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School Improvement Plan 2017-2018 School Year

Central Elementary School Plainfield Community School Corporation

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Table of Contents

Section 1: Introduction: Narrative Description of School and Community

Section 2: Central Mission

Section 3: Curriculum/Curriculum Location and Educational Programs

Section 4: Titles and Descriptions of Assessments

Section 5: Summary of School Data

Section 6: Parent Involvement in Education

Section 7: Technology as a Learning Tool

Section 8: Safe and Disciplined Learning Environment

Section 9: Professional Development Plan

Section 10: Cultural Competency

Section 11: Goals, Objectives, and Intervention Strategies

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Introduction Narrative Description of Central Elementary Central Elementary School is located on U.S. Highway 40 in downtown Plainfield, Indiana. The present

facility was originally constructed in 1931 with the gymnasium added as a Works Project Administration

(WPA) project in 1939. Another renovation was completed in 1952. The building served as a high

school, a junior high school, and began serving as an elementary school in 1968.

Construction began in 1975 in order to create a facility that better suited for the needs of elementary

students. Large rooms were developed for the media center, art room, music room, and a large group

instruction (LGI). The gymnasium received a composite floor treatment and the old stage was

transformed into a motor skills development area for younger children. The hallways and classrooms

were carpeted throughout the building. An elevator was added in 1977.

A general renovation began in 1989 with new carpet, paint and wall treatments throughout the building.

The gymnasium was renovated in the early 1990's with carpet on the bleachers and new padding being

placed around the walls. The wall enclosing the bleachers was lowered to facilitate the needs of

smaller students.

During 2002-2003 school year, a more specific renovation was completed. A complete HVAC system

was installed throughout the building. The basement was renovated at this time. The current elevator

was installed in 2006. In August 2008, Central became a K-3 facility. During the summer of 2008,

Central had four classrooms and two bathrooms renovated for kindergarten in preparation of the K-3

reconfiguration. Lobby renovations provided a higher level of security. A $40,000 playground project

focused on the needs of K-3 students.

The summer of 2016 the classrooms and bathrooms were updated and the media center was moved from

the second floor to the first floor. This was done to provide natural lighting from the windows facing north

and to begin using the bricked in patio area. Two new updated special education classrooms were

designed and created for use on the second floor where the majority of students are located. This allows

for less travel time and opportunities for special education teachers to communicate with general

education teachers.

Throughout 2016-2017 and into the summer, the school has received cosmetic updates. New stairwells,

hallways, carpet and design features will be added with the goal of completion at the end of the summer

2017. Two additional classrooms were added in preparation for future growth. Updating the outside of

the building continues through the 2017-2018 school year. By adding a canopy and a warm metal gray

wrap with blue trim, the goal of creating a warmer elementary building will be achieved.

Central currently serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade with an enrollment of over 545

students and 31 certified teachers. This year, a second part-time special education teacher was added to

support this growing population.

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Narrative Description of Plainfield, Indiana The Plainfield Community School Corporation was organized on January 1, 1962 under the provisions

of I.S. 20-4 (formerly Chapter 202 of the Acts of 1959). The corporation serves 31,409 residents of

Guilford Township, including the town of Plainfield, through four K-5 elementary schools, a middle

school for grades six through eight, and a high school. Plainfield Schools enjoy a reputation for

excellence and take pride in providing a quality education for nearly 5,400 students. Plainfield is located

north of interstate 70 west of the Indianapolis International Airport in the southeast comer of Hendricks

County.

A five-member Board of School Trustees governs the school corporation. The is elections are held on an

at-large, non-partisan basis. The board members’ four-year terms are staggered.

The township and community is primarily a bedroom community to the metropolitan area of

Indianapolis. The area is serviced by U.S. Route 40 and Interstate 70 from Indianapolis. These highways

provide easy access to downtown Indianapolis and the Indianapolis International Airport. In the past

ten years, the community and township have undergone a period of rapid change with the expansion

and construction of a new terminal at the Indianapolis International Airport, which is located on the

eastern boundary of the community. Also, new housing, commercial development of nearly 25,000,000

square feet of light industrial and distribution centers, and retail development with the addition of a

significant shopping mall and supporting retail stores and restaurants have contributed to the growth.

Plainfield's student growth continues to increase yearly at an annual rate of 2.3%.

