Reasons for Lifeline Education Charter reaching level
P1:
Analysis of data has shown
that a majority of students at Lifeline Education Charter arrive at the school
with critical gaps in their learning.These gaps are caused by any number of issues however the lack of
academic reading comprehension skills appears to be the most prevalent.Students are found to have fairly strong
decoding skills thus appearing to be strong readers.However, students need a strong academic
vocabulary in order to demonstrate their true academic skills and feel
confident and secure when participating in their future education.Through a comprehensive evaluation, students
demonstrated gaps in their reading ability causing them to have difficulty in
answering questions which were created using higher level academic vocabulary.
These same issues manifest
themselves in other core areas such as math, social studies and science.Students have difficulty understanding what
the questions are asking because of their limited level of word
recognition.Through the use of
scientifically research based intervention programs and materials, Lifeline
will offer their students the most current selection of successful intervention
programs with the expectation of eradicating as many gaps from past student
learning experiences as possible.
.
Methods or system the School uses to examine student
achievement data on a regular basis across grade levels, but subject matter, by
significant subgroups, and across the School as a whole.
Beginning in October, 2009, Lifeline
will use EduSoft/Data Director as a tool for monitoring and examining student
achievement data.Pacing Guides have
been developed for each core curricular area at the high school level to ensure
students are receiving the appropriate curriculum prior to state testing
(CAHSEE and CST).Pacing guides and
benchmark assessments for the Junior High School are developed through the use
of textbook materials and question banks provided by Edusoft/Data
Director.The curriculum is focused on
the power standards identified by using the state core content standards
blueprints.Teacher made mini benchmark
assessments are given by the High School and Junior High at strategic times
during the unit instruction. After October 15, 2009 Benchmark Assessment scores
from both the Junior High and High School will be loaded into Edusoft/Data
Director allowing for the immediate implementation of intervention for students
not attaining a score of proficient.Unit Benchmark assessments are being given prior to instruction to check
for depth of individual student background knowledge.Post Unit Benchmark assessments are given at
the end of each unit to ensure proficiency.Benchmark assessments are developed in a spiraling way as to incorporate
prior knowledge from other units.This
allows for monitoring of continual knowledge over time especially involving the
power standards.
Teachers meet in the
Professional Learning Communities (PLC) to review cross curricular and
behavioral issues regarding each student.PLC’s will take on the added responsibility ofalso becoming Data Teams.It will become more teacher- time-efficient
to keep two PLC’s, Junior High and High
School meeting on a weekly basis and the school as a whole, Junior High and
High School, meeting together four times per year.Keeping the grade levels separate will allow
deeper discussion regarding curricular and behavioral issues and interventions
for each while the combined meetings (one large PLC) will discuss the vertical
alignment of curriculum and behavioral interventions offered students for a
successful transition from Junior High School to High School.
Teachers will use three year
comparisons of CST and CAHSEE scores as well as CELDT results and teacher made
assessments.Benchmark assessments will
also be reviewed allowing for the adjustments to the instructional Pacing
Guides.Teachers will also use PLATO to pull the most common comparison reports to
track individual student progress as well as school-wide progress.Students will be tracked in the following
ways:male/female/, significant sub
group, students attending Lifeline for 3 years or more, 2 years or more, new to
Lifeline, CAHSEE attempts, yearly CST, changes on language assessments,
technology survey (when reinstated by the state), Healthy Kids Survey
(independently scores not included in Edusoft/Data Director), SAT, SATII, ACT,
and eventually Advanced Placement.
Individual Student Plans
(ISP) will be made for each student receiving intervention services at Lifeline.Students will be assigned to a staff member
who will be responsible for keeping up with the students plan and ensure
communication is occurring with the students PLC and parent.
