School Improvement Plan Narrative Overview

Enumclaw Middle School

PROGRESS TOWARD PREVIOUS YEARS GOALS 2009-10
Enumclaw Middle school set SIP goals in two areas last year: Mathematics and student intervention through the structure of PLCs. We met our AYP proficiency goals in Mathematics with cohort gains at both the 7th and 8th grade levels. The cohort gain at the 7th grade was 24.6%; 12.2% higher than the state average and the gain at the 8th grade was 13.6%; a significant increase over the state average by 23.2%. In addition to these gains, our students outperformed the state on every assessment at every grade level. This is a first for EMS. These gains can certainly be linked to the work of our staff on our second goal of intervening with students who need additional time and support beyond the traditional classroom period. We were able to assist students who traditionally get left behind and were able to give them a fresh taste of success. We celebrate the fruit of our labor as we climb closer and closer to closing the achievement gap for ALL of our students.

OVERVIEW OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT 2010-11

Continuous Improvement Process and Stakeholder Participation
For 2010-11 we will continue to work through the instructional initiatives we began this last year, refining our work through peer collaboration in lesson design, instruction and assessment. Examining the work students produce on frequent formative assessments will be our primary method of informing our instructional improvement process. We will take this to the next level as we structure specific academic interventions to address student proficiency gaps as measured by regular common course assessments in each of the content core classes. Our framework focuses on two key areas: supporting students and supporting teachers. The student side of this framework is our systemic intervention process where students are given different levels of academic and/or social-emotional for needs identified through a variety of assessments and indicators. The teacher side of the framework involves a collaborative and systemic process for teacher professional development. A school-wide focus on improving student engagement is the anchor for the work we are doing. Our vision statement for this is: We will, by the design of our instruction, seek to improve student learning through improving engagement in the learning process and where we find student engagement lacking, teachers will make every possible effort to redesign instruction in the classroom so that more students are authentically engaged.

Review of Data to Establish Improvement

Our 2009-10 MSP results from OSPI are as follows:
Grade Level 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade Reading 72.2% 65.7% 79.4% State 64.6% 63.4% 69.4% Math 64.1% 67.4% 75.1% State 51.9% 55.3% 51.6% 71.3% 70.3% 70.6% 54.5% Writing State Science State

As stated above, we are pleased with the performance of our students last year but we also find room for growth. We particularly expected higher writing scores in relationship to the work we did over the year focused on elaboration in expository and persuasive writing. As well, our 7 th grade reading performance was under what we expected. We would like to see all our grade level reading scores in the 80th percentiles next year as well as our 7th writing scores.

Characteristics of High Performing Schools

Our work at EMS reflects several of the characteristics of high performing schools. We have established a clear and shared focus through our professional learning communities (PLCs) which targets a shift from teaching to learning. The keys to this shift will be found in our effective embrace of four key questions around learning: 1) What do we want students to learn? What should each student know and be able to do as a result of each unit, grade level, and/or course? 2) How will we know if they have learned? Are we monitoring each students learning on a timely basis? 3) What will we do if they dont learn? What systematic process is in place to provide additional time and support for students who are experiencing difficulty? 4) What will we do if they already know it? This work can only be accomplished through high levels of collaboration and communication in our PLCs. We have built a base of effective school leadership at the teacher level which facilitates the work of these learning communities. We will employ frequent monitoring of learning and teaching of our curriculum and instruction aligned with state standards through the use formative assessments to inform our needs for focused professional development and student interventions to create a supportive learning environment for all students. We will push high standards and expectations for all our 8th grade students in mathematics this year by having all kids take Algebra with the opportunity to earn high school credit.

Recognition of Non-Academic Learning

We have a strong extra-curricular program that offers interscholastic as well as intramural activities for all students. We embrace a no-cut policy to ensure that all students who want to participate and remain eligible can participate. Our activities align with Title IX guidelines and we have expanded opportunities for our 6th grade students to participate in a minimum of one sport offering per season.

