), satisfactory (2) and commendable (3) for the following criteria:CriteriaPoor1 pointSatisfactory2 pointsCommendable3 pointsPoints EarnedLEA governanceState takeover districtLimited SEA interventionNo SEA intervention3Title I audit reportsFindings in areas requiring a repayment of fundsFindings in areas noted-repayment of funds not requiredNo findings in the fiscal area3LEA overall achievement rankingBottom (5% = 3 districts)Middle(70% = 38 districts)Top (25% = 14 districts)3Approval of the district strategic plan by the SEA(entire plan, not just the Title I section)Not approved by the SEAApproved by the SEA with revisionsApproved by the SEA without revisions3Percentage of Title I schools that met AYP in the last testing cycle0-50% of the Title I schools met AYP.51-75% of the Title I schools met AYP.76-100% of the Title I schools met AYP.3Development of schools as professionallearning communities The school has not yet begun to address the practice of a PLC or an effort has been made to address the practice of PLCs, but has not yet begun to impact a critical mass of staff members. A critical mass of staff has begun to engage in PLC practice. Members are being asked to modify their thinking as well as their traditional practice. Structural changes are being met to support the transition.The practice of PLCs is deeply embedded in the culture of the school. It is a driving force in the daily work of the staff. It is deeply internalized and staff would resist attempts to abandon the practice. 3Identification of district leadership team and assignment of responsibilitiesNo district leadership team nor identified person assigned for monitoring implementationLacks specific identification of personnel for the district leadership team and for monitoring implementation.A specific district leadership team is identified and one or more persons are assigned for monitoring implementation.3CriteriaPoor1 pointSatisfactory2 pointsCommendable3 pointsPoints EarnedSchool Leadership TeamSchool leadership team members are identified on the district and school level, but little evidence is produced to document whether the requirements of NCLB Sections 1116 and 1117 have been met.School leadership team members are identified on the district and school level and evidence is produced to document whether the requirements of NCLB Sections 1116 and 1117 have been met.School leadership team members are identified on the district and school level and include a wide range of stakeholders (e.g., parents; representatives of institutions of higher education; representatives of RESA or representatives of outside consultant groups) Evidence is produced to document whether the requirements of NCLB Sections 1116 and 1117 have been exceeded.3Total Points24Districts must obtain a score of 20 out of 24 possible points to demonstrate capacity to provide adequate resources and related support to each Tier I, Tier II and Tier III school identified in the LEA’s application in order to implement fully and effectively the selected intervention/activities in each identified school. Attach documentation or evidence for the above information.The WVDE can verify that Wood County Schools is not under any SEA intervention.The WVDE can verify that Wood County Schools did not have any findings in the fiscal area during the last monitoring.The WVDE can verify that Wood County Schools is in the top 25% of districts on the WESTEST. Wood County was 14th in math, 9th in Reading, 7th in Science, and 5th in Social Studies. This data was obtained from the WVEIS private data site.The WVDE approved both the county plan and the Title I plan.The WVDE can verify that all Wood County Title I Schools made AYP last year.PLCs are in place in Wood County Schools. Wood County Schools uses the term collaborative teams, which are the same as PLCs. Wood County Schools produces a curriculum and instruction guidebook (known as the “White Book”, which all schools follow. The page dealing with collaborative teams is attached.There is both a county level support team and a county/school support team in place for VanDevender. A sign in sheet for both groups follows In addition, a school –based leadership team is in place and may be verified through the strategic plan.Preliminary Budget FormDistrict Name: Wood County SchoolsSchool Name by TierIntervention Models: Select the model that will be implemented in each Tier I and Tier II school.TurnaroundRestartClosureTransformationTier I School:Tier II Schools:Tier III Schools: VanDevender MiddleNot applicable to Tier III plete a separate table for each Tier I school or Tier II school. Estimate the amount of funds required to implement the intervention model selected for each school. School Name:Tier:Turnaround ModelPre-Implemen-tationYear 1Year 2Year 3TotalReplace the principalUse locally adopted competencies to measure the effectiveness of staff who can work within the turnaround environmentScreen all existing staff and rehire no more than 50 percent of existing staffSelect new staffImplement strategies to recruit, place and retrain staffProvide high quality, job-embedded professional developmentAdopt a new governance structureUse data to identify and implement an instructional program that is research-based and vertically aligned from one grade to the next as well as aligned with State academic standardsPromote continuous use of student data to inform and differentiate instructionEstablish schedules and implement strategies to increase learning timeProvide appropriate social-emotional and community-oriented supports for studentsAdditional options (specify activities)Any of the required and permissible activities under the transformation model or a new school model (e.g., themed, dual language academy)Total:Restart ModelPre-Implemen-tationYear 1Year 2Year 3TotalConvert or close school and reopen under a charter school operator, a charter management organization (CMO), or an education management organization (EMO) that has been selected through a rigorous review process.Enroll, within the grades it serves, any former student who wishes to attend the school.Total:School Closure ModelPre-Implemen-tationYear 1Year 2Year 3TotalClose the schooln/an/aEnroll the students in other higher-performing schools in LEAn/an/aTotal:n/an/aTransformation ModelPre-Implemen-tationYear 1Year 2Year 3TotalA. Develop teacher and school leader effectivenessReplace the principalUse rigorous, transparent and equitable evaluation systems that take into account data on student growthIdentify and reward school leaders, teachers and other staff who have increased student achievement and the graduation rateProvide high quality, job-embedded professional developmentImplement strategies to recruit, place and retain staffOther permissible activities as defined in the regulations (specify activities)Subtotal:B. Comprehensive instructional reform programsUse data to identify and implement an instructional program that is research-based and vertically aligned from one grade to the next as well as aligned with State academic standardsPromote the continuous use of student data to inform and differentiate instructionOther permissible activities as defined in the regulations (specify activities)Subtotal:C. Increasing learning time and creating community-oriented schoolsEstablish schedules and strategies that provide increased learning time as defined by ED and create community-oriented schoolsProvide ongoing mechanisms for family and community engagementOther permissible activities as defined in the regulations (specify activities)Subtotal:D. Provide operating flexibility and sustained supportGive schools operating flexibility to implement fully a comprehensive approachEnsure that the school receives ongoing, intensive technical assistance and related support from the LEA and/or the SEAProvide intensive technical assistance and related support from a designated external lead partnership organizationOther permissible activities as defined in the regulations (specify activities)Subtotal:Total for Transformation Model:For each Tier III school, estimate amount of funds required to conduct school improvement activities. School Name:List School Improvement ActivitiesPre-Implemen-tationYear 1Year 2Year 3TotalProfessional Development and Support:Provide high quality, job-embedded professional development (AP of Curriculum, TIS)165,000165,0000165,000495,000Total:165,000165,000165,000495,000The budget should take into account the following:The number of Tier I and Tier II schools that the LEA commits to serve and the intervention model (turnaround, restart, closure, or transformation) selected for each school.The budget request for each Tier I and Tier II school must be of sufficient size and scope to support full and effective implementation of the selected intervention over a period of three years. The year one budget may include ‘pre-implementation’ activities that will be conducted prior to the beginning of the 2011-2012 school term. ................
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