SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING FRAMEWORK

South Park

SCHOOL BUILDING

Rapid City

SCHOOL DISTRICT

GRADE SPAN: k-5 ENROLLMENT: 359

DISTRICT SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COORDINATOR:

NAME: Dr. Lisa Plumb

ADDRESS: 300 Sixth Street

Rapid City, SD 57701

PHONE: (605) 394-6892

FAX: (605) 394-2271

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E-MAIL: Lisa.plumb@k12.sd.us

PLANNING TEAM:

DIST. REP: Dr. Tim Mitchell PRINCIPAL: Rod Haugen

TEACHER: Rick Redetzke TITLE I: Dr. Lisa Plumb

PARENT: Darcy Kuhlmnan TEACHER: Elizabeth Fredrich

COMMUNITY: Natalie Slack TEACHER: Darla Peterson

OTHER: Becky Umenthum OTHER: Alayna Siemonsma

OTHER: SST: Jeanne Cowan

PLEASE LIST ANY SCHOOL REFORM INITIATIVES YOUR SCHOOL HAS PARTICIPATED IN DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS (ex: Reading Enhancement):

INITIATIVE FIRST YEAR OF INVOLVEMENT

(TRAINING)

HAS THE ADMINISTRATION CHANGED SINCE TRAINING?

PLC 2012 No

Dreambox 2014 No

Reading Recovery 1995 Yes

Example: AREA, NCA, MAPLE, CSRD, Reading First, etc.

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Title I Schoolwide Plan Checklist

Directions: Review the Title I Schoolwide Plans prior to mailing SDDOE to ensure that all requirements listed below have been met. Insert the page number where each component can be found in the column to the right. If a plan does not include all ten components, it is out of compliance with NCLB requirements and will need to be adjusted.

Schoolwide Plan: [Section 1114 (b) (2)] Any school that operates a schoolwide program shall first develop (or amend a plan for such a program that was in existence on the day before the date of enactment of the NCLB Act of 2001), in consultation with the LEA and its school support team or other technical assistance provider under section 1117, a comprehensive plan for reforming the total instructional program in the school that:

i. Describes how the school will implement the components described belowii. Describes how the school will use resources under this part and other sources to implement the componentsiii. Includes a list of SEA programs and other federal programs that will be consolidated in the schoolwide programiv. Describes how the school will provide individual student academic assessment results in a language the parents can understand, including an interpretation of those results, to the

parents of a child who participates in the academic assessments required by the SEA plan.

Components of a Schoolwide Plan*: Found onPage #:

1. A comprehensive needs assessment of the whole school 52. Implementation of schoolwide reform strategies that:

Provide opportunities for all children to meet proficient and advanced levels of student academic achievement Use effective methods and instructional strategies that are based on scientifically based research that: Strengthens the core academic program Increases the amount of learning time Includes strategies for serving underserved populations Includes strategies to address the needs of all children in the school, but particularly low achieving children and

those at risk of not meeting state standards Address how the school will determine if those needs of the children have been met Are consistent with and are designed to implement state and local improvement plans, if any

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3. Highly qualified teachers in all core content area classes 8-9, 124. High quality and on-going professional development for teachers, principals, and paraprofessionals 10-115. Strategies to attract high-quality, highly qualified teachers to this school 126. Strategies to increase parental involvement, such as literary services 136 a. Description how the school will provide individual academic assessment results to parents 136 b. Strategies to involve parents in the planning, review, and improvement of the schoolwide plan 137. Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs such as Head Start, Even Start, Early Reading First, or a state-run preschool program

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8. Opportunities and expectations for teachers to be included in the decision making related to the use of academic assessment results leading to the improvement of student achievement

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9. Activities and programs at the school level to ensure that students having difficulty mastering proficient and advanced levels of the academic achievement are provided with effective, timely additional assistance

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10. Coordination and integration of federal , state and local funds; and resources such as in-kind services and program components

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10 a. A list of programs that will be consolidated under the schoolwide plan (if applicable) 5-9

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South Park Title I Schoolwide Plan 2014-2015

1.) Comprehensive Needs Assessment

In August 2002 the district began a process whereby achievement data was analyzed in depth. Seven members of our school have attended a two-day training session in August of each year since its implementation in 2002. We continue to facilitate our data at the building level. Our school is using an analysis of this data to set building achievement goals in reading and mathematics. ESEA is currently involved in assisting the Rapid City School District with this process.

Members of the South Park Professional Learning Community planning team for 2014 are: Rod Haugen, Darla Peterson, Becky Umenthum, Michelle Moser, Michelle Wyseph, Rick Redetzke and Alayna Siemonsma. This team is responsible for leading the Collaborative Work Groups through a process of reviewing data, setting measurable goals focused on student results, selecting instructional strategies targeted at specific standards of low student performance, and continuously assessing and refining better ways of teaching the targeted skills by examining student work. The district provides the time for this to occur during early release Wednesdays from 1:30-3:30.

This PLC team presented Implementation procedures for this process, including instructional roadmaps, to staff on September 10th and 17th of this school year.

A variety of needs assessments are done on an ongoing basis. Examples of these include: Parent Resource Network parent surveys, staff needs assessments, and participation in district curriculum mapping endeavors. Other needs assessments that are given several times a year include: CBM’s, exit reading levels, letter ID, observation surveys, concepts about print, K-5 writing rubrics, K-5 District performance assessments for math along with counting and unit assessments and SBAC grades 3-5. Documentation of these is kept on file at the building level.

In addition our 4th and 5th grade students completed the Consolidated Survey System which included the following surveys: Risky Behavior Survey, Character Education Survey, Healthy Practices Survey and the Safe Schools Survey. These surveys provided feedback regarding student behaviors and perceptions.

This past winter, we surveyed students and parents through Parent Resource Network. The results of that survey are kept at the school and are available for anyone to review.

According to research, adult learning will impact student proficiency in their math and reading skills. Our highly qualified staff participated in district, South Dakota Counts and college level math classes to enhance understanding and increase our ability to teach inquiry based mathematics.

Challenges include the achievement gap in literacy and mathematics that exists for students in Special Education and Native American and Economically Disadvantaged subgroups. With constant awareness and introduction of additional strategies to correct this discrepancy, we continue to focus on instruction that is starting to narrow the gap. This is evidenced by all subgroups meeting AYP in reading and math. RCAS district has also identified essential standards from the Common Core State Standards that all RCAS students

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to focus on in these two areas.

