HES SIP

Harmony

Elementary School

550 Harmony School Road
Jasper, GA 30143

Sherry Mullins
Principal

Harmony Elementary
School Improvement Action Plan
2006-2007

Planning & Development

To facilitate planning and minimize initial opening problems, the Pickens County School System hired a planning principal in January, 2006, prior to the opening of the school in August, 2006. During this time the principal was able to examine baseline data from the school system for K-5 grade levels. Since Harmony school would bring together students and parents from all of the other elementary schools in the system, it was felt that a system profile would provide the most appropriate data until Harmony school would have an opportunity to assemble its own unique information.

During the spring, staff assignments for the FY06 school year were announced, Teachers who were assigned to Harmony were consulted about needs and instructional goals, both formally and informally. The school improvement plans of the other three elementary schools were examined to develop a plan that was consistent with other plans that had been developed across the system. The system had taken great care to try to balance subgroups and demographics across the schools, so it was determined for initial planning purposes that the Harmony population would be very similar to the populations for the other schools. Parents were involved in the preparation of the other school plans and their input and concerns were noted in the development of the Harmony plan.

The plan will be shared with Harmony parents and the school council at the soonest date available, and revisions/additions from parents will be solicited.

The plan will be reviewed for evidence of progress meeting the annual and long-term measurable objective and goals. The plan shall be revised annually to accommodate changes in needs or the identification of new goals.

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ACTION PLAN

OBJECTIVE 1 Reading

List measurable objective (desired outcome and data sources).

The percentage of students meeting and exceeding State Performance Standards on the Georgia CRCT reading test for the 2006-2007 year will total 95% of students taking the test in grades one, two, three, four, and five. The percentage of students exceeding expectations on the Georgia CRCT reading test for the 2006-2007 year will increase by a minimum of 5 percentage points.

List the source(s) which identify the need for this objective.

The needs assessment was based upon Pickens County system results of the 2005-2006 Georgia CRCT Reading test given to grades one through five.

List baseline data and data sources.

According to the results of the 2005-2006 Georgia CRCT, all grade levels except second grade achieved a percentile rank greater than the state performance percentile on the Reading Test.

GRADE            Level 2 and Level 3                      State Performance % Level 2 & 3
                                            Combined                                              Combined
                  1                              94%                                                     88%
                  2                              89%                                                     89%
                  3                              89%                                                     83%
                  4                              91%                                                     81%
                  5                              90%                                                     81%

OBJECTIVE 1: Reading

List action steps/interventions that support attainment of this objective.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning And Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
Increase expectations for each grade level including DI novel studies; use the Lexile Framework for Reading to ensure challenging reading material.	Receives monthly coaching visits.	2006-2007 school-year	Cost of Textbooks and workbooks for program	Principal, Asst. Principal, and Literacy Support Specialist
Students will participate in the Accelerated Reader Program, a computerized reading incentive program. AR tests and tracks individual comprehension after reading a book from a selected list of outstanding children’s literature.	On-site training as needed by school personnel	2006-2007 school- year	Currently funded by HES student Instructional Budget/ Reading Grant and Book Fairs	Media Specialist and Teachers
Students will participate in SuccessMaker (SME): Reading Program and Knowledge Box to enhance reading skills.	On-site training as needed by LSS and the Pearson Learning Consultant, Brenda Anderson	2006-2007	SME funded Title I & Instructional Budget	Teachers and the Computer Lab Technician
Continue coaching by Educational Resources, Inc. during the 2006-2007 school year with particular emphasis working with LSS.	Monthly coaching visit with LSS	2006-2007	Title IIA	E.R.I. Coaches, LSS, and Principal
SuccessMaker: Reading computer program implemented in EIP classes.	Pearson Learning	2006-2007	Title I & Instructional Budget	Teachers and Principal
Students in the gifted program will increase vocabulary development through analogies. SuccessMaker: Knowledge Box will augment reading skills through practice. Students will learn specialized terminology dealing with enrichment units, e.g. architecture. Students in three-five grades will improve inferential comprehension through discussions of challenging literature based on Reading Program. Students will improve research skills through use of multiple sources.	None	2006-2007	$300.00 (sets of novels) – Instructional Funds	Gifted teacher
After-School tutoring for grades 1- 5 on Tuesday and Thursday will be offered to students recommended by teacher based on EIP status and reading grade for each 9 week grading period.	None	Sept. 2006- 2007	Title I & 20 Day Extended Budget	Principal
Insure instruction and guided practice on test-taking skills in reading will be provided for all students through usage of Georgia CRCT Coach Mathematics, CRCT On-line Assessment, and CRCT Content Standards. Other programs like Study Island will be explored to see the value of the programs.	None	Sept. 2006-2007	Instructional Budget	Teachers and Principal

