SCHOOLWIDE/SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN TEMPLATE School Name: District Name:

Georgia Department of Education

Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan

SCHOOLWIDE/SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN TEMPLATE

School Name: Cumming Elementary

Principal Name: Pam Pajerski

District Name: Forsyth County

School Year: 2015-2016

School Mailing Address: 540 Dahlonega Street, Cumming, GA 30041

Telephone: 770-887-7749

District Title I Director/Coordinator Name: Fonda Harrison

District Title I Director/Coordinator Mailing Address: 1120 Dahlonega Hwy, Cumming, GA 30040

Email Address: fharrison@forsyth.k12.ga.us

Telephone: 770-887-2461 ext. 202243

ESEA WAIVER ACCOUNTABILITY STATUS

( Check all boxes that apply and provide additional information if requested.)

Priority School Focus School

Title I Alert School

Principal’s Signature:

Title I Director’s Signature:

Superintendent’s Signature:

Revision Date: 9/25/15 Revision Date:

Date:

Date:

Date:

Revision Date:

Georgia Department of Education

April 2015 ● Page 1 of 42



SWP Template Instructions



All components of a Title I Schoolwide Program Plan and a School Improvement Plan must be addressed. When using SWP and SIP checklists, all components/elements marked as “Not Met” need additional development.



Please add your planning committee members on the next page.



The first ten components in the template are required components as set forth in Section

1114 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).



Please submit your School Improvement Plan as an addendum after the header page in this document.





Planning Committee Members

NAME

MEMBER’S SIGNATURE

POSITION/ROLE

Pam Pajerski Principal

Jennifer Williams

Jennifer Parker

Jennifer Bailey

Megan Geren

Jessica Jones

Jennifer Lundstrum

Christie Zerkel

Lisa Milligan

Mandy Wansley

Natalie Sanfilippo

Zo Sanchez

Laura McCormack

Katy Gunter

Jennifer Lozen

Stephanie Reis

Carrie Leggett

Gail Lindstrom

Nelson Logan

Anne Marie Baker

Christy Constantinides

Quincy Holton

Kelly Cianciolo

K-1 Administrator

QWF, Grades 2-3

4-5 Administrator

K teacher

1 st grade teacher

2 nd grade teacher

3 rd grade teacher

4 th grade teacher

5 th grade teacher

Title I Lead Teacher

Parent Involvement

Coordinator

Special Ed. Lead

Instructional Technology

Specialist

Media Specialist

ESOL Lead

Special Areas Lead

Local School Council

Chairperson

Parents





SWP/SIP Components

1.

A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school, (including taking into account the needs of migratory children as defined in Section 1309(2)) that is based on information which includes the achievement of children in relation to the state academic content standards and the state student academic achievement standards described in Section 1111(b)(1).

Response: The process we follow to complete our plan involves gathering data and dispersing the information to the appropriate groups for analyzing and disaggregating. The following instruments serve as a means for collecting pertinent data:



Georgia Milestones for third, fourth, and fifth grades



FCS Interim Assessments for second, third, fourth, and fifth grades





Fast Bridge Universal Screening and Progress Monitoring for all grades

Reading Benchmark Leveling Assessments (Fountas & Pinnell) for all grades



SLO Growth Data



IKAN/GLOSS Leveling Assessments for all grades



TKES (Teacher Keys Effectiveness System)



Ga DOE School Keys survey for all stakeholders



Standards Based Report Cards for all grades







Needs Assessment Surveys of Staff, parents, and students

Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Development Skills (GKIDS)

ACCESS (ELL Assessment) for all grades



College and Career Readiness Index (CCRPI)

By using the instruments above, a comparison of school data to system expectations is conducted to ensure that school goals reflect Forsyth County’s commitment to excellence. In order to meet the needs of all students, Georgia Milestones data (available in October 2015) is disaggregated and reviewed in depth by each teacher at CES. Data from each of the sub-groups including economically disadvantaged, students with disabilities, English language learners, students identified through the McKinney-Vento Act, and students who have participated in Head Start is reviewed. Data from each of the content areas is analyzed to determine areas of strength and need for our school improvement plan. When identifying students who are most at-risk, CES uses TINA

(Title I Needs Assessment) to collect additional data on students.

College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI) is a comprehensive school improvement, accountability, and communication platform for all educational stakeholders that will promote college and career readiness for all Georgia public school students.

Each component of CCRPI, including Achievement, Progress, and Closing the Achievement Gap are reviewed in depth by the Leadership team and grade levels.





1.


CCRPI 2014 Report:

The Content Mastery component of Achievement indicates that Cumming Elementary’s greatest areas of weakness are in the subjects of Science and Social Studies. The Performance Flags indicate that the

Hispanic Subgroup met the Participation Rate, but did not meet either the State or Subgroup Performance

Targets for Science or Social Studies. The English Learner Subgroup met the Participation Rate and State

Performance Target but not Subgroup Performance Target for Social Studies. Also, English Learners

Subgroups did not meet either the State or Subgroup Performance Targets for Science.





1.


Additional Data

AIMSweb and FastBridge are norm-referenced universal screenings that monitor student progress through curriculum-based measurement. Cumming will be transitioning to using FastBridge in Fall 2015.

The data is updated regularly and provides schools the ability to track student progress throughout the school year. The program also provides progress monitoring and supports the RTI process. CES assesses all students twice per year in the areas of reading and math. The reading assessments address concepts of print, onset sounds, letter names and sounds for Kindergarten and word segmenting, nonsense words, sight words, and sentence reading for 1 st grade. The reading assessments for second through fifth grade address fluency. The math assessments address numeral identification, number sequence, decomposing and composing, and matching quantities for kindergarten and first grade. The math assessments address math computation for second and third grade. Math assessments for fourth and fifth grade also address the process of solving problems identifying strengths and areas of difficulty when computing math problems.

AIMSweb Data

Math Computation (M-COMP)

1 st

2 nd

3 rd

4 th

5 th

Grade

Fall

2013-2014

%

Above

Target

-

65

83

64

83

%

Below

Target

-

35

17

36

17

Fall

2014-2015

%

Above

Target

75

71

56

49

64

%

Below

Target

25

29

44

51

36

Winter

2013-2014

%

Above

Target

-

69

83

54

77

%

Below

Target

-

31

17

46

23

Winter

2014-2015

%

Above

Target

51

71

63

53

69

%

Below

Target

49

29

37

47

31

Reading-Curriculum Based Measurement (RCBM)- Fluency

1 st

2 nd

3 rd

4 th

5 th

Grade

Fall

2013-2014

%

Above

Target

84

61

61

58

48

%

Below

Target

16

39

39

42

52

Fall

2014-2015

%

Above

Target

70

63

48

55

48

%

Below

Target

30

37

52

45

52

Winter

2013-2014

%

Above

Target

72

54

61

57

53

%

Below

Target

28

46

39

43

47

Winter

2014-2015

%

Above

Target

60

63

50

59

53

%

Below

Target

40

37

50

41

47





1.


Third, fourth, and fifth grade percentages of above target in reading fluency increased from Fall 2014 to

Winter 2015. However, in Winter 2015, all grade levels had 37% or more in percentage of students reading below the fluency target. The greatest weakness is in third grade with 50% below the fluency target.

Third, fourth, and fifth grade percentages of above target in math computation increased from Fall 2014 to

Winter 2015. However, in Winter 2015, all grade levels had 29% or more in percentage of students below the target for math computation. The greatest weakness is in first grade with 49% below the target.

FastBridge Data

(Available in September 2015)

Additional Data (Rigby, F&P Leveling Data)

Kindergarten, 1

st

, and 2

nd

Rigby Instructional Reading Levels

Grade

K

Fall

2012-

2013

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

Fall

2013-

2014

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

Fall

(F&P)

2014-

2015

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

Winter

2012-

2013

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

Winter

2013-

2014

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

Winter

(F&P)

2014-

2015

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

Spring

2012-

2013

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

Spring

2013-

2014

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

Spring

(F&P)

2014-

2015

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

96 4 98 2 98 1 59 41 73 27 82 10 27 73 26 74 35 53

1 st 83 17 81 19 81 13 54 46 51 49 66 30 33 67 31 69 30 63

2 nd 74 26 65 35 62 33 45 55 50 50 47 46 31 69 36 64 33 59

Grade Fall

2012-2013

3

rd

, 4

th

, and 5

th

Fountas and Pinnell Instructional Reading Levels

Fall

2013-2014

Fall

2014-2015

Winter

2012-2013

Winter

2013-2014

Winter

2014-2015

Spring

2012-2013

Spring

2013-2014

Spring

2014-2015

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

% of

DNM

% of

M&E

3 rd 73 27 65 35 71 27 61 39 56 44 61 35 45 55 44 56 52 44

4 th 85 17 65 35 50 31 61 39 50 50 44 48 52 48 40 60 32 59

5 th 93 7 78 22 58 30 64 36 60 40 41 45 43 57 46 54 31 56





1.


Percentage of students at or above the end of the year reading level target:

Grade Level Spring 2013 Spring 2014 Spring 2015

K

1

st

2

nd

3

rd

4

th

5

th

73

67

69

55

48

57

74

69

64

56

60

54

53

63

59

44

59

56

Grade

Pre-Interim

2013-14

%

Int.

%

Exc.&

Prof.

2

nd

3

rd

4

th

5

th

Additional Data – Pre-Interim and Post-Interim (2 nd -5th grades)

Post-Interim

2013-14

%

Int.

% Exc.&

Prof.

ELA Interim

Pre-Interim

2014-15

Post-Interim

2014-15

% Int. %

Exc.&

Prof.

% Int. %

Exc.&

Prof.

Pre-Interim

2015-16

% Int. %

Exc.&

Prof.

11

20

32

22

59

47

42

39

26.1

44

41

35

33.3 13.5

18

17

27

14.3

33.1

16.4

58.7

48.1

30.8

53.2

Post-Interim

2015-16

% Int. %

Exc.&

Prof.

