Kalispell Public Schools
High School District School Improvement Update
October, 2014
District Annual Progress Report – Math
What is the 3-year trend for achievement across the district?
Grade 10
Static
Please identify the district actions that may have affected the observed trends:
At the high school level we have adopted an RTI like model in which students who are
struggling to meet grade level Mathematics expectations are given an additional period
of focused Math instruction. We are also closely tracking data related to students who
are placed in "below grade level" Mathematics courses and encouraging our teachers
to place fewer students in below level courses. New Mathematics materials that are
aligned with the Common Core expectations have also been implemented in our high
schools.
We have done extensive work in our high schools to create clear goals, pacing guides
and common trimester assessments to assure that our classrooms are focused upon
the standards established by the state of Montana. We are in the second year of the
implementation of these revised curriculum documents to reflect the expectations found
in the Montana Common Core Standards. These documents were created by teams of
teachers in the summer of 2012, 2013 and 2014.
We are concerned that we see a drop in our students’ performance in Mathematics
between 5th grade and 6th grade and that our scores remain relatively unchanged in the
10th grade. After 6th grade our scores remain relatively stagnant and the degree to
which we outperform the state decreases. We believe that more effective vertical
alignment of our curricular goals and our materials is needed to maintain the high
achievement levels found in grades 3-5.
District Annual Progress Report – Reading
What is the 3-year trend for achievement across the district?
Grade 10 Gradual Improvement
Please identify the district actions that may have affected the observed trends:
At the high school level we have adopted an RTI like model in which students who are
struggling to meet grade level Reading expectations are given an additional period of
focused Reading instruction. The Gates-McGinnity assessment is given all 9-11
graders. The results of these and other formative assessments help us in identifying
students in need of a "double dose" of Reading instruction each day.
State the district goals for math.
Increase our students mathematics achievement levels to increase the percentage
of students successful in Algebra 1 by the end of their freshman year by 5% each
year.
To help accomplish this district goal we are additionally striving for a yearly 5%
increase in the percentage of students scoring in the proficient or advanced
quartiles on the Spring Mathematics CRT (SBAC).
Define the specific measurable objectives for each of the student groups that did
not make AYP in math:
All Students: Increase the percentage of students scoring in the proficient or
advanced quartiles on the Spring Mathematics CRT (SBAC) from 66% to 71%.
White Students: Increase the percentage of students scoring in the proficient or
advanced quartiles on the Spring Mathematics CRT (SBAC) from 67% to 72%.
Economically Disadvantaged: Increase the percentage of students scoring in the
proficient or advanced quartiles on the Spring Mathematics CRT (SBAC) from 57%
to 62%.
Students with Disabilities: Increase the percentage of students scoring in the
proficient or advanced quartiles on the Spring Mathematics CRT (SBAC) from 30%
to 35%.
State the district goals for reading.
Increase the percentage of students scoring proficient and advanced by 5% each
year as measured by the State's CRT (SBAC).assessment with the ultimate goal
being that all students are reading at proficient or advanced levels.
Define the specific measurable objectives for each of the student groups that did
not make AYP in reading.
All Students: Increase the percentage of students scoring in the proficient or
advanced quartiles on the Spring Reading CRT (SBAC) from 90% to 95%.
White Students: Increase the percentage of students scoring in the proficient or
advanced quartiles on the Spring Reading CRT (SBAC) from 91% to 96%.
Economically Disadvantaged: Increase the percentage of students scoring in the
proficient or advanced quartiles on the Spring Reading CRT (SBAC) from 88% to
93%.
Students with Disabilities: Increase the percentage of students scoring in the
proficient or advanced quartiles on the Spring Reading CRT (SBAC) from 60% to
65%.
How is the district addressing the fundamental teaching and learning needs of the
schools in the LEA, especially the academic problems of low-achieving students,
using scientifically-based research strategies?
At the high school level we have adopted an RTI like model in which students who
are struggling to meet grade level Mathematics expectations are given an additional
period of focused Math instruction. We are also closely tracking data related to
students who are placed in "below grade level" Mathematics courses and
encouraging our teachers to place fewer students in below level courses. New
Mathematics materials that are aligned with the Common Core expectations have
also been implemented in our high schools.