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning And Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
Upper and lower grade classes will pair up students to read together as "Reading Buddies". Reading Buddies will meet on a periodic basis. Progress for both students will be measured by the progress in the reading program. (DI).	None	2006-2007	None	Teachers LSS
Classroom teachers and NEST teachers (Art, Music, Computer and PE) will collaborate to develop lessons that help students meet CRCT objectives.	None	2006-2007	None	Leadership Team Grade Level Chairs
Interrelated resource teachers will plan for Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) with classroom teachers on a regular basis to ensure that special education students are meeting the CRCT objectives.	None	2006-2007	None	Resource Lead Teacher and Administration

OBJECTIVE 2 Math

List measurable objective (desired outcome and data source(s).

The percentage of students meeting and exceeding expectations on the Georgia CRCT math test for the 2006-2007 year will total 95% of students taking the test for grades two and four; with grades one, three, and five maintaining 95% +.

List the source(s) which identify the need for this objective.

The needs assessment was based upon Pickens County system results of the 2005-2006 Georgia CRCT Math test given to grades one through five.

List baseline data and data sources.

According to the results of the 2005-2006 Georgia CRCT, the following percentage scored at or above Level 2 performance:

GRADE         Level 2 and Level 3                    State Performance % Level 2 & 3
                                          Combined                                              Combined
                1                              97%                                                     90%
                2                              85%                                                     87%
                3                              95%                                                     91%
                4                              85%                                                     79%
                5                              92%                                                     89%

OBJECTIVE 2: Math

List action steps/interventions that support attainment of this objective.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning And Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
Schedule and implement workshops by Saxon Math consultants. Workshops will be conducted on an as needs basis and throughout the year. Needs will be determined by teachers and/or administrator.	Saxon Consultants	2006-2007	Title IIA	Literacy Support Specialist and Principal
Maintain instructional time devoted to math to at least 60-75 minutes daily in kindergarten, first, and second grade and 75 minutes in grades three, four, and five.	None	2006-2007	None	Administration
Insure instruction and guided practice on test-taking skills in math will be provided for all students through usage of Georgia CRCT Coach Mathematics, CRCT On-line Assessment, and CRCT Content Standards. Other programs like Study Island will be explored to see the value of these programs.	None	2006-2007	Instructional funds	Administration Literacy Support Specialist
After-School tutoring for grades 1- 5 on Tuesday and Thursday based on EIP status and 9 weeks grades in Math	None	Sept. 2006- 2007	Title I	Principal
Students will participate in SuccessMaker (SME): Math Program and Knowledge Box to enhance math skills.	On-site training as needed by LSS and the Pearson Learning Consultant,	2006-2007	SME Title I & Instructional Budget	Teachers and the Computer Lab Technician
SuccessMaker: Math computer program implemented in EIP classes.	Pearson Learning	2006-2007	Title I & Instructional Budget	Teachers and Principal

OBJECTIVE 3: English / Language Arts

List measurable objective (desired outcome and data source(s).

The percentage of students meeting and exceeding expectations on the Georgia CRCT Language Arts test for the 2006-2007 year will total 95 % of students taking the test. The percentage of students exceeding expectations on the Georgia CRCT Language Arts test for the 2006-2007 year will increase by a minimum of 5 percentage points.

List the source(s) which identify the need for this objective.

The needs assessment was based upon Pickens County system results of the 2006 Georgia CRCT given to grades first through fifth.

List baseline data and data sources.

According to the results of the 2005-2006 Georgia CRCT, the following percentage scored at or above Level 2 performance:

                       GRADE         Level 2 and Level 3              State Performance % Level 2 & 3
                                                     Combined                                              Combined
                            1                              87%                                                     79%
                            2                              85%                                                     84%
                            3                              86%                                                     82%
                            4                              86%                                                     79%
                            5                              91%                                                     85%

