Com. Arts Program Evaluation
February 2021
Communication Arts
- Primary: Jasmine Rustemeyer, Hailey Lowrey, Heather Morgan, Morgan Dolph, Sandy Chaidez, Anne Brush, Jessica Scheidt, Jessica Bach, Liz Austin
- Elementary: Jennifer Anthony, Janelle Palmer, Emily Becker, April Georgietti, Taylor DeVault, Jill Batye, Dana Flaspohler, Cassandra Beaty
- Middle School: Melinie Purvis, Kelsey Caine, Susan Botkin, Ashley Bruce, Kelci Weter, Laura Gholson, Sierra Michaelis, Laura Kuhrts, Tammy Bukowsky
- High School: Aaron Koch, Karen Hamer, Karlene Baylous, Emma Nichols, Traci Riggs, Heather Smith
Southern Boone Primary Updates
What data/evaluation criteria illustrates the effectiveness of this area?
Data on the effectiveness of the Primary School communication arts program is gathered from several instruments, including DRA 2 (Developmental Reading Assessment), iReady reading diagnostic, Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN), the district writing assessment, and Primary Spelling Inventory (PSI).
The Primary School administers the DRA2 (Developmental Reading Assessment) at the beginning of the year and at the end of each trimester, for first and second grade. The DRA2 is given to kindergarten twice, in January and at the end of the year.This diagnostic assessment allows teachers to identify strengths and areas for growth in decoding, comprehension,and fluency for each individual reader. In addition, individual running reading records are given on a regular basis by classroom teachers. DRA2 (Diagnostic Reading Assessment) The table below shows the percentage of students who have reached the DRA2 grade level benchmark. This tool is an overall assessment of reading ability because it requires students to utilize their reading skills in context. We use this data to plan whole and small group classroom reading instruction, as well as to form and plan lessons for reading intervention.
The iReady reading diagnostic is administered three times a year for first and second grade. It is administered to kindergarten twice a year. The Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) is a screener given to Kindergarteners and First graders to screen for dyslexia. District writing assessments are unit assessments given at each grade level to inform instruction. The Primary Spelling Inventory is both a part of a dyslexia screener and used to inform instruction at all grade levels.
Student progress is evaluated through progress monitoring with appropriate assessments based on Missouri Learning Standards. Evaluations include letter/sound recognition checks, sight word checks, anecdotal observations, spelling inventories, and running records. Benchmark assessments are given throughout the year, and include the Primary Spelling Inventory, Developmental Reading Assessment, 2nd Edition (DRA2), iReady, and the Reading Recovery Observation Survey.
Reading Recovery is an integral part of our Title I program. This is a research based program in which students are seen individually for daily intensive intervention. The chart below shows the number of first grade Reading Recovery students and the accelerated progress they made in the 11-22 weeks of their individualized programs. Of the 82 students that received Title I services during the 2020-2021 school year, 27 were served in the Reading Recovery program. Of those 27 students, four showed accelerated progress which means they went above grade level expectations. Seventeen students showed progress. Three students were recommended for further evaluation. Zero students moved during their program. Two students did not receive the full 20 week program due to the conclusion of the school year and one student was removed from Reading Recovery to be served in special education.
There has been a change in categorization for Reading Recovery students this year from a pass/fail system to a more deliberate system of describing student progress. Reading Recovery also increased text level requirements for discontinuation of students. These changes were to ensure students are fully prepared to be released from the program.
At Southern Boone Primary, our building goal is for 90% of students to read at or above grade level on the spring DRA2 and/or make gains reflective of one full year of growth. The following table shows DRA2 assessment data from the 2020-2021 school year.
What has changed since the last program evaluation?
- Massive growth in student population. We now have 9 kindergarten classes, 8 first grade classes and 9 second grade classes.
- We are using iReady reading diagnostic AND iReady on-line instruction, in both reading and math for ALL students. Before this year, iReady instruction was only used as an intervention for some students.
- DESE required dyslexia screening: DRA2, RAN, PSI, iReady, Letter ID, Letter Naming Fluency.