Central Elementary School Mission It is the mission of the Plainfield Community School Corporation, through the efforts of students,

parents, and staff, to provide the academic, social, and emotional skills necessary in order for students

to become productive citizens and life-long learners.

Central Elementary School Mission Statement: Providing engaging academic experiences, the Central

Elementary Community will inspire and support students to become caring, confident, lifelong learners.

Curriculum Development and Revision of Curriculum

Within each grade level at Central Elementary, teachers have developed curriculum maps with

foundations in the Indiana academic standards and a transition to the College and Career Ready

Standards. Curriculum development also occurs during the summer each year as requested by teachers

to revise the curriculum as the standards change, as new instructional resources are adopted, or as

teachers are ready to build new “best practice” strategies into their plans.

Location of Curriculum

The State of Indiana has assisted schools by making the state standards available to all staff on an annual

basis and on the Indiana Department of Education’s Learning Connection web site

www.learningconnection.doe.in.gov. The College and Career Ready Standards—Teacher’s Edition are

also online at www.doe.in.gov. For the past several years, including summer staff development days, the

teachers have been actively involved in aligning our local curriculum maps, guaranteeing that they are

aligned to the state standards. To assist the teachers’ efforts with this process, time is provided for

teachers to work on curriculum development at various times throughout the school year as well as during

http://www.learningconnection.doe.in.gov/

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the summer months. The resulting curriculum is placed on the corporation shared drive for teachers to

access and print.

Curricular Provisions for Addressing the Needs of All Learners

Central Elementary strives to ensure appropriate programming, leading to success for all students.

Some of the ways in which this is accomplished are as follows:

• RTI –Professional development time has been spent training teachers to look at students’ individual strength and weakness areas and to target them effectively. Teachers have monthly data team meetings to guarantee that children receive the academic help they need. Students are targeted for specific instruction at their own personal levels every day in reading. Additionally, classrooms have specific groupings for math with intervention time built into core instruction.

• High Ability Programming – Students at the elementary level may be identified for high ability instruction. This program is named QUEST (Quaker Exemplary Student Track). The QUEST track has a menu of services for students in grades K-12. Various components of the program have a specific emphasis based upon the age of the student and appropriate service level for the age group. Overall, this instruction is more rigorous and stretches students’ thinking farther than the traditional grade-level standards. By grade three, students are in high ability programs have a curriculum designed for enrichment and acceleration.

• ELL Instruction – We have many students for whom English is a second language. Teachers who have ELL students in their classrooms are trained in the WIDA standards and SIOP instruction methods to help appropriately address students’ needs.

Educational Programming Provided Students at Central Elementary School are taught in heterogeneously grouped classrooms with

consideration being given to cluster grouping for high ability students based upon a model approved by

the Plainfield High Ability Program Broad Based Planning Committee. Teachers focus on instruction that

is based on the College and Career-Ready State Standards. Teachers use benchmark assessments

through STAR 360 Early Literacy, STAR 360 Math and Reading, and corporation common assessments,

which assist in the identification of individual student needs for remediation and enrichment activities.

Grade level teams meet regularly with the data team to evaluate the assessments and adjust

instructional programs and RTI Tiers accordingly.

Students who are identified as needing special education services receive core instruction in the general

education classroom with assistance being provided by teachers specially trained in learning disabilities,

cognitive disabilities, moderate/severe disabilities and speech-language therapy. Instruction for these

students may be provided in a variety of ways based on their individual education plans and least

restrictive environment requirements. Students who are identified as high ability students will have

their academic needs met in cluster groups for literacy and mathematics.

All students at Central Elementary will receive instruction in art, music, library, and physical education in

a rotation schedule along with time in the computer lab using an informational technology curriculum.

These classes are designed around current state standards and compliment the regular education

program. Additional remediation opportunities are available to students through our Response to

Instruction program. Students who fall into an “at-risk” category may also participate in a Study Buddy

Program and the Grandparents Program. There are also opportunities to participate in after-school

programs developed by local community based programs. Grade level teams are expected to provide

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remediation through the use of differentiated instruction and Response to Instruction activities and

programs designed specifically to meet student needs based upon the benchmark assessments.

