2006-2007 Florida School Improvement Plan (Print-View)

2006 – 2007
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
School Name:	WEST RIVERSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
District Name:	Duval
Principal:	Mr. Howard Caraway
SAC Chair:	Mr. Jim Minion
Superintendent:	Dr. Joseph Wise
Date of School Board Approval:	Pending School Board Approval

John L. Winn, Commissioner
Florida Department of Education
325 West Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399

Cheri Pierson Yecke, Chancellor
K-12 Public Schools
Florida Department of Education
325 West Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399

VISION/MISSION/BELIEF STATEMENTS

WEST RIVERSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VISION:
West Riverside Elementary
*is a school where all students achieve learning gains.
*is a school where learning is a priority for staff, students and families.
*is a school where a positive learning community is nurtured by all.

WEST RIVERSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT:
West Riverside Elementary School is committed to providing an opportunity and environment in which all students will achieve success. We will strive to provide enriching activities that will ensure social, emotional and academic growth in each child.

WEST RIVERSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BELIEF STATEMENTS:
*All students will learn and each faculty member will learn from students.
*Each student is a valued individual with unique intellectual, physical, social, and
emotional needs.
*Student learning is our chief priority for our school.
*Teachers, staff, administrators, parents, students and community members share
in the responsibility for providing a supportive learning environment within our school.
*Clear goals and high expectations for student achievements will guide the design of
instruction strategies and learning within the district framework of the curriculum.
* Authentic assessment of student learning will provide students with a variety of
opportunities to demonstrate their achievement.
*Our commitment to continuous improvement will support students in becoming
confident, self-directed, and lifelong learners.

West Riverside Elementary School is also committed to uphold the Duval County District Mission and Vision Statements.

Mission: The Duval County Public School System is committed to providing high quality educational opportunities that will inspire all students to acquire and use the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a culturally diverse and technologically sophisticated world.

Vision: Every student will graduate from Duval County Public Schools with the knowledge and the skills to be successful in post-secondary education/ or the workforce.

SCHOOL PROFILE DEMOGRAPHICS

West Riverside Elementary School (WRES) is located in a beautiful historic community in Jacksonville, Florida. WRES holds the honor of being the oldest building in the district with continual use as a school. WRES is a member of R.A.P. (Riverside Avondale Preservation). The Duval Public School district has been committed to maintaining and modernizing the architectural structure of the building to adapt to the needs of all students. An elevator has been installed as well as remodeling the interior designs of the building by installing cabinets, white boards, and bulletin boards. We have had a beautiful floor laid throughout the building and our building has recently been painted both inside and outside. The school decor is also enhanced by hand painted story book murals on the walls as well as a collection of paintings by the local artist, Lee Adams.

Students reside in the consolidated city of Jacksonville. We have students from the neighborhood as well as clientele from throughout the District. The neighborhood is a combination of diverse economic levels. Along with the neighborhood students we are a center school for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL); Exceptional Student Education (SLD- Specific Learning Disabilities Grades 1-5) including two PreK /K , VE/DD (Varying Exceptionalities/Developmentally Delayed) classes; and a Drop Out Prevention Program (S.T.A.R.). More than 40% of the WRES student population is ESOL, ESE, and Drop Out Prevention. On October 5, 2006, we had 397 students enrolled with 64% of our students on free or reduced lunch status.

The specific breakdown for ethnic student population for the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year is as follows: Black 38.8%; White 28.5%; Spanish American 22.9%; Asian American 5%, and Multicultural 4.8%.

For the 2006-2007 school year, we have a total of 82% of our instructional staff with a Bachelors Degree, 16% with a Masters Degree, and 1% with a Doctorate Degree. Our student - teacher ratio for the primary grades is 18:1 and for the intermediate levels it is 14:1. We have the following number of Para-Professionals: 4 ESE, 2 ESOL, 1 Kindergarten, 1 Drop Out Prevention, and 1 Office staff.

WRES offers a challenging and varied curriculum that meets the needs of the students in our school. WRES is a Standards-Based School which is implementing the newly created K-8 Implementation Rubric for Duval Public Schools. The focus of our staff members is to meet the academic needs of WRES students. For the 2005-2006 school year, we made a school grade of a "B", moving from a school grade of a "D". We have a classification label of "Provisional" for meeting AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress). We did not meet AYP in Reading with our Black children, our Students with Disabilities or our Limited English Proficiency Students. We did not meet AYP in Math with our Black children, or Economically Disadvantaged Children, or our Students with Disabilities. We also did not move 1% of our students in Writing. We did have successes for our 2005-2006 FCAT. We increased 5% of our students in meeting high standards in reading; increased 9% in making learning gains in reading; moved 11% in making learning gains in math; and moved an additional 22% of our students in making learning gains in reading.

Our Administrator, community members and teachers are involved in constantly analyzing and evaluating data to determine the best overall and individual programs for our students. We acknowledge the fact that with a high percentage of newly hired instructional staff that we need to focus on new teacher in-service to bring them to a level of comfort and understanding of standards-based instruction. Consistent monitoring, along with feedback and modeling of instruction, using different teaching strategies are needed to maximize teacher effectiveness in the classroom. Teachers will continue to use data provided by the district as well as teacher assessments to tailor data driven instruction for every student. We have hired the DeSensi Consultant Firm, for the second year, to work with our school for the current school year. We are confident that with the continued support of the DeSensi Team and the monitoring of standards based instruction with needed safety nets and enrichment programs, we will continue to gain ground toward meeting AYP requirements.The evidence will be in the results of the 2007 FCAT data.