On the 2006-2007 Dakota STEP, Rapid City Area Schools did not make Adequate Yearly Progress AYP in both reading and math. As a result, the district was in school improvement, Level 3, Corrective Action for math and in Level 1 for reading. From the 2008-2009, DSTEP results, RCAS remained in Level 3, Corrective Action for math and reading. As a result of Level 3 status, the state DPE is responsible for taking at least one corrective action for the district that responds to the academic failure that caused the State to take such action.Because all districts in District Improvement Level 3 must receive a district audit from the SEA, the SD DOE conducted a district audit for RCAS in December 2007. As a result of the audit, the corrective action option to be implemented by RCAS is Option 2, “Institute and Implement a New Curriculum.”

The following summarizes the district’s intentions to satisfy the DOE intervention in the area of math: RCAS will conduct a curriculum audit to review the alignment of the state standards, the curriculum, the accountability system, and

professional development. RCAS will provide appropriate professional development to staff for growth and an advanced program in content and methodology,

and/or mentoring. RCAS will review curriculum options and develop implementation procedures. RCAS will design assessment procedures for learning and addressing the standards; use assessment procedures to inform

instruction and respond to student needs.

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2.) Implementation of School wide Reform Strategies

A Professional Learning Community (PLC) is an overarching framework to guide and focus all district andschool improvement processes. The main concepts of a PLC are in direct alignment with the goals the Boardof Education approved in June 2012 (see page 4), which are: (1) a guaranteed, viable, relevant curriculum, (2)a comprehensive system of assessment, and (3) diverse opportunities for learning success in alignment withthe district’s technology literacy, balanced literacy, and inquiry mathematics practices.

A challenge the district will face with PLC implementation is achieving clarity. A focus in 2014-2015 will be toclarify why the district has made the firm decision that the PLC process is the approach all schools will take toimprove student learning, what a PLC is, and how it will look in the school setting. Learning together iscritical to a school’s growth as a PLC, as it is the process of learning together that helps educators build theircapacity to create a powerful PLC. Since building shared knowledge requires a purposeful clarification ofwords and phrases, a shared understanding of PLC terminology is also important.

Developing a school’s ability to function as a PLC is a journey that requires fundamental changes in schoolculture—changes that occur incrementally. This implementation guide Launching District-Wide PLCsprovides research-based guidance from the district regarding priorities #1 and #2. Dr. Chris Jakicicfacilitated our initial shared knowledge and understanding regarding priorities #3 and #4 on August 13 and 14, 2012,and then the district will provide further guidance regarding priorities #3 and #4. This roadmap is notintended to suggest rigid step-by-step directions or even a linear approach to becoming a PLC. However,some critical issues must be addressed if the journey is to proceed in a purposeful direction. This documentis intended to provide direction and support, to encourage educators to take action, and to point staff in theright direction, while at the same time promoting and encouraging flexibility and autonomy. Its purpose isalso to explain priorities and non-negotiables, clarify conditions and practices that must be created in eachschool to achieve the priorities, establish indicators of progress to be monitored, and align behaviors andactions with the articulated priorities.

Priorities/Non-Negotiables in 2014-2015The four priority/non-negotiable areas of focus for the 2014-2015 school year are:1. To build a district-wide shared understanding of PLC principles, practices, concepts, and commonvocabulary with an emphasis on the four critical questions and how they interconnect and support eachother. (Administrative)2. To develop high-performing collaborative teams in order to achieve the collective purpose of high levelsof learning for all students. (Administrative)3. To clarify what students must know and be able to do as a result of each course, grade level, and unit ofinstruction (essential learning outcomes/power standards). (Teachers)4. To develop and deploy frequent team-developed common formative assessments and common summative assessments. (Teachers)The PLC process provides a guiding framework where student learning data are used by collaborative teacher

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teams to focus their work and implement best practices that ensure that every student learns. DuFour andDuFour (2011) define a PLC as “an on-going process in which educators work collaboratively in recurringcycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve.”

The PLC process rests on three big ideas, and each of those ideas has significant implications for educators.Importantly, PLC practices are interconnected, and they only have power as a whole.

Big Idea #1: A Focus on LearningThe first big idea is that the fundamental purpose of schools is to ensure that all students learn at high levels.In order to bring this idea to life, educators work together to clarify the following four critical questions inorder to ensure that all students learn at high levels:

1.) What do we want students to learn?2.) How will we know if our students are learning?3.) How will we respond when students do not learn?4.) How will we enrich and extend the learning for students who are proficient?

Big Idea #2: A Focus on Collaborative TeamworkHelping all students learn will require us to work in a collective effort to meet the needs of each student. Inorder to bring this idea to life:

Educators are organized into meaningful collaborative teams in which members work interdependently to achieve common goals for which they are mutually accountable. Educators are clear on the purpose and priorities of their collaboration.

Big Idea #3: A Focus on ResultsEducators must create a results orientation in order to know if students are learning. They must have anduse evidence of student learning to drive continuous improvement of the PLC process. In order to bring thisidea to life:

Educators work collaboratively to achieve SMART goals. Educators collaboratively gather and analyze evidence of student learning on a regular basis to(1)inform and improve individual professional practice as well as the collective practice of thecollaborative team(2) use assessment results to respond to students by name and by need.

3.) Highly qualified teachers in all core content area classes

Instruction at South Park School is provided by a highly qualified staff of 15 certified classroom teachers and approximately 15 full or part time certified support staff members, all serving in a variety of capacities, including literacy, mathematics, special education, and special areas. The school district actively strives to attract highly qualified staff through a variety of recruiting and job notification options. All teachers at South Park Elementary are of Highly Qualified Status in their content areas. All newly hired teachers are of highly qualified

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status as of October, 2014.

South Park School has 3 1/2 paraprofessionals/instructional assistants, all of whom have met the requirements as highly qualified staff described in the No Child Left Behind Act. Paraprofessionals are also included in all building level staff development opportunities that are appropriate for them to attend.

