WEST VIRGINIA
1003(g) SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GRANT
APPLICATION COVER
TIER I AND TIER II SCHOOLS
Southside K-8 School
County – McDowell County Schools
LEA Title I Director – Amanda L. Fragile
E-mail – afragile@access.k12.wv.us
LEA Curriculum Director – Carolyn Falin
E-mail – cfalin@access.k12.wv.us
LEA Special Education Director – Clinton Henry
E-mail – cahenry@access.k12.wv.us
Superintendent Signature__________________________________________ Date____________
LEA Title I Director Signature ______________________________________Date____________
Southside K-8 School will utilize grant funding to commit to collaboratively identify, plan,
implement, monitor, evaluate and communicate the changes that are necessary to increase student
learning. The grant will allow for additional job-embedded professional development to sustain
efforts to deliver a standards-focused curriculum which fosters leadership for administrators, teachers,
and students.
The collaboration with the lead external partner, Edwards Educational Services, Inc. will be
strengthened through grant monies. Teachers will design assessments and lesson plans to drive
instruction for all students based on data.
Funding will support the addition of a K-2 after-school program. Currently the school has a program
in place for 3rd-8th. Monies will allow for additional teacher salaries, supplies, and parent involvement
activities which will assist the school in building culture and relationships identified as two of the
areas of focus for the school. Six salaries for after-school will be funded through this grant.
Teachers will participate in high functioning professional learning communities to collaborate on the
improvement of student learning through the study of relevant data, problem analysis, and the
implementation of strategies that improve instructional practice.
A School Social Worker will be employed through grant funding. This individual will be a trained
professional who works with students, teachers and parents to promote student success. This
individual will act as a liaison between teachers, parents, students, administrators and the community.
They will have a flexible schedule which will allow him/her to schedule home visits during the day
and evening hours in order to work with schedules of working parents.
iLead will be implemented at the school to develop school leaders. Students form a company and
progress through leadership problem-based leadership development tasks. As they earn tokens, they
move up through 21 levels of the Leadership Development and refine skills needed to lead themselves
and the world. iLeaders also join a closed networking site to collaborate virtually with leaders.
LEA APPLICATION
I. SCHOOLS TO BE SERVED: List each Tier I and Tier II school the LEA commits to serve,
provide principal information and check the applicable box for the intervention model that the
LEA will implement in each Tier I and Tier II school.
Tier I Schools:
School Name/
NCES ID#
Principal
Southside K-8 School
#540081001468
Florisha
McGuire
II.
Email Address
Intervention
Turnaround
Restart
Closure
frchrist@access.
k12.wv.us
Transformation
X
DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION: Address the following information in the LEA
application for the 1003(g) school improvement grant.
A. The needs assessment and capacity index were previously provided in the letter of intent to apply.
The letter of intent to apply has been evaluated according to the established criteria and if it was
deemed to have met the standard, no further action is required. If revisions were required,
attach a copy of the revised letter of intent with changes highlighted.
McDowell County Schools did not meet the minimum 20 points required on the District Capacity
Index Rubric. Therefore, we are requesting technical assistance support from the West Virginia
Department of Education in the following areas: grant planning and implementation, development of
professional learning communities, professional development based on the needs assessment, grant
evaluation, sustainability, and strengthening collaboration among the SEA, LEA, and local level
stakeholders.
B. Provide a summary of the LEA consultation with relevant stakeholders regarding the
LEA’s application and implementation of school improvement models in its Tier I and Tier
II schools. Each LEA shall include a description of the meeting format, stakeholder groups
consulted, key discussion points and the outcomes from the discussion.
The Title I Director attended the initial School Improvement Grant Writing Meeting on January 14 th,
2011 held by the SEA. Application documents and guidance were provided to the LEA as well as the
announcement of eligible schools. Specific guidance was provided referring to required changes to
Round 2 monies including pre-implementation allowable activities. The ideas and information
learned was shared at a District Leadership Team Meeting on January 18th, 2011. A list of
stakeholders was developed and the members were invited by a letter to participate in the grant
writing and implementation process.
Southside K-8 School actively participated in all WVDE School Improvement Conferences and
collaborative conversations as a Tier III school for the 2010-2011 school year. A School Leadership
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Team is already established at the school. Parents were added, as well as a student representative.
Information learned at the conferences is included within the contents of the grant application.
School Leadership Team Members from Southside K-8 School attended a meeting with District
Leadership Team on February 3rd, 2011 to review the application and begin conducting the needs
assessment and root cause. Teachers, parents, and administrators provided feedback concerning issues
that have been identified as directly impacting student achievement at Southside K-8 School.
The District Leadership Team met with the school’s external provider, Edwards Educational Services
Inc., on February 28, 2011 to review the needs assessment and determine what services would be
provided to support the school new administrator and sustain efforts with Framing Your Success
initiative with classroom teachers.
The School and District Leadership Teams came together on February 28, 2011 to review the
submission of the district capacity index, preliminary budget, root causes, and needs assessment to the
SEA which was due on March 1, 2011. Final edits and suggestions were made to the documentation
before submittal.
The District Leadership Team met on March 10, 2011 with the SEA to review feedback provided on
the aforementioned items. The SEA Coordinator provided face-to-face guidance concerning grant
activities and permissible expenditures. The application process was reviewed in depth and
additional resources were provided to the team.
Edwards Educational Services met with the District Learning Team via conference call on March 15,
2011 to review the grant application and further discuss the needs assessment for Southside K-8
School. Walk-though data, observations, and classroom assessment data were reviewed by the team.
A final meeting was held on April 12, 2011 with all stakeholders including parent representatives.
The application including the budget was reviewed and final revisions were made.
As a response to the April 12, 2011 made by WVDE a forum was held at Southside K-8 where
teachers and community members attended ad information session on the grant initiatives. This
activity allowed the district and school leadership team to gather commitment and buy-in from
teachers and parents.
The following members are identified as members of the District Leadership Team:
 Superintendent – James G. Brown
 Assistant Superintendent – Carolyn Falin
 Title I Director – Amanda L. Fragile
 Pre-K – 12 Curriculum Coordinator – Brenda Boyd
 Special Education Director – Clinton Henry
 External Service Partner, Edwards Educational Services, Inc. – Steve Edwards
 External Service Partner, Edwards Educational Services, Inc. – Ralph Schade
 RESA I Director – Keith Butcher
 EdVantia Consultant Resource Provider – Anita Deck
The following members are identified as members of the School Leadership Team:
 Principal – Florisha McGuire
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Curriculum and Instruction Supervisor – Cheryl Cruey
Classroom Teacher – Vicki Galmish
Title I Teacher – Michelle Billings
School Transformation Coordinator – Mike Akers
Parent Representative – Barbara Click
Parent Representative - Beth Jenks
Student Representative - Kyler Nunley
C1. Develop measurable summative and growth goals that will be used by the LEA to monitor
progress of student achievement on the State’s assessments in both reading/language arts and
mathematics. Annual growth goal example: “The percentage of students who exhibit typical
growth in grades 6-8 in mathematics will increase annually as measured by the WESTEST 2.”
School Name: Southside K-8 School
Annual Summative Achievement Goal for Reading/Language Arts: Increase the percentage of
students scoring proficient in reading/language arts in the “all” subgroup by 3% as measured by
WESTEST2.
Annual Growth Goal for Reading/Language Arts: The percentage of students who exhibit typical
growth in grades 3-8 in reading/language arts will increase annually as measured by WESTEST2.
Annual Summative Achievement Goal for Mathematics: Increase the percentage of students
scoring proficient in mathematics in the “all” subgroup by 3% as measured by WESTEST2.
Annual Growth Goal for Mathematics: The percentage of students who exhibit typical growth in
grades 3-8 in mathematics will increase annually as measured by WESTEST2.
The aforementioned goals for reading and mathematics were developed by the Five Year Strategic
Planning Team. The team analyzed 2010 WESTEST2 scores and other achievement data to determine
strengths and weaknesses across all subgroups and grade levels. In the fall, guidance was provided
during the writing of the 1003(a) Grant from SEA Coordinator for the school to set an attainable goal
for annual summative growth. The team determined that a 3% growth goal was attainable for both
reading and mathematics.
Progress towards annual goals will be tracked through a series of short cycle common formative
assessments administered school-wide for each grade level prior to every benchmark assessment. The
short cycle assessments and benchmarks will be aligned to newly county-created curriculum and
