School Improvement Plan - Montgomery County Public...

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School Improvement Plan

Rosemont Elementary

Gaithersburg Cluster

Date Submitted: October 1st, 2008

Montgomery County Public Schools

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School Name: Rosemont Elementary School Date: October 1, 2008 On the lines below, please record the dates that your school improvement team will be meeting during the 2008 - 2009 school year. June 17, 2008

October 2, 2008

January 6, 2009

April 15, 2009

June 22, 2009

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School Name: Date:

School Improvement Team Information Principal: ______________________________________________________________ All members of the School Improvement Team who worked on the plan must complete the sign in sheet. Their signatures verify that they were active members on the team. The School Improvement Team leads the school community in making the school a positive place in which teaching and learning thrive. The team should be representative of the school community and work closely with school administrators to develop a comprehensive plan for school improvement.

Print Name Signature Position Staff (required): James Sweeney Principal Juanita Alvarez Assistant Principal Sharon Schaffer Staff Development Teacher Sara Santini Math Content Coach Kathleen Johnson Reading Specialist/Coach Julia Meyers Gifted and Talented Teacher Alice Lassiter ESOL Teacher Ann Sprague Special Education Teacher Anita Shapiro Title I Instructional Specialist Kristy Permisohn Kindergarten Team Leader Laura Finley 1st Grade Team Leader Tracie Barney 2nd Grade Team Leader Brittany Fries 3rd Grade Team Leader Lori Russell 4th Grade Team Leader Mark Wallis 5th Grade Team Leader Melaika Brown Elected Faculty Representative Merita Pinckney Special Education Paraeducator Mary Burgess Paraeducator/Media Assistant

Parents (required): Jane Rice PTA President Lara Tucker Parent

Others (Students, Business/Community Members):

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Baldrige Category Schoolwide Program Components

Page

Leadership Mission/Vision

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Organizational Performance Results Goals and Objectives

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Student and Stakeholder Focus Comprehensive Needs Assessment

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Faculty and Staff Focus Instruction by Highly Qualified Teachers Ongoing Professional Development Strategies to Attract Highly Qualified

Candidates

18-19 20-22 18-19

Strategic Planning Schoolwide Reform Strategies Activities to Ensure that Under Performing

Students Reach Proficient or Advanced Plans for Assisting Pre-School Children in the

Transition to Local Elementary School Increased Parent Involvement Implementation

Plan Coordination and Integration of Federal, State,

and Local Funds

49-52

23-26, 27-28

53

35-46

47-49

Process Management Monitoring SIP goals

5, 23-28

Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management

Measures to Include Teachers in the Decisions Regarding the Use of Academic Assessments

54

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PROCESS MANAGEMENT

SIT Meetings (quarterly) CORE Meetings (weekly) Grade level planning meetings (weekly) Data meetings (monthly) CAP meetings (bi-weekly) Parent Involvement committee meetings (monthly) Grade level newsletters (monthly) GT Committee meetings (monthly) Examining Student Work Committee (regularly)

MEASUREMENT, ANALYSIS, AND KNOWLEDGE

MANAGEMENT

Unit assessments (math) Teacher observations and

anecdotal notes Common tasks (math) MAP-R DIBELS/Progress

Monitoring Theme Tests/Selection Tests Exit cards, quizzes and other

formative measures Feedback from Walk-

Throughs and peer visits CAP Team referrals

followed by appropriate action plans (interventions)

Individual student action plans for targeted students.

STUDENT AND STAKEHOLDER FOCUS

Based on a review of MSA subgroup data from the Spring of 2007 the immediate areas of need are:

o Students receiving special education in reading and math

o African American students in math o Limited English Proficient students in

reading. For a more in-depth analysis see needs assessment on page xx.

FACULTY AND STAFF FOCUS Professional development time for

teachers and paraprofessionals Periodic team meetings to analyze disaggregated

data. Regular trainings with the core team to increase

knowledge of MCPS and Rosemont databases Collaborative scoring of student work For continuous improvement, staff will evaluate

meetings and trainings Fall and spring staff collaboration on GT selection

process. Monthly GT committee meetings to monitor

academic performance of GT identified students and disseminate information about gifted education.

Inclusion teachers and special education teachers will meet regularly to monitor data and plan instruction.

Train staff on developing cultural competency Recommend training opportunities that would

increase teacher capacity in delivery of instruction.

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LEADERSHIP

VISION STATEMENT: Rosemont will be a multicultural community of respectful and successful students, with supportive families and dedicated staff. MISSION STATEMENT: Rosemont’s mission is to embrace our diverse community in order to promote a comprehensive academic program, as well as social and emotional growth of our students. Gather stakeholder input in order to develop a revised school vision/mission statement. The SIT will meet quarterly to facilitate the consistent implementation and monitoring of

the SIP and to address building concerns. The core team will meet regularly and discuss current projects and issues relating to the

continuous improvement of our school. Monthly parent involvement meetings to discuss school related issues and concerns.

STRATEGIC PLANNING Our goal is to support all student subgroups in developing skills that will assist them in becoming mathematically proficient and fluent strategic readers. By June 2009, students at Rosemont ES will demonstrate increased academic achievement as measured by meeting and exceeding MSA standards for all students (74.2 % in math and 76.5 % in reading) A detailed action plan is found on page xx.

PERFORMANCE RESULTS Rosemont Elementary uses the

following summative assessments to measure student performance:

MSA Terra Nova 2 MAP-R SAT-10 End of year math unit reports DIBELS * See detailed needs assessment on page xx for additional details including trend data.

ESSENTIAL LINKAGE CHART

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LEADERSHIP VISION STATEMENT: Rosemont will be a multicultural community of respectful and successful students, with supportive families and dedicated staff MISSION STATEMENT: Rosemont’s mission is to embrace our diverse community in order to promote a comprehensive academic program, as well as social and emotional growth of our students WE BELIEVE: All children have the right to an excellent education All staff contribute to the success of our school Children learn best in a safe, caring environment, one that values diversity, collaboration and risk-taking Direct instruction of students helps to increase student achievement All children have the ability to learn Children thrive when expectations are high Everyone is to be treated with respect In assisting students to make “good choices” in all aspects of learning and behavior That parents are always welcomed and their concerns valued All children are unique and have their own style of learning All children should be given the equal opportunity to excel In meeting individual needs That our SIP is a cooperative effort and a guiding force In using the PDSA model for continuous improvement

In order to be inclusive and engage a cross section of our stakeholders in the vision, the mission and the implementation of our School Improvement Plan we do the following: Prominently place our vision and mission in each Principal’s newsletter Display our vision and mission statements throughout the school Disseminate information from the Leadership Team meetings to all staff on t he private folder via our

Elected Faculty Representative The SIT which meets on a regular basis is comprised of staff members, community, and parents. In addition to the SIT meetings there will be a school retreat in May

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Organizational Performance Results Activities that will be used to ensure that students having difficulty mastering the proficient or advanced levels of academic achievement standards shall be provided with effective, timely, and additional assistance. Long -Range Goal By Spring, 2009, Rosemont Elementary School will achieve the annual measurable objective (AMO) on the Maryland State Assessment (MSA), as defined by MSDE, by meeting the annual measurable objectives set in reading and in mathematics for students in the aggregate, and for each student subgroup (African American, American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, White students with limited English proficiency, students receiving special education services, and economically disadvantaged students). School Objective Rosemont Elementary School will meet the Maryland State Assessment (MSA) 2008 Annual Measurable Objectives:

76.5 % of all students and of the eight subgroups will demonstrate proficient or advanced performance on reading on the MSA.

74.2 % of all students and of the eight subgroups will demonstrate proficient or advanced performance on math on the MSA.

100% of students enrolled in accelerated math will demonstrate advanced performance on the MSA

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Student and Stakeholder Focus

Needs Assessment Process Rosemont is a Title I school with 476 students in grades PreK-5. The demographic breakdown of student subgroups are as follows:

10.8 % Asian 23.7% African American 46.7% Hispanic 18.3% White 25% ESOL 8.3% Special Education 50% FARMS

In order to address the varying needs of students at Rosemont, it is essential that the student data be reviewed and analyzed to meet the instructional needs of all students. Prior to the SIT meeting held in June, the staff development teacher collected anecdotal feedback from staff and parents. The data was analyzed by the CORE team in preparation for the June SIT meeting. The School Improvement Team met in June to review these items and to prioritize areas for improvement. At the June meeting, the SIT examined results from the 2008 scores on the MSA. This is included below as well as data from the Terra Nova 2, DIBELS, math unit assessments, MAP-R, and SAT 10.

MSA Data Findings The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) set the 2009 annual measurable objective (AMO) for all K-5 schools in the state at 76.5 % for reading and 74.2% for math. These disaggregated assessment scores, participation rate during testing, and attendance determined whether a school achieved adequate yearly progress (AYP). According to MSA scores released in August 2008, Rosemont Elementary School achieved AYP in all areas.

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LEP (7

0%)

All Stu

dent

s 85

%

Asian

90%

Africa

n Am

er 8

4%

White

94%

Hispa

nic

80%

Spec

Ed 77

%

FARM

S 67%

0%10%

20%30%40%50%

60%70%80%

90%100%

2008 MSA Reading

AMO 71.8

Based on the confidence interval set by MSDE, all subgroups fell within the band in the area of reading. All subgroups met the AMO in reading, with the exception of the Limited English Proficiency subgroup. In math, all subgroups met the AMO, with the exception of the Limited English Proficiency. When the data was examined in reading, the following disparities were found:

The overall aggregated performance of students in grades 3, 4, and 5 identified that 85% of students were proficient (a 1% decrease from 2007). However, when grade levels were disaggregated 78.7% of 3rd graders, 93.7% of 4th graders, and 87.8% of 5th were proficient.

The number of American Indian students tested was less than 5%, consequently no scores were reported for this subgroup.

The African American subgroup had a combined aggregate of 84.1% of students scoring proficient or better, a slight increase from 2007. When disaggregated by grade level, 72.2% of 3rd grade, 93.7% of 4th grade students, and 81.8% of 5th grade students met proficiency.

