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Spring, 2018
The purpose of this assignment is for students to have an opportunity to learn about the development of a
responsive strategic school improvement plan using cycles of the Plan-Do-Study-Act process.
Part Ia: Plan – Collect and Chart Data to Assess the Current Situation
MAP Assessment MAP Math assessment -In three of the four years, our
Data proficiencies from grades 4-7 proficiencies have increased greater
(Mathematics) than 7% each year by the Spring.
Grade Fall Spring -4th grade had a 7% decrease from Fall
4th 79% 72% to Spring.
5th 76% 83%
6th 77% 86% - The district is in an upward
7th 83% 92% trend when speaking through
MAP data.
Iowa Assessments Grades 4-7 proficiency on Iowa - 4th through 7th grades are all
(Mathematics) Math Assessments. 84% or higher for proficient
and advanced students.
- Three out of four years, our
Grade Non Proficient/ non proficient students are less
Proficient Advanced than 10%
4th 16% 84% - From 4th to 5th grade, there is a
5th 9% 91% jump of 7% .
6th 7% 93%
7th 7% 93%
1. What is the problem/opportunity for improvement and why are you selecting it?
Our scores are trending upward, but my fear is they become stagnant. The problem is we need to
make sure ALL students are performing at a proficient level in the field of mathematics.
2. How is this opportunity for improvement connected to the mission and vision of the school?
All means all. It is fantastic that a large majority of our students are testing in the proficient and
advanced range, but if all means all we need to get that final 10% to the level of proficiency. Portrait of
a learner, district mission, states that we must differentiate our lesson materials so that all students can
be reached. It is vital that we continue the great instructional practices with the majority, but we need to
see what other strategies can be used to reach all!
To increase grades 4-7 proficiency percentages, according to map testing, from an average of 83.25% to at least
90% by the 2018-2019 Spring MAP assessment.
1. What improvement (change) strategies will you implement in the next 45-60 days?
Staff development will be centered on differentiation within a classroom setting. Teachers will
be given presentations about the facts within differentiation, and also be put in a situation where
they can be apart of a differentiated classroom. Along with staff implementing differentiation,
we can look at CEI best practices from the state. What do these best practices look like in a
classroom setting? How can we bring them to life in our classrooms?
4. By what method will you gather data to determine if the improvement strategies are
working?
Schools can first track the district assessment scores. Are the strategies being effective for our
district assessments? By getting into classrooms, leadership teams can monitor to see if teachers
are using the instructional strategies being taught within PD. MAP testing is the last test of the
year, so we will also monitor Iowa Assessments and FAST testing to track student growth and
proficiency according to those tests measures.
Teachers will dedicate time within the PLC work, with an administrator present, to
discuss how differentiation and small grouping is working in the classroom. It is also an
opportunity for teachers to discuss how they believe it is not working, or concerns that they have
about the best practice. Using the teachers around you, find a good balance of how to use
differentiation to reach all students.
45-Day Action Plan:
Strategies for Improvement
------You cannot complete this as you do not have any “real” data related to your plan.---
Part IV: Act – Determine the Next 45 to 60 Day Action Plan Based on Your Results
------You cannot complete this as you do not have any “real” data related to your plan.---
1. What strategies will you continue in the next 45 to 60 day action plan? Why?
2. What strategies will you discontinue in the next 45 to 60 day action plan? Why?
3. What additional strategies will you add in the next 45 to 60 day action plan? Why?
4. How will you sustain improvements found to be effective?
Pertinent Data
Added data for this PDSA would be to understand what system we currently have in place to
help the students at our school. The students who are in our math intervention classrooms are
picked out by the time they get to the middle school. 85% of our math intervention students are
placed by the start of their middle school career. This means that the elementary system is very
solid at catching the students whom need the extra help in the subject of math. The remaining
15% of students who enter the math intervention happen within the first three months of school
at the start of middle school. Those students who fall through the cracks in math are being caught
with this stable system. Now that those students are identified, we need to take it to the next level
of giving them the differentiation and best practices to get them to the proficient level.
Reflection
This task was very difficult for me as I began. At Johnston, it is apparent that we
have a stable system in place throughout the Johnston elementary schools, when talking about
mathematics. We consistently have above 85% proficient in the field of math throughout the
middle school AND elementary schools within multiple measures. Unfortunately, we are
satisfied with these high percentages and teachers within the building whom believe it will never
get any higher. That is the reason that I chose this stable system to nit-pick. There is no question
that this system is fantastic, but how can it be better? Also, how do we know we are improving?
These are the difficult questions that we need to analyze to meet the mythical 100% proficiency.
My biggest struggle within this assignment was the action plans within the SMART goal.
It is difficult to find a balance of making a drastic change to improve student achievement versus
putting too much on teacher’s plates. A principal should never make teachers feel as if what they
are doing is not good. If teachers feel underappreciated, their work will depreciate and high
quality teachers will leave your building. How do you encourage teachers to improve their
already great instruction? My answer to that is, data. The data clearly shows that we are leaving
seven to fifteen percent of students behind. When broken down, that turns out to be over one
hundred students. OVER ONE HUNDRED STUDENTS are being left behind each year within
the fields of mathematics in the district. Yes, we successfully send thousands of students through
our system being proficient in the field of math, but lets elevate our game to send them ALL
through. If the mission and vision of our district is for ALL students to succeed, then
administration needs to point to the direction of the vision of Johnston schools. The only way to
reach all students is to bring our teaching to the next level in order to reach all. Praise the work
that your teachers are doing, but continue to give the teachers opportunities to continually
The strategies to improve the system are muddy territories. I used terms such as
differentiate and small group. These are terms that majority of teachers already claim to be doing
in their classrooms all the time. But are they using these strategies appropriately? These best
practices can always be improved within any classroom. Even your best teachers can improve
their instructional practices; they may just need teaching on how to improve. Get your superstar
teachers into other teachers’ room so they can take ideas that they like or dislike about others
instructional practices. In some way or form, we need to get teachers to see that we continually
leave fifteen percent of students behind each year, and that is not acceptable.
In the end, this system is fantastic. Having eighty-five percent or better across the board
is something that many districts dream about. But when it is all said and done, is eighty-five
percent enough? Are we truly doing what is best for all students if we are leaving hundreds
behind each year? We teach growth-mindset to our students because it is a wonderful mindset to
have, so the teachers should practice what they preach. There is no mean to criticize teachers for
their current efforts, which would be silly. However, no teacher in the district should be satisfied
until all students succeed. We can achieve that by continually improving our instruction. Yes, the
work may be time consuming. Yes, the work may be difficult, but in the end, our customers are
the ones that matter. We need to satisfy all of our customers by adapting our teaching to