We have done extensive work in our high schools to create clear goals, pacing
guides and common trimester assessments to assure that our classrooms are
focused upon the standards established by the state of Montana. We are in the
second year of the implementation of these revised curriculum documents to reflect
the expectations found in the Montana Common Core Standards. These
documents were created by teams of teachers in the summer of 2012, 2013 and
2014.
At the middle and high school level we are providing an additional period for our
Mathematics department heads so that they can focus upon providing instruction
support to all Mathematics teachers with a particular focus upon the implementation
of the common core standards.
Our English/Language Arts department head from our middle school and our two
high schools spent the summer of 2012 designing a MCCS Literacy Implementation
plan that is in the third year of being implemented in our schools. This plan involves
extensive support to E/LA and Content Area instructors on the effective
implementation of the E/LA Montana Common Core Standards. A summary of the
middle school implementation plan follows:
Vision: That literacy becomes a primary focus in all of the classrooms in the
Kalispell's schools with the idea that all students will leave ready for the
increasing rigor of subsequent literacy requirements.
Itemized Goals:
1.
All teachers will understand the literacy requirements of their
disciplines.
2.
All teachers will implement a common vocabulary in relation to
literacy.
3.
All teachers will (at a minimum) adopt a common protocol for teaching
the literacy skills of reading, writing, speaking & listening, and research
4.
All teachers will offer students practice in writing, reading, speaking &
listening that match the grade level expectations of the standards of
Common Core Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical
Subjects.
5.
All teachers will formally assign research writing projects according to
the cross curriculum matrix.
To aide in the implementation of this plan our ELA department heads have been
given an additional planning time to focus upon providing instructional support to
teachers in the implementation of the ELA Common Core Standards.
Our district is beginning the use of a common protocol for the creation of
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in each of our district’s schools. These
PLCs are made up of committed educators focused upon ensuring that all students
meet an identified, common learning goal through professional discussion which
leads to appropriate action that meets the identified learning needs of each student.
Our district’s Professional Learning Communities provide:
1. A relentless focus upon learning for ALL students
2. A collaborative culture and collective effort to support student and
adult learning
3. A results orientation to improve student learning, teacher practice and
to drive continuous improvement
Our district’s PLCs focus on the following 4 Essential Questions questions
with a particular focus on Question 4:
1. What do we want our students to know and be able to do? (Learning
Goal)
2. How will we measure and assess whether students have attained the
knowledge/skill? (Assessment)
3. What instructional strategies and/or activities will be used?
(Instruction)
4. How will we respond when students don’t learn and/or they already
have the knowledge/skill? (Differentiation)
Describe how professional development will be used to improve instruction, and
how it is aligned with the district’s educational goals and objectives.
Professional Development Vision/Purpose
The purpose of the Kalispell Public Schools’ Professional Development Program is
to ensure that District personnel are optimally prepared to meet the challenges of
addressing the academic and social/personal needs of the individual student while
meeting the District, State and National education goals and mandates. To
accomplish this, staff development is focused, of high quality, sustained, intensive,
part of a district-wide plan and based upon scientifically based research.
Professional development opportunities are focused in a manner that allows our
district to continue to improve upon the instruction we provide the students we
serve. This focus requires the creation of opportunities that are connected,
collaborative, customized, coordinated, comprehensive and consistent. Through
this we are best able to meet the instructional needs of our professional educators
which will result in the improvement of the academic achievement levels of the
students served. We believe that this is best accomplished through using a
combination of our district’s teachers and outside experts to meet our staff’s
professional development needs.
Our district’s Common Core implementation professional development focus is
based upon 5 goal areas. These goals are below. All of our district directed
inservice and early release time is dedicated to these five areas:
1. Adjust Instruction to match the INSTRUCTIONAL SHIFTS IN
MATHEMATICS AND ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS
8 Mathematical Practices
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Model with mathematics.
Use appropriate tools strategically.
Attend to precision.
Look for and make use of structure.
Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Close Reading of Text
1. Shift focus to informational text
2. Text dependency
3. Content Area Reading
Writing for Many Purposes
1. Focus on informational and argumentative writing
2. Content Area Writing
2. Focus Instructional Approach on the RIGOR RELEVANCE FRAMEWORK.
Move from Activities to Problem Solving
Multiple Questions
Multiple Standards
Multiple Steps
Multiple Paths
Multiple Disciplines
3. Help teachers to help students to develop effective HABITS OF MIND.
Focus on developing PERSISTENT problem solvers
4. Use EFFECTIVE ASSESSMENT PRACTICES and incorporate
PERFORMANCE TASKS into the learning process.
Formative Assessment and Performance Tasks
5. Create a CULTURE OF ACHIEVEMENT in our district and each of our
schools.
Professional Learning Communities
Visible Learning by John Hattie
Cultures Built to Last: Systemic PLCs at Work by Dufour and
Fullan
Through the Northwest Montana Education Cooperative the fourth annual Math in
the Mountains Conference was held in Kalispell in August. National speaker and
trainer Dan Meyer was the primary presenters for our middle and high school
teachers. The NMEC continues to provide many inservices for district staff on
effective instructional practices that meet the demands and changes found in the
common core.
The Northwest Montana Reading Council held their annual conference in Kalispell
in August. This conference provided many grade level breakout sessions focused
upon common core implementation as it relates to the English/Language Arts. The
NMEC continues to provide many inservices for district staff on effective
instructional practices that meet the demands and changes found in the common
core.
High School Mathematics teachers worked with trainers from Math Solutions on
improving upon the Mathematics instruction provided in our high school
mathematics classrooms during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school year. The Math
Solutions trainer provided a particular focus on implementing the Mathematical
practices found in the common core.
We have contracted to have Wendy Hofer, the author of “Minds on Mathematics”
work with all of our 3rd-12th grade teachers of Mathematics this year (2014-2015).
The focus of this training is upon the implementation of the mathematical practices
in a Mathematics workshop model.
Describe the district’s strategies for assessing student progress toward meeting all
content standards.
Our district’s assessment strategy is encompassed in our district’s commitment to
answering the following 4 Essential questions to be answered in an effective
Professional Learning Community
1. What do we want our students to know and be able to do? (Learning
Goal)
2. How will we measure and assess whether students have attained the
knowledge/skill? (Assessment)
3. What instructional strategies and/or activities will be used?
(Instruction)
4. How will we respond when students don’t learn and/or they already
have the knowledge/skill? (Differentiation)
Question Number 2 demands that we engage in formative and formal assessment
practices in which our teachers are constantly collecting information about their
students’ progress towards the identified goals. Through the analysis of this data
we are then able to design instruction that meets the specific needs of each of the
students we serve.
The use of formative assessment is complimented by the use of trimester and
quarterly assessments that have been created for common use in our district
classrooms. These common assessments have been created for all of our
Kindergarten through Algebra 2 Mathematics classrooms.
Additionally, we use other formal assessments to help us evaluate the progress of
our students. The chart below outlines the different formal assessments used in the
district.
Assessment
Grade Level
Schools
ISIP Reading Assessment
Grades K-5
Russell and Elrod
Schools (Striving Readers
Schools)
STAR Reading Assessment
Grades K-5
Edgerton, Hedges and
Peterson
STAR Math Assessment
Grades K-8
Edgerton, Elrod, Hedges,
Montana Criterion Referenced Test
(SBAC)
Gates-McGInity Reading Assessment
ACT, SAT, IB, AP
Grades K-8, 10
Peterson, Russell and
KMS
All Schools
Grades 6-11
Grades 11-12
KMS, FHS, GHS
FHS, GHS
We are also taking steps to create performance tasks for use in each of our district’s
classrooms. The performance tasks created by our district’s teachers are outlined
in the chart below. Each of these are intended to meet the demands of the common
core standards and have been designed in a manner that assures that our student’s
achievement is measured as it relates to their ability to apply the skills they have
learned as they seek to solve complex problems that require persistence. These
performance tasks designed by our district’s teachers include:
Multiple Questions
Multiple Standards
Multiple Steps
Multiple Paths
Multiple Disciplines
The chart below outlines the different Performance Tasks being implemented in the
district.
