13 SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCE
2012
RECOGNITION PROGRAM
G sl
FOR
r1
LEARNING
Application Cover Page
RESA
3
aesat 2
Type of School
a a s s
el
Elementary
en scnool M
leiemen
oeie smoo Jomw ran scnool wen srnooi or vocaeoozp
If Previous School of Excellence Indicate Year
s of Recognition
Name of Principal
Mrs Amy N Pritt
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Mn
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peclry
Principal
Email Address
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NamB86youvns
Home
130 Lock Lane
Address
Alum Creek
WV
25003
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Ashfortl
WV
25009
304 836
5381
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Official School Name
7563917
304
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Hane ie
ephone
Rumble Elementary
Ashford
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School Address
County
1649 Ashford Nellis Road
Boone
Fax
I have reviewetl the
304 836
5381
the eli9
bility requiremenLS on page 4 a d certify all informa
ion to Oe
2
e
Name of Superintendent
Mr John G Hutlson
Spaclfy Ms Mpe Mm DL MiJ
District Name
District Address
Boone
69 Avenue B
Madison
WV
25130
304 3693131
Crry
srere
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reiepnone
I have reviewetl the applicatlon inelutling the eligibility requiremenfs on page 4 and certify all intormation to Ce
accurate
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1
2
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SUpa6ntentlBnYS 9lqnafure
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Name of School Board President
Mr Mark Sumpter
y Ms Mi55 Mrs pr Mr
600c1
i
accu
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pplication di
vi
ha
eligibi
requirements
on
page 4 antl certify all
i
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atlon
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be
Preparation of Application
List the name positionftitle of representative
relevant stakeholder groups including
administretors teachers other school staff students parents and the community involved in
the Schools of Excellence application process and obtain their signature
Name
PositionlTitle
Amy N Pritt
Principal
Sandra McClure
Kindergarten Teacher
Hollie Castle
First Grade Teacher
Andrew Dotson
Second Grade Teacher
Amanda Kniqht
Third Gretle Teacher
Mary Ann Thompson
Fourth Grede Teacher
Sherry Waugh
Fifth Grade Teacher
Anna Brewer
Sixth Grade Teacher
Charles Aliff
Title I Teacher
Fran Ramella
Special Education Teach
Judy Kinder
School Secretary
Rebecca Arnold
Parent
Misty Toney
PTO President
Denny Sayre
Music Teacher
Tracy Harvey
Business Partner
Beth Bums
Speech Pathologist
John Pritt
Parent
2
PART I
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Schools of Excellence Recognition Program for 21 Century Learning
Please check the appropriate space for each of the eligibility criteria statements below
1 The school has been in existence for five full years
True
False
2 The
school has not received recognition as a School of Excellence for 21
Century Learning
in the past five years
True
3
False
The school has wrrent full accreditation status
True
False
4 The school has made Adequate Yearly Progress AYP under the No Child Left Behind
NCLB Implementation plan for the past two years
True
False
5 The school has not been identified as a
persistently dangerous school within the last two
years
True
False
6 2011 WESTEST 2 data for the all student subgroup meet the required annual measurable
objective academic indicators for reading
language arts and mathematics
Reading
Mathematics
52
65
True
63
57
False
7 The student attendance rate for elementary and middle schools is at or above 93 percent
True
False
NA
8 The high school student graduation rate is at or above 80 percent
True
False
NA
3
PART II BACKGROUND AND DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
District
1
Total number of Pre
12 students enrolled in the district
K
2
Number of schools in the district
Elementary
High
Junior
564
4
Schools
10
Schools
1
Mitldle Schools
1
High Schools
3
TOTAL
15
Scho01
3
When was the school built
1963
4
Date of any major renovations
iERI
5 If the school has been renovated briefly describe the nature of the renovation
The school ovm and cafeteria were added in the earlv 1970s and an additional classroom
was added in 1988 Construction will beqin on a new comouter lab on Mav 1 2012
6
Total number of classrooms in the school
g
7 1 year Number of years the principal has been in his
her position at this school
6
ears
If less than three years how long was the previous principal at this school
8 Number of students as of October 1 enrolled at each grade level or its equivalent
A
N
K
20
16
1
2
17
8
9
K
Pre
12
13
i3
tl
4
5
15
A
N
A
N
ethnic composition of students
Racial
6
7
8
A
N
9
A
N
A
N
10
11
A
N
Other
101
ToWI
A
N
12
American Indian
Alaskan Native
Pacific Islander
Asian
Black
or
African American
Hispanic
10
Student turnover
or
mobility rate during the past
year
or
0
0
2
Latino
White
0
98
Total
100
13
Note This rate should inclutle the total number of students who transferred to or from different
schools
between October 1 and the end of the school year divided by the total number of
students in
school
your
as
of October
multiplied by
100
PART II
11
BACKGROUND AND DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
Continued
Students eligible for free
priced
reduced
meals
62
68
Total Number
If this is not a reasonably accurate estimate of the percentage of students from low
income
families or if your school does not participate in the federally supported lunch program specify
a more accurate estimate tell why you chose it and explain how you arrived at this estimate
12
Students
receiving special
education services
25
Number Served
28
Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to special education
categories designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
0
Autism
0
0
Deafness
1
0
Blindness
Deaf
9
Emotional Disturbance
0
0
23
Hearing Impairment
0
1
Mental Retardation
0
0
Multiple Disabilities
Orthopedic Impairment
Other Health Impaired
Specific Learning Disability
Speech orLanguage
Impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury
VisuallmpairmenVBlind
13
Describe any significant changes in the data reported in items 4
10 that have occurred
during the past five years and explain why the changes occurred
14
Indicate the full
time and part
time staff members in each of the categories below
Number of Staff
Time
Full
s
Administrator
Time
Part
V
Classroom Teachers
7
Special Resources Teachers
Specialists
4
Pareprofessionals
Support StaH
3
Total Number
15
16
0
Average school student
classroom teacher ratio that is the number of
students in the school divided by the FTE of classroom teachers e
g 22
1
b7
1
16
PART 111 SUMMARY STATEMENT Limited to two pages
Provide a brief but wherent snapshot of the school to be used primarily as a public relations
document If the school is recognized the summary statement will be made available to the
press The summary statement will not be rated by the Review Panel but it will provide them
with important background information for understanding the school Limit the summary
statement to hvo pages or less
Describe the school highlighting the mission the school culture and traditions the nature of the
community and students served and the school
s facilities Summarize the strengths and
accomplishments focusing on what makes the school a unique and successful place for learning
and worthy of state recognition Using the main categories in Section V as a general guide
selectively emphasize the key initiatives that distinguish the school
Please include the school name city and state in the first sentence
Rumble is a Title I elementary school located in the small coal mining
Ashford
community of Ashford in Boone County VW Located just 20 miles south of West
s state capital Ashford
Virginia
s tight knit community depends on employment within
the coal industry or coal
related services as a main income source Because of its rural
setting Ashford
Rumble Elementary is considered the heart of the community The
school often serves as a community center and many events are held in cooperation
with both the school and town Fall festivals neighborhood crime watch groups
community dinners parades and town clean up events often provide staff the
opportunity to work hand in hand with parents and residents This forms a collaborative
relationship within the Ashford Community
Strong instructional leadership and frequent monitoring of student progress allows
teachers to identify and focus on students weaknesses This frequent monitoring of
student work provides several types of data that drives the curriculum at ARES By
analyzing data obtained from weekly classroom assessments Pearson Success net
Acuity DIBELS Next and WV Writes teachers identify areas of student weakness
within the WV Content Standards and Objectives and then realign curriculums to
addressthose needs
The staff at Ashford
Rumble Elementary strives to provide rigorous high quality
educational experiences that ensure success for ALL students The staff believes that
this is achieved by combining Quality 21st century teaching and 21st century learning to
equal SUCCESS Staff members work to ensure that they maintain a clear and focused
mission within a safe and orderly environment Teachers hold high expectations for
student success and maximize their opportunity to learn throughout the school day
The staff welcomes parents into the building and feels that positive home
school
relations are crucial for children to succeed
Ashford Elementary is a true Community School that uses the
Rumble
collaboration of stake holders to educate ALL By collaborating with parents
community members local churches and area businesses ARES works to not only
meet the academic needs of students but also the physical social and emotional
needs of the whole child
PART IV
MISSION STATEMENT imited to one page
