Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
School Name:
Worth County High School
School Mailing Address:
406 W. King St.
Sylvester, GA 31791
LEA Name:
Worth County Schools
LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Name:
Christie Foerster
LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Signature:
LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Mailing Address:
Director of Federal Programs
504 E. Price St.
Sylvester, GA 31791
Email Address:
christie@worthschools.net
Telephone:
229.777.8395
Fax:
229.776.8603
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 1 of 16
Date:
Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
SWP/SIP Template Instructions
Notes:
 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 asterisk (*) denotes 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.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 2 of 16
Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
Planning Committee Members:
NAME
Melissa Edwards
POSITION/ROLE
School Improvement Specialist
Dr. Russ Chesser
Principal
Scott Chafin
CTAE Director
Dr. April Smith
Assistant Principal
Lisa Underwood
Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Testing
Elizabeth Brand
Lead Guidance Counselor
Melissa Souter
Math Dept. Chair
Michelle Greer
Science Dept. Chair
Kathy Carroll
PEC Dept. Chair
Jodie Knight
Social Studies Dept. Chair
Nancy Griffin
CTAE Representative
Sue Youngblood
ELA Dept. Chair
John Evans
Parent
Phyllis Young
Parent
Gayla Bentley
Parent
Kim Norman
Parent
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 3 of 16
Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
SIP Components
*1.
A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that addresses all academic areas
and other factors that may affect achievement.
A. We have developed our schoolwide plan with the participation of individuals who will
carry out the comprehensive schoolwide/school improvement program plan. Those
persons involved are all school level administrators along with department chairpersons,
who are also classroom teachers. This committee comprises our leadership team and is
used as a data team which analyzes current achievement data and other data to note
trends evident in our student population. The data is used to make improvements where
indicated to meet the ever changing needs of students.
B. Certified staff and student population participates in a needs-assessment survey each
year. This survey asks for teacher and student input on current areas that need
improvement and also solicits feedback on current professional learning practices,
administrative support, and issues of the like. The information gathered in this survey is
a critical piece of data used for the creation of school improvement initiatives for the
following year. Another way that we informally assess our needs is through group
discussion in bi-weekly professional development meetings. Teachers are updated about
changes that apply to them and are asked to provide feedback on what current school
improvement initiatives are benefiting them in the classroom and which are not. Finally,
the leadership team, either as a whole or in smaller groups, meets or discusses issues that
are hindering our progress toward making improvements and producing productive and
prepared graduates.
C. Worth County High School has three ELL students and no migrant students. For ESOL
students, a Title III contact is in place to facilitate their coursework and assist in any
necessary translations.
D. We have reflected current achievement data that will help all stakeholders understand
the subjects and skills in which teaching and learning need to be improved. For example,
we have a designated data room in our building that showcases current and historical
data on: attendance, discipline, End of Course Testing data, the graduation rate and other
pertinent data. This data is also available on our website. We strongly believe in
acquiring and using input through the school improvement process, so this data is
presented frequently for not only improvement monitoring, but also for RTI and dropout
prevention purposes.
E. We have based our plan on information about all students in the school and identified
students and groups of students who are not yet achieving to the State Academic content
standards and the State student academic achievement standard including:
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 4 of 16
Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*1.
A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that addresses all academic areas
and other factors that may affect achievement.
 Black subgroup performance on all End of Course Tests
 Special Education subgroup performance on all End of Course Tests
 Socio Economically Disadvantaged subgroup performance on all End of Course
tests
 High rate of absenteeism of all students
 Black Students low graduation rate
 Reduce the number of days students are assigned to ISS and OSS
F. The data has helped us reach conclusions regarding achievement or other related data.
 The major needs we discovered were Black Students low EOCT test scores in all
subject areas as compared to White Students. Also a lower graduation rate for Black
Students as well as a high rate of all students assigned to ISS and OSS. Another
area of need is the high rate of students with excessive absences (more than eight)
for the school year.