Assessment
Grade Level
School
Math Performance Tasks
Grades K-12
All Schools
Science Literacy Performance Task
Grades 6 and 9
KMS, FHS, GHS
Social Science Literacy Performance
Grades 7 and 10
KMS, FHS, GHS
Task
Health Literacy Performance Task
Grade 8
KMS
What strategies will be used to promote effective parental involvement in the
schools served?
Each of our schools have annual open houses in which parents are given the
opportunity to better understand the educational program at their child’s school.
Parent groups are also in place in each of our schools. These groups help support
the educational mission of each of our schools. School administration and parent
groups plan several events throughout the year in which parents are given
information about the schools’ instructional approach and provided opportunities for
the family to connect with their school’s culture.
State how the LEA has reviewed and updated, with parental involvement, the district
action plans to address the areas identified for improvement.
The steering committee for our district' Five Year Plan included:
Anna Marie Bailey, District Trustee
Callie Langohr, Glacier High School Principal
Peter Fusaro, Flathead High School Principal
Barry Grace, Kalispell Middle School Principal
Rick Anfenson, Peterson School Principal
Michele Paine, District Language Arts Facilitator
Sharon Applegate, KMS 6th Grade Teacher and Co-Chair of District’s Professional
Development Committee
Sharon Sinclair, Elrod 2nd Grade Teacher and Tech Mentor
Sean O’Donnell, FHS Social Studies Teacher and Department Chair
Karen Hutchison, KMS 6th Grade Teacher and KMS Science Department Chair
Brad Holloway, GHS Math Teacher and Department Chair
Chris Bilant, Federal Projects Director
Jodie Barber, District Crisis Response Team Chairman and FHS Counselor
Dan Zorn, Assistant Superintendent
Additionally, extensive work has been done with the district's administrative team,
the Board of Trustees Curriculum committee, department heads, teacher leaders
and the Northwest Montana Education Cooperative in the development of the action
plans and areas of focus. This work has been guided, in part, from input garnered
from each of our building's parent advisory groups.
Explain why the previous plan did not bring about increased student achievement.
It did, just not to the degree required by the State of Montana and the No Child Left
Behind legislation.
Discuss other activities, as appropriate, to increase student achievement, such as
(but not limited to): before and after school programs, summer school and an
extended school day and/or year.
The district will continue to provide summer and Christmas break remediation
opportunities for students who are struggling to meet grade level Mathematics and
English/Language Arts expectations. We have also implemented academic
intervention days three times throughout the year in which students at-risk of failing
courses are given opportunities to catch up on missed work, redo low quality work
and receive teacher assistance to improve upon academic performance.
Public School Choice
School District # 5 and Flathead High School District
In-District Student Transfer Policy
Students living within School District 5 or Flathead High School District boundaries,
who wish to attend other than their neighborhood school, must meet the following
guidelines:
If a parent desires their child, or an adult student desires, to attend a school
other than their neighborhood school they will obtain the appropriate request
form from the school office or Central Office enrollment clerk. The form must
be completed and returned to the school they are currently attending.
If the request is for movement during the school year, the request must be
approved by the principal of the neighborhood school and the principal of the
school requested. Any exceptions to this procedure will be granted only by
the Superintendent, or designee, for extenuating circumstances.
If the request is for movement for the coming year, the student will be placed
in his/her neighborhood school to assure a placement until the request has
been acted upon. The request will not be considered until the end of the
school year and all other classroom placements have been made.
Families changing residence during the school year shall have the option of
keeping their child in the school they are currently attending or transferring
them to the school in their new area of residence. It is understood that if the
parents choose to have their child remain in the current school they are
responsible for transportation. In subsequent years students will be
considered for continued placement in the school of transfer on a space
available basis.
Transfers may be granted for the following reasons:
1. Mental or physical health problems
2. Academic program offerings
3. Directed transfer due to behavioral or safety issues
4. Children of School District 5 staff will be considered for attendance at the
site where their parent(s) work on a space available basis.