OBJECTIVE 3: English/Language Arts

List action steps/interventions that support attainment of this objective.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning And Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
Explore the use of Daily Oral Language program as a regular part of the curriculum to reinforce skills.	LSS working with Teachers	2006-2007	$300 replacement	Teachers
After-School tutoring for grades 1- 5 on Tuesday and Thursday will be offered with the recommendation of the teacher based on EIP status and 9 week grades in English Lang. Arts.	None	Sept. 2006- 2007	Title I, 20 day funds	Principal and Asst. Principal
Insure instruction and guided practice on test-taking skills in language arts will be provided for all students through usage of Georgia CRCT Coach Language Arts, CRCT On-line Assessment, and CRCT Content Standards. Other programs like Study Island will be explored to see the value of these programs.	None	2006-2007	Instructional funds	Administration Literacy Support Specialist
Students will participate in SuccessMaker (SME): Language Arts Program and Knowledge Box to enhance math skills.	On-site training as needed by LSS and the Pearson Learning Consultant	2006-2007	SME funded through Title I, V & Instructional Budget	Teachers and the Computer Lab Technician
SuccessMaker: Language Arts computer program implemented in EIP classes.	Pearson Learning	2006-2007	Title I & Instructional Budget	Teachers and Principal

OBJECTIVE 4 Writing

List measurable objective (desired outcome and data source(s).

Fifty percent of all third graders will score at or above the experimenting developmental Stage on the Third Grade State Writing Assessment. (Experimenting is the fourth of six developmental stages of writing as described in the Writing Assessment. Of Georgia students, 44.5% score at or above the experimenting developmental level on the assessment.)

Eighty percent of all fifth graders will score in the top two developmental stages of the 2007 writing test.

List the source(s) which identify the need for this objective.

The needs assessment was based upon the results of the 2004 and the 2005 State Writing Assessment given to grades three and five.

List baseline data and data sources.

The results of the Pickens County School system 2004 and 2005 Georgia Fifth Grade Writing Tests are reflected below for the top two developmental stages of the writing process test:

               *Data to be determined

                                                          2004              2005              2006                State

Stage 5: The Engaging Writer

Stage 6: The Extending Writer

Total Stage 5 and 6:

OBJECTIVE 4: Writing

List action steps/interventions that support attainment of this objective. Include the incorporation of technology, where appropriate, as a part of each objective.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning And Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
Continue using student writing portfolios, requiring every other week writing products similar to state assessment. Length of writing product will be guided by the state curriculum standards for each grade level.	In-House	2006-2007	Printing portfolios $200	Eng. Lang. Arts or Writing Teacher
Utilize Power Writing in grades K- 2.	Teacher workshop on writing	2006-2007	None	Assistant Principal
Develop a file of strategies through an Internet search of resources. Allow teachers to choose from file strategies that would be most effective in their own classrooms.	Faculty Meeting and during grade levels	2006-2007	None	Assistant Principal And Literacy Support Specialist
Writing Across the Curriculum will be required to incorporate writing activities into Reading, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies on a weekly basis.	LSS meeting with grade levels	2006-2007	None	Teachers and Principal
Continue with a High Performance Writing Program in grades three through five.	Bi-Monthly writing teachers meetings	2006-2007	Instructional funds	Teachers, LSS, and Assistant Principal
After-School tutoring for grades 1- 5 on Tuesday and Thursday will be offered with the recommendation of the teacher based on EIP status and 9 week grades in writing (English Lang. Arts)	None	Sept. 2006-2007	Title I, 20 day funds	Principal

OBJECTIVE 5 Science

List measurable objective (desired outcome and data source(s).

Ninety-five percent of all third and fifth graders will meet state standards in Science on the 2007 Georgia CRCT, and Ninety-eight percent of all fourth graders will meet the standards, with 10% exceeding the standards.

List the source(s) which identify the need for this objective.

The needs assessment was based upon Pickens County system results of the 2005-2006 Georgia CRCT Science test given to grades three through five.

List baseline data and data sources.

According to the results of the 2005-2006 Georgia CRCT, the following percentage scored at or above Level 2 performance:


                      GRADE         Level 2 and Level 3              State Performance % Level 2 & 3
                                                   Combined                                              Combined
                          3                              89%                                                     85%
                          4                              94%                                                     88%
                          5                              96%                                                     89%

OBJECTIVE 5: Science

List action steps/interventions that support attainment of this objective.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning And Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
Staff development for teachers at each grade level to expand the science curriculum.	Workshops as needed from the North GA Science & Math Center	2006-2007	Title IIA, Title I	Principal
Insure instruction and guided practice on test-taking skills in Science will be provided for all students through usage of Georgia CRCT Coach Science.	None	2006-2007	Instructional funds	Principal
Develop a fourth and fifth grade Science lab.	In-House	2006-2007	Title Grant and Instructional Funds	Principal

OBJECTIVE 6: Attendance- students missing 15 or more days

List measurable objective (desired outcome and data source(s).