 The major strengths we found in our program were 85% of all students passing the
American Literature EOCT. Also 92% of White Students passing both the 9th and
10th Grade ELA EOCT. Another strength is the consistent high scores for all
students on the GHSWT.
The needs we will address are:
 Black Student EOCT achievement gap in 9th ELA at 26%
 Black Student EOCT achievement gap in 11th ELA at 19%
 Black Student EOCT achievement gap in Biology at 43%
 Black Student EOCT achievement gap in Physical Science at 25%
 Black Student EOCT achievement gap in US History at 32%
 Black Student EOCT achievement gap in Economics at 26%
 Black Student EOCT achievement gap in Math I at 31%
 Black Student EOCT achievement gap in Math II at 26%
 Increase Economics EOCT scores for all students
 Reduce the number of students with excessive absences
 Increase the graduation rate
 To address these specific areas of need, common planning has been established in
order for teachers to plan appropriate lessons together. Research indicates when
teachers collaborate through the sharing of activities, assessments and other
strategies, they are better prepared to meet the needs of their students.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 5 of 16
Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*1.
A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that addresses all academic areas
and other factors that may affect achievement.
 Math Support and ELA remedial courses were created to meet the instructional
needs of at-risk students. Teachers and support staff reviewed entering 9th grader
achievement data to determine students needing to take these courses to attain
reading and math skills in order to successfully complete the rigor found in the
CCGPS.
 Credit recovery courses are in place to help students “catch up” earning credit for
courses previously failed. Students use the Georgia Credit Recovery program for
this purpose. Students work at their own pace, thus having the opportunity to
recover more than one course if needed. This strategy provides students with the
opportunity to graduate on time.
 The root cause/s that we discovered for each of the needs were fundamentally
rooted in students being under prepared or ill equipped with the necessary reading
and/or math skills to complete the rigor of high school level curriculum.
G. The measurable goals/benchmarks we have established to address the needs are:
 Reduce the achievement gap in all courses by 10% for Black Students as
measured by EOCT
 Increase Economics EOCT scores for all students from 53% to 70%
 Reduce the number of students with excessive absences from 3.9% to 2.0%
 Increase the graduation rate from 68% to 70%
*2.
Schoolwide reform strategies that are scientifically researched based.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 6 of 16
Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*2.
Schoolwide reform strategies that are scientifically researched based.
 Provide students additional time to repair attendance, repair credit, credit recovery,
tutoring, and remediation. Tuesday and Thursdays after school from 3:30 to 4:30 and
Saturday School sessions from 8:00 to 11:00 most Saturdays throughout the year. Nine
additional days during three weekly breaks in the school schedule are available to
students as well for the same purposes. Summer School will also be held the month of
June to provide additional time and support needed for individual students to meet goals.
 Full inclusion co-teaching classes for special education students
 Use of full inclusion/co-teaching classes for PEC Students
 Use of the ALL In Learning program to produce individual and class assessment results
on teacher-made tests as a means of providing timely and accurate feedback to students
 Use of Georgia Online Assessment System (OAS) to create and administer benchmark
tests at three specified points during the school year to monitor academic progress
 Coordinate Algebra, Math II and III support classes
 ELA remedial classes 9-12 for students who struggle with language arts to the extent that
it could hinder graduation or who have failed a required graduation test.
 Graduation monitoring spreadsheets that contain all available/relevant testing, attendance,
failure, and pathway data for all students, organized by year entered school for grad rate
monitoring
 Use of basic skill screeners for Academic RTI progress monitoring for 9th grade students
 Use of teacher developed rubrics to assess performance goals
 Implementation of math and writing skills in CTAE classes through implementation of
CCGPS Literacy and Writing standards.
 Implementation of literacy and writing skills in all content areas in accordance with the
standards outlined in CCGPS.
