Central Middle School places a copy of the CAPITAL SCHOOL DISTRICT ...

CAPITAL SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOL SUCCESS PLAN NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT OF 2001 For: CENTRAL MIDDLE SCHOOL 2008-09 SCHOOL YEAR I. REPRESENTATIVES RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING, IMPLEMENTING, AND EVALUATING THIS PLAN: Planning committee: NAME OF MEMBER Darren T. Guido, Ed.D. Linda Daye David Thomas Barb Adams Jomelle Bowen Dennis Hallock Sahirah Hameed Seth Kopp Noah Newcomer Diana Robbins Teresa Sharpe Melissa White Susan Whitaker Debra Yingling Juanita Wilson REPRESENTING Administration Administration Administration Teacher representative Teacher representative Parent representative Paraprofessional Teacher representative CMP mathematics specialist Teacher representative Teacher representative Teacher representative Community representative Health representative District office representative II. education students.) SCHOOL DATA REVIEW SUMMARY Complete a one page synopsis of what the data relating to all areas of academic achievement including professional development and technology, school climate, and family involvement indicate for your school. (Should be completed after all the data is disaggregated and summarized. See last page for II. A-D (Plan for special Academic Achievement Based on the results of the 2008 Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP), Central Middle School did not meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). On that assessment cycle, only one cells failed to meet AYP- special education students (mathematics). Two other cells were placed in Safe Harbor Status, as there was a decrease of more 10% of the students who failed to meet the standard compared to the 2007 assessment- special education students (reading) and African American students (mathematics). The preliminary DSTP data reveals that CMS scores rose in all but four areas- eighth grade African American reading scores dropped from 68% to 66%; seventh grade Hispanic reading scores dropped from 93% to 80%; seventh grade white reading scores dropped from 87% to 86% and seventh grade special education scores dropped from 66% to 54%. Across both grade levels, there was an increase in all mathematics scores. The top instructional needs areas highlighted by the DSTP in reading, mathematics and writing are highlighted in the next section of this document. CMS was in the first cohort of the Vision 2015 Network and examined many aspects of improving student achievement. The first phase of Vision 2015 explored ways to utilize school administrators’ time more efficiently while the second phase focused on creating an instructional focus and corresponding instructional strategies that will be utilized for every student in every class every day. The instructional leadership team is looking forward to continuing the relationship with Vision 2015 in 2009. There were 671 students who met the technology literacy requirement. The CMS technology department will create rubrics for each technology literacy requirement and provide them to the other staff members. Staff members in each department will examine their curricula to determine which technology literacy skills could be addressed. By expanding the use of technology into all classes, CMS will better address the students’ need to become technologically literate by the end of the eighth grade and will help move the teachers beyond the Level of Technology Integration (LoTI) level 2 (Exploration). When one examines the 2008 CMS LoTI scores, one finds that 71% of the staff was clustered in Levels 1-2 (Awareness- 35%and Exploration- 39%). Compared with the 2007-LoTI data, the CMS staff is moving in the right direction regarding technology integration. The staff remains concentrated in the first two areas, but there was a decrease in the percentage in Awareness (35% to 25%) and an increase in the percentage in Exploration (39% to 46%). Climate With a total of 1508 disciplinary referrals, Central Middle School had a reduction of close to 300 discipline referrals less that during the 2007 school year (n=1801). The top incident categories have been the same for the past two years- disruption of the educational process (241, 16%), inappropriate behavior (197, 13%) and failure to report (154, 10%). When the discipline data is disaggregated by ethnicity, it is not proportional to the percentage of those students in the overall population. When examining this data, it is apparent that Native American students received a slightly higher percentage of the write-ups than they are represented in the population, Asian American students received a slightly less percentage of write-ups based on their population and Hispanic students received approximately the same percentage of discipline write-ups as they represent in the student population. White students received 20% of the discipline write-ups, but account for 39% of the student population, while African American students received 74% of the discipline write-ups, but account for only 53% of the student population. There was a disparity in some areas among the staff, student and parent responses on the Delaware School Climate Survey. Large disparities (25% or more) between staff and student responses occurred for 21% (6 of the 28) of the common asked questions. These questions included:  School rules are fair (staff- 94: student- 51), Adults that work in the school care about the students (staff- 92: student- 63), Teachers care about students (staff- 92: student- 63), The school’s code of conduct is fair (staff- 88: student- 59), Teachers treat students with respect (staff- 84: student- 57), Adults in the school treat students fairly (staff- 82: student- 55) Large disparities (25% or more) between staff and student responses occurred for 13% (4 of the 31) of the common asked questions.  