Approved transfer requests have the following conditions:
The student/parent/guardian must provide transportation to and from school.
Attendance requires full observance of school rules and regular attendance.
All student requests for transfer at the high school level must be made by the
beginning of the previous semester (ex: a student requesting admittance in
August for a new school year must apply by January of the current school
year). Exceptions may be granted at the discretion of the Superintendent, or
designee, for extenuating circumstances.
Request for an inter-district transfer, for a K-8 student, must be made by April
30 of the current school year for admittance at the beginning of the next
school year. Exceptions may be granted at the discretion of the
Superintendent, or designee, for extenuating circumstances, but is subject to
approval by the student’s home district.
Transfer students may be reviewed each year to ensure that all policies are
being met.
The District reserves the right to return students to their neighborhood
school, or district, if overcrowding results at the receiving school or in order to
balance enrollments.
A student may not request more than one transfer in their high school career.
The student who is granted a transfer, not due to a family move, at the high
school level is subject to eligibility policies established by the Montana High
School Association (MHSA). Specifically the ninety (90) school day rule.
No transfers at the high school level will be made to accommodate extra- or
co-curricular activities.
Policy History:
Adopted on: 11/14/2006
Revised on: 06/14/11
Supplemental Education Services (SES)
SES Procedure Summary
By virtue of our 2013 CRT results (a failure to meet Adequately Yearly Progress on
the state CRT for two or more years), we will again be providing the opportunity to
participate in Supplemental Education Services (SES) to FHS and KMS students
qualifying for Free and Reduced lunch. SES is free to all qualifying students and
occurs before and after school in school cafeteria/ commons areas, at the student’s
home, or at another mutually agreed upon location (such as the Flathead County
library).
The procedures outlined below will be followed to insure that SES services are
made available to our students.
 Letters will be sent, from this office, to all parents of students on the Free/
Reduced lunch list by the end of this week or first of next week. Addresses will
be generated from Power School
 Parents will have until the end of September to
o Get the list of OPI-approved providers from school counseling offices
o Research providers listed
o Select provider they wish their child to work with
o Return SES Provider Selection Form to Central Office
 Contracts with selected providers will be secured and they will be sent the list of
students they will work with, as well as contact information for their parents
 Providers will also receive contact information for our school counseling offices,
so they can coordinate contact with counselors and teachers.
Teacher Mentoring Program
Mentors are assigned to all new teachers in our district. In general, our mentors
support our new teachers in becoming more fluent in the following Professional
Teaching Standards:
1. Engaging and supporting all students in learning
2. Developing as a professional educator
3. Assessing student learning
4. Creating and maintaining an effective learning environment
5. Understanding and organizing subject matter for student learning
6. Planning instruction and designing learning experiences for all students
Mentors are compensated at the curricular rate for up to 20 hours of time spent with
their mentee. Additionally, a half day release for mentors is provided 6-8 times
throughout the year. The purpose of this release time is for the mentor to observe
and consult with their mentee. Feedback provided by the mentor to the mentee
aligns with the areas outlined in the 6 purposes noted above and mentors are
encouraged to use the observation tools that have been a part of the training
received. Release time is coordinated with the mentee’s classroom schedule in
consultation between the mentor, mentee and building administration.
All mentors are provided 6 days of training from the New Teacher Center on
effective mentoring practices. This training is required for individuals to serve as a
mentor. Additionally, we hold two Mentor Forums each year in which practicing
mentors are provided the opportunity to reflect upon their mentoring experience and
to improve upon their mentoring skills.
Budget Analysis
Through an analysis of our district’s achievement data we have prioritized our
district’s Title One and general fund budget to include support for Mathematics and
Reading intervention. These services are targeted towards providing students with
support in their Reading/English and Mathematics classrooms. We also offer
additional daily instructional opportunities that supplement regular Mathematics and
Reading instruction for students who have been identified as needing additional
instructional support. Professional development opportunities have been focused
upon improving Mathematics instruction as our Mathematics achievement levels are
of greatest concern to our district and its schools.