pacing maps. A school-wide, grade level and classroom data-tracking template will be maintained by
each teacher in reading language arts and mathematics.
Southside K-8 School has identified three focus areas to guide the work of school improvement.
 Improve school climate and culture;
 Increase collaboration, and
 Develop instructional strategies to impact achievement.
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C2. Describe below how the summative and growth goals will be utilized by the LEA to evaluate
the school’s academic progress.
The District Leadership Team will utilize targets identified in the summative and growth goals to
determine academic progress. Goals will be revised for years 2 and 3 based on data analysis at
multiple levels and from multiple sources after receiving guidance from the Office of Research on
the school’s expected growth rate based on scale scores from the WESTEST2. Once new
WESTEST2 scores are received, the county and school leadership teams will analyze data and revise
the strategic plan as needed to continue improvement.
III.
TRANSFORMATION MODEL ACTIVITIES: Design interventions and establish
timelines for implementation consistent with the final requirements for the selected
intervention model(s) as directed below.
LEAs serving Tier I and Tier II schools implementing the transformation model shall address all
items under Sections A through D.
TRANSFORMATION MODEL
A. Develop teacher and school leader effectiveness
1a. Replace the principal
McDowell County Schools has selected the following method to meet the transformation model
requirement addressing the replacement of the principal. The new principal must be placed in this
position on or before the first day of administrative employment for the 2011-2012 school year.
School Name
Southside K-8 School
Tier
1
Method of Replacement
(Choose a, b, or c as
described below)
A
Start Date
of the Principal
July 1, 2011
a. The principal has been replaced within the past two years, (defined by ED as the fall of 2008
or more recently), as required of an identified Title I school in years four and beyond placed
in restructuring as defined in NCLB §1116(b)(8)(B)(ii). This change in leadership meets the
requirement of restructuring the school governance for a fundamental reform. Evaluation of
the individual’s performance will be conducted within the guidelines of WV Code §18A-2-12
and WV BOE Policy 5310.
b. The principal has been or will be replaced through a mutual agreement (i.e., voluntarily
applies to transfer to another available position within the district) as outlined in WV Code
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§18A-2. Evaluation of the individual’s performance will be conducted within the guidelines
of WV Code §18A-2-12 and WV BOE Policy 5310.
c. The principal has been or will be replaced through the performance evaluation of school
personnel process as outlined in WV Code §18A-2-12 and WVBOE Policy 5310.
1b. Describe the leadership competencies the district will require for principals placed in the
schools implementing the transformation model. See “School Turnaround Leaders:
Selection Toolkit” as a resource:
http://www.publicimpact.com/publications/Turnaround_Selection_Toolkit.pdf
The current school administrator was hired on November 1, 2010. He has since bid on another
position, but will remain until the new principals starts at the school.
All principals hired are teamed with a veteran instructional leader as a mentor who exhibits
professional knowledge, skills, and the disposition that reflect strong leadership and effective
management of a school.
In order to further develop the school administrator, McDowell County Schools will continue to
strengthen the county level leadership professional development series including a 360 leadership
assessment conducted by the external partner to determine individual strengths and weaknesses in
order to focus on the critical competencies as delineated below through the leadership of the
Superintendent.
McDowell County Schools will focus on the following competencies: initiative and persistence,
monitoring and directness, planning, team leadership, ability to develop others, analytical thinking,
conceptual thinking and self-confidence and instructional leadership skills.
The District Leadership Team will also support and develop a principal who fosters distributed
leadership among staff, students, and stakeholders in order to focus collective action for improved
school performance. Specific job-embedded support will be provided by the district staff as well as
the external partner to improve school performance.
According to Public Impact, there are several critical competencies which a turnaround leader must
possess to improve a low-performing school. The following are the competencies which will be
established or strengthened for the newly hired administrator at Southside K-8 School:
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Achievement: The drive and actions to set challenging goals and reach a high standard of
performance despite barriers
Impact and Influence: Acting with purpose of affecting the perceptions, thinking and
actions of others
Monitoring and Directness: The ability to set clear expectations and to hold others
accountable for performance
Team Leadership: Assuming authoritative leadership of a group for the benefit of the
organization
Self-Confidence: A personal belief in one’s ability to accomplish tasks and the actions that
reflect that belief
To improve school leadership through the transformation process, the principal will receive support
and training to build the following competencies as directed by the school’s root causes:
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2.
Scheduling: WVIES training, support from the external partner and district leadership team,
mentor support
Communication: Support from external partner and district leadership team
Tiered Instruction: Support from external partner and district leadership team, RESA and/or
WVDE training
School Culture and Climate: Support from external partner and district leadership team,
Support from Anita Deck (Edvantia Appraisals and improvement plans), Implementation of
Time to Teach
Support and Monitoring of Professional Development: Support from external partner and
district leadership team, 10 minute meetings, walkthroughs
Describe how each participating school will use rigorous, transparent and equitable
evaluation systems that take into account data on student growth.
Evaluating staff is a critical component in an effective performance management system and should
be connected to other areas of educator support which includes relevant data points. In particular, a
rigorous approach to evaluation should be clearly connected to a district’s system for providing
professional development so that growth opportunities are well-aligned with teachers’ and school
leaders’ areas of weakness (Milanowski, Heneman, & Kimball, 2009). When professional evaluation
systems are tied to compensation or other high-stakes outcomes, it is especially important that they be
accurate, objective, fully transparent, and linked to growth opportunities.
Frequently, evaluation systems fail to adequately differentiate between teachers at different
performance levels (Weisberg, Sexton, Mulhern, & Keeling, 2009), or to differentiate among teachers
based on specialized roles and specific contexts (Chait, 2009; Toch & Rothman, 2008). To be
effective, teacher evaluation systems must be understood by teachers and should result in the
identification of actual differences in performance (Danielson & McGreal, 2000; Milanowski, Prince,
& Koppich, 2007). Everyone involved in the evaluation process should undergo training in the use of
the assessment instruments including the use of classroom observations, portfolio reviews, or other
methods employed. In addition, evaluations should be conducted frequently, using multiple
quantitative and qualitative measures, in order to gain a comprehensive and accurate picture of a
teacher’s competencies. Those responsible for conducting classroom observations and evaluation
should provide immediate formative feedback to improve a teacher’s instructional practices.
School administrators must also be evaluated. Their evaluations should be based on clear standards
and objective criteria that are a matter of description and not assumption. Evaluations should be
straightforward with specific outcome measures that can be supported with multiple data points,
helping leaders to identify strengths as well as weaknesses. Administrators should be provided an
opportunity to give feedback to the district and to shape the decisions that will improve their
effectiveness (Reeves, 2009). For both teachers and school leaders, the evaluation system must be
monitored for its perceived usefulness and to guide revisions to the evaluation process.
In order to meet this requirement for the 1003(g) SIG program, McDowell County Schools will
become an “early adopter” of the WVDE revised educator performance evaluation system that takes
into account data on student growth. To determine the adequacy of growth in Title I 1003(g) grant
recipient schools, WVDE will first identify a suitable normative group to whom students in these
schools can be compared. WVDE proposes that this normative group be composed of all students in
the state of West Virginia. Furthermore, WVDE proposes that typical growth targets must be
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differentiated for students based upon their prior academic performance on WESTEST 2. This
approach will allow WVDE to set realistic and individualized expectations for growth that are not
based on subgroup membership. The process of documenting student growth in Title I 1003(g) grant
recipient schools begins with identifying this normative group.
Each year, an LEA having a Title I 1003(g) grant recipient school will receive a school growth report
from the WVDE containing: (1) a school-wide median growth percentile value for each assessed
content area and (2) a median growth percentile value for each content area disaggregated by grade
level. The report will also include the percentage of students who achieved at or above typical levels
of growth. This information will be presented for each assessed content area and disaggregated by
grade level. This report will be utilized as part of the WVDE revised educator performance evaluation
system that takes into account data on student growth and to identify and reward school leaders and