Safe and Supportive Learning Environment We provide a safe and supportive learning environment at Enumclaw Middle school with clearly established guidelines for behavior as outlined in our student handbook. We value fair and firm enforcement of the school policies and set the standard for behavior in our adult interactions with kids. We understand that positive relationships with adolescents is key to this successful environment and we have a staff that understands and can relate to the middle school child while maintaining a healthy distinction as adults. This provides students the relationship and security necessary to take risks with their learning and the opportunities they have to explore different activities outside of their comfort zone. We involve students in managing this environment through the utilization of a Peer Mediation core group. Students are trained each year to support their fellow students in low level conflicts utilizing conversation and conflict mediation skills. This alleviates the need for adult or administrative intervention in every aspect of student conflict. It also provides an avenue for student leadership in helping to create a safe and supportive environment. Thanks to a grant from the Muckleshoot Tribe, we are providing training for three staff members in Peer Mediation so that they can more effectively train our student mediators. Equity Issues
Regardless of our ethnicity statistics (82.9% White, 9% Hispanic, 3.2% Native American, 1.3 % Asian and 1.9% Black) our free and reduced lunch rate (32%) and Special Education numbers (9.1%) it is expected that our population will be better served by our shift from teaching to learning. We have developed a special education PLC group that will take a weekly look at students progress towards their IEP goals and set interventions around those findings. We are also providing

additional after school support for our Native American students thanks to a grant awarded through the work of our Native American Specialist. The personalization initiated by our frequent common formative assessments and required remediation will help us better serve all students.

Technology
Teachers make extensive use of the two computer laboratories and we have LCD projectors and document cameras in every classroom. Staff has embedded this technology into their daily instruction. We have also added a SMART Board in one of the labs for use with our two Technology Literacy exploratory classes. All 6th graders are required to take this trimester class and full year music students are allowed to waive a trimester of PE in order to fit this foundational class into their schedule.

Parent, Family and Community Involvement

We have a strong parent connection at EMS with probably the most significant example of this being our parent-driven resurrection of 6th Grade Camp. Cut from the budget last year, a group of parents have taken this on and have fund raised all the necessary monies to run a 3 day camp for this years 6th graders. As well, we have a band/orchestra booster club that is being formed for the first time at EMS. As always, we have a strong contingent of parents who are willing to volunteer in various support roles at EMS throughout the year. We are working on establishing a Parent Teacher Organization at EMS for the first time in our history. We have a small group of parents who have shown some interest and we are working with our partner middle school, Thunder Mountains PTO leadership to help us get set up. Our hope is that over time we will build a cultural expectation with our parents and community that their positive impact on students education doesnt end when they leave elementary school.

Enumclaw School District

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

Learning Goals 2010-11 IMPROVEMENT GOAL 1: As a staff we will make an intentional shift of focus from teaching to student learning.
Building/Department: _Building Staff_ Target Area: _____Student Learning through the Structure of PLCs_____ STRATEGY: We will utilize the principles and guiding questions of the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) to inform our teaching and learning practice.
1. What do we want students to learn? What should each student know and be able to do as a result of each unit, grade level, and/or course? 2. How will we know if they have learned? Are we monitoring each students learning on a timely basis? 3. What will we do if they dont learn? What systematic process is in place to provide additional time and support for students who are experiencing difficulty?

LEARNING TARGET
What are the learning objectives of this activity?

IMPROVEMENT TIMELINE When will this activity begin ACTIVITIES and end?
What programs or initiatives will occur?

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
Who will provide the leadership for this activity?

RESOURCES NEEDED
What are the existing and/or new resources that will be used to accomplish this activity?

PROFESSIONAL MONITORING DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS

How will staff acquire the necessary skills and attitudes to implement this activity? What ongoing FORMATIVE evidence will be gathered to show this activity is making a difference in student learning?

Staff understand the power and importance of a guaranteed and viable curriculum for ALL students based on common high standards and expectations for student performance

Staff understand the power and

Alignment of core curriculum* with Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) Alignment of student performance expectations demonstrated through common course assessments Ongoing professional

Throughout the 2010-11 school year

Teacher Leaders

GLEs in content areas UbD, PLC, Assessment for Student Learning materials

In-House

Principal and Teacher Leaders will collect ongoing evidence of curriculum alignment Common course assessments Curriculum Maps

Throughout the 2010-11 school

Principal

We have Student

In-House

Principal will collect ongoing

importance of formative assessment to inform their instructional practice

Staff identify students of need and develop appropriate interventions for remediation and/or acceleration

development in staff meetings and job embedded PD time Development and implementation of ongoing common formative assessments Team review of common assessment results to inform practice Staff use formative assessment data to identify student in need of interventions Staff collaborate between content-area and crosscontent teams to identify and implement interventions

year

Targeted to have common formative assessments every 3 weeks Assessment review after each 3 week assessment Throughout the 2010-11 school year

Teacher Leaders

Assessment for Learning resources from a previous team training Content area standards

evidence of formative assessments and provide oversight of PLC use of assessment results

Administration/ teachers

PLC resources Pyramid of Intervention strategies

In-House

Principal and Teacher Leaders will monitor and gather evidence of implementation and success of intervention strategies School D/F lists

PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATING SUCCESS IN REACHING THIS GOAL:

What SUMMATIVE evidence will be used to show this work is making a difference in student learning?