Beginning in 2005, the district initiated a New Teacher Induction Program. On an ongoing basis, sessions are held with all teachers new to the district to support the development of the knowledge and skills needed by teachers to be successful. Sessions include such topics as creating a positive learning environment, classroom management, parent communication, active student engagement, and questioning strategies. This program is designed to span a three-year period. One of the goals of the induction program is to attract and retain highly qualified teachers.

The district has hired a person in the Human Resource Office to review all teacher and paraprofessional files to determine who is highly qualified. Every paraprofessional or certified teacher who applies to the district must meet the highly qualified status in order to be considered and interviewed for a position.

A testing area has been established in the Human Resource Office for candidates who choose to take the Praxis, a competency assessment for teachers and paraprofessionals. At this time, only the Paraprofessional Praxis is available, but teacher candidates will also use the testing station when the Praxis for certified staff is available. The district provides support assisting paraprofessionals in meeting the highly qualified status through testing, tutoring, and assistance with tuition. Paraprofessionals are also included in building level staff development opportunities. Paraprofessionals currently employed have taken the Praxis or have the required number of college credits. 100% of South Park’s Title I paraprofessionals providing instructional service are highly qualified. The report from Human Resources indicates that all of South Park certified staff meets highly qualified requirements.

Highly Qualified Staff-Recruitment Statement:The Rapid City School District attracts highly qualified teachers through a variety of recruiting methods and systematic placement programs. Teachers must pass the “Teacher Insight” to be considered qualified to apply for a teaching position.All paraprofessionals who provide instructional services are qualified and they work under direct supervision of a highly qualified teacher.

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4.) Professional Development

Opportunities for collaboration, continuing education, and professional development are provided through participation in on-site and district professional development options, as well as in local and national conferences and workshops.

As can be seen on our school improvement budget sheet, South Park Elementary spends well over the required amount of our designated budget on Professional Development. This occurs with the purchase of additional literacy and math teacher leader at our school. We have .5 math teacher leader for K-5th grades.

Over the past 13 years, numerous staff have attended national conferences such as ASCD and International Reading Conferences.

The South Park staff members meet on an ongoing basis to monitor the progress of students. Each classroom teacher K-5 has a literacy, math coach and intervention strategist’s that and help with small group instruction. They are also trained to coach teachers in best practice.

Examples of providing ongoing professional development, the goal of which is to increase student achievement in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics, include: Literacy Leaders / Math Teacher Leaders Whole-Faculty Study Groups Training in literacy and mathematics instruction by taking college classes Attendance at many conferences and workshops Building level sessions on topics relevant to literacy and mathematics instruction District level in-services PLC

We offer math training for parents at any time. Every September, we hold a literacy and math night complete with games, prizes and refreshments for families. The purpose is to have training available to parents in math and literacy instruction when they play inquiry math games with their students.

Rapid City Area Schools has a New Teacher Induction and Mentoring Program. The mission of this program is to engage, prepare, support, and sustain the continuous development of educators whose knowledge and skills advance student learning. This program has several goals, including supporting the development of the knowledge and skills needed by teachers to be successful, attracting and

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retaining highly qualified teachers, and improving student performance through training and assistance for new teachers.

The New Teacher Induction Program has several key features. Sessions are held on an ongoing basis during the school year. New teachers are provided with break out sessions, which are designed to meet the needs of diverse learners. Sessions are offered on many topics, such as creating a positive classroom environment, managing difficult and challenging student behaviors, inquiry-based mathematics, technology, literacy development, and instructional strategies. This three- year program provides teachers with a forum for dialogue, inquiry, and reflection. The district provides resource support for the program by paying the new teachers to attend the sessions.

All RCAS teachers have been instructed on the new Common Core State Standards. Teachers at the elementary level have attended workshops in literacy and numeracy that cover the new common core. Teachers are attending district wide inservices with their grade levels for further training in literacy and math this school year.

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5.) Instruction by Highly Qualified Staff

Instruction at South Park School is provided by a highly qualified staff of 15 certified classroom teachers and approximately 20 full or part time certified support staff members, all serving in a variety of capacities, including literacy, mathematics, special education, and special areas. The school district actively strives to attract highly qualified staff through a variety of recruiting and job notification options.

South Park School has 3 1/2 full and part time paraprofessionals/instructional assistants, all of whom have met the requirements as highly qualified staff. All assistants are also included in all building level staff development opportunities.

Beginning in 2005, the district initiated a New Teacher Induction Program. On an ongoing basis, sessions are held with all teachers new to the district to support the development of the knowledge and skills needed by teachers to be successful. Sessions include such topics as creating a positive learning environment, classroom management, parent communication, active student engagement, and questioning strategies. This program is designed to span a three-year period. One of the goals of the induction program is to attract and retain highly qualified teachers.

The district has hired a person in the Human Resource Office to review all teacher and paraprofessional files to determine who is highly qualified. Every paraprofessional or certified teacher who applies to the district must meet the highly qualified status in order to be considered and interviewed for a position.

A testing area has been established in the Human Resource Office for candidates who choose to take the Praxis, a competency assessment for teachers and paraprofessionals. At this time, only the Paraprofessional Praxis is available, but teacher candidates will also use the testing station when the Praxis for certified staff is available. The district provides support assisting paraprofessionals in meeting the highly qualified status through testing, tutoring, and assistance with tuition.

Paraprofessionals are also included in building level staff development opportunities. Paraprofessionals currently employed have taken the Praxis or have the required number of college credits. 100 % of South Park’s Title I paraprofessionals providing instructional service are highly qualified. The report from Human Resources indicates that all of South Park certified staff meets highly qualified requirements.

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6.) Parent Involvement and Education

Increased parent involvement is an ongoing goal at South Park Elementary School. A Parent Involvement Policy and a Parent Compact have been developed and are included in the school handbook. These two items are reviewed annually with parents. The Parent Involvement Policy can be found in the district student handbook. The Title I plan is also reviewed every fall with the school Title I Committee and a community and parent representative where they have the opportunity to give input.

Parents have an opportunity to be involved in school wide planning and evaluation, and provide feedback each year by completing a survey. Parent-Teacher Conferences are held in the fall and the spring and a Back to School Night is held each August. We invite parents to participate in activities that will help bridge the gap between home and school. Examples of these trainings include the following:

Math/Literacy Night – South Park offers 1 family night that explores mathematical and literary concepts through board games and literature. Investigation Math Games, math activities (worksheets, online, Dreambox etc.) and reading logs are sent home weekly for parent participation in reinforcement of math literacy concepts.