Successful organizations have a clearly articulated and commonly understood mission Provide
a brief statement of your school mission how it was developetl how it drives improvement
planning in your school and how it focuses on 21 Century Learning for all Limit your
statement to one page or less
Ashford Rumble Elementary School ARES will provide a high quality education for ALL
students This mission was developed by all teachers aides and the principal during the
teacher preparation days at the beginning of the 2011
2012 school year The school principal
asked everyone involved to write down their thoughts on what it takes to achieve student
success Each member then read their thoughts aloud
From this discussion all staff agreed that students should be provided with a high quality
education The staff then discussed what a
high quality education meant to them Many said
that this meant providing 21 Century Learning Again the staff was asked to dig deeper to
clarify how this could be achieved The staff brought up that this meant teaching and learning
that focused on the WV Content Standards and Objectives Lessons should incorporate the use
of technology and collaborative groups It also required challenging students to think and
create and also to provide students opportunities to learn through hands on experiences and
field trip learning The staff felt that these were ways that students learn best Therefore the
staff compiled these thoughts to create the vision 21 Century Teaching z Century
Learning
SUCCESS
It was important to get everyone involved with the creation of the mission and vision In
order for the mission and vision to be the driving forces of the school it would take the
collaborative work and belief of all staff members
Staff members felt that they needed to set high expectations for their students In order to
get sWdents to work to meet these expectations positive relationships had to be established
or maintained between the teachers and students An activity was provided that allowed
and
teachers to think about the current relationships they held with incoming students Teachers
were provided a poster that had every student in the school
s name on iL Teachers had to look
at the poster and identify students that they had previously developed a positive relationship
with Once they found a studenPs name they placed their initials below the studenYs name with
a blue markec Teachers then looked at the list again and found the names of students that they
felt they had already established a positive relationship with the students parents Once
identified teachers then placed Meir initials below the studenPs name with a retl marker
Once staff members filled in the poster it provided a quick visual as to which students had
no initials under their names and which students had many different initials It allowed teachers
to see that some students lacked positive adult relationships within the building It was agreed
upon that in order for students to work towards teachers expectations every student must have
a positive relationship with at least one adult within the building All students needed to know
that someone cared about them With this goal in mind staff members were challenged to form
and maintain relationships with students throughout the year
The TeachedStudent Relationship poster has remained in the offce throughout the school
year and teachers have added their initials once a new relationship has been formed
Maintaining these relationships along with holding high ezpectaions and providing 21 Century
teaching allows the staff at Ashford
Rumble Elementary to provide a high quality education for
all
A Student Focus and Support
A1 How does your school assure that all students receive the academic support they
need to achieve at high levels How is your school structured to meet the varied
needs of your student population
Classroom schedules are developed to ensure that students opportunities to learn is
maximized Teachers make certain that students in grades K
4 receive a minimum of 315
instructional minutes per day and students in grades 5
6 receive a minimum of 330
instructional minutes per day Teachers analyze data from Acuity Benchmarks DIBELS
Next Benchmarks Pearson Success net assessments Phonics Screeners WV Writes and
weekly classroom assessments to determine that students are learning and progressing
throughout the year Data drives the curriculum at Ashford
Rumble Elementary and allows
teachers to target areas of weakness and students who are struggling If students are not
achieving success steps are taken to determine if the student just needs eMra
accommodations
support
within the classroom support from Title I or referral for speciai
education
Within the classroom teachers offer a variety of instructional practices to meet the
needs of different types of learners Lessons are taught using large group instruction
collaborative group instruction learning centers and hands
on manipulatives while also
incorporating technology If a student is targeted as needing ea4ra assistance the Title I
teacher initiates two weeks of interventions for that student ARer two weeks of
interventions the student is then Progress Monitored using DIBELS Next and
or a Phonics
Screening test to determine if interventions show that the student is improving
academically If the interventions are determined to be unsuccessful a Student Assistance
Team S
T meeting is held for the child Members of the S
A
T usualty include the
A
principal dassroom teacher Title I teacher special education teacher and parent During
this meeting members collaboratively decide what accommodations the regular classroom
teacher will use to assist the child and if 8
12 weeks of Intensive Intervention is necessary
for the student Intensive intervention is provided by Title I and during this time a Support
for Personalized Learning SPL intervention log is maintained to record data and student
progress
After 8
12 weeks of intensive intervention the S
T reconvenes to again review the
A
students data If the student still proves to be unsuccessful another 8
12 weeks of
Intensive Intervention is provided At the completion of this secand round of interventions
a final S
T meeting is held to again review the studenPs data and to decide if the
A
collected data shows that the student shouid be referred for special education testing
By completing these steps teachers ensure that decisions for students successes
are determined by the use of data By working with lhe Student Assistance Team
collaboretive decisions are made to best meet the needs of each individual student Not all
students that enter the SPL process are referred for special education Many students just
need extra help and accommodations to succeed The staff at Ashford
Rumble works to
identify students that are struggling and find ways to help those students achieve success
Students that are identified as making partial mastery are offered Extended Day
Tutoring services through Title L During this six week period teachers identify students
weaknesses within the WV C
s and provide extra time and support in these deficient
O
S
areas Extended Day services are provided three days per week for one hour each day
This tutoring helps students gain skills that will push them into the mastery level
Students that are identified as Above Mastery and Distinguished are also challenged
to improve Students that show high levels of academic success are encouraged to work
with Math Field Day the Academic Bowl or may be asked to serve as a peer tutor for
classmates
or younger students Some students may also qualify to receive gifted services
a
through
Boone
County
Schools itinerete gifted teacher
Challenging students to achieve at higher levels could not be done without continuing
professional development for teachers and support staff Throughout the summer and
school year staff members attend PD on many different approaches to teaching and
learning These conferences often focus on math reading writing depth of knowledge
leadership Support for Personalized Learning and technology Maintaining current
knowledge assures that all students receive the academic support they need to
achieve at high levels
A2 What comprehensive student support system is available for addressing student
physical social and emotional needs7 How does the school intervene when student
personal needs are preventing academic success
Ashford Elementary has a small staff with a large nurturing attitude Staff
Rumble
members take the time to ask students about their families and home lives By forming
close relationships staff members discover the emotional needs of children within the
school
ARES also has a counselor on site rivo days per week On these days she provitles
individual counseling for students as well as classroom developmental guidance sessions
The counselor works with classroom teachers and support staff to identify areas of need
pertaining to students physical social and emotional needs
It is evident that many ARES students struggle to overcome obstacles from drug and
substance abuse within the home The staff at ARES feels that it is necessary to provide
information to our students parents and community on this growing problem
In the fall students participated in the national Red Ribbon Week Drug Awareness
program Guest speakers included area church leader Rob Bowling who provided a magic
show that incorporaled drug awareness and good decision making for students and Boone
County deputy Eric Eversole who brought a drug tlog to school and spoke to the students
about drug prevention
At the end of the week Ashford
Rumble Elementary heid a Fall Festival
Drug
awareness day During this event 231ocal crafters set up booths local singers provided
music and students
parents made homemade apple butter Representatives from
Prestera and Cornerstone Outreach were on hand to speak with families about drug
addiction and recovery programs The community signed a banner that they pledged to be
Drug Free and Ashford
Rumble Elementary purchased t