Pre-Interim

Grade

%

2013-14

Int.

%

Exc.&

Prof.

2

nd

3

rd

4

th

5

th

Post-Interim

2013-14

%

Int.

% Exc.&

Prof.

13

36

24

52

22

31

37 26

Math Interim

Pre-Interim Post-Interim

2014-15

% Int. %

Exc.&

Prof.

2014-15

% Int. %

Exc.&

Prof.

35.3

84

1

64

18.8 5.9

4

72

0

40.6

19.8

60.8

27.8

42.6

33.4 28.1

Pre-Interim

2015-16

% Int. %

Exc.&

Prof.

Post-Interim

2015-16

% Int. %

Exc.&

Prof.

All grade levels percentage of intervention on the ELA Interim (2014-15) decreased from the Pre-Interim to Post-Interim. The greatest improvement is in third grade with the percentage of intervention decreased

29.7% and the percentage of exceeding and proficient increased 30.1%. The greatest weakness is in fourth grade with the percentage of intervention decreased 8% and the percentage of exceeding and proficient increased 13.8%.

All grade levels percentage of intervention on the Math Interim (2014-15) decreased from the Pre-Interim





1.

A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school, (including taking into account the needs of migratory children as defined in Section 1309(2)) that is based on information which includes the achievement of children in relation to the state academic content standards and the state student academic achievement standards described in Section 1111(b)(1). to Post-Interim. The greatest improvement is in third grade with the percentage of intervention decreased

43.4% and in second grade with the percentage of exceeding and proficient increased 42%. The greatest weakness is in fourth grade with the percentage of intervention decreased 29.4% and the percentage of exceeding and proficient increased 18.8%.

Instructional Goals:

MATH

Math-All Students

CES will explore a new way to assess number knowledge, strategies, and reasoning by implementing math leveling assessments, IKAN and GLOSS. Math computational fluency and number knowledge is a school wide focus and this year’s goal is for higher percentage of students to meet the IKAN and GLOSS end of the year expectations.

GLOSS Data

Addition/Subtraction

NR

Fall

2014

Stage 1

Spring Fall

2015 2014

Spring

2015

Stage 2

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Stage 3

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Stage 4

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Stage 5

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Stage 6

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Stage 7/8

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

K 12% 1% 57% 23% 20% 48% 8% 20% 3% 8%

1 st 16% 2% 17% 7% 24% 15% 13% 6% 30% 68%

---

0%

-----

2%

-----

----

----

-----

-----

-----

----

-----

2 nd 0% 1% 9% 3%

3 rd 2% 0% 4% 1%

18% 1%

5% 2%

12% 2%

4% 2%

60% 67%

81% 69%

1%

3%

26%

21%

-----

1%

----

5%

-----

-----

-----

------

4 th 0% 0% 1% 0%

5 th 0% 0% 0% 0%

0%

1%

0%

0%

3%

6%

0%

0%

89% 52%

78% 27%

6% 44%

11% 61%

1%

4%

4%

12%

----

-----

----

----

Multiplication/Division

NR Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Stage 6 Stage 7/8

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

K 98% 98% 0% 0% 0% 0% 2% 2% 0% 0% --- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

1 st 54% 40% 0% 2% 0% 0% 37% 15% 8% 38% 0% 7% 1% 0% ---- -----

2 nd 54% 20% 0% 0% 0% 0% 20% 9% 25% 47% 1% 24% ---- ----- ----- -----

3 rd 28% 7% 0% 0% 0% 0% 18% 6% 38% 47% 10% 19% 4% 17% 1% 3/1%

4 th 16% 2% 0% 0% 0% 0% 11% 1% 43% 23% 5% 13% 23% 32% 2% 19/10

5 th 5% 2% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 37% 13% 21% 34% 26% 30% 6% 16/5

Proportions/Ratios

NR

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Stage 1

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Stage 2

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Stage 3

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Stage 4

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Stage 5

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Stage 6

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

Stage 7/8

Fall

2014

Spring

2015

K ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----- ---- ----- ---- ---- ----- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

1 st ---- ---- --- ----- ---- ----- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----- ----- ---- ----

2 nd ---- ------ ----- ----- ---- ----- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----- ----- ---- ----

3 rd 33% 17% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 36% 21% 25% 38% 6% 20% ---- 3/1%

4 th 33% 18% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 7% 5% 46% 65% 13% 7% 1% 4/1%

5 th 5% 2% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 15% 10% 52% 10% 26% 15% 2% 9/3%





1.


Addition/

Subtraction

K

Stage 2/3

1

Stage 4

2

Stage 5

3

Stage 5

4

Stage 5

5

Stage 6

GLOSS: End of the Year Expectations

Spring

Multiplication/

Spring

Proportion/

2015

Division

2015

Ratio

68%

Stage 3

2%

NR

68%

Stage 3

15%

NR

Spring

2015

-------

------

26%

21%

44%

12%

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

Stage 7/8

47%

19%

32%

21%

NR

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

-------

21%

65%

15%

READING

Reading - All Students

Reading, both fluency and comprehension, is a continued school wide focus. Fluency success will be measured by an increase in the percentage of students above the 50th percentile on the FastBridge assessments. In the Winter of 2014, less than 50% of all first, second, third, fourth, and fifth graders met the target AIMSWeb RCBM score. The goal for this year is to increase the percentage of first through fifth grade students who meet the FastBridge easyReading or cbmReading targets to 75% in the winter.

The goals for reading comprehension this year is to increase the percentage of meets and exceeds of instructional reading levels. Even though growth was shown, there is still a need for increasing the percentage of students reading on or above grade level.

#

Below

%

Below

%

On

%

Above

Fountas and

Pinnell Reading

Benchmark

(SLOs) Grade

Cumming ES

All

1

2

3

KK

Grade

Level

305

73

67

85

80

# On

Grade

Level

86

29

17

6

34

#

Tested

Total

#

Above

Grade

Level

669 278

184 82

158

162

165

74

71

51

Grade

Level

Grade

Level

Grade

Level

46% 13% 42%

40% 16% 45%

42% 11% 47%

52% 4% 44%

48% 21% 31%





1.


2014-15 F&P SLO Growth Levels

Average

Growth

Score

#

Tested

%

Low

%

Expected

%

High

%

Expected

& High

Grade

Level

1

2

3

KK

3.6

3.7

3.6

3.6

3.4

640 11% 20% 69% 89%

174 9% 11% 79% 91%

151 9%

156 8%

24%

26%

68%

67%

91%

92%

159 19% 19% 61% 81%

Grade

K

1 st

2 nd

Spring

2012-2013

Spring

2013-2014

Spring

2014-2015

Spring

2015-2016

GOALS

% of M&E % of M&E % of M&E % of M&E

73

67

69

Instructional Reading Levels

74

69

64

52

61

58

75

70

65

3 rd 55 56

48

55

4 th

5 th

SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES

48

57

60

54

59

56

60

58

In previous years, performance on the Science and Social Studies portions of the CRCT continued to be a weakness for CES students in third, fourth, and fifth grade. The percentage of fifth grade students who met or exceeded on the Science portion of the CRCT was 78.8% and 75.2% on the Social Studies portion of the 2014 CRCT. The 2014 GA Performance Target for All Students in Science was 82.3% (Meet or

Exceed). The 2014 GA Performance Target for All Students in Social Studies was 81.3% (Meet or

Exceed).

In the 2014-2015 school year, the state assessment transitioned from the CRCT to the new Georgia

Milestones assessment and data is still pending.





1.


School Improvement Goals 2015-16

1.

80% of Cumming Elementary School kindergarten through fifth grade students will meet the end of grade level goals as measured by the May 2016 administration of the Global Strategy Stage

Assessment (GLOSS) Assessment.

Targeted areas of improvement: Mathematical processing and strategy proficiency

2.

75% of Cumming Elementary School second through fifth grade students will meet or exceed grade level goals as measured on the winter 2016 administration of the cbmReading.

Targeted areas of improvement: Reading comprehension and academic language acquisition

3.

82% of Cumming Elementary School third through fifth grade students will meet or exceed grade level expectations in the content areas of science and social studies as measured by the April 2016 Georgia Milestones Assessment.

Targeted areas of improvement: Science and Social Studies

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

CES will continue the parent involvement initiative, “Involvement Matters,” to support the school wide goal of increasing parent involvement. Parent involvement was measured through a token program.

Punch cards will be used in place of tokens this year. Parents earned tokens by being involved with the school through activities such as, signing compacts, attending parent/teacher conferences, volunteering in the classroom, participating in parent workshops, checking out materials from the Parent Resource

Center, etc. Once parents earned ten tokens, their students received a “My Parent is Involved” t-shirt.

This school year the parents will need their card hole punched ten times in order to earn a t-shirt.

The tokens and punch cards are a tangible measure of parent engagement at CES. Our current goal for the

2015-2016 school year is to increase the number of earned parent involvement hole punches from 3,424 tokens (in 2014-2015) to 5,000 hole punches.

To assist with our goal, we employ a CES Parent Involvement Coordinator who monitors and implements all parent involvement activities. Specific Parent Involvement Coordinator duties include:



Serve as a liaison between parents and teachers to relay the needs of each group



Create workshops, classes, and activities (day and night) for parents on a regular basis



Conduct professional learning for staff that will educate them on how to work with and communicate effectively with parents



Create opportunities for parents who have limited English proficiency such as English language learning classes.



Develop community collaborations





1.


 Maintain Cumming’s Parent Resource Center



Promote parental engagement opportunities



Document parent involvement on master spreadsheet



Distribute punch cards to parents for involvement activities (and provide t-shirts when parents have earned 10 hole punches)



Conduct surveys to assess the needs of parents and analyze the effectiveness of the parent involvement program



Maintain Parent Involvement Documentation (21 Folders) with activities, reports, surveys, funding, evaluation, and communications with parents



Attend DOE conferences and other trainings to gain new ideas to expand the Parent

Involvement Initiative.

2.