SCHOOL MATCH

QUALITY STAFF

Highly Qualified Administrators

Mr. Howard W. Caraway, Jr. is our appointed principal for West Riverside Elementary School. He is starting his second year as our principal. He has a MAE in Educational Leadership and a BA in Elementary Education, both from the University of North Florida. Mr. Caraway comes to us with several years of experience as a successful elementary teacher where he served at risk children. He has also served several years as a T.I.S. (Teacher Instructional Support). He was also the Vice Principal of Neptune Beach Elementary School from the summer of 2005, until he was appointed as the principal of West Riverside Elementary. Mr. Caraway has attended numerous trainings with the district, including Facilitating Effective Teams and Clinical Educators Training. He brings with him the background knowledge of interpreting student data and planning for prescriptive instruction. He has been instrumental in raising the school performance grades, in each of the schools where he has served.

Recruitment/Retention of Highly Qualified Teachers

We have utilized the district's job fair for recruiting highly qualified individuals. We have also worked closely with the University of North Florida in allowing college of education students to come and to work with our teachers and students throughout the school year. We have been able to employ some of those teachers that did their field work here at the school. WRES experienced the least amount of teacher turnover this past year, than we have had in recent years. The staff indicated a high satisfaction rate with the current principal as evidenced by both the District and Duval Teacher's Union surveys.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

School Wide Improvement Model

WRES is a Standards Based School that utilizes the newly created Implementation Rubric of Standards for Duval County Public Schools; based upon America's Choice Design/National Center for Economy and Education, a national researched based program. There are five targeted areas.

Target 1: Academic Performance. It involves the following:
* Understand and use the New Performance Standards and Sunshine State Standards.
* Align standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
* Connect student work to standards.
* Develop common Expectations by Course and Grade.
* Adopt common Assessments.
* Integrate Technology with course content.
* Literacy: Establish model classrooms at each grade level that exemplify standard-based literacy instruction, which include: a.) Writing Workshops, b.) Reading Workshops, c.) Skills and phonics.
* Mathematics: Establish model classrooms at each grade level that exemplify standard-based mathematics instruction using Math Investigations.
* Science: Establish model classrooms at each grade level that exemplify standards-based science instruction.
* Implement Safety Nets (both internal and external) that give every student the fullest support and opportunity to meet standards.

Target 2: Safe Schools. It involves the following:
* Implement a School Wide Discipline Plan.
* Implement Foundations/Sprick Training

Target 3: High Performance Management. It involves the following:
* Regularly use data to inform decision making.
* Utilize Distributed Leadership Teams to guide refinements in the schools' efforts to reach standards.
* Align School Improvement Plan with school and district priorities.
* Use operational and tactical strategies for School Improvement.
* Provide materials and reallocate resources to support instructional improvement.

Target 4: Learning Communities. It involves the following:
* Create comprehensive professional development plan aligned with the School Improvement Plan.
* Develop and maintain a cohesive, positive, professional, and constructive School Culture.
* Establish smaller Learning Communities for teachers and students.
* Facilitate parent and community involvement and education.

Target 5: Accountability. It involves the following:
* Establish annual school performance goals and explicit intermediary indicators as evidence of progress toward school performance goals.
* Use data to plan for improvement and monitor progress toward performance goals.
* Analyze and document student work.
* Implement formative, ongoing and summative assessments.
* Conduct performance reviews using Implementation Rubrics and Snapshots.
* Compile school portfolios (school, grade/course, class and student progress and results).

Communication with Parents

WRES believes that parent communication is a key to student learning and achievement. Classroom teachers communicate daily through the use of student planners. Parents are asked to sign the planner daily and are encouraged to respond to any concerns or to ask questions. Classroom teachers have access to the District's ESOL office to help them translate specific letters to parents with limited English. (See attachment) District letters are also submitted to the parents in their native language if that is a need. A monthly newsletter is also sent out to keep the parents informed of the happenings of the school. Fliers and news articles are frequently used in addition to the school's marquee. News teams are also invited to the school to do stories on activities of interest.

The PTA has become an active part in communication with parents. The PTA has scheduled monthly meetings at the school with various activities that are planned throughout the year. The school has given the front bulletin board in the school's foyer for the use of the PTA. The PTA has developed a website for our school to keep the community informed with the happenings of the school. The web site is www.westriversidepta.org.

WRES keeps parents informed by sending out quarterly progress reports, during the sixth week of each quarter. Students that are at risk for not meeting grade level expectations are also given a PMP (Progress Monitoring Plan). This plan is created by the teacher and the parent.

Pre-School Transition

We only have the ESE Pre-K DD (Developmentally Delayed) program at our school. These students have been identified as needing additional services and have an IEP (Individual Education Plan). The teacher along with a full time para professional address needs of each student through the IEP.

Teacher Mentoring

WRES utilizes the Department of Education's Teacher Mentoring Program. The purpose of the Teacher Induction Program (TIP) is to increase student learning by providing supervised support services for teachers during the first year of teaching in Florida, to assist in continuance of the new teacher's professional development and to meet the requirements of Florida Statues. The vision of the TIP is to provide a supportive structured program that will foster growth and commitment to excellence in teaching. Each new teacher has a resource team to assist them in being successful with TIP. The composition of the resource team will be dependent upon the type of assistance needed for the new teacher. These duties include observing and giving feedback, providing additional strategies and resources, providing assessment data, modeling, team teaching, and coaching the new teacher as needed. The observations conducted by the resource team will become a part of the new teacher's portfolio. Mentors average seventeen years experience and are CET and or FPMS certified.

The new teacher will meet with the mentor weekly at a scheduled time during the first semester, then not less than once a month for the remainder of the school year. The new teacher will participate in scheduling classroom observations with a member of the TIP resource team. The new teacher will prepare for different activities along with the mentor (ex. opening of school, open house, parent conferences, etc.) The resource team will assist in the development of an Action Plan by the end of October. The new teacher will notify any member of the TIP resource team of any concerns regarding program progress and prepare all exhibits necessary for program completion.

Educator Accomplished Practices will include, at the Pre-Professional Level, the following topics: Assessment, Communication, Continuous Improvement, Critical Thinking, Diversity, Ethnics, Human Development and Learning, Knowledge of Subject Matter, Learning Environments, Planning, Role of the Teacher, and Technology.