Standardized Assessments Plainfield's students in kindergarten through tenth grade are assessed each year using the following assessments:

(1) Grades K-1 STAR 360 Early Literacy

(2) Grades 1-10 STAR 360 Reading and Math Assessments

(3) Grade 3 IREAD-3 Assessment

(4) Grade 3-10 ISTEP +

(5) High school students may take the PSAT, SAT, ACT, National Merit Scholarship,

Accuplacer, and Advance Placement.

Assessments provide data that is used to evaluate individual students, and classroom on grade level student groups for educational growth and progress. Teachers use both normreferenced data and criterion-based data to assess student needs and develop necessary intervention practices. As new hardware or software is purchased, professional development is scheduled, provided, and

evaluated for effectiveness by the technology coach, the technology instructional assistant, or as

organized by PCSC administration.

Summary of School Data

Multiple Data Sources Data being used for benchmarks at Central Elementary School comes from STAR 360 and 2017

ISTEP+ data for all students in grades three, four, and five in Language arts, Math, Science,

Social Studies, and the Applied Skills for each area available on the DOE data website at INORS.

Teachers are provided the data in grade level team meetings. Teams analyze the data, drawing

conclusions, and then develop benchmarks for improvement. Grade level teams then develop

some proposed interventions.

Conclusions About the Current Educational Programming Data from the ISTEP annual performance report was used to identify strengths and weaknesses. A

summary of that data is provided below:

English/Language Arts

Grade 3 English/Language Arts

Pass+ Pass Did Not Pass

96 students tested 85.0 % Pass

27.0% (23/96)

62.0% (59/96)

14.0% (13/96)

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88 Students Tested 82.0% Pass

34.0% (20/88)

48.0% (42/88)

17.0% (15/88)




40.0% (44/110)

51.0% (56/110)

9.0% (10/110)

Mathematics

Grade 3 Math



28.0% (27/96)

35.0% (34/96)

35.0% (34/96)

Grade 4 Math


89 Students Tested 74.% Pass

40.0% (36/89)

34.0% (30/89)

25.0% (22/89)

Grade 5 Math



59.0% (65/110)

29.0% (32/110)

12.0% (13/110)

2016-2017 Star 360 Language Arts Grade 3 Assessment

School Summary Performance (at or above benchmark set at the 60th percentile)

Fall Winter Spring

53% 59% 58%

2016-2017 Star 360 Mathematics Grade 3 Assessment


Fall Winter Spring

66% 73% 73%



Fall Winter Spring

57% 57% 73%

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Fall Winter Spring

73% 80% 84%



Fall Winter Spring

59% 59% 80%



Fall Winter Spring

81% 87% 86%

Information about how the school’s curriculum supports the achievement of Indiana academic standards

• Teachers use curriculum maps/calendars to plan and coordinate the instruction of each standard.

• Teachers in kindergarten through 5th grade assess students with STAR 360 Reading and Math as well as developed corporation benchmark assessments to determine progress towards state standards and the appropriate development of literacy.

• Teachers use the results from STAR 360 as well as teacher-made pretests and posttests to evaluate student response to instruction.

• Teachers use ISTEP test results to evaluate how the curriculum supports the standards.

• Teachers adopt textbooks that are aligned with the College and Career Indiana State standards.

• Teachers find, create, or adapt additional and supplemental resources to ensure coverage of the standards.

• Teachers use applied skills questions from DOE to support and enhance the curriculum and to act as benchmarks for student progress in developing applied skills.

• Teachers use vertical teaming articulation to support individual needs and connect standards between grade levels.

• Teachers use Curriculum Frameworks provided by the DOE to supplement the curriculum.

Information about how the school’s instructional strategies support the achievement of Indiana academic standards

• Teachers use differentiated instructional strategies to meet the needs of individual learners.

• Teachers use Yes, MA’AM strategies to develop common verbiage and expectations and to enhance writing across the curriculum.

• Teachers use applied skills questions from the DOE to teach testing strategies directly related to state standards.

• Teachers use ISTEP+ rubrics to assess quarterly prompts and other writings.

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• Teachers integrate subject matter to promote connectivity and encourage higher-level critical thinking.

• Teachers have access to the following interventions: • Interventions

o Waterford Reading seats ▪ Kindergarten—23 seats ▪ 1st grade—22 seats ▪ 2nd grade—20 seats

o Reading A-Z and Raz Kids o Math Seeds—

▪ All students, K-2 (remember that Math has been our lowest ISTEP area 2 years in a row)

o Do the Math—Required for grades 3-5 for bottom 25 percent. This will support our students who DNP ISTEP .There will be training for this computer program which is researched based and highly effective. The plan is to have this fit in your math schedule either using computers in your room or in the upstairs “mobile lab”. If it doesn’t work best in math schedule, we will meet and adjust our schedule. This is our intervention and will happen daily.

▪ Tier 2 grade 3—24 seats ▪ Tier 2 grade 4—24 seats ▪ Tier 2 grade 5—24 seats ▪ Tier 3 grade 3—5 special education students and 3 more= 8 seats total ▪ Tier 3 grades 4/5—special education students and additional students=8

seats total ▪ Addition and Subtraction A small group kit ▪ Addition and Subtraction B small group kit ▪ Multiplication A small group kit

o Scholastic Leveled Math Readers (grades 2, 3, 4) ▪ Each book offers opportunities to reinforce literacy skills, as well as

address fundamental math concepts. ▪ This is not specifically an intervention, but a way to engage students in

thinking about math and problem solving o Moby Max—Math and Reading for 1-5

• Teachers use consistent programs such as Daily Oral Language, Mountain Language, and Mountain Math to enhance and maintain retention of the standards.

• Teachers K-5 use Rocket Math to increase math fact fluency

• Teachers plan instructional strategies in teams during common preparatory periods.

• Teachers have imbedded Math and Reading RTI as an integral part of their classroom schedule.

Analysis of student achievement based on ISTEP+ and STAR 360.

• Strengths: o Grade 3—We increased our ELA scores by almost 7 percent. o Grade 3--Writing Conventions is a noted strength o Grade 4—Math process on average 51 percent of students scored zero or one

point o Grade 4—Writing conventions are a strength o Grade 5—Increase of 7 percent in ELA o Grade 5- Writing was a strength, which we attribute to focusing on that area

with our Tier 1 students during Team Time. o Grade 5- While the Reading scores o Grade 5- Algebraic Thinking is strong

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o Grade 5-Math process was a strength o Grade 5-- We were happy with the percent passing in free and reduced. This

seems to be an improvement from years past.

• Weaknesses: o Grade 3-On the applied Math data, in most areas, about 80% of students scored

a 2 or 3 o Grade 3--Mathematical process as an area to improve o Grade 3--From the disaggregated report, what stood out most was that math

scores were 1/3 pass plus, 1/3 pass, and 1/3 DNP. o Grade 3--Writing prompt most students scored a 3 or 4, and only 5 scored 5 or

6. o Grade 3--Reading Literature Vocabulary-In grade three 56 percent of students

earned 0 points on questions #1-3 o Grade 4— 47 percent of special education students in ELA did not pass and 59

percent of special education students did not pass math o Grade 4 math percent pass rate went down 10 percent o Grade 5—In reading we can improve on getting the students to write a more

detailed response to receive maximum points o Grade 5--Geometry-focus on the higher order thinking

Specific areas where improvement is needed immediately

1. Percentage of third and fourth grade students who pass the Mathematics portion of the ISTEP+

2. Percentage of third and fourth grade students who pass the ELA portion of the ISTEP+

3. Students’ ability to respond to math processing questions. Text evidence now becomes math evidence. Make sure students

can articulate, write and prove what they know when solving a math problem

We will continue to expect students to end the year with a 60 PR in reading and a 70 PR in math on the

STAR360 benchmark assessments. Teachers will work with all students to create data binders, setting

individual goals with students and monitor that progress monthly.

The teachers and staff at Central Elementary School have worked collaboratively to create our school

improvement plan around the centralized theme of continuous improvement. Each grade level has

developed specific action steps to help our school achieve our goals. These objectives will be carefully

planned, implemented, evaluated, and revised each school year. This initial school improvement plan

will only serve as a starting point for the school’s future planning and successes.

Our school goals have been established and shared with all of the stakeholders within the school and

school community. While these goals may seem to be set very high, our school community has

committed itself to this level of excellence. Each correlate area working on the school improvement

plan has established objectives toward achieving the school wide goals. This focus will allow us to meet

and exceed our own expectations. Correlate committees shall stay intact from year to year to facilitate

continuous growth and yearly evaluation of progress.

1.) Benchmarks for progress that specify how and to what extent the school expects to make continuous

improvement in all areas of the education system (goals)

• Increase the number of students who achieve high growth as measured by the English/Language Arts portion of the ISTEP+ assessment and the STAR 360 reading benchmark.