 Emphasis and training on data analysis and collaboration as a means of increasing student
achievement through more targeted and data-driven instruction.
 Emphasis on the successful utilization of the frameworks of instruction.
 Advanced Placement courses in Literature, Environmental Science, Physics, US History,
Statistics, and Calculus. The week prior to both the main administration and all retests for
the GHSGT and the GHSWT.
2(a). Schoolwide reform strategies that provide opportunities for all children in the school
to meet or exceed Georgia’s proficient and advanced levels of student performance.
The ways in which we will address the needs of all children in the school particularly the
needs of students furthest away from demonstrating proficiency related to the State’s
academic content and student academic achievement standard are by offering support
classes to those who need extra help in math and language arts, tutoring after school two
days a week, Saturday sessions, nine additional days for interventions during the three
breaks during the school year and additional tutoring before school at teachers’
discretion.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 7 of 16
Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
2(a). Schoolwide reform strategies that provide opportunities for all children in the school
to meet or exceed Georgia’s proficient and advanced levels of student performance.
2(b). Are based upon effective means of raising student achievement.
A. Following are examples of the SCIENTIFICALLY BASED RESEARCH supporting our
effective methods and instructional practices or strategies. Strategies are denoted by
boldfaced type and citations verifying the effectiveness of these practices follow each one.
 Use of twenty-day monies for after school tutoring, GHSGT review, and
credit recovery using A+ software program. Ash, J. (2001). The effectiveness
of A+ software on achievement of mathematics students in the high school setting.
http://www.amered.com; Trautman, T. (2002). The research basis for the
A+dvanced Learning System® and the A+nywhere Learning System
instructional software programs. http://www.amered.com
 Closing the achievement gap between subgroups. Haycock, K. (2001). Closing
the Achievement Gap. Educational leadership, 58(6).: Burris, C. and Wellner, K.
(2005). Closing the achievement gap by de-tracking. Phi Delta Kappan, 86(8).
 Full inclusion, co-taught classes for special education students. Villa, R.,
Thousand, J., & Nevin, A. (2008). A guide to co-teaching: Practical tips for
facilitating student learning, (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
 Use of Edusoft Assess-to-Know program as a means of providing accurate
and timely feedback to students. Nicol, D. and D. Marfarlane-Dick. (2006)
Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: A model and seven principles
of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31 (2).
 Math courses that specifically target at-risk students (Math Support). As
cited by Kathy Cox on GaDOE expectations for Math Support—Thompson, M.
Learning focused schools strategies notebook.
 Use of RTI screener (spreadsheet) to monitor graduation progress. Fuchs, L.
and Stecker, P. “Progress Monitoring”. Powerpoint retrieved from
http://www.studentprogress.org/library/Presentations/ScientificallyBasedProgress
Monitoring.pdf
 Use of teacher created rubrics to assess student achievement. Vanderburg, A.,
et al. GPS in the classroom: Using rubrics to increase student achievement.
Research in Higher Education Journal. Article retrieved from
http://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/10522.pdf
 Training on the use of effective instructional practices and differentiation to
maximize instructional time. Marzano, R., Pickering, D. and Pollock, J. (2001)
Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student
achievement. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
 Advanced Placement courses. Morgan, R. and Klaric, J. (2007) AP students
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 8 of 16
Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
in college: An analysis of five year academic careers. The College Board, New
York. Retrieved from
http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/pdf/072065RDCBRpt074_071218.pdf
2(c). Use effective instructional methods that increase the quality and amount of
learning time.
We will increase the amount and quality of learning time by implementing the effective
instructional practices outlined in Robert Marzano’s book Effective Instructional Practices and
Carol Ann Tomlinson’s theory of differentiated classroom instruction. As new strategies are
delivered and practiced in professional learning, administration and school improvement
specialist will visit classrooms to monitor the progress of implementation. All teachers will
receive feedback from either the school improvement specialist or their supervising
administrator.