The Asian subgroup was the second highest scoring with an aggregate of 90 % of students scoring proficient or better, an 11% increase from the previous year. When disaggregated by grade level, 72.7% of 3rd grade, and 100% of 4th grade students, met proficiency. The 5th grade group was too small to be examined as an individual grade level.

The Hispanic subgroup was the largest racial subgroup with 80 students taking the test. When disaggregated by grade level, 77.1% of 3rd grade, 84% of 4th grade students, and 85% of 5th grade students met proficiency.

The highest scoring subgroup was the white subgroup with an aggregate of 94.4% meeting proficiency.

Ninety eight students took the test that qualify for free or reduced meals, which makes the FARMS subgroup the largest subgroup in either the ethnicity or special populations subgroups. An aggregated total 77.6% of FARMS students met proficiency (a 4% decrease from 2007). When disaggregated by grade level, 65.9% of 3rd grade, 87.5% of 4th grade students, and 86.4% of 5th grade students met proficiency.

Students who receive special education services made dramatic gains from 2007 to 2008. Fourteen students took the test, with 76.5% meeting proficiency, an 11% increase from 2007 and a 25%

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increase from 2006. When disaggregated by grade level, 71.4% of 4th grade students and 100% of 5th grade students met proficiency. There were not enough 3rd grade special education students in the 3rd grade to examine that grade level data separately. It should be noted that 50% (3 students) of 5th grade special education students scored in the advanced.

Thirty-seven Limited English Proficient (LEP) students took the MSA. An aggregate of 69.5% of students met proficiency, a 10% decrease from the previous year. When disaggregated by grade level, 63.6% of 3rd grade students, 80% of 4th grade students, and 70% of 5th grade students met proficiency. More than half of the LEP students who took the test were in 3rd grade.

When the data was examined in math, the following disparities were found:

A total of 182 students in grades 3, 4, and 5 took the math portion of the MSA. The overall aggregated performance of students in grades 3, 4, and 5 identified that 79.8% of students were proficient (a 3% decrease from the pervious year). However, when grade levels were disaggregated 81.2% of 3rd graders, 82% of 4th graders, and 85.4% of 5th graders were proficient or advanced.

The number of American Indian students tested was less than 5%, consequently no scores were reported for this subgroup.

Forty five African American students in grades 3, 4, and 5 took the math portion of the MSA. Of these students, 71.1% were proficient or better. This was a 10% increase from the previous year. This subgroup has made a 55% increase over the last five years. The number of African American students taking the MSA has also substantially increased. They are now the second largest racial/ethnic subgroup at Rosemont. African American students have been and continue to be a subgroup being targeted for improvement at Rosemont. It should also be noted that this subgroup not only made adequate yearly progress, but made the AMO outright. When disaggregated by grade level, 85.3% of 3rd grade students, 62.5% of 4th grade students, and 72.7% of 5th grade students met proficiency.

The Asian subgroup had an aggregate of 85.7% meeting or exceeding proficiency, a 9% decrease from the previous year. 81.8% of 3rd and 87.5% of 4th grade students in this subgroup met proficiency. There were too few Asian students in the 5th grade to look at that grade level independently.

AMO 69.1

LEP (65%

)All

Studen

ts 8

0%

Asian

86%

Africa

n Am

er 7

1%

White

92%

Hispan

ic 7

7%

Spec E

d 82

%

FARMS 7

6%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2008 MSA Math

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The Hispanic subgroup, as with the reading portion of the MSA, had the largest number of students of any of the different ethnic groups taking the test with 80. 76.9% of the Hispanic students demonstrated proficiency, an 11% decrease from the previous year.

Thirty four White students took the MSA with 92.1 % meeting proficiency, a 5% increase from 2007. When broken down by grade level, 93.7% of 3rd grade students, 100% of 4th grade students, and 100% of 5th grade students met proficiency.

The largest subgroup taking the math portion of the MSA was students receiving free or reduced meals. Ninety eight students took the test. Of the ninety eight students, 81.6% were proficient. This represents a 1% increase in the number of proficient students from the previous year and a 48% increase over the past five years. When disaggregated by grade level 77.3% of 3rd grade students, 87.5% of 4th grade students, and 81.8% of 5th grade students met proficiency.

Thirty eight students identified as Limited English Proficient (LEP) took the math portion of the MSA. 68.4% demonstrated proficiency (mdk12.org). This demonstrates a 16% decrease from the previous year. When disaggregated by grade level 68.2% of 3rd grade students, 50% of 4th grade students, and 80% of 5th grade students demonstrated proficiency. This was the lowest performing subgroup.

Twenty-nine students receiving special education services took the MSA with 82.4% demonstrating proficiency. This subgroup made a 17% increase from the previous year and a 29% increase over the last two years. Additionally, this was the 6th year in a row this group has made gains. It should also be noted that five years ago in 2003, only one student (4.3%) met proficiency in math, which constitutes a 78% increase over the past five years. When disaggregated by grade level, 85.7% of 4th grade students and 83.3% of 5th grade students met proficiency. Too few 3rd grade students took the test for that grade level to be reported on separately.

MSA 2008 Reading* MSA 2008 Math* Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5

All Students 78.7 91.7 87.8 81.2 82 85.4Asian 72.7 100 81.8 87.5

African American 72.2 93.7 81.8 83.3 62.5 72.7White 93.7 100 100 93.7 100 100

Hispanic 77.1 84 85 74.3 84 85Special Ed 71.4 100 85.7 83.3

LEP 63.6 80 70 68.2 50 80FARMS 65.9 87.5 86.4 77.3 87.5 81.8

Students at Rosemont made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in all subgroups with the application of the confidence interval. Areas above shaded in dark gray indicate subgroups that achieved AYP but did not meet the Annual Measurable Objective (AMO in 2008), 71.8 % for reading and 69.1% for math. Areas in light gray indicate subgroups that would not meet the 2009 AMO of 76.5% in reading and 74.2% in math.

Findings After analyzing the MSA data, the School Improvement Team concluded that the LEP subgroup requires special attention and monitoring in math and reading to ensure that Rosemont makes its goal for achieving AMO in all subgroups this school year. Furthermore, the special efforts made last year to close the achievement gap for Hispanic and African American students are paying off, however these two groups continue to be of great importance to Rosemont and will continue to receive special attention. The African American students

* Indicates the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced.

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entering into grades three and five this year are particular strong. Although these groups have made tremendous progress over the past few years, it will be imperative that we continue to monitor these students throughout the course of the school year. LEP Students Rosemont currently has a total of 65 LEP students enrolled in grades 3, 4, and 5. Five of these students are exempt from the MSA because they have not been in the country for a year. Grade three has 22 LEP students, grade 4 has 19 LEP students, and grade 5 has ten LEP students. Rosemont needs 46 LEP students to score in the proficient or advanced range to meet the AMO of 76.5 % on the reading section of the MSA for 2008. Rosemont needs 45 LEP students to meet the AMO of 74.2% on the math section of the MSA for 2008. African American Students Rosemont currently has a total of 54 African American students enrolled in grades 3, 4, and 5. Two of those students are ESOL exempt, making the actual total of students 52. Third grade has 19 African American students, fourth grade has 17 African American students, and fifth grade has 16 African American students. Rosemont needs 40 African American students to score in the proficient or advanced range to meet the AMO of 76.5 % on the reading section of the MSA for 2008. Rosemont needs 38 African American students to meet the AMO of 74.2% on the math section of the MSA for 2008. According to the fall MAP-R, 23 of Rosemont’s African American students in grades 3-5 are considered to be at high to moderate risk of scoring basic on the MSA, this is down from 33 students in 2007.

Terra Nova II Data

51%54%

72%

49%

57%

68%63%

57%

76%

53%

44%

69% 68%

57%

67%

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

Read Lang Lang Mech Math Math Calc

2006

2007

2008

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Process Montgomery County Public Schools participated in the Terra Nova II for the first time in the spring of 2006, although in years past the county administered the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) which measures the same content areas. When individual student scores were released in the late spring of 2007, the principal discovered discrepancies in some of the individual scores. The principal and central office conducted an investigation and determined that one teacher did not properly administer the entire test, skipping seventeen questions in Part 1 of the assessment. Consequently, the reading and language portions of the Terra Nova II were invalidated for seventeen students. As a result, the 2007 results are not a reliable benchmark to use when judging progress over time, so results from 2006 were also included in the graph above. Findings The highest performing subgroup was the White students. They surpassed all students in all five academic areas. The lowest performing subgroup was the Special Education group. None of Special Education students scored at the 50th percentile or better on any of the subtests. However, there were only five students in this subgroup, which makes examining this subgroup’s performance somewhat questionable. ESOL (LEP)students were the second lowest scoring subgroup in all academic areas, a similar finding to the MSA. FARMS students were the third lowest scoring subgroup in reading language mechanics, and math. They were the second lowest scoring subgroup in the math computation subtest. Hispanic students comprise the largest subgroup at Rosemont. They were the third lowest scoring subgroup in language. African American students outscored the “all students” group in language and language mechanics. Overall, Rosemont made large gains in all subtests from 2006 to 2008 with the exception of math calculation.

72%68%

76%

69% 67%70% 70%

85%

60%

65%

91% 91% 91%

82%

46%

61%

68%

57%

75% 75% 75%

67%

75%

60%

50%

60%57%

53%56%

44%

56% 56%

61%

0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

91%

64%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Reading Language LangMech Math MathComp

All Students African American Asian Hispanic White FARMS ESOL SPED

2008 Terra Nova 2 Percentage of Students Scoring at or Above the 50th Percentile

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MAP-R Data Process Students at Rosemont in grades three, four, and five take the MAP-R reading assessment three times a year (Fall, Winter, and Spring). Students receive a Rausch Unit Scale Score (RIT) score based upon their performance. The test is a computerized test that measures students’ comprehension. Montgomery County Public Schools Office of Shared Accountability conducted a study in 2006 that shows a correlation between fall RIT scores and proficiency on the Maryland State Assessment (MSA). That data was used to identify at risk students to target for intervention. Individualized plans were developed for these students to address their specific learning needs.

