California Department of Education
January 2014
District Name: Rio Dell School District
CD Code: 12630080000000
LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT PLAN ADDENDUM TEMPLATE
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, codified as No Child Left Behind (NCLB, Section 1116[c][7][A]), requires
that local educational agencies (LEAs) identified for Program Improvement (PI) shall, not later than three months after
being identified, develop or revise an LEA Plan, in consultation with parents, school staff, and others. Rather than
completely rewriting the existing LEA Plan, we recommend using this LEA Plan Addendum template to address the items
below. Type your responses in the expandable text boxes.
Prior to developing this revision, please use the State Assessment Tools, as applicable, to analyze school/district needs for
improved student achievement. These tools are available on the California Department of Education (CDE) State Assessment Tools
Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ti/stateassesspi.asp. Contact the District Innovation and Improvement Office at
916-319-0836 if you have any questions regarding the State Assessment Tools or completing the LEA Plan Addendum.
Please submit your completed LEA Plan Addendum by uploading the completed document into the Program Improvement Year I
monitoring instrument in the California Accountability Improvement System (CAIS). Contact Janice Morrison, Education Programs
Consultant, District Innovation and Improvement Office by e-mail at jamorrison@cde.ca.gov if you need technical assistance in
uploading the document. Contact Jacqueline Matranga, Education Programs Consultant, District Innovation and Improvement Office
by e-mail at jmatranga@cde.ca.gov if you need technical assistance with completing the document.
The LEA Plan Addendum must be submitted to the CDE no later than Friday, April 4, 2014. The LEA Plan Addendum should:
1. Identify fundamental teaching and learning needs in the schools of the LEA and the specific academic problems of
low-achieving students, including a determination of why the prior LEA Plan failed to bring about increased academic
achievement for all student groups.
Please provide a summary analysis of the needs assessment used to identify student learning needs (especially the academic
problems of low achieving students). Include an analysis of why the prior LEA Plan was not successful.
1. Discuss the results of the assessments used to determine the teaching and learning needs of the schools and the district.
2. Identify academic priorities.
3. Discuss why the prior LEA Plan was not successful.
Rio Dell School District uses multiple measures of assessment to assess student progress. The two most important measures of
achievement used are the Adequate Yearly Progress Report and the NWEA’s Measure of Academic Progress assessment. Last
year’s assessment data from the AYP report and NWEA show that our students are not meeting the proficiency requirements in
English/ language arts. In response to this data we have structured our after school intervention program and our staff
professional development days to focus on English/ language arts. We have also started our implementation plan of the
California Common Core State Standards. Rio Dell School District believes that the new standards will allow our students to
achieve a deeper understanding and mastery of the English/ language arts standards. The prior LEA Plan was not successful,
because during the 2012-2013 school year, students failed to achieve the requirements of the AYP in English/ language arts.
Rio Dell School district did not meet the LEA wide target goal of 89.2% proficiency or reach safe harbor. The LEA also failed to
reach AYP goals in the following significant groups: white (49.4%), socioeconomically disadvantaged (42.9%), and students with
disabilities (47.3). After a self-review of our prior LEA plan, Rio Dell School District has identified a few a reasons that the prior
LEA plan was not successful. First, we have determined that as a school we need to narrow our focus to specific areas of
student achievement. The new common core standards will help the LEA narrow our focus on student needs and help them
meet those needs. The LEA will also narrow the focus of our professional development days. The days will be used to
implement the curriculum and instruction of the common core standards. Finally, the LEA will work to improve parental
involvement. Having a stronger home to school connection will help raise student achievement.
2. Include specific, measurable achievement goals and targets for student groups identified as not making Adequate
Yearly Progress (AYP), including students with disabilities and English learners, as appropriate.
Please describe specific, measurable academic goals and targets for student achievement for student groups identified as not
making AYP. (Refer to the CDE AYP Reports Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ay/aypreports.asp.)
Rio Dell School District has set goals to move all students towards the proficient and advanced levels in all subject areas. Our
AYP report shows that we are making progress in all areas except English/ language arts. Although there is no results from state
testing this year, Rio Dell School District will use results from NWEA’s MAP testing. The MAP testing is aligned to the Common
Core State Standards and projects students at proficiency levels based on state proficiency levels. By using the data provided
by NWEA, Rio Dell School District has a goal that all students will show academic growth in all subject areas. We also have a
goal that we will see at least 5% more students achieve at the proficient or advanced levels.
3. Incorporate research-based strategies to strengthen the core academic program for identified student groups in
schools served by the LEA, including students with disabilities and English learners, as appropriate.
Please describe the specific strategies that the district will use and how those strategies will be implemented and monitored to
strengthen the core academic program.
Rio Dell School District is fully committed to implementing the Common Core State Standards. These new standards are
research-based and geared toward having students college and career ready. Our staff has been focusing professional
development towards implementation of the standards. While working toward implementation of the standards, our staff has
maintained a focus on English/Language Arts.
Rio Dell School District will also continue to employ instructional aides in all classrooms. Each classroom will have an
instructional aide for 3 hours a day during core instructional time. These aides will focus on small group work with students who
fall below the proficient level and need extra support. Research shows that small groups of 4-6 students are an effective way to
boost student achievement.
Our school district will also offer an after school remediation program for students who are failing to meet proficiency levels.
Again the small groups will be 4-6 students and focus on specific learning needs of the group. The small groups will target
specific learning deficits in the students’ achievements.
Rio Dell School District will run a Response to Intervention program that will specifically target students who are not achieving to
grade level. The program will include a pull out class that targets specific areas of the curriculum that are identified as problem
areas for the students.