Schoolwide reform strategies that:

Response:



Provide opportunities for all children to meet the state’s proficient

and advanced levels of student

academic achievement described in Section 1111(b)(1)(D).

Response:

Cumming Elementary has incorporated several strategies to assure continuous improvement in student learning.

 The school’s vision, mission, and beliefs are aligned to the system’s vision, mission, and beliefs. Stakeholders incorporate these components to govern decisions affecting the goals and strategies to ensure that all CES students meet or exceed Georgia‘s proficient and advanced levels of student performance.



The CES Strategic Plan was established to share with stakeholders plans and goals in a user friendly manner. The plan states clear goals and outcomes, and describes the school’s priorities providing a plan for success. This is available online on CES website.



To ensure that students receive quality instructional time, all classroom schedules provide a minimum of sixty minutes of mathematics and a minimum of ninety minutes of reading

/language arts per day with integration of Science and Social Studies.



ESOL and classroom teachers complete an in-depth analysis of ACCESS scores to assure the best instructional practices are used to meet individual needs and continuously support the improvement of our ELL students.



The Leadership Team analyzes, interprets, and shares score reports and survey results from the following: o Georgia Milestones EOG Assessment for third, fourth, & fifth grades o FCS Interim Assessments for second, third, fourth, and fifth grades







Provide opportunities for all children to meet the state’s proficient

and advanced levels of student

academic achievement described in Section 1111(b)(1)(D). o Reading Benchmark Assessments (Fountas, & Pinnell) for all grades o Fast Bridge Universal Screening and progress monitoring for all grades o SLO Growth Data o Needs Assessment Survey of Staff and Parents o IKAN/GLOSS Assessments for all grades o GaDOE School Keys Survey for all stakeholders o TKES (Teacher Keys Effectiveness System) o Standards Based Report Cards for all grades o Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Development Skills (GKIDS) o ACCESS (ELL Assessment) for all grades

All grade levels, including support staff (ESOL teachers, special education teachers, gifted teachers, EIP teachers, support teachers) meet on a regular basis to discuss and analyze student work, score reports, and the effectiveness of implemented strategies. At the beginning of each school year, grade levels work together to analyze ACCESS/WAPT scores, gather data on collection forms, align scores to proficiency levels, and develop instructional strategies to support students’ individual learning needs. The information provides constructive feedback, overview of student levels, allowing the grade-level teams to modify instructional plans that meet students’ academic needs and develop ways to monitor student progress.



Use effective methods and instructional that:

strategies

that are based on scientifically based research o strengthen the core academic program in the school. o increase the amount and quality of learning time, such as providing and extended school year and before- or after-school and summer programs and opportunities, and help provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum o include strategies for meeting the educational needs of historically underserved populations

Response:



Implementation of differentiated instruction derives from identified strengths and weaknesses found in students’ formative and summative assessments.



All CES students attend a forty-minute daily, differentiated learning session, “Cougar

Connections” (RTI). Students are grouped according to performance data from instructional reading level, Fast Bridge Universal Screening, IKAN/Gloss results, grade-level assessments, and classroom performance. Teachers use research-based strategies to differentiate or extend grade level curriculum. Differentiation occurs on multiple levels: content, product, and process through readiness, interest, and learning profile.



The RTI Pyramid - Response to Intervention (RTI) is the process by which all students’ academic and behavior needs are met. When students do not make adequate progress, they are labeled “at-risk” and are served through RTI (Response to Intervention) process, which is illustrated by the RTI Pyramid.







After school and summer school opportunities are offered in order to increase the amount and quality of learning time. Cougar Quest is a CES afterschool program that supports students who demonstrate difficulty mastering reading/and or math concepts. Cougar Camp is a week long summer program offered to at-risk students in rising third, fourth, and fifth grades.

Camp Cougar addresses learning targets in core academic areas including reading, writing, math, and science. KinderCamp is a Title I summer camp that supports both rising kindergarten children and their parents. The camp educates parents of rising kindergarten students who have attended Head Start or have had no exposure to organized preschool.

Parents attend educational sessions regarding entering kindergarten while the children get the full experience of activities and expectations of kindergarten. Lessons on basic skills necessary to be successful in kindergarten are provided.



Include strategies to address the needs of all children in the school, but particularly the needs of low-achieving children and those at risk of not meeting the state student achievement standards who are members of the target population of any program that is included in the schoolwide program which may include: o counseling, pupil services, and mentoring services; o college and career awareness and preparation, such as college and career guidance, personal finance education, and innovative teaching methods, which may include applied learning and team-teaching strategies; and o the integration of vocational and technical education programs; and

Response:

Multiple pieces of data are used to create a spreadsheet that ranks all students at Cumming Elementary.

This rank order allows the school to identify those students who are at risk of failing to make academic progress. Prior to the beginning of each semester, data is uploaded to TINA, a federal programs needs assessment software tool, from the system’s student information system. (New surveys are completed in

August and late January each year following individual student assessments). Surveys are created in

TINA for each student in each grade. Teachers are asked if each student needs extra help to perform well academically. If the teacher indicates “yes,” he/she will then complete a survey for the student. When the information is compiled in TINA, a custom report for each grade level is produced. The report is rank-ordered and includes the following information:



If a student has attended Head Start or has no pre-school experience (K-2);



If a student is at risk based on his/her GKIDS score(K-2);



If a student is served in the McKinney-Vento (Homeless), Migrant, Special Education,

EIP, or ESOL Programs;



If a student has been retained or placed or has excessive absences;



If the teacher or parent requests support in ELA or math;



If the student has failing grades, class work indicating a need for additional help in ELA or math, FCS Interim Cumulative Assessments below 49%, or Fast Bridge scores below

50%, 25%, or 15% on ELA and Math probes.

Each school then uses the TINA report to develop teachers’ schedules. Teachers serve students based on their academic need. Teachers will be asked to complete surveys twice during each school year.







Include strategies to address the needs of all children in the school, but particularly the needs of low-achieving children and those at risk of not meeting the state student achievement standards who are members of the target population of any program that is included in the schoolwide program which may include: o counseling, pupil services, and mentoring services; o college and career awareness and preparation, such as college and career guidance, personal finance education, and innovative teaching methods, which may include applied learning and team-teaching strategies; and o the integration of vocational and technical education programs; and

All eligible children, including economically disadvantaged, disabled, migrant, LEP, and homeless children as well as those who have participated in Head Start or Even Start or who received services from a neglected or delinquent facility during the previous two years are included on the multiple criteria worksheet and are ranked with other potentially eligible children. In addition, the needs of all children in the school, particularly the needs of low-achieving and those at risk of not meeting the state student achievement standards receive counseling and mentoring services. All eligible children also receive college and career readiness preparation.



Address how the school will determine if such needs have been met; and



Are consistent with, and are designed to implement, the state and local improvement plans, if any.

Response:

All students begin at Tier I of the pyramid. These students are performing on grade-level. When students struggle academically or behaviorally, as identified through teacher-collected data, they may move up to

Tier II. At this point, the identified students are provided alternative research-based strategies and/or programs recommended and documented by the Instructional Support Team (IST).

The Instructional Support Team (IST) consists of grade level teachers and support staff, and the team meets to create student goals, develop research-based strategies, and/or review progress toward specific learning goals. These strategies/programs may be used during classroom instruction, small group instructional support, school-wide RTI sessions, after-school tutoring programs, and summer support.

Students may often fluctuate between Tier I and Tier II of the RTI Pyramid as needs are identified, and strategies are implemented to assist the students in meeting current grade-level expectations.

When students performing at the Tier II level of the RTI Pyramid continue to have difficulty meeting grade level expectations despite the recommended interventions, they progress to Tier III. Tier III intervention includes the Student Support Team (SST). The SST consists of the assistant principal, school counselor, classroom teacher, grade-level representative, other involved teachers, and the student’s parents. They meet to discuss the at-risk student’s strengths and need. In addition, they set additional learning/behavior goals. Other research-based strategies and/or programs are suggested, and student progress towards goals is continuously reviewed and documented through Fast Bridge progress monitoring. If the at-risk student continues to make limited progress towards the academic/behavior goals, the Student Support Team may collectively decide to evaluate the student to determine any learning/behavior deficits, identify learning styles, and determine eligibility for special education programs. If the student qualifies for special education services, he/she moves to Tier IV of the RTI





Pyramid.



Students identified as failing the Georgia Milestones Reading and/or Georgia Milestones

Math the previous year are part of the IST or SST process and receive additional support through small group, supplemental instruction during the school day. Also, students below instructional reading level receive additional support through small group, supplemental instruction. Many of these students are supported through the Early Intervention Program or

Title I.



Various models are implemented to support classroom instruction for at-risk students.

Through collaboration among administrators and teachers, the appropriate model is determined and a schedule is created that best meets the needs of the student. The time allotted for each small group setting depends upon the individual students and/or grade levels.

Scheduling Models: o RTI (Response to Intervention) o I/A (Inclusion/Augmented), o PO (Pull-out)

By using these models and closely monitoring data collected throughout the year, at risk students will demonstrate improvement through appropriate gains on FastBridge progress monitoring/strategic monitoring administered monthly/bi-monthly and benchmark data that is taken in the fall, winter, and spring. Small group instruction gives teachers a daily, in-depth view of every child in the group.

Observations of students’ strengths and weaknesses determine instructional strategies implemented in the classroom.



Each grade level shares a summary report with the Leadership Team after Georgia Milestones scores, Reading Levels, or Benchmark Assessments are analyzed. Grade level teachers use these summary reports to guide instruction.



Teachers analyze formative and summative assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of instructional methods and to ensure that all students are receiving appropriate instruction.



Teachers and administrators collaboratively meet at least twice a month in DATA teams.

They work through a number of steps to ensure they are meeting student’s instructional needs including collecting data and charting results, evaluating assessment results, analyzing strengths and obstacles, identifying effective teaching strategies in terms of impact on student learning, and determine any needed support for students and teachers.



Leadership Team meeting minutes can be found in itslearning in the CES Leadership Team folder for current and future reference.



