*6. Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs to local elementary school programs.
Response:
Following are our plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs. Also included are transition plans for students entering middle school or high school and entering form private schools plus students entering our school throughout the school year . . .
Vertical planning meetings with Maynard H. Jackson High School’s feeder elementary and middle school faculty.
Maynard H. Jackson coordinates with our feeder middle schools to assist in the transition of rising 9th grade students over to the high school. Instructional plans are created by teachers, administrators, parents, and counselors for students who did not meet the necessary criteria on standardized tests to actually pass to high school – yet were placed.
The counseling departments work together to ensure students transfer from one school smoothly, classes are scheduled correctly, careers are discussed, college information is given, etc.
Maynard H. Jackson High School will continue our “Teachers as Advisors” program. Students are carefully placed with Advisors/Mentors to make their transition into high school smoother.
Our guidance department has created a Student Ambassador program. This program consists of responsible students who lead service projects and build positive relationships with students at Maynard H. Jackson High School.
Transition to College or Career
• An individual meeting is held with the counselors and each senior and his/her family in order to help students prepare to graduate and go on to a career or college. Individual tutorials include how to apply to college, how to apply for scholarships, how to use the Hope Scholarship, options for career training, and graduation requirements. This meeting is scheduled early in the Senior year in order to give families ample time to undergo this transition.
• The High School Graduation Coach meets individually with students who may be at risk for not graduating on time. The Graduation Coach counsels and motivates these students to make necessary changes in work habits or attitudes and, if necessary, diploma choices, in order to help them stay on track to graduate.
• The Counseling Office also sponsors a variety of informational opportunities for Seniors throughout the school year including a meeting for seniors, the “Making College Count” seminar, and lunch-time meetings with college admissions counselors and military recruiters.
• In order to broaden access to college and career planning opportunities for our Seniors, we will reach out to local colleges and universities and take advantage of more of the resources that are available. This may include scheduling seminars with admissions counselors from various schools such as Emory, Georgia Perimeter College, or Georgia State.
*7. 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.
Response: The ways that we include teachers in decisions regarding use of academic assessment are :
Teachers utilize pre-assessments to determine the instructional needs of all students.
Teachers create and analyze benchmark assessments to determine areas of weaknesses and strengths.
Teachers create and analyze common assessments to judge instructional effectiveness and student achievement.
Teachers evaluate individual student test scores, such as GHSWT, EOCT, and PSAT which include content area and strands to adjust curriculum and instruction as necessary.
Additionally, to include teachers in decisions regarding use of academic assessment, teachers meet with their Leadership Team representative during department meetings to discuss root cause and plans for improvement (student and school-wide). Teachers are included in decision making and lead the way in Maynard H. Jackson’s High School’s data-driven initiatives. Additionally, teachers have common planning time (to the extent that this can be provided) to assist with addressing the needs of student instruction and providing opportunities to collaborate with colleagues. During meeting time, teachers utilize their data notebooks and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of student performance. The teachers of students with disabilities also attend these meetings providing strategies and sharing useful information.
Teachers discuss uses of assessments, analyze and disaggregate data to determine next steps. Common Formative Assessments are developed by each department based on lessons taught. These assessments are administered to the students to determine mastery.
ESOL and classroom teachers meet to determine if students are making adequate progress. After assessments results are received, teachers meet to plan next steps. Students receive ESOL services based on a Push-In Model; however, some students are serviced using a Pull-Out Model.
*8. Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering standards shall be provided with effective, timely assistance, which shall include:
Response:
We are providing activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering proficient or advanced levels of academic achievement standards shall be provided with effective, timely additional assistance. Those activities are . . . (Especially for those students who are struggling.)
Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering standards shall be provided with effective, timely assistance which shall include:
Teachers utilize the intervention plan and other forms of assessments to ensure students who experience difficulty master standards. Teachers give differentiated pre assessments, assessments during the lesson and post assessments to ensure that students who are experiencing difficulty master the standards.