- Cohesive building approach to guided reading instruction and instructional strategies by doing a building wide book study, Next Step Forward in Running Records by Jan Richardson. We have Professional Development sessions available several times throughout the year after school on different reading topics.
- Tier II and III systems are more developed and highly effective. We continue to refine the process. Our action plans include more details and are comprehensive records of interventions and data. We have two teams that meet twice a month for Tier III discussions. We meet every other month for Tier II and the Core Tier II team meets on the opposite months.
- Heggerty Phonemic Awareness is taught school wide.
- Fundations Phonics Program is taught school wide. Classroom teachers received virtual Professional Development.
- Literacy Footprints is being used for virtual instruction.
- Expanded instructional leveled bookroom titles (PTA donation of $7500.00 for 20/21).
- Digital Assessment Data Wall expanded to track student reading pacing and progress (Virtual Wall).
- Technology availability has increased. We have more devices. We are now one to one. Chromebooks are in our second grade. First graders and Kindergarteners have ipads.
- Available outside mental health resources.
- Stop the Summer Slide program was implemented to keep kids reading books all summer long on their reading level.
- Reading Improvement Plans are written for all students who are two grade levels below in reading.
What next steps would better serve our students?
We need in-person Fundations training along with a trainer on site a few times a year to observe the pacing and the instruction.
Since students are one to one on devices, we would like to start sending those devices home daily to allow for all students to practice iReady and Literacy Footprints at home.
We would like to change our reading assessment from DRA to Jan Richardson’s Next Step assessment. This would directly match what we are teaching and be a better fit for our reading program.
We would like daily book bags to send home with every child for the entire school. In order to do this, we would need classroom teachers to monitor books sent home and make sure they are returned. We would also need a line item in the budget to replace lost books.
High-quality Learning in Action
Southern Boone Elementary Updates
What data/evaluation criteria illustrates the effectiveness of this area?
The elementary school collects data from several areas to determine the effectiveness of our Communication Arts program. These points of data include our iReady assessments, the Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA).
The iReady assessment is given to students in third through fifth grade three times a year. Our students take an initial assessment with iReady at the beginning of the year. This tool is used to assess students in various domains in math and reading. Teachers use this data to determine areas in which students are below grade level, at grade level or above grade level. Our teachers then group students and provide explicit instruction to close gaps or expand students’ knowledge of current grade level skills. Students take the iReady assessment in math and reading again in the middle of year and one last time at the end of the school year. The elementary school uses iReady data to determine which students could be eligible for Tier 2 support with our reading and math interventionists.
Beginning of Year Data - Mid-Year Data
Improvement was shown in each placement level.
Overall, 44% percent of our students showed improvement in their grade level equivalency.
We began implementing a new assessment and small group program called the Independent Reading Level Assessment, or IRLA. This assessment replaced our use of the DRA. The IRLA includes one formal assessment at the beginning of the year and is a tool that determines a student’s independent reading level as well as strengths and areas of challenge for each student. Teachers use the information from the assessment to set power goals for each student. These power goals are the basis of a classroom’s small group reading instruction and are used to coach a student up into the next reading level. The teachers use a series of lessons and formative assessments to meet with students in small groups and 1 on 1 conferences. The information teachers gather is used to determine if a student has mastered the power goal, is ready for a new power goal in the same level or if the student is ready to transition to the next reading level.
Data from IRLA reading levels: October 29, 2021 - January 28, 2022
The number of students in the emergency level decreased by 12.7%.
The number of students in the “at risk” level decreased by 3.8%.
The number of students in our “proficient or above” level increased by 17.7%.
What has changed since the last program evaluation?
Since the last program evaluation our school has begun a 3 year curriculum adoption process. During the 2020-2021 school year we began implementing a new assessment and small group program called the Independent Reading Level Assessment, or IRLA. This assessment replaced our use of the DRA. The IRLA is a tool that determines a student’s independent reading level as well as strengths and areas of challenge for each student.
This year the elementary school began using a new whole group program called the American Reading Company, or ARC. This new reading program is a core curriculum that includes units of study that integrate multiple subject areas and includes instructional tools for all components of reading and writing. Teachers began the year with Unit 1, The Literacy Lab.
