Lewis Central DE Accreditation Report and Non-Compliance Response - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Lewis Central DE Accreditation Report and Non-Compliance Response April 2015 1

 Vision, Mission, and Goals  Leadership  Collaborative Relationships  Learning Environment  Curriculum and Instruction  Professional Development  Monitoring and Accountability 2

Vision, Mission, and Goals Strong support of social-emotional programming for students is likely  contributing to the vision/goal of improving graduation rate. District goals are based upon expected/ typical growth rates.  Strong parent input through SIAC.  Recommend periodic review of beliefs, mission and vision.  3

Leadership An effective evaluation system provides for the professional growth  of all personnel. The capacity of staff, students, and parents to contribute and lead is  built and supported. The district is commended for engaging in long-range planning  discussions. The use of the one-to-one Chromebook initiative has increased  technology integration and also collaboration for students. District’s leaders provide encouragement, recognition, and support  for improving student learning and staff performance. Teachers indicated they have opportunities to be involved in  leadership roles. The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Regional Consortium for  the district does not appear to have local business representation. 4

Collaborative Relationships Lewis Central has developed positive alliances among diverse  community groups. Parents are involved as partners in the educational process.  Multiple interview groups reported co-teaching is occurring in the  district. Teachers expressed a variety of ways in which they are able to  collaborate enabling them to focus on improving instruction and student outcomes. Consider adding OE parents to advisory committees.  Continue ongoing training in co-teaching.  Implement a purposeful and systemic peer review system.  Consider establishing collaborative partnerships with industrial  community employers or educational facilities in order to increase student career opportunities. 5

Learning Environment PBIS program  Lewis Central CSD appears to value competence in content  knowledge. The district provides a clean, inviting, welcoming environment in all  buildings. A strong feeling of community throughout the district. Bullying prevention  Numerous efforts to reach students who might not be successful in  school without intervention. Continue ongoing efforts to ensure a safe and orderly environment  on buses. Continue to expand technology growth and use.  Consider implementing PBIS in all school buildings.  6

Curriculum and Instruction Lewis Central have embraced the Iowa Core.  Lewis Central staff have worked diligently to ensure content,  instruction, assessments, and policy are aligned. Implementation this year of a one-to-one Chromebook program, was  very positively viewed. Interviewees spoke positively of the transition experiences for  students and families in the district. Lewis Central CSD students are provided opportunity to learn,  including during the summer. Explore student opportunities for learning about careers or trades  that require CTE training. Consider allowing Chromebooks for middle school students to be  used off school property. 7

Professional Development Several focus areas of professional development have included  research-based strategies from Understanding by Design and on developing/using formative assessments. Professional development sessions build on one another, are distributed throughout the school year and are sustained over time. Teacher interviews showed a general pattern of positive perception towards district professional development, and many teachers felt professional development assisted them in improving their skills. The district might want to consider district-wide training regarding  working with low socioeconomic status. The district is encouraged to consider engaging in additional work  with equity and MCGF initiatives in order to promote continuous growth working with a growing diverse population. 8

Monitoring and Accountability Appropriate Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) components are being  implemented with integrity in the district. Poor and minority students are not taught at a higher rate than other  students by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers. Lewis Central CSD teachers, students and parents have access to  attendance, achievement trends, and comparison to peers data through PowerSchool. The district has gone beyond the basics to provide this variety of data. There was evidence through teacher interviews and interviews with  administrators, of implementation of the Early Literacy Implementation (ELI) law. (C4K, FAST, etc.) Special education teachers have been a part of an SDI literacy  cohort, targeting interventions to help reduce the achievement gap for students with disabilities. 9

Monitoring and Accountability Positive impact of professional development on assessment of  important learning targets. BrightByes survey data provides information on technology usage  and the impact on student learning. The district appears to want to take technology to the next level to inform instruction. The percentage of Lewis Central CSD students in the proficient  range of achievement on the 2013-2014 Iowa Assessments is higher than Green Hills AEA and/or State of Iowa Averages in some areas. 10

Monitoring and Accountability The district will want to continue digging deeper into specific  interventions to address gaps in the area of literacy. Although the district is showing some improvement in Iowa  Assessment scores over the past three years, in almost all categories the district remains below the state and AEA proficiency levels. The district may wish to continue their examination of grading  policies and practices. Continuing conversations with stakeholders regarding the benefits of the standards based approach may be warranted as there appears to be some misconceptions. 11

Non-Compliance Finding Noncompliance finding Additional Details: (HSPM3) The mathematics The math program is missing   program for grades 9-12 does one of the two additional units. not contain two additional units The district has a plan for in addition to the four correction next year. (in sequential units. 281 — IAC registration handbook now) 12.5(5)c Adding two terms of “Transitional  Algebra” (between Geometry and second year Algebra) Adding two terms of “Probability  and Statistics” Adding two terms of “Computer  Science and Software Engineering” (a PLTW course for math credit) 12

 Lots to celebrate  We are headed in the right direction! 13