Besides the use of Edusoft/Data
Director for keeping student data, the PLATO Learning System will keep a
continuous log of each time a student enters the program.PLC’s will monitor the PLATO logs and ensure
all students involved in an intervention ISP will show appropriate work on the
specified individual program curriculum especially in the areas of English
Language Arts and Math.PLATO tracking
records will be used as a supplementary report to the PLATO records.The PLATO records will also show levels of
proficiency combined with a time record showing how much effort students are
putting into their intervention program.PLATO is available to students on the two Lifeline campuses and at home
if they have computer/internet service.PLATO is offered free of charge to students, with the school paying for
the licenses.Students will be placed in
either the prescribed PLATO curriculum in English Language Arts and Math,
and/or the CAHSEE Intervention Prep Program.
High School students will be
given the opportunity to use an outstanding writing program called VANTAGE (BEGINNING
2010) a part of My Access.Vantage
(beginning 2010) will keep track of all student submitted composition/writing
samples and show the level of improvement as students resubmit their samples
for scoring.Teachers will set the
requirements, number of opportunities, state content standards addressed and
method of grading.Students will receive
a hard copy of their sample with corrections and suggestions. All information
will be held on the VANTAGE (BEGINNING 2010) website for teachers to review
twenty-four hours a day, seven days per week.
Lifeline Education Charter
will be taking on building improvements which will only help the teaching
environment for the Junior High School.Lifeline has just completed negotiations for the purchase of a school building
that will provide their students and parents with an outstanding facility to
meet their needs.For years Lifeline has
done a good job with what they have had, but under new leadership, they have
sacrificed and brought the organization to a new place.Besides the new Junior High School facility,
both the Junior High School and High School will be provided a data pipeline
through Time Warner Cable Company that will provide the needed access to the
internet for much of their instructional support.Eighty new laptop computers have been
purchased and, once the network is put in place, will be able to access the
valuable educational websites needed for intervention, support, and when needed
the acceleration of the curriculum.
ELD students will be monitored
by Lifeline’s ELD Specialist.She will
keep track of all student assessments through VANTAGE (BEGINNING 2010), PLATO
and other means of assessment.She will
ensure students are with teachers who have been trained in the specific
teaching strategies and monitor the use of those strategies by visiting
classrooms.The ELD Specialist will also
hold quarterly meetings with the parents of all ELD students to give
information regarding the program, offer suggestions for the parents helping
students at home and most importantly, hear the concerns, praise, questions
from the parents as to how they feel their students’ education is
progressing.
Analysis of the Standardized Testing and Reporting
(STAR) Program and AYP results that identifies the specific problem in the
area(s) not meeting targets and/or criteria.
Lifeline will enlist the
services of an Educational Statistician, Dr. Patti Marshall to help with the
analysis of the data coming from the state assessment program (STAR).Teachers will be presented with overview
charts and graphs showing appropriate comparisons of subgroups and changes from
testing to testing.Having the services
of a professional statistician who understands educational statistics helps pinpoint
appropriate target areas needing additional attention.Lifeline will also be looking at the impact
of the use of specific instruction strategies being utilized.These strategies will be part of a year-long
professional development plan encompassing the work of Marzano, Reeves and
Dufour.
Specific and measurable goals the School will achieve
during the current school year
Reading/WritingEnglish Language Arts:
By March 30, 2010 Lifeline’s
Junior High and High School students enrolled from September 8, 2009 through
March 30, 2010 will show at least 1 grade levels growth in reading
comprehension as measured by the Language!
Assessment or PLATO Learning System and one other reading assessment tool such
as DIBLES and/or student benchmark assessments.
By March 30, 2010,25% of Lifeline’s Junior High and High School
students enrolled from September 8, 2009 through March 30, 2010 will score proficient(at least a 3 on a 4 point rubric)
holistically scored by teaching staff and verified by VANTAGE (BEGINNING 2010).
Math
By
March 30, 2010, 25% of all Lifeline students enrolled from September 8, 2009
through March 30, 2010 will show mastery of mathematical functions by using the PLATO Learning System assessment and
benchmark assessments.
