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2002-2003: AYP English Language Arts
2002-2003: AYP Math
Introduction The key elements contributing to the improved student achievement results at Martin Luther King Jr. School are curriculum, instruction, and assessment aligned to the standards; the adoption of a schoolwide, balanced literacy program; and increased time for teacher collaboration and professional development. King's participation in the Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program (II/USP) acted as a catalyst for these changes. After being identified as an II/USP school in 1999-2000, King hired WestEd as an external evaluator and began an intense year of reflection, inquiry, data analysis, and planning. After conducting surveys and focus groups with all of the key constituents, it became clear that King's reform effort should focus on literacy. Once the staff at King school decided upon a focus, they researched various literacy programs. After visiting schools and meeting with program providers, the staff at King decided to adopt Open Court. The staff found Open Court's primary base of phonemic awareness with a K-6 consistency for the entire school best suited to their needs. In addition to this curriculum focus, some systemic issues needed to be addressed at the school, such as lack of teacher collaboration time. With district approval, the staff at King modified their schedule to allow for teacher collaboration and professional development every week. They did this by banking time, or adding instructional minutes to each day so that once a week students would be released early. During this early-release time, teachers discussed and received training on the Open Court curriculum, instruction, and assessment. In addition, they aligned all of their curriculum, instruction, and assessment to the standards. In the past, teachers touched base in the hallways, at lunch, or after school. This formal time for collaboration was a marked change. Teachers at King cite it as one of the most powerful elements of their improvement effort. The foundation for all of these changes was a clear, measurable, data-driven action plan with built-in timelines, benchmarks, and persons responsible. This action plan, created with the help of WestEd, guides everything at King school. While a leadership team primarily drafted the plan, the entire staff was consulted at key points along the way. This consensus building helped the entire staff have buy-in and be committed to implementing the plan. Assessment and Accountability The use of data has changed dramatically at King since the reform effort began. Teachers now have time to look at data every week with their colleagues. In addition, they have received training on how to analyze the data to drive their instruction. The principal knows that teachers at King are most comfortable with data that help them to help their children, so she ensures that all training about data is linked to inform instruction and monitoring student learning. Assessment has also changed at King. As part of the Open Court program, students are given reading assessments every six weeks. This frequent assessment allows teachers to identify strengths and weaknesses and where they need to target interventions. Along with the six-week reading assessments, teachers administer writing and math proficiencies. The district-wide math proficiency is administered quarterly and the district-wide reading proficiency is administered yearly with monthly assessments at school sites. Staff at King consistently analyze the statewide assessment data, along with their six-week reading assessments, and math and writing proficiencies. They look at strengths and weaknesses and determine where to target interventions and make programmatic changes. Professional Development In addition to the days the district has traditionally set aside for staff development, King school now has an extra two hours per week for teacher collaboration and professional development as a result of their modified schedule. Usually the first hour is reserved for grade level meetings, and the second hour is reserved for an entire faculty meeting. Administrative business during staff meetings is kept to a minimum. Instead, teachers review student work, analyze data, plan lessons and receive training. King school also has a reading resource teacher who serves as a coach. She observes lessons, models lessons, and helps teachers plan. She also helps teachers and grade level teams manage their assessment data. Teachers have found this increased time for collaboration extremely productive. Often in looking at data, trends become apparent. If an entire grade level is struggling with a particular skill, those teachers come together to brainstorm better instructional strategies. In addition, they can consult with the reading resource teacher, the principal, district office, or county office. Also, if one teacher's students seem to have difficulty with something, but other teachers have found success, they can share best practices. This time for reflection and collaboration really allows the staff at King to hone the curriculum and instruction. If students have mastered the standards of the unit, the instruction will look similar the next year. If students have struggled with a particular unit, the instruction is modified. Standards-Based Curriculum and Instruction Teachers at King learned how to implement standards through a series of workshops. In these workshops, teachers have analyzed the standards and now understand that the standards build on one another from grade to grade. Now that this connection is clear, articulation becomes easier. Teachers must turn in weekly lesson plans to the principal. The principal ensures that the plans clearly identify standards. The principal also uses the lesson plans to ensure the class is moving through the curriculum at a pace that is suited to the students, but also is preparing them with the requisite skills in the next grade level. Since the reform effort began at King, there has been an increased emphasis on consistent, schoolwide, instructional strategies. For example, teachers across grade levels use the same phonemic awareness and reading comprehension strategies from the Open Court program. All teachers have had training on direct instruction and are expected to implement modeling, guided practice, independent work, and re-teaching if necessary. All teachers also use accelerated reader and accelerated math. Finally, all teachers list the standards they are addressing on the board, so that the teacher, students, and any classroom observers are all aware of what standard is being addressed. The principal and reading resource teacher are in classrooms every day so that they can ensure all teachers are implementing the agreed-upon strategies. There is a strong emphasis on English language development (ELD) in the classrooms at King. Sixty percent of the school's students are classified as English Learners and another 28% do not speak English as their first language. Their needs are met in a variety of ways. All teachers at King have either a Bilingual, Cross-cultural, Language and Academic Development (BCLAD) credential, Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE) training, or a bilingual credential. The Open Court program has a skills book specifically designed for English Learners. Teachers use this along with the Hampton Brown series to support English Learners in the classroom. If English Learners are still struggling, they participate in a program that provides intensive corrective reading training, focusing on decoding and comprehension. An after-school program also is in place for English Learners. Many in-school and after-school programs are available for students who need additional help. Teachers and administrators use individual student data to determine what specific area a student has yet to master. Based on that evaluation, a student can receive targeted intervention in decoding, fluency, comprehension, ELD, writing or mathematics. King also has an extensive after-school program. The staff use data to target students that need intensive interventions and place them in the appropriate afterschool program. King has added a pre-kinder program to their various support pieces to ensure students enter the school with the best possible preparation. Finally, the district provides three different summer schools: one for students who are not meeting the standards and benchmarks for their grade level; another for students needing more help with ELD; and finally one that is more general so that students continue building their skills. All of the programs in place at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School help to ensure the academic success of its students. This school is featured in the video series, "Closing the Gap: Meeting the Achievement Challenge in California." For more information go to the Closing the Gap Video Series This school profile was created in 2003. Achievement and demographic data through 2003 are included. Permission to Use Resources SchoolsMovingUp, a WestEd initiative, invites you to use our resources in your work. For uses that involve reproduction of more than one copy of the resource, please submit the online permission request form. We will reply immediately once we know your intended reproduction needs. All reproductions of the resource must include a full citation of the WestEd copyright. |
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