shirts for every student to wear
that said These Paws Don
t Touch Drugs The purpose of this festival was to provide a
fun family day that would draw a large crowd to the school Once here parents and
community members received resources on drug addiction and recovery This was an
attempt to bring drug awareness and education to the Ashford
Rumble Community
Hundreds of people attended the event and it is believed that information was placed into
the hands of not only Ashford residents but many people from throughout Boone County
Rumble Elementary has also worked with a Community Crime Watch group
Ashford
this year The gym has been provided each month for law enforcement to conduct
crime prevention meetings During a meeting that fowsed on Recognizing the
drug
Process for Meth Making over 100 local community members as well as many ARES staff
members were present By providing the school
s facilities community members can see
that staff members want to work with area residents and law enforcement to address the
drug and crime problem affecting many students
families within our school
Rumble Elementary recognizes that many students come from low SES
Ashford
backgrounds and often only eat while at school ARES has worked with local churches this
school year to provide Love Bags to students each Friday Inside these bags food is
provided for students to take home for the weekend The school also received a
Healthy
Fruits and Vegetables grant from the VN
DE This grant provides healthy snacks to
students two afternoons per week
Fruit and
vegetable bars
have also been
provided
during holiday events
parties in place of unhealthy food options These food programs
provide added nutrition to our students and also teach healthy eating habits
During the fall ARES staff identified fifteen 3
6 grade students that are At
Risk for
dropping out of school later in life Students were identified based on academic
performance absenteeism or disciplinary issues These students have met with a Boone
County Schools Graduation Coach in small group settings to work on beautification and
team building projects throughout the school The purpose of these meetings is to give
these students a sense of ownership or pride within the school This will help these At
Risk students build self esteem and confidence in their education
ended Day tutoring is offered to students in the spring and fall three days per week
E
for one hour each day Each session of Extended Day runs 6
7 weeks During this time
students are provided a healthy dinner and teachers provide differentiated instruction to
target students academic weaknesses
Children living in rural and low
income communities often fall behind during the
summer months starting each school year behind where they were the previous spring
Successive summers of limited learning opportunities may cause children to fall below
grade level by the end of elementary school
putting them further and further behind more
privileged peers To address this ARES offers Energy Ezpress to students Energy
Express is an eight week program that provides summer learning experiences focused on
reading Students are provided two nutritious meals per day and students receive the
opportunity to perform community service Approximately 40 sWdents are serviced by
Energy Express at ARES each summer Busing is provided for students to attend both
tended Day and Energy Ezpress
Ea
A3 How has your school demonstreted a commitment to addressing the accessibility of
its facilities and programs to students with disabilities7
The staff at ARES feels that High Expectations should be set for every child regardless
of students disabilities Although all students do not learn at the same rete the staff feels
that it is important to recognize that every stutlent can learn All students at ARES
participate in the regular education classroom during various times throughout the day
Teachers offer accommodations
modifications for students with disabilities in both the
regular education and special education setting
All students are offered maximized time on task to learn Students with disabilities are
mainstreamed into the regular education setting as much as possible Some students with
disabilities receive pull out special education services for math and reading if that setting is
determined as the least restrictive environment An I
P team meets to collaborate on the
E
best educational environment for each child
All students are mainstreamed into their regular grade level classes for P
E art
science social studies music developmental guidance classes lunch and recess Some
special education students also remain in the regular education setting for math and
reading Modifications are made as determined by students I
P or 504 plans
E
The Title I teacher at ARES team teaches with the regular education teachers in grades
3 to provide in class support for students Through the SPL process the Title I teacher
K
also works with the regular education teacher and S
T members to identify students that
A
are referred for special education testing Once a student receives a SAT I meeting
he is monitored by both the Title I teacher and regular education teacher each week
she
The team reconvenes every 4
6 weeks to review this monitoring and to discuss
achievement and progress
In ihe future the staff at ARES would like to offer more inclusion classes for students
with disabilities With only one special education teacher it is a challenge to work different
grade levels into her schedule The staff at ARES however is not afraid to be
times
10
creative in their thinking and scheduling The administration will continue to work closely
with the special education teacher to ensure that all students needs are met within their
least restrictive environments
B School Culture
B1 What is the sehool
s underlying norms values beliefs treditions and rituals that
have built up over time as people work together solve problems and confront
challenges How does the school culture enhance school improvement efforts
Rigor Relevance and Relationships are essential to achieving academic success
Although Relationships comes at the end of this saying it is crucial to making Rigor and
Relevance possible Students must know that someone believes in them and cares about
their successes At the beginning of the year ARES staff set a goal to focus on positive
relationships with students and parents These relationships work to create a caring and
nurturing environment throughout the building If students feel loved and safe they can
remain more focused academically and will more likely work to reach the expectations set
by teachers
At the entrance of ARES a bulletin board is placed in the foyer that says Relationships
Matter On this bulletin board staff members completed a
Thumb Print activity at the
beginning of the year that states 9 am committed to forming Positive Relationships with my
students and parents by providing Rigor and Relevance Open Communication
Compassion High Expectations Engaging Activities and a Caring Attitude Each staff
member placed his
her thumb print on the activity and provided their signature Those
papers have been displayed on the board throughout the year to maintain a focus on
forming and maintaining positive relationships This activity has been used in conjunction
with the relationships poster that was mentioned in part IV of this application
Positive relationships gain students trust and allow staff members to learn about
students personal needs Due to a high number of low SES students the school and
community often work together to accommodate these needs During the beginning of
school the Good Samaritan Foundation offered new shoes and backpacks to all students
in the school In December a community member donated 3
000 for students to go
Christmas shopping Students were taken to Wal
Mart or K
Mart and allowed to spend 25
each Local churches and the Boone County Ambulance authority provided coats and food
baskets to 26 students and an area coal mine and trucking company donated 1
800 for
staff members to Christmas shop for needy students
At Thanksgiving local businesses donated money and staff members donated their
time to cook and serve a free Thanksgiving meal to anyone in the community that came by
the school Over 100 meals were served Also as mentioned in question A2 local
churches provide food for students to take home each weekend
The principal Title I teacher and kindergarten aide conducted home visits at the
beginning of the year to any family that wished to have DIBELS assessments and student
achievement discussed with them In all 10 families were visited This helped strengthen
the relationship between the school and home and allowed staff to better understand the
personal needs of 16 separete students
Overall the atmosphere and culture at ARES is very positive Staff members work to
provide the needs of the whole child by providing rigor and relevance to meet academic
needs but also seeking to form positive relationships to meet emotional and personal
needs of all
11
62 What intentional initiatives have taken place to create centered
leaming culture
a
within the school
a How does the academic success of all students remain a day
to priority
Data drives the curriculum at ARES Weekly and monthly assessments are
administered to all students to recognize students strengths and weaknesses
Teachers maintain a focus on the WV Content Standards and Objectives QS
O and
realign their curriculum to readdress C
s that are shown by data to be a weakness
O
S
amongst students
Once per month a traveling cadre of teachers provides common planning for
teachers at ARES Monthly focus calendars and lessons are created to address
students weaknesses and teachers disass data obtained from Acuity DIBELS and
WV Writes
Teachers provide 90 minutes of reading and 60 minutes of math each day During
this instruction students are taught through whole group and cooperative group
instruction Project based activities often occur and technology is used by both
teachers and students