teachers who have increased student achievement.
The school growth report will be incorporated in evaluating teacher and school leader effectiveness as
described below.
Tier I and Tier II schools accepting Title I 1003(g) funds will be required to adopt the newly
developed framework for a multiple measure professional educator evaluation system. As a result,
these schools will be labeled as “early adopters” in the timeline of implementing this framework. The
timeline below illustrates the implementation stages for this new framework:
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2009-2010: State task force was established to study the WV teacher and leader performance
evaluation system and review the work that has been completed on the teaching standards.
2010-2011: State task force continues to meet and recommends revisions to Policy 5310 and
WV teacher and leader performance evaluation system.
Summer 2011: Professional development will be provided to teachers and administrators on
the newly revised WV teacher and leader performance evaluation system.
2011-2012: Continued professional development and implementation of revised WV teacher
and leader performance evaluation system as an “early adopter”.
3. Describe how the district will identify and reward school leaders, teachers and other staff
who have increased student achievement and the graduation rate.
Nationally, reward-based compensation is becoming common as a school reform strategy because of
an emphasis on teacher effectiveness and increased student achievement. The goal of this type of
compensation structure is to significantly motivate employees to perform well and encourage the
retention of highly effective teachers in low achieving schools. According to NCLB Section 1117,
each state may financially reward schools that improve student achievement and help the school meet
its goals for improvement. The rewards program may also recognize and provide financial rewards to
teachers teaching in a Title I school identified for improvement that consistently makes significant
gains in academic achievement in the areas in which the teacher provides instruction or to teachers or
principals designated as distinguished.
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While WV Code §18A-4-4 and§18A-4-5a limits the options for rewarding teachers, McDowell
County Schools will implement the following procedures for meeting this criteria. The rewards will
be based on student achievement results and implementation of individual measurable action steps to
achieve the school goals. The information contained in the school growth report provided by the
WVDE will be utilized to determine reward-based compensation.
All professional staff members will be part of a collaborative team (professional learning community)
and participate in regularly scheduled team activities. As part of the team activities, each staff
member will be asked to identify specific individual measurable action steps. The teacher will commit
to completing the identified tasks as part of the overall strategies to achieve the school’s summative
and growth goals for reading/language arts and mathematics. The completion of these individual
action steps will be monitored every three weeks by the building administrator.
Each year, an LEA having a Title I 1003(g) grant recipient school will receive a school growth report
from the WVDE. After reviewing the school growth report, the LEA will determine if the school met
its summative and the annual school growth goals for reading/language arts and mathematics.
Additionally, the building administrator will determine if the teachers completed his/her individual
action steps. The administrator’s supervisor will in turn determine if the principal completed his/her
individual measurable action steps.
If it is determined that the school met the summative and annual school growth goals for
reading/language arts and mathematics and each professional completed their individual action steps,
then the professional staff members (principal and teachers) will be rewarded. Current WV Code does
not permit a bonus to be paid to individuals, thus the following options are being suggested as
appropriate rewards.
Check the option(s) the county will use to provide rewards:
Reward Options
 Materials or supplies for teachers’ classrooms
 Attend an out of state conference
 Utilize the funds towards tuition for advanced coursework
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Amount per
Staff Member
$250.00
and LEA HQ teacher plan
Other (specify) __________________________
SEA approval required
4. Describe how high quality, job-embedded professional development will be provided.
Identify any activities that will be completed as ‘pre-implementation’ (see APPENDIX A if
applicable).
a. All schools that receive a Title I 1003(g) school improvement grant will be required to
have PLCs as a means for providing job-embedded, sustained professional development
that will lead to lasting change. Describe the format for the professional learning
communities in the district and further delineate where the individual school differs, if
applicable. The description must address the following items:
Structure
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The structure of the meetings will be by grade level for the elementary grades and by content
area at the middle level grades. Administrators will model meeting structures for teachers
with the goal being that teachers will ultimately be responsible for running their own meeting
as instructional leadership develops. Distributing leadership to teachers is necessary for the
overall effectiveness of the school. As time elapses, the administrator will take on the roll of
participant in the meetings.
The Southside school leadership team will encourage consistent staff participation in
professional development as it pertains to them. Only the principal and school leadership
team will be involved with the Environmental Scan and data analysis scheduled for June 20,
2011. The July 7, 2011 training, Developing of Core Concepts of a PLC, will only involve
the school administrators. Our monthly job-embedded support from Edwards Educational
Services, Inc. will provide the sustained support for the effective development of PLCs.
Southside staff will be expected to fully participate in the planned vertical teaming scheduled
after school. The principal will monitor participation and encourage attendance by offering
flexible scheduling and providing stipends.
Frequency of Meetings
The master schedule will allow for meetings to take place on a weekly basis. After-school
vertical teaming collaborations will also be regularly scheduled each week to allow for
additional critical conversations centered on student achievement.
Major Areas of Focus for the Work of the PLCs
The focus of the meetings will be to examine multiple data points that results in a change in
teacher practice. The PLC teams will look at assessment data both assessments of and for
learning. Teachers will share best practices that have demonstrated measurable gains for
individual students, sub-groups and entire grade levels or content areas. A particular area of
focus specific to Southside K-8 School will be on utilizing best practices to increase students’
attendance, eliminate classroom behaviors which affect student work through effective
teaching strategies, and develop goals for individual students to raise reading and
mathematics achievement.
Monitoring the Effectiveness of the PLCs
The effectiveness of the PLC’s will be monitored through multiple measures including, but
not limited to:
 Common Bell Ringers;
 Short Cycle Assessments;
 Examination of Student Work;
 Sharing of Lesson Plans;
 WESTEST2 Data;
 Acuity Data;
 Data Tracking System, and
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
Teacher Feedback.
b. Provide an overall description of the professional development plan for the school that
describes the focus of the Professional Development (PD) and how it will fundamentally
change teaching and learning in the school.
The overall PD Plan for the school will focus on creating a Professional Learning Community. To
achieve this it is first important for all stakeholders to have a working knowledge of a PLC. It is a
term that is often referenced, but rarely understood. The PD will center on the following aspects of a
PLC:
 Distributive Leadership;
 Data Driven Decision Making;
 Building a Collaborative Culture;
 Implementation of a System of Prevention and Intervention, and
 Engaging Parent and Community Support.
PD will focus on continuing strengthening the processes and structures to allow the above to take
place through the efforts already established during the 2010-2011 school year in regards to the
collaboration with Edwards Educational Services, Inc. through other braided federal funding. The
funding from this grant will allow the Framing Your Success Team more time to specifically provide
additional job-embedded support for the teachers and administrators. In addition, additional support
will allow for creating a system to monitor, measure and evaluate on an on-going basis, linking all
work to the schools vision, mission and strategic plan.
Additional monies are needed to increase the amount of job-embedded support from Carnegie
Learning for Bridge to Algebra Program for 8th grade mathematic teachers. The 6th – 8th English
Language Arts teachers are currently participating in a co-hort with other peers across the district
which allows them to build relationships and develop writing expectations for students using the WV
Writing Rubrics. Monies are needed from this grant to extend the amount of time for the jobembedded support from Terry Reale, Consultant.
Professional development to strengthen tiered instruction will be provided to all K-8 reading language
arts teachers on four different dates throughout year one. This will supported and followed up on
through in-classroom support provided by Kathy Snyder. The correlation will be directed and
monitored by the Title I director and the assistant superintendent of curriculum.
The School Social Worker will need training in various areas including bullying prevention, safe and
supportive schools, increasing student attendance, and parental communication including but not
limited to how to make home visits. Additional training will be provided to teachers to build the
strategies the staff members utilize from APL and Time to Teach.