Student Performance Trackers and Intervention Plan
Teachers are required to assess student mastery of the Common Core Standards and expected learning covered during that time period. If students do not perform well on assessments, teachers are required to create intervention plans to target student needs and support.
Before and After School Tutorials
Scheduled Saturday Tutorials – Saturday tutorials are also provided to students from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Re-teaching – Teachers implement differentiated instruction and re-teach content as needed.
Flexible Grouping and Small Group Instruction – Teachers will utilize flexible grouping and small group instruction to accommodate student readiness, learning styles, and weaknesses. Teachers will provide intervention instruction to students who did not meet standards in Science, Math, Reading or English Language Arts (including writing).
Flexible Learning Plan
8(a). Measures to ensure that student difficulties are identified on a timely basis.
Response:
Teachers will create diagnostic tests and mini assessments on standards for the purpose of ongoing assessment of student learning.
Benchmark testing will be given periodically to pace student mastery of content throughout the year in all academic subject area.
Each department will complete an instructional calendar that will include timely assessing and pacing student mastery of content areas.
8(b). Periodic training for teachers in the identification of difficulties and appropriate assistance for identified difficulties.
Response: Periodic training for teachers on research-based instructional strategies will be ongoing.
Teachers will continue to be trained on methods of utilizing data from formative and summative assessments to identify deficiencies and provide appropriate assistance to students for identified deficiencies.
Training will continue to serve as a component of weekly professional development activities in common planning or faculty meetings. Further assistance is also provided during one-on-one conferences.
Action Steps for Professional Development Action 1: Data collection on instructional strategy (week 1)
Action 2: Disaggregate data collection and make decisions regarding professional development presentation (Friday of week 1)
Week 3 Provide training on strategy-Faculty Meeting and collaborative planning (week 2)
Action 4: Teachers will reflect strategy in lesson plan and receive feedback (week 2 lesson plan submission week)
Action 5 Teacher implements strategy (week 4)
Action 6 Administrators and Instructional Leaders collect data (week 4)
Action 7: Disaggregate data collection and make decisions regarding next steps (Friday of week 4)
Cycle repeats using another strategy. In the event the teacher is still struggling administrators and instructional leaders will provide additional support (i.e. modeling, assign additional professional development) to further build the teacher’s capacity to deliver the strategy.
8(c). Teacher-parent conferences that detail what the school will do to help the student, what the parents can do to help the student and additional assistance available to the student at the school or in the community.
Response: Teacher parent conferences that detail what the school will do to help students, actions parents can take to help students and additional assistance available to students at the school and/or in the community (community resources).
Parents are asked to encourage their children to report to school each day prepared to learn with the proper supplies, to monitor the students’ daily homework, schedule conferences with teachers, encourage students to report to after school and Saturday tutorials, encourage students to spend time studying, and to provide a comfortable work are in the home that is well lit. They can also insist that their student turns off the television to study for at least an hour each day.
Home to School Compacts are agreed upon and signed by all stakeholders. These compacts are housed at the school.
School Handbook is given to each parent at the school.
Parent Involvement Policy is sent out to each parent at the school
Our Parent Liaison will provide workshops and activities to assist parents in support of their children at home and school.
Maynard H. Jackson High School has an “open door” policy which permits parents to request conferences with teachers/administrators whenever they deem necessary.
RTI results are communicated often to parents.
Teachers keep up to date documentation of all teacher-parent conferences on their communication logs.
Teachers maintain Data notebooks to document progress and track students in their classrooms. This information is shared with parents at conferences and RTI meetings.
Meaningful two-way communication exists between parents and teachers throughout the year.