Parent Resource Network sent a survey to our parents in the winter of 2014. Results were very high as to parent satisfaction with South Park Elementary practices, procedures and educational opportunities for students.

One Open House is held in August. PTO Kickoff is held in conjunction with our open house. In May a “Celebration of Young Authors” is held to showcase student writing collected throughout the year. (This is attended by

over 200 parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors.) Family Sessions are hosted by the PTO, such as Bingo Night. In the fall of 2014 South Park celebrated Native American Day by having 4th and 5th grade students attend the Black Hill’s Pow

Wow at the civic center. Students are encouraged to attend their parent/teacher conference in the fall and the spring. The South Park staff communicates with parents through weekly Friday Folder letters, Facebook, and Synervoice message

system. Parents receive trimester standards based report cards along with a yearly report on academic progress from the SBAC

assessment. Parents are actively involved in the referral of their child to the RTI (Response To Intervention) and Reading/Math Recovery

processes. When parents receive assessment results, support and assistance are offered in interpreting results by contacting the school office. Parents are active participants of the Multi-Disciplinary Assessment Team meetings for Special Services

Monthly PTO meetings are held each school year. This year, we have a very active PTO with new members who regularly attend meetings. Staff participation in PTO is also up and they contribute to the success of this organization.

Community involvement is ongoing in the form of volunteers from the Junior Achievement program and mentors from the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program.

South Park School is involved in a partnership with Black Hills State University and TIE (Technology and Innovations in Education), which supports our endeavors to integrate technology into curriculum, instruction, and assessment

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7.) Transition

Transition PlanRapid City Area Schools

2014-2015Program Development

Rapid City Area School District 51-4, located in the Black Hills, is the second largest school district in the state of South Dakota. Rapid City is the “Gateway to the Intermountain West” and is a center for commerce, culture, transportation, and education for the entire high plains. The district’s northern boundary encompasses the Black Hawk area. The eastern boundary extends to the Rapid Valley area. The southern boundary includes the Spring Creek and Hart Ranch area, and the western boundary contains the Johnson Siding Area. The economic base in Rapid City includes agriculture, forestry, government, tourism, healthcare, manufacturing, and a strong service sector. Rapid City is a community of approximately 70,000 people, with the population of Pennington County at approximately 100,000.

Twenty-three schools comprise the school district: 15 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, and 3 high schools. The district employs approximately 1030 teachers, and has a total staff of approximately 1,784. Services available include pre-schools, the North Rapid Community Schools, an alternative high school, guidance and counseling, special education, district summer school, 21st Century Community Learning Discovery Centers which provide after school and summer programs, and post technical education.

Although district enrollment has shown some decline, then increases in the past, the current population shows signs of stabilization. The student population as of September 27, 2013 was 13,915 students. This population includes 6,839 elementary students, 3,107 middle school students, 3,969 high school students and 27 students ages 19-21.

Rapid City School District’s 13-14 student profile information is indicated in the table below:

Student Characteristic Percentage/Data

American Indian or Alaskan Native 20 %Asian <1 %BlackNative Hawaiian or Pacific IslanderWhite

1 %<1%72 %

Two or More Races 5 %

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Special Education 13 %Gifted Education 2 %English Language Learners (ELL) <1 %Poverty (Free and Reduced Lunch)Identified Homeless

44 % 5%

Migrant 0 %

The purpose of the district’s coordination and transition plan is to articulate structures within the district that promote and provide successful educational opportunities for all students from birth through post-secondary education.

Coordination and Communication

Young children experience a milestone transition when they approach the age of five and enter the public school system. Plans are in place to assist preschool children to transition from early childhood programs into kindergarten. Parents and schools communicate and coordinate efforts in order to prepare children to function successfully in the school setting.

A RCAS Pre-school Transition Committee was developed to specifically address the transition process from pre-school to kindergarten. The initial committee members were as follows:

Name Agency/TitleLisa Plumb RCAS/Director Federal Programs, Grants &

State AssessmentTodd Christensen RCAS/Special Education Program DirectorNanci Jennings RCAS/Title I Parent Coordinator, ELL &

PAT TeacherSue Micone RCAS/Kindergarten Teacher at KnollwoodCher Daniel RCAS/Elementary Principal at Rapid ValleyLori Laughlin Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC)Priscilla Yellow Horse Dakota Transitional Head Start CoordinatorShawnda Ruml Dakota Transitional Head Start Site

SupervisorWinona Angel Dakota Transitional Head Start Family

Service Advocate & ParentVicki Lowry Youth and Family Services Head StartCindy Fox Parents as Teachers (PAT)Autumn Gregory Early Childhood ConnectionsKim Booth Early Childhood Connections TrainerMegan Larson SD Voices for Children Coordinator

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This committee first met on November 30, 2010 to discuss the coordination of efforts and channels of communication that will promote early educational success for students. Specific activities identified at the meeting included the following:

Survey elementary principals and kindergarten teachers regarding what preschool to elementary transition procedures are in place and what more needs to be implemented.

Survey Dakota Transitional and Youth and Family Services Head Starts regarding what preschool to elementary transition procedures are in place and what more needs to be implemented.

Develop relevant communication tools for preschool parents regarding the school district, and determine methods of distribution.

Begin planning an annual school district sponsored meeting for area preschool educators to provide information that can be passed on to parents.

Review possible avenues of communication between the district and area preschools regarding preschool student assessment information.

The committee met again in January of 2011 to review the survey results and formulate next steps to implement structures that will promote improved communication between preschool educators, parents and the school district.

For the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years, the North Rapid Community Schools Early Learning Committee was formed to continue the work of the initial committee in discussing transition from preschool to kindergarten. The committee members were:

Name Agency/TitleMorgan VonHaden North Rapid Community School

CoordinatorLori Laughlin Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC)Scott Phares Principal, Horace Mann ElementaryLisa Plumb RCAS/Director Federal Programs, Grants &

AssessmentTodd Christensen RCAS/Special Education Program DirectorNanci Jennings RCAS/Title I Parent Coordinator, ELL &

Parents As Teacher (PAT) CoordinatorAmy Zens RCAS/Kindergarten Teacher, Horace Mann

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Bruce Long Fox Director Rural American Initiatives Head Start

Vicki Lowry Youth and Family Services Head StartMegan Larson SD Starting Strong Coordinator

The committee reviewed what programs are currently in place and identified areas of focus which include:

Work with RCAS and preschool agencies to address the waiting lists. Having additional transition activities throughout the year between RCAS and preschool agencies. Using RCAS Title I funds to expand existing RCAS preschool program.