Content Area Teams will collect data regarding increases in student performance due to interventions.

IMPROVEMENT GOAL 2: We will improve student performance in mathematics with the end goal of building a stronger algebra foundation for all exiting 8th graders.
Building/Department: _6th-8th Math Teachers_ Target Area: _____Mathematics_____ STRATEGY: We will provide a high quality mathematics program employing research-based best instructional practices and differentiation strategies to heterogeneously grouped students. LEARNING TARGET
What are the learning objectives of this activity?

IMPROVEMENT ACTIVITIES
What programs or initiatives will occur?

TIMELINE WHO IS When will this RESPONSIBLE? activity begin and

end? Who will provide the leadership for this activity?

RESOURCES NEEDED
What are the existing and/or new resources that will be used to accomplish this activity?

PROFESSIONAL MONITORING DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS

How will staff acquire the necessary skills and attitudes to implement this activity? What ongoing FORMATIVE evidence will be gathered to show this activity is making a difference in student learning?

Math teachers are able to effectively differentiate mathematics instruction

Develop and teach Throughout mini-courses to the 2010-11 students with persistent school year skill deficiencies as identified in common assessments Develop appropriate interventions for remediation and/or acceleration Develop common Throughout formative assessments the 2010-11 to identify specific school year student needs Review of common assessment results to inform practice

Math Teachers

Formative assessments to identify specific student needs Assessment for Student Learning materials Differentiation handbook We have Student Assessment for Learning resources from a previous team training Content area standards Standards Progress Monitoring

In-House

Principal and Teachers will collect ongoing evidence of implementation and effectiveness of differentiation strategies See above

Staff understand the power and importance of formative assessment to inform their instructional practice

Principal Teacher Leaders Math Teachers

In-House

Students will be proficient in identified State

Monthly standards Throughout monitoring the 2010-11 assessments with school year

Math Teachers Curriculum, Instruction and

Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

Monthly monitoring with beginning and

math standards at each grade level Resource math students will demonstrate accelerated learning based on their IEP needs

appropriate academic interventions

on a monthly basis

Assessment Director District Special Education Director Principal Resource Teachers

Assessments Curriculum resources District Math Standards Assessments

Director District provided release time and training

Curriculum, Throughout Instruction and the 2010-11 Assessment design school year that reflects a three- fold focus of 1-Specially Designed instruction 2- Individualized to student 3- Tied back to the general education curriculum Students assessed with district grade level standards assessments

end of the year reporting to CIA director Special Education Director, Principal and Teachers will collect ongoing evidence of implementation and effectiveness of differentiation strategies

PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATING SUCCESS IN REACHING THIS GOAL:

What SUMMATIVE evidence will be used to show this work is making a difference in student learning?

WASL performance of 7th-8th grade students will meet or exceed the State Uniform Bar for AYP. District end of the Year Common Course Algebra I-II assessment will show gains in comparison to baseline performance data collected last spring.

IMPROVEMENT GOAL 3: We will improve student performance in literacy across all grade levels as measured by the MSP in reading and writing
Building/Department: _6th-8th Language Arts Teachers_ Target Area: _____Literacy_____ STRATEGY: We will provide a high quality mathematics program employing research-based best instructional practices and differentiation strategies to heterogeneously grouped students. LEARNING TARGET
What are the learning objectives of this activity?

IMPROVEMENT TIMELINE When will this activity ACTIVITIES begin and end?
What programs or initiatives will occur?

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
Who will provide the leadership for this activity?

RESOURCES NEEDED
What are the existing and/or new resources that will be used to accomplish this activity?

PROFESSIONAL MONITORING DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS

How will staff acquire the necessary skills and attitudes to implement this activity? What ongoing FORMATIVE evidence will be gathered to show this activity is making a difference in student learning?

Language Arts teachers will identify key reading and writing targets for each grade level

develop grade level outcomes which identify increasing levels of difficulty and sophistication Examination of assessment results to identify key areas of deficit Focused collaboration with release time to address deficits

Three days spread out over the school year

Principals Language Arts teachers

Release time for teachers MSP data Reading/Writing scope and sequence S. Harvey Toolkits

In-House

Principal and Teachers will collect ongoing evidence of implementation

PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATING SUCCESS IN REACHING THIS GOAL:

What SUMMATIVE evidence will be used to show this work is making a difference in student learning? WASL performance of 6th-8th grade students will show improvement at or above the 80th percentile range.