Teachers have set routines and rules within their classrooms which create a
learning environment that is free of dislradions This combined with a data driven
wrriculum and bell to bell insVUCtion creates an emironment within the school that is
conducive to student success
b What kinds of activitieslcelebretions etc are sustained to build positive
relations between and among staff students parents and the community
Staff students parents and community members work together to present a 9
11
Anniversary tribute Annual Ashford
Rumble Community Halloween Parade Fall
Drug Awareness Day Veteran
Festival
s Day Program Thanksgiving Community
Dinner Christmas Around the World Presentation Ashford
Rumble Community
Christmas Parade Community Crime Watch Group Community Clean Up Event and
Family Math and Science Nights
Students achievements are celebrated through recognition in the school
newsletter awards at the end of the year kindergarten graduation 6 grade banquet
academic honor banquet and awards day Students names are also announced each
day if they achieve a six on WV Writes
Each week teachers mail home 1
2 Positive Posicards This allows teachers to
communicate good things that they see happening with students This technique allows
stronger relationships to be built between teachers students and parents by
celebrating positive aspects of children
s education The school principal also writes
positive notes on students report cards each nine weeks
Parents volunteer time to help students prepare for an end of the year Academic
Bowl sponsored by Patriot Coal at Camp Lightfoot and they also volunteer assistance
with the ARES Tigers basketball
cheerleading program
12
B3 How does your school foster a sense of cooperetion and collaboration among adults
and students
a What opportunities do students have to build supportive and caring relationships
with teachers and other adults
ARES has a Positive Support Program called Green Lighters With this program
students must display responsible behavior complete all work and come to school on
time each day If students maintain the status ofl
Green Lighter all week they receive
25 minutes of special activities each Friday afternoon During this time staff members
interact with students and often participate with them in football parachute games
Simon Says activities etc It is a time of fun for students and teachers to spend
together This program has been very positive this year Students really strive to be
responsible and achieve Green Lighter Status each week
At the end of each nine weeks students that have maintained Green Lighter status
at least seven of nine weeks get to attend a field trip Thus far students have visited
Chief Logan Park and Galaxy Lanes Bowling Teachers again participated with
students in park activities and bowling games These outings have strengthened the
relationships between students and staff
In December many staff members donated their time one evening to take students
to see the Christmas lights at Chief Logan State Park Over eighty students attended
this trip Many students and parents recognized that teachers did not have to provide
their time for this but did so because they care about the kids at ARES
b How does your school promote positive student interaction and prepare students
to succeed in a culturelly and socially diverse environment
Teaching diversity is challenging in an area that consists of mainly one race and
socioeconomic class Several activities however have been provided to educate
students on diversity and tolerance
In September it became apparent that many of the students at ARES had never
heard of the events of OL
11 Most were not born when this tragic day occurred The
9
school worked with local fire departments EMS services police and the air national
guard to present a 9
11 Anniversary Tribute Teachers in all grades taught students of
the events of 01
11 The gym was full of community members parents fire fighters
9
police officers EMS workers and military members Classes created individual tributes
to victims and also to our local service members It was very powerful to see the
names of every victim of 9
1 0lcarried in and displayed by ARES students It was an
emotional day and a powerful learning ezperience for students The day taught
students tolerance patriotism honor and forgiveness
In conjunction with the Clay Center and WV Symphony teachers taught diversity
through a Rumplestiltzkin unit The Clay Center provided an assorted basket of
materials that translated the tale of Rumplestiltzkin into severel languages and told
different versions as offered by various cultures Students then attended a symphony
that depicted the story of Rumplestiltzkin through musia For lunch that day students
were taken to a Chinese restaurant or Japanese Steakhouse to experience different
ethnic cuisines
In November the music teacher choreographed a Veteren
s Day production
Local V
W brenches were in attendance and students honored them for their service
F
and patriotism
In December each class studied how Christmas was celebrated in
13
different countries Parents and community members were invited to watch as each
class presented traditions songs and facts about Christmas in their respective
countries
The Green Lighter Program reinforces respect and tolerance among students
Students have to leam to work together and get along in order to maintain their Green
Lighter status This is a skill necessary to achieve success in a global and diverse
economy
C Challenging 21s Century Curriculum Standards
C1 Successful schools establish rigorous curriculum standards for all students How
does your school establish high expectations for all students and ensure that
students achieve at high levels in the core subjects
a English Reading and Language
Arts
b
Mathematics
c
Science
d
Social Studies
e
Foreign Languages
f
The Arts
The staff at ARES believes that it is important for students to be well rounded in all content
areas of the curriculum A school wide emphasis is placed on Reading Language Arts and
math while also incorporating science and social studies activities each day Art and music
activities are also provided each week
Four Square Writing is taught in each grade level Students begin learning four square
writing in the lower grades through pidure sequence and then they transition into using this
graphic organizer to write and organize thoughts and paragraphs The four square writing
process is used in conjunction with NN Writes to strengthen students writing
Everyday Math is used in each grade level Students have the opportunity to use print
materials manipulatives and on
line resources Students often use a 20 station iPad cart to
prectice Everyday Math applications in class A family math night is held to teach parents how
to navigate the on
line version of Everyday Math and also how to find Everyday Math
Applications for iPads iPods and iPhones at home
Students in grades 4
6 work on science and social studies fair projects each year After
school sessions are offered for students and parents to work on projects in preparation for this
event Hands
on science activities are also incorporated into the weekly activities of each
grade
ARES has an itinerate band teacher that works with students twice a week Students also
have the opportunity to participate in a Strings program Each year students are selected to
perform in the Boone County Strings Concert and also All County Chorus
Teachers assess students understanding of the core subjects using weekly classroom
assessments DIBELS Ne
ct assessments and also 3 Acuity Benchmark assessments DIBELS
reports are sent home for each parent to read After school sessions are offered to parents to
bring in DIBELS reports to have them explained by a teacher Classroom Matrixes are printed
out for each Acuity Benchmark assessment These Matrix reports allow teachers and students
to easily see C
s that students are strong and weak in This allows teachers to realign their
O
S
curriculum to focus on identified areas of need
14
C2 How does your curriculum address 21 century content civic literecy financial
economic and business literacy global awareness and health and wellness
awareness7 What emphasis do you place on these content areas in your
curriculum7
Students at ARES participate in developmental guidance lessons one day per week
with the guidance counselor During these lessons discussions and activities center on
bullying drug awareness respect responsibility friendship etc
Tolerance and religious differences have been taught through a unit on the events of
01
1
9
1 and also through a Christmas Around the Wodd Unit Although individual classes
are not offered on civic literecy and global awareness at an elementary level lessons are
incorporated into math and social studies lessons
C3 How do you ensure that diverse learners e
g students with disabilities students
identified as gifted and Wlented students with limited English proficiency students
identified as migrant students placed at risk all have the opportunity to learn
challenging content and achieve at high levels
Curriculum for all students and grade levels at ARES centers on the WV C
Os
S
Targeted and intensive intervention services are offered to struggling students through Title
I During these sessions differentiated instruction is provided to reinforce materials
covered in the regular education classroom
Special Education students also cover the VW C
s Pull out service is offered to
O
S
provide remediation to students that have an I
P that supports remediation ARES also
E
has an itinerate speech pathologist that works with students that require speech services
Programs and activities are also offered for students that excel academically
Students that qualify as gifted receive services from an itinerate gifted teacher one day per
week During these sessions the gifted teacher challenges students to expand their
knowledge and understanding of materials taught within the regular education classroom
Math Field Day BCS Speliing Bee BCS Science and Social Studies Fairs and Patriot
