Promoting School Culture at ACPSBy Katrina Davis- Jones

Our Population

• ACPS is comprised of 733 students.

• ACPS is a Title1 school.

• ACPS encompasses 302 students with free/reduced lunch.

• ACPS employs 43 teachers

• Our school is compiled of 353 White students, 219 Black students,71 students with more than two races and 57 Hispanic students.

• Class size average is 24 students enrolled in a “typical” K-2 classroom.

• Our Annual Measureable Objectives (AMO’s) were met at 19 out of 25 target goals

Military Connection• Our school is located about 5

miles from Fort Bragg Army Base.• Our military also supplies Impact

aid to help our students with disabilities.

• Fort Bragg supports our school by providing grants for technology in our classrooms (ex. Ipads, Netbooks, & MacBook Aires).

Our Programs

• Our school participates in the home/school reading partnership. We encourage students to read with parents, grandparents and siblings to produce academic skills and a life-long love for reading.

• The Leader in Me. The Leader in Me teaches children to develop leaderships traits and be 21st century learners and leaders

Our Programs continued…

Positive Behavior Support (PBiS)• This program focuses on

positive behavior through leadership.

Common Core Standards• These standards are

used to create rigor in reading, writing, and math. They are helping students to become problems solvers and independent thinkers.

Community Service Projects

Second Grade Books on the Move• This project encouraged

our second graders to raise money and purchase books for our local children's home. This gives children opportunities to read at any time.

First Grade Care Packages• First Grade collected

toiletry items for our troops over seas. They also mailed hand written letters and cards to support our troops.

Community Service Projects Continued….

Kindergarten – Stop Hunger Now• Our Kindergarten

students held fundraisers and money collections to raise money for hungry children in Africa. They worked together, packaged meals to save lives for children in developing countries.

Student Lighthouse Team• The Student Lighthouse

Team collected food for our local food bank. Next, they carried food to the bank and help shelve the supplies.

Needs to Improve Our School Culture

• Although our school has many programs and projects to support our community, ACPS needs to have more family events to educate our parents. ACPS needs to build a larger school/parent/student connection.

How Can We Fix It?

• Organize more Family Fun Days to allow parents to talk to the teachers in a relaxed setting .

• Arrange a technology night. Students can teach parents to use technology as an educational tool at home.

• Parent Involvement Night can be considered to help parents understand the Common Core Standards and how to use those strategies at home.

Exceptional Children• Our school has 107

students of exceptionalities.

• ACPS has two classrooms for disabled students. One disabled preschool class and one K-2 disabled classroom.

Our Programs to help Exceptional ChildrenACPS has recently implemented the Leveled Literacy Instruction (LLI) to improve students in reading and focus double dose reading on students with disabilities.

Technology for Exceptional Children

• Ipads with links and apps are provided for exceptional students

• Computer centers with websites supporting students with disabilities.

Exceptional Children Needs for Improvement • Better Enhancement

Teacher/Classroom Teacher communication.

• More technology for exceptional students.

• More support programs to help educate parents who has children with disabilities.

How Can We Fix It?

• Provide IEP modifications to the Enhancement Teacher.

• Apply for more grants for exceptional students to have technology only for their class.

• Reach out to the community and find programs that provides education to exceptional students parents.

Our ESL Population

• More than 57 of our students at ACPS are Spanish speakers.

• Many of our students or families can not read or write the English language.

Our Programs to help ESL students

• Certified teachers to help ESL students.

• Mac Aire computers with Language programs to support our students.

• Internet websites to support ESL reading and math

• Big Universe Reading program with book translations

ESL Needs for Improvement

• Parental Involvement

• Use authentic assessments to measure the academic and English language progress of the student

• Added ESL collaboration with teachers

• Better communication with classroom teachers and ESL parents

How Can We Fix It? • Professional Development for

teachers on understanding cultures and effective techniques on how to teach an ESL student

• Spanish language classes for teachers to be able to communicate with Spanish speaking students.

• Culture Night to share cultures with other students