Titan Hill Year in Review 2008-2009
Student Growth Now and Into the Future
by Kent Stopak
September 01, 2009
The 2008-2009 was a year that may best be summarized by two words: Growth and Leadership. We will look back at the accomplishments of 2008-2009 identifying the successes to build upon and the challenges that will guide future work.
Looking Back
Staff Growth
Vocabulary continued to be a major focus of professional
development and instructional practice. Grade levels worked
together to select engaging books from which to draw interesting
vocabulary words (Tier II) for formal instruction. Students
received instruction and were given repeated opportunities to work
with the selected words. Assessments were developed to monitor
students’ mastery of the chosen words. Evidence of vocabulary work
could be seen by observing lessons, listening to students, reading
student writing, observing vocabulary displays in classrooms, and
parental comments.
Structural analysis was added to professional development for the
08-09 year. Grade levels developed master lists of prefixes,
suffixes, and roots to be studied in each grade level. These lists
were coordinated vertically to avoid duplication, relied upon the
work of experts in the field, and were organized in a developmental
manner. Teachers worked together to create explicit instruction
lessons to help ensure the big idea behind the use of structural
analysis was taught and learned.
The 2008-2009 school year marked the beginning of professional
development in the area of math. Staff was introduced to theory
supporting the need to teach problem solving using a problem
solving approach. The goal of this shift is to deepen students’
conceptual understanding of math and as a result of deeper
understanding increase their ability to use and apply math.
A challenge for the upcoming year will be the implementation of the
Iowa Core Curriculum and the Essential Skills and Concepts. The
idea of what it means to prepare students to be successful in the
21st century was the focus of staff meetings the latter part of the
year. Staff analyzed the many initiatives currently in place to
identify the important components and concepts underlying each of
the initiatives. Staff then looked for commonalities among the
initiatives and created a list of effective instructional practices
that cut across initiatives and content areas. The Titan Hill list
was then cross referenced with the state’s list of the
Characteristics of Effective Instruction. The idea of quality
instruction, no matter what model or approach is being used, is the
big idea for us to focus on.
Leadership Teams continued to participate in ongoing professional
development to build capacity to support the future learning of
their colleagues.
Staff Leadership
Titan Hill has leadership teams in the areas of literacy, math,
science, and technology. In addition, Titan Hill teachers serve on
the District Leadership Team. We currently have twenty-three of
sixty teachers acting as members of one or more of our leadership
teams. The major goal is to build capacity and distribute
leadership throughout the building. The literacy team has done the
majority of its work using materials developed by the Department of
Education to support Reading First schools. The math group has
received training through the Math Cadre and other AEA offerings.
The science team has received training in the Science Writing
Heuristic, a joint effort with Iowa State University, Iowa
University, and AEA 13. The technology team has received training
in the use of Odyssey, a web based program that provides learning
opportunities for students based on NWEA results and the assignment
of activities by their teacher, and is poised to be lead learners
when new technologies become available. The DLT is responsible for
the development, implementation, and evaluation of the district’s
curriculum process.
Leadership teams are responsible for providing professional
development for staff, monitoring implementation of strategies,
analyzing student data, and planning next steps to address staff
and student needs. A priority has been placed on helping members of
leadership teams become lead learners for our building. These
teachers have been given support to make changes in their
classrooms with the understanding that they will help other
teachers make those changes as well.
Grade levels meet weekly to work on curriculum issues and student
learning needs. At this time, curriculum work includes pacing
issues, sharing of strategies, and sharing of resources. Student
issues include the analysis of data and the development,
implementation, and evaluation of interventions.
Student Growth
Titan Hill had two basic goals for the 2008-2009 school year: to
accelerate learning for all students and to close the performance
gap for special education students. We were able to achieve the
first goal in the areas of reading, math, and science. We were not
able to meet our goal to close the learning gap for special
education students. However, special education students, on
average, did make more than one year’s worth of growth in math on
the ITBS.
We continue to hold steady in the lower seventy percent range with
regard to the percent of students proficient in reading and math,
and do slightly better in science, reaching the mid to upper
seventy percent range.
When looking at proficiency on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and
comparing our results to the expectations of the state we were able
to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in math for all students,
for low SES students, and for white students. We missed AYP for
special education students and Hispanic students. In the area of
reading we met AYP for all students, Hispanic students, and white
students, but missed AYP for special education students and low SES
students.
It should be noted that we met AYP targets because of safe harbor
and application of the growth model, not because we are performing
at or above the targets for proficiency set by the state. It should
also be noted that we have been designated as a Year 1 School In
Need of Assistance in both reading and math. This is the result of
our sub group performances.