By
March 30, 2010, 20% of Lifeline 8th grade students enrolled from
September 8, 2009 through March 30, 2010 in an Algebra Course will score
proficient as measured by the Algebra Readiness Test, Cal Poly,
San Luis Obispo and
student benchmark assessments.
Specific actions which follow from the goals and examination
of student data the School will take to improve student achievement in the
area(s) identified as needing improvement, including changes to curriculum,
instruction, assessment governance and organization
Findings:By using CST,
CAHSEE and teacher data it was discovered that students are in need of help
knowing when to use appropriate basic math computation skills and
functions.Students entering Lifeline in
the 6th grade with poor basic math skills are found to have major issues
with the math curriculum and thus demonstrate difficulty when confronted with
state assessment questions.
Solution:
1. Assess each
individual students’ reading level.Junior High School Students will take the Dibbles assessment as well as
the Language! prescriptive
assessment.Teachers will use these two
assessments for placement into the correct reading intervention program.All indications show that the majority of
students in grades 6 through 8 are in need of this type of a reading
program.
Students are demonstrating a lack of skill in the
area of academic vocabulary.Teachers will present lessons called Daily Oral Language to help
build capacity in this area.Daily
Oral Language will also give students practice in academic reading and
writing skills.
Students will be enrolled in Language! for extended instructional time.They will receive 90 minutes everyday ofLanguage! instruction.ELD students will receive a six week
Newcomers Course curriculum from the makers of Language! Before beginning
level “A”.They will continue to
have 30 minutes a day additional instruction above the ninety minutes per
day.Students will be able to move
level to level as they increase their skill by having all Language! classes available the
same period of the day.
Math is a difficult area to address due to the
lack of appropriate materials still not available from publishers.Lifeline will be using the study of the
Dana
Center
at the
University
of
Texas as one
source of helping their students.Another is the development of an accelerated math program developed
by Whittier High School Math Department and San Diego County Office of
Education’s Preparing for Algebra program.
Student scores from the CST and CAHSEE will be
analyzed and the specific areas of weakness identified.Students in Junior High School and High
School will be given the placement assessment on the PLATO Learning System
and begin their individual intervention program.The assessment will provide information
to the computer system and a personalized program developed to take them
from where they are to where they should be commensurate with their age
and grade level.Students will have
access to this program at school and at home as long as they have internet
access.
Professional development plan for teachers and/or
other staff that supports the activities the School will implement to improve
performance in targeted areas.
Junior High and High School
teachers meet alternating weeks, every Friday with the Curriculum Consultant
and/or Curriculum specialist to cover a well articulated professional
development training.Teachers will have
completed a needs assessment by November 1, 2009 and the results of those
findings will be brought back to the staff and the final PD calendar
developed.
Until that needs assessment
is completed, teachers have met to cover the following topics:
9
effective instructional strategies from Marzano’s book, Instructional
Strategies that Work
Language! Training for Junior High School Teachers
Classroom Management
Lesson Plan Design
Core Content Standards
Benchmark Assessments
Pacing guides
Use of Edusoft/Data Director
Teachers will also be
provided AB 466 training if available from LACOE.If training is not available, then
inservicing will be requested from the publishers and/or other school districts
and their department chairs.Guest
presenters such as Dr. Mike Vanderwood, UC Riverside and the RTI model,Mr. Ron Esquarra, Whittier High School Math
Specialist and Consultant will bring their expertise to the staff.
Diagnostic assessments that will be used to enable the
school to monitor the effects of proposed changes on student performance, and
the specified intervals at which student will be assessed in order to develop
at least two to three data points.
The following is a list of
some of the diagnostic assessments to be used throughout the year.
DIBBLES
Language!
Algebra Readiness Test – Cal Poly
San Luis Obispo
PLATO Learning Systems – Math,
Reading, Writing
VANTAGE (BEGINNING 2010) – Writing assessment program
CELDT
Student placement will be made
using a triangulated method whenever possible.CST, CAHSEE results will be used as a general source of student
achievement along with teacher made assessments and at least one of the above
assessments.
Timelines for each of the specific actions proposed:
