Delta Sierra Middle School

1. Delta SierraMiddle School Napa/Solano County Office of EducationSchool Assistance and Intervention Team Monitoring Report #8 – July 2008Mary Camezon, SAIT Lead

2. Executive Summary • The results of the eighth SAIT monitoring visit indicate that Delta Sierra continues to make good progress in implementing the 9 Essential Program Components, particularly in the area of English language arts, ELA intervention, and coaching. • Work will continue on implementing a school-wide discipline plan, fully implementing the core mathematics program, and ensuring all teachers are trained in the use of the core texts.

3. Academic Program Survey • Nine Essential Program Components This monitoring report will cover only those Essential Program Componentslisted below: • 1. Instructional Program • 2. Instructional Minutes • 4. Teachers Professional Development Opportunities • 5. Student Achievement Monitoring System • 6. Ongoing Instructional Assistance and Support for Teachers • 7. Monthly Collaboration by Grade Level for Teachers Facilitated by the Principal • 9. Fiscal

4. Essential Program Component #1:Instructional Program • Full implementation of ELA text is occurring in all benchmark and strategic classes. • Math intervention implementation is inconsistent. • Ongoing concern about external, preventable classroom interruptions in ELA classes. • A schoolwide discipline policy does not exist in practice so that students cannot be guaranteed uninterrupted time during core and intervention ELA and math instruction.

5. Essential Program Component #1:Instructional Programs • Intervention Programs • Reading intervention and strategic students are successful in advancing to grade level: • 65% of 7th grade intensive reading intervention students have qualified for strategic English placement for their 8th grade year, and 7% for benchmark placement. • 47% of students in 7th grade strategic classes qualified for benchmark classes in 8th grade. • 47% of 8th grade strategic students qualified for benchmark placement in 9th grade.

6. Essential Program Component #1:Instructional Program • Intervention Programs • 46% of English Learners in the High Point ELD intervention qualified for placement in core English classes • 79% of 8th grade English Learners in High Point ELD intervention qualified for placement in 9th grade core English classes and do not need any more intensive reading support • In all but one SRA Reach reading intervention class the program is fully implemented. • High Point text program is fully implemented for all eligible English Learners.

7. Essential Program Component #1:Instructional Program • The district has chosen mathematics benchmark and intervention materials for implementation in the 2008/09 school year. Teachers will be trained to use the new materials. • District/site are developing plans to regularly monitor and support students who exit reading intervention classes and enter strategic and benchmark core ELA classes.

8. Essential Program Component #2:Instructional Time • Master schedule is fully implemented. • Testing to place rising 6th and 7th grade students in reading intervention classes has taken place. • Clear exit and entry criteria for reading/language arts intervention programs have been developed and implemented. • Students and teachers worked together to examine previous CST scores and set student achievement goals.

9. Essential Program Components #4: Teacher Training • Beginning in 2008/09 all teachers at Delta Sierra will be fully certificated and highly qualified. • Teachers need to continue to participate in ongoing TASSA training.

10. Essential Program Component #5: Student Achievement Monitoring System • Common district assessments are being administered and analyzed by ELA teachers. • Common assessments are administered and analyzed by ELD teachers and SRA Reach teachers. • Common district assessments are administered and analyzed by all of the math teachers. • All math teachers are administering and analyzing weekly assessments.

11. Essential Program Component #5: Student Achievement Monitoring System • Principal, ELA, and math coach will continue to conduct classroom “walkthroughs” to determine: • the nature of text program implementation • use of effective teaching strategies • degree of student engagement.

12. Essential Program Component #6:Coaching • An external ELA coach has provided service to teachers as they implement the core program and has facilitated collaborative planning sessions to analyze data, plan lessons, and learn new teaching strategies

13. Essential Program Component #6:Coaching • English teachers have fully participated in coaching activities: • They work as a team to implement common lessons, data analysis, and strategies to improve reading comprehension. • They have met frequently beyond the regularly scheduled collaboration days. • The department has built a positive culture focused on meeting the needs of students. • All have taken leadership roles in the work.

14. Essential Program Component #6:Coaching • An external math coach has provided weekly support to teachers since October. • The math coach has facilitated collaboration meetings and conducting weekly data driven cycles of inquiry.

15. Essential Program Component #7:Collaboration • Collaboration time has been scheduled and used by teachers to examine student data, plan lessons, and learn effective teaching strategies to engage all students. • External ELA and math coaches have facilitated collaboration meetings.

16. Essential Program Component #9:Fiscal • The goals of the SAIT Plan have been fully fundedby the site.

17. Conclusion • The SAIT Team commends the Delta Sierra Middle School administration and staff for their thoughtful implementation of the Corrective Action Plan recommendations. • The SAIT Team commends district personnel for their professional support of Delta Sierra Middle School administration and staff as they implement the Corrective Action Plan recommendations.