Template for Gathering Artifacts MSED with EMIL Program (WOU)

EducatorName/Title: Tim Crider

EvaluatorName/Title: Dr. Rachel Harrington

School(s): North Bend School District

Artifact Title/Name: Capstone project from EDL6242, Oregon Instructional Leadership, taken at
Concordia and transferred in to WOU to fulfill the requirement ED636.
Source: Concordia EDL6242

Artifact Evidence Aligned

What MSED Proficiency does this artifact illustrate? Proficiency
This was an individually completed final project for EDL6242, Oregon Instructional Leadership, taken at Concordia and 2. Writing
transferred in to WOU to fulfill the requirement ED636. The goal of this project was to analyze, evaluate, and expand Proficiency
upon the school plan in order to address attendance, literacy, and numeracy. Sections include an introduction of the MSEd
school and important data, the vision and mission statements and how they are communicated and monitored for graduates will
effectiveness, descriptions of stakeholders and how they are involved in the school improvement planning process, a be able to
SWOT analysis of literacy and numeracy issues the school faces, the development of a SMART goal and action plan,
the identification of professional development activities to address the SMART goals, and a reflection of the entire
express
process. This demonstrates the ability to write an academic paper of significant length intended for an academic themselves
audience that shows and persuades such an audience to take action to address the needs of a school and included competently
effective communication elements of all stakeholders. in writing.

MSED Proficiencies
1. Leadership/ 2. Writing Proficiency 3. Reflective Practitioner 4. Research and Theory 5. Diversity Proficiency
Professionalism Proficiency Proficiency
Proficiencies
MS Ed graduates will MSEd graduates will be MSEd graduates will be MSEd graduates will be MSEd graduates will
be professionals and able to express reflective practitioners conversant in the know how to connect
leaders in their field. themselves competently literature and research with all of their students,
in writing of their discipline whether they are children
or adults.
6. Technology 7. Synthesis of Knowledge Proficiency
Proficiency
MSEd graduates will MSEd graduates will be able to synthesize the new
be familiar with knowledge they have gained from all the classes we offer
technology in our programs, and will know how to apply that
knowledge in meaningful ways to improve their practice,
improve student learning, and advance the field of
education.
 I. Introduction to the Focus School

I currently work at Hillcrest Elementary School, in North Bend Oregon. Hillcrest is one of two public elementary

schools in North Bend. The school served about 560 students in grades K-4 during the 2013-2014 school year. For the

2014-2015 school year, the district has gone through some reconfigurations and Hillcrest will now serve about the same
th
number of students but in grades K-5. The 5 grade students will no longer be served at the middle school. In addition to

serving the regular education population. Hillcrest has a Resource Room, Life Skills Room, and a Middle Learning Skills

classroom. There is a library, two computer labs, a gym/cafeteria, and a music room. The music room has a full time

certificated teacher as well.

Hillcrest staff includes 26 full and part time licensed staff, 1 speech pathologist, 1 administrator, 20 full and part

time instructional assistants, 2 secretaries, one 0.5 health aide, 1.5 custodians, and a food service staff. This may change

throughout the 2014-2015 school year because of the reconfiguration that has taken place in the district. Some Title 1

money was shifted to the other elementary school so this will no doubt have an effect on the instructional assistants

currently housed at Hillcrest.

About 60% of the school is served by the free and reduced lunch program. The number of at-risk students at the

school has increased over the last several years, while the funding of Title 1 has decreased. This has resulted in the loss

of one behavior specialist, a mental health counselor, two educational assistants, and a dean of students.

The schools curriculum follows the CCSS and we are currently implement the Houghton Mifflin reading program

for core language arts. It is enhanced through the use of the Ashlock Core Reading Enhancement program which is

based on the five big ideas of literacy: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The

Houghton Mifflin Reading series is from the 2008 adoption and teachers are currently working to align it with CCSS in

order to better serve the students. Last year the district adopted Go Math! for its core math program. This series is

aligned with CCSS, as are its assessments. This has helped make the transition to CCSS much more manageable for

the staff.