Along with ARC and IRLA, our school began using a data tracking system called Schoolpace. Teachers input data from the student’s independent reading assessment, choose and update power goals for students, enter data from 1 on 1 conferences with the student and small groups. Teachers also input reading steps into Schoolpace. Reading steps are the number of minutes students spend engaged in reading material. 1 step equals 15 minutes of reading. These steps are tracked by the students at school and at home.
Classroom libraries with over 100 leveled books available for every student to enjoy at school and home.
Increased collaboration between grade level teachers due to common curriculum .
Increased rigor due to implementation of standards based curriculum.
School is preparing to transition to standards-based grading. Priority and supporting standards have been identified for each subject. Working with Mark Clements.
Instructional Coach, Cassandra Beaty, added to staff.
Specific action plans in place for students one or more grade levels below at the beginning of the year.
5th grade team working with middle school transition team to prepare for 2022-2023 transition year.
5th grade team has fully integrated their Social Studies Standards into their ELA curriculum.
What next steps would better serve our students?
- We would like to see more certified reading interventionists hired to assist more students in literacy gains.
- Use various points of data to inform decisions on tier instruction, instead of just iReady.
- Focus on highest needs students and prioritize action plans for red students.
- Allow time for teachers to master one piece of curriculum at a time.
- Prioritize and protect teacher plan time and RTI.
- Connect school library to classroom ELA program, color code books for easier checkout (book bins).
- Purchase more lower level IRLA toolkits and classroom libraries.
- Offer repeat trainings for curriculum.
- Offer new teachers training on curriculums outside of time with their mentor.
High-quality Learning in Action
Southern Boone Middle School Updates
What data/evaluation criteria illustrates the effectiveness of this area?
Data on the effectiveness of the Middle School Communication Arts program is gathered from the MAP test and iReady diagnostic assessments which each student completes three times per year: Fall, Winter, and Spring. iReady data is collected to review student placement and focuses on vocabulary, comprehending literature, and comprehending informational text. Teachers analyze this data to help inform classroom instruction and to make recommendations for Reading Intervention placement.
MAP Data showed that the downward slide in ELA has stopped. While the total proficiency levels are not where we would like them to be, the percentage of Proficient and Advanced students was above the state average in 6th and 7th grade. This was the first time that two of the three grade levels were above the state average in at least the last five years, which is how far back the comparison data goes. The 8th grade percentage of students scoring Proficient and Advanced was below the state average, like it was the last time they completed the MAP test; however, their scores were closer to the state average than they were on the previous test. Additional item specific MAP data was analyzed by the grade-level team to determine areas of strength, how well students performed on priority standards, and what gaps in our curriculum and instruction might exist.
What has changed since the last program evaluation?
We have combined Reading and Writing into a two-period block class of English Language Arts. Thus, there are new curricula and materials at each grade level. 6th and 7th grade curricula primarily follow the digital StudySync program and use EB Academics Writing Program as an additional resource. The 8th grade curriculum centers around literature and is designed to work as a transition to the high school’s English curriculum.
Increased rigor due to the combination into ELA and the new curricula.
Increased alignment as a department and as grade-level teams. The department has focused on aligning curriculum and assessments to priority standards. The priority standards are the driving focus of the curriculum and assessment.
Teachers now teach one grade-level instead of two and have half the total number of students. This allows for more timely feedback, especially on writing assignments.
Working with Instructional Coach, Tammy Bukowsky, to improve curriculum and instruction.
Our school is shifting to standards-based grading. This year the department has written success criteria and scoring guides for priority standards. We are currently working on aligning assessments to our priority standards and standards-based grading.
Department turnover and restructured teams.
What next steps would better serve our students?
Additional full-time ELA staff to address growing class sizes. With several classes at 25 or 26 students, we need more human resources to have smaller class sizes in order to support the increased rigor, make learning more individualized, provide more specific feedback to students, and go more in-depth with the curriculum.
Continuing to incorporate more study of informational text and vocabulary to address needs highlighted by iReady data and MAP testing.