In addition, Amy Zens was invited by Youth and Family Services to attend an all day workshop in May 2013 coordinated by SD DOE Head Start Coordinator, Rayne Dosch, to review the federal document, A Guide to Creating Head Start-School Partnerships and the SD Early Learning Guidelines Crosswalk Charts for aligning Head Start standards with the Common Core State Standards for kindergarten in English-Language Arts and Mathematics. A follow-up communication will take place to continue this work with additional kindergarten teachers in RCAS.

Pre-school to Elementary Transition Process

Beginning this year, all elementary schools in RCAS have an all day kindergarten program. In addition, The RCAS provides services from birth to age five for children eligible for special education and related services. A child-find procedure has been established to identify qualifying children. Children eligible for special education and related services are placed in early intervention programs. The purpose of the early intervention setting is to assist three to five year-old students eligible for special education and related services. Pre-school services are open to typically developing children as space is available. Five early intervention programs are located in four elementary schools. Two early intervention programs are at General Beadle Elementary, one at Meadowbrook Elementary, and one at Robbinsdale Elementary. There are two communication preschool programs located at Rapid Valley Elementary, assisting three to five year-olds in speech and language development.

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Head Start students visit kindergarten classrooms each spring. Small group sessions are held for kindergarten students during the first week of school. Private preschools are also invited to visit kindergarten classrooms. A kindergarten open house may be held before school starts to assist with the transition process. Kindergarten parents are targeted to attend parenting classes. Kindergarten screening is done in the spring, through coordination and communication with the RCAS Screening Team.

The District also employs an Early Intervention Teacher and Speech/Language Pathologists that work in all of the Rapid City Head Start Facilities. Other related services including Occupational and Physical Therapy are provided to eligible children. The District also works with all Rapid City Head Start facilities in implementing a “Response to Intervention” model that assists all of the children that attend.

Students who are no longer eligible for special education can receive transition support from the building level Intervention Strategist whose role is to provide differentiated instruction. In addition, special education students transitioning from one level to another (elementary level to middle school level; middle school level to high school level) attend a spring IEP or IEP addendum meeting at the receiving school. The student and parents have the opportunity to meet teachers, administrators, and to tour the building. Special education staff receives training to support transitioning. Examples of this include a presentation about the Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scale (a transition assessment tool) and the Transitions Outcomes Project Training. Post high school special education transitions are addressed through the IEP process. Included in these IEP discussions are the opportunities for job shadowing, visits from outside agencies, experience based career exploration, vocational opportunities, and independent living.

Elementary to Middle School Transition Process

Each spring, administrators from the district’s middle schools assist with transitioning of fifth grade students from elementary school to middle school. Registration is conducted at this time and student questions are answered. The fifth graders may also take a field trip to the middle school, so that they have a better understanding of the school setting and what to expect as middle school students. All five middle schools have moved the traditional fall open house to the week prior to school starting to familiarize parents and students with teachers and schedules.

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8.) Opportunities and expectations for teachers to be included in the decision making related to the use of academic assessment results leading to the improvement of student achievement

In a PLC, educators engage in specific tasks, which are in direct alignment with the Board of Education’s threemain goals. During team meetings, educators focus on the critical questions of learning and engage in thefollowing topics:

Identify and clarify the essential learning outcomes/power standards of each subject, grade, or course Develop common formative assessments designed to monitor the learning of each student. Collaboratively analyze and use the results of common assessments to do the following: Share and identify powerful instructional strategies, Improve individual practice Build the team’s capacity to achieve its goals, and Intervene on behalf of individual students.

The following are indicators of progress that will be monitored regarding the priority of building sharedbackground and knowledge regarding specific PLC concepts:

Principals will be able to articulate and provide artifacts of how they have built shared background and knowledge regarding specific PLC principles, practices, concepts at their buildings.

Principals and teachers/staff will be able to express the why, how, and what of PLC principles, practices, and concepts, and articulate the four critical questions and their interconnectedness.

The following processes will monitor the progress toward the priority of building shared background andknowledge regarding PLC concepts.

district-wide initial/end-of-year assessment that measures understanding of PLC concepts, building-level feedback/rubrics completed by staff, exit slips written feedback that indicate understanding.

The collaborative team is the basic structure of a PLC and the engine that drives continuous improvement. Ina PLC, collaboration is a systematic process in which teachers work together interdependently in order toimpact their classroom practice in ways that ensure students learn. The learning target for all RCAS staff isto gain a clear understanding of the power of collaborative teams and why the school is organizing into

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teams, who is involved in PLC teams and how team membership is determined, when teams engage in PLCwork, and most important, what the collaborative teams are expected to accomplish.

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9.) Monitoring & Support

Students at South Park Elementary who exhibit academic or behavior difficulties receive effective and timely assistance through the RTI (Response to Intervention) model. The assessments used to determine academic progress for individual students include the following:

Curriculum based measurements (CBMs) of oral fluency Text reading levels and Benchmarking Concepts about print (CAP) Running Records Letter ID Observation surveys Writing checklists Counting assessment Investigations Unit Assessments District Math Assessment (TBD)

Response to Intervention, RTI is a data-driven process through which individual student need is matched with a commensurate level of research-based support. We provide the level of research-based support that each student needs to be successful.We know how much support the student needs based on our benchmark and progress monitoring data and we make decisions based on those data. This revised version of RTI is used in all RCAS school K-5th grades.

Rti addresses the first three of the four critical questions of our PLC process.1. What do we want students to learn? Tier 1 includes State Standards, District Standards, Common Core State Standards,

School adopted curricula in Balanced Literacy (Writer’s Workshop, Reader’s Workshop and Word Study) and Inquiry Mathematics.

2. How will we know if students are learning? Rti addresses this question in Tiers I and II. Tier I benchmarks data allow us to know which students are advanced, proficient, basic and below basic. This tells us how well our students are learning in Tier I. Tier II progress monitoring data allow us to know how well our students are learning/progressing at Tier II. This is how we know if our students are learning.