For the 2014-2015 school year, the school district has implemented full-day kindergarten. Kindergarten uses a

different math program called Early Learning Mathematics which is written by the University of Oregon. This will be the

third year of its implementation.

We currently have minimum days every Wednesday which is time set aside for our Professional Learning

Community (PLC) to gather in grade level groups to better plan and implement instruction, and to make decisions about
th
grading and implementation of CCSS. The district is in its 6 year of implementing Response to Intervention (RTI). The

PLC process greatly helps with this as the PLCs meet together to look at how formative and summative assessments are

meeting the needs of all learners. We also use a program called Easy CBM which consists of online reading and math
benchmarks and progress monitoring tests to help make instructional decisions and monitor student progress.

Hillcrest has a strong PTA group that is helpful in many ways. They provide grade level grants to each grade

level each year to help teachers purchase additional educational materials. They have purchased iPads for grade levels

to share. They also sponsor many social events throughout the year.

Technology at Hillcrest is very important. Each upper grade classroom has eight classroom desktop computers

dedicated to student use. There are iPad carts for student use. There are laptop carts for student use. There are also

two computer labs; one is dedicated to an early reading intervention program. All classrooms have a Smart Board and

document camera, and are connected to the internet.

The Title I program is an additional support that provides instructional assistance to classrooms in a variety of

ways. Title I staff is in the classrooms supporting instruction for teachers in grades K-1. They offer reading pull-out

programs throughout the day to assist with struggling readers. There are after school academic programs for students in

grades 2-4 who need the most assistance.

II. Monitor the Vision and Mission of the School

The mission statement at Hillcrest is We are a community of responsible, life-long learners, respectful of each

other, the world, and ourselves. It is accompanied by a set of guiding beliefs that can be broking down into three

categories; Vision, Mission, and Core Values.

Visionary Beliefs-

1. Learning to understand ourselves, get along with others, and appreciate diversity is an important part of

education.

2. Hillcrest students and staff are dedicated to life-long physical, social, and academic well- being.

Mission-

1. Parents, teachers, and children play a co-operative role in student learning.

2. All children are encouraged to work toward their highest potential.

3. Our school provides an inviting atmosphere for learning and growing.

Core Beliefs-

1. Individuals who are nurtured through positive learner experiences develop self-esteem and confidence.

2. Learning occurs most easily when minds are open and when methods and schedules are flexible.

3. Children can learn to solve most of their own problems and are accountable for the consequences of their

own behavior and decisions.

 In order to present and continually monitor this vision, there are many leadership skills that will come into play.

With reference to the Oregon Educational Leadership/Administrator standards, there are some standards that seem to be

most important. First, Standard 1; Visionary Leadership, section A: Collaboratively develop and implement a shared

vision and mission. This is crucial in order to get everyone on board with your mission. If the school plan is truly a

collaborative process, this should naturally take effect. Through the submission of parent, student, and staff surveys one

can grasp the needs and desires of their larger community. If parent meetings are held, and there is a School Site

Council in place, than everyone can have imput and their voice heard. If the school has a large English Language

Learner population, it is necessary to have a English Language Advisory Council, too. This insures that the needs of the

EL learners are being met, and that they have access to equal education opportunities, and access to help when needed.

It would also be important to have the Special Education teacher be a part of the SIP process in order to make sure the

needs of the Special Education population are being met.

The next Oregon Educational Leadership/Administrator standard that would be important to keep in mind is

Standard 4; Inclusive Practice sections b and c. Section b states to understand and integrate the communitys diverse

cultural, social and intellectual resources. Section c states to build and sustain positive relationships with families and

caregivers. These two standards will be crucial in maintaining the vision and mission of the school, and in developing and

monitoring the School Plan. Since the school plan needs to be developed through group interaction, it will be necessary

to understand he community as a whole, and take into consideration any cultural differences that may be at hand. It will

also be important to do this by building positive relationships with the community and with parents. Since so many groups

are effected by the school plan, and since their input is needed to build it, having positive relationships will help make the

process much easier.