48.75%

27.50%

22.50%

68.97%

18.97%

10.34%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2007 2008

3rd Grade Fall MAP-R

% Low Risk % Mod Risk % High Risk

3rd Grade In 2007, 80 students took the MAP-R in the fall and 9 students did not because they were exempt. In 2008, 58 students took the MAP-R and 4 did not because they were exempt. In 2007 a total of 18 students scored in the High Risk range, 22 in the Moderate Risk range, and 39 in the Low Risk range. In 2008 6 students scored in the High Risk range, 11 students scored in the Moderate Risk range, and 40 students scored in the Low Risk range. The graphs above reflect the precetages of students who scored in the different risk ranges. The "risk" is based on the liklihood that the student will score basic on the MSA. Therefore a student determined to be "High Risk" means that that student has a high risk of scoring Basic on the MSA. As the graph shows, 3rd grade stuedents in 2008 performed dsinificantly better in 2008 than they did in 2007, with almost 70% of students deemed to be at low risk compared with only 49% in 2007.

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48.44%

35.94%

15.63%

52.00%

30.67%

17.33%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2007 2008

4th Grade Fall MAP-R


4th Grade In 2007, 64 students took the MAP-R in the fall and 3 students did not because they were exempt. In 2008, 75 students took the MAP-R and 3 did not because they were exempt. In 2007 a total of 10 students scored in the High Risk range, 23 in the Moderate Risk range, and 31 in the Low Risk range. In 2008 13 students scored in the High Risk range, 23 students scored in the Moderate Risk range, and 39 students scored in the Low Risk range. The graphs above reflect the precetages of students who scored in the different risk ranges. The "risk" is based on the liklihood that the student will score basic on the MSA. Therefore a student determined to be "High Risk" means that that student has a high risk of scoring Basic on the MSA. There is no significant change in the performance of 4th grade students from 2007 to 2008.

5th Grade In 2007, 45 students took the MAP-R in the fall and 10 students did not because they were exempt. In 2008, 62 students took the MAP-R and one did not because she was exempt. In 2007 a total of 20 students scored in the High Risk range, 9 in the Moderate Risk range, and 16 in the Low Risk range. In 2008 16 students scored in the High Risk range, 21 students scored in the Moderate Risk range, and 25 students scored in the Low Risk range. The graphs above reflect the precetages of students who scored in the different risk ranges. The "risk" is based on the liklihood that the student will score basic on the MSA. Therefore a student determined to be "High Risk" means that that student has a high risk of scoring Basic on the MSA. As the graph shows, students in 5th grade in 2008 perfomed much better than 5th graders in 2007. In 2007 almost 45% of students were deemed to be high risk, in 2008 only 25% were deemed to be high risk, a 20% decrease.

35.56%

20.00%

44.44%

40.32%

33.87%

25.81%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2007 2008

5th Grade Fall MAP-R


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Percentge of Kindergarten Students Meeting DIBELS Benchmarks

26

58 56 60

44

45

2824 13

39

28

14 1927

17

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Sept 2004 (ISF) Sept 2005 (ISF) Sept 2006 (ISF) Sept 2007 (ISF) Sept 2008 (ISF)

Benchmark Strategic Intensive

Percentage of 3rd Grade Students Meeting DIBELS Benchmark

53

67 70

33

2021

81316

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Sept 2006 (ORF) Sept 2007 (ORF) Sept 2008 (ORF)


Percentage of 2nd Grade Students Meeting DIBELS Benchmark

15

6271

87

7038

22

20

7

1346

169 6

17

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Sept 2004 (NWF) Sept 2005 (NWF) Sept 2006 (NFW) Sept 2007 (NWF) Sept 2008 (NFW)


Percentage of First Grade Students Meeting DIBELS Benchmark

9

7282 84 88

23

1812 13 10

68

10 6 23

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Sept 2004 (PSF) Sept 2005 (PSF) Sept 2006 (PSF) Sept 2007 (PSF) Sept 2008 (PSF)


DIBELS Data DIBELS results for the current year are not yet available. This section will be updated for the December SIT meeting.

Process and Findings Rosemont Elementary is a Reading First school, consequently the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Success (DIBELS) assessment is given three times a year. The graphs show the progress students have made in the Reading First program over the past five years for grades K-2 and the last three years for 3rd grade. The DIBELS goal is for 85% of students to be in benchmark, 10% in strategic, and 5% in intensive. In September of 2004, only 9% of students entering into 1st grade were at benchmark, with 23% in strategic and 68% in intensive. After five years in the Reading First program, students entering 1st grade in 2008 are better prepared than ever, with 88% of students at benchmark, 10% in strategic, and 2% in intensive. Third grade students have also made significant gains. Two years ago, in 2006, only 53% of students were at benchmark, this year 70% of third grade students are at benchmark. Additionally, the number of students needing intensive intervention dropped from 16% in 2006 to 8% this year. Overall, each grade level has made significant progress since the inception of the Reading First program.

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Percentage of 5th Grade Students Enrolled in Math A

38%

29%

83%

32%

42%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

All Students African American Asian Hispanic White

Math A Students During the 2007-2008 school year, twenty students, or 37% of 5th graders were enrolled in Math A. Rosemont has been working to identify more students to take Math A and in keeping with the goals of MCPS, including more Hispanic and African American Students. This school year, there are 27 students enrolled in Math A (4 students are 3rd and 4th graders). Forty percent of 5th grade students are enrolled in Math A (a 3% increase from the previous year). A goal for Rosemont this year is to have all of the students enrolled in Math A, successfully complete Math A. Last year, only 35.3% of students enrolled in Math A successfully completed Math A.

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Faculty and Staff Focus INSTRUCTION BY HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS Highly Qualified Teachers Plan for Montgomery County Public Schools Date: July 1, 2008 School System Objective #1: To recruit, select, and retain highly qualified and certified teachers with a cadre of experiences that can address the diverse needs of the students enrolled in the Title I Schools.

Tasks Office(s) Responsible

Time Line

Task Review Dates

1. Recruit and hire a cadre of certified and highly qualified teachers for Title I Schools

Office of Human Resources/Department of Staffing

Continuous

Monthly

2. Strive to fill vacancies from a broad-based and diverse candidate pool that includes balance in terms of gender, ethnicity, and experience


August-June April

3. Evaluate the credentials of applicants with experiences related to the needs of the students and conduct interviews by asking questions related to the needs of the students. Work cooperatively with principals to select applicants with the skills set that addresses the needs of the students Allow Title I principals to review new candidate files prior to other principals.


November-April

Monthly; November-April

4. Monitor voluntary and involuntary transfers, substitute teachers and instructional assistant coverage for employee absences


April-June April-June

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Highly Qualified Teachers Plan for Montgomery County Public Schools Date: July 1, 2008 Continued – Page 2

Tasks Office(s) Responsible

Time Line Task Review Dates

5. Provide consulting teachers to each first-year teacher as part of a comprehensive teacher induction program.

Office of Organizational Development

August-June January and June

6. Assign a staff development teacher to all schools to ensure that staff are supported in job-embedded professional development linked to the school improvement process.

Office of Organizational Development

August-June January and June

7. Provide job-embedded professional development linked to the School Improvement Plan

Office of Organizational Development, Department of Curriculum and Instruction

October-April

January-May

8. Provide best practices training for gifted and talented teachers

Office of Organizational Development, Enriched and Innovative Instruction, Academic Support-Federal and State Programs

August - May

September, November, January, and March

9. Introductory Maryland Institute for Beginning Readers for teachers new to Reading First to provide an overview of the program and an introduction to scientifically based reading research

Reading First Project Supervisor

August September

10. Conduct school based training in reading and math for teachers new to Rosemont who did not have the benefit of similar training done in prior years

SDT MCC Reading Coach

October - November

November

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Staff Development Plan for Rosemont Elementary School Date: October 1, 2008

Objective Number

Training Topic Audience Presenter(s) Date(s) Budget Categories (Check categories

needed.) 1

Maryland Institute of Beginning Reading

Classroom teachers, other staff K-3) and administrators

Trained MSDE personnel

June 24 and 25

___Substitutes ___Stipends _X_ Per Diem _X MCPS trainer _X_MSDE trainer

1

National Reading First conference, Nashville, TN

Reading Coach Principal

Various practitioners from across the country and from Regional Centers

July

_X_Out-of-state travel (paid for by Reading First

1,2 Cultural Competency – Equity in the Classroom

All Professional staff

Staff Development Teacher, Principal, Title I Specialist, Paraeducator

August - May

___Substitutes ___Stipends __ Per Diem _ MCPS trainer __MSDE trainer

1, 2 Professional development focusing on: Integrating MCPS Writing

Curriculum into Houghton Mifflin Comprehension components How to effectively use data from

monitoring tools to plan instruction Math Enrichment/Acceleration Using FileMaker Pro 9 and Excel to

collect and analyze student data

Grades K - 5 Reading Specialist, Reading Coach, Math Content Coach SDT

September - May _X_ Substitutes

BCR Instruction and Instructional implications of TRC

Grades K-3 Classroom teachers, ESOL and SpED

- Reading Coach - SDT

September _X_ Substitutes

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Objective Number

Training Topic Audience Presenter(s) Date(s) Budget Categories (Check categories

needed.) 1

During the school year teachers of K-3 will meet with Michael Hunter to debrief on his observations during instruction

Classroom and intervention teachers (K-3)

Michael Hunter Fall 2008 Spring 2009

_X Substitutes __ Stipends _ _Per Diem __ MCPS trainer _ MSDE trainer _X_Outside consultant ___Materials ___Equipment ___Conference fees

1 Using Junior Great Books in the Literacy Block

-Select classroom teachers doing enrichment intervention - Select classroom teachers implementing the new Jr. Great Books Initiative (4/5)

MCPS staff Fall 2008 _X Substitutes __ Stipends _ _Per Diem __ MCPS trainer _ MSDE trainer _ Outside consultant ___Materials ___Equipment ___Conference fees

1 Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (Modules 1-3)

Select teachers of grades K-3, ESOL and SpEd

Dr. Carol Tolman Nov. 18-20 2008 Feb. 3-5 2009 Mar. 3-5 2009


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Objective Number

Training Topic

Audience Presenter(s)

Date(s) Budget Categories (Check categories

needed.)