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Effective counselors are imperative to the success of children in the elementary and middle school
setting. Intensive professional development will be provided and embedded into the work schedule
for the school counselor.
Sustained efforts will be made using professional development monies to strengthen tiered instruction
at the school. Training opportunities will begin for classroom and Title I Teachers in summer 2011.
Additional sessions and job-embedded support will be provided on using data to drive the work and
differentiating instruction to meet the needs for all students.
Teachers must be proficient in the delivery of 21st century learning to all students. Monies will be
appropriated to trainings associated with engaging students through technology including Acuity, WV
Writes, techSteps, Lexia Reading, and Headsprout. All K-8 classrooms will have a SMART Board
installed by June 2011. In order to support the hardware, job-embedded professional development for
teachers will be provided to increase the utilization of the boards from students and teachers.
i-Lead will be purchased through the use of grant funding to develop student leaders from within.
Training will be provided for classroom teachers who will facilitate students enrolled in the program.
The School Leadership Team will also attend all WVDE sponsored team meetings throughout the life
of the grant.
In the chart below specific sessions are outlined. A large number of the sessions will be in-class job –
embedded support from consultants to strengthen the core. A large number of the teaching staff is
utilized in the after-school program. Therefore, they are unable to attend after-school sessions. Also,
there is a low attendance rate for teachers on Saturday sessions. This is attributed to the long distance
teachers drive to work in the area. With job-embedded work sessions, the teachers are able to have
model lessons and researched based in-classroom support for all teachers.
APL Strategies will be presented to 25 staff members during the month of July 2011 as a preimplementation activity professional development session. The research-based strategies will improve
classroom management and develop an understanding of teaching expectations to students.
The school and district leadership team reviewed the aforementioned professional development plan.
Much of the professional development outlined in the grant is a continuation of best practices and inclassroom support initiated last school year, as the school participated in school improvement without
SIG funding. Framing Your Success is a systematic and comprehensive approach to school change
that permeates all levels of student performance. The process for each school is individualized based
on need. Included within this approach is support and training for PLCs, interventions, and
assessment. The only new addition is the implementation of i-Lead for students in grades 6-8.
iLead will provide a progressive leadership development experience for Southside students , thus
alleviating a weakness identified as a root cause. Therefore, the leadership teams feel the outlined
professional development meets the needs of the school and is of high quality.
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Both Southside K-8 and Welch Elementary are schools with severe weaknesses in the areas of
reading and mathematics. The needs and demographics of the schools are similar. As previously
mentioned, Framing Your Success is individualized involving school improvement processes and is
not a “canned” program. The in-classroom support for reading and math provides individualized jobimbedded sustained support for teachers.
c. In addition, provide a specific description of professional development activities by year
in the charts below. Note: All professional development must be both research-based
and sustainable.
‘Pre-Implementation’ (see APPENDIX A): June 2011 - August 2011
Date
Topic
Environmental scan, review of multiple data sources
June 20, 2011
including academic, social and behavioral, culture
surveys, etc.
Presenter(s)
Edwards
Educational
Services (EES)
June – August 2011
WVDE School Improvement Conferences
WVDE
TBD
July 7,2011
Determining core values and beliefs and training in EES
the core concepts of a PLC
July 18-21, 2011
APL Strategies
July 27-29, 2011
APL Associates
Plan of action for 2011-2012 school year, linked to EES
schools strategic plan and based on data gathered
above, determine data collection and tracking system.
Administer the ELI 360 to all administrators-provide
feedback and design plan based on results
August 1, 2011
I-Lead training for classroom teachers who will EES
facilitate the program at the school
August 9, 2011
Teacher Evaluation Training
WVDE
August 11-12, 2011
Strengthening Tiered Instruction
A. Fragile
Framing Your Success Institute Year 2
EES
August 8-10, 2011
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Building Common Formative Assessments
Data Analysis and Decision Making
Strengthening School Leadership
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Year One: September 2011 - August 2012
Date
Topic
Presenter(s)
Train administration and staff in running
September 6, 2011
effective PLC collaborative meetings. Model EES
meeting format for all parties.
Instructional Practices Inventory Training
WVDE School
Transformation
Specialists
September 12, 2011
Howie Mitchel, Theresa Stillwell, Jeanie
Starcher (2 teachers and the principal have
already been trained)
Two Year Co-Hort
Transition to Teaching Co-Hort
Marshall
University
Developing Effective Counselors
Job Embedded & After School Sessions
TBD
Engage Them! SMART Board Training
Job Embedded & After School Sessions
Deena Yensen,
Pomeroy IT
Solutions
September 16-18 2011
October 6-7, 2011
November 11-13, 2011
December 8-9,2011
September 5-7, 2011
October 12-14, 2011
November 14-15, 2011
December 15-16, 2011
October 18, 2011
Creating Acuity Classroom Assessments
Amanda Fragile
October 4, 2011
November 8,2011
December 13, 2011
January 9, 2012
October 20, 2011
October 25, 2011
December 1, 2011
October 2011
December 2011
February 2012
March 2012
May 2012
September 8, 2011
September 10, 2011
Strengthening Tiered Instruction
WVDE/ Title I
WVDE SIG Conference
Bridgeport, WV
Building Parental Relationships
 Communication Skills
 Welcoming School Environment
Strengthening the Core –K-5 Reading Strategies
Job Embedded & After- School Sessions
Everyday Mathematics for Everyone
Job Embedded & After- School Sessions
WVDE
Anita Deck,
Edvantia
Kathy Snyder
Heather Lash
14
November 3, 2011
November 5, 2011
March 15, 2012
March 17, 2012
April 19, 2012
April 21, 2012
Fall 2011
Assist is the collection, tracking and monitoring EES
of relevant data to drive teacher practice
November 23, 2011
Taking techSteps into the Future
February 16-17, 2012
WVDE SIG Conference
Bridgeport, WV
Monthly
TBD
Paige Perkins,
School Kit
WVDE
6th – 8th Grade Level English Language Arts Terry Reale,
Consultant
Support
Job Embedded
Monthly
September 12-14, 2011
September 26-27, 2011
October 3-5, 2011
October 17-19, 2011
November 21-22, 2011
December 5-7, 2011
January 9-11,2012
January 23-24, 2012
February 6-8, 2012
March 5-7, 2012
April 9-11, 2012
April 23-24, 2012
April 19, 2012
Bi-Monthly
September 1, 2011
November 1, 2011
January 9, 2012
March 1, 2012
May 1, 2012
All Year
Framing Your Success School Improvement
Job Embedded
EES
*Support Services are available for all
administrators 24 hours a day by email and
conference calls.
WVDE SIG Conference
Charleston, WV
School Leadership Series
WVDE
EES
WVDE
School administrator will actively participate in Administration
a mini-series of school leadership sessions
scheduled by the Superintendent. The sessions
will focus on building the required leadership
competencies leaders must possess in McDowell
County Schools.
Assess the degree of modifications in teacher EES
practice based on data analysis, collaborative
team meetings, classroom observations, teacher
reflections, and 10-minute meetings. Continue
15
to link all efforts to the strategic plan. Develop
assessments “for” learning to allow teachers to
adjust their professional practice based on data
from the assessments. Provide regular reports
to the central office and state department of
education on progress. Continually adjust plans
as new information (data) become available
Year Two: September 2012 - August 2013
Date
Topic
Presenter(s)
(month)
Assess progress to date, assimilate new staff and determine
schedule for the year. Continuation of initiatives from year
Sept 2012
EES
one with modifications based on data analysis. Adjust
outcomes as needed
Fall 2012
Implementation
of
lab-classrooms,
peer-to-peer EES
observations, teacher data binders and student data
notebooks.
Implementation of Focus Groups (parent
support)
Two Year
Co-Hort
Transition to Teaching Co-Hort
Job Embedded
Spring 2013
Student led conferences, building off of information EES
Teachers
gathered from the student data notebooks
administrators
(March)
Year Three: September 2013 - August 2014
Date
Topic
(month)
Continuation of in initiatives from years 1 and 2. Shifting
additional responsibility to building level admin and
Sept 2013
teachers. Redefining outcomes based on information gather
from year one and two. Implementing a check and balance
system to ensure quality for all initiatives.
Marshall
University
Presenter(s)
EES
Teachers
Administrators
16
5. Describe the strategies the district staff will utilize to recruit, place and retain staff in the
school served with the 1003(g) grant.
The district staff will use various strategies to recruit and retain staff at Southside K-8 School
beginning with ensuring all data in West Virginia Education Information System (WVEIS) is
entered accurately and accurate at all times through extensive training provided by RESA I.
Southside K-8 School will begin the 2011-2012 school year with five vacant positions.
The following strategies will be utilized to recruit and retain staff at Southside K-8 School:
Recruit
 The District Leadership Team and Personnel Director met with representatives from the SEA
to review the teacher shortages and the challenges the district is suffering from in the area of
personnel recruitment. A co-hort is currently being developed which will assist individuals
who are not highly qualified to complete a two-year program similar to the Transition to
Teach Program. Funding from the grant will be earmarked for those individuals who will
complete the program while working at Southside K-8 School;