Student success will be measured using the smart goals determined for each targeted area using progress monitoring (i.e. assessments, benchmarks, observations, and rubrics) will be given to show advancement toward mastery of the standards and effectiveness of procedures (i.e. collaborative planning, unit planning, vertical teaming, use of technology). Process monitoring will also be conducted. A routine documentation collection of data describing and reflecting the processes used to for implementation of all process but in place to implant all actions. Process evaluation will occur to determine the impact on student achievement. Results will be shared with all stakeholders and used for continuous improvement.
*9. Coordination and integration of Federal, State, and local services and programs.
Response: This component requires a description of how the school will implement the programs listed above, a description of how Title I resources and other resources will be coordinated to support student achievement goals in the school improvement plan, and a listing of all state and federal programs consolidated in the school wide plan.
9(a). List of State and local educational agency programs and other federal programs that will be included.
Response: Maynard H. Jackson’s Title I resources and services are integrated and coordinated with other programs for special populations in order to increase instructional effectiveness, eliminate duplication of funds, and reduce fragmentation of the instructional program we provide our students. Title I funds are only used to supplement these programs.
In coordination with other federal programs, we are aware that the law requires planning for Title I to be coordinated with programs that our LEA may have that are funded with federal money under other sections of the federal law. There are a number of ways this coordination requirement is met at Maynard H. Jackson High School:
1. LEA may ensure that staff members responsible for programs supported by other federal funds are involved in the assessment of needs that leads to the determination of how Title I money should be used. At Maynard H. Jackson High School, the special education administrator, parent liaison, ESOL instructor, and the principal have an oversight responsibility to make sure coordination between programs occurs.
2. Coordination is also carried out by ensuring that any Title I funded staff members are given time to work collaboratively with all staff members of all programs. These other federal programs include, but are not limited to:
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act—(IDEA)-P.L.118-446.
The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998- P.L. 105-332
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act—Title VII B (43 USC 11431)
Maynard H. Jackson High School’s LEA consolidates and uses funds, together with other federal, state, and local funds from programs, in order to upgrade our entire educational program. Our School wide Title I program includes coordination and integration of federal, state, and local services and programs, including programs support.
Federal: Federal programs include the Title 1-c Migrant Program, the Title 2-a Professional Learning Program, Title 3 ESOL, Title 4 Safe and Drug Free Schools, Title 6-b Rural and Low Income School Program, etc.
State: GAcollege411.org, Regional Educational Services Agency (RESA), etc.
Local: Services and programs include behavioral health services, various civic organizations (like the Lion’s Club providing eyeglasses), local adopt-a-school sponsors, etc.
Our school is served by a school social worker and parent liaison who provides resources to students and families who find themselves in need.
9(b). Description of how resources from Title I and other sources will be used.
Response:
Our school is served by a school social worker and parent liaison who provides resources to students and families who find themselves in need.
We are a Work-Ready Community.
Students will be given additional opportunities to master state standards. These opportunities are provided before & afterschool on weekdays and through a Saturday Academy that is held monthly. Title I funds will be used to pay for the instructional staff and instructional resources.
Title funds are also used for professional development. Investing in quality instructional planning, instructional delivery, and classroom management is crucial to success of students in our organization.
Title funds are used to provide a parent liaison to improve school, parent, and community communication.
Title funds are used to provide an instructional coach for math and English to improve student achievement.
9(c). Plan developed in coordination with other programs, including those under the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act, and National and Community Service Act of 1990.
Response:c) Plan developed with other programs, including those under the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act, and National and Community Service Act of 1990:
CTAE: Federal Carl Perkins Grant- We utilize the Federal Carl Perkins Grant to supplement our CTAE program in areas such as: additional supplies, career technical labs, travel for professional learning, advisors with career tech organizations, materials for career center, and system dues with CTAE Resource Network.
CTAE: State Grants- We use state grants to supplement salaries, purchase equipment, and for green houses.
CTAE: Local funds- We use state funds to pay extended day salaries of CTAE teachers who work with interns and businesses. Local funds are also used to match federal funds that are allocated to the school.