Coafs Academic Bowl allow students that excel in certain areas to participate in
competitive events and Strings and All County Chorus is offered to students that excel in
the Arts
C4 What curriculum offerings provide rigorous educational opportunities that transition
students to post secondary education and
or careers7
A
N
D Engaging Instruction
D1 How is the development of core literecy skills an integral part of instruction across
all grades and subjects
All students at ARES are administered Benchmark Assessments three times per year
using DIBELS Next Using the obtained data studeMS that are targeted as struggling
readers receive intervention services and are progress monitored regularly using DIBELS
Next
15
Students at ARES take Pearson Success net tests each week to determine their
understanding of weekly reading stories and vocabulary words Teachers use word walls
within their classrooms to focus on weekly vocabulary
All students at ARES use Four Square writing to organize writing and promote writing
literacy Once in grade three students also begin using WV Writes to increase writing
skills Students pre
write using the Four Square method and then create compositions for
WV Writes Students are encouraged to score their essays and then go back to make
corrections and rescore their essays By making corrections once WV Writes has scored a
composition students are able to see how their changes improve their writing and increase
their scores Teachers turn in students weekly writing samples to the principal
All students in grades K
6 wrote and published a book this year through Student
Treasures Students also write short stories each year to earn a spot for Take
Kid to
A
Dinnec Take
Kid to Dinner is a writing contest offered through the Boone County
A
Reading Council Teachers select students from each grade level to attend a dinner at
Scott High School in which students read their stories in front of a small group and then
have their stories bound in a book for the Boone County Library
Students in gratles three through six also take three Acuity Benchmarks throughout the
year Teachers use the data from these benchmarks to determine areas of strengths and
weaknesses with the VN C
s Once weaknesses are targeted teachers readdress
O
S
and re teach the C
s in which students are weak
O
S
D2 What school
wide practices or processes are used to accelerete the learning of
students who fall below masteryT
Using data to target deficiencies is the main prectice used to accelerete the learning of
sWdents that fall below mastery at ARES Westest data is analyzed at the beginning of the
school year to give teachers a starting point with students The analysis of data however
does not stop there Teachers review results from DIBELS Acuity WV Writes and weekly
assessments throughout the year to determine if students are making progress towards
mastery Targeted and Intensive intervention services are offered through Title I for
students that need e
Rra assistance or possibly a referral for special education services
ended day tutoring is also offered in both the fall and spring Busing and dinner is
E
provided so that all students that need assistance have the opportunity to stay The
attendance rate for Extended Day tutoring has been very successful
D3 What research
based instructional stretegies and organizational methods do
teachers use to actively engage students at high levels and assure students deep
understanding of content rather than coverage of materials
All students receive 90 minutes of reading per day Students in grades kindergarten
through third grades receive 90 minutes of math instruction each day and students in
grades four through six receive 60 minutes of math instruction each day
Varied strategies ensure that students remain engaged at high levels rether than just
covering materials Teaching strategies for RLA include the use of graphic organizers
paired reading 10 most important sentences iPad applications and decodable leveled
readers Writing is taught through Four Square Writing and the Five Step Process
Math strategies include the use of math solutions iPad applications Number Talks
and Waltke Web The use of materials and games through the Everyday Math series
ensures that students use hands
on manipulatives creative thinking skills and
collaboration
16
Once strategies have been implemented students are assessed by weekly classroom
tests selected and extended response personal communications DIBELS Next Pearson
Success net VW Writes and Acuity to measure their retention of materials Areas of
weakness are targeted and re
taught
D4 What processes
strategies and
or management systems are used to assure a safe
and orderly schoollclassroom environment7
Students are given a school agenda at the beginning of the year that lists all school
rules and procedures as well as BCS rules and procedures and the WV Student Code of
Conduct Both students and parents sign and return a form that they have received and
read the information provided in the student agenda
All teachers have established classroom rules and all students participate in the ARES
school wide Green Lighters Responsible Students Program See question B 3 for details of
Green Lighters Program
D5 Demands of the 21 century require that students be proficient in a variety of
learning skills and adept at using 21 century technology tools How does
classroom instruction prepare students for success in the 21 century
The staff at ARES feels that it is important to provide students with tools for success in
21 Century Learning
Every classroom is equipped with a Promethian Smart Board
projection camera mounted LCD projector and teacher laptop Teachers not only use this
equipment to provide instruction but students also interact with these tools during lessons
This equipment along with a 20 station iPad cart and 3 sets of classroom responders
allows teachers to provide differentiated instruction to meet the needs of many types of
learners
Updated fiber cabling and school wide wireless internet access is available throughout
Rumble Elementary On May 1 2012 construction will begin to replace the
Ashford
existing computer lab that is adjacent to the building with a new lab that will be connected
to the front of the school Upon completion this summer ARES will be equipped with a
new 30 station lab Desktop computers are being purchased by Boone County Schools
Electronic devices are not all that is used to focus on 21 Century Learning at ARES
Teachers often create lessons that allow students to work in cooperative groups and
learning centers Students are encouraged to collaborate and problem solve and to also
work independently The Everyday math series provides a wide range of games and
activities that teachers incorporate into daily lessons Enhancing these skills along with
daily exposure to technology tools allows students at Ashford
Rumble Elementary to
become proficient in a variety of 21 Century learning skills
D6 How do teachers differentiate the instructional process to meet the varied needs of
learners
Upon entering any classroom at ARES one will see teachers and students using Smart
boards and iPads and learning centers cooperative groups and hands
on manipulatives
will be present Differentiation of instruction is provided by offering varied teaching
stretegies and learning tools to reach different types of learners It is also provided by
offering targeted and intensive support to students that are struggling to learn
Using leveled readers both the Title I and regular education teacher are able to assist
and work with students in small groups Pacing and activities both audio and visual are
usetl to allow students to work at their appropriate levels and in ways that they learn best
17
Learning centers and hands
on manipulatives allow students to create think and
problem solve They also allow the teacher to provide instruction using higher levels of
depth of knowledge
D7 What opportunities do students have to apply learning to real world situations
Students participate in several academic based field trips throughout the year that
provide real world experiences and learning During the fall students visited the Coal
Museum and Wildlife Exhibit at Chief Logan State Park Also in partnership with the Clay
Center and VW Symphony students studied a three week unit on Rumplestiltzkin and then
attended the symphony
s musical interpretation of the story
Upon completing units of study on Japanese antl Chinese cWtures students ate lunch
at the China Garden and Hibachi Steakhouse And at the completion of a P
Math unit
E
on bowling students visited Galaxy Lanes to apply their school knowledge of bowling and
scoring to the actual recreation
Through the VW DNR students had the opportunity to study a VW Wildlife display The
DNR sent a trunk to ARES that contained animal skins of common WV wildlife along with
sample footprints feces molds and instructional materials
In February ARES brought in Snakes Alive which provided hands
on live reptile
activities and displays for over 20 different species And in March Theater WV will provide
a school wide pertormance for students
ARES has raised money throughout the year to pay for all sixth grade students to visit
the Cincinnati Zoo Kings Island and Great Wolf Lodge in April All meals lodging and
attractions will be covered by the school
E Professional Learning Communities
E1 What opportunities do teachers and other staff have to participate in professional
learning communities
ARES teachers and the administrator continuously seek and share learning and then
act on what they learn Their goal is to enhance their effectiveness as professionals so
that students benefit
Staff members also take a collective responsibility for student learning Morning and
team planning focus meetings and informal collaboration allow teachers to work
together to pinpoint students weaknesses and discuss ideas to raise student
achievement
When staff members attend a professional development they return to the school to