Professional development opportunities target teachers’ instructional needs as indicated by the school wide needs assessment and student performance.





3. Instruction by highly qualified professional staff

Response:

Currently, all teachers and paraprofessionals in Forsyth County are highly qualified.

Number of Certified

Staff and Percent of

HQ

Bachelor’s Degrees

(Number and

Percentage)

Master’s Degrees

(Number and

Percentage)

Specialist’s Degrees

(Number and

Percentage)

81 (100% Highly

Qualified) as of

January 2015, will be updated in October

2015

31% 44% 25%

4.

In accordance with Section 1119and subsection (a)(4), high-qualified and ongoing professional development for teachers, principals, and paraprofessionals and, if appropriate, pupil services personnel, parents, and other staff to enable all children in the school to meet the state’s student academic achievement standards.

Response:

Each year, CES teachers participate in professional learning surveys. The following information reflects the teachers’ feedback:



Additional training for staff is needed on what resources are available in the Parent Resource Center

(71% of staff sent home materials from the PRC) and materials that best support students’ learning

(73% of staff have suggested ideas for resources to purchase with Title I funds).



Teachers believe there is a direct link between parent involvement and student achievement (100%).



Teachers would benefit from professional learning in the following areas of parental involvement: o Parenting: Helping all families establish home environments which support children as students. (49%) o Collaborating with the Community: Using resources to strengthen student learning at home.

(57%) o Learning at Home: Providing resources to families: help with homework and other academic needs. (63%) o Additional training for teachers is needed on how to communicate the following with parents:

 State Curriculum Standards (54% confident)

 Standardized Assessments (44%)



Teacher-Created Assessments (56%)



Report Card Rubric (52%)





Teachers need professional development in ways to involve parents in the classroom.

Teachers would benefit from professional learning about understanding the needs of struggling readers

(82%), struggling math students (73%), and social studies/science instruction (53%).



Greatest academic concern facing our school: o Reading fluency and comprehension (reading on grade level)





4.


o Addressing the needs of ESL learners o Catching up students who are multiple grade levels behind o Science and social studies instruction o Math improvement

CES parents provided feedback through our Title I Parent Meeting and parent surveys. They recommended teacher learning in the following areas:



From a Lunchtime Learning Survey, parents would like teachers to have professional learning about working with parents (28%) and instructional professional learning (14%).



Technology to create assignments

Student assessment data also impacts professional development at CES.

According to our student data, our teachers need professional learning in the following areas:



Integration of science and social studies in reading and language arts.





Math (IKAN/GLOSS) including implementing Number Talks into math instruction

Writing and metacognitive strategies



Guided Reading



Utilizing running record data to guide reading instruction.

 Integrating technology in classroom (4 C’s)



Utilizing technology for communication (itslearning)



Differentiating Instruction



Project-based learning

Based on this teacher, parent, and student data, CES’s Professional Learning Goals include:



Teachers will attend Professional Learning Communities that offer instructional strategies to meet our student learning needs based on current data including IKAN/GLOSS training, math instruction including implementing Number Talks, guided reading training including questioning

– teach, prompt, and reinforce using the Fountas and Pinnell Prompting Guides, and teaching science, social studies, and literacy across the curriculum.



A team consisting of the following staff will lead professional learning: Instructional Technology

Specialist (ITS), Title I Lead Teacher/Instructional coach, Parent Involvement Coordinator,

Writing Coach, and Quality Work Facilitator. The ITS, Instructional coach, Writing Coach as well as other teacher leaders will plan lessons, and model instructional strategies in all K-5 classrooms.



Teachers will participate in professional learning in the areas listed above

CES teachers have many professional learning and leadership opportunities that enable them to collaborate with and lead other teachers across the school. School wide Strategic Learning Teams consist of the following:



Instructional Team including Math, Literacy, and Metacognitive Strategies Teams



GROW Team including Technology and Media, Data/RTI, Personal and Professional





4.


Learning, and Induction Teams



Culture and Climate Team including House, Culture, and Parent and Community

Involvement Teams

Cumming Elementary believes in a balanced literacy approach that includes instruction in all five areas of reading. The Daily 5 is one framework that supports this approach in classrooms throughout the school.

The Daily 5 model includes: reading to self, reading to someone, listening to reading, working on writing, and spelling/word work. Instruction is directed toward meeting individual needs through small group, leveled reading instruction, incorporating higher-order questioning techniques (Bloom’s Taxonomy), and using a hands-on approach with manipulatives. Reciprocal reading, repeated reading/repeated math practice, guided reading, literacy and math centers, and special projects designed for individual students and/or small groups are incorporated into engaging lessons that address multiple intelligences and varied learning styles. These various strategies also provide students with opportunities to acquire higher order thinking skills.

Teachers have the opportunity to attend overnight state conferences that include sessions on reading, writing, and/or math. Teachers gain valuable information from these events and redeliver the sessions to the faculty.

District professional learning opportunities are also provided for teachers, principals, and paraprofessionals. Professional learning is developed based on the results of the needs assessment surveys provided to all stakeholders and from data showing student needs. Numerous opportunities are provided for teachers to engage in quality and ongoing professional development and include the following:



Reading, gifted, and ESOL endorsement programs. The endorsement programs are year-long endeavors with 150 to 200 hours of course work.



School improvement activities at the district and school level that align to stated goals and priorities.



A variety of learning opportunities during the summer, such as Common Core reading and math strategies, building vocabulary, differentiation strategies, engaging students with technology, and Spanish for Educators.



District collaboration days for grade level teachers and support teachers to review data, collaborate on lesson plans, develop differentiation in classrooms, integrate technology in classroom, and align lessons with state and system standards and assessments.



District Professional Learning for Title I teachers addressing instructional strategies for students who are multiple grade levels behind. Includes on site school observations to witness instructional strategies in practice.

At the school level, all Cumming faculty and staff participate in periodic and ongoing professional learning that includes the following:

 Balanced literacy training that includes instruction on determining students’ instructional





4.


reading levels using Fountas & Pinnell Reading Benchmark Assessment kits. (LLI Training

– August 28, 2015)



Various instructional strategies for math, reading, and integration of science and social studies based on TKES Mid-year conference feedback



Differentiation strategies for math and reading instruction



Math training that includes ways to assess number knowledge, strategies, and reasoning by using math leveling assessments, IKAN and GLOSS.



Math training that includes implementing Number Talks and utilizing assessment results to drive instruction



Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) taught by CES teacher leaders that align with the

CES school improvement goals, the professional learning focus, the results of the teachers’ needs assessments, as well as feedback from TKES Mid-Year Conferences. Substitutes will be provided in order for teachers to attend half-day trainings and collaboration.



Learning and understanding instruction and questioning based on Depth of Knowledge

(DOK)





Review and implement the new teacher evaluation system (TKES).

Collaborative grade level meetings that provide teachers with opportunities to discuss assessment results and share effective instructional strategies.



Vertical collaboration among grade levels that provide teachers with opportunities to discuss

Common Core Standards, expansion of standards, differentiation, and discuss resources needed to assist in meeting instructional goals.



Effective implementation and integration of technology is an ongoing focus. CES continues to maintain a technology- rich environment for students and teachers. Teachers integrate technology daily into their instructional program via Activ boards, educational websites, and educational software. The school is participating in a Bring Your Own Technology initiative and students are encouraged to bring their own electronic devices (netbooks, notebooks, iPod

Touches, iPads, DSi, cell phones with Internet access) that can access the school network to complete online activities. In addition, the school provides iPod Touches/iPads and laptops with installed instructional applications for students to use in their learning. The access to the devices is designed to provide equity for students who may not have their own technology.

 The school’s Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS) leads training sessions for teachers to support the use of technology in the classroom. Some of the topics addressed include: itslearning (an online course management system), training in educational programs, and using iPads/iPods with instructional apps in the classroom to maximize student achievement.

All teachers are encouraged to incorporate technology into their lessons as frequently as possible. These lessons address grade-level standards through project based-learning.

Students gain higher-order thinking skills through the use of the latest-technology programs, such as a variety of apps and web 2.0 tools. The faculty continues to take advantage of learning opportunities in the community by inviting guest speakers, visiting authors, and adding in-school and out of school content consultants into our learning experiences.





4.


Itslearning Trainings

Professional Learning with Jackie Aurisch

Make-ups with Katy Gunter

Date

August 14 th

Session Focus

Course and Planner Setup

September 25 th Interim Data Analysis

October 30 th Online Learning and Blended Learning Best Practices

December 8 th Review Online Learning Plan and prepare for Online

Learning/Inclement Weather Days

September PLCs –

Grade Level Collaboration to Develop Effective Instructional Strategies

Date

9-17-2015

9-17-2015

9-22-2015

9-22-2015

9-23-2015

9-23-2015

Time

8:00-11:00

11:30-2:30

8:00-11:00

11:30-2:30

8:00-11:00

11:30-2:30

Grade

1 st

Kindergarten

2 nd

3 rd

5 th

4 th

Date

2-18-2015

2-18-2015

2-23-2015

2-23-2015

2-24-2015

2-24-2015

February PLCs –

Time

8:00-11:00

11:30-2:30

8:00-11:00

11:30-2:30

8:00-11:00

11:30-2:30

Grade

4 th

5 th

2 nd

3 rd

K

1 st





4.


In addition to the professional development above, CES teachers will have the opportunity to participate in the following professional development activities and utilize available resources to focus on SWD and

ELL subgroups in the areas of reading and math. These goals and areas of improvement were identified in Section 1.



Staff development presentations by experts in the fields of special education, ELL, at-risk students, reading, and math



Additional resources for teachers to checkout from the Leveled Library (Professional

Development section for teachers including literature about guided math, math support for atrisk students, guided reading, pre-reading support, writing support, and Conferencing with students

)



Organize teacher focus groups to collaborate on research-based texts and share strategies across grade levels with various support personnel



Collaborative planning time for classroom/ELL/special education/ and other support teachers of at-risk students



Vertical teaming to align curriculum and strategies across grade levels



Training sessions that allow teachers to become familiar with the Title I inventory and how to utilize the resources in the CES Title I Inventory Room and the Parent Resource Center effectively



Training on school wide reading, math, science, and social studies online resources to increase student achievement in all of these areas



Incorporating writing and higher order thinking skills in the area of math



Staff training focusing on raising the awareness of reading and math strategies among the parents of CES students

5.

