Identify the school-based RtI Leadership Team.

1. Principal (Hershel Lyons): provides a common vision for the use of data-based decision-making, ensures the school-based team is implementing RtI, ensures implementation of intervention support and documentation, provides adequate professional development to support RtI implementation, and communicates with parents regarding school-based RtI plans and activities.
2. Assistant Principal (Cathy Atria): assists the principal with providing a common vision for the use of data-based decision-making, ensuring the school-based team is implementing RtI, ensuring implementation of intervention support and documentation, providing adequate professional development to support RtI implementation, and communicating with parents regarding school-based RtI plans and activities.
3. General Education Teachers (Susan Joyner, Sarah Green, Susan Steele, Rochelle Petricek, Jordan Marlowe, Deena Whitehurst): provide information about core instruction, participate in student data collection, deliver Tier 1 instruction/intervention, collaborate with other staff to implement Tier 2 interventions, and integrate Tier 1 materials/instruction with Tier 2/3 activities.
4. Exceptional Student Education Teachers (Kellie Anderson, Richard Foster): participate in student data collection, integrate core instructional activities/materials into Tier 3 instruction, and collaborate with general education teachers.
5. Instructional Coach (Literacy Coach Lissa Campbell): develops, leads, and evaluates school core content standards/programs; identifies and analyzes literature on scientifically based curriculum/behavior assessment and intervention approaches. Identifies systematic patterns of student need to identify appropriate, evidence-based intervention strategies; assists in the design and implementation of progress monitoring, data collection, and data analysis; and participates in the design and delivery of professional development.
6. Reading Instructional Specialist (Dawn Newell): provides guidance on K-12 reading plan; facilitates and supports data collection activities; assists in data analysis; provides professional development and technical assistance to teachers regarding data-based instructional planning; supports the implementation of Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 intervention plans.
7. School Psychologist (Anna Bodner): participates in collection, interpretation, and analysis of data; and facilitates development of intervention plans.
8. Student Services Personnel (Dolleen Perkins, staffing specialist; Francine Speed, dean of students; Michelle Ankrom and Gail David, guidance counselors) provide quality services and expertise on issues ranging from program design to assessment and intervention with individual students.

Describe how the school-based RtI Leadership Team functions (e.g. meeting processes and roles/functions).

The school-based RtI team will focus on the central question of “how can we facilitate all students in making yearly learning gains in Reading while functioning within the normal behavioral expectations of the school and community?”
The team will meet monthly to review and analyze data from district and classroom assessments regarding academic progress and school data on behavioral events and outcomes. The team will identify and provide resources and professional development.

Describe the role of the school-based RtI Leadership Team in the development and implementation of the school improvement plan

The RtI Leadership Team developed the implementation plan which includes the sequence of events for the Plan, Do, Check, and Act components of FCIM. The RtI Leadership Team will meet periodically to discuss the data from the mini assessments and make recommendations for future instruction.

Describe the data management system used to summarize tiered data.

Baseline data: ACPS OnTrack tests for Gr. 9 and Gr. 10 Reading, and teacher generated classroom content assessments
Midyear: ACPS OnTrack tests for Gr. 9 and Gr. 10 Reading, and teacher generated classroom content assessments
End of Year: ACPS OnTrack tests for Gr. 9 and Gr. 10 Reading; FCAT; and teacher generated classroom content assessments

Describe the plan to train staff on RtI.

Administration will present an overview to the entire faculty and engage in specific training with the reading and English teachers. Additional professional development will be provided via the district’s Staff Development office (Second Steps: Putting RtI Into Action) and through small group professional development on-site. Release time for teachers to attend small group, on-site sessions will be provided during the regular school day and stipends will be paid to teachers for training after school hours.

Data Disaggregation 2008-2009 FCAT Data

What strengths and weaknesses were identified in the 2009 data by grade level, subject area, and clusters/strands?

Math: Across all grade levels, students are performing at district and state averages in number sense, geometry, and algebraic thinking. In Grade 9, students scored high in data analysis; however, Grade 10 scored below the district average. Across all grade levels, the content area with the lowest achievement is measurement.

Rising 9th graders display Reading strength in Word/Phrases while rising 10th and 11th graders display strength in Main Idea. The weakness in Reading that all three grade levels share is Reference and Research.

Instructional Calendar Development

What is the process for developing, implementing, and monitoring an Instructional Focus Calendar for reading, writing, mathematics, and science?

Teams of teachers from each area (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Electives) met to develop the instructional focus calendar for each course. Science, Social Studies and electives incorporated their specific benchmarks with the instructional calendar for reading and writing. Teachers’ lesson plans will indicate the implementation of the instructional calendar. Mini reading assessments as well as class-wide writing assessments and nine week multiple benchmark exams will be administered in all English classes. Administration and department chairs will monitor the implementation through the checking of lesson plans and observation (formal and informal) of classroom instruction.

Which instructional Benchmarks will be given priority focus, based on need, for each content area (reading, writing, mathematics, and science)?

Math: measurement will be given priority focus.

Reading: the following will be given priority focus: LAA 241 LAE 241 LAA 143 LAA 248 LAA 247 LAA 227
LAA 242 LAA 245 LAA 244 LAA 246 LAA 142 LAE 221

What is the process to ensure instruction is based on individual students’ needs, as opposed to the master schedule?