lead an informational session for other staff members Staff development is not effective
if only one or two members are ezposed to the information Teachers share their ideas
and knowledge for all staff members to benefit Staff development is seleded to assist
staff in meeting the goals of the ARES five year strategic plan
E2 How does a coherent approach to professional development ensure ongoing
learning for staff How do organizational arrangements such as time and teaching
assignments make professional development a prioriry Is there a long
tertn plan7
ARES staff is encouraged to attend quality professional development throughout the
summer and school year when offered by Boone County Schools graduate level courses
WVDE RESA III and state and national conferences
Decisions for professional development opportunities are based on the goals of the five
year strategic plan Based upon the current goals PD sessions have focused on math and
writing training leadership and technology training Parents have also been included in
18
these learning opportunities Upon teacher completion of Everyday Math On
line PD by
BCS instructional coaches ARES parents were invited to the school one evening to learn
the site and tools so that they could assist their children from home
Two teachers at ARES will attend a math academy in the spring Another teacher is
attending the teacher leadership institute this summer and the principal and two teachers
will be attending the Effective Schools Conference in Scottsdale AZ March 7
10 2012
The principal at ARES is also currently completing a book study with fellow Boone County
Principals on What Effective Schools Do by Dr Lawrence Lezotte
The second grade teacher at ARES is currently working on his Masters in Educational
Administration and the sixth grade teacher is working towards her National Board
Certification It is anticipated that other teachers at ARES will begin working towards their
National Board Certification in the ne 2
3 years
E3 How has teacher professional development improved teaching7
Professional development allows teachers to gain current information on best practices
for student learning This in turn increases student achievement Professional
development can also encourage teachers to take a more active leadership role within the
school Currently ARES has one teacher working towards his administrative degree and
one teacher working towards her National Board Certification Teachers will also attend the
Effective Schools Conference in the spring as well as a math institute and teacher
leadership program This combined with many PD sessions on technology math leaming
centers differentiated instruction and writing techniques empowers teachers to remain
lifelong leamers with current knowledge in an ever changing society
F Leadership and Educational Vitality
F1 How does the instructional leader develop a school
wide focus on teaching and
learning How does the instructional leader work with teachers to improve
curriculum instruction and student engagement How do sehool leaders work with
teachers to improve their instructional skills
During back to school work sessions the principal of ARES had all staff work together to
create the mission and vision of the school as well as the goals for the five year stretegic
plan This was done so that all staff could voice what he
she felt was important for the
school and so that everyone could work collaboratively throughout the year to meet the
same goals The principal feels strongly that all staff members should have a stake in both
decision making and accountability It takes everyone working together to reach the goals
of the school and to meet the needs of students
When making decisions for the school the principal consitlers whether or not Ne
outcome will enhance the vision mission and goals of the school The principal also
makes it a priority to ask WhaYs best for our students
Each week the principal checks lesson plans to ensure that classroom curriculum
centers on the WV C
s The principal also conducts classroom walk abouts each
O
S
week During these waik abouts the principal looks to see if research based instrudional
strategies are being used what types of technology are present and at what level of DOK
the instruction falls within From these walk abouts the staff meets and discusses areas of
strength and weakness found and discusses ways to increase student engagement
The principal feels that it is important to stay actively involved with data disaggregation
throughout the year She reviews all data from student benchmarks and discusses it with
teachers The principal has created charts for maintaining WV Writes data and also works
with teachers to create and display the Acuity Classroom Matrix
19
The principal feels that everyone has a shared responsibility in raising student
achievement Because the principal is a former English teacher she provides 30 minutes
per day five days per week of Kansas Writing instruction to grades 3
4 This strategy
teaches students to write good sentences and is used in conjunction with 4 Square Writing
to teach paragraphs It is the goal of the principal to assist the young teachers in these
two grades in finding ways to teach writing proficiency
When reports cards are issued the principal at ARES reviews each child
s report card
and writes positive notes for studenta This allows the principal to maintain current
knowledge of students grades and also allows her to form positive relationships with
students
The principal at ARES feels that it is important for teachers to maximize students time
on task Classroom schedules are created to give students sufficient time in all core
subjects and the principal works hard to alleviate clerical work that often falls upon
teachers In doing this teachers have more time to spend in their classrooms providing
direct instruction to students
F2 How is the principal a
leader of learning
7 How does the principal model lifelong
learning7
Throughout the past several years the principal at ARES has continued her own
education through classes at Marshall University and also offerings by RESA III and the
NNDE Over the past two years she has acquired 60
5 hours of credit through the Center
for Professional Development She has also acquired 30 hours of graduate levei credit in
addition to her Master
s Degree Classes and sessions attended have focused on
improving herself as an instructional leader She has attended two years of the Model
Schools Conference through the International Center for Leadership in Education and last
spring she attended the Effective Schools Conference with Dr Lawrence Lezotte and A
Educators Last year the school principal was also asked to be a member of an OEPA site
visit team This allowed her to further research practices for schools to reach Success
Because the principal feels that all people are lifelong learners she looks for quality
professional development to offer staff members at ARES She also attends those
professional developmeni sessions so that she will be able to help staff members
implement practices that are presented Throughout the year ARES works with several
Boone County Schools Instructional coaches for professional growth During the past
several years ongoing sessions have been provided for Four Square Writing Everyday
Math Data Assessments Student Engagement and for various types of technology
The principal also encourages staff members to continue their own education The
principal is currently working with one teacher to pursue his Master
s in Educational
Administration and also another teacher to pursue her National Board Certification In
March the principal and two teachers will attend Dr Lawrence Lezotte
s Effective Schools
Conference in Scottsdale AZ Those teachers in attendance will then present the
information gained on the Correlates of Effective Schools to the other staff members at
ARES
The principal at ARES encouraged two teachers to attend IPI training Those two
teachers led professional development amongst the other staff members at ARES on ways
to recognize and enhance student engagement within the classroom
Not only does the principal look for quality professional development to offer but she
also encourages staff members to find sessions that they would like to attend It is her
belief that we are all lifelong learners With the rapidly changing ways of society and needs
of students it is imperative that teachers and administration stay abreast on current
strategies and technologies that wiil best help students succeed in our global economy
20
F3 How does the principal organize and lead the school toward collaborative
continuous improvement processes How is the school improvement process
organized and managed to ensure the school is always moving forward
The principal ensures that the school is always moving forward by maintaining current
knowledge of students performances The principal is involved with data disaggregation of
Westest scores as well as all Benchmark assessments through Acuity DIBELS and WV
Writes The principal also reviews the report cards of each student in the school This
allows her to effectively collaborate with teachers offer suggestions for classroom
instruction and support programs that focus on students strengths and weaknesses This
also allows her to seek professional development for herself and her staff which will
directly benefit students needs
The principal has also developed a schedule that allows staff time to plan collaboratively
each day During morning breakfast the P
E teacher and kindergarten aide cover morning
duty so that teachers have time to plan togethec This planning is done through both formal
and informal meetings
One day per month teachers are also offered collaborative planning with the assistance
of a traveling cadre of retired teachers During this time the teacher cadre instructs
students in class while teachers collaborate on student improvement Teachers focus on
student data to create focus calendars This gives teachers time to center in on students