Students missing 15 or more schools day will decrease to 4.5 % of the student population.

List the source(s) which identify the need for this objective.

This objective was based on the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 school year attendance report for Pickens County School system’s elementary students.

List baseline data and data sources.

At the end of the school year, students missing 15 or more days will total less than 4.5 %.

2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006

11% 6.8% 6.1%

OBJECTIVE 6: Attendance

List action steps/interventions that support attainment of this objective.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning And Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
Classrooms, by grade level, with the highest monthly attendance will be recognized at the end of each 20 day period.	None	2006-2007	After school Program funds	Administration Data Clerk
Students with Perfect Attendance will be recognized at Honors Day and at the end of each 9 week grading period.	None	2006-2007	$ 500	Principal
After a student is absent for three days, the data clerk will contact the parents to determine the reason for the absence.	None	2006-2007	None	Data Clerk
Parents will be made aware through the Pickens County Student Code of Conduct about the Attendance Support Team protocol.	None	2006-2007	Cost of Code of Conduct (County Office)	Homeroom Teachers Principal Data Clerk
Parents will have contact by phone or in person with DATA Clerk after seven tardies and/or early check-outs	None	2006-2007	None	Data Clerk

OBJECTIVE 7 Social Studies

List measurable objective (desired outcome and data source(s).

Ninety-five percent of all third, fourth, and fifth graders will meet state standards in Social Studies on the 2007 Georgia CRCT.

List the source(s) which identify the need for this objective.

The needs assessment was based upon Pickens County system results of the 2005-2006 Georgia CRCT Social Studies test given to grades three through five.

List baseline data and data sources.

According to the results of the 2005-2006 Georgia CRCT, the following percentage scored at or above Level 2 performance:


                         GRADE         Level 2 and Level 3              State Performance % Level 2 & 3
                                                      Combined                                             Combined
                            3                              88%                                                     89%
                            4                              95%                                                     89%
                            5                              93%                                                     91%

OBJECTIVE 7: Social Studies

List action steps/interventions that support attainment of this objective.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning And Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
Staff development for teachers at each grade level to expand the social studies curriculum.	Workshops	2006-2007	Title II-A, Title I	Principal
Insure instruction and guided practice on test-taking skills in Social Studies will be provided for all students through usage of Georgia CRCT Coach Social Studies.	None	2006-2007	Instructional funds	Principal

In order for Harmony Elementary School to be considered a Title I school in Georgia the following components are addressed, as required by law.

Objectives required for designation of School-Wide Title I program:

1. (A) A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school which addresses all academic areas and other factors that may affect achievement.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning and Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
Needs assessment was based on county-wide tests results with areas of improvement listed in objectives 1 – 7. Parents, community, and teachers will participate. (See embedded needs assessment in plan.)	As stated above in the objectives	2006-2007	As stated above	Principal
Teachers will participate in implementing CRCT skill reviews for students.	On an as need basis	2006-2007	Instructional funds	Principal

2. (B) School-wide reform strategies that are scientifically researched based.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning and Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
Scientifically based reform strategies are listed in objectives 1 and 2 in the above document.	As needed	2006-2007	As stated above	Principal
Programs reviewed by school system leadership team and curriculum personnel for evidence of SBR and principles of effectiveness	As needed by system staff	2006-2007 and ongoing	NA	Curriculum Director/ Principal
Require vendors to submit evidence of SBR for review prior to adoption/purchase	NA	2006-2007 and ongoing	NA	Curriculum Director/ Principal

3. (C) Instruction by highly qualified professional staff.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning and Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
The highly qualified professional staff will be recommended to the principals for the interview process as being highly qualified from the personnel director.	N/A	2006-2007	N/A	County Office Personnel Director
Consider only Hi-Q applicants for instructional positions	NA	2006-2007 and ongoing	NA	Principal
Advertise vacancies on Teach Georgia and local system website	NA	2006-2007 and ongoing	NA	Personnel Director/ Principal

3. a (E) Strategies to attract high quality, highly qualified teachers to high-needs schools.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning and Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
Advertise vacancies on Teach Georgia and local system website. Actively recruit teachers from colleges and other systems.	N/A	2006-2007	N/A	Personnel Director/ Principal

4. (D) Professional development for staff to enable children in the school to meet performance standards.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning and Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
Refer to the action plan as stated above. Embedded in plan.	See Professional development column in plan	2006-2007 and ongoing	Specific to program. See above plan.	Principal/ LSS/Prof. Learning. Coord.

