Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Melissa Perlman
This analysis will comprehensively discuss Lakeview Elementary School based on its
2013/14 school report. The intent of this paper is to recognize patterns and analyze areas in need
of improvement utilizing the concept of Data-Driven Decision Making (DDDM). The major
trends outlined in the school report concern declining standardized test scores and a less than
desirable attendance rate mixed with chronic absenteeism. After identifying areas in need of
change, the importance of the data analyzed will be discussed and linked to objectives that the
Waterbury is classified as an urban residential area located in the northwestern part of the state.
Lakeview Elementary is part of the Lakeview School district which spans roughly 25 square
miles. Lakeview Elementary houses grades K-3 and is accredited by the State of Connecticut
Department of Education. Lakeview began operation in the fall of 2003 and an addition was
included in 2011. Based on the data from 2013/14, Lakeview Elementary has 1,173 students
enrolled to date. The school has 530 female students and 643 male students, making up 45.2%
and 54.8% of the entire student body, respectively. Lakeview Elementary has a culturally-
diverse student body with an ethnic breakdown as follows: Hispanic 69.9%, Black/ African-
American 20.6%, White 4.4%, and Asian 5%. The teacher population is not as ethnically-dense
as the student body with a breakdown as follows: White 50%, Hispanic 37.5%, Black/ African-
Within the aforementioned student body, English Language Learners make up 37.2% of
the school’s population. 11% of students at Lakeview Elementary are considered disabled with
an Individualized Education Program (IEP), which is 2% less than the district average of 13%.
IEPs are a byproduct of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2006 which allows for
Carter, & Blacher, 2018). When compared to the district average, Lakeview has a 47.1%
occurrence rate of disabled students who spend 79.1 to 100% of their time with non-disabled
peers. This is vastly different than the 38.2% occurrence within the district. Lakeview
Lakeview Elementary School has a solid set of values ingrained in the philosophy of the
school’s day to day operations. The following statement summarizes the school’s overall
mission:
Our staff is committed to excellence, as they work to prepare our students to achieve
their future educational and career goals. 79.4% of our staff has a Master’s degree and
90% of our courses are taught by teachers who are certified in the subject area. Our
students are encouraged to strive for excellence every day: in the classroom, on the
athletic fields, and in the community. As our students work to begin their future, they
leave Lakeview ready to face the 21st-century economy.
The school recognizes that, “mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health are essential for
optimal learning,” and that, “high-quality education produces responsible citizens and vibrant
communities”. Lakeview Elementary parameters revolve around what is best for the student
body. The school prides itself on honoring relationships and cultural diversity, treating others
Based on the school’s objectives, Lakeview aims to prepare each student for their middle-
school and continuing years of education. The goal of the organization is for each student to be
able to read, write, use critical thinking skills, and problem-solving as their education continues.
These students are to be molded into well-rounded individuals with a passion for learning and
contributing to the community on a global scale. Each student is to be recognized for their own
set of skills, interests, and abilities. Below is a list of tactics which Lakeview Elementary plans
to implement so that the institution remains in line with its values and student objectives. The
tactics have been pulled directly from the 2013/14 report as follows:
1) We will develop and implement an engaging, innovative, and rigorous curriculum that
traditional academics.
3) We will engage all facets of the community as partners and align people and resources
In order for these objectives to be met and strategies to be implemented, it is important that
teachers, principals, and administrators systematically collecting and analyzing data to guide a
range of decisions to help improve the success of students and schools” (p. 108). Lakeview
examining its overall performance in a complex-sense (Ikemoto & Marsh, 2007). The most
important issues to be addressed are Lakeview’s poor test scores and sub-par levels of attendance
mixed with chronic absenteeism. Another issue involves the school’s increasing student
population paralleling with the school’s lack of resources. However, it is important to note that
students understanding core concepts and showing up for class are the school’s main priorities at
present.