Another standard that will be important in the development of the school plan and in maintaining the school vision

and mission is Standard 5, Ethical Leadership. Section c of this standard states that an effective leader will safeguard the

values of democracy, equity, and diversity. For me, this is critical so that all stakeholders feel like they are a part of the

school plan process and that their input is important and valued. I think that parents and teachers should have a vote

whenever possible. Sure, there are times when this is not possible due to budgeting restrictions or other outside

influences that are out of the leaders control, but in most cases all stakeholders can be involved and their voice should be

heard. It is also important to create a sense of equity for all cultural groups within the school community. It might be hard

for an English Language Learners parent, who might be learning English themselves, to speak out at a parent meeting,

but if they have a smaller group setting such as and English Language Advisory Council in the school setting they are

much more inclined to speak up and voice their opinions and concerns.
 III. Stakeholders

The school stakeholders include the district office administrative staff, the school principal, parents and

caregivers, teachers, support staff, and students. The district office staff is very supportive and is involved in all steps of

the SIP planning process. The process is ongoing and is open to constant revision when necessary.

The school uses an inquiry based process which begins in the fall each year. There is a thorough review of the

entire plan at first. AYP results are examined and test scores are updated and previous goals are reviewed to see if they

were met. There is then a review of school level data that is collected throughout the year, such as DIBELS and Easy

CBM data, and matched up to AYP results to verify the validity of that data. Goals and scores are reviewed with parents

at parent meetings and with the PTA. There is then a thorough review of the parent involvement policy and school

compact with these same groups.

At this point it is important to make sure all stakeholders have a chance to give their input. I would send parent

surveys out based on the input from parent meetings, because many parents cant always attend parent meetings, but

their voice still needs to be heard. I would also want staff surveys, both to certificated and classified staff. Finally, I would

want to collect data from students. I would create surveys that addressed both younger and older students. I would ask

teachers to read aloud the surveys to the younger students and ask questions, documenting answers. Older students can

read the surveys and answer themselves. Once the survey information was reviewed and documented, I would take this

information to the school leadership team to review. I would ask the leadership team take the information back to their

grade levels to find ways to improve on low areas of performance. One this information was gathered, I would take it back

to a parent meeting to review. Upon approval of a plan of action, I would take the plan to the school site council for

approval. I think it is not only mandatory, but ethical, to make sure that any changes to the school plan that affects any of

the stakeholders be made through the school site council.

When areas of change need to be made for low performing students, I would take this up with a school Response

to Intervention team. This team would be comprised of school level leaders and special education teachers in order to

make sure the needs of Tier 1, 2, and 3 level students are receiving the services they need. Again, if the RTI team felt

that changes needed to be made to the school plan, I would create an action plan with them, and take that plan to the

school site council for approval. I believe in most cases this is happening at my current school site.
 IV. SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Focused on Internal and External

Factors.

Positive Negative

Internal Title 1 staff provides interventions for Special Ed subgroup scores substantially

Factors intensive at-risk students. below the average.

Access to technology in all classrooms Loss of school counselor.

includes SMART boards and laptops for Loss of some Title 1 support staff.

all students. ELA adopted program is out of date and

PLC times are protected by contract. does not align to CCSS.

New math adoption aligned to CCSS. Declining Math Scores

Supplemental computer based reading Declining Literacy Scores

programs in use (STAR, AR, Success

Maker)

Multiple data collection techniques

currently employed (STAR, AR,

Success Maker, Easy CBM, Oaks,

DIBELS)

External Supportive Community Much more training time needed to support

Factors Strong PTA influence staff in the implementation of CCSS.

Homeless liaison provided by Student mobility is a concern.

community to provide support for Increase in SED student population.

homeless families. Declining Parent Involvement

Supportive School Board First year of Smarter Balanced Test

First year of Smarter Balanced Test

 V. SMART Goals (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound)

Literacy

Main Goal:

70% of students will meet or exceed the proficiency standards as set forth by the Smarter Balanced Exams.

