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SWAMPSCOTT PUBLIC SCHOOLS MCAS Results ~ Spring 2009. MCAS Gr. 3 English ~ Clarke. MCAS Gr. 3 English ~ Hadley. MCAS Gr. 3 English ~ Stanley. MCAS Gr. 3 Math ~ Clarke. MCAS Gr. 3 Math ~ Hadley. MCAS Gr. 3 Math ~ Stanley. MCAS Gr. 4 English ~ Clarke. MCAS Gr. 4 English ~ Hadley.
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Trends • Performance by year and by school varies at the elementary schools and between the grades • English remains fairly steady over the years and over the grades • Math becomes increasingly problematic as scores in the warning/needs improvement categories increase through elementary to middle school
Factors • Redistricting of students and staff in the elementary schools and the middle school in 2007-2008 • Different elementary math programs and resources • Until last year there were different approaches and resources in the elementary literacy program • Different math and literacy professional development programs at the elementary school by grade and by school in the past • Math and literacy curriculum mapping just being completed • Elementary standard based report cards just being completed.
Action Plan • Principals are responsible at each level to be sure that there is an Individual Student Success Plan (ISSP) for every regular education student who is in the Warning/ Failure and Needs Improvement category. These plans have to be implemented and updated yearly. At the high school level students at risk of continuing to fail the MCAS are put on EPPs (Educational Proficiency Plans). Special Education students’ IEPs’ address needed interventions and supports.
At the middle and high school department heads analyze strand deficits and recommend additional attention to these and design interventions (Example the Foundation courses – double English and Math for at risk 9th graders) • All schools include test taking strategies well in advance of the MCAS administration • The district purchased the “Test Vault” from Assessment Solution Systems 3 years ago. This program has a bank of 10,000 MCAS questions for all grades that teachers can use as part of class preparation, homework, resource room work and at the high school as part of a state grant program for remedial work for 9th graders at risk of MCAS failure • In addition to the “Test Vault” test items the district has 48,000+ questions on our web site for teachers to access
IDEA ARRA funds just available this fall will to be used to purchase “Study Island”, a computer software program that can be used in school and at home to help Special Education and Title I students practice MCAS type questions and develop the skills needed if they are unsuccessful in their first attempts at the questions. This program will be used at the middle school and the Stanley and Clarke schools. Study Island is being used in the second year at the Hadley Elementary School for Grade 3 students with promising results. The high school is also in year 2 of using this program with students at risk of failing the 10th grade MCAS as part of their 625 grant.
IDEA and Title I ARRA funds will also be used to pay teachers to serve as Math Coaches at the middle and elementary schools to help provide additional remediation for skill deficits for special education and Title I students.
In addition to these programs, the following assessment systems are in use in the Swampscott Public Schools. • Star Math (Elementary) • DIBELS and GRADE (Elementary Literacy) • Inventory and benchmark tests from the math series (elementary) • Mid-terms and Final exams at the high school are tied to the state standards and are uniform at the 9th and 10th grade. • Middle School teachers are working together to develop common test items in the core subjects at each grade level.
Last year the district piloted a new Math program at the Clarke school at grades 3 and 4 that is better aligned with state standards and includes strategic and intensive interventions. • After a year of trial and the feedback from the principal, teachers and Title I Coordinator the district has purchased this program for the other two elementary schools for grades 3 and 4 for this year and plans to purchase the K-2 program next year so that our elementary math curriculum will be better aligned and cover all of the standards and strands required in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. • Administrative Data Task Force established to review and analyze data from the DESE Data Warehouse Website. This presentation is the first analysis.
Next Steps • Provide Professional Development for the new elementary math program for all elementary teachers • Provide Professional Development for Elementary Principals, SPED Director, Team Chair, Title I Coordinator and Tutors in Leadership for Mathematics Education • Provide Professional Development for SPED and Title I teachers in Mathematical disabilities, assessment, diagnosis and remediation • Expand “Study Island” to other elementary and the middle schools • Complete adoption of the Envision Math program • Develop summer resources to prevent regression • Establish STEM task force K-12 with sub-group on Math • Review and present Growth Data Model