In math, learning gains data will be analyzed and students will be grouped, accordingly. In English, disaggregation of data from mini reading assessments as well as class-wide writing assessments for each teacher, for each class will determine who the tutoring support and/or enrichment activities should be geared toward.

How does the school incorporate applied and integrated courses to help students see the relationships between subjects and relevance to their future?

Students are offered a variety of career and technical education elective courses. Care is taken to ensure students meet curricular requirements for the Bright Futures Gold Seal Vocational scholarship.

How does the school incorporate students’ academic and career planning, as well as promote student course selections, so that students’ course of study is personally meaningful?

Guidance counselors schedule group instruction to address course selections emphasizing scholarship requirements, college entrance requirements, and career plans. They assist students with individually mapping, updating, and adjusting 4-year academic plans. Students also meet individually with guidance counselors. During the registration process, teachers make academic recommendations based on student interest and ability, and students make elective choices based on individual interests and post-secondary plans.

Direct the Instructional Focus

How are lesson plans and instructional delivery aligned across grade levels and subject areas?

Teachers will follow a School Wide Instructional Focus Calendar for Reading, Writing, Math, Social Studies and Science. Department meetings will be held to determine areas of student strengths and weaknesses as determined by class work assignments and assessment results. Lesson plans will be created for differentiated instruction, which provides instruction to students of various levels.

How are instructional focus lessons developed and delivered?

Teachers will utilize Benchmark-focused Warmups/Closedown activities. Teachers will work collaboratively to develop class wide instruction and targeted intervention for struggling students .

How will instructional focus lessons be revised and monitored?

Based on mini-reading assessments every two weeks, tutoring and/or enrichment activities will be provided as well as spiral reviews at the end of the 9 weeks to determine proficiency.

Assessment

Describe the types of ongoing formative assessments to be used during the school year to measure student progress in core, supplemental, and intensive instruction/intervention.

Teachers will use FCAT TestMaker Pro to generate benchmark specific exams at the end of the 9 weeks, as well as FCAT Explorer Focus software to create mini-assessments every two weeks. Teachers will also make use of targeted classroom assessments.

How are assessments used to identify students reaching mastery and those not reaching mastery?

Students who score 80% on mini-assessments and Benchmark practice exams will be identified as having mastered that skill. Teachers will differentiate instruction based on assessment results to provide intensive instruction to those students earning less than 80%.

Maintenance

How is ongoing assessment and maintenance of Benchmark mastery for each grade level and content area built into the Instructional Focus Calendar?

Teachers administer focused assessments every 1-3 weeks and adjust instruction based on the results. Adjustments include remediation and enrichment. Instruction continually spirals to include previously learned benchmarks.

Describe the process and schedule for teams to review progress monitoring data (summative and mini assessments) to identify the required instructional modifications that are needed to increase student achievement.

At the end of each 9 week grading period, departments will meet to review disaggregated data from individual teachers in order to determine areas needing additional support and identify appropriate activities to enhance targeted benchmark learning. Analysis of the district’s OnTrack assessments will also be utilized in determining student proficiency.

Monitoring

Describe the Principal’s and Leadership Team’s roles as instructional leaders and how they will be continuously involved in the teaching and learning process.

Classroom walk throughs and lesson plans will be used to review progress as well as data updates to administration after 9 week department meetings.

Supplemental and Intensive Instruction/Interventions

Identify the core, supplemental, and intensive instruction and interventions.

Core instruction will take place within the students’ regular class periods. Remediation will initially take place in the classroom through differentiated instruction and tutoring and enrichment activities. Additional support will be provided by the Intensive Reading classes. Supplemental practice will be provided in the school’s Literacy Lab and through after-school tutoring programs.

How are supplemental and intensive instruction/interventions and tutorials structured to re-teach non-mastered target areas?

Resources from the state-adopted textbooks which are designed for intensive instruction will be used. Computerized programs or instructional software, in addition to Internet Instructional Web sites such as FCAT Explorer, will also be utilized. Teachers will implement instructional strategies or best practices discussed in Professional Learning Communities to provide different methods of instruction to students in non-mastered areas. Resources and strategies presented at professional development workshops will also be utilized. Students consistently demonstrating non-mastery may be required to participate in tutorial sessions before and after school.

How does the school identify staff’s professional development needs to improve their instructional strategies?

Common areas of concern in instructional delivery, classroom management, etc. as evidenced by administrators’ observations, teacher surveys, and student performance/data analysis, will determine the need for professional development sessions.

Which students will be targeted for supplemental and intensive instruction/interventions?

As a result of progress monitoring and observations, students who consistently demonstrate academic difficulty will receive supplemental and intensive instruction/intervention.

How will the effectiveness of the interventions be measured throughout the year?

Student progress will be determined by the disaggregation and analysis of data from the district’s OnTrack assessments and teachers’ classroom assessments.

Enrichment

Describe alternative instructional delivery methods to support acceleration and enrichment activities.

In all core curricular areas, honors and advanced placement opportunities are offered. Dual enrollment is available to students beginning in the junior year.

Describe how students are identified for enrichment strategies.

Students receive recommendations for honors and advanced placement courses from teachers based upon student interest and ability. Students may also self-identify and parents may waive a teacher recommendation.