Sub goals in order to meet and maintain main goal:

Kindergarten- By May of 2015, 60% of kindergarteners will read a minim of 1 whole word on DIBELS nonsense word

fluency assessment. Those that do not meet whole words will grow by 11 correct letter sounds on nonsense word fluency

from the fall benchmark to the spring benchmark.

First- By May of 2015, all first grade students will increase their fall benchmark score by 12 whole words read on

nonsense fluency as measured by the spring DIBELS benchmark.

Second- By May of 2015, 75% of student will meet the benchmark in accuracy according to the DIBELS DORF.

Third- By May of 2015, 80% of students will meet or exceed the comprehension goal of 22 of 25 correct responses as

measured by district Easy CBM spring benchmark test. 80% of students will also raise their DIBELS DORF scores to the

benchmark by the spring test.

Fourth- By May 2015, 75% of fourth grade students will be at or above the benchmark recommended goals on the

DIBELS DORF. 75% of fourth graders will also meet or exceed the comprehension goal on the Easy CBM spring

benchmark.

Timeline Curriculum and/or Resources Who

Instructional Strategies

September-June Dibels trainings for all staff Dibels Principal

members with follow-up PLC time Title 1 Reading

sessions on how to use Specialist

Marzanos strategies to

increase fluency.

September-June Trianings on using high ELA curriculum Principal

yield ELA strategies during PLC time Title 1 Reading

instruction. Marzanos strategies Specialist

outlined PLC teams

September-June Grade level collaboration PLC time Principal

training on using data to Data tracking forms PLC teams

drive instruction. Title 1 Reading

Specialist

Math

Main Goal:

70% of students will meet or exceed the proficiency standards as set forth by the Smarter Balanced Exams.

Sub goals in order to meet and maintain main goal:

Kindergarten- By May of 2015, all kindergarteners will improve their Easy CBM scores by a minimum of 10%; students

who score below 40% on the fall benchmark will be expected to raise their score by a minimum of 20%.

First- By May of 2015, all first grade students will increase their fall benchmark score on Easy CBM by a minimum of 15%

by spring; students scoring below 40% will increase their spring score by a minimum of 25%.

Second- By May of 2015, all second grade students will increase their fall benchmark score on Easy CBM by a minimum

of 15% by spring; students scoring below 40% will increase their spring score by a minimum of 25%.

Third- By May of 2015, all third grade students will increase their fall benchmark score on Easy CBM by a minimum of

15% by spring; students scoring below 40% will increase their spring score by a minimum of 25%.

Fourth- By May of 2015, all fourth grade students will increase their fall benchmark score on Easy CBM by a minimum of

15% by spring; students scoring below 40% will increase their spring score by a minimum of 25%.

Timeline Curriculum and/or Resources Who

Instructional Strategies

September-June Inservice on Go Math! Go Math! Curriculum Principal

curriculum, with follow up Math Specialists Lead Teachers

small group sessions with Go Math! Presenter

PLCs.

September-June Differentiated Instruction Go Math! RTI plan and Principal

Trainings using curriculum. intervention materials. PLC Team

September-June Using Marzanos strategies Go Math! curriculum Principal

 in math trainings with PLCs. Intervention materials PLC teams

Marzanos strategies Math Specialist

outlined

Increase Parent Involvement Goal

In an effort to increase parental involvement the school will facilitate a minimum of one parent meeting per month,

send home monthly newsletters, and train parents and volunteers in reading strategies by holding a minimum of two

parent training sessions.

Sub goals

Minimum of one monthly school-wide newsletter to be sent home.

Minimum of one parent informational meeting to be scheduled each month. Snacks and raffle prizes to be provided in

order to increase attendance.

Two parent training sessions to be hosted by certified teachers to be planned prior to mid-year.

Training session to be held for volunteers that wish to help students reading in the classroom, to be hosted by site reading

specialist.