Along with the TIP program, we are committed in helping new teachers develop skills and knowledge through in-service activities throughout the year. New teachers are included in the in-service meetings with veteran teachers through our Early Dismissal Program that allows for collegial work in the areas of reading, writing, math and science instructional strategy development.

Extended Learning Opportunities

An Extended Day Program is offered to all families of children at WRES. The morning program is open between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. A certified teacher is employed, who offers academic assistance in reading and homework. The after-school program is available between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. This program employs two certified staff members and a para professional. The students receive assistance with homework, supplemental academic, and recreational activities. Computer programs are available for student use. These programs include: FCAT Explorer, LeapTrack, FCAT Simulation, and Riverdeep.

In addition, the parents of students that are ESOL are offered free tutoring two afternoons per week through a partnership with the University of North Florida.

We have offered our students that are on free or reduced lunch the services of Supplemental Educational Services (SES).

GOALS

Goal:	Reading

Needs Assessment

In response to the above questions:
1. While WRES made an increase of 5% for NCLB from the previous year and moved from a "D" to a "B" school grade,
we only met AYP by the classification of "Provisional". The following subgroups did not meet the AYP target of 44% of
students scoring at or above grade level in reading:
.....17% of Students with Disabilities met AYP
.....39% of Black students met AYP
.....33% of Limited English Proficiency met AYP
2. We had 65% of the bottom quartile of our students make learning gains. (+22% from last year)
3. We had 61% of our students making learning gains. (+9% from last year)
4. We had 62% of our students meeting high standards in reading.(+5% from last year)

Objective	The students with disabilities will meet AYP in Reading by having at least 51% of students scoring at or above grade level and make at least a years growth.
Strategies	In an effort to increase learning outcomes of our Students With Disabilities (SWD), we are using the research model of Inclusion to help bridge the gap of instruction with our students in kindergarten and in grades three through grade five. In this inclusive setting, special education instruction, supports, and services follow the student into the general education setting rather than the student being served in a separate classroom. The regular education teacher and the ESE teacher do their planning together and both teachers are involved with the teaching in the classroom. The ESE teacher adapts the lessons for the ESE students through the use of stategies, accommodations, and modifications identified in the IEP so that the students can be successful in the classroom setting. We have a full day inclusion classroom for our kindergarten and third grade students. We also serve our fourth and fifth grade students in the inclusion model, for language arts. These ESE students have instruction along with the regular education students, on grade level, during the readers workshop. During the times of guided reading and during the skills block are the main times when differentiated instruction occurs to assure that students are getting the individualized instruction that is needed to meet specific needs. During the skills block, the teacher may be using Direct Instruction or the LeapTrack Technology for specific skills. The curriculum is guided through the Scope and Sequence of the Scott Foresman reading series and through the use of data driven from individual assessments. These assessments include, but are not limited to the FCAT, District Benchmark Testing, DIBELS, DRA, and other authentic assessments. The focus will be on differentiating instruction to address the learning needs of all students. The design of the 90 minute uninterrupted reading block is in the format of Readers Workshop. For our first and second grade SWD, we are serving those students in a self-contained setting with a full time para professional. In an effort to remediate needed skills, we are using the Direct Instruction Reading Model for these students, as well as a modified Readers Workshop. These students have an uninterrupted 90 minute reading block on a daily basis.
Evaluation	Flickers Testing in Kindergarten Woodcock Johnson for First and Second Graders District Benchmark Assessments given in August and also in December for 3rd-5th graders DRA's given three times throughout the year DIBELS given three times throughout the year Authentic assessments by the classroom teacher LeapTrack assessments By using the above assessments, the teachers will be able to assess the children and continually be able to monitor growth and assess skills and concepts that need to be taught or retaught. Authentic assessments will be used and recorded in the Data monitoring notebook. Examples will include the following, but not limited to: Student portfolios Readers response logs DRA's Guided Reading teacher assessment Reading conferences Reading portfolios Response journals Charts of reading strategies taught will be used in authentic assessments
Research-based Programs	Duval County Schools supports the Inclusion Model of instruction for Students With Disabilities. Research indicates that students in an inclusive setting increase academic achievement, gain in social and communication skills, increase participation and independence, and develop positive behaviors. Duval County Schools has endorsed the America's Choice research based model by the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) to teach standards based curriculum. Along with "Best Practices" from the America's Choice model, teachers also use the Florida state adopted Scott Foresman Reading Series utilizing the Scope and Sequence to assure that all students are being taught internationally benchmarked standards as well as the Florida Sunshine State Standards. The Direct Instruction Reading Model was founded by Siegfried Engelmann in 1968. The main features include field tested reading, language arts curricula, scripted instructional strategies, extensive teacher training, and analysis of student performance data. The impact on instruction includes highly scripted interactive lessons presented to small groups of students in the primary grades, flexible grouping of students by performance level, and frequent assessments of student progress. LeapTrack is an approved item of technology by Duval County schools because it has been researched and been proven to be an effective tool to use with Students With Disabilities and students at-risk.
Professional Development	Our early release days at WRES are designed to teach teachers how to implement Standards Based Instruction, which includes the Readers Workshop model. The teachers have also gone through a waiver process to allow an additional 30 minutes per week, of their planning time, for additional professional development. These common planning times each week are by grade levels, and address specific areas of need as was identified by the classroom teachers. Teachers spend quality time analyzing student work and correlating the work with the standards. By forming our Professional Learning Community within our school, teachers are developing skills to meet the students individual learning needs. The DCSB offers Literacy 101 training through the Schultz Center and several of our ESE teachers are attending this year. The DCSB also offers specific training for ESE teacher to better meet the needs for Students With Disabilities. Teachers are given District training that relates to writing the Individual Education Plan (IEP). Due to the high population of Students With Disabilities, WRES has a Lead ESE teacher that works with the teachers to help implement the curriculum and to meet the ESE guidelines. We have scheduled a Inclusion Workshop for our Inclusion teachers through Florida Inclusion Network (FIN). Inclusion teachers will observe the Inclusion Model at a school that has successfully implemented the model.