I recognized or praised an individual student for good behavior six or more times. (staff- 46: parent- 3), Teachers listen to student problems (staff- 90: parent- 64), Students threaten and bully others in school (staff- 86: parent- 57), Stealing is a problem in the school (staff- 72: parent- 41) To be proactive in creating a positive school environment, Central Middle School implemented a Positive Behavior Support (PBS) program during the 2006 school year. The expectation for all members of the CMS family included Commit to Excellence, Maintain Respect and Support Safety. PBS needs to become a part of the school culture and its effectiveness will be measured yearly on the school climate survey. Family Involvement Only 66 students (0.6%) returned their CAPITAL SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT during the 2008 school year. As was done in the past few years, the Partnership agreement will be placed into the students’ agenda books and Advisory teachers will contact the parents of students in their homerooms who do not return the agreement by the requested date. Eighty four percent of the CMS parents participated in one or more home-school communication activity during the school year. There were only three events held and evaluation forms were not completed. This objective was not measured well during the 2008 school year, but will be in 2009. III. Summarize the data regarding your school in the following SCHOOL ASSESSMENT A. List student needs that have been identified through your school/district evaluation/assessment activities. Identify data used to determine the needs. (Examples: DSTP data, attendance data, SES data; drop-out and suspension data, achievement data, data showing gaps and disparities between subpopulations of students meeting or exceeding the standards; alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use data, LEP data, including English language proficiency (LAS) data; technology skills data; and discipline data disaggregated by gender, by race, by ethnicity, by English proficiency status, by migrant status, by disability, and by economic status). Student Needs The students of Central Middle School as a whole, and in the various No Child Left Behind sub-populations, must continue to increase their performance on the 2008 Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) assessments. Reading Eighth grade students need to increase their ability to:  Extend meaning by evaluating text for bias and accuracy in order to formulate and support opinions  Extend meaning by drawing conclusions and using critical thinking to connect and synthesize information within and across text, ideas, and concepts  Interpret meaning by understanding elements of text (e.g., figurative language, genre, fact/opinion, comparisons Seventh grade students need to increase their ability to:  Extend meaning by understanding the effects of author's techniques and decisions  Interpret meaning by drawing conclusions about the central ideas in a text and understanding why a text was written  Determine meaning by using context clues, identifying story elements, and organizing important points to understand the text. Mathematics Eighth grade students need to increase their ability to:  Determine the equivalence or relative sizes of fractions, decimals, percents, and exponential expressions  Communicate mathematical arguments. Seventh grade students need to increase their ability to:  Use mathematical reasoning to solve multi-step problems  Write equations or solve simple equations using informal methods Writing Eighth grade students need to increase their ability to:  Organize the writing around a single topic with an introduction, closing, and some transitions  Work to avoid errors in conventions of English usage, grammar, spelling, and punctuation that could interfere with understanding Data Source(s) DSTP disaggregated data DSTP instructional needs data DSTP instructional needs data DSTP instructional needs data   Support the ideas with more specific details Do more than making generalities regarding the prompt. Seventh grade students need to increase their ability to:  Do more than making generalities regarding the prompt  Support the ideas with more specific details  Work to avoid errors in conventions of English usage, grammar, spelling, and punctuation that could interfere with understanding  Organize the writing around a single topic with an introduction, closing, and some transitions. The students of CMS need to accept responsibility for their behavior and