Timeline Strategies Resources Who

September-June Office staff to send home School Calendar Principal

monthly newsletter. Teacher input Office staff

Time and computer

access

September-June Hold parent meetings Space in gym set up for Principal

large crowd. Office staff

School Plan Leadership team

Translators if needed

September- Hold parent training session Reading specialist time Reading specialist

January in use of guided reading to plan. Principal

strategies and Marzanos Office staff

strategies.
 VI. Professional Learning Activities for Staff

In order to meet these goals and increase student achievement, the school will have to provide professional

growth activities that will support the action plan. The school will provide the following professional development activities:

Grade Level PLC time will be weekly

PLC data team processes will be modeled and individual grade levels will be walked through the process so they

know to best utilize data to support instruction.

Training in using Marzanos Strategies will be held

Response to Intervention trainings to be held to assist staff in supporting the needs of all learners.

Common Core State Standards training to be held

Planning time will be provided to align current ELA curriculum to CCSS

Follow-up training to be held on the new GoMath! Textbook adoption. Trainings will be grade level specific.

Training on how to increase student fluency and accuracy scores to be held.

It will be important to implement the use of Marzanos strategies of instruction into the training of the school staff

and for the administration to follow up with staff to make sure the strategies are being implemented in order to help

increase student success. According to the PowerPoint slides from week 6, Approaches to Leadership, slide four

quotes Bass and Ovolio as saying Leadership is the process of influencing group activities toward the achievement of

goals (1993). This, in my opinion, is crucial to helping build a school culture and climate that has a shared vision and

way of achieving that vision. With the realization that teaching the strategy of compare and contrast is so crucial to

gains in student achievement, it is important to lead a staff toward using this strategy with the utmost efficiency.

As the instructional leader of the school, I would rely on three traits from the ISLLC standards to help ensure that

this instructional strategy was used at its fullest potential. Knowledge, collaboration, and effective consensus building

are the ISLLC traits that I feel would best support this goal. By building knowledge of what the strategy looks like,

how its used, and why its important, I feel staff would be much more supportive of implementing it on their own. I

believe that teachers are in this field because they truly want to educate children to their fullest potential and if they

truly understand a strategy and know how important it can be, they will grasp that strategy and incorporate it into their

instruction willingly. Next, I would collaborate by bringing the staff together to practice using the strategy and off ideas

and support to one another in prior successes using it, and potential barriers that may exist. Finally, I would want to

build a consensus as to how and when the strategy is to be used. By having the team build this themselves, they are

much more likely to effectively implement and use the strategy with success.
 VII. Reflection Upon the School Improvement Plan Process

Completion of a school improvement plan can be a very challenging and daunting task. It involves so

many factors, and if you want your staff and community to buy in to and support what you are doing as a leader for

your school, it is important to make sure all stakeholders have their voices heard and feel like they are valuable

contributors to the plan and the process of monitoring and improving the plan. I think this will probably be the greatest

challenge when completing a SIP. There seems to be so many things that happen at such a fast pace in the school

setting, making time for everyone to meet, discuss, and plan for the SIP would be very challenging. As an

instructional leader one quality that you would need is to be highly organized in order to keep all things moving in a

forward manner. In addition, you would have to have a clear vision for where it is you want your school to go,

otherwise pulling everyone together to help build a SIP might actually work against you, as everyone will have ideas

of how things should be done. Which leads to another quality that a good leader will need in order to complete a SIP,

to be a great problem solver and mediator of conflict. Bringing all of the stakeholders together to help monitor and

build the SIP will surely result in some conflict. A great leader can use this to help build a plan that meets everyones

needs.

I would like to have a strong school leadership team to help complete the SIP. This team would be

composed of lead teachers, specialists, and parents. By having this group that meets regularly, you would be able to

delegate some of the tasks that need to be done to this group in order to keep the ball rolling, so to speak. One

person cannot lead the entire process, which would be obvious to the stakeholders that they are really more of figure

heads rather than part of an ongoing process where they are felt important.

All in all, this was a great project that helped me to vision leading this process on my own, with the help of

the teachers, families, and community members that it would involve, in order to build a safe and productive

environment for students to learn in.