Rio Dell School District teachers will use Professional Learning Communities to drive instruction. Our PLCs will review student
data to help guide instruction with the use of research-based curriculum. PLCs will help guide the curriculum and review student
data make sure that students are receiving the correct services.
4. Specify actions to implement the identified strategies that have the greatest likelihood of improving student
achievement in meeting state standards.
Please identify actions to be implemented to accomplish the identified
Person(s)
Specific
Estimated Cost/
strategies and how they will be supported and monitored. (See
Responsible
Timeline
Funding Source
examples of full implementation descriptions in the Academic Program Survey [APS]
and the District Assistance Survey [DAS] on the CDE State Assessment Tools Web
page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ti/stateassesspi.asp.)
After School remediation program.
Jeremy Griffith
Dean of Students
By October
2013
$42,285.00
ASES Grant
Mary Varner
Superintendent
By August 2013
$95,880.00
General Fund
Title I
Classroom instructional aides
Tier II intervention teacher
Mary Varner
Superintendent
By August 2013
$69,165.00
Title I/ General
Fund
Common Core State Standards Curriculum
Mary Varner
Superintendent
By September
2014
$135,435.00
General Fund
Common Core
Grant
Instructional
Materials/Lottery
Professional Learning Communities
Jeremy Griffith
Dean of Students
By August 2013
$1000.00
General Fund
5. Provide high-quality professional development for the instructional staff that focuses on instructional improvement
and supports the strategies and actions described above.
Please describe the professional development the LEA will provide to
Person(s)
Specific
Estimated Cost/
instructional staff to address the identified strategies and actions.
Responsible
Timeline
Funding Source
(including 10% setaside from Title I,
Part A)
Rio Dell School District will provide teachers with ten professional
development days that focus on implementing the Common Core
State Standards and improve teaching practices specifically focused
on language arts. We will have experts in the Common Core
Standards and technology experts present materials and data to staff
specifically focusing on methods to improve student achievement in
areas where students have not met the required growth.
Jeremy Griffith
Dean of Students
2013-2015
School years
$11,032.00
Title I, Improving
Teacher Quality
The LEA will also make available funds for teachers to attend
trainings and workshops that focus on raising student achievement in
the areas identified by AYP as not making required growth.
Mary Varner
Superintendent
By May 2014
11,032.00
Title I, Improving
Teacher Quality
6. Incorporate, as appropriate, activities before school, after school, during the summer, and/or during an extension of
the school year.
Please describe those activities and how the LEA will
Person(s)
Specific
Estimated
Funding
incorporate them.
Responsible
Timeline
Cost
Source
Rio Dell School District will facilitate an after school intervention
program. The program will use research-based curriculum and
focus on students who have specific needs in the areas
identified by the LEAs AYP report. The intervention will be at
least four days a week for 30 minutes a day. The intervention
will be conducted in small groups no larger than 5-6 students.
Jeremy Griffith
Dean of Students
By September
2013
$42,285.00
ASES
Grant
Teachers who meet the NCLB criteria as a highly qualified
teacher will teach the intervention program.
Mary Varner
Superintendent
By September
2013
See Above
See Above
Specific
Timeline
Estimated
Cost
Funding
Source
Classroom
teachers
By May 2014
No Cost to
District
Classroom
teachers
By November
2013
No
Additional
Cost to
District
7. Include strategies to promote effective parental involvement in the school.
Please describe parental involvement strategies and how the
LEA will support them across the LEA.
Person(s)
Responsible
Rio Dell School District will work to promote parental
involvement in the schools.
- Parents are invited to volunteer and observe in classrooms.
-The district offers a back to school night and open house. This
will allow parents to access curriculum and instructors and
opens communication between home and school.
- Teachers will have formal conferences will all parents after the
first trimester and parents of low achieving students after the
second trimester. This will allow parents to be involved in
tracking student progress during the year and be involved in
educational decisions for their child.
- Teachers will allow parents to maintain contact through their
school email accounts. This will promote weekly or daily
communication with parents who are not able to be at school
during school hours.
Classroom
teachers
By September
2013
$2000.00
General
Fund
-The school district will send home monthly and weekly
bulletins. The bulletins make parents aware of school events
and educational news.
Jeremy Griffith
Dean of Students
By August
2013
$1000.00
General
Fund
Assurances
Page 1 of 1
LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT PLAN ADDENDUM
ASSURANCE PAGE
Local Educational Agency (LEA) Plan Information:
Name of LEA: Rio Dell School District
County District Code: 12630080000000
Date of Local Governing Board Approval: March 12, 2014
District Superintendent: Mary Varner
Address: 95 Center Street
Rio Dell
95562
Phone: 707-764-5694
FAX: 707-764-2656
E-mail:
mvarner@humboldt.k12.
ca.us
Signatures:
On behalf of LEAs, participants included in the preparation of this LEA Program Improvement
Plan Addendum:
Signature of Superintendent
Printed Name of Superintendent
Date
Signature of Board President
Printed Name of Board President
Date
By submission of the local board approved LEA PI Plan Addendum (in lieu of the original signature assurance page in
hard copy), the LEA certifies that the plan has been locally adopted and original signed copies of the assurances are
on file in the LEA. The certification reads:
Certification: I hereby certify that all of the applicable state and federal rules and regulations will be observed by this
LEA and that, to the best of my knowledge, information contained in this Plan is correct and complete. Legal
assurances for all programs are accepted as the basic legal condition for the operation of selected projects and
programs and copies of assurances are retained onsite. I certify that we accept all general and program specific
assurances for Titles I, II, and/or III as appropriate, except for those for which a waiver has been obtained. A copy of
all waivers will remain on file. I certify that actual ink signatures for this LEA Plan/Plan Addendum/Action Plan are on
file, including signatures of any required external providers.