Williams M. Finch Elementary School Title I schoolwide Plan 2011-2012

2. 
   C) At William M. Finch effective instructional methods that increase the quality, and amount of learning time for which teachers have received training in are as follows:
   

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  Success for All literacy program
  
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  Move It Math mathematics program
  
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  Consistence Management and Cooperative Discipline
  
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  CORE Knowledge
  
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  12-week Accelerated Intervention Program training
  

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  Hands On Atlanta Tutorial (after school program)
  

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  After school tutorial (every Wednesday)
  
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  Flexible Grouping
  
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  3^rd & 5^th grade students who do not meet the GGCRCT criteria attend summer school
  

4. 
   Address the needs of all children, particularly targeted populations, and address how the school will determine if such needs have been met and are consistent with improvement plans approved under the Educate America Act.
   

2. (d) The information outlined in this section provides clear evidence that the targeted population of students (current second through fifth grade students in reading, ELA, and math) at William M. Finch are monitored in terms of meeting student needs; and a consistent emphasis is put on our continued academic improvement plans as approved under the Educate America Act. Consequently, the school consistently follows the Georgia Performance Standards and Georgia frameworks that are utilized statewide to offer an equitable educational opportunity to all of its students. The achievements of said populations are assessed through benchmark test, common assessments, teacher made test and finally GCRCT. Clearly, the school wide plan addresses the needs of all children through the utilization of the William M. Finch Pyramid of Intervention. In the pyramid, data is collected on all students in tier 1. Classroom teachers, Special Education staff, Family Support Solutions Team, Student Support Team, and administrative staff will work collaboratively to screen students in multiple settings. This will enable all parties involved to implement the Response to Interventions method into all the four tiers of the Pyramid of interventions. From this meeting, a plan is formulated to address what strategies from the Pyramid of Interventions will apply. Strategies and instruction are based on research based practices that are utilized. Students may move in and out of levels on the Pyramid of Interventions based on a student’s progress monitoring (assessment results). Then, all staff work together to frequently monitor student progress and continue to collect data.

1. 
   Strategies to attract highly qualified teachers to high-needs schools.
   

3. Instruction delivered at William M. Finch is provided by teachers who are considered highly qualified under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; this information has been verified through the department of human resources. William M. Finch has a team of professionally trained staff members who participate in continuous improvement through graduate and staff development courses. At this time approximately twenty-one percent of the staff is involved in reading, and math endorsement courses, graduate courses of study at various colleges i.e. Walden, Clark Atlanta University, Argosy, Cambridge College, and Georgia State University.

3. (a) Finch utilizes ten percent of our Title I budget for professional development and educational workshops. Title I funds are also utilized for extended day instruction on Thursdays. The strategies used by Finch to attract high-quality highly qualified teachers include a two-pronged mentoring program as well as the teacher recruitment fair sponsored by human resources. The first component of attracting highly qualified teachers is the ability to offer district-based mentor teachers. The second component of attracting highly qualified teachers is to provide site-based mentors at the school level. These two components of mentoring are essential to foster new teachers with assistance in the areas of general policies and procedures at the school level. As part of Project GRAD, the administrative team and instructional coaches meet weekly with all teachers to ensure that they are provided with pertinent information related to their duties and responsibilities. Grade level chairpersons and identified veteran teachers serve as site-based mentors to new and at-risk teachers on their grade level. In addition, APS offers a variety of professional learning workshops as well as recruitment bonuses for highly qualified new applicants. When teachers come for the interview process they receive positive aspects of teaching at the school from the principal. The principal gives the demographics of the make-up of the school, reviews how the children get here to and from school, explains the duties and responsibilities as it relates to the school, gives a tour of the school, and discusses the total school program.

The school is used for teacher internships from various Georgia universities. The internships are utilized in the instructional program to allow for hands-on training.

Finch Elementary School coordinates and integrates a variety of Federal, State, and Local Services and Programs e.g., Title I: Early Intervention Program, and Title II: Professional Development. In addition the Project GRAD reform model is utilized to ensure that all student achievement and social needs are fulfilled.

