Equity Audit Report Template for December
Name – Greg Miller
School/Program - Rainier School District
Background Information/Statement of Problem:
The junior and senior high schools are combined in the school district. The
population of Rainier is smaller than some of the other districts in the state. This limits the
amount of subgroup data that can be examined for this school. There were no students in
the secondary school that were part of the Title One program, and there were no students
in the junior high school program that were classified as limited English proficient. There
are two main subgroups of the population that we have data for. The subgroup data comes
from the school district report card, and OAKS online reporting system, that provides data
on student performance on the state tests. The students are tested in three subject areas at
the junior high school level. There are tests in English, Mathematics, and Science that are
completed during the eighth grade year.
The problem that I focused on was the low achievement scores that are present for
students in the junior high school program. The scores are low overall, and this includes
the subgroup data that was studied. We discussed issues surrounding these scores, and
attempted to discover solutions that would increase achievement scores within these
areas.
Data Collected for Review (summarize and attach sample):
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The first fact relates to all of the students in the junior high school. 40.1 percent
of the students enrolled in the junior high school program last year received at
least one F as a semester grade.
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The students have scored below the 80 percent benchmark on the Mathematics
OAKS test over the last four school years in eighth grade.
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The non-white students of the eighth grade had a 20 percent passing rate on the
OAKS Mathematics test in 2013.
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The students with special needs had a zero percent passing rate on the OAKS
Mathematics test in eighth grade of 2013.
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The students have scored below the 80 percent benchmark on the Reading OAKS
test during all four of the last school years in eighth grade.
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The non-white students of the eighth grade had a 75 percent passing rate on the
OAKS Reading test in 2013.
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The students with special needs had a zero percent passing rate on the OAKS
Reading test in eighth grade of 2013.
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The students have scored below the 80 percent benchmark on the Science OAKS
test during three of the last four school years in eighth grade.
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The non-white students of the eighth grade had a 55 percent passing rate on the
OAKS Science test in eighth grade of 2013.
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The students with special needs had a twenty percent passing rate on the OAKS
Science test in eighth grade of 2013.
Stakeholder group (minimum 4 – include names and positions):
– English Teacher
– Administrative Intern
– English Teacher
– Special Education Teacher
Stakeholder group observations and analysis of data:
The stakeholders all had a different view when reviewing the data. The main
concern was derived from the fact that the reading test scores were low. **** and ****, as
English teachers, noted that the STAR test results from reading were nearly three or four
levels below grade level. This raised the question of what steps need to be followed to get
all students to the appropriate grade level. The ideas that I brought to the table included
the inclusion of an improved transition program for students entering the junior high
school. I also suggested the inclusion of a program that demonstrates college and career
relationships. I concluded by recommending the addition of a study skills program during
the Columbian Time homeroom period. The team members discussed the importance of
having the incorporation of vertical sorting between the elementary and junior high
schools. There has been little discussion between the two schools during previous years.
This could be accomplished through data team time. This would provide assurance over
the content being presented at all of the grade levels within the school district. Another
team member stated that they felt change could not occur unless there was a shift in
mindset from the community. We discussed the importance of making the school visible in
town so that the community members could see the benefits of our school. We finally
mentioned the importance of growing our RTI program. This is a new initiative in the
school this year.
Reflection on Process and Preliminary Action Plan for spring:
This process was beneficial overall. There were no major issues that occurred
during our meeting. The team members seemed welcoming of the data that was presented.
An administrator must not be scared of data. They must welcome the use of data, and find
ways to present it clearly to stakeholders. There was a staff member who wanted to turn
the meeting into a gripe session. The key was to redirect that staff member to the
importance of finding solutions to our issues. Our district needs to continue our growth of
the RTI program throughout the year. I would like to setup the transition program so that
it could be implemented at the conclusion of the year.