needs and brainstorm ways to move students fonvard
F4 How is the Five
Year Stretegic Plan developed and how does it drive and target
school improvement efforts
During the summer the principal Title I teacher and Technology Contact of ARES met
at Scott High School along with other teachers and BCS central office staff to begin
working on the Five Year Strategic Plan for ARES At this meeting participating ARES
members received sample five year plans and also a graphic organizer to begin
brainstorming ideas for the plan
During the back to school teacher work days all staff at ARES worked together to come
up with the mission and vision for ARES and also worked together to create three goals for
the schoofs five year plan The staff created one Knowledge goal All students at Ashford
Rumble Elementary will meet or exceed state standards using 21st century skills in the core
subjeds one
Behavior goal All students at Ashford Rumble Elementary will display
appropriate social skills positive attitudes responsibility and healthy living in a safe and
caring environment and one AccomplishmenY goal All students at Ashford Rumble
Elementary will graduate from elementary school prepared to succeed in middle level
education The staff feels that accomplishing these goals will produce well rounded
students that are prepared for success once they leave elementary school With each goal
the staff collaboratively created strategic priorities and action steps to accomplish each goal
During an October ISE day the staff revisited the goals and finalized the plan During
October staff also met with the LSIC to review and discuss the plan LSIC members were
given the opportunity to discuss and give suggestions Once fnalized the plan was
submitted to the BCS Federal Programs Coordinator for review The goals are revisited
during ISE days throughout the year in order to keep the document as the driving
instrument for the school
21
F5 How does the principal
s model the use of 21 century tools and applications in the
role of manager and leader What processes are in place for integrating technology
into the schoollclassrooms and how is staff trained How is technology used to
analyze schooldata
The principal at ARES models the use of technology for staff each day She works
directly with staff to create reports and analyze student data through Acuity DIBELS Next
and WV Writes She developed a school website www
com that allows each
ashfordrumble
teacher to create and update a
Classroom News section each week The principal
trained all staff on how to customize and update the site This has proven to be a very
effective communication tool belween teachers and parents Assignments and weekly
newsletters are placed on
line for immediate access by parents
The principal also incorporated a 20 station iPad cart into the Title I budget
Professional development on iPad use was arranged through the BCS Instructional
coaches Teachers have collaborated together and older students often work with younger
students to use the iPads Parents were even trained on the iPads using Everyday math
apps
The principal also brought in a BCS Instructional coach to hold an after school PD for
Everyday Math Online Teachers were trained on the applications available to both
teachers and students The sixth grade teacher and principal then held an after school
Everyday Math Online session for parents Many parents said that the online tools would
help them assist their children with homework
The principal at ARES creates a monthly newsletter for parents In lhese newsletters
parents are informed of great things happening throughout the school and they are also
provided with a monthly calendar of events To enhance communication the school
principal also often utilizes the School Messenger call out system to send reminders for
upcoming events
In the foyer of the school the principal installed a flat screen television to display
pictures of events that have taken place throughout the year These pictures allow
students to reflect on both special and everyday events that have taken place throughout
the year
Through weekly lesson plan checks and classroom walkabouts the principal monitors
the use of technology within the classroom by both teachers and students Teachers
receive feedback on this monitoring and suggestions are made if sufficient use is not
noted
F6 What do you consider the major educational challenges your school must face over
the next five years and how do you plan to address them
The decline of the coal industry poses the threat of increased low SES numbers If
families begin to move elsewhere for work or if the county budget declines due to
decreased coal severance tax dollars ARES faces the possibility of consolidation with a
neighboring elementary school This would increase the student to teacher ratio and
change the teaching staff and administration of the school ARES will work with Boone
County Schools central office staff and BOE members to ensure that the needs and best
interests of our students are met if this were to occur
Also with increased drug abuse in the area parental support at home is on the decline
ARES will work to teach stutlents self motivation and the importance of education ARES
will also continue to offer after schoo sessions for parents and families
22
G School Family and Community Partnerships
G1 What community collaboration and partnerships are in place at your school7 How
are these partnerships and relationships mutually beneficial resulting in the school
being a respected and valued partner
Community collaboretion is an important part of Ashford
Rumble Elementary
Community members and business partners are involved in shared decision making
through our Local School Improvement Council Parent Teacher Organization Community
Crime Watch Group Five Year Strategic Plan Committee and Title I Parent Advisory
Committee Community members also show support by attending holiday
presentations parades celebretions
programs
events and sports activities During any
school event held at the school the gym is packed with parents and community members
that come out to support our students
A student at Ashford
Rumble Elementary was diagnosed with cancer last year The
community came together and organized an auction that raised 7
500 for the family
Several businesses donated items for the event The money raised was set aside to help
the family with bills and medical expenses This is one example of the community rallying
in support of students
Local coal mines often provide monetary support to Ashford
Rumble Elementary Sixth
grade students are provided a free class trip each year and much support is provided
during the holidays An area mines and trucking company donated 1
800 for staff
members to buy needy students Christmas gifts A private contribution of 3
000 was also
made for every student in the school to go Christmas shopping Each child was given 25
to spend These combined contributions provided 3
800 worth of aide to students and
families during the holidays This was in addition to many coats and food baskets that local
churches provided
Also 6
000 has been donated towards the purchase of a new LCD sign to be placed
at the top of the hill in front of the school Once installed the sign will not only provide
school news
information for parents but it will also be used to display community and
mining events for people to see as they drive by
The Love Bags program provided by many area churches give our low SES students
with food for the weekend Local men and women donate their time and money to create
40 bags per week filled with nonperishable food items that are easy for students to prepare
at home
Without the fnancial support of local businesses Ashford
Rumble would not be able to
provide many programs that meet the physical and social needs of students Because the
school is a vital part of the community business partners are willing to fund programs that
meet many different needs for our students
G2 How does your school environment welcome and respect families from all walks of
life solicit and value their meaningful input find multiple ways to invite and involve
them in school initiatives and build a shared commitment to student success
All parents are encouraged to take an active role in their children
s education Home
visits are provided by the principal and teachers if transportation is not available Family
math and science nights are offered to assist parents
students with homework and
classroom needs ParenVTeacher nights are offered during the evenings three times per
year and parents are encoureged to schedule meetings with teachers during planning
periods any time that a parent has a question or concern
23
G3 How does your school involve families in their children
s education and student
support programs
Volunteer forms are sent home to all parents at the beginning of the year and a
Volunteer Round Up is held at the beginning of the year open house The school
principal meets with all parents at the open house and encoureges parents to sign up lo
volunteer
Parents have the opportunity to call and schedule a meeting with teachers or the
principal during any school day If the meeting cannot be arranged during planning times
then coverage is provided to teachers so that they can meet with a parent After school
Parentifeacher nights are also offered
As mentioned earlier information has been provided to parents during DIBELS data
sessions Home Visits Fall FestivaVDrug Awareness event Family Math and Science
Nights and day
evening conferences ARES also keeps information on hand for the
Department of Health and Human Services Cornerstone Intervention and Prestera upon
request
H Indicators of Success
H1 Research indicates that highly effective schools are data driven What evidence do
you regularly collect and analyze to judge the effectiveness of your school
Data is coliected through weekly Pearson Success net and Everyday Math
assessments and also through Acuity Benchmarks DBELS Next Benchmarks
Progress