1 Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (Module ,9)

Select teachers of grades K-3, ESOL

and SpEd

Dr. Carol Tolman Oct. 6th – 8th 2008


1 Getting the most out of the Benchmark “Start

Up/Build Up program Classroom and

Intervention teachers K-3

Benchmark Education Company

trainer

Fall 2008 _X Substitutes __ Stipends _ _Per Diem __ MCPS trainer _ MSDE trainer _X_Outside consultant ___Materials ___Equipment ___Conference fees

1,2 Effective administration and proctoring of TN/2 and MSA

Classroom teachers, ESOL teachers, Special Educators, paras

Test Coordinators (Staff Development

Teacher and Reading Specialist)

February X Substitutes

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Strategic Planning

Action Plan for Reading/Language Arts (Directions: Develop measurable action steps/objectives/processes to achieve SIP goals to be monitored weekly, monthly, quarterly, as appropriate. Outline the actions chronologically and/or group action steps by function (e.g., data analyses, student interventions, staff development.)

School: Rosemont E.S Date: October 1, 2008___

SIPGoal/Objective (Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) 2008): 76.5 % of all students and of the eight subgroups will demonstrate proficient or advanced performance on reading on the MSA.

Action steps/objectives/ processes Timeline

Person(s) Responsible

Resources Needed

Monitoring tools or data points (formative & summative)

Monitoring: Date and by whom

Results (include evaluation of processes for

effectiveness and efficiency)

Analyze a variety of data in order to identify students who need:

- additional reading support - accelerated instruction

- Reading Coach - Reading Specialist - Grade Level Teachers - SDT - Principal

List of targeted students and their ongoing data collection MSA data MAP-R data DIBELS Formative Rdg. Assessments

Teacher data notebooks that may include: - Selection Test data - MAP-R data - DIBELS data - Unit Assessments - Student work samples

Ongoing ~ Sept/May Classroom teachers

Students in PreK-5 will maintain “Data Notebooks” to monitor their own performance

- Teachers - Students

Notebooks Time allotted to maintain and reflect on data/goals

- Regularly updated Entries contained in the notebook - Work samples

-Ongoing ~ Sept/May -Classroom teacher and students

Meet with outside consultant to develop customized intervention plans for high risk students.

- SDT - Reading Coach

-Dr. Carol Tolman -Title I funds

- DIBELS data - TRC data - C-TOPS data

-November 21 -SDT

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Resources Needed Monitoring tools or data points (formative & summative)




Provide differentiated reading instruction

Teachers including ESOL, Sp.Ed) Paras Academic Support Rdg. Specialist Rdg. Coach

* See Strategic Planning Section for Program Descriptors

- Selection Test data - MAP-R data - DIBELS data - Unit Assessments - Student work samples

Ongoing – Oct/May

Identify G/T students with reading strengths who are not scoring advanced on MSA and provide appropriate instruction to move student to the next level

G/T Coordinator Teachers Rdg. Coach

- MSA Data - MAP-R Data - Formative Data - Jacob’s Ladder materials -William & Mary materials

GT reading data chart - GT Teacher - Reading Specialist

Grade Level Teams will hold regular meetings to review current data.

Teams Admin SDT Rdg. Coach Rdg. Specialist

MSA Data MAP-R Data Formative Data DIBELS Data

- Team meeting notes Ongoing - Classroom tchrs - Reading Coach - Reading Specialist - Administration

In addition to regular grade level team meetings, a dedicated 90 minute block (monthly) to examine student work and plan next steps.

Teams Admin SDT Rdg. Coach Rdg. Specialist MCC Classrm. Tchrs Focus Tchrs

Selection tests Writing samples BCRs Math BCRs

Pre-established rubrics

- October – May - Classrm tchrs - Reading Coach - Reading Specialist - MCC - Administration

Teachers will maintain a data notebook to monitor student performance

Teachers IDA

IMS Data Variety of mutually agreed upon grade level data

- Regularly updated Entries contained in the notebook

Ongoing Classroom Teachers

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Teachers will use the MCPS Writing Curriculum to enhance the HM Reading First Program TRC (K-3)

Teachers Rdg. Coach Rdg. Specialist SDT

MCPS Guides 6 + 1 Resources Writing rubric

- MCPS Checklists Classroom teachers

Rosemont staff will conduct “walk throughs” of the HM program in grades K - 3

- Administration - Core Team - Reading First Instructional Specialist - Select classroom teacher(s)

Look Fors and locally developed capture sheet

- Documentation from the capture sheet - Debriefing notes for each grade level

- Winter - CORE team

Rosemont staff will conduct “walk throughs” of the HM program in grades 4 & 5

- Administration - Core Team - Select classroom teacher(s)

Look Fors and locally developed capture sheet

- Documentation from the capture sheet - Debriefing notes for each grade level

- Fall & Winter - CORE team

Teachers will write observable, measurable goals and interventions for students needing additional support.

Teachers Counselor CAP consultant

Student data Observational records

-CAP meeting form - Graphs - Intervention plans for identified students

- Ongoing - Grade level teams - CAP Coaches

The William and Mary Program will be implemented in grades 3-5 for students identified as needing acceleration in reading.

Classroom Teachers G/T Liaison Rdg. Specialist Reading Coach Focus Teachers

Planning time (G/T with teachers) William and Mary resources

William and Mary materials

- January/June - William and Mary Instructor

The Junior Great Books Program will be implemented in grades 3-5, for students identified as needing acceleration in reading.

Classroom Teachers G/T Liaison Rdg. Specialist Reading Coach Focus Teachers

Junior Great Books materials


- Ongoing~ September/June - Intervention Teachers

All other students in grades 4 & 5 will be introduced to Junior Great Books selections.

Classroom Teachers G/T Liaison Rdg. Specialist

Junior Great Books materials Planning time (G/T with teachers)


- Ongoing~ September/June - Classroom tchrs

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Students are invited to participate in the Rosemont Summer Reading Incentive Program with a follow-up celebration in September.

- Reading Specialist - Reading Coach - SDT

-Summer Reading incentive packet -Paperback books, certificates, incentives, etc.

Student log - August 29 - Signed parent/student signature page from the summer reading packet

Students (grades 1 – 5) will participate in the Pizza Hut sponsored BOOK IT! program

- Reading Specialist - SDT - Classroom Tchrs

BOOK IT! materials Incentive charts - October - March - Classroom teachers

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Action Plan for MATH (Directions: Develop measurable action steps/objectives/processes to achieve SIP goals to be monitored weekly, monthly, quarterly, as appropriate. Outline the actions chronologically and/or group action steps by function (e.g., data analyses, student interventions, staff development.)

School: Rosemont E.S. Date: October 1, 2008 SIPGoal/Objective (Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) 2008): 74.2 % of all students and of the eight subgroups will demonstrate proficient or advanced performance on math on the MSA. _ Action steps/objectives/ processes Timeline


Resources Needed





Analyze a variety of data in order to identify students who need: -additional math support - accelerated instruction

-Grade Level Teachers - MCC - Principal - SDT

-Pre tests - Unit tests -Formative assessments - Report card data - List of targeted students and their ongoing data collection

- Teacher data notebooks including end of unit reports and formative assessment data - Student work samples

Ongoing ~ Sept/May Classroom Teacher

Students in PreK-5 will maintain “Data Notebooks” to monitor their own performance. These books will be sent home on a regular basis

- Teachers - Students

- Time allotted to maintain and reflect on data/goals - Notebooks

- regularly updated entries contained in notebook - work samples

Ongoing ~ Sept/May Classroom Teacher and students

Teachers will maintain a data notebook to monitor student performance

- Teachers - IDA

- IMS data - Variety of mutually agreed upon grade level data

- Regularly updated Entries in the notebooks

- Ongoing - Classroom teachers

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Resources Needed

Monitoring tools or data points


Results

Provide additional math instruction during the school day, for a targeted group of students in grades 2-4 (priority will be given to LEP and African American students)

- Specially trained paras - Math Coach

- Research based intervention math program (Math Navigator)

- Regular Checkpoints - Module assessments

Thirty Day Modules (Nov. – May)

Identify G/T students with math strengths who are not scoring advanced on MSA and provide appropriate instruction to move student to the next level. Extra support personnel will work with Math A students to re-teach and re-assess as needed in order to ensure then successfully complete Math A.

G/T Coordinator Teachers Math Coach

MSA Data Formative Data Unit assessment data

GT math data chart GT teacher Math Coach

Grade Level Teams will hold regular meetings to review current data

Teams Admin MCC SDT

Formative Data Monitoring tool Unit assessments

Team meeting notes Ongoing Administration MCC

Rosemont Teachers will participate in peer visits with a focus on math (both grade level and vertical)

Teachers MCC SDT

Coverage for visits and de-briefings Look Fors and reflection form

-Debriefing Notes - Observation sheet

- October – February (MCC, SDT)

Teachers will write observable, measurable goals and interventions for students needing additional support.

Teachers Counselor CAP consultant

Student data Observational records

-Cap meeting forms - Graphs - Intervention plans for targeted students

- ongoing - Grade Level Teams - Coaches

CORE team members will lead “Math Focused” Walk-Throughs

MCC SDT

-Locally developed capture sheet

-Documentation from the capture sheets -De-briefing notes for each grade level

-November -February -Administration

Weekly Math team planning time with MCC

MCC Instructional Guides and Harcourt materials

Weekly team meeting notes

- ongoing - MCC

Teachers will meet with vertical and grade level teams to examine student work using the “Tuning Protocol”

- Examining Student Work facilitators - grade level teachers

- Common Tasks - Rubric - Tuning Protocol

-De-briefing notes from each team

Bi-monthly focus on math at a 90 minute staff meeting

Students are invited to participate in the - MCC -Summer Math - Completed work - August 29

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Rosemont Summer Math Incentive Program with a follow-up celebration in September.

- SDT incentive packet - certificates, incentives, etc.