Success For All Reading (SFA) Reform Program is funded through Title I Program. Money allocated to the program is used to purchase additional reading materials or resources. These resources are used with students and teachers to enhance the content areas of Reading and Language Arts. The goal of Success for All is to provide all students with learning experiences that enable them to attain reading proficiency at or above grade level by third grade and to maintain that success throughout the elementary grades. Achieving this goal provides all students with the foundation they need to succeed in the later grades. The program structure and components of Success for All are based two main principles: students need to be successful the first time they are taught and schools should organize all possible resources, including tutors and family support, to ensure success.

The reading coach and identified teachers are able to attend annual reading conferences that are also funded through the Title I Program. The Reading Conferences provides to all participants the latest research strategies and approaches to teaching reading.

Project GRAD Math is a component of the school’s reform. It is funded through Title 1 Program. Money allocated is used to purchase needed manipulatives and resource books for the classroom teachers to use in their standards based classrooms. Project GRAD Math is a developmental program that advocates a balanced approach to mathematics instruction where both skills acquisition and conceptual development of mathematics is emphasized. The philosophy of Project GRAD Math is that all students can and want to learn mathematics given the appropriate facilitation and opportunity. The program is organized around the five content standards and five process standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

The math coach meets with the teachers as a grade level and individually on a weekly basis to preview lessons and assessments. The teachers’ lessons are observed to ensure the application of the lesson cycle. With developmentally appropriate instruction, the daily math block is segmented. The daily 75 minute lesson cycle allows for shorter segments of instruction with emphasis on individual instruction, whole group instruction, cooperative grouping, application time, and varied instructional tasks and activities to provide additional practice of the skills and concepts. Every lesson ends with a reflection. Professional Developments are provided to assist with building teacher content capacity through research based instructional strategies. The Project GRAD Math Program consists of a number of innovative elements each facilitating the student’s ability to gain real understanding of mathematic concepts.

4. Professional development for staff to enable all children in the school to meet performance standards.

4. William M. Finch does offer in-house professional development. In the past two years, the following professional learning has been offered:

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  CLASS Keys
  
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  ATEP
  
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  School Achievement Plan
  
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  Balanced Score Card
  
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  26 Teaching Expectations
  
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  Title 1 Budget
  
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  (An APS Portal)SharePoint Training
  
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  Response to Intervention
  
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  Share Point
  

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  CLASS Keys
  
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  School Achievement Plan
  
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  Share Point
  
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  Balanced Score Card
  
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  Title 1 Budget
  
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  Differentiated Instruction
  
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  Response to Intervention
  
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  Higher Order Questioning
  
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  Data Driving Instruction
  

This current year’s professional development was based on the aforementioned areas of need derived from the 2010-2011 Atlanta Public Schools Top Priority Student Performance Goals, and the 2010-2011 state and district GCRCT results. In addition, students’ weekly diagnostic data will be used to determine additional targeted professional development across content areas. To ensure faculty/staff growth and development, the administrative team will monitor professional development. Faculty/staff will be surveyed by the principal to assess professional development needs as well.

 School-wide: SFA/MIM component meetings, mentor teacher workshops, CLASS Keys, GPS training, and Design Team

 System: GPS, and Professional Learning Framework

 State: GPS, and Writing workshops

 Metropolitan Regional Educational Service Agency: GPS and State Writing

 in addition, during pre-planning in August a staff meeting is held during which time it

5. William M. Finch Elementary School worked collaboratively with parents to develop a Parental Involvement Policy that addresses parental needs and satisfies the requirements of the NCLB Act of 2001. This plan is readily available to school staff, parents, and the public. Listed below are specific strategies that were implemented to increase parent involvement:

6. Preschool Transition

This area will address plans for assisting fifth grade students in the transition from elementary school to middle school.

7. Measures used to include teachers in the decisions regarding the use of assessment.

1. 
   Teachers are involved in making decisions concerning improving the students’ performance. There is a testing team comprised of teachers from every grade level (K-5).
   
2. 
   The testing team meets biweekly to generate school-wide benchmarks for quarterly distribution.
   
3. 
   Upon entry students are given a pre-assessment in every core subject to determine their current level of mastery.
   
4. 
   Teacher-made assessments are given weekly in all core subjects to assess their students’ achievement on the Georgia Performance Standards. Instruction is based upon the needs of the students.
   
