Mitchell School Improvement Team

DRAFT Education Yes report

2012-02-25T18:25:00.001-08:00

Good evening Mitchell SIT and Staff,

Attached is the DRAFT 2012 Education Yes! report for Mitchell School.
The report indicates much of what has happened and is happening at
Mitchell are elements of effective school structures. There are also
areas where improvement should occur. These are areas we will begin
to discuss and address as the School Improvement Plan is revised for
the 2012-13 school year.

I invite you to look over the DRAF of the report and give additional
input by Friday, March 3. After collecting any additional input, I
will make needed revisions and submit the report to the superintendent
for review. Of course, if you have questions, please don't hesitate
to ask.

Sincerely,
Kevin

Mitchell SIT Agenda - 2/16/2012

2012-02-08T05:36:00.000-08:00

We'll take this time to generate input around Strand 4 of Education Yes!

Kevin plans to input the ideas generated into the Education Yes! website as we work.

Looking forward to seeing you.

Mitchell SIT Agenda 2/8/2012

2012-02-06T15:15:00.000-08:00

Conference Room
7:30 AM

School improvement is not a mystery. Incremental, even dramatic improvement is not only possible but probable under the right conditions.

Mike Schmoker, Results

School Improvement Goals Recommendations (from the Mitchell Staff):

Given the current achievement at Mitchell School, the staff recommends a focus on reading and writing as the prioritized areas for improvement.

Reading
By the end of the 2011-12 academic year, the percentage of Mitchell students reading at instructional target reading levels will increase from 69% to 79% based on year-end reported reading levels.

K: By the end of the 2011-12 academic year, the percentage of kindergarten students reading at instructional target reading levels will be 80% based on year end reported reading levels.

1st: By the end of the 2011-12 academic year, the percentage of first grade students reading at instructional target reading levels will increase from 74% to 84% based on year end reported reading levels.

2nd: By the end of the 2011-12 academic year, the percentage of second grade students reading at instructional target reading levels will increase from 82% to 92% based on year end reported reading levels.

3rd: By the end of the 2011-12 academic year, the percentage of third grade students reading at instructional target reading levels will increase from 45% to 55% based on year end reported reading levels.

4th: By the end of the 2011-12 academic year, the percentage of fourth grade students reading at instructional target reading levels will increase from 62% to 72% based on year end reported reading levels.

5th: By the end of the 2011-12 academic year, the percentage of fifth grade students reading at instructional target reading levels will increase from 78% to 88% based on year end reported reading levels.

Writing
By the end of the 2011-12 academic year, the percentage of Mitchell students proficiently or advanced on the MEAP test will increase from 17% to 27% based on the MEAP test.

Education Yes!
- Demonstration
- Input, Strand 4
- Non-English speaking families

Think Stretch Summer Program

Agenda 1/11/12

2011-12-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

Introductions

The purpose of the Mitchell SIT team is to:
- Support the requirements of Education Yes!;
- Facilitate the improvement of Mitchell School through the analysis
of data;
- Implement strategies to support Education Yes! strand 4;
- Fulfill the requirements of Public Act 25 of 1990.

Click here for more information about Education Yes!
The Education Yes! Report is due at the beginning of March, 2012.

Mitchell Data
- What sticks out to you?
- Discussion

Next steps:
- Mitchell staff determines achievement goals
- SIT team could begin to think about ways to support Education Yes! strand 4.

Agenda 12/7/2011

2011-12-02T08:40:00.000-08:00

Prior to coming: If you did not attend Curriculum Night, please review the State of the School presentation (attached to email Kevin sent).

SIT Team Agenda - Wednesday, December 7 @ 7:30 AM

Introductions

Purpose of SIT- Support the requirements of Education Yes!;
- Facilitate the improvement of Mitchell School through the analysis of data;
- Implement strategies to support strand 4 (parent involvement/parent education) of Education Yes!;
- Fulfill the requirements of Public Act 25 of 1990

Review 2010-11 Schoolwide Plan

Goals:Literacy
Math
Science
Social Studies

Review Current Strategies

DATA REVIEW

Future Goals

Future Strategies

This is what we'll develop . . . for parent education. The SIT input and feedback helps to guide this.
It might behoove us to think about the intersection of the Schoolwide Plan and the MSTLC at this point as well.

Proposed meeting dates - all at 7:30 AM in the Mitchell Conference Room
12/7
1/11
2/8 - Ed Yes possibly due?
3/8
4/11
5/9 - Updated Schoolwide Plan possibly due
6/13

Schoolwide Plan for 2011-12 Approved

2011-11-15T12:13:00.001-08:00

Attached is the final review of the Schoolwide Plan for Mary D. Mitchell, Ann Arbor. The plan now meets all requirements of a Schoolwide Plan. Be sure to refer to the comments in the review when you start to work on your SIP for the 2012-13 year.

Congratulations!!!!!