Objective
Strategies
Evaluation
Research-based Programs
Professional Development

Objective	The subgroup of black students will meet AYP in Reading by having at least 51% of students scoring at or above grade level and make at least a years growth in reading.
Strategies	Students will be taught reading in the uninterrupted 90 minute reading block with an additional time for skill development by the classroom teacher. In addition to the regular instruction, students in grades 3rd-5th that scored a Level 1 or 2 on the FCAT reading section and other children that indicate reading below grade level will be given an additional safety net, either by the classroom teacher or another staff member, using approved remediation materials, which will include, but will not be totally limited to, Soar to Success. Students in grades K-2 will be identified and provided additional help through safety nets, which will either be by the classroom teacher or a member of our staff. The Early Success remediation program will be used, but, is not limited to this intervention. Teachers will use the Scope and Sequence from the Scott Foresman Reading Series, the state adopted text, to guide instruction. Best teaching practices will be implemented using the District's Implementation Rubric, using the Readers Workshop model. The Readers Workshop will consist of a teacher directed opening of between 10-15 minutes. This opening will involve Mini-Lessons (skills, reading strategies, rituals and routines), Read Alouds, Shared Reading, or a book discussion to model book talks. The next part of Readers Workshop will consist of a 40 minute work time where the students will be involved with one/some of the following activities: Independent reading; Partner reading; Book Discussion Groups; Author and Genre Studies; Authentic Literacy Activities; Listening Stations; or a Poetry Center. During this time the teacher will be doing one/more than one of the following activities: Reading conferences; Guided Reading Groups; DRA Assessment; Facilitate Literacy Activities. At the close of the Reader's Workshop (last 10 minutes), the teacher and students will link the mini-lesson and activities to standards as well as having celebrations and reflections. Students will also be given a Skills Block for needed reading strategies. Curriculum will be Standards based and data driven. Teachers will use FCAT, FCAT Benchmark Diagnostics, and MAP/ADS data to inform and drive curriculum. The focus will be on differentiating instruction to address the learning needs of all students.
Evaluation	Flickers for Kindergarten Students District Benchmark Assessments given in August and also in December for 3rd-5th grade DRA's given three times throughout the year DIBELS given three times throughout the year Authentic assessments by the classroom teacher By using the above assessments, the teachers will be able to assess the children and continually be able to monitor growth and assess skills and concepts that need to be taught or retaught. Authentic assessments will be used and recorded in the Data monitoring notebook. Examples will include the following, but not limited to: Student portfolios Readers response logs DRA's Guided Reading teacher assessment Reading conferences Reading portfolios Response journals Charts of reading strategies taught will also be used in authentic assessments
Research-based Programs	The Scott Foresman reading series is the research-based program that will be implemented. Readers Workshop is a component of the District Frameworks of Duval County. It has been derived from the America's Choice Research Based Model by the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE). The primary goal is enabling all students to reach internationally benchmarked standards as well as the Florida Sunshine State Standards.
Professional Development	Our early release days at WRES are designed to teach teachers how to implement Standards Based Instruction, which includes the Readers Workshop model. The teachers have gone through a waiver process to allow an additional 30 minutes per week of their planning time for additional professional development. These common planning times each week, by grade levels, work on specific areas of need as indicated by the classroom teachers . Teachers spend quality time analyzing student work and correlating the work with the standards. By forming our Professional Learning Community within our school, teachers are developing skills to meet the students individual learning needs. The DCSB offers Literacy 101 training through the Schultz Center and several of our teachers are attending this year. By forming our Professional Learning Community within our school, teachers are developing skills to meet the students individual learning needs.

Objective	The students with Limited English Proficiency will meet AYP in reading by having at least 51% of students scoring at or above grade level and to make at least a years growth.
Strategies	Duval County Schools has endorsed the America's Choice research based model by the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) to teach standards based curriculum. The teachers also use the Florida state adopted Scott Foresman Reading Series along with using the Scope and Sequence to assure that all students are being taught internationally benchmarked standards as well as the Florida Sunshine State Standards. Instruction is data driven. Teachers will use FCAT, FCAT Benchmark Diagnostics, and MAP/ADS data to inform and drive instruction. The focus will be on differentiating instruction to address the learning needs of all students. Best teaching practices will be implemented using District Implementation Rubric through Readers Workshop. The Readers Workshop will consist of a teacher directed opening of between 10-15 minutes. This opening will involve Mini-Lessons (skills, reading strategies, rituals and routines), Read Alouds, Shared Reading, or a book discussion to model book talks. The next part of Readers Workshop will consist of a 40 minute work time where the students will be involved with one/some of the following activities: Independent reading; partner reading; Book Discussion Groups; Author and Genre Studies; Authentic Literacy Activities; Listening Stations; or a Poetry Center. During this time the teacher will be doing one/more than one of the following activities: Reading conferences; Guided Reading Groups; DRA Assessment; Facilitate Literacy Activities. At the close of the Readers Workshop (last 10 minutes), the teacher and students will link the mini-lesson and activities to standards as well as having celebrations and reflections. In addition, the state mandated ESOL strategies will be incorporated into the Language Arts curriculum with an emphasis on oral language. Teachers of LEP (Limited English Proficiency) students will document ESOL instructional strategies as part of their lesson plans. In order to assess student progress they will also offer modifications/accommodations to classroom assignments, tests and quizzes. The following list is not all-inclusive; it merely states some to the modifications for our LEP students. LEP students may be given additional time as necessary to complete tests, quizzes, and assignments. LEP students will be given access to an English-to-heritage language/heritage language-to-English dictionary in all instructional settings. LEP students may be offered the opportunity to be tested in a separate room with the ESOL teacher or para professional acting as test administrator. Content area teachers and ESOL teachers should collaborate in order to provide an optimal testing environment. The para professional or another student may translate the directions for assignments, quizzes, and tests into the students' native language. LEP students may be offered the opportunity to re-do assignments or re-take quizzes and tests. All new ESOL students to the district in grades 3 - 5 will be administered the CTBS within the first twenty days of enrollment at our school. In the spring, students will be given a post-test to administer growth in reading. All ESOL in grades K-5 are eligible for tutoring after school, 2 hours per day for 2 days a week. Students will be given the CELLA two different times this school year. Students in grades K - 3 will be instructed daily in self-contained ESOL classrooms with a Highly Qualified ESOL Certified teacher. Students in grades 4- 5 will be served with a Highly Qualified ESOL Certified teacher through a two and one-half hour Language Arts block, with 90 minutes of uninterrupted reading instruction.
Evaluation	Flickers-Kindergarten District Benchmark Assessment given in August and December, Grade 3rd-5th DIBELS given three times throughout the year DRA assessments given three times throughout the year Authentic assessments given by the teacher throughout the year District required CELLA testing given twice throughout the year Authentic assessments will be used and recorded in the Data monitoring notebook. Examples will include the following, but not limited to: Student portfolios Readers response logs DRA's Guided Reading Teacher assessment Reading conferences Reading portfolios Response journals Charts of reading strategies taught will also be used in authentic assessments
Research-based Programs	The Scott Foresman reading series is the research-based program that will be implemented. Readers Workshop is a component of the District Implementation Rubric for DCSB. It has been derived from the America's Choice Research Based Model by the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE). The primary goal is enabling all students to reach internationally benchmarked standards as well as the Florida Sunshine State Standards.
Professional Development	Our early release days at our school are designed to teach teachers how to implement the Readers Workshop model. We have common planning time each week for each grade level to work on specific area of need that is requested by the classroom teachers. Teachers spend quality time looking at student work and at the standards to be assured that the students work is meeting the standard. By forming our Professional Learning Community with our school, teachers are developing skills to meet the students individual learning needs. The DCSB offers Literacy 101 training through the Schultz Center that several of our teachers are taking advantage of this year. The DCSB offers training for teachers that is specific for teachers that teach ESOL students. Our teachers are encouraged to attend this training.

Highly Qualified Instructors

All of our teachers are in-field and highly qualified.

Budget
Issues to Address	Describe Resources	Funding Sources	Total Available
Research-based Program(s)			0
Research-based Resource(s)	Standards Books & Star Books	School Budget	1595
Technology	Elmo Projectors	School Budget	1900
Professional Development	Choice Words for PLC & Teaching WIth Your Strengths	School Budget	462
Other	National Geographic Magazine for Children	School Budget	900
Total:			4857.00

Goal:	Mathematics

Needs Assessment

In response to the above questions:
1. While WRES made an increase of 5% for NCLB from the previous year and moved from a "D" to a "B" school grade, we only met AYP by the classification of "Provisional". The following subgroups did not meet the AYP target of 50% scoring at or above grade level in math:
.....34% of our Students With Disabilities scored at or above grade level
.....34% of our Black students scored at or above grade level
.....45% of our Economically Disadvantaged students scored at or above grade level
2. We had 71% of our bottom quartile making learning gains.
3. We had 69% of our students making learning gains in math. (+11% from last year)
4. We did not increase the proficiency of students meeting high standards in math. We remained at 58%.

Objective	The Students with Disabilities will meet AYP in Math by having at least 56% of students scoring at or above grade level and making at least a years growth in math.
Strategies	Students that have scored a level 1 or a level 2 on the FCAT, and any additional students that have been identified as working below grade level will have an additional math safety net. The students will be given additional instruction, outside of their regular instruction, and the safety net may include before school tutoring or be instructed with the intervention programs of either Knowing Mathematics or Touchmath. Students will be considered individually as to what safety net would be the most effective. In addition, the Leaptrack technology may be used to assist students in narrowing the academic acheivement gaps in Math. Knowing Math consists of three core units of addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, and place value. The lesson consists of vocabulary, interactive practice, reasoning, and review. Teachers have a scripted, step-by-step, teacher's guide with detailed instructions for guiding and pacing students' learning. Knowing Mathematics will be used to remediate students that are deficient in specific skills. Small group instruction will be utilized to promote learning. Touchmath aligns teaching strategies with the essential developmental theories. It starts at the concrete level and progresses through the pictorial level and then to the higher level of cognitive thinking. All teachers will do a data analysis of their students test results and locate the academic achievement gap for their class as well as for each individual student. All students will be instructed in the Standards Based Program of Investigations in Number, Data, and Space. Teachers will use the scripted teacher's manual to guide their instruction as well as using the specific manipulative needed for the successful learning of math. Teachers will help the children relate their lessons to the standards that they are working on and students will be able to write and verbally communicate commentaries as to what they have learned in the lesson. Students will be given test taking strategies using FCAT Prep materials, FCAT Explorer, and other materials to familiarize the students with the format of the FCAT and assist them in becoming confident test takers. We are also offering a Math club for students and their parents to participate in at home. We will also be providing a math workshop for parents and a FCAT workshop for parents that will have a focus on math. The ESE teachers are also instructing students in Mathematics following the goals and objectives of the IEP, utilizing the designated accommodations and modifications stipulated in each student's IEP.
Evaluation	District Benchmark Assessment given in August and December for Grades 3-5. Diagnostic Math Test DCSB Formative Math Assessments given throughout the year Authentic Assessments by the classroom teacher Math Investigations Pre-Post Tests
Research-based Programs	Knowing Mathematics is a research based model that has been endorsed by the Duval County Public Schools for at-risk students. Knowing Mathematics is published through Houghton Mifflin Company. Math Investigations is the core math program adopted by Duval County School District. Investigations of Number, Data, and Space is a Research-Based Program. Research was conducted by TERC, doctoral dissertation students, and the ARC (Alternatives for Rebuilding Curricula) Center. This program is endorsed for instruction in Duval County Public Schools. The LeapTrack technology is also research based and has been approved by the Duval County Public Schools to use for at-risk students. Touchmath is research based and has aligned its program with Florida Sunshine State Standards as well as National Math standards.
Professional Development	The teachers have gone through a waiver process to allow an additional 30 minutes per week, of their planning time, for additional professional development and math related discussions. Teachers will be meeting twice monthly during their common planning time with a focus on math. During this time, attention will be given to specific areas of concern as expressed by the faculty. Teachers are encouraged to attend district in-service training for math instruction. By forming our Professional Learning Community within our school, teachers are developing skills to meet the students individual learning needs.

Objective	The subgroup of Black students will meet AYP in Math by having at least 56% of students scoring at or above grade level in math and will make at least a years growth in math.
Strategies	All teachers will do a data analysis of their students test results and locate the academic gap for their class as well as for each individual student. All students will be instructed in the Standards Based Program of Investigations in Number, Data, and Space. All students will be involved in a skills block in addition to the Math Investigation lesson. Teachers will use the scripted teacher's manuals to guide their instruction as well as using the manipulative that is needed for successful learning of math. Teachers will help the children relate their lessons to the standards that they are working on and students will be able to write and verbally communicate commentaries as to what they have learned in the lesson. Students will be given test taking strategies using FCAT Prep materials to ensure that students will be confident test takers. School Safety Nets will be used for students that are not meeting grade level expectations as well as students that scored a level 1 or 2 on the FCAT. Children will be considered individually as to what safety net would be the most effective, whether it is before or after school tutoring, small or individual group instruction, SRA math labs, FCAT Explorer computer work, or another in house safety net. The Leaptrack technology may be used to help narrow the academic gaps in Math. We are offering a Math club for students and their parents to participate in at home. We will be providing a math workshop for parents and a FCAT workshop for parents that will have a focus on math.
Evaluation	District Benchmark Assessment given in August and December for Grades 3-5 DCSB Formative Math Assessments Fall Diagnostic Math Test Authentic Math Assessments by the classroom teacher Teachers will be given their own assessments and evaluations. Within the Investigations of Number, Data, and Space, there are prepared assessments for each unit. Teacher will also be using a variety of authentic assessments. Evaluations are built into the curriculum and teachers will use the data to guide instruction and to develop safety nets for students that are in need of remediation. Data notebooks will be used both for class summaries and to track individual progress. Within the Leaptrack technology, student progress is tracked and recorded. Teachers will regularly monitor the results of the data and make necessary adjustments. Students will be given a pretest to assess current Math levels and to assist teachers in differentiated instruction.
Research-based Programs	Math Investigations is the core math program adopted by Duval County School District. Investigations of Number, Data, and Space is a Research-Based Program. Research was conducted by TERC, doctoral dissertation students and the ARC (Alternatives for Rebuilding Curricula) Center. This program is endorsed for instruction in Duval County Public Schools. The LeapTrack technology is also research based and has been approved by the Duval County Public Schools to use for at-risk children.
Professional Development	All teachers that will be teaching Investigations of Number, Data, and Space will go to a District level in-service training. Different aspects of the program will also be highlighted on at the school level for in-service activities. Teachers will be looking at student tests and assessments to guide instruction and learn how to organize a data notebook. All teachers that will be using LeapTrack will be in-serviced on the school level. Teachers will have a focus on math twice monthly at their common planning time with the math resource teacher. These meetings will be held by grade level and will focus on needed skills and concepts that the teachers have requested. Math concepts will also be addressed at these meetings.

Objective	The students that are Economically Disadvantaged will meet AYP in Math by having at least 56% of the students scoring at or above grade level and making at least a years growth in math
Strategies	All teachers will do a data analysis of their students test results and locate the academic gap for their class as well as for each individual student. All students will be instructed in the Standards Based Program of Investigations in Number, Data, and Space. All students will be involved in a skills block in addition to the Math Investigation lesson. Teachers will use the scripted teacher's manuals to guide their instruction as well as using a manipulative that is needed for successful learning of math. Teachers will help the children relate their lessons to the standards that they are working on and students will be able to write and verbally communicate commentaries as to what they have learned in the lesson. Students will also be given test taking strategies using FCAT Prep materials to ensure that students will be confident test takers. School Safety Nets will be used for students that are functioning below grade level expectations, in addition to students that scored a level 1 or 2 on their FCAT. Students will be considered individually as to what safety net would be the most effective, whether it is before or after school tutoring, small or individual group instruction, SRA math labs, FCAT Explorer computer work, or another in house safety net. The Leaptrack technology may also be used to help narrow the academic gaps in Math. In addition, SES tutoring services have been offered for all students that are economically disadvantaged. We are also offering a Math club for students and their parents to participate in at home. We will also be providing a math workshop for parents and a FCAT workshop for parents that will have a focus on math.
Evaluation	District Benchmark Assessment given in August and December for grades 3-5 DCSB Formative Tests throughout the year Diagnostic Math test in the fall Authentic Math Assessments throughout the year by the classroom teacher Within the Investigations of Number, Data, and Space, there are prepared assessments for each unit. Teacher will also be using a variety of authentic assessments. Evaluations are built into the curriculum and teachers will use the data to guide instruction and to develop safety nets for students that are in need of remediation. Data notebooks will be used both for class summaries and to track individual progress. Teachers will regularly monitor the results of the data and make necessary adjustments.
Research-based Programs	Math Investigations is the core math program adopted by Duval County School District. Investigations of Number, Data, and Space is a Research-Based Program. Research was conducted by TERC, doctoral dissertation students and the ARC (Alternatives for Rebuilding Curricula) Center. This program is endorsed for instruction in Duval County Public Schools.
Professional Development	All teachers that will be teaching Investigations of Number, Data, and Space will have instruction on the curriculum. Different aspects of the program will be highlighted on at the school level for in-service activities. Teachers will be looking at student tests and assessments to guide instruction and learn how to organize a data notebook. All teachers that will be using LeapTrack will be in-serviced on the school level. Teachers will have a focus on math twice monthly at their common planning time with the math resource teacher. These meetings will be held by grade level and will focus on needed skills and concepts that the teachers have requested. Math concepts will also be addressed at these meetings.