5. 
   Using the compiled data, teacher and the administrative team meet weekly to analyze the data, determine the flexible groupings of the students.
   
6. 
   For reading, the Scholastic Reading Inventory Assessment is used.
   
7. 
   For math, Move It Math Quarterly Assessment, Navigating Math assessments, Quick Checks are used biweekly, and Skills Mastery Assessments are used weekly.
   

1. 
   List of State and local educational agency programs and other federal programs that will be included.
   

8. William M. Finch does coordinate and integrate Federal, State, and local services and programs. In the previous years funding services included the following funding sources: Title I, Title II, and state funds.

8(a) List of State and local educational agency programs and other federal programs that will be included. In this year’s funding services include the following funding sources: Title I, ARRAI, and other state funds. Finch Elementary School coordinates and integrates a variety of Federal, State, and Local Services and Programs e.g., Title I: Early Intervention Program; and Title II: Professional Development. In addition the Project GRAD reform model is utilized to ensure that all student achievement and social needs are fulfilled.

2. 
   Description of how resources form Title I and other sources will be used.
   

8(b) The Title 1 plan has been designed to meet the instructional needs of the students. We allocate funds to two comprehensive school reform facilitators who oversee the students’ academic progress and areas of need in both reading and math. In order to incorporate technology the school has purchased and installed several Promethean white boards across grade levels. Funds have also been utilized to allow teachers and administrators to attend off site workshops that deal with gaining strategies, and current trends with increasing student achievement. Materials and supplies for instructional use will be purchased. The budget allocates 5% of the overall budget to professional development which incorporates the use of this funding source for conferences and professional book clubs. The afterschool program addresses the areas of need as sited in the 2010 -2011 Atlanta Public Schools Top Priority Student Performance Goals, and the 2010– 2011 district and state GCRCT results.

3. 
   Plan developed in coordination with other programs, including those under the
   

8(c) William M. Finch does not benefit from School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act, and National and Community Service Act of 1990.

1. 
   Measures to ensure that student’ difficulties are identified in a timely manner.
   

Formative Assessment:

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  Georgia Kindergarten Assessment Program Revise (bi-yearly)
  
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  Georgia on-line Assessment System (weekly)
  

School-wide Benchmarks (quarterly)

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  Teacher-made Assessments (weekly)
  
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  Common assessments (given three times a year)
  

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  The Accelerated Intervention Program provides 45 minutes daily of instruction to students that were level 1 in reading and math on the 2010 Spring GCRCT.
  
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  Quarterly Student Support Team meetings will address the Pyramid of Interventions/ Response to Interventions research based strategies that should be implemented and monitored for pre-referred and referred students who experience academic difficulties.
  
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  Disaggregating of school data will be analyzed on a monthly basis to identify individual teachers, and grade level areas of deficiency in all content areas. The administrative team and individual and/or grade level will devise and implement a plan to address the student(s) area of academic need. A follow-up meeting will be conducted during the next assessment period to determine whether or not the strategies have been beneficial and whether or not additional strategies have been or should be implode.
  
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  Grade levels will utilize the Georgia state frameworks and resources offered on http://www.learningvillage.org. Each grade level will use the frameworks and resources to guide instruction and monitor progress through constantly reviewing within grade level meetings. If there is a disparity between the scope and sequence and what is being taught, teachers will be immediately notified of the disparity in writing.
  

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  Instruction is appropriately differentiated based on student needs (daily)
  
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  Instruction, follow-up activities, and homework are appropriately differentiated for students at the highest and lowest performance levels (daily)
  
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  Lessons include the appropriate implementation of the six elements of an effective lesson (daily)
  
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  Delivery of instruction to ensure that the classroom teachers are supported (in the teaching of specific content/skills) by non-core teachers. In addition, feedback on how to improve any identified weaknesses will be provided to teachers within 72 hours of the observation.
  

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  GCRCT data from the previous school year, common assessments, and quarterly benchmark data will be analyzed to ensure student success academically.