2(d). Address the needs of all children, particularly targeted populations, and address how
the school will determine if such needs have been met and
are consistent with improvement plans approved under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).
Teachers will administer frequent formative assessments to help drive instruction. This
consistent monitoring of student progress will help teachers focus instruction on individual
student needs so as to better serve each individual learner. The data from these assessments will
be disaggregated and reviewed departmentally and during professional learning meetings. For
any assessment that is given schoolwide, such as a standardized test, the data will be reviewed by
the staff as a whole during professional learning. Identifiable weakness will be addressed with
action plans, scaffolding, and extra remediation for target groups. The master schedule now
affords academic area teachers collaborative planning periods to greater facilitate this initative.
*3. Instruction by highly qualified professional staff.
All teachers at Worth County High School are highly qualified. The veteran teachers of WCHS
have been trained in the Learning Focused frameworks and have received training in
differentiated instruction. Teachers at WCHS are encouraged to attend workshops and
conferences to increase their understanding of the Georgia Performance Standards and
forthcoming CCGPS, and to enhance their teaching skills in standards-based classroom
instructional strategies. As changes in personnel occur, new teachers receive the training
necessary to allow them to understand the instructional framework and strategies implemented at
WCHS.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 9 of 16
Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*3(a). Strategies to attract highly qualified teachers to high-needs schools.
We will provide instruction by highly qualified teachers who meet the standards established by
the state of Georgia. The administrators of Worth County High School, as well as the personnel
director of the Worth County Schools, continuously work to attract high quality, highly qualified
teachers to Worth County High School. Their activities in the area of recruitment include
attending job fairs, networking, making use of the “Teach Georgia” employment website,
posting positions on the Worth County Schools website, using RESA TAPP resources, and
encouraging all teachers to obtain advanced degrees.
*4. Professional development for staff to enable all children in the school
A. We have included teachers, principals, para-professionals and, if appropriate, pupil
services personnel, parents, and other staff in our staff development that addresses the root
causes of our identified needs.
B. We have aligned professional development with the State’s academic content and student
academic achievement standards. This year, the GaDOE is continuing training at RESA to
support implementation of the CCGPS, as well as literacy standards that will extend across
the curriculum. Teachers participate in webinars and elluminate sessions to provide
additional support to help with the delivery of the new curriculum. Teachers also attend
training sessions at Southwest Resa to continue unit development with peers. For courses
that are still using the GPS, departmental meetings and unit revisions are in progress to
ensure that all courses are teaching the content specified in the GPS. Special attention is
being paid to the CTAE department for this endeavor.
C. We have devoted sufficient resources to carry out effectively the professional development
activities that address the root causes of academic problems. For example, our school
improvement specialist shares current student data with teachers biweekly in professional
learning meetings. That data extends beyond testing data and into course grades, absences,
etc.—basically anything that denotes a possible risk for drop outs or a problem that exists
outside of the classroom. The school improvement specialist’s salary is funded with Title I
monies. Additionally, this year, it was the intent to order Carol Ann Tomlinson materials
for a book study in which all teachers would participate. However, book study materials
were expected to total $1,500.00 and that money was better served as funding for full day
CCGPS work sessions for all departments affected by the new standards. Therefore, the
purchase of books for book study was suspended. Twenty day instructional money is also
being used to fund tutoring twice per week in the areas of math and science.
D. Professional learning on the effective use of Riverside Edusoft Assess-to-Know program
for data reporting and analysis and research-based instruction practices in the standardsbased classroom is ongoing. At all times it has been the intent of the professional learning
plan to allow and encourage peer discussion related to the training sessions and workshops
as a part of the development of professional learning communities. Teachers at WCHS
participate in professional collaboration in all departments regarding best practices and
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 10 of 16
Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*4.
Professional development for staff to enable all children in the school
common assessments and continue to study the methods of disaggregating data on
benchmark and end-of-course tests for the purpose of re-teaching and evaluating learning
and teaching. Teachers are also involved in discussions about standardized testing data and
how to use it to effectively guide instruction.