Strategies to attract high-quality highly qualified teachers to high-need schools.

Response:

Forsyth County Schools is committed to providing the best education possible for all students by assuring that all children have equitable opportunities to receive quality instruction from highly qualified teachers.

The system has consistently met the goal of providing all students with highly qualified teachers at an average of 99 percent or higher since the signing of No Child Left Behind.

In Forsyth County Schools, all teachers are required to be highly qualified and in-field for their current teaching assignment. Continuous monitoring and analysis of the highly qualified assignment of teachers based on student demographics (poverty level, minority, etc.) is systematically done using information from the Certified/Classified Personnel Information, Georgia Professional Standards Commission HIQ2 data, and local system data. This ensures that poor and minority students are not taught by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers at higher rates than other children. In addition, individual class sizes are monitored routinely to maintain equal opportunity for all students according to the system's class size allotment criteria and Georgia Department of Education rules. Forsyth County Schools provide




Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan notification to parents at the beginning of each school year that describes how parents can request teacher qualifications for their child's teacher. The Forsyth County School System maintains a high standard in its recruitment of teachers and paraprofessionals. All teachers must be highly qualified or must be able to obtain highly qualified status within one year (unless they are in an alternative preparation program) before being offered a teaching position in Forsyth County. All paraprofessionals must be highly qualified before they can be hired. Title I may not employ paraprofessionals with Title I funds. In addition, Forsyth County provides assistance to English- certified teachers to add ESOL (English as a

Second Language) to their certificates and for ESOL teachers to add English certification. Endorsement classes in ESOL, Reading, Gifted, Preschool Special Education, and Teacher Support Specialist

(Georgia's Mentor Teacher Program) are supported through Title IIA funds. Many of the endorsements include at least part of the instruction online. Forsyth County Schools has reimbursed teachers for taking and passing the appropriate content assessments, offered study sessions for teachers who were required to take assessments, provided scholarships to teachers in alternative preparation programs, and reassigned teachers to areas where they are highly qualified. The system will continue these procedures; in addition, the system supports the use of distance learning/technology-based instruction in classrooms where this delivery model is appropriate. Title III funding supported summer school teachers who are fluent in

English, and that was the language of instruction.

FCS and Metro RESA are in a cooperative program that allows our teachers to participate in a one-year supervised practicum for converting their teaching permits to clear, renewable certificates. A one-year practicum program began in January 2010 for a new group of teachers to help them obtain their clear, renewable teaching certificates. These teachers obtained their clear, renewable certificates in December of

2010.

In the spring of 2008, FCS classroom teachers were invited to participate in the first teacher efficacy survey. The same survey was conducted in the spring of 2009 and 2010. The survey was designed to help school and district administrators gain a better understanding of the kinds of things that create difficulties for teachers in their school activities. Forty-one percent of classroom teachers participated in the survey in 2008, 37 percent participated in 2009, and 42 percent in 2010. The results of those surveys were given to key leadership personnel for analysis and further study.

CES Certified Staff for 2015-2016

Number of Certified Bachelor’s Degrees

Staff and Percent of

HQ

(Number and

Percentage)

Master’s Degrees

(Number and

Percentage)

Specialist’s Degrees

(Number and

Percentage)

81 (100% Highly

Qualified) as of

January 2015; updated in October

2015

31% 44% 25%

This data is a reflection of the motivation and desire of CES teachers to become lifelong learners and to remain highly qualified faculty members. CES teachers are continuously pursuing professional development/education that will supplement classroom instruction and develop them as educators that are more effective and knowledgeable regarding students and curriculum. By being highly qualified and increasing their level of education, CES teachers implement research-based strategies to raise all students’ achievement levels and bring diverse experiences to share with one another during collaboration.

The





Title I Lead Teacher receives a supplement for an additional eighty hours of off-contract work.

6.

Strategies to increase parental involvement in accordance with Section 1118, such as

family literacy services.

Response:

CES follows Joyce Epstein’s Six Types of Parental Involvement model, which addresses parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision-making, and collaborating with community. The

CES School-Parent compact, the CES Parent Involvement Plan, the CES Parent Involvement School

Policy, and the Forsyth County Parent Involvement Policy represent how the six types of parent involvement are effectively implemented. Transportation to some parent involvement events will be provided by taxi or bus routes. Childcare will be provided at some parent involvement events. Parent activities and events are scheduled based on Needs Assessment results.

See Appendix (Parent Needs Assessment)

Overall CES Parent Involvement Program goals:



Provide a variety of learning opportunities to parents.



According to the parent survey and May meeting feedback, parents would like to see the following learning opportunities:



Helping my child succeed in school/study and homework tips (56%)



Testing-taking skills/Georgia Milestones (48%)



Math curriculum/helping my child with math (47%)





Using technology in education (46%)

English/Langue Arts curriculum/Improving my child’s reading skills



(44%)

Based on the parent survey, the Parent Involvement program will also work to make parents aware of the variety of ways to be engaged at CES (conferences, volunteering in the classroom and around the school, providing feedback, making decisions, etc.) and make parents aware of the 1% setaside for Parent Involvement and encourage them to be part of the decision making process.

 Ensure that parents are comfortable and content with their child’s education at Cumming

Elementary.

o According to the staff survey, teachers would like to see the following learning opportunities for parents: o Behavior/discipline o Parenting classes o Common Core math o Hands-on activities to help children at home o Homework help o Technology



The following resources support parent involvement at CES: o Math games and manipulatives (58%- survey) o Reading games and specific reading help resources (56%- survey) o Study skills/test-taking skills/homework help (56%- survey)




Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan o Summer workbooks (May meeting feedback) o Summer reading packs o Audio books (on tape, on MP3, on CD, on Apple apps) o Parent resource books/readers o Parenting brochures (hard copy/online) o Parenting videos/cds/online subscriptions o Translation system o Fiction/non-fiction readers o Paired text o Intervention workbooks to practice for additional homework in math and ELA o Bilingual books (fiction and nonfiction) – (38% - survey) o Spanish/English dictionaries (32% - survey) o iPods/iPads/Apple care/Apps / Cases/VGA connector cords/charging carts o Laptops/Cases/USB flash drives available for check out and home use o T-shirt w/ new design (sponsored by PIE) o Instructional supplies: printer ink, folders, pencils, grips, erasers, pens, colored pencils, pencil sharpeners, White Out, glue, crayons, rulers, dry erase markers, dry erase boards, scissors, clips, tape, flash drives, staples, staplers, CDs, envelopes, labels, dividers, markers, index cards, sticky notes, pencil pouches, tabs, timers, highlighters, dice, desk shields, writing materials (student journals), test prep, batteries, headphones, chart paper, clocks, self-inking stamps, thermometers, rings, paper (all types), card stock, batteries, signs, reading aides, postage, storage bags, storage bins, canvas storage bags, hole punchers, hole punchers, rubber cement, bar coding labels, academic DVD/video/CD, rulers with ¼ and ½ (see Milligan rulers- flip over kind), modeling clay/Model Magic, kite kits, fossil kits/replacements, disposable, lab coats, goggles, Can-Do! Science kits, ELA/math teaching centers, magnetic letter tiles, measuring kits, shapes, Algebra manipulatives, file folder games, binders, chart paper, paper clips, loose leaf binder rings, book bags/pouches

Parent University

CES sponsors a Parent University each year. The Parent University is comprised of learning carousels based on parent interests indicated by the needs assessments, and parents may choose the carousels they wish to attend. Carousels are hosted by guidance counselors and teachers and include resources from the community, such as the Forsyth County Library.

By attending Parent University, parents will become familiar with strategies to implement at home in the areas of reading, writing, and math. Materials and strategies on how to use these resources will allow parents to support the students at home with ease. Technology resources, including programs relevant to Forsyth County and our school (Parent Portal, itslearning, Infinite

Campus) are also shared during the carousels. In addition to addressing academic areas, a community resource expo will supplement the carousels. By exploring community resources available, parents will become more aware of how to best utilize the services available to them and the children. One example is how the Forsyth County Library will conduct a follow up session on location for parents to tour and explore the facility. This will, in turn, encourage them




Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan to use outside resources even if there is a language barrier within the community. By conducting

Parent University as part of our parent involvement, the parents will become stronger partners with the school. Statistics show that there is a correlation between parent involvement and student achievement in school. Parent University will set the parents and students up for success by developing the relationship among the two. There will be a common goal of raising student achievement and student success among these partners in education. Special emphasis will be placed on strategies for parents to utilize at home to support the academic success of our at-risk students, including ELL, SWD, and ED students. Through both written communication and personal phone calls, parents of these at-risk students will be encouraged to attend these events

Parent Resource Center

Materials that supplement classroom instruction in reading, writing, and math are available in our school’s Parent Resource Center. Other available support materials include parenting information, bilingual dictionaries, and We Both Read books. These Parent Resource Center materials are also shared during CES parent meetings, conferences, and other special events.

Information regarding checkout procedures is available online and in the school information box in both English and Spanish. An updated list is also available in our Parent Resource Center and online. This includes the availability of resources at our district facility as well, located at the

Almon C Hill Center.

Involvement Matters Initiative

Parents will be given the opportunity to attend various meetings and events while communicating with the school in order to have their punch card marked for participation. At the end of the year, a required minimum number of punch holes documenting multiple areas of parent involvement for the school year may be exchanged for a free student t-shirt purchased by CES with non-Title I funds.

Parent Advisory Committee

CES’s Parent Advisory Committee (Local School Council) will assist in developing a parentschool compact, parent involvement plan, and schedule of parent involvement meetings.