• Increase the number of students who achieve high growth as measured by the Mathematics portion of the ISTEP+ assessment and STAR 360.

• Increase the number of students who pass ISTEP in mathematics in grades 3 and 4

• Increase the number of students who pass ISTEP in ELA in grades 3 and 4

• Increase the number of students who pass IREAD in grade 3 to 95 percent

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2) Proposed interventions based on school improvement goals

Analysis of the ISTEP+ and student performance data along with school based assessment data indicates

the need to increase the number of students pass math in third and fourth grade as well as attaining

high growth in our school. We have established higher growth benchmark goals as a result of ISTEP+

data analysis. Additionally, third and fourth grade students passing mathematics and English language

arts at a higher percentage. As a k-5 school we will shift our focus to math processing skills. We will use

data to drive our instruction, data to drive our instruction, formative assessments, benchmarks and

increased minutes in data teams. Please refer to the goal pages for specific strategies and interventions

to improve student achievement in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

3) Professional development that is coordinated with proposed Interventions and that supports

sustainable school improvement efforts

The staff at Central routinely (once a month at data team meetings) disaggregates student

performance data to identify students that are not meeting standards in order to provide an

intervention. This time will be increased to one hour (30 minutes for reading and math). The school

improvement goals and related professional development are designed to improve student learning

across all of our different populations. Classroom teachers regularly collaborate with the resource

personnel in order to provide a consistent and meaningful instruction for all students. Staff will

continue to research best practices for assisting students of all ethnicities and backgrounds. The

staff has received training in and has implemented differentiated instruction, depth of

knowledge/increasing rigor, guided reading, implementing literacy stations, and effective reading

strategies to support students (in the classrooms). We will focus PD this year on Growth Mindset in

math and Quality Questioning to Enhance Student Achievement.

The students and staff at Central Elementary School have made significant gains in student achievement

in recent years. As a school community, we are proud of the work that we have done, but realize that

improvement is still necessary.

The Central Elementary staff will adhere to a yearly review of student assessments that leads to the

development of an annual school improvement plan.

The school improvement plan will be reviewed, revised, and implemented on or before September 15,

2017.

Other Factors Contributing to School Success

Parental Participation

Parental involvement is viewed as an essential component when it comes to helping students reach

their full potential. Parent partnerships in the education process are valued. In order to maximize

parent participation, the following strategies will be utilized:

• Parents volunteer in the classroom for general administrative tasks.

• Parents volunteer in the classroom to support student learning, for example, by serving as reading buddies or Mystery Readers.

• Parents volunteer in the classroom providing station help.

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• Parents utilize our Central Website, PowerSchool Parent Portal, allowing 24/7 access to student grades, School Messenger

• Parents participate in specific activities such as: ▪ Field Trips ▪ Field Day ▪ Music Programs ▪ Book Fair ▪ Science Fair ▪ Science Day ▪ Family Fun Night ▪ Literacy Day ▪ Parent-Teacher conferences

• Parents contribute to the curriculum through demonstrations, convocations, or presentations in their applicable area of expertise.

• PTO Parents support the school in numerous ways including, Santa Shop, chaperones for overnight outdoor education program and assisting with various classroom parties throughout the year.

• Parents/Volunteers support the curriculum through the Study Buddy program and the Grandparents Program.

• Parents and grandparents are involved in Book Fair and Grandparents Day activities.

• Parents also volunteer for occasional duties including library shelving and creation of bulletin boards/showcases and classroom volunteer assistance.

Current 2017 areas of strength according to parents and community members through our committee:

• Warm and friendly school, especially when entering and being greeted by a friendly receptionist

• Strong communication

• Inclusionary

• Excellent teachers Current 2017 areas of improvement according to parent and community members:

• Parking could be improved, identifying areas to park for events

• Continue to increase or make known each teachers’ form of parent communication

• School website could be more user friendly o Update folders and documents o Make it easier for parents to navigate

• Math curriculum explained so parents are not struggling to help children with homework

• Improve the percentage of parents who receive a “positive” communication from a staff member about their children.

Technology as a Learning Tool

The instructional staff of Central Elementary School provide teaching and learning support to students

through the use of technology. The following is a description of how our school uses technology to

support student learning.