*5. Strategies to increase parental involvement.
A. We have involved parents in the planning, review, and improvement of the comprehensive
schoolwide program plan by posting it to the Worth County High School webpage,
accessible via www.worthschools.net. There are additional plans to host a parent forum in
conjunction with a regularly scheduled School Council meeting in October to give parents
a chance to have a more in-depth look into the plan. The SWSIP will also remain posted
online with the addition of a survey for parents, students and teachers to participate in as a
means of providing feedback on current school improvement initiatives. Beginning in
January 2012, parents were granted access to PowerSchools Parent Portal by signing up in
with the registrar. This allows parents to monitor students’ grades and attendance via
Internet.
B. We have developed a parent involvement policy included in our appendices that
 includes strategies to increase parental involvement (such as family literacy services0
 describes how the school will provide individual student academic assessment results,
including a interpretation of those results
 makes the comprehensive schoolwide program plan available to the LEA, parents,
and the public (internet, newspaper, newsletters)
*6.
Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs to
local elementary school programs.
In a recent online survey, some stakeholders expressed a desire for a stronger support system and
training for incoming freshman. WCHS has worked diligently to develop a plan for incoming
freshmen to address meaningful issues related to the transition from the middle school to the
high school. Freshman students are provided a separate “Ninth Grade Welcome” program the
Spring before beginning 9th grade, which articulates the academic requirements of high school,
and focuses on the difference between middle school and high school for both students and
parents. After students have entered in the fall, another “Ninth Grade Orientation” is held once
students have had one week of school to experience the differences and formulate questions and
concerns. This program is designed for parents and students alike and is run as brief
informational meeting followed by a “question and answer” session. In addition, some advisors
present a program on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teenagers as a learning tool for
understanding self and promoting positive habits for success. There is also a designated Ninth
Grade counselor that meets with students twice per year to help create and monitor the students’
Individual Growth Plan (IGP).
WCHS offers a variety of services and programs which promote a seamless transition from high
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 11 of 16
Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
school to a variety of post-secondary options to our graduating seniors, including technical
college, Armed Forces, work placement, college or university study. These programs include
JROTC, CTAE Career Pathways option, ACCEL post-secondary option at either Darton College
or Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, SPED Summary performances, CTAE work-ready
initiative, CTAE program brochure, CTAE on-line career Awareness Center, Honors classes,
Advanced Placement Courses, CTAE apprenticeship program, CTAE Work Study program.
*7.
Measures to include teachers in the decisions regarding the use of assessment to provide
information on, and to improve, the performance of individual students and the overall
instructional program.
During biweekly professional learning meetings, teachers are given strategies to enhance
classroom instruction. Data driven instruction is an underlying theme of our professional
development initiatives, and the process is modeled by the school improvement specialist.
Teachers look at student data, mostly graduation progress and standardized test performance, and
are shown how to make data-based decisions using the data available. All strategies taught
during the professional learning meetings are observed and revisited throughout the year so as to
offer adequate support to teachers as they implement the process.
*8. Coordination and integration of Federal, State, and local services and programs.
Funds to implement the school-wide plan are acquired by coordinating expenses from resources
which include Title I and Title II funding, Media funds, IDEA Federal Flow-Through funds,
Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology fund, Special Education funding, Worth County
High School general funds, Gifted Funds, Federal Perkins IV Education, Career, and
Partnership grant, Professional Development funds, Twenty Day Instructional Extension funding
and U.S. Army fund. For the second year, WCHS is part of the GraduateFIRST program funded
by SPDG funds from the US Department of Education and the Georgia Department of
Education. This program is a geared toward dropout prevention for Young Persons with IEPs,
but extends beyond that to allow a target group of 52 students with 25 of them being Young
Persons with IEPs. This project requires the creation of a GraduateFIRST team and 45 day
action plan for area of focus that helps the team focus specific efforts toward dropout prevention.