Attendees at CES’s parent involvement meetings participate in revisions and approve the plan.

Students, teachers, and parents sign the parent – school compact. All documents are sent home with students and posted on our school’s website. Having a variety of representation on these committees gives CES invaluable insight into the needs of the parents and students. It opens the door for positive relationships among teachers and parents in a non-threatening environment.

Communication

In order to improve school-parent communication, Cumming Elementary, along with our PTO, publishes the online biweekly Cougar Chronicle in English and Spanish. This school newsletter includes a message from our school’s principal, information about available parent resources, required notifications, student support, and a schedule of upcoming events. The newsletters are emailed each week, using Constant Contact, and posted on our school’s web page. Additionally, teachers provide hard copies of the newsletter to students without home Internet access. Teachers will share information and post assignments on itslearning for parents and students to access. In addition to receiving information, parents are encouraged to provide feedback either online or in written format through surveys, or other required Title I documents that are shared with all parents.





Translation Devices are available for parents attending large workshops or meetings who need the English presentation translated to Spanish.

Parents need opportunities to actively engage in their children’s education. Childcare and transportation are made available to parents in order to facilitate their attendance at classes and meetings. Parents are encouraged to volunteer at our school and there are a specific opportunities available:

Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is a national organization that encourages parent involvement. PTO hosts family events such as Movie Night, BINGO Night, and Father/Daughter and Mother/Son activities. PTO also promotes volunteerism with the school and students’ classrooms.

Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) is a national organization that encourages fathers or father figures to take at least one day off work during the school year to volunteer at their children’s school. Watch D.O.G.S. at CES follow a specific schedule, which allows them to spend time in their children’s classroom as well as other classrooms in various grade levels. They may read aloud to the class or work with small groups reviewing letter names/sounds, sight words, or multiplication facts. Watch D.O.G.S. also assist with car duty, lunchroom duty, specials classes, and the morning news program.

Title I Schoolwide Events (Examples: Parent University, Math Night, Reading Night, Science

Night, Common Core Math, Technology Night, Georgia Milestones, Annual Meeting, May

Meeting, conferences, PTO, guest speakers, Lunchtime Learning, etc)

7.

Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs,

such as Head Start, Even Start, Early Reading First, or a state-run preschool program, to

local elementary school programs.

Response:

Transition from preschool into kindergarten:

 Parents/Guardians receive a letter and information packet about the school’s expectations of kindergarten students.



The kindergarten teachers host an orientation meeting for parents and prospective students.



Kindergarten teachers present parents of prospective students with a literacy book, demonstrating how to help their child with reading.



Pre-K Visitation Day provides prospective students with an opportunity to visit the kindergarten classes and meet the kindergarten teachers.



Kindercamp is a Title I summer camp that supports both rising kindergarten children and their parents. The camp educates parents of rising kindergarten students who have attended

Head Start or have had no exposure to organized preschool. Parents attend educational sessions regarding entering kindergarten while the children get the full experience of activities and expectations of kindergarten. Lessons on basic skills necessary to be successful in kindergarten are provided. Each student that registers for Kindergarten is given an assessment to test readiness for Kindergarten. A multiple criteria rank order is used to identify the students who will participate in the summer camp. Transportation is provided for both students and parents .







Pre-K/Head Start program is offered at Cumming Elementary. Parents of Pre-K students also have the opportunity to check out materials from the Parent Resource Center.

Transition activities from fifth grade into middle school include the following:



Middle school counselors, administrators, regular education, ESL, Special Education, and

Horizons (gifted program) teachers meet with fifth grade teachers initially to discuss course options offered at each middle school.



Fifth grade teachers collaborate and discuss individual students to determine the appropriate placement of students in regular education, gifted, and support classes. The Multiple Criteria worksheet is utilized for collaboration with Otwell Middle school to decide best placement for each student. Placement recommendations are entered into Infinite Campus.



Each middle school offers a transition night for parents to explore extracurricular opportunities as well as band and chorus options. Parents have the opportunity to ask questions regarding scheduling at this time as well.



After all recommendations have been entered, recommendation sheets are sent home with each child. At this time, parents may agree or request different courses for their child.



Parents complete a student information sheet for middle school.



Each middle school holds a visitation day that the fifth graders attend in the spring. They are guided by middle school ambassadors to various classrooms to see students and teachers in action.



The middle school ambassadors also visit each elementary school to answer additional questions that the students have following the visit to their respective middle schools.



Parents of rising sixth graders have an opportunity to attend the middle school’s open house in order to familiarize themselves with the middle school’s expectations for their child.

8.

Measures to include teachers in the decisions regarding the use of academic assessments described in Section 1111(b)(3) in order to provide information on, and to improve, the achievement of individual students and the overall instructional program.

Response:

By using a comprehensive assessment system to monitor and evaluate student learning, all students have an opportunity to reach high levels of achievement. By analyzing the data, teachers can create and incorporate research-based strategies that will improve curriculum and instruction. The staff is provided multiple and ongoing professional learning opportunities that assist them in determining the root causes when students do not show progress. Teachers gather data from the following assessments/reports to drive instruction year round:



Georgia Milestones for third, fourth, and fifth grades



FCS Interim Assessments for second, third, fourth, and fifth grades



Reading Benchmark Assessments (Fountas & Pinnell) for all grades



IKAN/GLOSS Assessments for all grades



FastBridge Assessments for all grades



SLO Growth Data



Summative assessments (district-created) for all grades



Formative assessments (district-created) for all grades



Standards-based, teacher-created assessments at the school level using Depth of Knowledge questioning for all grades







ACCESS (ELL assessment) for all ELL students



GKIDS for Kindergarten students

By using the assessment data above, teachers continuously make instructional decisions. The data is compiled and evaluated by all teachers. Various ways that it is used by teachers to improve student achievement include the following:



Participating in the development of the school improvement plan (AIM plan)



Creating flexible groups and effective instruction for RTI groups (segment in each student’s schedule that includes remediation and/or enrichment)



Differentiating instruction through flexible grouping at every grade level for reading and math;



Collaborating during IST meetings (data evaluation by IST to determine strategies to support students who have not been successful with current support)



Vertical collaboration among grade levels to discuss expansion of standards and meet the needs of high achieving students



Establishing a professional development plan and utilizing specific resources available to meet the needs of each student



Focusing on collaboration efforts among classroom teachers and support teachers to examine

FastBridge Benchmark and Forsyth County interim results and to make adjustments to instruction on specific areas of need



Collaborating through Data Teams to share data with administration, support staff, and classroom teachers in order to drive instruction and meet student’s needs



Focusing on sharing data with administration, support staff, Leadership Team, and faculty

(looking for common denominators in low/high areas of achievement).



Organizing and creating lessons for Cougar Quest (supplemental after-school tutoring program that incorporates reading, writing, math, and technology)

In addition to being able to discuss data on the school level, we have a number of teacher leaders participating in Forsyth County committees as part of the district assessment and accountability initiative.

Cumming teachers are members of the following committees:



Forsyth County Data Committee- School administrators and teacher leaders receive training at the county level on how to create data teams at individual schools. The purpose of the data teams is to identify students’ academic levels (based on data) in order to differentiate instruction and maximize student achievement.



Literacy Learning for Leaders- Teacher leaders receives training on the balanced literacy approach to reading and writing instruction. This training includes information on leveling students using reading running records and organizing and implementing small group, guided reading in classrooms. L3 leaders redeliver the information shared to the colleagues in their buildings.



Grade Plus Report Card Committee- Teachers work on aligning Standards Based Report

Cards to the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards in Grades K-3. Teachers also work on creating Summative Assessments for Grade 4 that align to the CCGPS.



Georgia Keys Committee- Teacher leaders are part of groups that visit schools and evaluate the teachers’ lessons/instruction. They offer suggestions for areas of weakness and compliments on areas of strengths using the Georgia Keys as an evaluation tool.

Most major assessments administered are either county or state- mandated; yet, as a school, we take




Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan additional measures to meet the needs of all students through supplementary assessments. At CES, ALL students participate in FastBridge universal screening assessments. This data provides a baseline assessment score for all students. Forsyth County requires that the universal screening probes be administered to all K-3 students as well as all at-risk students in fourth, and fifth grades. The data collected from these assessments gives teachers valuable information at the beginning of the year. The assessments are administered twice per year. Not only do the teachers use the results to differentiate instruction, but support teachers use this information as one component of the student profile that is created on every child at CES.

Classroom teachers also use Reading Benchmark Assessment kits, Fountas & Pinnell, to determine the instructional reading levels of all students. Forsyth County requires these benchmark assessments to be completed twice during the school year (fall and spring) for grades K-3. CES teachers will use Reading

Benchmark Assessment kit three times a year (fall, winter, and spring) for all grade levels and their results are used to plan instruction for students based on their individual instructional reading levels.

Multiple pieces of data are used to create a spreadsheet that rank orders all students at Cumming

Elementary. This rank order allows the school to identify those students who are at risk of failing to make academic progress. Prior to the beginning of each semester, data is uploaded to TINA from the system’s student information system. (New surveys are completed in late August and late January each year following individual student assessments.) Surveys are created in TINA for each student in each grade.

Teachers are asked if each student needs extra help to perform well academically. If the teacher indicates

“yes,” he/she will then complete a survey for the student. When the information is compiled in TINA, a custom report for each grade level is produced. The report is rank-ordered and includes the following information:



If a student has attended Head Start or has no pre-school experience (K-2);



If a student is at risk based on his/her GKIDS score(K-2);



If a student is served in the McKinney-Vento (Homeless), Migrant, Special Education, EIP, or ESOL Programs;



If a student has been retained or placed or has excessive absences;



If the teacher or parent requests support in ELA or math;



If the student has failing grades, class work indicating a need for additional help in ELA or math, FCS Interim Cumulative Assessments below 49%, or Reading FastBridge scores below

40% or Math FastBridge scores below 25%.

Each school then uses the TINA report to develop teachers’ schedules. Teachers serve students based upon their academic need. Teachers will be asked to complete surveys twice during each school year.