- Signed parent/student signature page from the summer math packet

Rosemont Elementary School

Parent Involvement Policy 2008-2009

Rosemont Elementary School supports the involvement of all parents/families. We believe that when parents are involved, students will be more successful. (In this policy, “parent” is intended to include parents, guardians, and other family members involved in supervising the child’s

schooling.) I. Parent Information Once a year, our school will hold a Title I meeting that will provide information about the Title I program, parental rights, and the important role you play in your child’s education. In additional, the school will:

schedule annual conferences at convenient times hold meetings that review the curriculum and state and local assessments provide opportunities for you to suggest ideas and be a part of the decisions that relate to school success explain the grade level curriculum review and explain the district and State academic assessments provide opportunities for you to suggest ideas that relate to student success involve you in the planning and review of our schoolwide School Improvement Plan (SIP) including this Parent Involvement Policy

(PIP) invite you to share comments that you want added to the School Improvement Plan

II. Parent Outreach We support a strong, positive partnership with you and the community. We believe our parent outreach program will improve student achievement by providing:

assistance to parents to help improve understanding of the MCPS curriculum and its relationship to the Voluntary State Curriculum (VSC) and assessments

training and materials for parents to improve student achievement information and training for staff on the important role of parents as equal partners in teaching and learning parent programs that strengthen connections between home and school opportunities to attend programs and activities with Head

Start, Judy Centers, Pre-Kindergarten Programs, Linkages to Learning, etc.

31

support, training, and information from the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Division of Family and Community Partnerships and the parent activities, programs, and services they provide

III. Communication Ongoing communication will occur through:

annual parent conferences and follow-up conferences as needed a variety of school events, classes, and meetings held at times that are convenient for parents meetings that focus on how parent can help their child succeed in school frequent reporting of student progress opportunities to volunteer, observe, and talk with staff interpreters for conferences and meetings translation of the principal’s newsletter and other important notices

To further enhance our successful partnership, we will provide additional support for parents who speak English as a second language, parents with disabilities, or parents who are in homeless situations. This support will include providing translations, written documents, and ensuring that we meet the need of individuals with disabilities.

IV. Staff Training Staff training will be held at our school to: provide training for staff about how to work with parents as equal partners to show how to start and maintain parent outreach and involvement programs communicate the value of reaching out to and working with parents

****See Lesson Plan #3 (“My Job, Your Job, Our Job”: Establishing Responsibilities) from My Job, Your Job, Our Job (Baldrige)

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Rosemont Parent Involvement Committee 2008-2009

Staff: Jimmy Sweeney, Principal Juanita Alvarez, Assistant Principal Sharon Schaffer, Staff Development Teacher Vicki Conner, Parent Outreach paraeducator Sara Santini, Math content coach Alexandra Cuadra, Linkages site coordinator Cathy Young, Kindergarten teacher Kathleen Johnson, Reading First coach Julia Meyers-Reading Teacher and GT Liaison Parents: Victoria Ross Valerie Hilton Jane Rice Lisa Hobbs Donna Ray Lori Duran Laura Weihrauch Marsha Thomas Carmen Albuquerque

33

Action Plan for Parent Involvement (Directions: Develop measurable action steps/objectives/processes to achieve SIP goals to be monitored weekly, monthly, quarterly, as appropriate. Outline the actions chronologically and/or group action steps by function (e.g., data analyses, student interventions, staff development.)

School: Rosemont E.S. Date: October 1, 2008 SIP Goal/Objective (Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) 2009): To increase parent involvement at Rosemont Elementary Action steps/objectives/ processes Timeline


Resources Needed



Results (include evaluation of processes for effectiveness and efficiency)

Conduct parent meeting to disseminate information about the school’s Title I school-wide program/targeted assistance program status and parents’ parental rights. (Times and locations may vary to better accommodate parents.)

Title I Instructional Specialist

Training Plan

Sign in Agenda Notes Evaluation (SANE documents)

November Title I Instruct. Spec.

Communicate information to parents and local community about school programs, meetings, and other activities in multiple languages as appropriate. (i.e., school newsletters, flyers, meeting notices, etc.)

Admin. School sec. Tchrs. Title I Spec.

School newsletters Flyers Notices ConnectEd Translation machines

Newsletter Flyers Handouts to parents ConnectEd message

On going Monthly PIC meeting agenda/notes Title I Spec.

Develop/revise individual home/school compacts based on the Baldrige “My Job, Your Job, Our Job”. The compact identifies actions in which the parents, school staff, and students will engage to share the responsibility for improved student

- Classroom teachers. - Students - Parents

My Job, Your Job….

Compact Sign off from parents SIP

Nov. 1 Title I Instruct. Spec.

34

improvement.

Involve parents as active participants in the planning, review, and revision of the School Improvement Plan.

Admin. SIT

Accessible schedule Projectappleseed.org Interpreter

SANE July-Sept-plan review due quarterly Title I spec.

Update family involvement policy/plan periodically to meet the changing needs of the parents in the school.

PIC School staff Admin.

Policy/Plan Feedback

SANE Feedback

Ongoing PIC

Review and/or revise the parent involvement plan annually.

PIC Admin. Title I Spec.

Par. Inv. Action Plan Policy/Plan

SANE End of school year PIC

Provide training to staff on effective practices in conducting parent-teacher conferences

Title I Spec. Research articles Handouts

SANE Mid Nov. Title I spec.

Provide training to staff on importance of family involvement

Title I Spec. Research articles Handouts

SANE Mid Nov. Title I spec.

Involve parents in the decision making process regarding how funds reserved for family involvement are being spent.

PIC Admin. Title I Spec.

Survey feedback Budgets

SANE June 30 Admin. Title I spec.

Plan and implement parent information meetings on the following topics: Maryland School Assessment Program Maryland and MCPS Standards and Curriculum How to Support Reading and Math at Home Characteristics of Giftedness

Title I Spec. PIC School staff

PowerPoint Parent Notification Interpreter Babysitters ConnectEd

SANE Ongoing MCC Rdg. Spec. GT Teacher Admin.

Conduct regularly scheduled Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) meetings on topics generated by the committee

Title I Spec. Admin.

Needs assessment www.Projectappleseed.org

SANE Ongoing Title I spec.

Collaborate with Linkages to provide trainings and/or meetings for parents to include study skills, technology, and ESOL classes.

Linkages PIC Title I Spec. Babysitting

Babysitting Transportation Interpreter Presenters

SANE Ongoing Linkages spec. Title I spec.

35

Transport. Action steps/objectives/ processes Timeline


Resources Needed



Results (include evaluation of processes for effectiveness and efficiency)

Each grade level will communicate with parents on a regular basis. Communications will include indicators that will be taught and information about upcoming assessments

Team Leaders

Grade level newsletters

Ongoing

Assist parents in completing applications for GT or enrichment programs (Highly Gifted Center, Middle School Magnets, Down County Consortium)

GT Liaison

Applications, Program Descriptions

Applications

Program deadlines throughout the year

Create a Rosemont informational CD to give to families new to the school

CD sub-committee

CDs CD November

36

Rosemont Elementary School accepts the Montgomery County Public Schools family involvement policy and has aligned its school level parent involvement plan accordingly.

POLICY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY Related Entries: ABA, ABA-RA, ACG, BMA, FAA, IEA, IEB, IED, IFB, IGP-RA, IRB-RA Responsible Office: Deputy Superintendent A. PURPOSE

1. To reaffirm the Montgomery County public school system’s strong commitment to the role of parents as valued partners in their children’s education and to promote and increase effective, comprehensive parental involvement

2. To ensure that parental involvement efforts reflect the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of local school communities

B. ISSUE Family involvement in a child’s learning is a critical link to achieve academic success and to ensure a safe and disciplined learning environment. C. POSITION

1. Definition In this policy, “parent” is intended to include parents, guardians, and other family members involved in supervising the child’s schooling. In this policy, “comprehensive parental involvement” is intended to include the research based, Six National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs as follows:

a) Communicating b) Parenting c) Student Learning d) Volunteering e) School Decision-Making and Advocacy f) Collaborating with Community

2. Achievement of the purpose will be sought through a variety of efforts including: a) Effective two-way communication between all parents and schools regarding school system policies, practices and regulations, local school policies, and an individual child’s progress b) Activities to encourage parental volunteer opportunities in schools both in the classroom and in other areas of the school including attendance at local school programs and events c) Information and programs for parents on how to establish a home environment to support learning and appropriate behavior d) Information and programs for parents about how they can assist their own children to learn e) Assistance to develop parental involvement in educational advocacy through PTAs and other organizations, including school system task forces and advisory committees

3. While each division, office, and school must assess its role and plan of action to meet these goals, all MCPS employees are expected to convey a commitment to parental involvement.

a) Consistent with this commitment, local schools are expected to: 1) Provide an inviting and welcoming environment where parent involvement is respected and valued 2) Develop activities and materials that provide for effective two-way communication between parents and the school on local school policies and practices and individual student progress 3) Support and encourage parental volunteer opportunities including participation in the development of school improvement plans 4) Provide programs that assist parents in learning how they can help children learn, including activities that are connected to what children are learning in the classroom 5) Work with PTA, other parent organizations, and parent outreach personnel to ensure parental input from a broad range of culturally and linguistically diverse groups

37

b) Consistent with this commitment, local schools are encouraged, in collaboration with their parent community, to develop a local school statement which articulates a shared responsibility and strategies to support: student learning and high achievement; effective, frequent, two-way communication between school and home; and family, school, community partnerships aligned with school improvement plan goals

4. In addition, appropriate staff in central offices are expected to support local school efforts and, where relevant: a) Communicate with parents on school system policies and regulations b) Provide for the development of parenting programs and materials, including the use of cable television, pamphlets, adult education courses, parent resource centers, and programs designed to orient new parents to MCPS c) Support and encourage the use of interpretation and translation services whenever feasible d) Maintain and support parental volunteer opportunities with appropriate information and training e) Assist in the development of parental leadership through PTAs and other recognized groups f) Work with businesses, organizations, and other government agencies which by their policies and activities can provide support and assistance for parental involvement efforts g) Provide appropriate teacher and staff training to support effective parental involvement; conduct staff and parent training in ways to communicate and work together including problem solving, conflict resolution skills, and outreach strategies h) Identify and publicize promising programs and practices related to parental involvement i) Work with colleges and universities that prepare teachers and administrators to support the inclusion of school and family connections in their training programs j) Develop methods to accommodate and support parental involvement for all parents, including those with special needs, limited English proficiency, limited financial resources and individuals with disabilities k) Develop mechanisms for local schools to use in order to assess the effectiveness of their parental involvement efforts

D. DESIRED OUTCOME Schools and families will work together to ensure that the educational process includes quality learning at home, in school, and in the community. E. IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

1. The superintendent will assess the status of parental involvement, review existing policies and procedures, and develop necessary regulations and procedures to support this policy, including a review of staff and budget support. 2. The Board of Education will seek parental input on school system policies, including curriculum, facilities, and funding issues from a broad spectrum of our culturally and linguistically diverse community.