The Personnel Director will post job openings on the district and state web sites. College
visits are scheduled to recruit college graduates. The Director has made efforts to broaden
recruiting efforts to reach a wider audience;

The district will provide funds to reimburse teachers who take and pass the Praxis
Certification Examination in high need areas;

The Personnel Director will provide opportunities for alternative certification through
Transition to Teaching;

Southside K-8 School brochures highlighting school events will be developed by the School
Leadership Team and will be dispersed at career fairs, local hiring agencies, and community
events;

Counselors at both district high schools counsel students into the field of teaching, and

Collaborate with Bluefield College and Virginia Intermont College to provide credit for
students teaching via classroom experience.
Place and Retain Staff

All staff members hired will receive a letter from the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum
and Instruction informing them of the district’s Tuition Reimbursement Policy;

Support will be provided for new teachers through a beginning teacher mentor program;

Support teachers seeking administrative certification through Title II funding;
17

Provide opportunities for new teachers to attend both tracks of West Virginia Center for
Professional Development’s Beginner Teacher Academy;

Allow for reimbursement of teachers wanting to pursue National Board Certification;

Create a Southside K-8 Teacher and Student Handbook will be issued to all new hires in
order to allow the teacher to become familiar with the school.

Encourage and promote teachers that are highly qualified in one core subject to become
highly qualified in additional core subjects;

Continue to provide support for Professional Learning Communities through Framing Your
Success which established school teams focusing on improving instruction effectiveness and
subject achievement;

Maintain an individual plan for those teachers who are not highly qualified and provide
guidance and progress checks for each;

Recognize teachers for their efforts and accomplishments, and

Reward teachers with a $250.00 incentive for meeting their summative and overall growth
goals for reading/language arts and mathematics.
18
6. Describe other permissible activities, as defined in the regulations, the district staff
chooses to implement in the school to develop teacher and school leader effectiveness.
The school administrator will participate in the leadership series hosted by McDowell County Schools
which will focus on the critical competencies as delineated above. The Superintendent of McDowell
County Schools will organize the series to transform the principals into instructional leaders of their
schools.
Through the sustained support of Edwards Educational Services, the administrator will receive
guidance and insight on instructional decision making practices through the liaison. Communication
is on-going between both parties through email, phone, site visits, and webinars.
The School Leadership Team will meet bi-weekly to further develop ideas and strategies to improve
the school. The School Leadership Team will meet with the District Leadership Team monthly to
discuss progress and analyze data. Meetings will be held in a variety of methods including webinars
to maximize time on task. Both the School Leadership Team and District Leadership Team will meet
with the SEA regularly through collaborative conversations as scheduled by the WVDE.
Minutes from the School Leadership Team Meetings will be reviewed with the staff at collaboration
meetings, School Messenger announcements, and email to ensure quality communication.
Ten-minute meetings will be conducted to focus on student and teacher work. The administrator will
continue to receive job-embedded support from Edwards Educational Partners in the development
and sustainability of the meetings. The District Leadership Team will monitor the implementation of
the meetings and review evidence of the meetings and their framework monthly.
Southside K-8 School staff members are trained in using the Instructional Practices Inventory (IPI).
This process develops a school wide picture of student learning practices that serve as the basis for
faculty reflection and instructional improvement and to collect data used as a dependant variable to
measure the impact of school improvement interventions. Additional staff members need to be trained
to increase the number of teachers conducting IPI collections. The School Leadership Team will
review each collection and present the findings to the District Leadership Team to monitor progress
of school improvement. Four data collections are expected to be complete each school year.
Monies will be reserved for training and monitoring of the teacher evaluation procedures which are to
be piloted by School Improvement Schools.
19
B. Comprehensive instructional reform programs. Identify any activities that will be completed
as ‘pre-implementation’ (see APPENDIX A if applicable).
1. Describe how the school staff will use data to identify and implement an instructional
program that is research-based and vertically aligned from one grade to the next as
well as aligned with State academic standards.
In order to vertically align from one grade level to the next a 8-K approach rather than a K-8 model is
needed. School leaders and teams will need to identify the skills, concepts and knowledge students
must demonstrate at mastery at each grade level. Collaborative efforts from all stakeholders including
external lead partner, Edwards Educational Services, Inc. will be devoted to creating a standards
focused curriculum at Southside K-8 School. Work from classroom teachers in professional learning
communities, teaming, and 10 minute meetings must center on the following conversations:






What do we accept as mastery?;
What are the essential skills?;
How do we assess mastery of those essential skills?;
What do these skills look like at each grade level?;
Understanding and applying the skills embedded in the CSO’s, and
Applying the Mastery Matrix.
Once each of these is determined then it will be necessary to identify what data (evidence) school and
district administrators will accept as progress in student achievement for each. Evidence that will be
monitored by all stakeholders will include, but not limited to:









Common Bell Ringers;
Short Cycle Assessments;
Examination of Student Work;
Lesson Plans;
WESTEST2 Data;
Acuity Data;
DOK Matrixes;
Data Tracking System, and
Teacher Feedback.
Current assessment being utilized to evaluate student progress include DIBELS, Acuity, Lexia,
Headsprout, WV Writes, Carnegie Assessments, IPAP, Everyday Mathematics checklist, classroom
short cycle assessments, Scholastic Reading Inventories, and classroom observations.
20
2. Describe how the school will promote the continuous use of student data to inform
and differentiate instruction.
The following activities will be embedded into practice at Southside K-8 School to inform and
differentiate instruction based on continuous use of student data.













Developing an assessment map;
Assessments for learning;
Private and public data walls;
Utilize county developed Acuity Benchmarks and analyze data;
Create common formative short-cycle assessments;
Grading for mastery;
Utilize bell ringers in all classrooms;
Data at the classroom level is critical for ownership;
Focused job-embedded staff development programs as an improvement strategy to address
documented problems/needs;
Organized factual reports to the community about the learning progress of students;
Staff meetings that focus on strategies and issues raised by the local school’s data;
Regular parent communication regarding the progress of their children, and
Administrative team meetings that focus on measured progress toward data-based
improvement goals.
School administrators will ensure the aforementioned practices are embedded into instructional
practices through PLCs, 10-minute meetings, and observations. The district leadership will monitor
and provide support. IPI data will be collected four times a year and analyzed to denote growth and
areas of improvement. School administrators will be required to report on their growth regularly
during principal meetings and will monitor progress through a strategic plan work tasks document.
3. Describe other permissible activities, as defined in the regulations, the school staff will
implement as comprehensive instructional reform programs (if applicable).

Each teacher will maintain an action plan for their efforts to increase reading, mathematics,
and attendance at the classroom level. This plan will be fluid and monitored by the school
administrator in 10 minute meetings;

A Title I Intervention Facilitator will be hired using Title I funding to support and monitor
tiered intervention for all students. This individual will assist teachers with strategies which
will effectively provide instruction for a particular child based on data;

Students in grades K-5 will receive 90 minutes of mathematics instruction and 120 minutes of
reading language arts;

Students in grades 6-8 will receive a double block of mathematics instruction;

Those students needing additional reading support are enrolled in READ 180 and have a
double block to allow for the writing and language component to be delivered;
21

Teachers will utilize bell ringers which are created using the Acuity platform;

Teachers will use the Rule of 3 – Depth of knowledge assessments will be created by asking
questions 3 different ways on the three different levels to allow for students to be exposed to
a variety of way the question is introduced;

All teachers will actively participate in 10 minute meetings. The meetings will be student
focused and data driven. Documentation of the meetings will be monitored by the district
staff and external partner;

The Accelerated Reader Program will be introduced and utilized by students for the 20112012 school year to assist with motivating young readers. The software will allow students to
read both fiction and non-fiction books on his/her Lexile level. AR will provide books for
students to read to develop a joy and love for reading by providing a variety of choices and
genres. AR will build parent/student relationships and create successful reading experiences.
AR is not a reading program and will in no way become the reading program;

A new mobile lab will be purchased each year for the life of the grant to increase the student
to computer ratio.

Lexia Reading and Headsprout is available for teachers to utilize as a Tier 2 resource. The
software allows for students who need intensive skill instruction. Each students needs are
assessed with non-disruptive technology based on the individual needs of each child;

Modern classroom libraries need improved to accommodate to the needs of the children in
the classroom. Grant funding will allow for each classroom teacher to have new fiction and
non-fiction books for small group and independent reading activities, and

Students will maintain student data notebooks to monitor their progress on key areas in the
classroom such as attendance, behavior, academic performance, and etc. This work will be
guided by the external partner and supported by school administrator.

