School Goal (Specifically, what will you accomplish

School Contact Information:

Address 501 Maywood, Pekin, IL 61554

Phone 309/477-4711

FAX 309/347-7436

URL http://www.pekin.net/pekin108/dirksen/index.html

School Goal:

We will improve student achievement in language arts (reading and writing) on district and state assessments.

We have determined our standard for performance to be 80% as a short term outcome.

We have determined our standard for performance to be 90% as a long term outcome.

Community/Grade Level Goal:

Each learning community and grade level will implement activities for advancing student achievement across the grade levels in language arts (reading and writing).

We have developed weekly and monthly schedules for grade level and school planning.

School Goal (Specifically, what will you accomplish?) We will improve student achievement in language arts (reading and writing) on the district and state assessments through an aligned school improvement effort.
District Goal (The school goal aligns with what district goals?) Goal One (2001-2002): We will increase student performance through the school improvement process.
Data-Driven Rationale: The district adopted a change in the language arts curriculum and assessment. The staff realized the change in curriculum, assessment system, and further realized a need to develop a common criteria. Staff has also determined from previous data that language arts (reading and writing) should be the area of concentration. Staff has identified individual targeted objectives that have been mastered and not mastered by a comparison of previous results.
Leadership: Dirksen Instructional Leadership Team, Quality Tools/SIP Team, Technology Team, Budget Team, and Principal
Evaluation Strategy: We will compare student data on the district/state assessments with past performance to observe annual improvements by reviewing grade level performance with previous grade level performance.
Start Date: August, 2001	Review Date: January, 2002	Evaluation Date: May, 2002

Action Plan
Action (What are the critical elements of the goal?)	Indicators of Success (How will we measure progress?)	Resources	Title 1, 2, 4, 6	Enterprise	Text Reall.	Bldg Budget	Other
Data collection and analysis	Targeted outcomes with achievement in the subjects of Reading/Writing	Test data					X
Staff development training involving differentiated instruction, quality tools (key instruction strategies), and objective-based lesson planning	Fulfillment of school professional development plans and the use of an enhanced lesson plan format	On-site training, workshops, conferences, and professional literature	X			X
Grade Level Goals: to implement opportunities for increasing student achievement across the grade levels in language arts. *Prekindergarten* Standard—The student will be able to tell a story using pictures to share beginning, middle, and end. Indicators—Be able to hold the book correctly; be able to track from left to right; be able to describe pictures; be able to form letters and key words, and be able to know the role of an author and illustrator Strategies—Use of experience stories and whole class books; create/read individual books at school and home; role-playing a story; retelling a story in own words; sequence 3 pictures *Kindergarten* Standard—The student will be able to tell a story orally sharing beginning, middle, and end; also, expressing the main idea of the story both orally and and in written form Indicators—Be able to hold the book correctly; be able to track from left to right; be able to point out key words; be able to write a sentence showing main idea of the story; know the role of the an author and illustrator; be able to tell a story orally using props Strategies—Experience stories and whole class books; creating and reading individual books at school and at home; role-playing a story part—beginning, middle, or end; invented writings in journals; storyboards to identify characters, main ideas, beginning, middle, and end of a story First *Grade* Standard—The student will be able to read independently using the "essential strategies for developing independent readers of the beginning, middle, and end parts of a story. Indicators—Be able to hold the book correctly; be able to track from left to right; be able to look at picture clues; be able to recognize key words; be able to reread for information; be able to retell a story’s beginning, middle, end; be able to write a story using complete sentences and grade level spelling words Strategies—Experience stories and whole class books; creating/reading individual books at school and home; role-playing a story; individual journal and reflection; graphic organizers; peer tutoring (BJHS); using computers to support writing of stories; familiarity with and use of a writing rubric Second *Grade* Standard—The student will be able to read independently using the "essential strategies for developing independent readers" and be able to communicate in sentence/paragraph form story parts and main idea. Indicators—Be able to tell where the story took place; be able to tell about the main characters in the story; be able to use sentence mechanics to communicate effectively in writing; be able to write a paragraph/essay with a beginning, middle, and end and extensions; be able to write in the correct mode Strategies—Creating/writing individual books at school and home; role-playing a story; individual journal/reflection writing; small group instruction and practice reading; graphic organizers; partner reading; peer tutoring (BJHS); familiarity with and use of a writing rubric Third *Grade* Standard—The student will be able to read independently using the "essential strategies for developing independent readers" and be able to communicate in essay form beginning, middle and end through the use of narrative, persuasive, and expository writings Indicators—Be able to tell where the story took place; be able to tell about the main characters in the story; be able to tell the plot of the story; be able to use sentence mechanics to communicate effectively in written expression; be able to write an essay with a beginning, middle, and end in narrative, expository, persuasive form Strategies—Creating/reading individual books at home and school; role-playing a story; individual journal/reflection writing, graphic organizers; small group instruction/reading, and partner reading; peer tutoring (BJHS); weekly evaluated essays using a writing rubric (individually, partner, teacher-student) Targeted Outcomes: Kindergarten Tell what I think is going to happen in a story and why with 90% mastery (85%). Decide if what was read is a story or a poem with 85% mastery (80%). First Grade Tell the main idea in a story with 80% mastery (49%). I check that I understand what I read with 85% mastery (81%). Write about a topic adding details with 85% mastery (84%). Second Grade* I can tell what a story is about in order with 80% mastery (71%). I can edit my writing with 80% mastery (76%). I can figure out new words when I read with 85%mastery (83%). Third Grade* I can figure out new words when I read with 85% mastery (80%). Identify common themes from different stories with 90% mastery (85%).	Lesson plans, meeting summaries, student samples	Substitute staff, volunteers					X
Guided reading: match children and books	Reading recovery profiles (running records/records of oral reading); classroom charts; comprehension checks	Reading recovery teachers	X
Guided writing: writing for different purposes	Work sample completion	Portfolios			X
Support materials purchase/implementation	Learning center inventory lists; learning community purchase orders; technology support equipment/supplies	Learning center teacher and assistant					X
Parent involvement: communications and collaborations with families supporting reading and writing activities at home	Parent coordinator review; PACT activities summaries; feedback about teacher newsletters; feedback about school newsletters; number of hits to classroom and school websites	Community-family educators	X