All eligible children, including economically disadvantaged, disabled, migrant, LEP, and homeless children as well as those who have participated in Head Start or Even Start or who received services from a neglected or delinquent facility during the previous two years are included on the multiple criteria

worksheet and are ranked with other potentially eligible children.

Because the school is no longer implementing a Targeted Assistance program, we will not have to use this spreadsheet to determine which students are designated Title I, However, the spreadsheet helps ensure that all at-risk students are receiving additional support.

Title I and EIP teachers work closely to provide effective instruction to all students identified




Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan academically at-risk. There is a plan in place for identifying new students to the school, how to assess, what to assess, who will assess, and in what time frame it should be done.

Teachers are continuously receiving professional learning that gives them the knowledge and tools needed to not only administer assessments but to use them to drive instruction. Grade level teachers and support teachers also have time to collaborate and differentiate for the students based on multiple assessment results.

9.

Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering the proficient or advanced levels of academic achievement standards required by Section 1111(b)(1) shall be provided with effective, timely additional assistance, which shall include measures to ensure that students’ difficulties are identified on a timely basis and to provide sufficient information on which to base effective assistance.

Response:

The CES Leadership Team meets annually during the summer to review the previous year’s assessment data and surveys to determine school wide areas of strength and weakness from the previous year. This information is presented to all grade level teams when the new school year begins. The results are compared to previous years and across the grade levels to allow teachers to look for trends and areas of concern.

Teachers plan as a team to identify weaknesses and determine strategies that will increase achievement in these areas. Teachers identify at-risk students and offer additional instructional support opportunities through inclusion and pull-out models determined by student need in individual subject areas of reading and/or math. Professional development supports these instructional support opportunities for our at-risk students.

CES develops a professional development plan based on the collected data and areas of need. Multiple strategies are explored on professional development days to support teachers in addressing the needs of all students - at-risk students and gifted.

Training on data analysis, progress monitoring tools, depth of knowledge, determining students’ reading levels, and specific curriculum standards enables teachers to provide extended support to their students.

Teachers implement CCGPS throughout the school year and adhere to district pacing guides that ensure students are prepared for spring assessments with success.

Students who are not successful after receiving additional support instruction are referred to IST/SST and are progress/strategic monitored through FastBridge monthly/bi-monthly.

All CES teachers received training on the pyramid of interventions and Response to Intervention (RTI).

Special education teachers have specific interventions/resources to supplement the regular education curriculum for their students through IEPs.

In-school intervention opportunities –

A dedicated RTI time for addressing individual needs is included in the school wide schedule. During this time, students are placed in small group settings that are geared toward a specific area of need. These




Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan are flexible groups that may be changed at any time based on the success of each student.

CES has access to and uses the following interventions and resources:



Imagine It! Phonics Kits



Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention Kits



Online materials for Leveled Literacy Intervention





Intervention readers/leveled readers for all subject areas

Mentor texts for all subject areas



FocusMATH Intervention kit and materials



Headsprout



Reading Assistant







SRA- Reading Mastery

Read Naturally and all components (such as the One Minute Readers and the timers)

COACH- all subject area books



COACH online-Triumph Learning



Math tubs



Drops in the Bucket



Intervention workbooks such as test prep or remediation of skills in reading and math



Touch Math for all grade levels



Versatiles for reading, math, and other content areas



Houghton Mifflin Interventions



Earobics



SRA- Corrective Reading



Edmark



Language!



Orton Gillingham



Visualizing and Verbalizing



McGraw Hill Math Kits



Book Flix



ScienceFlix (to support Science instruction)



TrueFlix (to support Science and Social Studies instruction)



FreedomFlix (to support Social Studies instruction)



Frog Games



Mountain Math



Mountain Language



Reflex Math



Audio books (on tape, on MP3, on CD, on Apple apps)



Games and manipulatives for ELA (reading/language) and math



Flashcards for reading and math



Reading benchmark assessment kits (Fountas & Pinnell)



The Comprehension Toolkit and all components



Listening Comprehension Toolkits for special education students (supplement to regular toolkit)



Study Buddies with all components



Dictionaries, thesauri (picture, bilingual, student)

 Readers’ Theater







Magazine subscriptions (Storyworks, Scholastic News/Weekly Reader with Science Spin,

Dynamath)



Do the Math





Learning Palettes iPods/iPads/Apple care/Apps/Cases/VGA connector cords/charging carts



Laptops/laptop carts/cases/USB flash drives/wireless mice



Bilingual texts



Little Red Readers



Sight Words that Stick



Hot-Dot Kits for all subjects and additional pens



Houghton Mifflin Math Steps



Music instruments to incorporate into math and language arts



Writing resources



Write Steps Writing Program



Instructional supplies: printer ink, folders, pencils, grips, erasers, pens, colored pencils, pencil sharpeners, correction fluid, glue, crayons, rulers, dry erase markers, dry erase boards, scissors, clips, tape, flash drives, staples, staplers, CDs, envelopes, labels, dividers, markers, index cards, sticky notes, pencil pouches, tabs, timers, highlighters, dice, desk shields, writing materials (student journals), test prep, batteries, headphones, chart paper, clocks, self-inking stamps, thermometers, rings, paper (all types), card stock, batteries, signs, reading aides, postage, storage bags, storage bins, canvas storage bags, hole punchers, rubber cement, bar coding labels, academic DVD/video/CD, rulers with ¼ and ½, ELA/math teaching centers, magnetic letter tiles, measuring kits, shapes, Algebra manipulatives, file folder games, binders, rings, chart paper, paper clips, book bags/pouches, 3 hole punch, label maker, label maker tape, page protectors, fasteners



Guided math and reading books



Math journals



Literature packs



Reference books

School counselors provide “check-in” programs for students who are struggling with organization issues that affect their academics.

Middle school students are mentors for many of the at-risk students. There is not a fee for this service. It is part of a class offered at the cluster middle school in our district. These mentors are available for students throughout the day and in the after school daycare program to support students with homework needs.

High school students are mentors or classroom aids for many of the at-risk students. There is not a fee for this service. It is part of a class offered at the cluster high school in our district. These students work individually or in small groups with our at-risk students.

Maymester is an intense basic skills review for students who do not meet standards on the spring Georgia

Milestones assessment. The students receive additional small group support to prepare them for the

Georgia Milestones retest that is given at the end of the school year.

After school opportunities –





Cougar Quest is a CES afterschool program that supports students who demonstrate difficulty mastering reading/and or math concepts. CES teachers from various grade-levels meet together to design the curriculum based on the students’ performance on county-wide grade-level benchmarks (measuring mastery of CCGPS). Cougar Quest is a project based learning program that incorporates technology into these subject areas. Criteria for placing students in the program are based on previous Georgia

Milestones scores and the CES Multiple Criteria Spreadsheet, identifying our most at-risk students.

Students spend time reviewing homework, practicing reading fluency and test-taking skills, and engaging in project-based learning activities.

Summer school opportunities –

KinderCamp is a Title I summer camp that supports both rising kindergarten children and their parents.

The camp educates parents of rising kindergarten students who have attended Head Start or have had no exposure to organized preschool. Parents attend educational sessions regarding entering kindergarten while the children get the full experience of activities and expectations of kindergarten. Lessons on basic skills necessary to be successful in kindergarten are provided. Transportation for parents and students to and from school will be provided. In addition, clerical staff will be used.

Cougar Camp is a week long summer program offered to at-risk students in rising third, fourth, and fifth grades. Camp Cougar will address learning targets in core academic areas including reading, writing, math, and science. Students will also have an opportunity to meet with a science consultant. Supplies used during the camp include science lab coats, goggles, bags for students to carry supplies, various science kits including water cycle, cloud experiment, volcano kit, rocks and minerals kit, fossils kit, erosion and weathering kit, kite kit to study wind, speed, and direction; paint, sand, clay, and model magic are used to create various landforms as well as fossil imprints. TINA, a multiple criteria rank order, will be used to identify the students who will participate in the summer camp. Transportation for students to and from school will be provided. In addition, clerical staff will be used.

Parent Engagement / Community Opportunities

Teacher-parent conferences are held at least twice a year. All students receive individual conferences to discuss assessments, resources available, strategies used at school, and strategies to use at home. In school translators are used for every ELL student who needs Spanish translation.

Resources from the community are provided to the school counselors and school nurse. MV students and other at-risk students may receive these outside resources free of charge or at a reduced fee depending upon individual needs. These resources include, but are not limited to:



School supplies



Dental visits



Clothing



Food



Vision appointments/eye glasses as needed



Doctor referrals



County library resources



List of other community resources available

10.

Coordination and integration of federal, state, and local services and programs, including

programs supported under this Act, violence prevention programs, nutrition programs,





housing programs, Head Start, adult education, vocational and technical education, and

job training

Response:

Description of Services

Cumming Elementary Amount

Title I Title I – A District:

$2,499,393.00

School Allocation:

$537,569.00

$6,497.00

Parent Involvement:

Show how the funds are coordinated for the improvement of the entire school.