Teachers will
C. Increasing learning time and creating community-oriented schools. Identify any activities
that will be completed as ‘pre-implementation’ (see APPENDIX A if applicable).
1. Describe how the school staff will establish schedules and strategies that provide
increased learning time and create community-oriented schools. An additional 300
hours per year is recommended by ED.
After-School Program: Currently Southside K-8 students in grades 3-8 participate in the DREAMS
After-School Program. The District and School Leadership Teams determined it was necessary to use
grant funding to ensure students in grades K-2 are also afforded the opportunity to attend an afterschool program with specific skill instruction based on data. Additional teachers will be hired to
22
expand the K-2 grade span after-school program. Based on student interest, additional teachers will
be hired through grant funding to allow all students the opportunity to participate in the program. Six
salaries will be funded through this grant. Transportation will be provided for students as well as a
nutritious evening snack through blended federal funds.
The after-school program will be open to all students K-8. For summer school and after-school,
instruction will be determined by each student’s intervention portfolio. Intervention portfolios are
maintained for every student and include assessment and progress monitoring data for reading and
math. Title I, classroom teachers, after-school teachers, and summer school teachers have access and
contribute to the portfolio during collaboration. The after-school program will run two hours per day
four days a week. Summer school will run for four hours a day for twenty days.
Critical Skills Summer Academy: A Summer Academy will be available for all students. The
Academy will provide critical skill instruction for students based on student data. Engaging strategies
and delivery instruction will be modified to support academic growth. The Academy will provide an
opportunity for additional 24 instructional days to increase learning time.
2. Describe how the school will provide ongoing mechanisms for family and community
engagement.

Southside K-8 School receives Title I school-wide services. Family involvement activities are
regularly scheduled throughout the school year. Family reading, mathematics, and technology
nights provide parents with strategies that will empower support from home to increase
academic achievement. Parent workshops will also be held during the Summer School
Academy for all parents. County Title I Parent Trainings are also regularly scheduled and
published on the county website, news media, and in print form;

As a pre-implementation grant activity, a Summer Kick-Off is planned for August to assist to
communicate to parents and the community about school status and improvement plans for
the school;

Title I Teachers will hold parent data analysis meetings for all parents after each benchmark
period. This will allow for data to be interpreted in parent friendly language by the reading
and math interventionists. Parents will sign up for the event and scheduled convenient to the
parents’ work schedule;

To promote the love of reading, a book festival will be held each quarter for parents and
students. Each child at the school will receive the same book which will be utilized during the
school day and at home in the evening for activities. Activities will be announced via school
messenger to parents;

During the 2010-2011 school year, the school was actively involved with the School
Improvement Conferences led by WVDE. Culture and Climate survey results indicated a
need for establishing school culture. The School Leadership Team will hold monthly forums
with parent representation to establish school pride and values. School Messenger memos
23
will be sent to parents encouraging attendance for forums. Student representatives will also
be in attendance for input;

A monthly parent newsletter will be distributed highlighting student achievement, upcoming
school activities, helpful strategies, and more. The newsletter will also be available in
electronic format for community members and distant family members;

The school will open a new school website in August 2011. The site will be user friendly and
contain pertinent up-to-date information regarding the school. Parents will have access to
teacher email accounts and school assessment data;

The school administrator nominated two parents to represent Southside K-8 School on the
McDowell County Schools Title I Parent Advisory Council (PAC). The PAC will attend a
meeting hosted by the McDowell County Schools Title I Program the first Thursday of every
month. The PAC members will review and edit the Parental Involvement Policy, and act as
an advocate for the Parent Involvement Program. Title I Teachers will work with the school’s
principal and the PAC chairmen in developing the Title I Parent Policy for the school. All
Title I Schools are required to hold an annual Title I meeting at the beginning of the school
year. This affords the parents the opportunity to learn more about Title I and begins a
communication process between parents, teachers, and school administrators. The PAC plans
and carries out other Title I activities throughout the school year;

The school administrator as well as classroom teachers will utilize School Messenger to send
announcements of upcoming classroom and school activities.

A data wall will be housed in the conference room for teachers and administrators to monitor
positive communication with parents. This visual will allow for staff to clearly determine the
students who are not receiving recognition and support. All students’ names will be listed on
chart paper. A dot sticker will be added beside of the child’s name when a staff member
makes a personal contact, conference, phone call, email, and written communication. Efforts
will be made by the School Leadership Team to encourage staff to communicate with all
parents regularly.

Additional activities will be planned in the evening hours where both the parents and students
can be involved including plays, student performances, community learning nights, sporting
events, and more.

Parent Literacy Assistants will be employed through Title I funding to build parental
relationships and develop parental involvement activities for the school. The Parent Literacy
Assistants will mentor students and monitor their independent reading.

The computer lab will be available in the morning and evening hours to allow students and
parents to work together on software to increase academic achievement including Accelerated
Reader, Lexia Reading, and Headsprout.

Student driven conferences will be planned at the end of each semester. Students will prepare
their presentations for parents throughout the term. Parents will be invited to come to the
school and will review their child’s progress while the student is leading his/her own
presentation.
24
3. Describe other permissible activities, as defined in the regulations, the school staff will
implement to increase learning time and create community-oriented schools (if applicable).
Currently Southside K-8 students in grades 3-8 participate in the DREAMS After-School Program.
The District and School Leadership Teams determined it was necessary to use grant funding to ensure
students in grades K-2 are also afforded the opportunity to attend an after-school program with
specific skill instruction based on data. Additional teachers will be hired to expand the K-2 grade span
after-school program. Based on student interest, additional teachers will be hired through grant
funding to allow all students the opportunity to participate in the program. Six salaries will be funded
through this grant. Transportation will be provided for students as well as a nutritious evening snack
through blended federal funds.
A School Social Worker will be employed through grant funding. A Social Worker is a trained
professional who works with students, teachers and parents to promote student success. This
individual will act as a liaison between teachers, parents, students, administrators and the community.
They will have a flexible schedule which will allow him/her to schedule home visits during the day
and evening hours in order to work with schedules of working parents.
The School Social Worker is expected to:













Provide support to students having difficulties with social, emotional and behavioral
adjustments;
Provide individual and group counseling;
Provide crisis intervention;
Link students and families to community resources/agencies;
Advocate for students, parents, teachers and schools;
Work as part of a multidisciplinary team to develop programs for children with special needs;
Promote regular school attendance;
Conduct home visits;
Provide case management services to students and families;
Conduct assessment of student/family need;
Conduct classroom observations;
Provide parent education, and
Meet with parents to discuss concerns about their child and/or family situation.
D. Provide operating flexibility and sustained support.
25
1. Describe the operational flexibility (e.g., staffing, calendar, time, and budget) the school
staff will be given in order to fully implement a comprehensive approach to substantially
improve student achievement outcomes and increase the graduation rate.
In order for Southside K-8 School to fully implement a comprehensive approach to substantially
improve student achievement outcomes and increase high school graduation rates, the following
operational flexibility opportunities will be provided:







McDowell County School’s Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction
will ensure best practices are delivered with fidelity by engaging in dialogue and
observations with teachers and principals during monthly administrator meetings,
district leadership team meetings, and school visits;
Dedicated time weekly for PLCs - Vertical and horizontal teaming by content areas;
Braided funding for after-school professional development and teaming opportunities;
Policy revision to support staff and students e.g. grading, attendance, and etc.;
The development of an aligned curriculum that includes K-12 curriculum maps and
sample instructional strategies aligned with WV CSOs;
The creation of district-wide and school-level summative and formative assessments,
Building leadership and instructional capacity through Framing Your Success.
District and school administrators will investigate altering the schedule of Title I Staff to better
maximize time with students. Title I Teachers are permitted to start their day earlier or later than
general education teachers. The Title I Teachers will also be employed for 215 contract days. This is
an increase from the former 210 contract. This will allow for planning and preparation days which
will be developed and monitored by the Title I Director. Title I Teachers will begin services on the
first day of the school year with students.
Guidance counselors’ contract days will be increased by ten days to allow additional preparation and
intensive professional development in the area of counseling. The goal of elementary and middle
school counseling is to lay the foundation for our youth to grow and fill the positions of next
generation citizens, parents and business leaders. It is the job of the school counselor to provide the
knowledge and support that helps students who are dealing with diverse issues to develop positive
decision-making skills, communication skills and to develop positive attitudes toward school, their
peers and, most importantly, themselves.
A School Social Worker will be employed through grant funding. A Social Worker is a trained
professional who works with students, teachers and parents to promote student success. This
individual will act as a liaison between teachers, parents, students, administrators and the community.
They will have a flexible schedule which will allow him/her to schedule home visits during the day
and evening hours in order to work with schedules of working parents.
The School Social Worker is expected to:




Provide support to students having difficulties with social, emotional and behavioral
adjustments;
Provide individual and group counseling;
Provide crisis intervention;
Link students and families to community resources/agencies;
26