3. How will we respond when students do not learn? RTI address this critical Question throughout the Tiers. The RCAS Rti matrix addresses how we will respond when students experience difficulty learning. Please refer to the RCAS District Rti matrix for Literacy, Mathematics and Behavioral/Emotional components of the Rti process.

If a student does not meet special education eligibility criteria for the state of South Dakota, Tier I and Tier II interventions will continue to support student progress. The Intervention Strategist offers support for these students in reading and math.Students at South Park receive more instructional time by utilizing the literacy staff. By adding a second teacher during the literacy time, two certified, trained teachers are working with students during guided reading.All teachers receive training every fall with RTI. We go over new forms and new information that we have received from the state and from

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the district special education office. These are done by our Intervention Strategist.The following communication forms are used for parents of South Park students: RTI meetings, Friday folders, conferences, phone calls, the district website and South Park’s web site. Parents are invited and encouraged to come to all meetings that concern their children.RCAS has also created a LITERACY IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE FOR RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION, which is a guide for our intervention strategists to use at this time. In the future it will be used by all teachers at South Park. RCAS has also created a MATH IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE FOR RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION, which will be used in the same manner.

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10.) Fiscal Resources

South Park’s School Improvement plan is supported by District, State and Federal funds. Our school receives General Fund, Special Education and Title I dollars to hire staff members to carry out our programming. We have a total of 35 (full or part time) certified staff members funded from these areas.

Our Title I funds are allocated through our district's Director of Federal Programs based on our population of students on free and reduced lunches. We determine a budget utilizing these dollars to fund teaching and paraprofessional positions, staff development, and purchasing instructional materials in the areas of literacy and numeracy.

South Park Elementary goes beyond the 10% set aside funds for professional development. One math leader, literacy staff member and two Reading Recovery teachers are paid out of Title I monies at South Park. These instructors serve as coaches and professional developers for all of our teachers, providing on the job coaching in the classrooms and after school sessions with individuals and/or small groups in the inquiry-based approach to teaching math. Inquiry mathematics is a research based approach that is effective for all students. In addition to these two salaries, $20/hour additional pay is provided from our Title I funds to provide substitutes when grade level teachers meet 1-2 times a year to review standards work and assessment data in literacy and math. Substitutes are provided so teachers can collaborate and work together.

The district has assisted South Park by purchasing new Inquiry Based Math materials. This is our 10th year of implementing this curriculum. RCAS offers math classes throughout the school year which teachers have the opportunity to take.

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South Park Elementary 2014-2015

PLC Plan

Priority #1: Principals will build shared background and knowledge of specific PLC principles, practices, concepts, and vocabulary (the why, how, and what of a PLC), with an emphasis on the four critical questions and how they interconnect and support each other.

PRIORITY #1KEY POINTS

“THE TIGHT” FORPRIORITY #1

STRATEGIES/TIMELINE TO MEET PRIORITY #1

INDICATORS OF PROGRESS MONITORING PROCESS

What are the key points about this priority that all staff will know and be able to do?

Implementation Guide p. 5-8

What key actions will principals take regarding this priority?

Leadership Guide p. 4

What strategies/timeline will be usedto meet these priorities?

Leadership Guide p. 5-6

What indicators will determine progress toward this priority (for both principals and staff)?

Leadership Guide p. 6

What process will be used to monitor progress toward this priority (for both principals and staff)?Leadership Guide p. 6

WHY,WHO,WHEN, WHAT, HOW of the PLC process.

Unpacking Standard Writing a meaningful

CFA Complete Cycles of Data

Analysis on an ongoing basis 2014-2015 SY in literacy and numeracy.

Staff will understand the power of working in collaborative teams to successfully identify power standards, unpack the standard into Learning Targets, write a meaningful Common Formative Assessment for a pre/post test and then select instructional strategies at the level of the students in order to improve their achievement levels in answering the 4 questions.

Principal will provide training from the PLC building team. (See Priority #2)

Principal will oversee all facets of the cycles of Data Teams/PLC’s.

I will closely monitor the groups on early release Wednesdays

I will assign literacy and math leaders and the intervention strategist to grade level groups in order to assist them in the work identified in the first column.

I will offer assistance to new teachers as we lead them through this Data Team process.

I will provide opportunities for grade levels to articulate with the grade level above them and the grade level below them.

Early Release Wednesdays from 1:45-3:30, grade level groups will meet in assigned rooms.

Teachers will be given time to create CFA’s and implement strategies, usually in cycles of 2-4 weeks.

Staff working collaboratively in order to increase student achievement.

Focus on the learning target

Ability to write an effective and efficient CFA.

Teachers will fill out a form for each early release Wednesday, and identify the PLC work they are focusing on.

Results of Pre/Post Test of CFA after Instructional Strategies have been implemented for each group of students: proficient, close, far, and those needing intense intervention.

We will want to see growth in the students who were proficient at the start of the cycle as well.

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South Park Elementary School 2014-2015

PLC Plan

Priority #2: Principals will take key leadership actions to successfully launch collaborative group work.

PRIORITY #2KEY POINTS

“THE TIGHT” FORPRIORITY #2

STRATEGIES/TIMELINE TO MEET PRIORITY #2

INDICATORS OF PROGRESS

MONITORING PROCESS

What are the key points about this priority that all staff will know and be able to do?

Implementation Guide p. 9-11

What key actions are expected regarding this priority?

Leadership Guide p. 7-8

What strategies/timeline will be usedto meet this priority?

Leadership Guide p. 8-9

What indicators will determine progress toward this priority (for both principals and staff)?

Leadership Guide p. 9

What process will be used to monitor progress toward this priority (for both principals and staff)?Leadership Guide p. 9

WHY,WHO,WHEN, WHAT, HOW of the PLC process.

Unpacking Standards

Writing a meaningful CFACommon Formative Assessment

Complete Cycles of Data Analysis on an ongoing basis 2014-2015 SY in literacy and numeracy.

Building PLC leadership team will present to grade level groups on the Key Points during Early Release Wednesdays in September and October of 2014.

Grade Level Teams will meet on early release Wednesdays and continue cycle of unpacking power standards into learning targets and writing CFA’s to PRE/POST test students.

