Schafer Elementary School's comprehensive improvement plan for student achievement

School Improvement Plan Report for Schafer Elem School
Introduction
School improvement plans define how an institution aims to enhance student performance and raise the school’s general standards, improve every student’s achievements and offer development to staff. All the efforts are geared towards improving school performance. School facilities benefit the students, teachers, staff and the local community. They strengthen an institution’s partnership with various stakeholders, including co-workers, colleagues and other schools. Rigorous monitoring of attendance levels and family support and involvement in students’ education are also recommended. High quality learning and teaching experiences with continual enhancement, efficient resources use and partnership with stakeholders such as the local community and the government help schools attain their ultimate goals, eventually benefiting students (Herman & Gribbons, 2001).

What factors have contributed to each area of weakness? Of these factors has the school prioritized ones that can be influenced or controlled? Explain in complete sentences.
LEP
Disability
Low income We will continue to explore how to best implement the social and emotional learning standards at Schafer and in District 45. We will continue to explore ways to improve instruction in the classrooms for our economically disadvantaged and ELL students. We will continue to provide professional development opportunities to help teachers work better, not harder to reduce stress levels among the staff. We will continue to refine the RtI process at Schafer School. Houghton Mifflin reading had not been carried out with fidelity.
Guided Reading had not been done consistently.
Academic vocabulary development is an obstacle for many of our low income students.
Students come to school with many barriers to learning and lack social emotional competencies.
Professional development had not focused on improvement of reading instruction.
We will provide professional development for staff on low income and cultural competencies and their effects on students’ achievement in order to better understand specific needs related to low income students and support their academic achievement in reading.

Overall Plan:

How do the shared vision, mission, and goals emphasize the expectation that all students will meet content and performance standards? Explain in complete sentences.

Mentors have the opportunity to instill confidence, focus, perspective, and a working knowledge that will help new teachers develop self-direction and a sound instructional decision-making process. The ultimate purpose of the mentor program is to enhance instructional practices and to establish meaningful relationships with staff, administrators, and parents.

The design of the program calls for experienced District 45 teachers to work with teachers new to our district. A mentor continues a full-time regular teaching position. Both the mentee and the mentor will be involved in orientation work that goes beyond the general orientation activities offered at the district level. The mentor will be responsible for both assisting the mentee with questions and issues raised by the mentee, as well as providing leadership to connect the mentee with resources available in the district (Sebring et al., 2006).

Does this plan have a chance of successfully improving student achievement? Explain in complete sentences.
The plan details how the school will help its students work on the main weaknesses identified, mainly LEP, students with disabilities and those from families with low income. It also involves various stakeholders and tools to help improve the identified weaknesses for better performance. Therefore, it has a chance of successfully improving student achievement.

Teamwork is a major component of school success. Is there evidence of teamwork in the SIP? Explain in complete sentences.

Various stakeholders, including students, teachers and parents will work together as a team to help the students improve their performance and turn weaknesses into strengths.

How well did the school establish a critical relationship among its problem areas or weaknesses, the presumed causes of these weaknesses, and the plan for improved student achievement? Explain in complete sentences.
The school did well in creating a relationship among its weaknesses and problem areas, and the plan for improving student achievement. The role of each stakeholder in improving weaknesses and performance are clearly stated in the plan. The strategies they must adopt and actions they need to take are clearly explained.

How is technology integrated into the plan?
No technology is integrated.

How is technology used to prepare, implement, and collect/analyze data used in the plan?
Technology has only been used create the plan and will also be used to design surveys for data collection.

Conclusion
Every school should strive to prepare its students for high school and later graduate studies, ready for college learning, career and involvement in the local community. A school improvement plan details a school’s aims to improve students’ achievements. The plans have input from families, staff, local community members and administrators in the district. They include measurable strategies, goals based on studies, and continuous monitoring throughout the year (Sebring et al., 2006).

References Herman, J. L., & Gribbons, B. (2001). Lessons learned in using data to support school inquiry and continuous improvement: Final report to the Stuart Foundation. Center for the Study of Evaluation, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing, Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles. Sebring, P. B., Allensworth, E., Bryk, A. S., Easton, J. Q., & Luppescu, S. (2006). The Essential Supports for School Improvement. Research Report. Consortium on Chicago School Research.