Beating The Odds Schools

2011-11-15T12:11:00.000-08:00

During the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years, several schools in Michigan were identified as schools that "beat the odds." The schools were identified using information from two separate studies:

The first study looked at schools performing above their predicted levels based on risk factors

• Percent economically disadvantaged

• Percent students with disabilities

• Percent English language learners

• Percent minority

The second study looked at schools performing above a comparison group of the most

demographically similar schools in the state.

In looking at the information provided on the Michigan "Beating The Odds" Schools Website, there are a few schools that look demographically similar to Mitchell School. They show below.

The information is being shared in case it might help the Mitchell School Improvement Team identify additional strategies for improving Mitchell.

2010-11:
Iris Becker Elementary School, Dearborn, Wayne RESA
Top to Bottom Percentile Ranking: 85

• Small city K-5/6 schools

• SFA around $8,350

• Enrollment around 425

• Minority at 15%

• ED around 84%

• SWD around 8%

• LEP around 53%

Identified Success Factors

• Extremely high ELL population; majority of teachers have ESL endorsements

• Literacy coaches and extensive special education and resource instructors.

• Very highly qualified and engaged teachers.

• Extended day program; partnership with U of M Dearborn; multiple instructional programs to meet the needs of students.

• Heavy parental involvement; school provides computer literacy classes to parents who need them; supportive PTA who helps parents understand how to be involved

• “Effective and inspirational leadership”

North Godwin Elementary School, Kent ISD
Top to Bottom Percentile Rankings: 79

•K-5/6 schools in small cities

•Enrollment around 425

•SFA around $7,550

•Minority around 68%

•ED around 80%

•SWD around 14%

•LEP around 24%

Identified Success Factors

• “Amazing collaborative culture;” constant communication between classroom and specialized teachers; PLC

• Community school; full-time community coordinator to help with attendance and organize parent involvement.

• Analyze data “continuously”

• Sense of community in the school where the staff focus on the student AND their whole family.

• “They do whatever it takes to make students successful” (district quote).

• Strong, caring staff; very collaborative with each other; innovative and willing to try new things.

• Exhibit the essence of research practitioners (ISD quote)

2009-10:
North Godwin Elementary School, Kent ISD
Reading: 95% proficient on MEAP
Math: 97% proficient on MEAP

• K-5/6 schools in small cities

• SFA around $7,600

• Enrollment around 425

• Minority around 66%

• ED around 82%

• SWD around 14%

• LEP around 20%

Identified Success Factors

•Instruction is modified based on state and local data.

•Focus on literacy and the common core state standards.

•Collaboration with other schools and ISD for school improvement.

•“Failure is not an option.”

•High population of English language learners (ELLs), exceptional collaboration of general education and ELL teachers.

•Set goals for individual students and get data on student performance. Data are shared with students and used daily!

•Strong ELL program & a “Parents as Teachers”program to help their bilingual parents.

•Instructional specialists and literacy coaches available to work with teachers regularly.

•Response to Intervention (RTI) progress with support from Kent ISD.

Audit Update

2011-11-11T12:14:00.000-08:00

Hello Mitchell School Improvement Team :-)

I think I am emailing the right group of people and you are interested in being a part of our team this year. If I am not correct, please forgive my error and let me know.

As I think you know, Mitchell School was audited this week by the Michigan Department of Education. In particular the audit covered the use of Title 1 and Title 3 funds in the school which are targeted to students who are not achieving and students who are English Language Learners (ELL).

Below is my update to staff about the audits:

What did they find? Some pretty good stuff, with a few suggestions and a couple "changes required" including:

Good stuff:

- 98% glowing things to say about the school and the work we've done/been doing to use data to make decisions about appropriate interventions

- They saw very appropriate relationship building with students in classes as they walked around

- They appreciated the perspective of parents and what they shared about their experiences at Mitchell

- They felt we (as a school) have embraced the achievement goals, are focused on teaming, are working to improve communication, and that we have a handle on compliance issues around Title 1 and Title 3.

Their recommendations (which are different than "changes required"):

- Collect agenda documents for any parent workshops

- Collect agenda documents when we talk about student achievement needs and interventions at staff meetings (especially if these conversations/discussions are led by Title 1 teachers)

Their notes about CHANGES REQUIRED:

- Make Title 1 entrance and exit requirements clear as written documents.

note: While I believe this is clearly defined by our use of achievement data and our actions, it has not been written down and so cannot be referenced. It is fixable.

This is the gist of what I expect in the written report . . . although I could have missed a few details. All in all, I anticipate the written report to be reflective of A LOT of good teaching and good practice at Mitchell.

As we go down the road to improving achievement at Mitchell, I hope you feel the same optimism I do about the possibilities. If you don't, I would hope you'd feel comfortable enough to talk it over with me and share your perspective.

Next steps (from my brainstorming so subject to change):

- Start school improvement process at Mitchell

- Revise Schoolwide Improvement Plan as needed through the use of our achievement data

- Connect our professional development and parent education work with the revised plan

- Encourage connections between the plan and the work of the Mitchell Scarlett TLC.

SIT members: I'll be in touch soon to schedule our first face to face School Improvement Team meeting.

If you have questions, please send them my way :-)

Sincerely,

Kevin