an institution should abide by. Lakeview Elementary has 3 of the potential 15 indicators. A
School Performance Index (SPI) is considered up to par with Connecticut testing standards at a
target value of 88. According to the Lakeview Elementary School report, the school’s overall
performance score is considered challenged at 42.7. Standardized test scores are poor based on
data pulled from the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) scores when compared to Connecticut’s
LAKEVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 6
target SPI value. From the 2009/10 school year to the 2012/13 school year, Lakeview’s SPI has
Lakeview Elementary School has an attendance rate of 83.3% with a relatively high
occurrence of chronic absenteeism based on statistics from the 2013/14 school report. 16.2% of
the school’s female population and 17.0% of the male population are considered to be chronic
absentees. Chronic absentees are defined as missing 10% or more of Lakeview’s 182 school
by Hispanic students at 16.8%. 15% of English Language Learners and 25.4% of the disabled
student population are also labeled as chronically absent. 190 of the school’s 1,173 students
were classified as chronic absentees. In the 2012/13 school year, 147 students were classified as
Teacher performance and attendance are on par with district standards. As a matter of fact,
qualified teachers deliver 100% of the core subjects at Lakeview Elementary. This is more than
the district average of 97.8% teacher qualification standards. However, an attendance rate of
83.3% may have an impact on students fully grasping lesson concepts. Combine this with the
fact that for the 61.1 full-time general education faculty there are only 0.8 instructional
specialists who support teachers. The school is struggling financially and already much of their
resources go towards classroom instruction and nourishment for students who cannot afford
lunch. As the student body continues to grow, the school will keep facing lack of funds needed
While Lakeview Elementary has a solid set of objectives and plans to move forward, the
institution is currently at a standstill. Stiggins (2006) states, “We assess to gather evidence to
inform instructional decisions and to encourage students to try to learn. Both purposes must be
well served for schools to be effective” (p.2). The school cannot expect their K-3 students to be
prepared for middle-school and continuing education if concepts are not being grasped by the
student body. CMT scores show that students are not understanding core concepts even though
they are being taught by well-qualified instructors. The lack of inspirational and motivating
instruction may contribute to the 83.3% attendance rate and chronic absenteeism. More
further development. As for responsible resource distribution, it seems the school needs to come
up with ways for students to become well-rounded in ways alongside academia. Many students
are impoverished and may benefit from extracurricular activities to keep them engaged during
classroom hours.
The data extracted from this report is very important because it paves the way for valid
insights to be made concerning school-wide issues so that Lakeview can begin to make decisions
sophisticated technical advances have resulted in a deep understanding of how to produce, scale,
and interpret test scores that consistently and accurately reflect the intended achievement target”
(p.2.). The CMT data is important because it shows that there is an obvious lack of
understanding regarding material taught every year. The numbers have barely moved showing
that test preparation needs to be improved upon or lesson delivery is in need of construction. It
is helpful that Connecticut has an SPI standard so that Lakeview can see where they stand
Knowing the attendance rate combined with rates of chronic absenteeism is important
because it is another factor which may contribute to lower test scores. Classroom instruction
aside, if a large percentage of students are frequently absent, this can aid in explaining poor
school performance. The more data and variables which can be analyzed, the more there is for
educators to base their decision-making upon. According to Ikemoto and Marsh (2007),
“Educators might utilize multiple types of data, including: input data, such as school
expenditures or the demographics of the student population; process data, such as data on
financial operations or the quality of instruction; outcome data, such as dropout rates or student
test scores; and satisfaction data, such as opinions from teachers, students, parents, or the
community” (p.108). In essence, the data compiled within the school report allows for the issues
concerning test scores and attendance rates to be understood. Without this data, Lakeview would
be unable to analyze patterns and make decisions concerning the well-being of their K-3
students.
LAKEVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 9
Conclusion
Lakeview Elementary School is undoubtedly struggling. This is plainly seen from the
school’s standardized test scores, attendance rate, and overall school performance being well
below state standards. School leaders need to make decisions which will positively impact the
student body or performance will continue at a sub-par level at best. Classroom instruction and
delivery need to be better constructed so that concepts are not only understood but made
interesting to the learner. Resources should be allotted in a way that is more effective so that
students are motivated to remain in school, especially as the student population continues to
increase. The availability of statistical data allows for educational professionals at Lakeview
Elementary to practice DDDM and hopefully put the school on a successful track in line with its
References
31563882_1/courses/EDU515.301086045299/Rubrics%20%26%20Assignments/
Elementary%20School%20Data%20for%20Strategic%20Planning.pdf
Slade, N., Eisenhower, A. a., Carter, A. S., & Blacher, J. (2018). Satisfaction With Individualized
Stiggins, R. (2008). A call for the development of balanced assessment systems. Assessment
Ikemoto, G. S., & Marsh, J. A. (2007). Cutting through the “data-driven” mantra: Different