Highly Qualified Instructors

In the State of Florida, teachers that are certified in Elementary Education or ESE are considered highly qualified instructors in mathematics, for elementary education. All standard classroom teachers are teaching in-field and are considered highly qualified for the classes that they teach.

Budget
Issues to Address	Describe Resources	Funding Sources	Total Available
Research-based Program(s)			0
Research-based Resource(s)			0
Technology			0
Professional Development			0
Other	Math Tutoring	SAI Money for tutoring	5200
Total:			5200.00

Goal:	Writing

Needs Assessment

According to our School Accountability Report, we had 76% of our students meeting high standards in writing.
That was a 5% decrease from the prior year. On our 2005-2006 Adequate Yearly Progress Report, we did not improve our performance in writing by 1%. We actually lost 15% in this category.

Objective	All 4th grade students will achieve a Level 3.5 or above on Florida Writes!
Strategies	Writing instruction will be Standards based and Writer's Workshop will be implemented daily in every classroom at WRES. Teachers will begin with a mini-lesson to model the skill/strategy. Students will then write independently as the teacher conferences with individuals or small groups. Students and teachers will have a closing each day and relate the writing back to the mini-lesson and to the standard. Throughout the process, children will use the Author's Chair to share and celebrate successes with their writing pieces. Release time will be offered to classroom teachers to observe in model classrooms. Fourth grade Students With Disablities receive Writing Instruction within the Inclusion classroom. In addition, the students will be receiving instruction using the Step Up To Writing Model.
Evaluation	Florida Writes! Rubric Teachers will record informal evaluations daily through writing conferences. Students' work will be measured by rubrics. Teachers and students will work together with the rubric until the children can become independent evaluators of their own writing abilities.
Research-based Programs	Writer's Workshop is a component of the District Frameworks of Duval County. It has been derived from the America's Choice Research Based Model by the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE). The primary goal is to empower all students in the achievement of internationally benchmarked standards as well as the Florida Sunshine State Standards. Step Up To Writing is a researched based program which was developed by Sopris West Educational Services. Students are taught through explicit instruction in organizational schemes, students are taught in small groups to organize their ideas before they write. Drawing on multisensory techniques, students are taught to use color-coding to visualize writing organization by equating the colors of a traffic signal with different parts of a written piece. Using colors and folding paper, students structure and place main ideas and supporting information to achieve cohesive organized paragraphs. After students are taught several outlining methods, they participate in guided exercises to practice their new organizational skills collaboratively in small groups and share their work for feedback. These skills are then related back to the Writers Workshop model.
Professional Development	Our early release days at WRES are designed to teach teachers how to implement Standards Based Instruction, which includes the Writers Workshop model. The teachers have also gone through a waiver process to allow an additional 30 minutes per week, of their planning time, for additional professional development. These common planning times each week, by grade levels work on specific areas of need that was indicated by the classroom teachers. Teachers spend quality time analyzing student work and correlating the work with the standards. By forming our Professional Learning Community within our school, teachers are developing skills to meet the students individual learning needs.

Budget
Issues to Address	Describe Resources	Funding Sources	Total Available
Research-based Program(s)			0
Research-based Resource(s)			0
Technology			0
Professional Development			0
Other	Monthly Book of the Month		4100
Total:			4100.00

Goal:	Science

Needs Assessment

On our 5th grade FCAT Science test for the 2005-2006 school year, we had 60% of our students scoring a Level 1,
29% of our students scoring a level 2, and 12% of our students scoring a level 3. We didn't have any of our students scoring a level 4 or a level 5. Our mean points earned by content area were about the same for each area. We scored a mean score of 5 for each of the following content areas: Physical and Chemical Science; Earth and Space Sciences; Life and Environmental Science. We scored a mean score of 6 in the content area of Scientific Thinking.

We had 18% of our 5th grade students being proficient in Science.

In looking at our school as a whole, we have reflected that the science curriculum has not been a major focus in teaching throughout the grades, for several years.

Objective	At least 30% of our 5th grade students will score at a level 3 or above on the Science section of the FCAT
Strategies	Teachers will use the county adopted Science series. They will use the Teacher's Manual of the Scope and Sequence as a guide, along with the Sunshine State Standards. Teachers will teach content material and use different strategies that include experiments, manipulatives, transparencies, tapes, videos, black line masters and etc. We are also encouraging all teachers, at all grade levels, to have an emphases on science concepts. We will be having a focus this year on non-fiction reading strategies in the content areas. Along with the classroom teacher's instruction in Science, we will be having an additional hour of instruction of science remediation and enrichment added each week by a certified instructor for our fourth and fifth grade classes. We plan on having a school-wide Science fair for all grade levels, in the spring, and invite the parents to attend.
Evaluation	Teachers will use their own teacher made assessments or use the evaluations that are available though the series. We are also doing FCAT like assessments and scrimmages for Science in the 5th grade. We have also planned to have a content assessment given to our 5th grade students to find out specific areas of strengths and weaknesses.
Research-based Programs	The Science Curriculum is on the State adopted list for appropriate materials for instruction in Science and it is the series that the Duval County Public School District has adopted to be used in this county.
Professional Development	Teachers teaching Science will be invited to attend District level Science In-service activities. We will form a Professional Learning Community at our school to discuss Science related curriculum, methods, and concepts.