demonstrate self- control. CMS discipline data; Parent, student and teacher survey data IV. List staff and school community needs that have been identified through your school/district evaluation/assessment activities. Data Source(s) Parent, student and teacher survey data; DSTP disaggregated data; CMS discipline data Staff and School Community Needs The CMS staff members need to:  Work to enable all students to experience technologies integrated with curriculum and instruction and to use these on a regular basis in classrooms and labs  Have the skills and resources necessary to help their students meet the seventh and eighth grade curriculum standards  Assist in raising the academic performance of special education students  Implement and maintain an effective Positive Behavior Support (PBS) program The CMS administration team needs to provide sustained, on-going research based professional development throughout the school year to meet the needs of the CMS staff. CMS needs to involve parents and community members in curriculum planning, implementation, and evaluation and to utilize available resources to enable all students to reach their maximum potential. Teacher survey data Parent survey data V. A. Describe the systems, structures, and services that are in place to support improvement planning in your school. During the 2009 school year, a variety of structures will be in place to support improvement planning at Central Middle School.  Central Middle School completed the first year of their connection with the Vision 2015 Network. As a Network member, the instructional leadership team worked with Focus on Results to develop the school’s instructional focus and related instructional strategies. During the 2009 school year, all staff will apply the CMS instructional focus to their classrooms and utilize the related instructional strategy (ies) for every student in every class every day. All staff will receive training from Learning-Focused to learn effective strategies to increase student achievement.  CMS will replicate the Meet the Challenge (MTC) program that has been implemented in three other Delaware middle schools. A cohort of ELA, math, science and social studies teachers developed the program Meeting the Challenge IV our Students. The CMS MTC program was created by CMS teachers during the summer of 2008 and will be shared with the staff during the second professional development day of the year. Low SES students who have been identified as showing potential for successful completion of higher-level math courses will be invited to take part in the CMS Computer Intensive Algebra Academy. As a part of the Delaware APIP cohort, CMS ELA and math teachers will work in Vertical Learning Teams with high school teachers to ensure smooth secondary ELA and mathematics programs for all students in the district. A Year II APIP grant was written to continue “Saturday Academy” program. Knowing that all students must receive on grade level instruction and curriculum, all special education students who are classified as basic or intensive will be placed in a fully inclusive classroom taught by two teachers. The teachers of those classes will receive professional development throughout the school year to focus on effective co-teaching instructional strategies that meet the needs of all of the students in the classroom. CMS will continue to work with a representative from the Delaware Writing Project to provide professional development workshops and lead model lessons throughout the school year to enhance the writing strategies of our teachers. ELA, mathematics and social studies teachers will utilize results from the Survey of Enacted Curriculum to identify inconsistencies and gaps in instructional programs and to develop strategies to decrease them. All teachers in the various departments will administer common assessment, examine student work at the end of each marking period, conduct item analyses and create Go-Forward Action plans focused on increasing student achievement in identified areas of need. All non- highly qualified teachers (HQT) in their content areas will receive on-going assistance to enable them to become highly qualified in their content areas as determined by the DDOE. The CMS goal is to have 100% of the classes taught by HQT by February 1, 2009. The master schedule will be adjusted to allow more time for teachers to collaborate during the school day. These collaboration/ duty times will have a distinct focus and follow up to the school administration will be required.        