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School Improvement Plan

What is a School Improvement Plan?

A School Improvement Plan (SIP) is a strategic blueprint that schools use to enhance student learning and improve educational practices. It outlines specific goals for improvement, actions to achieve those goals, and methods for measuring progress.

Key Points of a SIP:

  • Goals: Clear objectives the school aims to achieve to enhance student outcomes.
  • Actions: Steps and strategies the school will implement to reach its goals, based on research and effective practices.
  • Monitoring: Regular review of progress with adjustments made to ensure the school stays on track toward its improvement objectives.
     

The purpose of a SIP is to provide a clear roadmap for schools to improve educational outcomes for all students, particularly focusing on eliminating disparities and ensuring equitable opportunities for every student.

Every school in Washington State is required to have a School Improvement Plan.

Visit the Issaquah School District SIP website to learn more about SIPs.

District - School Improvement Plans

 

front of clark elementary

Clark Elementary School Improvement Plan

2024-2026

Strengths, Challenges, & Opportunities

Root Cause and Contributing Factors of Disproportionality

ISD recognizes that not all students benefit equally or achieve equitably within our district. Our outcome measures such as graduation rate, proficiency on assessments, and grades indicate that we are not achieving equitable results for students in identified ethnic and racial groups, students who are experiencing economic hardships, and students with disabilities. 

ISD is committed to disrupting patterns that result in inequitable outcomes. Global (across time and place) and local factors contribute to inequitable outcomes in our District, including the following: 

  • Institutional racism and ableism 
  • Impacts of economic hardship, including mobility or discontinuity of education 
  • Impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)  
  • Lack of consistent access to preventative and responsive services when experiencing ACEs 
  • Lack of consistent access to adequate supports designed to address basic and individual educational needs 

Lack of consistent access to high quality, inclusive, universally designed, and culturally responsive education 

Reflection & Theory of Action

Backed by Data

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timebound, Inclusive, Equity-focused goals aligned to the Academic Opportunities priority area of the ISD 3-year strategic plan, referencing data from the School Improvement Data Dashboard.

Data Workbook for Elementary School

Note:

  • The BIPOC Focus group includes students in the 4 federal race groups with ongoing disproportionate outcomes: Native American, African American, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander.
  • Students with Disabilities includes students with an Individual Education Plan, served in Special Services programs.
  • *OSPI has not released official attendance data as of the date of completion of this form, December 2024.

School-Based Action Plan

Programs and priorities listed below are being implemented, expanded or sustained during this 2-year SIP cycle at each of our elementary schools as part of the ISD Strategic Plan priorities and the establishment of Integrated Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).  For this SIP cycle, schools will select 3 strategies, including the Implementation of Benchmark Advance Literacy, and at least one other from district-wide program or system listed, and describe their school’s implementation plan and strategies for monitoring impact. Be sure to relate actions plans to the 3 SIP goal areas.

Implementation of Benchmark Advance Literacy. Launch new literacy curriculum that integrates science of reading strategies with comprehension strategies for all students to engage in close reading of grade level text. ISD Priority 2a,c

Select 1-2 of the following to describe in further detail:

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Implementation of UDL as a framework of evidence-based, inclusive, and culturally responsive instructional practices for Tier 1. ISD Priority 2a

Tiered Teams. Implementation of a Tiered Team structure to examine integrated social-emotional and academic achievement data to adjust core instruction and/or intervention planning. ISD Priority 2b

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) / Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Maintaining or enhancing school-wide systems of support and social emotional learning to increase belonging, well-being, and create the conditions for learning.   ISD Priority 1

Classroom-Based Intervention & Block Scheduling. Implementation of targeted supports, accommodations, and interventions (Tier 2) through classroom-based interventions, coordination of supplemental programs, in implementation of block scheduling. ISD Priority 2b

Inclusionary Practices. Collaboration and coordination of classroom teachers and special education staff to provide a comprehensive continuum of inclusive services within the least restrictive educational environment to ensure that all students reach their full potential.  ISD Priority 2b

Multilingual Learners support. With the understanding that the whole day is an inclusive language learning experience for all students, collaboration and coordination of classroom teachers and multilingual learner specialists to deliver language acquisition strategies, ensure multilingual students have access to all instruction and learning, in  a language intensive learning environment so that they achieve their full potential.  ISD Priority 2b

Action Implementation Impact: Evidence/Monitoring

Implementation of Benchmark Advance Literacy

Training

  • All staff will participate in ISD district training
  • All teaching staff will meet on a determined schedule with the school implementation specialist
  • Training parents through a literacy event in the fall to learn about Benchmark Advance and how they can support literacy at home

Teaming

Teams will meet to review Benchmark Advance assessment data and implications for implementation centered on the following questions:

  1. What do we want all students to know and be able to do?
  2. How do we know if they learn it?
  3. How are we responding when some students do not learn it?
  4. How do we extend learning when students demonstrate mastery?

Integrity of Delivery

  • Use of implementation goals provided by Benchmark / Teaching & Learning Services
  • Collaboration in planning the literacy blocks

Resources Allocation

  • Implementation specialist (district)
  • Dedicated staff meeting time to training & collaboration
  • Commitment of team meeting time
  • Optional tech training to dig deeper into benchmark assessments
  • Release day for instructional teams to collaborate with implementation specialist.