More MAP test preparation, including: revising assessments to include more items that are similar in format and language to the MAP test; teaching students to decipher what the language of the question is asking; and including more multi-step and multi-select questions.
Professional Development shifts from curriculum and standards-based grading philosophy to the implementation of best instructional practices and best practices of standards-based grading.
Schedules that do not put Class Within a Class (CWC) special education students into our largest classes.
Common plan time for grade-level teams is essential.
Attract and retain highly qualified, certified ELA teachers; post job openings and hire in a competitive timeframe; offer a competitive salary.
High-quality Learning in Action
8th Grade - Orbiting Jupiter Hexagonal Thinking
7th Grade - Literature Gangs/Districts
6th Grade - Annotations, Cornell Notes, Speed Debating
Southern Boone High School Updates
What data/evaluation criteria illustrates the effectiveness of this area?
ACT Scores
Southern Boone High School End of Course English II Data
Percentage of Students Scoring Proficient/Advanced
What has changed since the last program evaluation?
Currently, we have 4 teachers for English I, II, and III using Independent Reading in their classrooms, meaning the first 10 minutes of each class is spent reading a non-curricular book. The purpose is to instill a life-long habit of reading for enjoyment as well as reinforcing English language skills. This is the first year for full implementation in all three courses. The results since the first of the school year are amazing. For example, we find students beginning their reading without being prompted to do so. We see students actually reading and new page numbers marked as they progress through their book. Each quarter we take our classes to the library to check out a new book. Additionally, each quarter a project over their independent reading book is assigned. Please see the Book Trailer project in the samples below to understand the kind of project assigned (there is a different project each quarter). Students also present their book projects, thus reinforcing public speaking skills.
The English Department has also begun to vertically align our curriculum of priority standards. We started with our writing curriculum and have made tangible goals for each grade level. We are introducing those goals into grade-level writing assignments. As a department, we have collaborated on common language and developed a writing rubric template that can be adapted to fit grade-level assignments.
English I - English I has added non-fiction text to each unit, as well as a research unit to build summarization and synthesis skills of credible sources. We have also added multimedia projects to allow students more opportunities to demonstrate skill acquisition and application to real-world situations.
English II - English II has added a new novel to the curriculum, The House on Mango Street, in an effort to keep our World Literature course diverse. We will also replace our Vietnam War unit with a research unit that plans to strengthen the summarization and synthesis skills learned in English I.
English III - A research unit has been incorporated to have students demonstrate their analytical writing skills with scholarly texts and the creation of an annotated bibliography. Multiple units are based on informational texts, and the novel units include informational texts as well. Daily ACT Prep using MORENet resources has been added from February to April.
English IV - With our Macbeth unit, we continue to vary the anchor text to give students an opportunity to explore the variety of how the canonical Shakespeare story is told. We are also adding a literature circle unit that will group students based on their independent reading choices and genres. Finally, we have plans to collaborate with the counseling department and the Chamber of Commerce on creating a Career Readiness unit that will include mock interviews with Chamber members.
Department-wide, we have worked to maintain rigor and consistency in our curriculum while navigating our current environment during COVID-19. We consistently use Google Classroom collaboratively between department members. With our students, we have become almost paperless, primarily using Google Classroom to post assignments, grade assessments, and communicate with students. To ensure thorough communication, we create unit calendars to post on Classroom for our students to follow, that utilize embedded links to materials and resources. Virtual adap
What next steps would better serve our students?
Reducing the number of elective classes to help keep core class numbers smaller until we can hire more ELA teachers to open up more classes (Link for more information). Continue building informational texts into the curriculum. Continue vertically aligning writing curriculum. Extend the independent reading program to the English IV curriculum.
High-quality Learning in Action
Upcoming Events
We are moving our Book Week to March 21-25 the week before Spring Break as a way to celebrate reading with our students.
The reading team is going to meet individually with parents to offer suggestions to help their child be a stronger reader during Parent Teacher Conferences.
Elementary:
- Cold Winter’s Night will be held from 6-7 pm on February 17, 2022.
High School:
- Write to Learn Conference - March 3rd and 4th in Columbia