Advocate for students, parents, teachers and schools;
Work as part of a multidisciplinary team to develop programs for children with special needs;
Promote regular school attendance;
Conduct home visits;
Provide case management services to students and families;
Conduct assessment of student/family need;
Conduct classroom observations;
Provide parent education, and
Meet with parents to discuss concerns about their child and/or family situation.
2. Describe the ongoing, intensive technical assistance and related support from the SEA and
LEA.
a. SEA Technical Assistance
The SEA will provide technical assistance to the LEA and the schools served with 1003(g) funding.
The West Virginia Department of Education Title I school improvement coordinators will regularly
monitor to ensure that each LEA receiving a grant is implementing a school intervention model fully
and effectively in Tier I and Tier II schools.
As indicated in the WVDE State System of Support (SSOS) School Improvement Model, the grant
effectiveness of Tier I and Tier II schools will be monitored by the Title I office as part of the SSOS
process in conjunction with the Office of School Improvement. In addition, Tier I and Tier II schools
will be assigned a SEA Title I school improvement coordinator who is responsible for continuous
monitoring of each school’s grant implementation. The coordinators will report the school’s progress
to the SSOS team on a monthly basis for Tier I and Tier II schools.
In addition, each school receiving a school improvement 1003(g) grant will be provided with
statewide training and support to include six days during the 2011-2012 school year. Additional
follow-up training to be announced for years 2 and 3.
b. LEA Technical Assistance: Provide a description of the ongoing, intensive technical
assistance and related support the LEA staff will provide to the school.






The Title I Director will provide direct and on-going assistance in the development and
implementation of improvement strategies during monthly administrator meetings, district
leadership team meetings, and school visits;
Seek resources and investigate other funding to sustain and support efforts to improve the
school including Title I, II, and Special Education;
Facilitate the analysis of assessment data and assist county and school staff in the design
and delivery of instruction to address identified deficiencies;
Assist in the revision and implementation of the each school’s Five Year Strategic Plan;
Facilitate staff development based on identified needs at each school, and
Work collaboratively with WVDE staff, RESA I and other organizations to ensure
school improvement.
27
The LEA will work to support the efforts of external lead partner described in the section below. Ongoing job-embedded professional development will be provided through and a reading and
mathematics interventionist at each school.
2. Describe the intensive technical assistance and related support for the school staff that
will be provided by a designated external lead partnership organization, if applicable.
Edwards Educational Services, Inc. has been selected as the external lead partnership organization for
Southside K-8 School. The partnership has been in existence for two years with intensive jobembedded professional development for teachers, district and school administrators. Grant funding
will allow for efforts to be sustained and on-going.
Key areas of technical assistance and related support which will be provided by the external lead
partners will include:











Assessment design;
Training in become a PLC;
Conducting highly effective collaborative team (grade level and content) meetings;
Data analysis;
Effective teaching strategies based on the data analysis;
Monitoring system to report to the central office and state;
Building vertical alignment of curriculum and assessments;
Intervention model for students based on data analysis;
Data driven PD;
Establishing realistic targets (outcomes) for student achievement from year-to-year, and
Implement a “train the trainers” model for sustainability.
3. Describe other permissible activities that the school staff will implement to provide
operating flexibility and sustained support (e.g., staffing, scheduling, and budgeting) (if
applicable).
District and school administrators will investigate altering the schedule of Title I Staff to better
maximize time with students. Title I Teachers are permitted to start their day earlier or later than
general education teachers. The Title I Teachers will also be employed for 215 contract days. This is
an increase from the former 210 contract. This will allow for planning and preparation days which
will be developed and monitored by the Title I Director. Title I Teachers will begin services on the
first day of the school year with students.
Guidance counselors’ contract days will be increased by ten days to allow additional preparation and
intensive professional development in the area of counseling. The goal of elementary and middle
school counseling is to lay the foundation for our youth to grow and fill the positions of next
generation citizens, parents and business leaders. It is the job of the school counselor to provide the
knowledge and support that helps students who are dealing with diverse issues to develop positive
decision-making skills, communication skills and to develop positive attitudes toward school, their
peers and, most importantly, themselves.
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A School Social Worker will be employed through grant funding. A Social Worker is a trained
professional who works with students, teachers and parents to promote student success. This
individual will act as a liaison between teachers, parents, students, administrators and the community.
They will have a flexible schedule which will allow him/her to schedule home visits during the day
and evening hours in order to work with schedules of working parents.
The School Social Worker is expected to:
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Provide support to students having difficulties with social, emotional and behavioral
adjustments;
Provide individual and group counseling;
Provide crisis intervention;
Link students and families to community resources/agencies;
Advocate for students, parents, teachers and schools;
Work as part of a multidisciplinary team to develop programs for children with special needs;
Promote regular school attendance;
Conduct home visits;
Provide case management services to students and families;
Conduct assessment of student/family need;
Conduct classroom observations;
Provide parent education, and
Meet with parents to discuss concerns about their child and/or family situation.
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IV.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: This section must be addressed for the school.
A. Procedures to recruit, screen, and select external partners, if applicable. Identify any
activities that will be completed as ‘pre-implementation’ (see APPENDIX A if applicable).
Describe the procedures the LEA staff will use to recruit, screen, and select external partners.
The process shall include input from a variety of stakeholders and a specific timeline for
completion of activities.
During the 2009-2010 school year, McDowell County Schools began using Edwards Educational
Services, Inc. for school improvement support. This provider is listed as an approved provider on
the Approved List of External Support Partners. These services will be augmented with support
from this grant.
The LEA will assess the effectiveness of the external provider through feedback during school and
district leadership team collaboration, assessment data charts, improvement rubrics, and ultimately
improved WESTEST2 scores, IPI data, and culture and climate surveys. Administrator and teacher
feedback will be collected through surveys targeting the work of the external provider.
Provide a written explanation outlining the following items:
 How the selected external partner meets the identified needs of the school
 Projected work to be completed annually by the external partner
 A description of how the LEA staff will evaluate the effectiveness of the external partner
Edwards Educational Services, Inc. meets the identified needs of each school based on the work that
has already started at each school during the 2009-2010 school year through braiding of federal
funding. During the 2009-2010 school year, the foundation was laid for school reform with the
implementation of teacher and school level action plans focused on three district-wide non-negotiable
goals. Support is now focused on developing leadership capacity at each school via Professional
Learning Communities focused on student work, regular walk-throughs, and teacher-principal ten
minute meetings. The meetings use an inquiry process to focus on individual student achievement.
The work will continue by developing short-cycle assessments and common bell ringers in all
classrooms. Teachers will become standards-focused and facilitate engaging instructional experiences
that enhance individual student progress in the mastery of the curriculum.
The LEA will evaluate the effectiveness of the external provider through regular feedback from
principals and teachers, the artifacts and evidence collected by schools and individual teachers,
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increased student achievement on common formative assessment, and ultimately an increase in
WESTEST2 performance.
B. Describe how the LEA staff and school staff will modify practices or policies to enable the
school staff to implement the interventions fully and effectively. Identify barriers and discuss
the willingness of the district to modify procedures as necessary. Identify any activities that will
be completed as ‘pre-implementation’ (see APPENDIX A if applicable).
McDowell County is currently revising the county policy manual. Any barriers identified will be
addressed during this process. School level policies and procedures will be reviewed for possible
conflicts. Current policy barriers include the grading policy and school and staff attendance policies.
Others barriers include a lack of substitute teachers; therefore most professional development
opportunities are embedded during the school day through in-classroom support. The Personnel
Director will advertise and post substitute positions through the school year and increase recruitment.
Anita Deck, Director of West Virginia Parent Connections (WVPC) at Edvantia will assist the district
and school administration in implementing structured parent involvement activities that lead to
improved student achievement and stronger partnerships between families and educators at Southside
K-8 School.
A Summer Kick-Off will be scheduled in early August to inform the community stakeholders of the
schools achievement status and efforts which will be made to improve instruction at Southside K-8
School. The grant activities and contents of the Five Year Plan will be reviewed and shared in a way
that is parent friendly. This activity will allow the school to gain the support of the community and
build positive relationships.
C. Describe how the LEA staff and school staff will sustain the reform efforts after the funding
period ends. Address funding, staffing and other resources that will be needed to sustain
improvement efforts. Identify any activities that will be completed as ‘pre-implementation’ (see
APPENDIX A if applicable).
Funding for this grant will be braided among the following programs: RLIS, Title II, Special
Education, Title I, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, and Step 7. The school improvement
process used by both schools will be ground in professional learning communities, developing
leadership capacity and action planning. Once established, sustainability will continue through the use
of newly embedded practices that will require little funding. Time for planning and peer observations
will be sustained through funding set aside for stipends and substitutes from the aforementioned
programs. Additional personnel still needed after the grant funding period, will also be funded
through other county/federal programs.
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V.
BUDGET: Include a budget and narrative indicating the amount of school
improvement funds the LEA will allocate per year.
The LEA’s proposed budget will span a three-year period, (SY 11-12; SY 12-13; SY 13-14), as the
SEA has applied for a waiver to extend the period of availability of funds. The overall LEA budget
must indicate how it will allocate school improvement funds, over a three-year period, as well as any
‘pre-implementation’ activities, among the Tier I and Tier II schools it commits to serve.
Submit budget spreadsheets and narrative as specified below:
School-level Detail
a. Budget Spreadsheet: The LEA will complete a separate budget spreadsheet for each eligible school
receiving school improvement funds.
The budget narrative shall include the following items:
 An overview of the activities included in the budget
 A description of how other federal, state, and local funds will be leveraged to further
support school improvement plans
 A description of any broad items in the budget (e.g., personnel, contracted services,
professional development, supplies, equipment, travel expenses)
Align other resources with the intervention as detailed in the budget and the budget narrative for each
school.
 The detailed budget narrative provides evidence of how other sources (e.g., regular
school Title I; Title I 1003(a); Title II, Part A; Title III, Part A; state/local commitment
and community resources) are aligned with the selected interventions.
 Provide a narrative description of how the LEA allocates other resources (e.g., personnel,
materials, services) to support the selected intervention model in the grant application.
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BUDGET NARRATIVE
Instruction K-12 Category
Substitute Funding
 This expenditure will allow for on-site staff development by providing coverage for
teachers not to interrupt classroom learning and to ensure coverage of core classroom
during job-embedded professional development and IPI Collections. Funding will also
include substitute for School Leadership Team members to travel to WVDE Conferences
and ROUNDS.
Supplies (YR 1--$10,000; YR 2--$6121.00; YR 3--$10,000)
 Student data binders
 Chart paper
 After-School instructional supplies
Supplemental Books (YR 1--$20,000; YR 3--$10,000)
 Classroom library books
 I-Lead Student Reference books
Hardware
 Mobile laptop lab will be purchased to add additional machines for hands-on lessons to
increase engagement which was found to be low on recent IPI collections (30,000 for 3
years).
 Laptop and printer for the School Social Worker
Professional Personnel Supplemental Salaries
 Six After-School Teacher Salaries
Funding will be blended to sustain efforts through Title I, II, and DREAMS Grant
Support Services – Attendance and Social Services
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School Social Worker
Supplies
Professional Development
Stipends/Incentives
 Professional development and team meeting stipends
 Teacher incentive of $250.00
Funding will be blended to sustain efforts through Title I, II, and other federal sources.
External Lead Partner (YR 1—$150,000; YR 2—$120,000; YR 3--$75,000)
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
Edwards Educational Services, Inc. organization will be on-site at each school 5-6 days
each month. The focus of the work will be action plans and building effective
professional learning communities.
Funding will be blended to sustain efforts through Title I, II, and other federal sources.
PD Consultants (YR 1 --85,260.00; YR 2—$67352.44; YR 3—$25,000)
 Monies are budgeted for consulting fees for the in-classroom support offerings for
mathematics, reading, counseling, technology, and writing. Terry Reale, APL, Kathy
Snyder, Pomeroy, and Carnegie will serve as consultants for professional development.
Funding will be blended to sustain efforts through Title I, II, and other federal sources.
Tuition Reimbursement
 Transition to Teach Co-Hort (Two Years)
Funding will be blended to sustain efforts through Title I, II, and other federal sources.
Travel