Early Release Wednesdays from 1:45-3:30, grade level groups will meet in assigned rooms. Principal provides the time and space and oversees all collaborative groups.

Guided practice and a template that is provided as all members of a team unpack a standard in reading and one in numeracy and then share with their grade level.

Guided Instruction in writing competent CFA’s.

Continued work of Data Teams (grade levels) in cycles of 2-4 weeks throughout the school year 2014-2015.

Principal and Grade Level Groups will increase our ability to write a CFA and Rubric that will be effective in raising student achievement in literacy and numeracy.

Success in developing a learning target using DOK for standards that grade level determines important.

Ease in developing and implementing CFA’s on identified power standards in literacy and math.

Ability to implement more than one cycle at a time (One in literacy and one in numeracy) if applicable for the grade level.

Results of Pre/Post Test of CFA after Instructional Strategies have been implemented for each group of students: those already proficient, those that are close, those that are far, but we think will get there, and those needing intense intervention, who may not achieve proficiency at this time, but will gain achievement.

Ability of students to understand the learning target and apply it to their learning.

Collection of excellent CFA’s in numeracy and literacy that will be used and revised annually.

PLC documentation will be handed in as grade level teams complete a learning cycle ending with a Protocol sheet for further action that may be needed.

Reading School Improvement Planning Guide26

South Park Elementary Year 2014 – 2015

DATA USED TO DETERMINE NEED

CONTENT AREASIN READING AND

MATH

TARGET STANDARDS SPECIFIC STRATEGIES TO MEET GOALS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT GOALS

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS

EVALUATION OF PROGRESS TOWARD

SCHOOL GOAL

Data relevant to the goal from assessment sources

Fluency, comprehension with nonfiction, statistics, and algebra are examples of content goals.

Standards/Indicators summarized by grade levels

Include strategies involving staff and parents.

Include professional development and educational opportunities involving staff and parents.

How will you monitor student learning so that instructional adjustments can be made?

How and when will you assess the progress of your plan?(Pause – Analyze – Adjust)

Assessment data reflects trends of below grade level performance in fluency for 4th and 5th grade students.

Other Rationale:1. 1. There is a strong

correlation between fluency rates and how students will perform on the DSTEP test

2. 2. Teacher observation of student fluency progress throughout the 2014-15 school year

Reading FluencyComprehension

Students can comprehend and fluently read text.

Building Strategies:Balanced Literacy Framework:Fluency mini-lessonsGR fluency focus lessonsFlexible fluency groupingsShared ReadingOne on one fluency instructionGrade Level Strategies:*Keep a focus on nonfiction text during instructionIncorporate library/research reportsParent Involvement:Inform parents of building goal and refer them to the section of the Parent Guide on helping students at home with fluency development.Give parents a detailed explanation of what fluency is and what to look for in their child’s reading to build awareness. Parent literacy night will be held to educate parents on the parts of fluency and how to help their child become a fluent readerEssential standards

Weekly grade level meeting with literacy buddies are held to discuss areas of need. Next steps and plans are discussed and put into placeData chatsGo over relevant sections of Parent Guide at conferences.Math/literacy night

Resources:District Reader’s Theater scripts available for student use.Supplemental texts that address specific fluency activities and strategies are available for staff.Reader’s theater scripts are available in the literacy library for all staff.Library Media SpecialistBook studies

1. District CBM benchmarking: Fall, Winter, Spring2. Classroom Fluency Rubric - ongoing during small group instruction and used for trimester reporting and conferencing3. Running Records.

Resources:District CBM assessments

Fluency rubric used from teachers guide to reporting standards

Data chats will be held by grade level after the school winter assessment reporting period.Literacy staff, classroom teachers and support staff will chart student progress, analyze results, and implement interventions, adjust instructional strategies and provide additional support where needed.

Math School Improvement Planning Guide27

South Park Elementary Year 2014 – 2015DATA USED TO

DETERMINE NEEDCONTENT

AREASIN READING AND

MATH

TARGET STANDARDS SPECIFIC STRATEGIES TO MEET GOALS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT GOALS

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS

EVALUATION OF PROGRESS TOWARD SCHOOL GOAL

Data relevant to school assessment.

Fluency, comprehension with nonfiction, statistics, and algebra are examples of content goals.

Standards/Indicators summarized by grade levels

Include strategies involving staff and parents. Include professional development and educational opportunities involving staff and parents.

How will you monitor student learning so that instructional adjustments can be made?

How and when will you assess the progress of your plan?(Pause – Analyze – Adjust)

Data from standards-based report cards for the standards of concern (In September, use data from the previous year)

Balanced Assessments in Mathematics identified in our plan.

Use additional 30 minute math period each day for needed practice and goal work(number talks) We have asked parents (fridge magnets) to commit to up to 10 or more math games or math activities per week to work with students at home (game folders)

Learning Targets and Criteria for success posted and implemented in each grade.

Associate verbal names, written word names, and standard numerals with whole numbers

Provide opportunities for students to read write and compare numbers within each grade.

Be able to count forwards and backwards from any given number to 100.

Say the forward skip counting sequences in the range of 0 -100 for two, fives and tens.

Use words, models, and expanded notation to write numbers as tens and ones to 100.

Fully implementing Common Core Standards in all grade levels.

In addition for 3-5 students:

Read and write word names and the appropriate symbols in mathematical sentences.

Use expanded notation

Use formative assessments to help individualized game folders for each student. Math leader along with classroom teacher will find and develop materials for game folder

Use precise mathematical vocabulary

Double dipping students with support staff based on identified areas of need

During the first trimester review DOE unpacked standards for each target standard. Examine supporting standards from previous grades levels.During the first trimester, each grade level team will study their data unit from Investigations to plan for ongoing instruction in number sense.Teachers create assessments for use at each grade level to clarify the intended learning. These will include basic, proficient, and advanced questions.With the assistance of math leaders, provide opportunities to increase teacher content knowledgeShare definitions and learning strategies with parents

Plan and focus fall family math night focusing on familiarizing parents on

common core standards and the mathematical goal for Number sense.

(N.1.1 standard)

District staff development supporting goals supported by title I funds.

AVMR staffUsing a team approach to assess kids

within grade levels. Discussing the assessments as a team and make a

group decision on the next steps needed for student progress.