Monitoring and WV Writes assessments Acuity DIBELS and WV Writes are designed to
offer teachers with a variety of assessment information Teachers print out charts and
results for each assessment and look for trends that show areas of strength or weakness
for each WV C
O Based on these trends teachers either move forward with QS
S
s or
O
stop and re
teach C
Os that shows areas of student weakness
S
Schools may have the best facilities curriculum and technology available but if
students are habitually absent they miss instruction that cannot be regained Because of
this the principal strives to minimize unnecessary student absences She collects
attendance data each month through WVEIS Once students have used their six allotted
parent excuses for the year the principal mails a letter home to inform parents that
students must have a doctor
s note in order to be excused from school Once students
incur five unezcused absences the principal reports the absences to the BCS attendance
director and upon ten unexcused absences incorrigible paper work is filed through the
magistrate court system BCS has hired a full time juvenile probation officer to work
directly with the principal to assist the school in enforcing truancy laws
Through the S
T process data is gathered that identifies how struggling students
A
learn best Members create modifications and then test to see if those modifications help
students progress The team reconvenes regularly to review results and set new goals
H2 Describe the data management system
s used to summarize analyze and report
assessment results What assessment data are communicated to students
educators parents and the community about student school and system
performance7
All teachers at ARES participate in the Boone Counry Schools Data Disaggregation Day
during the summer to begin analyzing students Westest scores During this time teachers
receive individual student analysis sheets and based on the identified weaknesses begin
24
creating focus calendars for the upcoming school year Individual Westest scores are sent
out to parents in September
After each DIBELS Next Benchmark individual student reports are printed out and sent
home to parents After school sessions are provided for parents to bring in their child
s
student report to have the results explained by a teacher Home visits by the principal and
Title I teacher are also offered if parents wish to have DIBELS results explained
Teachers at ARES update Edline weekly Through Edline parents have on
line access
to their child
s grades at all times Daily student planners are also filled in and taken home
by students to communicate progress to parents each day Many teachers chart the results
of Acuity Benchmarks in children
s planners for parents to see and paper copies of
midterms and report cards are sent home
ParenVteacher conferences are held for parents to come to school to discuss their
s classroom performance with teachers three times per year Parents may also
child
schedule conferences during teacher
s daily planning periods Student Assistance Team
meetings are held if a student is struggling with academics or behavior Parents are invited
to these meetings and team members collaborate and create modifications that may help
the child succeed
Through the school wide Green Lighters program sheets are sent home to parents
each Friday that lets parents know if their child displayed good behavior completed all
work arrived to school on time and completed all homework for the week These Green
Lighter sheets are signed by parents and retumed to school each Monday
Student data gathered through classroom assessments benchmarks and the Green
Lighter progrem is used to drive the curriculum at ARES It is important for both students
and parent to understand this data Teachers provide time in class to discuss data with
students and parents are provided opportunities to discuss results with teachers and
administrarors
H3 How do you use assessment results to understand and improve student and school
performance How does your use of assessment data contribute to making issues
of quality and equity part of the everyday conversation at your school9 How do data
influence decision making
Assessment results allow teachers to chart student growth The information obtained
from different varieties of assessments gives concrete information for teachers to discuss
with parents students and administration These assessments are a part of everyday
conversations through S
T meetings parenVteacher conferences focus meetings and
A
common planning sessions and classroom discussions
Teachers use the data obtained from assessments to identify C
s that need to be
O
S
taught Teachers also use the data to praise students on their successes Students use
re
Benchmark and WV Writes to set personal goals for themselves Teachers show students
the data and ask the students to identify areas in which they see strengths and
weaknesses This keeps students and teachers focused on state curriculum
Also once benchmarks are complete each teacher shares students scores with the
principal This initiates conversation for improvement and keeps the principal informed on
school wide strengths and weaknesses This knowledge helps the principal decide quality
professional development that will benefit teachers and students and it also allows the
principal to provide better suggestions and feedback while checking teachers lesson plans
each week
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H4 Describe your school
s balanced assessment systemlapproach that includes high
quality summative benchmark and formative classroom assessments used to
improve teaching and learning Note H4a is not applicable for K
2 schools however
H4b and c need to be answered
a
Summative Assessment Results Provide the most current student achievement
data for the WESTEST 2
10
2009
Levels
b Benchmark Assessment
Students in grades 3
6 complete three Acuity benchmark tests in math and
reading throughout the year Once these tests are completed a classroom matrix of
results is printed out for each teacher and placed on a poster board The matrix
color codes areas of strengths and weaknesses for each student within the C
s
O
S
Teachers display the posters in their classrooms and use the information to create
future lesson plans to address the identified C
s
O
S
Teachers also chart the scores of prectice essays on WV Writes Students
scores are recorded upon their initial completion of a pradice essay Students then
go back and make corrections and improvements to their essays Essays are then
rescored on VW Writes Scores are analyzed to see if they show improvement
These practice scores allow teachers to see areas of writing in which students show
weaknesses Teachers can work with students to improve these individual
weaknesses
DIBELS NeM benchmarks are administered to all grade levels three times per
year Scores are analyzed to show areas of strengths and weaknesses in reading
Color coded resutts are sent home for parents to see If students fall within a
Targeted Intervention range they receive additional reading services through Title I
and are progress monitored every two weeks to show if their reading is improving
declining or remaining the same
Teachers have common planning one day per month This planning is made
possible by a traveling cadre of teachers coming into the school to provide coverage
During common planning teachers discuss struggling students review data from
benchmarks and create focus calendars and lessons Teachers also have the
opportunity to meet with the Title I teacher each day to discuss DIBELS
assessments
Formative Classroom Assessments
Within the classroom teachers assess students using selected response
extended response personal communication and weekly selection tests
Assessments are also provided through DIBELS Next Benchmarks and Progress
Monitoring Acuity prectice and Benchmarks Odyssey Accelereted Reader Pearson
Success net and Phonics Screeners
Based on tlata gathered by various assessments teachers target students
strengths and weaknesses and realign curriculums to meet students needs
26
H5 FOR HIGH SCHOOLS ONLY How have your students performed on PSAT PLAN
SAT andlor ACT college entrance examinations over the past three years
A
N
H6 What specific improvements have been made in school procedures and practices as
a result of your analysis and use of assessment data
Teachers use data from classroom assessments and benchmarks to target students
weaknesses Decisions for professional development extended day tutoring and
curriculum are based on the results of that data Also goals set for the school each year
are based on students needs that are determined through various data collected from the
previous school year All of this information is taken into account when creating the goals of
the five year stretegic plan
H7 What evidence is available of effective overell school performance
a What was your school
s record for the past three years in the following areas
which may serve as indicators of school climate and engagement
Rumble Elementary has a young teaching staff that is reflected in the teacher
Ashford
turn over percentage
Daily student
09
2008
10
2009
11
2010
962
8
97
952
1
6
42
1
5
6
39
a
6
39
8
19
attendance
Daityteacher
attendance
Teacher turnover rate
b What was your schools record for the past three years in the area of school
safety discipline
and
drug prevention7
27
H8 Which awards received by your school staff or students are most indicative of
schoolsuccess7
2011
2010
WV Distinguished Title I School
2011
2010
Ranked 2 out of 200 WV Elementary Schools in 6 Grade RLA on Westest
Ranked 27 out of 385 WV Elementary Schools in 5 Grade RLA on Westest
Ranked 21 out of 200 WV Elementary Schools in 6 Grade Math on Westest
Ranked 49 out of 385 VW Elementary Schools in 5 Grade Math on Westest
2010
1 Place Eastern Coal Academic Bowl
2006
2007
WV Distinguished Title I School
2008
2007
WV Exemplary School
2008
2007
1 Place Region 3 Math Field Day Student
n0 Place State Math Field Day Student
2
T