8(a). List of State and local educational agency programs and other federal programs that will be
included.
 Advanced Placement courses
 Honors courses
 Special Education
 Professional Learning
 Media
 Classroom Guidance
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 12 of 16
Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
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Parent Involvement Coordinator
School Social Worker
Parent Involvement Activities
Purchase of resources, supplies and/or instructional materials
Response to Intervention (RTI)
Title I
Title II
Title III
Title IV
8(b). Description of how resources from Title I and other sources will be used.
During the 2012 school year, WCHS acquired two IPAD mobile labs with 30 devices each and a
wireless printer with Title I funds. These labs are made available to any teacher in the building
and are used in classrooms or by administration on a daily basis. ELMO document cameras were
purchased for math teachers and some ELA Teachers to enhance instruction. Teachers have
students use them for research, USA TestPrep, OAS, among other things. The school
improvement specialist uses them for professional development on occasion so that teachers may
actively participate in the concepts being taught.
Professional Development funds will be used this year provide teachers with adequate time to
study and prepare for the CCGPS and participate in professional learning related to the new
standards offered by RESA and GaDOE. Funds will also be allocated to summer unit
development for English/Language Arts and Mathematics teachers.
Title I funds will also be used to reduce class size in both math and ELA 9th grade courses. A
reduced ratio of teachers to students will provide teachers and students more opportunities to
interact thus more quality instruction and feedback to learn the curriculum will result.
8(c). Plan developed in coordination with other programs, including those under the School-toWork Opportunities Act of 1994, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology
Act, and National and Community Service Act of 1990.
The School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 mandates that schools work with students on
selecting a probable field of profession while monitoring their progress along that track. In
addition, this Act also requires that students be given the opportunity to participate in WorkBased learning. WCHS has developed a guidance plan that outlines procedures for each
counselor to meet with the students that they are assigned twice per year for post-secondary
progress monitoring and to ensure that students’ schedules match the career path that they have
chosen. Furthermore, we house a Work Based Learning program, which partners with local
businesses and gives students the opportunity to participate in the work environment for part of
the school day and in the school environment for the other part of that day.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 13 of 16
Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
Monies from the Carl D. Perkins Educational Career Partnership are used by our CTAE
department to improve instruction by purchasing instructional materials and equipment for
CTAE programs, providing professional development opportunities for CTAE teachers, and by
partnering with Moultrie Technical College. The purpose of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 is to improve CTAE instruction, not simply
maintain a program. Therefore, the money is used to buy new and more advanced equipment
each year, not simply to replace worn out materials. WCHS is dedicated to enhancing the CTAE
experience for all students and does so through properly utilizing money from this program.
*9. Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering standards shall be
provided with effective, timely assistance, which shall include:
We are providing activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering proficient
or advanced levels of academic achievement standards shall be provided with effective, timely
additional assistance. WCHS is currently using a graduation tracking spreadsheet for RTI that
allows us to monitor large amounts of student data at the same time. Information is updated
quarterly or more often if possible. The data included consists of year entered, credit total,
“grade” level, EOCT, GHSGT, GHSWT, absences, and courses failed. Intervention strategies
will include, attendance repair, credit repair, credit recovery, 8th period, Math & ELA Support
courses, Lunch & Learn program, pre-GHSGT week review for all test takers. On-going training
for teachers to help them recognize students with difficulties includes how to interpret formative
and summative assessments, common assessments in content areas, benchmark test results and
end-of course test results in order to focus on class and individual student needs.
9(a). Measures to ensure students’ difficulties are identified on a timely basis.
WCHS has several measures in place to guarantee that student data is collected and analyzed
quickly and efficiently. We use Riverside’s Edusoft assessment system, Classroom Performance
Systems (CPS), Mobis, Georgia Online Assessment System (OAS), and ExPreSS. Teachers
have these tools at their disposal to help ensure that they are able to manage the workload and
paperwork required to provide timeline and effective feedback to students.