B. Describe the strategies the school uses to involve parents and community members, including historically underrepresented groups, in the school improvement process, i.e., developing a vision, collecting and analyzing data, determining needs, setting goals, implementing strategies, and evaluating results. The active participation of parents, students, faculty and community members in the various school committees will help create the vision and direction of Central Middle School. Much of the data that are collected and analyzed are first discussed at the School Leadership Committee (SLC) meetings before they are shared with the staff at faculty meetings or parents at PTO meetings. Student needs are determined by reviewing various sources, such as DSTP data, CMS discipline data, quarterly SARP/ Go Forward Action Plans, student progress reports and report cards. Other needs data is gathered from various parent, student and teacher surveys. All parents have been invited to take part in the various school committees through an open letter that was placed in the school agenda that all students will receive. The committees include:         Crisis Management- examines the school safety manual and monitors the school safety plan Guidance/ Advisement- examines the role of the guidance department, revises and distributes the Advisory curriculum, explores methods of increasing student academic, career and personal-social development Literacy- promotes literacy across the curriculum, implements and monitors the CMS literacy plan Parent Involvement- explores ways to strengthen the bonds between the school and home, creates the conduit between the school and the community Positive Behavior Support (PBS)/ Discipline- examines CMS discipline data, looks for trends in the data, plans activities to reinforce positive student behavior School Planning- modifies the current school plan to meet the current needs of students, staff and community, monitors implementation of the school plan, gathers and inspects data on a regular basis Technology- monitors the technology currently at CMS, maintains the equipment list, seeks the acquisition of new technology, plans professional development workshops Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) - meets monthly in the evenings during the school year to help the students, faculty and staff of Central Middle School After staff, student, parental and community needs have been established, specific goals are set. The SLC meets on a monthly basis to discuss and develop appropriate goals to meet the needs of the stakeholders of CMS. The SLC, along with the parent involvement committee and the PTO, helps to disseminate the information to those same stakeholders. At the end of each school year, the data is gathered and analyzed to determine if the goals have been met. The results are then made available to the CMS stakeholders in both paper and electronic editions. Staff and/ or administration will contact business and community leaders to create mutually beneficial partnerships that support the continued success of our students. This school plan will be evaluated throughout the school year to determine the degree to which the objectives and activities for each goal are being addressed and implemented. Each goal in the school plan will be monitored quarterly by a Central Middle School administrator with the help of a committee of teachers and/ or parents. The goal committees will report back to the SLC with their findings for discussion. C. Describe how the school has implemented parent policies and parent/school compacts. Central Middle School places a copy of the CAPITAL SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT in the student agenda books that are given to all students at the beginning of the school year. We ask that all parents review the Partnership Agreement with their students, sign both student and parent signatures, and return it to Central before the end of August. The students’ advisory teachers will contact those parents who have not returned it by the requested date to ensure that they are all returned. Central Middle School will also provide numerous opportunities for parents to take an active role in their child’s overall school program. Four dates have been added to the district and school calendars for CMS Parent Nights: October 1, 2008; January 7, 2009; March 4, 2009; and May 6, 2009. Examples of parental offerings could include Literacy Night, Math and Science Night, Technology Night, Related Arts show, musical performances, 5K walk/run, Open Houses, athletic events, theme nights, and meetings with parents in community centers. D. Describe how and when the school will report the results of its evaluation of the goals and objectives identified in this plan to parents and other audiences. Central Middle School will report the results of its evaluation of the goals and objectives identified in this plan to parents and other audiences using a variety of methods. The 2008 school plan evaluation will be placed on the school’s website and made available in hard copy in the main office. Public announcements of its availability and locations will be made in the local weekly newspaper. Each teacher and staff member will also be given a copy of the 2008 school plan evaluation and it will be discussed at the first faculty meeting of the school year. The 2008 school plan evaluation will also be discussed at the September PTO meeting of the school year. The 2009 school plan will also be placed on the school’s website and made available in hard copy in the main office. Public announcements of its availability and locations will be made in the local weekly newspaper. Each teacher and staff member will be given a copy of the 2009 school plan and it will be discussed at the first faculty meeting of the school year and at the September PTO meeting of the school year. A