5. (F) Strategies to increase parental involvement.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning and Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
Volunteer log will be maintained in office	NA	2006-2007 and ongoing	NA	PI Coord.
Parent Involvement Plan will be on school website and available in school office	NA	2006-2007 and ongoing	NA	Principal/ PI Coord.
PTO will establish and maintain at least 10 committees	NA	2006-2007 and ongoing	NA	Principal/ PI Coord.
Parent Compacts will be distributed to all parents	NA	2006-2007 and ongoing	NA	Principal/ Teachers/ PI Coord.
A Title I Annual Meeting will be held and all parents will be encouraged to attend	NA	2006-2007 and ongoing	Title I	Principal/ PI Coord.
The school will participate in the system annual Parent evaluation which includes completion of parent surveys and use the results to plan for the following year	NA	2006-2007 and ongoing	Title I	Principal/ PI Coord.
Consistent effort will be made to involve parents through the PTO as mentors and volunteers.	N/A	2006-2007	PTO	Principal

6. (G) Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs to local elementary school programs.

Action Steps

Professional
Development
Needed

Beginning
and Ending Dates

Cost and Source of Funding

Specific Person Responsible

Most incoming kindergarten students will be registered prior to the first day of the 2006-07 school year.

All rising kindergarten students from local church preschools, day care centers and Head Start will be scheduled to visit and tour the school prior to the beginning of the year.

Records from pre-school programs will be provided to kindergarten teachers, and teachers from both programs will be allowed to meet and conference.

Orientation provided

On site registration at day cares and Head Start

2006-2007

N/A

Principal

Principals/

Central Office personnel

Principal/

Head Start Coordinator

7. (H) Measures to include teachers in the decisions regarding the use of assessment to provide information on, and to improve, the performance of individual students and the overall instructional program.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning and Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
Grade level teachers will develop benchmark assessments appropriate for GPS implementation	Use of assessment data (RESA)	2006-2007	PL funds/Title IIA monies	LSS/ERI consultant
Teachers are given ample opportunity to use assessment to enhance and improve instruction. SME results, CRCT Coach on-line, CRCT tests results are used to develop teaching strategies.	As needed	2006-2007	N/A	Principal

9. (I) Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering standards shall be provided with effective, timely assistance.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning and Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
After-School tutoring for grades 1- 5 on Tuesday and Thursday will be offered to students recommended by teacher based on EIP status and reading grade for each 9 week grading period.	None	2006-2007	Title I	Principal
Refer to action steps under objective 1 in the plan.	None	2006-2007	Title I	Principal

8. (J) Coordination and integration of Federal, State, and local services and programs.

Action Steps	Professional Development Needed	Beginning and Ending Dates	Cost and Source of Funding	Specific Person Responsible
School Improvement plan will be developed and needs addressed by consideration of all funds available. This will be done to maximize efficacy of funds and avoid duplication of efforts.	NA	2006-2007 and ongoing	Title I, Title IIA, Title III, Title IV, Title V, and PL funds	Principal/ School Imp. Committee
Coordination of Fund 400 is handled by the County Office staff.	None	2006-2007	Title I, Title IIA, Title III, Title IV, Title V, and PL funds	Finance Director/ Fed. Prog. Director/ Principal

Collection, distribution, reporting and disaggregation of data: Data will be collected through the State assessment program, through local assessment initiatives, and through individual teacher collection. There are also computer assisted instruction programs available which yield objective data on student achievement. Data will be collected, compiled, analyzed, and evaluated as to the effectiveness in meeting the measurable objectives set forth in the school improvement plan.

Student assessment results will be reported to parents using the state furnished reports. Workshops/parent conferences will be available to assist parents in interpreting the results of these assessments and interpretive guider will be sent home with the student report. School level and system level summaries and disaggregated data by subgroup will be posted to the school/system website and made available to the local newspaper. To the extent practicable, the results will be furnished to parents in the language of the home.

Evaluation: The plan will be reviewed for evidence of progress meeting the annual and long-term measurable objective and goals. Objective data will be compiled and reviewed for progress in student achievement. Survey data and anecdotal data may also be considered in the assessment of progress and the meeting of school goals. A minimum goal shall be the achievement of Adequate Yearly Progress. The plan shall be revised annually to accommodate changes in needs or the identification of new goals.