9(b). Periodic training for teachers in the identification of difficulties and appropriate assistance
for identified difficulties.
In biweekly professional learning meetings, teachers are given strategies for using data to help
pinpoint instruction to specific areas of need. Furthermore, the focus of professional learning
efforts this year is to build on our study of effective instructional practices from last year and
extend that into how to effectively differentiate instruction.
9c). Teacher-parent conferences that detail what the school will do to help the student, what the
parents can do to help the student, and additional assistance available to the student at the
school or n the community.
Parent-teacher conferences will include a collaboration between teacher and parent resulting in a
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 14 of 16
Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
compact that specifies what the school will do to help the student, what the parent(s) can do to
help the student, and what additional assistance is available. We have two scheduled conferences
on the calendar this year with early student release and additional conferences are scheduled with
teachers, administrators or guidance staff as needed.
10.
Description of how individual student assessment results and interpretation will be
provided to parents.
Students are provided with their own personal individual student score reports after each testing
administration. This score report details the standards, the items missed, and provides both the
student and the parent with feedback on where that student’s progress is in terms of where it
should be according the standards set by the GaDOE. Additionally, disaggregated data is made
public via the WCHS website and local newspapers. Finally, there is a data room at both WCHS
and the Worth County Board of Education with detailed charts of all student assessments.
11.
Provisions for the collection and disaggregation of data on the achievement and assessment
results of students.
Data is collected from the system and WCHS testing coordinators. The school improvement
specialist takes the data and breaks it down and puts it into charts for teachers and administrators
to have for reference in the data room. Subgroup achievement is broken down per domain and
overall for each content area test. Furthermore, the data is comparatively charted to show trends
and patterns in achievement.
12.
Provisions to ensure that disaggregated assessment results for each category are valid and
reliable.
Currently, validity is measured looking at the current performance deficiencies to ensure that the
proper areas are being targeted for remediation. Reliability is established by breaking the data
down more than once to ensure that the math is correct. As for formalized reliability and validity
testing, there is none currently in place other than the aforementioned.
13. Provisions for public reporting of disaggregated data.
Disaggregated testing data is made public via the WCHS website and local newspapers. Finally,
there is a data room at both WCHS and the Worth County Board of Education with detailed
charts of all student assessments.
14.
Plan developed during a one-year period, unless LEA, after considering the
recommendation of its technical assistance providers, determines that less time is needed to
develop and implement the schoolwide program.
The schoolwide school improvement plan for WCHS is revised every six months, as mandated
by the Worth County School District.
15.
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
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 15 of 16
Georgia Department of Education
Title I
Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
personnel, parents and students (if secondary).
Currently, the plan is developed by the school improvement specialist and reviewed by the
leadership team. It will also be posted on the web for teacher and parent comment. In addition,
it will be presented at the School Counsel meeting in October for review by other pertinent
stakeholders. This is an area that is undergoing work—plans are being made to increase
community stakeholder input on the school improvement plan.
16. Plan available to the LEA, parents, and the public.
The school improvement plan is available online at the WCHS website and hard copies are
available on site.
17.
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.
There is no need for translation at this point because the ESOL population at WCHS is less that
1%. For the specific ESOL student that we have enrolled, our Title III contact is available to
offer translation if needed.
18. Plan is subject to the school improvement provisions of Section 1116.
Worth County High School’s school improvement plan is written in accordance with Section
1116 as amended by No Child Left Behind (2001). This plan is revised twice per year and is
done so using information of current practices and resources that are taking place in the school.
When revising, data and curriculum/graduation requirement changes are also considered.
This plan has been reviewed by the leadership team and is submitted for approval by the LEA
after each revision.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
April 2011 ● Page 16 of 16