F. REVIEW AND REPORTING

This policy will be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the Board of Education policy review process. Policy History: Adopted by Resolution No. 669-90, November 13, 1990; reformatted September 1996; amended by Resolution 489-02, October 28, 2002.

38

Rosemont Elementary School

Parent Involvement Policy 2008-2009

Rosemont Elementary School supports the involvement of all parents/families. We believe that when parents are involved, students will be more successful. (In this policy, “parent” is intended to include parents,

guardians, and other family members involved in supervising the child’s schooling.) I. Parent Information Once a year, our school will hold a Title I meeting that will provide information about the Title I program, parental rights, and the important role you play in your child’s education. In additional, the school will:

schedule annual conferences at convenient times hold meetings that review the curriculum and state and local assessments provide opportunities for you to suggest ideas and be a part of the decisions that relate to school

success explain the grade level curriculum review and explain the district and State academic assessments provide opportunities for you to suggest ideas that relate to student success involve you in the planning and review of our schoolwide School Improvement Plan (SIP)

including this Parent Involvement Policy (PIP) invite you to share comments that you want added to the School Improvement Plan

III. Parent Outreach We support a strong, positive partnership with you and the community. We believe our parent outreach program will improve student achievement by providing:

assistance to parents to help improve understanding of the MCPS curriculum and its relationship to the Voluntary State Curriculum (VSC) and assessments

training and materials for parents to improve student achievement information and training for staff on the important role of parents as equal partners in teaching

and learning parent programs that strengthen connections between home and school opportunities to attend

programs and activities with Head Start, Judy Centers, Pre-Kindergarten Programs, Linkages to Learning, etc.

support, training, and information from the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Division of Family and Community Partnerships and the parent activities, programs, and services they provide

V. Communication Ongoing communication will occur through:

annual parent conferences and follow-up conferences as needed a variety of school events, classes, and meetings held at times that are convenient for parents

39

meetings that focus on how parent can help their child succeed in school frequent reporting of student progress opportunities to volunteer, observe, and talk with staff interpreters for conferences and meetings translation of the principal’s newsletter and other important notices

To further enhance our successful partnership, we will provide additional support for parents who speak English as a second language, parents with disabilities, or parents who are in homeless situations. This support will include providing translations, written documents, and ensuring that we meet the need of individuals with disabilities.

VI. Staff Training Staff training will be held at our school to: provide training for staff about how to work with parents as equal partners to show how to start and maintain parent outreach and involvement programs communicate the value of reaching out to and working with parents

40

Sharing Responsibilities Ms.Pope’s Class

What jobs do we all need to do in order to have a successful classroom of learners? My Job (Students)

Your Job (Teacher)

Parents’ Job

To be good and behave. Recycle paper. Do your best work. Hang up your coats and backpacks. Keep your things and desk tidy. Follow directions. Keep the classroom clean. Listen to the teacher. Do your homework and bring it to school.

Have Fun!

-Show our work. -Teach us to learn reading, math and everything we are learning and tell our parents. -Help us to be good. -Make sure we are safe. -Make homework for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. -Make us smart. -Show us respect by communicating with our parents. -Show us how to walk in the hallway and use the bathroom. -Teach us good manners. -Teach us to recycle.

-Take care of us. -Teach us our homework. -Make sure we have a bath or shower. -Make sure we take a nap after school. -Check our homework folder and our backpack. -Read 15 minutes with us each night. -Make sure we have breakfast, lunch and dinner. -Make sure we have clean clothes. -Each day ask us what we learned. -Love us with a kiss, a hug, a high five and “I love you! ”

Our Job Be happy! Listen! Learn!

41

My Job Students

Get a good night’s sleep Come to school on time Come prepared Do my best job Participate Pay attention Concentrate Listen when others talk Complete & return

homework Complete & turn in class

work Learn from my mistakes Study Keep my things

organized Follow school rules

Mrs. Bucci’s Class

Your Job Teacher

Prepare lessons for you

o Math o Science o Social Studies o Reading o Spelling o Writing

Teach new information Coach you as you learn Give you a chance to answer

questions Check your understanding Let you know how you are

doing Celebrate your successes Answer your questions Be patient Challenge you Come to school every day Communicate with parents Go to school to learn new

ways to teach

Your Job Parents

Love me Take care of me

o Get me up in the morning o Feed me o Make sure I am in bed on

time o Make sure I am safe o Keep me healthy

Let me know what is right or wrong

Let me know how I am doing Help me with homework Sign my assignment book Visit my classroom Be involved at school

o Talk with my teacher o Join school groups

Cheer for me

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Our Job Students, Teacher, Parents

Talk to one another Support one another Stop and think about how we can do better Never give up

Name _____________________ Date _____________________

In order to meet and exceed 4th grade objectives and standards, everyone in the class will need to work together. Think about what you want from others and what you need them to do so that you can do your best and be successful. List 5 important things that you need from your classmates.

1. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List 5 important ways that you can do your best and be successful.

1. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

43

2. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name _____________________ Date _____________________

In order to meet and exceed 4th grade objectives and standards, students will need help and support from adults such as teachers and parents/guardians. What do you think are the responsibilities of your teachers and parents/guardians?

List the important roles and responsibilities of your teachers.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List the important roles and responsibilities of your parents/guardians.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

44

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name _____________________ Date _____________________

In order for the students in our class to meet and exceed 4th grade objectives and standards, students, teachers and parents/guardians need to work together. What are some ways that we can do that?

List the responsibilities that we all share.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

45

Rosemont Elementary School accepts the Montgomery County Public Schools family involvement regulation and has aligned its school level parent involvement plan accordingly.

REGULATION MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Related Entries: ABA, ABA-RA, ABC, BMA, FAA, IEA, IEB, IED, IFB, IGP-RA, IRB-RA Responsible Office: Deputy Superintendent Parent Involvement I. PURPOSE

To ensure a strong home-school partnership, promote and increase effective, well structured, and comprehensive parental involvement practices, and ensure that parental involvement efforts reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of local school communities.

II. RATIONALE

Involving parents in their children’s education results in mutually supportive relationships among students, parents, and staff that will guide and enhance the intellectual and social development of students.

III. DEFINITION

The term “parent” is intended to include parents, guardians, and other family members involved in supervising the child’s schooling. In this regulation, “comprehensive parental involvement” is intended to include research based, Six National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs as follows:

1. Communicating 2. Parenting 3. Student Learning 4. Volunteering 5. School Decision-making and Advocacy 6. Collaborating with Community

IV. PROCEDURES FOR SCHOOLS

All MCPS employees are expected to convey a commitment to parent involvement. School staff are expected to take the initiative to reach out to parents in a variety of ways to encourage parent participation. In addition, local schools are encouraged, in collaboration with their parent community, to develop a local school statement which articulates a shared responsibility and strategies to support: student learning and high achievement; effective, frequent two-way communication between school and home; and family, school, community partnerships aligned with school improvement plan goals.

A. Each local school will include on its school improvement team: school staff, parents, and students (when appropriate) who reflect the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of the local school community. B. The school improvement team should consider how parental involvement is incorporated into its School Improvement Plan. C. Each local school should work in cooperation with parents, parent groups and PTAs, to develop and maintain a clear, regular two-way communication system that:

1. Provides information on issues such as: local school and school system policies, practices and regulations, including discipline procedures, instructional programs, opportunities for collaboration, school or system initiatives, regular student progress reports, assessments, and parent-teacher conferences, through a variety of traditional and non-traditional means such as, but not limited to, newsletters, school-parent orientation programs, checklists, web sites, and list serves 2. Solicits and considers parent comments and concerns, and makes use of parent talents 3. Strives to ensure that staff are accessible for parent-teacher communications 4. Uses the resources of the community and central offices

D. Work in cooperation with the PTA and other parent groups to support programs for parents to learn how to create and sustain a home learning environment by:

1. Sharing information, materials, and programs about how parents can: a) Recognize that they have an essential role to play in their children’s education by supporting, encouraging, and assisting their children to learn b) Get information on “parenting” topics such as nutrition, health, self esteem, parent/child communication, motivation, discipline, child development, and other topics relevant to the specific population

2. Providing space for parent training and parent materials, as feasible

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3. Ensuring that parenting information is provided to parents on a regular, systematic basis by using such forums as parenting sections in newsletters, discussion groups, conferences, workshops, web sites, and list serves, etc. Parenting information should be translated, as appropriate and feasible.