Parent Involvement



Technology Purchases



After School, Saturday, and Summer

Programs: Kinder Camp, Book Clubs



Professional Learning



Instructional Resources



Resource Materials and

Supplies



Tutors



Transportation for Parents to

Meetings



Parent Training Materials



Parent Involvement



Technology Purchases



After School and Summer

Programs: Kinder Camp,

Cougar Quest, and Cougar

Camp






Instructional Resources



Resource Materials and Supplies



Transportation



Parent Training Materials



Grant

Title II

Title III

Migrant


Homeless


District: $40,049.00



Tutors (only in non-Title I

Grant schools) and

Tutoring Supplies



Supplemental Salary for

Title II-A

Title

LEP

Migrant

III-

District: $

District:

District:

324,683.00

$284,673.00

$24,557.00

Homeless Liaison



Calculators



School Fees

Teacher and Leader Quality



Travel



Registration, materials,



Consultants



Salaries



Recruitment and Retention



Release Time



Highly Qualified



Teachers



Tutors, Supplies, Materials






Parent Involvement



Extended Learning

Opportunities



Translations



Interpreters



Supplemental Tutoring



Parent Outreach

(a) List of State and local educational agency programs and other Federal programs that will be included

All schools in the system receive an allotment of personnel to support the Early Intervention

Program and the gifted program. These personnel allotments are awarded based on a formula ensuring that all schools receive the same number of personnel, regardless of whether they also receive Title I funds. Allotments of personnel are also provided by formula for the

ESOL program. Title I-C funds are provided for migrant students. Title I funds are only provided to those schools which qualify according to rank order of schools

(b) Description of how resources from Title I and other sources will be used

State and federal funds are equitably divided and disbursed among all schools in the system in accordance with program requirements and guidelines. When possible, funds from multiple sources are used to support the most at-risk students. For example, state instructional extension funds are used to provide a limited number of tutoring sessions for at risk students. After those funds have been depleted, Title I funds help to continue the program. All schools follow the system’s Response to Intervention plan for serving students




Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan whose needs are not met in Tier I. However, Title I students receive this support as well as an additional time for intervention through Title I. Title I funds are always used to supplement programs, not supplant. Strict internal controls are in place to ensure supplanting of funds does not occur. Title I funds are used to: (1) provide staff to reduce the class size or for additional staff to serve students in a smaller group setting for appropriate academic interventions, (2) provide funds for teachers to work with students in extended day opportunities such as after school tutoring and summer programs, (3) assist parents in supporting their children, and (4) provide the necessary materials and resources.

(c) Plan developed in coordination with other programs

The consolidated application is reviewed and revised each year. Each spring, input is gathered from multiple sources including parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, support staff, and administrators. Data are reviewed to determine the progress made toward the nine goals listed in the consolidated application. Administrators from all departments including special education, student support, career and technology, federal programs (migrant, homeless, ESOL), professional learning, curriculum and instruction, and technology review the assessment data, as well as feedback from parents and other groups to make suggested revisions to the consolidated application. Teams also meet to review the success, or lack of success, of the activities that were determined to help the system meet the stated goals. This process begins in the spring of each year.

11.

Description of how individual student assessment results and interpretation will be provided to parents.

Response:



CES receives three copies of student test results. One copy goes to the parents through the mail, in student packets, or during parent/teacher conferences. One copy is for the teacher, and the other copy is for the student’s permanent record.



Parents receive interpretation of the test results via letter (available in English and Spanish) as well as during conferences and upon request.



Parents receive data from the Interim Assessment scores, showing which standards are not being mastered at that time.



During the 2012-2013 school year, Georgia instituted a new accountability measure, the

College and Career Readiness Index. This replaced Adequate Yearly Progress as a measure of a school’s growth. Under the new system, at risk schools may be identified as Priority,

Focus, or Alert schools. There are currently no Priority, Focus, or Alert Schools in Forsyth

County.

12.

Provisions for the collection and disaggregation of data on the achievement and assessment results of students.

Response:

CES uses the following instruments, procedures, or processes to obtain student data:



Georgia Milestones for 3 rd , 4 th , & 5 th grades



FCS Interim Assessments for 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th , & 5 th grades



Reading Benchmark Assessments (Fountas & Pinnell) for K-5 th grades







IKAN/GLOSS



TKES (Teacher Keys Effectiveness System)



FastBridge Universal Screening and Progress Monitoring for K-5 th grades



SLO Growth Data



Standards Based Report Cards for K-5 th grades



Needs Assessment Survey of Staff and Parents



GaDOE School Keys survey for all stakeholders



Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Development Skills (GKIDS)



ACCESS (ELL Assessment) for K-5 th grades

Each grade level meets every sixth day for Data Teams. Analyzing the data as it becomes available drives our programs, strategies, and plan. The collection, analysis, and evaluation of data enable us to determine our most crucial needs for the upcoming year. Ongoing monitoring of the data might result in changes within our plan throughout the year to meet the needs of our students. Adjustments are made when informed data driven decisions are implemented.

Georgia Milestones score reports disaggregated by subgroup, grade level, content areas provide CES a means for analyzing the school‘s data. Student attendance is monitored through classroom teachers and school counselors. Forsyth County has an established attendance policy. Rewards and incentives purchased with CES funds, not Title I funds, are offered to students who are at risk of violating the attendance policy. Parents, teachers, and counselors meet to discuss strategies that will inspire school attendance.

Safety and discipline reports are kept by the school’s administrative team. CES is proactive in this area by ensuring that each grade level has created a grade level discipline plan prior to school starting. It is posted in the classroom and discussed with the students during the first week of school. CES is part of a school wide student recognition and character education program. Classroom teachers serve on a School

Parent Community Support team. Students attend counseling once every three weeks for forty minutes to discuss various types of bullying and other social situations that might occur with an average elementary school student.

The Georgia Department of Education provides disaggregation of data on assessments. The data is analyzed by staff and is used in the improvement of the delivery of instruction.

13.

Provisions to ensure that disaggregated assessment results for each category are valid and reliable.

Response:



CES collects data from the DOE website and other data which is sent to us by the district testing director.



Student test results administered by the state are valid and reliable.



Multiple criteria are used for determining the most academically at-risk students.

The Georgia Department of Education provides disaggregation of data on assessments.

14.

Provisions for public reporting of disaggregated data.





Response:



The Georgia School Performance Summary Reports for the Georgia Milestones are posted on the Georgia Department of Education website.

 CES School Improvement Plan, including data, will be posted on the school’s website

(Strategic Plan) and available upon request.

 CES also publishes the school’s results in the local media and in the school’s newsletter, the

Cougar Chronicle.



CES shares the plans and data reports regularly with the PTO and Local School Council, which is comprised of parents, community members, administrators, and teachers.



CES discusses school data with parents during conferences if necessary or upon request.

15. Plan developed during a one-year period, unless the LEA, after considering the

recommendation of its technical assistance providers, determines that less time is

needed to develop and implement the schoolwide program

Response:

The initial plan was developed during a one year period, and each year the plan will be revised.



The district utilizes state assessment data to monitor our progress in the implementation of our instructional strategies listed in our plan. Mid-year reviews of our school improvement plan and formative assessment data are held in January or February. During this meeting, district staff and school administration meet to check on the progress of our plan implementation and the results of our formative assessments.



The Leadership Team meets periodically to review the implementation of the plan, reviews

Georgia Milestones scores, instructional reading levels of all students, benchmark scores, and discusses any additional areas of concern.



This information is shared with grade-level and special areas teams for further input.



The Leadership Team makes deletions and/or addendums to the plan as needed, basing it on score reports, surveys, and stakeholders’ recommendations.



The plan is shared at periodic parent meetings





16. Plan developed with the involvement of the community to be served and individuals who will carry out the plan, including teachers, principals, other school staff, and pupil service personnel, parents, and students (if secondary).

Response:



The opinions of CES parents and community members are important. An electronic parent involvement survey opened to parents each spring allows them to give their opinions and offer comments and suggestions concerning our parent involvement program. School computers are available for parents who do not have computer access at home. Additional paper survey copies are provided as needed.



Each year the Leadership Team, in collaboration with parents, review and revise the Parent

Involvement Policy. Members of the Parent Advisory Committee participate in this process by reviewing the previous year’s plan and providing input on ways to improve the Parent

Involvement Policy. In addition, the school leadership team reviews and revised the School

Improvement Plans.



CES has parents and business leaders as members of the Local School Council. They review

CES plans during development and after completion. CES considers the comments and suggestions made by the Local School Council.



Once the draft of the plan is completed, the Leadership Team representatives share the draft with their teams and solicit input and questions for consideration.



The CES Leadership Team uses feedback to make final revisions to the plan.

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Upon completion, our plan becomes available to all of our stakeholders.

17. Plan available to the LEA, parents, and the public.

Response: o At the end of each school year, throughout the summer, and during pre-planning, students and parents receive an opportunity to provide feedback on the CES Parent Involvement

Policy and the CES School-Parent Compact. The revised Compact, which requires teacher, parent, and student signatures, as well as the revised Policy are provided to all parents at the beginning of the new school year. o Parents can access the final versions of the School wide Title I Plan, School Improvement

Plan, Parent Involvement Policy, and School-Parent Compact via the CES website, which allows parents and the community easy access to the documents. o Copies of these documents are also available to any interested stakeholders (including new students) in our School Information Center, located in the front lobby and our Parent

Resource Center, located in the media center.

18.

Plan translated, to the extent feasible, into any language that a significant percentage of the parents of participating students in the school speak as their primary language.

Response:



The School wide Title I Plan, CES and Forsyth County Parent Involvement Policies, CES

Parent Involvement Plan, and the School-Parent Compact are distributed in English and

Spanish (based on the primary languages of the majority of CES students and families). All communication (including the form distributed at the beginning of the school year regarding the School wide Title I Plan) to parents and families will also be available in English and





Spanish.



All forms and documents are translated in Spanish by qualified bilingual CES staff members.



Copies of the plans are distributed as needed, housing additional copies in the front office area and the Parent Resource Center. Links are provided on the school web page as well.

19. Plan is subject to the school improvement provisions of Section 1116.

Response:

During the 2012-2013 school year, Georgia instituted a new accountability measure, the College and

Career Readiness Index. This replaced Adequate Yearly Progress as a measure of a school’s growth.

Under the new system, at risk schools may be identified as Priority, Focus, or Alert schools. There are currently no Priority, Focus, or Alert Schools in Forsyth County.

School Improvement Plan (AIMS) and Title I School wide Plan both are based on assessments and strategies to help students meet state standards. Both the school wide planning team and the school improvement planning team collaboratively plan to analyze the assessment to determine the strategies and programs funding to help students meet state standards. The school wide plan is subject to the school improvement provisions of Section 1116. The school wide plan and the school wide improvement plan are not in isolation of one another. They work together in assisting students in meeting and achieving state standards.