Students and staff have access to a wide variety of hardware options throughout our school. This year we

have increased the number of computers in classrooms. In grades four and five, we have eleven

computers in the classrooms. In grade three we have eight computers. In second grade there are six, and

in grades K-first, we have 5 in each classroom. The additional technology tools include:

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-Desktop computers in each classroom -Laptops that can be checked out

-Promethean Boards -Remote Responders/Clickers/Plickers

-Tablets that may be checked out as needed -Two computer labs

Students and staff also have access to numerous software options. Our software list includes, but is not

limited to the following:

-Accelerated Reader -Do the Math

-Mathseeds -Brainpop or Brainpop Jr.

-Mountain Language -Envision Math

-IXL Math -Headsprout

-Learning A-Z (Reading A-Z, RAZ Kids, etc.) -Microsoft Office

-MobyMax

-Learning.com

-Mountain Math

-Scott Foresman Reading Street

-Waterford Early Learning

-Successmaker

The majority of these programs are web-based allowing access from any device that has internet

connectivity. Many of these programs allow students to access them from home. These programs focus

on a wide variety of topics including productivity, remediation, and enrichment in either language,

literacy, or math. These programs may be used by individuals, in small groups, or by an entire class.

Students in grades kindergarten through fifth develop specific technology oriented skills that help them

to manipulate the hardware and software tools listed above. Starting in kindergarten, students begin

exploring how to use the mouse, a keyboard, how to log in to a computer using a username and password,

how to access software, and how to use software to accomplish an educational task.

In order to use technology as a learning accelerator, teachers must be provided with professional

development in the hardware and software that our students use. The following description provides a

basic overview of the resources and professional development opportunities available to all instructional

staff members.

Central Elementary provides staff with a technology instructional assistant. This assistant, along with

teacher experts, provides both individualized and group training on all of the hardware and software that

we offer. The technology instructional assistant provides hardware and software support to the entire

school. This individual acts as a trouble shooter, fixing problems as they arise.

Safe and Disciplined Learning Environment

Central Elementary School is continually striving to provide a safe and disciplined environment for its

students. All patrons and guests enter through one entrance. The main entrance to the office utilizes a

buzzer system on the doors as an added safety precaution. Visitors must check in using SafeVisitor,

have ID checked, and receive a guest tag before going out into the school. Once visitors have been

screened, a second buzzer systems allows people into our school hallways. We have cameras located

throughout the building and outside. An additional camera at the registration desk monitors everyone

entering the school. Fire, severe weather, and lockdown drills are conducted as mandated by state

agencies.

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Multiple avenues of communication are available to the community to contact staff members with

concerns and compliments. Faculty voicemail and email are available to parents 24 hours a day. The

Central website provides families with pertinent information such as school announcements and

emergency school closing information. Additionally, teachers create classroom email groups and

communicate with parents through a nightly email or a weekly newsletter.

PowerSchool software was put into operation in August 2008, to allow parents access to up-to-date

information regarding grades and assignments. This program, along with the school’s web page, allows

parents to contact staff members any time. School Messenger, an automated calling system, used to

contact parents regarding the dissemination of important information. Additionally, the administrator

creates a monthly newsletter filled with important school information.

Input from students and parents indicate that a safe and disciplined school is provided. Patrons are kept

well-informed of situations that pertain to the health and welfare of students and staff. The School

Messenger automated calling system is used to keep parents informed of upcoming meetings, inclement

weather, and other pertinent information. This proactive approach to problem solving and

communication has virtually eliminated any disruption to the educational process. A crisis plan has been

developed and implemented. The plan is reviewed annually and changes are made accordingly.

Central Elementary School takes a proactive approach to incorporate character education and to authentically connect students to our school. Last year, one of the areas we worked on is our Positive Behavior Intervention Support program. Our program is rooted in Central character and the idea that Champions Make Choices and Choices Make Champions. Our faculty was involved in creating and defining a Central CHAMPS student. The following defines what it means to be a CHAMPS student: Caring Honest Achievement Making good choices Prepared to learn Safety Furthermore, we have defined our Central Champs expectations in all areas throughout our school. In a continued effort to recognize our students making good choices as well as build our climate and culture, we are going to begin our school-wide incentive program using Brag Tags. All students will receive a necklace or keychain and a Central tag to start with to be worn every Friday. This is a way to acknowledge the hard work and positive behavior of our students. Additional tags will be awarded one time a month. We will include perfect monthly attendance and CHAMPS tags. As we improve our program we are looking for ways to add more tags. With this in mind, we have added some more "fun" to our Central Celebration. We are incorporating more student involvement and adding related arts class awards.

