Promising Practice

1. Promising Practice Felicia M. Brown, Principal Marie Hall, Instructional Coach Kim Shadix, SWD Benita Swaim, ESOL Clayton County Babb Middle School (404) 362-3880 fbrown@clayton.k12.ga.us http://www.clayton.k12.ga.us/schools/011/

2. About our Better-seeking Team: • Describe the team that developed and implemented this Promising Practice. Members: Felicia Brown, Julie Brown, Derrick Thomas, Carl Willis, Pam Daniels, Monica Blasingame, Kim Shadix, Benita Swaim, James Morris, Cindy Sellards, Marie Hall, Glenda Edenton, Shronda Smith (Dr. Normil and Deann Dozier-Central Office) How were the members selected?Members were selected based on GLISI’s 8 roles of leadership style What structures and processes did you implement or improve for the BST to work as a collaborative team? Plan-Do-Check-Act • Weekly teacher meetings and departmental meeting-SWD • ESOL TEAM- Implementation of SIOP/Boot Camps • Structures and Processes • Training for 24 L.A., Science and ESOL Teachers • Training for Central Office and Admin. From Babb

3. Implementation • Restructured ESOL to have one grade level representative to teach ESOL and MONITOR in Collaboration those exited with local intervention sheets. Hired bilingual admin. in 06 • Professional learning year long, for faculty on interventions. • Frequent review of historical data on ESOL and monitored students. • Careful collaboration and learning on testing accommodations and ESOL codes. • Use of mainstream L.A. materials • Communicate expectations/exposure-Day One • Work-out Wednesday • Advisor/Advisee Plan-Do-Check-Act

4. Demographics-Subgroup • 13% Asian-yes • 46% Black-yes • 31% Hispanic-yes • 7% White-no • 3% Multi-racial-no • 88% Free/Reduce-yes • 18% Exceptional Students (SWD)-yes • 10% ELL/LEP-yes • Over 40% of our students PHLOTE (Arabic, Chinese, Cambodian, Creole, Lao, Vietnamese, Spanish)

5. We faced these challenge(s): • We did not always know who the monitored students were, so the ELL comprehensive list developed. • Students were below grade level-ELL/SWD • 42% of population speaks a primary home language other than English with less than 10 bilingual faculty members, so parent communication is difficult. • Lost bilingual paraprofessional mid year. Waited three months for additional ESOL teacher • The perceptions, demographics, and willingness of the faculty and community are positive and eager to walk the extra mile for all students to achieve.

6. Our data analysis helped us define the cause(s) of the problem: • Babb Middle School did not have a 6th grade ESOL teacher in 05-06. Many ESOL students were not served. BMS did not make AYP in 05-06 with ELL subgroup. • Monitoring and working in collaboration with exited ELL students were also difficult in 05-06 due to staffing concerns. • Babb Middle School did not make AYP in 05-06 with SWD subgroup.

7. As part of our root cause analysis…our Fishbone Diagram or Dogbone looked like this: ELL Students Increased Scores On CRCT, making Absolute Bar 3 ESOL Tchrs. Modifications Coding The Better Seeking Team Focused on ELL Students Montoring Students Bilingual Adm. Professional learning Boot Camps Administrative drop-ins Remediation Accommodations Reading Intervention SWD Increased Scores on CRCT Making Absolute Bar The Better Seeking Team Focused on SWD Follow BIP Collaborative setting Modifications Ownership

8. Our analysis compared our practices to best practices. Here is how we determined what needed to change: • Data analysis – locally prepared • CRCT date – CCPS prepared • Collaborative, team planning with ESOL teachers, SWD teachers and administration and Central Office Personnel • Taking ownership in all students • Holding all stakeholders responsible • Implementing Plan-Do-Check-Act

9. We selected this set of solutions to implement to solve the problem. Solutions • Professional Learning – SIOP – faculty (24) and Admin. And Central Office. • Cooperative planning – ESOL teachers and teams • Data analysis ELL/SWD – ongoing • One ESOL teacher per grade level to teach ESOL. • One ESOL teacher per grade level to monitor recently exited • List of all ELL/SWD were given to all teachers (per grade level) • ELL Comprehensive List created for with: IEP, Access, and CRCT scores listed. • Year-long instructional strategies sent to teachers

10. We took these actions to implement the solutions: Hired Bilingual Assistant Principal Professional Learning during Preplanning interventions for all teachers ALL L.A., Science Teachers and Admin. SIOP trained Testing accommodations and coding – Blakely, Hall, Brown, ELL teachers and faculty Designated a Lead Teacher for ESOL – Swaim On-going teaching strategies – All faculty Daily reminders of our mission and vision Collaboration with all stakeholders Magic numbers

11. We tracked our impact and results… • Faculty perceptions • Parent perceptions • Student perceptions • Work-out Wednesday’s • Mock CRCT data/Mock Writing data • CRCT-AYP data • Plan-Do-Check-Act was implemented • Hire and retain faculty (highly qualified) with ESOL endorsement, experience, and/or “drive” to help ELL’s achieve. • Carefully identified ELL’s/SWD’s, communicated and code test with perfection. Modifications and accommodations were implemented.

12. We experienced these changes as a result: • What changes did you experience as a result of your efforts? • Enormous pride in ELL’s • Even more excitement about our diversity • ELL teacher’s empowered • SWD teacher’s empowered • More engaging instruction • Implementing “No Zero Policy” • What evidence/measures told you that behavior has changed and is likely to positively impact student achievement? • Positive School Climate • Less discipline referrals • Faculty perceptions • Students take ownership for their learning • Constant reminders of AYP status-We made it!!! • Higher attendance – 97.7% -Aug. 06 to 98.2% Aug. 07

13. We gained these targeted measurable results:

14. We were able to share our success: • Presentation at Secondary Language Learning Workshop • Presentation to teachers of SWD • Presentation at GLISI • Communication and Collaboration are paramount! • Implementation of “Best Practices” are key! • Uncommon accomplishments require, uncommon commitments! What this meant to us as professionals: • Pride in a job well-done! • Grateful to be a Babb Bulldog!

15. Our Solution Implementation Summary: • SWD made AYP in 2006-07 • ELL made AYP in 2006-07 • Set of solutions-Plan-Do-Check-Act • Identify students and historical data • Provide data to teachers • Provide Professional Learning • Celebrate accomplishments Changes Experienced • Babb Middle School met AYP in 2007-CRCT in 7 subgroups Results Realized • ELL-43% - L.A. CRCT to 71% meeting/exceeding • SWD-62%-L.A. CRCT to 76% meeting/exceeding

16. Exceptional Children 2004-07 Mathematics

17. Exceptional Children 2004-07Reading/Language Arts

18. Limited English Proficiency 2004-07Mathematics

19. Limited English Proficiency 2004-07Reading/Language Arts