While the proficiency data suggests we have hit a plateau, the
growth data for both the ITBS and NWEA are largely encouraging and
cause for celebration. As mentioned earlier, we met or exceeded our
goal to accelerate learning for all students in the areas of
reading, math, and science as measured by the Iowa Test of Basic
Skills. Reading growth data, as measured by NWEA, shows nearly
sixty percent of students at all grade levels meeting target
growth, positive growth indexes at each grade level, and positive
gains for students starting the year in the low and mid quartiles
(1st to 75th percentile).
While there is much to celebrate we still face some significant
challenges for the coming year. As mentioned before, we did not
meet our goal to close the learning gap for special education
students. We missed AYP for certain sub groups in both reading and
math. The growth data for math, as measured by NWEA is not as
encouraging as the data was for reading. Students who start the
year in the highest quartile on NWEA are not making hoped for gains
and in fact there is a tendency for this sub group to have negative
growth in both reading and math.
Student Leadership
We continue to look for ways to have students serve in leadership
roles and receive recognition for positive contributions to
building culture.
The guideline for appropriate student behavior continues to be the
Lifelong Guidelines and the Lifeskills. Appropriate behaviors are
linked to one of the Guidelines or Lifeskills. Students earn a
Lifeskill slip that they bring to the office. Students are given a
card for them to take home that honors them as a Lifeskill
recipient.
Each classroom elects a representative to serve on the Student
Council. Student Council is a service oriented organization that
has three areas of focus: Community Service, School Pride, and
Problem Solving School Related Issues. Student Council conducted
two major community service projects during the 2008-2009 year. A
School Walk to Cure Juvenile Diabetes was held in November. In
February, students jumped rope in P.E. for the American Heart
Association. Combined, these events raised over $25,000.00. The
Student Council also worked to promote reading through the Just
Read Program and improved student responsibility through the Ten
Star Bus Program.
Conflict Managers continued to be a critical component of helping
students learn to make appropriate choices and resolve problems
peacefully. Selected students received training and served as
mediators during their recesses. This program gives students the
opportunity to talk through a conflict and resolve it themselves
rather than engage the traditional discipline system of referrals
and office visits.
Looking Forward
We must build upon the successes of 2008-2009, and not shy away
from the challenges that remain before us.
As mentioned earlier, there are many things to celebrate from the
2008-2009 school year. Staff continues to learn and grow in the
craft of instruction. Opportunities for leadership continue to
expand. Much of our growth data is positive, showing that we are
adding educational value to the lives of children. We have spent
several years studying literacy and the results of those efforts
are beginning to positively impact our reading data.
What we pay attention to gets done and done well. We must now turn
our attention to the challenges of 2009-2010.
First, we will need to study, understand, and implement the Iowa
Core Curriculum and the Essential Skills and Concepts. This will
consume a significant portion of our professional training and
conversations both this year and in the years to follow.
Second, we must look at everything we do through the lens of the
Characteristics of Effective Instruction. We can’t afford to look
at initiatives or trainings in isolation (ECR, CGI, SWH, ITI, NCLB
– you get the idea), but must look for the big ideas that cut
across initiatives and content areas.
Third, we need to accept that the data our students produce is
impacted by our level of content understanding and instructional
approaches. This is good news because it means that while there are
outside forces that impact learning, good instruction can overcome
those obstacles.
All staff members will work with the Reading Leadership Team to
learn and implement research based strategies to improve fluency,
accuracy, vocabulary, and comprehension. We will continue to look
for ways to group students by area of need
(accuracy-comprehension-fluency). Flexibly using our available
resources (teachers) to provide support needed for struggling
students will be a major focus as we begin 2009-2010.
All staff members will work with the Math Leadership Team to learn
and implement math strategies that deepens staff’s conceptual
understanding of mathematical concepts, supports students’ learning
needs, develops students’ conceptual understanding of mathematical
concepts, and helps students to become mathematical problem
solvers.
Our professional growth is more important than ever as we strive to
help all students achieve at high levels. We know the most
important piece of student success is a good teacher. We are
working collaboratively to support teachers as they work to support
students toward high levels of learning.
Fourth, we must address the learning needs of all students. We have
work to do to close gaps for many of our subgroups. We must address
the negative growth that is occurring for our highest performing
students. We must continue our efforts that have led to great gains
for struggling readers. We must help students develop positive
social, emotional, and behavioral skills, especially for boys, in
order to make sure all students feel safe, connected, and capable
when at school.
Fifth, we must continue to focus on growth for all students. If we
continue to accelerate learning by achieving more than a years
growth in a years time then the issue of proficiency will take care
of itself.