At the end of each trimester

use report card benchmarks to summarize student progress

classroom results of teacher made assessments

embedded assessments from Investigations

Intentional observations

One on one conferencing

AVMR assessments

Beginning each new trimester and at the end of the year, grade level teams will assess the level of progress for their students.

Data to consider includes

current report card data

teacher-made assessment data

periodic curriculum materials assessment data

Questions to consider include:

What strategies are working?

What needs to be done next?

Which group of students needs additional assistance?

These discussions of data will be followed by a building level planning time for identifying additional strategies and interventions needed. All staff members will be present to assess progress and plan for next steps in all curriculum areas.

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HELPING YOUR CHILD LEARN

A Survey for Parents

Explaining the curriculum

Yes No

1. Do you understand what your child is learning and how he or she is being taught?

2. Has the curriculum been explained adequately to you grade by grade, either by a person or through written materials?

3. Have you received an orientation or materials explaining educational programs? (For example: Title 1, Special or talented/gifted education…)

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4. Do you have enough ideas and information about what your child is doing in school and how you can help at home?

5. Do you feel well-informed about important dates, activities, and events?

6. Do you read the school newsletter?

Student Assessment

Yes No

7. Do you feel informed about the school’s goals for student achievement?

8. Do you feel fully informed about your child’s academic performance?

9. Are report cards and grades explained to you?

10. Do you have an opportunity to discuss how to improve your child’s performance privately with teachers?

11. Are the results of standardized test for your child and the whole class, clearly explained to you?

Parents and Teachers Together

Yes No

12. Do you feel comfortable contacting your child’s teachers with questions and concerns?

13. Do you hear from your child’s teachers if your child is doing something well?

14. Are you notified right away if your child has difficulties at school or falls behind?

15. Would you attend a school-sponsored social event for parents and teachers to get to know each other?

16. Would you attend a workshop on how parents and teachers can work together to help your child learn?

School Climate

Yes No

17. Do you feel welcome in your child’s school building?

18. Do you feel welcome to visit or observe your child’s classroom?

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19. Have you ever been invited to volunteer in the school or with school activities?

For Working or Single Parents

Yes No

20. Would you use child care during meetings and at other school events?

21. Are you willing to be reached at work or in the evening to discuss your child’s academic progress?

RAPID CITY AREA SCHOOLS TITLE I PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY (Per Section 1118 of ESEA) Welcome to Rapid City Area Schools! We believe that the successful education of our students is based upon a genuine partnership with our parents and community. We look forward to working with you! The Title I schools in the Rapid City Area School District are: Canyon Lake Elementary School 394-1817 General Beadle Elementary School 394-1841 Horace Mann Elementary School 394-1847 Knollwood Elementary School 394-1851 Rapid Valley Elementary School 393-2221 Robbinsdale Elementary School 394-1825 South Park Elementary School 394-1833 Valley View Elementary School 393-2812 North Middle School 394-4042 The following outlines our procedures based upon the guidelines from the Solid Foundation organization: Development of Parent Involvement Policy

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Rapid City Area Schools (RCAS) will conduct an annual spring meeting with the Title I Parent Advisory Board to review the District Parent Involvement Policy, discuss program plan, implementation, and suggestions. The Title I Parent Advisory Board will provide guidance on how funds set aside for parent involvement activities shall be used. Rapid City Area Schools (RCAS) will apply funds for family involvement.

District Support to Build Capacity for Strong Parent Involvement The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment, and the Parent Information Resource Center will help provide coordination of district activities to build capacity for parent involvement in schools. The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment, and the Parent Information Resource Center will help provide technical assistance to schools in building capacity for strong parent involvement. The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment, and the Parent Information Resource Center with the assistance of parents, will help educate staff in the value of the contribution of parents; how to reach out to, communicate with,

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and work with parents as equal partners; implementing and coordinating parent programs; and building ties between parents and the school.

Coordination of Parent Involvement Activities with Other District Programs The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment, the Parent Information Resource Center and Title I principals will help coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with other district and community programs. The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment, the Parent Information Resource Center and Title I principals will help provide materials and training to for parents to work with their children to improve their children's academic achievement, such as literacy training, workshops, and technology.

Student Learning The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment, the Parent Information Resource Center and Title I principals will coordinate and integrate parent involvement strategies with other educational programs in the district to improve academic quality of schools. The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment, the Parent Information Resource Center and Title I principals, with the assistance of parents, will work to identify and address barriers to greater participation by parents of diverse backgrounds. The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment, the Parent Information Resource Center and Title I principals will work to develop written materials and training for staff to help parents work with students to improve student achievement.

School-based Parent Involvement Activities The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment, the Parent Information Resource Center and Title I principals will work to encourage parents to become involved in activities offered by the school in an ongoing manner.

Method of Communicating with Parents The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment, the Parent Information Resource Center and Title I principals, to the extent practicable, will provide all information to parents in a format and language that the parents can understand.

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The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment, the Parent Information Resource Center and Title I principals will work to ensure that parents are given notification in a timely manner.

Annual Evaluation The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment, the Parent Information Resource Center and Title I principals, with the involvement of parents, will conduct an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the Title I Parent Involvement policy. The annual evaluation will consider measures of student achievement and school performance. The annual evaluation will specifically address barriers to greater participation of parents of diverse backgrounds in activities authorized by law. The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment, the Parent Information Resource Center and Title I principals will use the findings to design strategies for more effective parent involvement and to revise, if necessary, the policy. The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment, the Parent Information Resource Center and Title I principals will provide other reasonable support to parents as requested.

Ensure Development of the School's Parent Involvement Policy The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment and Title I principals will ensure the development and distribution to parents of the policy that reflects input from parents of students at the school. The RCAS Office of Federal Programs, Grants and Assessment and Title I principals will include a compact that outlines how parents and school staff will share responsibility of improved student academic achievement and describes the means by which the school and parents will build and develop partnerships to help students.

This policy was revised as a result of input from members of the RCAS Title I Parent Advisory Board Meeting on April 10, 2014. “The evidence is consistent, positive and convincing: families have a major influence on their children’s achievement. When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more.” The Family and Community Engagement Task Force Report to the Boston School Committee (June 23, 2000)

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