Additionally, this includes the Central Character Company which highlights being a Central CHAMPS

student and a community value of the month through a video. This video is written and performed by

Central Elementary students under the direction of the home-school advisor. These are shown once a

month to classes and discussed. Students may earn Character coupons throughout the month as they

demonstrate good character. Twenty-four students are recognized for good character each month and

one student is chosen to represent Central Elementary at the board meeting. The values program, anti-

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bullying education, and a month devoted to pro-kindness have contributed to the overall positive

climate at Central Elementary.

Police officers are in our building every day, walking the building and maintaining a presence. Our staff

participates monthly in a safety scenario for continuous improvement and awareness in regard to school

safety. Students in grades K-5 are exposed to drug education through Red Ribbon Week. Central

Elementary School maintains positive relationships with local police and fire departments.

Professional Development Central Elementary School’s vision is to improve student performance as it relates to the College and

Career Ready Standards and overall curriculum. Teacher leaders implement and deliver professional

development at staff meetings as well as teacher in-service learning. This approach to professional

development uses a collaborative process to build continuous improvement into the performance of

teachers. Our school has a professional development committee which meets on a regular basis to plan

and implement relevant professional development for our teachers. The committee reviewed the top

10 instructional strategies to increase student achievement. The committee determined those

strategies we do well and those where we can improve. A teacher will share an instructional strategy at

each faculty meeting.

Best practices in instruction, assessment, and skill acquisition will continue to be identified and used.

Our school-wide priorities this year are Student Engagement, Growth Mindset, Learning Like a

Champion. Alignment of the curriculum with state and local standards serves as the fundamental

knowledge base. The collection and analysis of ISTEP and STAR 360 data by Central educators will be

used to make informed decisions related to student proficiency. In-house trainings, consultants, and

workshops will provide information that will be used to enrich, enhance, and modify current

instructional practices for improved curriculum delivery. Staff members will engage in professional

development activities that will allow them to address differentiating instruction, using data to drive

instruction, implementing high-yield reading strategies, and incorporating best practices for the

implementation of building independent reading and writing stamina in the classroom. Each teacher will

receive two hours of training in Quality Questioning to Enhance Student Achievement. These

professional development areas of focus simultaneously address the needs of all students, including the

special education and high ability populatio.

Cultural Competency Cultural competence requires educational institutions to address the needs of all segments of the student population by developing a system of services that is sensitive to the cultural impact on learning and behavior. Central Elementary School has utilized cross-cultural collaborations to foster equitable outcomes for all students by being responsive to the issues of race, culture, gender, and socio-economic status. Decisions are made based on the best interest of students. The integration of knowledge about specific individuals and groups has increased the quality of education and services for our entire population.

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Goals, Objectives, and Intervention Strategies School Improvement Goals 2017-2018

Focus Area: English/Language Arts

Goal

1. Increase the number of students who pass the ISTEP in grades three, four, and five as well as achieve high growth as measured by the ISTEP+ assessment and the STAR 360 benchmarks.

2. This goal supports the school goal of all students attaining 90% or better on the ISTEP test and the School Board goal of challenging students to maximize their potential by supporting and challenging them to achieve high growth as scored by the 2018 ISTEP test and STAR 360 spring benchmark.

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3. Identify strategies to attain your goal.

• Increased opportunities for writing in ELA and across the curriculum.

• Differentiate instruction to challenge students at appropriate levels.

• Implement specified RTI and enrichment instruction and interventions at each grade level.

• Place students in tier two and three on Waterford

• Increase reading stamina during independent reading

• Increase computer literacy by giving students access to computers

• Integrate close reading activities across the curriculum.

• Re-evaluate curriculum maps to “tighten” curriculum.

• Utilize common academic vocabulary school-wide.

• Benchmark and monitor all students using STAR 360 assessments including monthly PM.

• Engage staff in professional development related to differentiation, RTI, close reading, student engagement, literacy stations, high-yield reading strategies, data analysis and increasing rigor.