Intended Impacts

  • Increase in reading decoding, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension
  • Increase in proficiency with grammar, writing structure, and effective communication of ideas in writing
  • Acceleration of achievement in key gap areas including phonics, overall reading, written expression

Key Data

  • i-Ready Phonics & Overall Reading
  • Achievement of stretch growth goals / accelerated growth for students scoring below standard in fall/prior spring.
  • Maintaining proficiency for students scoring at standard (level 3) in fall/prior spring.
  • Progress as monitored through embedded assessments:
    • Benchmark Performance Tasks
    • Benchmark week 2 assessments for each unit
    • RFS Assessments and Title/LAP progress monitoring
    • QPA/QSS for k-1
    • Team Meeting Minutes
Inclusionary Practices

Professional Development

  • All staff engaged in building training
  • All staff attending UDL training to make learning accessible to all students
  • All staff setting a UDL goal aligned with the Danielson Framework
  • All staff engaged in using Elevate to support ML students

Curriculum Adaptation

  • Working with district TOSA and building implementation specialist to ensure materials and activities accommodate the various learning needs in the classroom
  • Create flexible grouping based on identified needs
  • Collaborating with ML specialists to use Benchmark materials to support learners
  • Collaborating with LRC teachers to use Benchmark materials to support learners

Instructional Teams

  • Collaborative teams have been developed amongst grade level, LRC and ML to determine appropriate tools to support student variability in the classroom
  • Teams to look at Benchmark data at the end of each unit to determine next steps for groups of students.

Resource Allocation

  • Utilize the time allocated in the Certificated CBA to provide collaboration and training time
  • Utilize building budget to provide training for Para’s
  • Release day for instructional teams to collaborate with implementation specialist
  • Library collection and resources reflect backgrounds, needs and interest of diverse student population
  • Library resources seek to connect students through shared understanding and experiences.

Intended Impacts

  • Improved performance from students with diverse needs
  • Higher level of engagement
  • Greater level of empathy and understanding of diverse needs
  • Stronger sense of community – all students feel valued and included

Key Data

  • Benchmark Unit Assessments
  • i-Ready data
  • Pre-Assessments for math
  • SAEBRS data

 

Classroom-Based Intervention & Block Scheduling

Math Pre-Assessments

  • All grade levels will administer a pre-assessment prior to each module to determine Tier 2 needs and supports for the upcoming module that are aligned with the curriculum
  • Flexible groups for targeted instruction

Benchmark Assessments

  • Flexible groups for targeted instruction
  • Identify student needs and implement Tier 2 intervention

Success Blocks

  • Using targeted curriculum/resources
  • Provide small group instruction to meet needs
  • Collaborate with Title, ML and LRC

Intended Impacts

  • Students will receive the appropriate instruction/intervention addressing their needs during success block time.
  • Increase in student proficiency in numbers and operations
  • Stronger coordination with sped staff, title and all other support staff

Key Data

  • i-Ready Diagnostic in Numbers and Operations
  • Benchmark Unit Assessments
  • End of Module Assessments
  • i-Ready Diagnostic in Phonics

Additional School Improvement Plan Components

Family engagement

ISD Priority 4

Family Needs Assessment

  • Encourage all families to complete survey to identify needs for individual families and look at trends in the building

Providing Childcare

  • Providing childcare for school adult events (curriculum night, conferences, Title night etc..) to remove barriers for families to be engaged in their child’s classroom

Home Visits

  • Bring resources to families
  • Visit families to determine further barriers
  • Visit families to strengthen partnerships

Title Night

  • Families come and learn strategies with their students
  • Families receive resources to take home that align with student needs

Communication

  • Ensure documents are translatable
  • Provide interpreters for meetings and events

PTA Events

  • Partner with PTA to ensure all events are accessible to families

Clark Closet

  • A “store” located in Clark where students and families can come and “shop” to get clothing, bathroom supplies for their family.

Intended Impacts

  • Have a clear understanding of family needs
  • Support individual families with specific needs
  • Families are engaged with the school activities and their students learning

Key Data

  • Attendance at events
  • Needs Assessment Survey data

Technology Integration

Student Needs Assessment

  • All 3rd – 5th graders take a building needs assessment survey giving the team information to guide the work for the year using student voice

Collaborative Learning

  • Using Office 365, students collaborate on group projects, classroom newsletters, etc.

Student Expression & Creativity

  • Students have access to sharing their knowledge and understanding through a variety of platforms

Data Monitoring

  • Students taking assessments – opportunity to monitor progress, create feedback loops, identity learning gaps or acceleration

Intended Impacts

  • Increased engagement in learning tasks
  • Clear, targeted supports for student needs

Key Data

  • RAMP
  • i-Ready
  • Benchmark Online
  • Elevate
  • Needs Assessment Survey data

School Improvement Team & Procedure Information

Principal

Christy Otley

SIP Team Members

Amy Hoell – Kindergarten

Danielle Nourigat – 1st Grade

Megan Bissen – 2nd Grade

Madeline Heywood – 3rd Grade

Jennifer Giambrone – 4th Grade/Equity Lead

Laura Cramer – 5th Grade

Jill Phillips – MTSS Specialist

Hannah Niblock – Counselor

Laura Gacayan – Title Teacher

Eve Yen – Assistant Principal

 

Supervisor Review

November 13, 2024 Melinda Reynvaan

Site Council or PTSA Review

November 12, 2024

School Board Review

Dec. 11 2024