E. Assist parents in playing an integral role in student learning by:

1. Providing appropriate information for staff to work effectively with parents in order to support the concept of learning at home, including such topics as:

a) How to support academic and behavioral expectations b) How to share curriculum content with parents c) How to facilitate parent participation in children’s learning at home

2. Providing materials on what their child is learning and how to expand on school learning at home, as well as suggestions about available resources 3. Suggesting ways that parents can enrich and support the curriculum

F. In accordance with regulation IRB-RA Use of Volunteer Services, encourage parents to volunteer in the classroom, in other areas of the school, and/or at home by:

1. Providing information for staff use in the development of jobs for volunteers 2. Maximizing opportunities for parent volunteer participation, including the participation of parents with special needs or limited English proficiency, and parents of students with special needs or limited English proficiency 3. Providing orientation and training for parent volunteers, seeking support from central office personnel when appropriate 4. Identifying a member of the school staff to work cooperatively with the PTA, and other parent groups to encourage parent participation

G. Respect the right of parents to serve as advocates and support this advocacy by:

1. Recognizing that advocacy requires that people understand issues, and have information about the processes for addressing these issues, including due process rights 2. Encouraging parents to participate in the development, monitoring, and evaluation of the school improvement plan 3. Providing leadership/advocacy information for parents 4. Encouraging the growth and development of parent groups, PTAs, and other community groups that reach out within the school community, as well as participating in county, state and national efforts for children and for education

H. Collaborate with local community resources and informing families about those resources by: 1. Identifying resources that serve families within the community 2. Informing school staff of the resources for families available in the community 3. Involving community members in school volunteer and mentor programs 4. Providing information about community agencies that provide family support services and adult learning opportunities 5. Developing partnerships with local business and service groups to advance student learning and to assist schools and families

V. PROCEDURES FOR CENTRAL OFFICES All MCPS employees are expected to convey a commitment to parent involvement and demonstrate respect for parent involvement. To support this commitment and to ensure implementation of the parent involvement policy and regulation, appropriate staff in central offices will encourage and assist:

A. Local schools in their comprehensive parent involvement efforts and in the use of interpreter and translation services whenever feasible B. Communication with parents about school system policies, practices, regulations, and other general information C. Development of parenting programs and materials for all parents including those who are English language learners or have special needs. This may include the use of cable television, pamphlets, adult education courses, parent resource areas, parent information centers, and programs designed to orient new parents to MCPS by:

1. Providing materials and resources to inform staff and parents 2. Helping parents with school-related issues, resolving problems, and finding resources 3. Informing parents about the organization and function of the MCPS system 4. Disseminating information about school and community resources to parents and staff 5. Identifying and sharing successful parent involvement programs, plans, and activities for use by local schools

D. Countywide volunteer opportunities by providing appropriate information E. The development of parent leadership through PTAs and other recognized groups

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F. Collaboration with businesses, organizations, and other government agencies to gain support and assistance for parent involvement efforts G. Information and training by:

1. Providing information for staff and parents to enable them to understand and support effective parent involvement 2. Providing training for parents and staff to develop positive communication skills, including cultural competence and collaboration skills, and parent outreach strategies 3. Including rationale for parent involvement in A & S training, as well as new principal and new staff training

H. Work with colleges and universities that prepare teachers and administrators to support the inclusion of school and family involvement practices in their training programs I. Development of methods to accommodate and support parent involvement for all parents with special circumstances, including those who are English language learners, those with disabilities, and those living in poverty J. Local schools to use the data obtained from a variety of sources, including such things as the MCPS parent surveys to develop their school improvement plans

Regulation History: New Regulation, August 21, 1991; revised July 21, 2003.

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Information on Schoolwide Program Activities that will be used to ensure that students having difficulty mastering the proficient or advanced levels of academic achievement standards shall be provided with effective, timely, and additional assistance.

Any student of a subgroup that was identified as being at risk in the needs assessment portion of the school improvement plan will be evaluated by a data team consisting of grade level teachers, specialists, and administration. Students who the team determines to be at risk will have individual action plans created to address their learning needs. The plans will include specific interventions specifically matched to students’ needs. Students’ progress will be monitored every six weeks at data meetings.

A monitoring plan will be created for both reading and math. Staff development days will focus on analyzing data, examining student work and developing instruction based on student needs. Results of monitoring data will be shared with students.

Team meetings will be used to review student progress in the areas of reading and math. Data meetings will be held every six weeks with the grade level teams, the principal and members of

the CORE team. A list of students will be developed based on the data teachers have collected. The list will show students who have not consistently mastered the standards or who are not progressing as expected towards advanced levels of academic achievement. Instructional changes will be implemented based on dialogues at these meetings.

Reading Intervention/Acceleration programs have been described in detail in the Strategic Planning Section of this document

Math Intervention/Acceleration programs have been described in detail in the Strategic Planning Section of this document

ESOL teachers primarily use the plug-in model which has been documented as recommended by MCPS

Rosemont uses an inclusion model when serving its special education population. The regular educator and special educator use a variety of co-teaching strategies

Grade level teams and support staff will meet on a regular basis to continue to develop and refine skills in examining student work for proficiency in the areas of mathematics and reading language arts.

Support specialists will provide assistance to classroom teachers in developing and implementing intervention strategies for those students not meeting standard. This support may include planning with teachers, analyzing data and/or intervention support.

Grade Level Collaborative Action Process teams meet on a bi-monthly basis to analyze the concerns of classroom teachers as they pertain to the academic and or behavioral issues of specific students. Interventions are designed and implemented with input from the team and is based on relevant data collection.

School-wide math walk-throughs will be conducted 2-3 times a year. Follow-up debriefing will review what was observed during the walk-through. Data will be shared with individual grade levels and whole staff.

Describe how the Title I funds and resources provided to the school will be used to implement and support this plan. In order to meet the needs of our diverse student population, several positions have been added to the school using Title I funding. The positions are a half time gifted and talented teacher, a full time math content coach, and a half time reading intervention teacher. In addition, an ESOL position and focus intervention positions

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have been added to support reading and math. Rosemont also supports reading and math instruction through 1.875 focus Para educator positions. Complete listing of Title I Funded positions:

Professional Focus Positions Allotment Reading Specialist .5 ESOL Teacher .5 ESOL Support .5 Reading Intervention .5 Math Focus .5 MCC 1.0

In order to meet the demands of implementing a 90-minute protected reading block mandated under the Reading First initiative, a half time reading specialist to support grades PreK, four, and five was also added to the staff. In addition, Title 1 funds will be used to support the Rosemont school improvement plan (SIP) as indicated by the needs assessment and the ongoing monitoring of student achievement through the following programs and activities: Parent Meetings Title 1 Team Training Sessions Math Achievers Activity After-school Transportation Consultation with Dr. Carol Tolman to assist reading staff in developing specialized interventions for

students who are “high risk” Describe the additional federal, state, and/or local grant funds (e.g., Challenge Schools Initiative, Targeted Poverty Grant) the school receives that will be used to support the implementation of this plan. 21st Century Grant monies will be used to fund cultural arts enrichment activities for students in Grades K-5. These programs will take place during the summer. Furthermore, the school will continue to create partnerships with local businesses that will include weekly mentoring of at-risk students, classroom volunteers, and donation of school supplies for needy children. A Reading Coach position is funded through the Reading First grant. MCPS funds are being used to purchase any additional Houghton Mifflin core reading materials needed for Grades four and five. The Gaithersburg Judy Center, funded by federal funds through the Division of Early Childhood Education of the Maryland State Department of Education, promotes school readiness for children from birth to age 5. The Judy Center offers comprehensive services for families, encouraging quality child care and developmentally appropriate early childhood education. Linkages to Learning - Linkages to Learning at Rosemont Elementary Schools supports students through a combination of direct services and family directed programs. There is a three person team consisting of a therapist who does individual counseling with students and also runs social skills groups that are age group

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specific. The case manager works with families to access other services available through county, state, and federal programs and strives toward the long term goal of increasing the families’ self-sufficiency. The site coordinator organizes programming specific to the student and their family needs. For parents and family members, Linkages offers evening English classes, evening and morning workshops on pertinent issues, and a mother’s support group. For students, Linkages organizes one on one tutoring and a homework club. Linkages provides food back packs every week for students and is initiating a bi-yearly gardening club. Another way Linkages supports Rosemont families is by providing school supplies, coats and warm clothing for the winter, connecting families with Holiday Giving programs or directly with donors in December, and summer fun bags to keep kids productively entertained during the summer.

Scientifically –Based Research Incorporated into the School Improvement Plan

Early Success Initiative: The Early Success Initiative comprehensive and complex early literacy program composed of multiple components has been the central focus of an intensive in-depth study since 1999-2000 school year. Designed as a multi-faceted effort to improve the reading performance of elementary school students in MCPS, the Early Success Initiative has included three significant components: 1) class size reduction in kindergarten, first and second grades; 2) increased time in their classrooms for uninterrupted reading instruction; and 3) staff development in the core reading program (Houghton Mifflin). The strength of this Early Success initiative lies not only in the research-based support for the effectiveness of each of these components taken alone, but most importantly in the commitment on the part of MCPS to undertake the challenging task of implementing an integration of all three components in kindergarten, first and second grade classroom. As a natural extension of the initiative, our new core reading program, which is aligned with the National Reading Panel Report, is now the foundation of reading instruction in Grades K-5. Class size in Grades K-5 are below the district average. Harcourt Math: Harcourt Math is a research-based and comprehensive math program for Pre-K through Grade 6. It was written to provide thorough coverage of state and national standards and to provide teachers the flexibility to customize the program for state and local courses of study. Harcourt Math was designed to help build conceptual understanding, skill proficiency, problem solving, facility, and logical reasoning while carefully developing concepts within and across the mathematics strands. It includes focused instructional on key skills, practice for mastery and retention, comprehensive assessment and targeted intervention. Research findings indicate statistically significant gains in scores on all of the units taught from Grades 1-5 after each unit of instruction was taught. Professional staff will continue to participate in curriculum roll out raining when offered. Teams will pre-play each unit and include ready made or teacher created formative assessments to insure fidelity of instruction across each grade level. Reading First: Reading First is a focused nationwide effort to enable all students to become successful early readers. Funds are dedicated to help school districts eliminate the reading deficit by establishing high-quality, comprehensive reading instruction in kindergarten through Grade 3. Building on a solid foundation of research, the program is designed to select, implement, and provide professional development for teachers using scientifically based reading programs, and to ensure accountability through ongoing, valid and reliable screening, diagnostic, and classroom-based assessment.

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Words Their Way: Word Study f or Phonics, Vocabulary and Spelling Instruction: This program provides a practical way to study words with students and is based on invented and developmental spelling research. The framework of this program is keyed to the five stages of spelling or orthographic development. Describe how the plan adopts successful policies and practices concerning reading and mathematics that have the greatest likelihood of ensuring that all students enrolled in the school (including those in major racial and ethnic groups, Limited English proficient, low income, and disabled) will meet the state’s proficient level of achievement.

The William and Mary Reading/Language Arts Program: The program was developed by the Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary specifically to meet the needs of high ability students. The program includes a series of curriculum units designed to challenge students to read advanced texts and perform a variety of tasks. The literature and tasks increase in complexity as students move from one grade to the next. Through consistent use of the curriculum’s specific teaching models, students build competence in reading, writing and thinking. In class the students read and discuss short pieces of literature – poems, short stories, speeches, and essays. They keep a response journal to clarify thinking and to help prepare for written and oral assignments. Students respond to the literature and think critically about it by analyzing ideas, vocabulary, and structure. The units include reading and research activities that require work outside of class, and students may need support in the classroom and at home. Instruction focuses on active learning, problem solving, research, and critical thinking. In addition to receiving direct instruction, students are encouraged to work individually and in small groups. The use of rubrics to evaluate work is a strong component. A pre/post-test assesses progress made in the areas of literature, grammar and writing; students maintain a writing portfolio that documents growth in writing; and a number of projects are assessed through three perspectives – self, peer, and teacher. In MCPS highly able students participate fully in the William and Mary Curriculum. Instruction includes the sequence of lessons and full integration of the reasoning and research components. All students in MCPS participate in partial implementation of the William and Mary Curriculum through consistent application of the teaching models along with selected readings and lessons from the units.