Feedback of Results from 00-01 to consider for 01-02

Evidence/Knowledge of Results (What did we learn?)	Recommendations (What do we need to do now?)
Posters of standards/objectives were posted in each classroom and in the main foyer and serve as on-going reference.	Regularly communicate posters to parents through classroom newsletters/website and at Curriculum Night and Parent Conferences.
3—district grade level focus meetings (after school 3:30-5 PM) were held to enhance alignment communications.	Recommend focus meetings be changed to School Improvement Days or Institute Days to improve quality of discussion due to earlier time frame in day. At focus meetings, continue to review language of "I Can Do It" sheets so that they are perceived as user friendly.
8—building grade level and multi-grade level focus meetings were held to enhance alignment and communications.	Improve structure of lesson plans to address SAI development and documentation
Grade level vocabulary/spelling word lists were developed and implemented.	Make copies of student work samples to support/clarify a standard.
"I Can Do It" self-assessment sheets were implemented at each grade level to promote student responsibility for learning in language arts and mathematics.	Involve the students sooner to fill out their own sheets. Develop more consistency with blue tub usage to support information on "I Can Do It" sheets. Determine what needs to be collected; school-wide articulation of writing expectations/products for each grade level Utilize substitute teachers if necessary to allow for individual assessments and completion of "I Can Do It" sheets Inform parents early (Curriculum Night) the purpose of "I Can Do It" sheets.
8—Team Planning Sessions were scheduled to include support resource people—Connections teacher, Reading Recovery Teacher, Speech Teacher, Learning Center Teacher, Special Education Resource Teacher, Language Assistant—to enhance alignment and consistency of skill development and problem-solving experiences.	Write objective/standard at the top of student product or attach a label of the standard/objective and/or Incorporate objective/standard into lesson plan
Development and implementation of a writing rubric was finalized for each grade level to understand writing expectations for each grade level.	Collect writing samples—beginning, middle, and end of year
4—school improvement release ½ days were utilized to evaluate standards, assessments, and instruction process components.	Emphasize more collaboration with Learning Center staff, Title I, Physical Education, and Music staff to improve instructional activities (e.g. counting by 2’s, find the sphere in Music and PE, etc.)
Coordinated language arts activities/themes to accompany writing standards were developed by the grade levels and/or within the learning communities.	Share successes of activities and themes at planning sessions Secure additional teaching aids, software, etc. as appropriate Expand themes into all-school theme development
Beginning assessments helped children to get going at the start of the year and also gave teachers important start-of-the year information; end of the year assessments provided individual student information and instructional information for the next school year.	Contintue to share ISAT and ITBS assessments with all grade levels so that all can see expectations; third grade teachers coordinate with other grade levels their expectations for preparing students for state assessments
Professional development occurred as identified to support the SAI process, language arts instruction, and use of technology in the classroom.	Individual workshops or staff development on targeted objectives (e.g. instruction on narrative, persuasive, expository writing development for primary school students; scoring writing assessments with consistency)