• Provide professional development in Quality Questioning to Enhance Student Achievement-October

6 and November 9

o Define quality questions by understanding the Cycle of Quality Questioning

o Understand the shifts in roles and responsibilities in quality questioning classroom

o Understand how DOK plays a role in quality questioning

o Explore ways to engage students in thinking and responding to quality questioning

• Continue to use common assessments.

• Add additional HA classic novels

• Continue school-wide vocabulary program focused on Greek and Latin roots and stems.

4. Reflect upon and summarize your data to determine the impact the strategies had

on your goal.

Act

5. Indicate what future steps need to be taken. This could include, but is not limited

to, designing the strategies, redesigning your goal, changing either or both

totally, or making no changes at all.

16

Focus Area: Mathematics

Goal

1. Increase the number of students who pass the ISTEP in grades three, four and five as well as achieve high growth as measured by the ISTEP+ assessment and the STAR 360 benchmarks.

2. This goal supports the school goal of all students attaining 90% or better on the ISTEP test and the School Board goal of challenging students to maximize their potential by supporting and challenging them to achieve high growth as scored by the 2017 ISTEP test.

Do


• Focusing on problem solving will increase skills across the curriculum. It also aligns with the

focus of the process standards for mathematics.

• Increase the number of third grade students who will pass the IREAD to 95 percent.

• Benchmark and monitor all students using STAR 360 assessments, including monthly PM.

• Incorporate process standards into daily lessons.

• Increase rigor through pre-planning higher level questioning in lessons.

• Utilize common academic vocabulary school-wide.

• Incorporate spiral review in all math classes.


• Increase opportunities for student to explain and justify process skills through writing.

• Engage staff in professional development related to data analysis, depth of knowledge

questioning, differentiation, RTI, and process standards.

• Develop common assessments

• Implement Math RTI time for every grade level.

Study

4. Reflect upon and summarize your data to determine the impact the

strategies had on your goal.

Act

5. Indicate what future steps need to be taken. This could include, but is not

limited to, designing the strategies, redesigning your goal, changing either

or both totally, or making no changes at all.

17

Focus Area: Mathematics

Goal

1. Increase the number of students in grades first -fifth grade achieve high growth as measured by the STAR 360 benchmark assessment.

2. This goal supports the school goal of all students attaining 70 percent in math and the School Board goal of challenging students to maximize their potential by supporting and challenging them to achieve high growth as measured by STAR 360 (50 percent SGP)

Do


• Focusing on problem solving will increase skills across the curriculum. It also aligns with the

focus of the process standards for mathematics.

• Focus on Growth Mindset in Math

• Increase critical thinking and problem solving in daily lessons

• Benchmark and monitor all students using STAR 360 assessments.

• Incorporate process standards into daily lessons.

• School-wide math challenge committee will focus on computation

• RTI committee will focus on Math Problem solving

• Increase rigor through pre-planning higher level questioning in lessons.

• Incorporate spiral review in all math classes.


• Increase opportunities for student to explain and justify process skills through writing.

• Engage staff in professional development related to data analysis, depth of knowledge

questioning, differentiation, RTI, and process standards.

• Be intentional with math RTI time ensuring students use math process skills. Higher level

thinking must occur during this time

• Place students in Tier Three on Do the Math

Study

4. Reflect upon and summarize your data to determine the impact the

strategies had on your goal.

Act

5. Indicate what future steps need to be taken. This could include, but is not

limited to, designing the strategies, redesigning your goal, changing either

or both totally, or making no changes at all.

18

Committee Members

2017-2018 School Improvement Plan Committee

Julie Thacker, Principal/Chairperson

Curt Pickard, Teacher

Shelly Weaver, Teacher

Anita Stevenson, Teacher

Megan Johnson, Teacher

Jennie Menser, Teacher

Diana Cragen, Teacher

Kathy Crum, Teacher

Nicole McClatchey, Teacher

Diana White, Home/School Advisor

Jenn Basham, Parent

Nicole Rongo, Parent

Danielle Bell, Parent

Torrey Murray, Parent

Jen Nanny, Parent

Candice Husted, Parent

2017-2018 Meeting Dates

July 31, 2017 (School Sub-Committee)

August 3, 2017 (Full Committee)

October 5, 2017 (School Sub-Committee)

November 30, 2017 (School Sub-Committee)

January 23, 2018 (School Sub-Committee)

February 22, 2018 (Full Committee)

April 26, 2018 (School Sub-Committee)

May 16, 2018 (Full Committee)

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