newsletter recapping the school plan will be placed in the Wednesday Folder during the first week of school. A notation will be made that full copies will be available on request. E. Describe how data from the professional development needs assessment and the review of scientifically-based research are analyzed and used to develop the school professional development plan to meet NCLB High Quality Teacher Requirements. Through its work in the Vision 2015 Network, the CMS staff will work with the Learning-Focused organization to learn effective strategies to increase student achievement. The content and special education teacher who work in the inclusive setting will receive training for strategies that effectively reach students with special needs. Eighty-seven percent of the classes taught at CMS in 2007 were taught by HQT and that number increased to 91% in 2008. The administration has worked diligently with non-HQT to enable them to reach that status and will continue to do so in 2009 through tutoring, the purchasing of test review materials and/ or the paying of the HQT assessment. VI. A. Summary of School/Community Plans SUMMARY OF SCHOOL/COMMUNITY PLANS Complete the chart on the following pages defining how your district/schools/communities will meet the goals identified in Question #4. This chart summarizes your school-level activities. Goal A: A coordinated school wide effort to have all CMS students show growth in the ability to use critical thinking strategies to communicate effectively across all curricular areas as measured by the DSTP and curricular assessments through the collaboration of school based professional learning communities. Target Group A1. All students Measurable Objective and Evidence of Accountability A1.1. During the 2009 school year, the various NCLB subgroups of students who meet or exceed the state standards on the DSTP reading and mathematics assessments will increase by 5% from the 2008 school year. The subgroups will either meet the standard or qualify for Safe Harbor. The targets for each NCLB are found below. 8th grade Reading 2009 (73%) 83% 78% 75% 89% 54% 75% Reading 2009 (73%) 88% 82% 80% 80% 76% 75% Math 2009 (58%) 61% 55% 55% 77% 38% 60% Math 2009 (58%) 65% 56% 65% 78% 36% 60% Activities A1) A1.1, A1.2, A3.1: A cohort of ELA, math, science and social studies teachers developed and implement a Meet the Challenge program A1.1, A1.2, A3.1: CMS staff members will receive on going training from Learning-Focused to learn effective strategies to increase student achievement A1.1, A1.2, A2.1, A3.1: All staff will apply the CMS instructional focus to their classrooms and utilize the related instructional strategy(ies) for every student in every class every day A1.2, A1.2, A2.1, A3.1: CMS ELA and math teachers will work in Vertical Learning Teams with high school teachers to ensure smooth secondary ELA and mathematics programs for all students in the district A1.2, A1.2, A2.1, A3.1: Special education students who are classified as basic or intensive will be placed in a fully inclusive classroom taught by two teachers and the teachers of those classes will receive professional development to focus on effective co-teaching instructional strategies that meet the needs of all of the students in the classroom A1.1, A1.2, A2.1, A3.1: CMS will continue to work with the Delaware Writing Project to provide professional development workshops and lead model lessons throughout the school year to enhance the writing strategies of our ELA teachers A1.1, A1.2, A2.1, A3.1: ELA, mathematics and social studies teachers will utilize results from the Survey of Enacted Curriculum to identify inconsistencies and gaps in instructional programs and to develop strategies to Timeline A1) Ongoing, beginning June 2008 A2-8) Ongoing, beginning August 2008 A1) February 1, 2009 Who is responsible? A1.1: Dr. Guido A2.1: Dr. Guido A3.1: Dr. Guido A4.1: Dr. Guido Source of Funds Capital School District Curriculum Office budget Central Middle School budget Department of Education School Improvement Grant Department of Education APIP Grant Department of Education 21st Century Grant Rodel Foundation/ Vision 2015 grant A2) A3) All Af. Am. Hispanic White Spec. Ed. Low Inc. 7th grade A4) A5) All Af. Am. Hispanic White Spec. Ed. Low Inc. A6) A2. 8th grade students A2.1. During the 2009 year, the target percentage of all students who meet or exceed the state standards on the DSTP science and social studies assessments are 60%. A7) Target Group A3. All students Measurable Objective and Evidence of Accountability A3.1. 90% of the student population, by grade, will be passing in the content areas of ELA, math, science and/ or social studies at the end of each marking period. A4.1. 