Monies are budgeted for out of county travel including but not limited to School
Transformation Team Meetings, School Retreat, and etc. Also included in this line will
be costs associated with home visits made by the School Social Worker.
Funding will be blended to sustain efforts through Title I, II, and other federal sources.
Transportation
Service Personnel Salaries
 Two bus operators for after-school program bus
Fuel

Fuel for the after-school program bus routes
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VI. ASSURANCES: The LEA must include the following assurances in its application for a
school improvement grant (check applicable boxes or indicate as “not applicable”).
The LEA assures it will adhere to the following actions:
 Replace the principal in each Tier I or Tier II School it commits to serve as per the regulations of
the Title I 1003(g) grant program.
 Establish annual goals (summative and growth) for student achievement on the State’s
assessments in both reading/language arts and mathematics and measure progress on the leading
indicators in Section III of the final requirements in order to monitor the school.
 Use the school improvement grant to fully and effectively implement an intervention in the
school consistent with the final requirements.
 Become an “early adopter” of a rigorous, transparent and equitable evaluation system that takes
into account data on student growth as a significant part to educator performance evaluations.

Organize the school staff into PLCs and provide high quality job-embedded professional
development.
 Participate in the SEA on-site monitoring and technical assistance trainings.

Include in the contract or agreement a provision that the education management organization
will be held accountable for complying with the final requirements if implementing a restart
model (if applicable).
 Comply with all state statutes and federal laws related to the Title I, Part A, 1003(g) program.
Appropriate records will be provided to the State Educational Agency (SEA) as needed for fiscal
audit and program evaluation.
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Assure that funds made available through this statute will be used to supplement and not
supplant funds from non-federal sources.
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Maintain accurate program records which document progress in implementing the plans
approved in this application.
 Report to the SEA the school-level data required under Section III of the final requirements upon
request.
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VII. WAIVERS: The SEA has obtained waivers of requirements applicable to the LEA’s school
improvement grant. The LEA must indicate which of those waivers it intends to implement (check
applicable boxes).
Extending the period of availability of school improvement funds.

“Starting over” in the school improvement timeline for a school implementing a turnaround
or restart model.
The LEA that chooses to implement one or more of these waivers will comply with section I.A.7 of
the final requirements.
The LEA assures that it will implement the waiver(s) only if the LEA receives a school improvement
grant and requests to implement the waiver(s) in its application. As such, the LEA will only
implement the waivers(s) in the school, as applicable.
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APPENDIX A
Pre-Implementation: As soon as it receives the funds, an LEA may use part of its first year
allocation (2011-2012) during the (2010-2011 school year) for SIG-related “pre-implementation”
activities. These pre-implementation activities shall be budgeted separately (see budget sheets). Preimplementation activities must (1) support the full and effective implementation of the intervention
model selected by the LEA, (2) address the needs identified by the LEA, (3) be reasonable and
necessary for full implementation, and (4) help improve student achievement. Possible activities that
an LEA may carry out during the spring or summer prior to full implementation may include the
topics listed below. This list should not be considered as exhaustive or required.
Preparation for Accountability Measures:
 Analyze data on leading baseline indicators.
 Develop and adopt interim assessments for use in SIG-funded schools.
Professional Development and Support:
 Train staff on the implementation of new or revised instructional programs and policies
aligned with the school’s comprehensive instructional plan and the school’s intervention
model.
 Provide instructional support for returning staff members, such as classroom coaching,
structured common planning time, mentoring, consultation with outside experts, and
observations of classroom practice, that is aligned with the school’s comprehensive
instructional plan and the school’s intervention model.
Instructional Programs:
 Provide remediation and enrichment to students in schools that will implement an
intervention model at the start of the 2011-2012 school year through programs with
evidence of raising student achievement (e.g., summer school for in-coming freshmen,
summer school programs designed to prepare low achieving students to participate
successfully in advanced coursework, such as Honors, AP or IB).
 Identify and purchase instructional materials that are research-based, aligned with State
academic standards, and have data-based evidence of raising student achievement.
 Compensate staff for instructional planning, such as examining student data, developing a
curriculum that is aligned to State standards and aligned vertically from one grade level
to another, collaborating within and across disciplines, and devising student assessments.
Family and Community Engagement:
 Hold community meetings to review school performance.
 Discuss the school intervention model to be implemented.
 Develop school improvement plans in line with the intervention model selected.
 Survey students and parents to gauge needs of students, families, and the community.
 Communicate with parents and the community about school status, improvement plans,
and local service providers for health, nutrition, or social services through press releases,
newsletters, newspaper announcements, parent outreach coordinators, hotline, and direct
mail.
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