Objective
Strategies
Evaluation
Research-based Programs
Professional Development

Highly Qualified Instructors

In the State of Florida, teachers that are certified in Elementary Education or ESE are considered highly qualified instructors in science, for elementary education. All classroom teachers are teaching in-field and are considered highly qualified for the classes that they teach.

Budget
Issues to Address	Describe Resources	Funding Sources	Total Available
Research-based Program(s)			0
Research-based Resource(s)			0
Technology			0
Professional Development			0
Other			0
Total:			00.00

Goal:	Parental Involvement

Needs Assessment

The faculty and staff and the School Advisory Council of West Riverside Elementary have identified a need to increase stakeholder involvement.

During the 2004-2005, West Riverside Elementary had their five year review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The recommendation was to consider alternating scheduled times for meetings with parents and community members in an effort to increase participation of these members in developing the School Improvement Plan.

Objective	To increase stakeholder involvement in school-based activities through written and technological communication, with a focus on increasing active participation in the educational programs offered during and after school. To increase participation in ideas that will improve our school.
Strategies	Monthly newsletters concerning school activities will be sent to all stakeholders including information on special events and current school programs or concerns. Homework and study tips will also be featured in these newsletters. The WRES PTA has also created and maintains a website featuring school activities and related information. (www.westriversidepta.org) On this website, parents can select from a pull down menu to have the information on the web site in different languages. Parents can read the web site in the following languages: Chinese-simp; Chinese-trad.; Dutch; French; German; Italian; Japanese; Korean; Portuguese; Russian; or Spanish. We will plan to have our SIP draft added to the website, so parents will be able to read and make comments about the plan, prior to submitting the plan to DCSB or to the Department of Education. During the 2006-2007 school year, we have planned six different parent meetings to involve parents within the school. We are planning two different Family Literacy nights, one Family Math Connection night, one Science Fair night, one night for Preparing for the FCAT, and one evening for the parents of students involved in the Inclusion settings. There will also be several parent meetings for the ESOL parents with assistance with the University of Florida ESOL department. Parents are encouraged to communicate daily through the use of school provided planners. These daily logs are a vital communication tool for parents and teachers, and through daily use of the planner as a means of recording homework and information, students are also learning to become active participants in their education. Fifth Grade Middle School Information Night and Career Fair for grades four and five will be held. We are also offering parents an opportunity to become partners with the school through our Math Sunshine Club. This program has been designed to have parents assist their children in the area of Mathematics. ESOL students and families will participate in a resource and tutoring program that we have developed in partnership with the University of North Florida and a local business partner. We also plan will have an open forum for parents to give us feedback on the ways that we can improve instruction and programs at our school.
Evaluation	Attendance and sign-in sheets at all school activities will be required, with forms for feedback and comments provided. We will also conduct random surveys to seek input from stakeholders on school climate and areas of concern. We also conducted a school-wide parent survey this school year to provide information on our CSR grant and other school related issues.
Research-based Programs	FCAT Explorer is an interactive website developed by the Florida Department of Education and available to all students in third, fourth, and fifth grade. The program will be introduced to parents at our parent meetings.
Professional Development	Teachers and coaches will be trained in the use and implementation of FCAT Explorer during planning and workshops. Parents will be given an in-service as to how the programs work and to answer any questions that they might have. We have a teacher that is going to a state training on how to get parents involved with reading and she will be bringing back additional ideas and issues to share with our faculty and help us with parental involvement.

Objective
Strategies
Evaluation
Research-based Programs
Professional Development

Budget
Issues to Address	Describe Resources	Funding Sources	Total Available
Research-based Program(s)			0
Research-based Resource(s)			0
Technology			0
Professional Development			0
Other	Parent Involvement	Title 1 Funds	5337.6
Total:			5337.60

Goal:	Return on Investment

Needs Assessment

Using the data provided to us on Return on Investment for the 2004-2005 school year, it read as follows:
.....Return on Investment- Percentile Rank....14%
.....Return on Investment- Percent of the Highest ROI Value....45%
.....Percent of Students with Learning Gains....52% for Reading; 58% for Math
.....School Grade...D
.....Total Program Cost per WFTE....$5,964

Objective	During the 2006-2007 school year, our objective will be to move our students to the following targets: 68% Proficient in Reading 64% Proficient in Math 80% Proficient in Writing 30% Proficient in Science 67% Gains in Reading 74% Gains in Math 70% Bottom Quartile in Reading 75% Bottom Quartile in Math
Strategies	We will be implementing the goals outlined in our current SIP for both reading and math. We will be implementing specific student safety nets in both reading and math. By developing our Professional Leaning Community at the school, we will be building a staff that is total conscious of best practices in our strategies that we use to work with the children.
Evaluation	FCAT scores for 2006-2007 will indicate if our plan is effective as well as monitoring of our DIBELS scores, DRA scores, and Formative Math tests in all of our grades. We realize that what happens at each grade level is important in meeting the high expectations of our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade FCAT scores.

SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Yes

The majority of the SAC members are not employed by the school.
The SAC is composed of the principal, and an appropriately balanced number of teachers, education support employees, students (for middle, junior high and high school only), parents, and other business and community citizens who are representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic community served by the school.

SAC Involvement

The School Advisory Council (SAC) meets on a monthly basis. One of the major responsibilities of the SAC is to assist in the preparation and evaluation of the school improvement plan and to assist in the preparation of the school's annual budget.

FINAL BUDGET
Issues to Address	Describe Resources	Funding Sources	Total Amount Available
Research-based Program(s)	Reading: Mathematics: Writing: Science: Parental Involvement:	Reading: Available: $0 Mathematics: Available: $0 Writing: Available: $0 Science: Available: $0 Parental Involvement: Available: $0	00.00
Research-based Resource(s)	Reading: Standards Books & Star Books Mathematics: Writing: Science: Parental Involvement:	Reading: School Budget Available: $1595 Mathematics: Available: $0 Writing: Available: $0 Science: Available: $0 Parental