100% of the staff will become Highly Qualified in their content areas Activities decrease same A8) A1.1, A1.2, A2.1, A3.1: All teachers in the various departments will administer common assessments, examine student work at the end of each marking period, conduct item analyses and create Go-Forward Action plans focused on increasing student achievement in the identified areas of need A4.1: All non- highly qualified teachers in their content areas will receive on-going assistance to enable them to become highly qualified in their content areas as determined by the DDOE Timeline Who is responsible? Source of Funds A4. Staff A9) Goal B: To ensure that the students of Central Middle School have a safe, nurturing, substance-free environment in which to learn and work. Measurable Objective and Evidence of Accountability B1.1. There will be a reduction of 15% from the previous year of “Disruption of the educational process” discipline referrals as measured by end of year discipline summary data. B1.2. There will be a reduction of 15% from the previous year of “Inappropriate behavior” discipline referrals as measured by end of year discipline summary data. B1.3. There will be a reduction of 15% from the previous year of “Failure to report” discipline referrals as measured by end of year discipline summary data. B1.4. There will be a reduction of 15% from the previous year of HB 322discipline referrals as measured by end of year discipline summary data. B1.5. There will be a reduction of 15% from the previous year of reported instances of Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug use as measured by end of year discipline summary data. B1.6. There will be a reduction of 15% from the previous year of students who receive more than 1 referral as measured by end of year discipline summary data. Activities B1) B2) B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B1.4, B1.5: Discipline data will be gathered and shared each month at faculty meetings B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B1.4, and B1.5: A school wide committee focused on Guidance/ Advisory will be created to focus on the revision of the CMS advisory program. B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B1.4, B1.5: Students will be invited to participate in Project Real for the purpose of providing academic, social, emotional and recreational programs B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B1.4, B1.5: The administration will convene monthly meetings with students to discuss academic/ school climate issues and relay the information to the staff B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B1.4, B1.5: Monthly PBS activities will be organized and held to reward students for displaying the CMS expectationsCommitting to Excellence, Maintaining Respect and Supporting Safety B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B1.4, B1.5, B2.1.: Administration will participate in yearly Department of Education School Climate and the University of Delaware ATOD surveys and will utilize the data to determine needs B2.1: The administration will participate in the end of the year Delaware School Climate Survey and evaluate the data to determine needs Timeline B1-6) Ongoing, beginning September 2008 B7) Spring 2009 Who is responsible? B1.1: Mrs. Daye and Mr. Thomas B2.1: Mrs. Daye and Mr. Thomas Source of Funds Central Middle School budget Department of Education School Improvement Grant Target Group B1. All students B3) B4) B5) B6) B7) B2. Students, parents and staff B2.1. 70% of students, parents and staff who return the Delaware School Climate Survey will indicate an overall approval of the school. Goal C: To involve parents and community members in planning and implementing programs to assist students in reaching their maximum potential. Measurable Objective and Evidence of Accountability C1.1. At least 90% of parents will sign and return the Home-School Partnership as measured by the number returned. C1.2. At least 80% of the students’ families will have participated in one or more home-school communication activities or school events C1.3. 80% of parents who attend parent night activities will rate them as effective as measured by evaluation forms. Activities C1) C1.1: Parents will return the signed HomeSchool Partnership agreement indicating that they have read, understand and support their student and school. C1.1, C1.2, C1.3: A school wide committee focused on parental involvement will be created to develop an action plan to increase home-school communication activities C1.2, C1.3: Administration and teaching staff will advertise the date and time of the fall Open House in the local newspaper, school newsletters and school website. C1.2., C1.3.: At least four parent activities will be held during the school year- including activities through the APIP Parent Outreach Grant Timeline C1) September 2008 C2) June 2008 C3) August and September 2008 C4) At least one each marking period C1.2: Mrs. Engel and Mr. Thomas C1.3: Mrs. Engel and Mr. Thomas Department of Education School Improvement Grant APIP Parent Outreach Grant Who is responsible? C1.1: Advisory teachers Source of Funds Central Middle School budget Target Group C1. Parents and community members C2) C3) C4) II. SPECIAL EDUCATION PLAN A. Summarize the special education data by subgroups including grade level, subject, race, gender, type of classification, setting, SES, etc. (Test scores including DSTP, Gates, or other, classroom grades, discipline data, etc): It is apparent when examining the DSTP scores of students who receive special education services to those who do not that there is a discrepancy in the percentage of students who meet or exceed the standard (as indicated in the last column labeled M/E). In the eighth grade, students who did not receive special education services were 25% more likely to meet or exceed the reading and writing standard and 40% more likely to meet or exceed the mathematics standard than their peers who did receive such services. Grade 8 Curriculum Regular-Ed Assessment Reading Scale Score Math Scale Score Writing Raw Score Reading Scale Score Math Scale Score Writing Raw Score N Count 369 440 438 38 82 82 Mean 513.96 496.88 8.22 492.24 463.28 7.09 StDev 31.91 39.89 1.35 28.68 29.84 1.44 M/E 75 54.8 77.17 44.74 14.63 45.12 PL1 7.32 11.6 0.91 21.05 67.07 3.66 PL2 17.68 9.5 21.92 34.21 18.29 51.22 PL3 65.91 33.7 67.12 44.74 10.98 45.12 PL4 7.32 17.6 9.13 0 1.22 0 PL5 1.77 27.6 0.91 0 2.44 0 8 Special-Ed In the seventh grade, students who did not receive special education services were 30% more likely to meet or exceed the reading standard, 40% more likely to meet the mathematics standard and 25% more likely to meet or exceed the writing standard than their peers who did receive such services. Grade 7 Curriculum Regular-Ed Assessment Reading Scale Score Math Scale Score Writing Raw Score Reading Scale Score Math Scale Score Writing Raw Score N Count 396 436 433 35 75 73 Mean 491.84 482.45 7.43 463.51 447.15 6.22 StDev 31.54 38.82 1.44 31.15 29.79 1.76 M/E 82.32 59.4 54.04 54.29 16 30.14 PL1 5.81 30.28 3.93 20 69.33 17.81 PL2 11.87 10.32 42.03 25.71 14.67 52.05 PL3 67.68 41.97 52.66 54.29 12 30.14 PL4 13.64 10.78 1.39 0 4 0 PL5 1.01 6.65 0 0 0 0 7 Special-Ed When students’ scores are disaggregated by special education classification, the following data is found: Classification Educable Mentally Disabled (EMD- 0100) Emotionally Disturbed (ED-0200) Learning Disabled (LD-0300) Trainable Mental Disability (TMD- 400) Other Health Impaired (OHI-0601) Physical Impairment (PI- 0602) Number 1 8 117 1 15 4 Percentage M/E Reading 0 25% (2 students) 31% (36 students) 100% (1 student) 40% (6 students) 25% (1 student) Percentage M/E Math 0 25% (2 students) 10% (12 students) 0 27% (4 students) 0 Percentage M/E Writing 0 75% (6 students) 35% (41 students) 0 60% (9 students) 50% (2 students) Autistic (1000) 4 100% (4 students) 50% (2 students) 25% (1 student) When students’ scores are disaggregated by special education needs category, the following data is found: Needs Category Basic- A Intensive- B Complex-C Number 128 14 6 Percentage M/E Reading 33% (42 students) 29% (4 students) 33% (2 students) Percentage M/E Math 13% (17 students) 7% (1 student) 17% (1 student) Percentage M/E Writing 39% (50 students) 57% (8 students) 17% (1 student) B. Summarize the use of accommodations with the special education students and the outcomes related to the accommodations given: The use of accommodations throughout the school year will target the specific needs of each student. Throughout the school year, the special education teachers will monitor the academic success of their students and modify the accommodations as needed.       The types of accommodations provided include the following: Read / reread (instructions, directions, passages) Preferential seating- as defined by the special education teacher and the student Extended time Small group instruction, as needed Redirection Access to dictionary, spell checker, Alpha Smart, calculator and/ or arithmetic tables        Multiple attempts to attain mastery Grade modification Carbon notebook Agenda enforcement Routine teacher/parent communication Quick feedback on work Opportunities for modified assignments C. Define the key issues identified in the data above or in other data relating to special education students: Many times, special education students do not fully receive the curriculum that non-IEP students do. For the 2009 school year, all students who were categorized as either basic or intensive special education students were placed into a fully inclusive classroom. One team in each grade level is a fully inclusive team with two teachers in each classroom (ELA, math, science and social studies) - one a content specialist and one a special educator. One additional team in each grade level is comprised of six teachers- ELA, math, science and social studies content teachers and two special educators. The special educators on those two teams will co-teach either ELA and social studies or math and science. Many of the special educators are highly qualified in their content. D. Briefly provide an action checklist which will be used to insure that special education students are provided with the best chance for success in the coming year including para, teacher, principal and district support (please request): To ensure that all special education students receive the best chance for success in 2009, the following will be provided. All special education students (except for those in the ILC classes) will be fully included into all of their classes. During their exploratory classes, they will also have the opportunity to work with the Success Maker computer program in both reading and mathematics and complete the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) to provide teachers with accurate reading levels. All of the special education students will