Soar to Success Program: This program is proven to enhance reading comprehension for students who are already able to read fluently. It utilizes a reciprocal teaching approach, which trains students to use four specific reading comprehension strategies: clarifying, predicting, questioning and summarizing. Trained Soar to Success teachers work with selected small groups of students. Corrective Reading: This program is a research based program that focuses on teaching decoding skills and is designed for students who cannot read accurately and fluently. Skills are broken down into small steps that can easily be taught, followed by ample opportunities to apply what they have learned in new contexts. The program provides direct instruction that compels all students to participate. Teachers are able to adjust their pacing and develop students’ confidence as they build skills. Quick Reads: This researched based program uses nonfiction reading material to focus on the areas of fluency, comprehension, and background knowledge. Quick Reads consists of short texts that are designed to be read quickly and meaningfully. It helps the students to develop competency in the areas of fluency, comprehension,

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and background knowledge. The students become knowledgeable about critical topics in science and social studies. Jacob’s Ladder: This is a researched based program (grades 3 – 5) is designed by the College of William and Mary. Jacob’s Ladder is an advanced reading program that requires the students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate texts. Strong reading comprehension skills are required for this high-level program. With the structure provided, students can move easily from basic comprehension skills to higher level critical reading skills. Four major genres are included in this program: fables, myths, short stories, poetry and nonfiction. Read Naturally: This is an individualized program that allows students to work independently most of the time. Students are always working in material that is at an appropriate level for them. This program uses three research-based strategies for improving fluency 1) teacher modeling 2) repeated readings and 3) progress monitoring. Junior Great Books Program: This program is proven to help students develop the essential skills of reading carefully, thinking critically, listening intently, and speaking and writing persuasively. Teachers in classrooms most often lead the program with students of mixed abilities as an integral part of the regular language arts curriculum. However, it is flexible enough to focus on the needs of English language learners, gifted, and Title I students or to use as an after-school program led by parents, volunteers, or librarians. Readwell K and 1: This is a research-based program where students develop strong decoding skills, comprehension strategies and content knowledge. Readwell combines student read and teacher read text in a “duet” story format. Readwell stories are scaffolded to support increasingly independent reading by students. Scott Foresman’s Early reading Intervention (ERI): This is a research-based program that is designed to support at-risk students (K and 1) and provide explicit, systematic instruction. Hands-On Equations®: This program is a visual and kinesthetic teaching system for introducing algebraic concepts to students in Grades 3 to 8. Developed by Dr. Henry Borenson, this patented teaching system enables young children, as early as 3rd grade, to gain access to algebraic concepts normally presented in the 7th, 8th, or even 9th grades. This program allows all students to gain the knowledge necessary for advanced placement opportunities later in the middle and high school year. Describe the school’s plan for incorporating additional activities before school, after school, during the summer and during any extension of school. All Title I schools in Montgomery County Public Schools participate in the Extended Learning Opportunities Initiative. The program consists of two components – extended year and extended day. The Extended Learning Opportunities Summer Adventures in Learning (ELO SAIL) – Extended Year program is designed to provide additional instruction in reading/language arts and mathematics to entering kindergarten through Grade 5 students in our school. Specifically, the ELO-SAIL program seeks to:

Alleviate the loss of academic skills that some students may experience over the summer months; Extend learning by continuing to review concepts and skills that were taught in the previous school year; Strengthen basic skills that are the preconditions of later learning; Accelerate learning by previewing concepts and skills to be taught in the grade students will enter in the fall; and

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Provide continuing English language instruction for speakers of other languages. The ELO SAIL program consists of four hours each morning for a four-week period. The program is offered at no cost to families, as federal funds are used to support the program. All students receive breakfast and lunch at no cost, and transportation to and from the program is provided. The duration of the daily instructional component of the program is a minimum of three hours. The instructional schedule includes reading/language arts for two hours and mathematics for one hour. The ELO-Extended Day program is the after school component of the ELO Initiative. This program is designed to support students throughout the school year. It provides intervention and acceleration for students. Students participate in a variety of programs: After school Math Achievers, ( This year 3rd - 5th grade students will be invited to participate in the Math Achievers program. Priority will be given to “cusp” students), ESOL Literacy Club and The Chess Club.

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Describe the strategies to be used 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, to local elementary school programs. The Montgomery County Judy Center is an early childhood education collaborative activity between Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, the Montgomery County Collaboration Council, the City of Gaithersburg, Maryland, and numerous community partners. The Judy Center will also collaborate with Linkages to Learning. The Pre-K teacher will maintain a data notebook and will use the information collected in the articulation of pre-K students to kindergarten Kindergarten orientation is held each spring in order to give parents an opportunity to visit the school with their child. There are also staff members available to answer questions about the school. During July, a parent meeting was held for incoming kindergarten parents. Parents were given activity packets and materials that they could use at home to support literacy and fine motor skills Describe the strategies to be used for assisting students in the transition from other schools into the schoolwide program after the beginning of the school year has commenced. The counselor and a student government member transition students who transfer to the school with a private tour. The new student is assigned a buddy to help them get acclimated to the school. Personal contact is made with the parents to discuss school expectations. Within two weeks of arrival at Rosemont students will have their foundational reading and math skills assessed in order to determine instructional placement. The results of theses assessments will guide the teacher in how to best meet the students’ reading and math needs to ensure his/her success. New students will be placed in the appropriate supplemental or intervention program, as needed. In addition, several other data sources will be used to assist student’s transition into the schoolwide program. Student records will be reviewed for information that could be gleaned to assist the staff with transitioning the student. When registering new students, families will be given a compact disc which provides information about Rosemont including hours of operations, lunch information, curricular and staff information

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Measurement Analysis and Knowledge Management

Long -Range Goal By Spring, 2008, Rosemont Elementary School will achieve adequate yearly progress on the Maryland State Assessment (MSA), as defined by MSDE, by meeting the annual measurable objectives set in reading and in mathematics for students in the aggregate, and for each student subgroup (African American, American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, White students with limited English proficiency, students receiving special education services, and economically disadvantaged students). School Objective Rosemont Elementary School will meet the Maryland State Assessment (MSA) 2008 Annual Measurable Objectives:

71.8 % (within the confidence interval) of all students and of the eight subgroups will demonstrate proficient or advanced performance on reading on the MSA. 69.1 % (within the confidence interval) of all students and of the eight subgroups will demonstrate proficient or advanced performance on math on the MSA.

Measures to Include Teachers in the Decisions Regarding the Use of Academic Assessments

At Rosemont Elementary School we rely on datum and information as the foundation for scrutinizing and measuring student learning. In order to have teachers actively involved in decision-making based on student achievement, several activities will occur throughout the year. The expectation this year is that all teachers who instruct in reading and or math will keep a “Data Notebook” which will include, but not be limited to, twice weekly collection of data based on mastery objectives using a variety of formative assessment tools. All grade levels will have a monthly meeting with the principal, assistant principal and other CORE Team members to discuss and analyze the progress of their students based on the indicators taught that month. The goal of these meetings is to employ the PDSA Model to design and deploy effective instructional strategies to meet student needs. The second strategy is to have a weekly uninterrupted ninety minute planning block for each grade level. The goal of this new initiative is to craft an environment where there is respect for the time required to plan effective instruction with the support of the Reading Coach, Reading Specialist (Grades 4/5), Math Content Coach and Staff Development Teacher. Subtests of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, 6th Edition (DIBELS) assessment will be conducted on individual students in grades K through 3 a minimum of three times a year (September, January and May). The reading coach will meet with teams during their extended planning times to analyze the data on both a grade level and classroom level to determine individual students’ strengths and weaknesses with regard to reading, which will then guide instruction and possible placement of the student in a supplemental and/or intervention program. Students who did not make benchmark will be placed in supplemental and/or intervention programs. They will receive DIBELS progress monitoring assessments at least bi-weekly if they are in the intensive range, and at least monthly if they are in the strategic range. Additionally, students who have met benchmark will be provided with an “enrichment” intervention using either extension activities from the Houghton Mifflin Program or for the strongest students Junior Great Books.

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All students in grades 4 and 5 will be assessed a minimum of four times a year (September, ) using the ORF subtest of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, 6th Edition (DIBELS). Addition students who are receiving reading interventions will be progress monitored approximately every three weeks in order to measure their growth in fluency. Students receiving interventions are appropriately placed based on a number of data points. These include, but are not limited to MSA scores, MAP-R scores, IRIs, and articulation information from the previous spring and Corrective Reading placement tests for students with decoding issues.

The DIBELS assessments will be used to assess the kindergarten and first grade students’ progress in May. The SAT 10 will be used to assess the first and second grade students’ progress in May. The MSA will be used to assess the third, fourth and fifth grade students’ progress in March. In the area of Mathematics, teachers will administer a pre-assessment to all students at the beginning of each unit. The math coach will meet with grade level teams (grades K-5) to analyze pre-assessment data and determine the appropriate instructional model for each student. Throughout the unit, teachers will administer monitoring tasks that were developed by each team with the support of the math coach. This data will be analyzed to determine individual student strengths and weaknesses with regard to math, which will then guide instruction.

The math unit assessments will be administered at the end of each instructional unit. Each teacher will receive a teacher report displaying individual student performance on the unit test. Teacher reports are also shared with the math coach and administration. Parents will also receive individual student reports on how their child performed on the unit test. At the end of the year a summary report is sent home to parents displaying how their child performed in the 6 standards of math based on their child’s unit assessment data throughout the year.

Rosemont Elementary School is committed to continuing the process of performance excellence. The Baldrige Model will be utilized to improve all aspects of the school program.

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