receive instruction that has been coplanned and co-taught by the special educator and the content teacher. During their planning time, modifications to the curriculum, instruction and assessments will be discussed and implemented in the classrooms. Other actions include:  Parent Night  Open House  Placement and file review  Reading program (SRI/ Lexiles)  Smaller class sizes  Classroom climate / management / PBS  Fluency Instruction  The Power of I  Peer tutoring  IST considerations  Access to the curriculum          Access to Behavioral Interventionist HQ teachers Access to guidance counselors, school psychologist, Delaware Guidance Services, etc. Staff development opportunities Clear expectations with posted objectives, guidelines Goal setting / monitoring Teaching problem solving Improving communication skills Community / Parental support Unexcused Absences More than 3 (Equals the total) 4-10 unexcused absences 11-15 unexcused absences 16-30 unexcused absences More than 30 unexcused absences Addressing the Needs of Truancy Students Number of Students 637 378 90 45 25 How do you address the needs of the students in the categories above? List activities and resources you will use to improve this area. For the students in the categories list above, a more personalized approach will be taken to ensure that they are attending school. CMS will continue to utilize the guidelines as outlined in the CSD board policy #700-02 Student Attendance Regulations, but we will add the personal touch by contacting the homes of students with absentee difficulties. When a student is absent for the fifth time from a class, the teacher of that class will contact the parents/ guardians of the student; the teacher will also inform the student’s Advisory teacher. All CMS students, through Advisory, will be matched with an adult who will get to know him or her better than any other adult in the school will. That adult will be the person who makes contact with the home when absences become a problem for a student. Highly Qualified Requirements School %of Highly Qualified Staff: 91% What actions will you take or recommend to improve the number of highly qualified staff? Central Middle School will make a concerted effort to higher only highly qualified staff. When the top choice of candidates to fill an open position are not highly qualified, but hold certification in the area, CMS will provide support to those staff members to become highly qualified. This support could come in the form of tutoring, purchasing Praxis II study materials and/ or paying for the Praxis II exam. What actions, if any, do you need to take to address student subgroups access to HQT classes? All CMS students have access to highly qualified teachers in most of their classes. The 91% represents the number of classes taught by highly qualified teachers and, as many CMS students see close to seven teachers each day, the students are predominantly taught by highly qualified teachers. 2008-09 Vocational Plan The Central Middle School Vocational Plan includes the continual upgrading of the technology in each of the three vocational classes and ensuring access to the curriculum for all of the students at CMS. On a triennial basis, the computers in each of the three vocational classes- introduction to technology (0607/ 0608) and business education/ computer software application (0657/ 0658 and 0667/ 0668)- will be upgraded to the newest models available. Those classes will also be the home for new technology to be piloted before adding it to other classrooms. Anticipated Program Development CMS does not anticipate any new programs to be developed during the 2009 school year. In the future, an agricultural course may be examined for implementation. Although it is not a separate program that needs to be developed, the three vocational teachers must create a technology literacy rubric that all other staff member can use to measure student technology use in their classes. Curriculum Development to be completed The curriculum for the Introduction to Technology classes (0607/ 0608) will need to be more fully developed and implemented during the 2009 school year. A review of the business education/ computer software application (0657/ 0658 and 0667/ 0668) curricula will also be conducted during the 2009 school year. Each of the three courses must also ensure that they are having students learn and use the components of district-accepted guidelines for technology literacy. Each of the vocational teachers must also accurately document the students who have met the technology literacy requirement. Plan for Evaluation of Vocational Programs Each of the vocational classes will be evaluated on the number of students who have access to those courses and the final grades the students earn in those courses. Each course will also be evaluated on the success of their respective student-related organizations. Budget for State and Federal Funds The three vocational courses are fully funded by the state and federal funds that they generate. Each funding source will be used, based on the specific guidelines, to allow the three vocational classes to operate throughout the school year and to fully implement the CMS Vocational Plan.