We are a Work-Ready Community. The alignment of these programs with other school improvement efforts will link school work to future goals. Academic performance is important to student future job prospects and providing specific strategies to study and attain academic achievement will directly clinch the programs such as tutorials, flexible learning plans, and professional development.
10. Description of how individual student assessment results and interpretation will be provided to parents.
Response: Parents will be provided student assessment results and interpretation of the assessments during parent/teacher conference days, parent conference nights which are held every six weeks, and the mid-year and final State of the School Address meetings in which the principal presents the SMART goals for the year and results after.
Parent Liaison, guidance counselors, instructional coaches, teachers, and administrators are available for both students and parents to provide standardized test results and interpretation of the results.
11. Provisions for the collection and disaggregation of data on the achievement and assessment results of students.
Response: The state and central office are vital agencies in the collection and dissemination of standardized data such as GHSWT, EOCT, SAT, ACT, and CRCT scores.
The leadership team consists of administrators, guidance counselors, teachers, and department heads. This group of educators has used the Georgia School Keys and the Georgia School Keys Implementation Guide as tools to write our school improvement plan consisting of action steps based on analyzed student achievement, demographics, program, and perception data over the past three years to make decisions about ways to improve the overall program.
A data team of teachers and administrators analyze standardized assessment data at regular intervals as they are received from the district and state.
Our Professional Learning Study Groups consists of our entire faculty and meet twice a month. They are trained through their study groups to analyze specific student achievement data to guide decisions concerning student achievement and create processes and action plans to ensure follow-through and results.
Departmental teams consists of teachers who teach in a particular subject area, such as Science, ELA, Social Studies, Mathematics, World Languages, Special Education, CTAE, Fine Arts, etc. These teams meet monthly to disaggregate data on their subject areas.
Content Collaborative Teams- These teams consist of teachers who teach a particular content area such as U.S. History, American Literature, Biology, etc. These teams meet weekly to analyze both formative and summative assessments.
12. Provisions to ensure that disaggregated assessment results for each category are valid and reliable.
Response:
Each administrator will meet with the instructional coaches and members of their departments utilizing Excel spreadsheets with disaggregated data based on subgroups including blacks, Hispanics, white, Special Education, Economically Disadvantaged, and ELL to determine the at-risk population and instructional needs within our subgroups. The GHSGT and the EOCT tests are statewide tests and validity and reliability have been established at the state level. The assessment results are disaggregated at the state level based on the Student Information System.
13. Provisions for public reporting of disaggregated data.
Response:In user-friendly language, we will submit news-releases explaining our disaggregated results. We will create displays for in-house meetings and PowerPoint presentations to include tables, pie graphs, and bar graphs for parent groups, church groups, school website, media center, and parent center.
14. Plan developed during a one-year period, unless LEA, after considering the recommendation of its technical assistance providers, determines that less time is needed to develop and implement the school wide program.
Response:The Title-I Plan is developed during a one year period. The leadership team and other stakeholders meet to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of programs throughout the year. As the effectiveness of each is determined/considered, programs are added or removed from the plan for the next year. The plan is revised annually
15. Plan developed with the involvement of the community to be served and individuals who will carry out the plan including teachers, principals, other school staff, and pupil service personnel, parents and students (if secondary).
Response:The Title-I Plan has been developed with the following involvement of community and individuals being served by the plan and with the individuals carrying out the plan:
16. Plan available to the LEA, parents, and the public.
Response:
The Title-I Plan is available to LEA, parents and the public on the Maynard H. Jackson High School Website. Additionally, a hard copy will be stored in the principal’s office, the parent resource room, and the media center. In addition, submitted to the Federal Grants Specialist in the OFGPC, the regional Executive Director’s office, website, media center and the parent center.
17. Plan translated to the extent feasible, into any language that a significant percentage of
the parents of participating students in the school speak as their primary language.
Response:
At this time English is the predominant language of the majority of the parents of students enrolled.
18. Plan is subject to the school improvement provisions of Section 1116.
Response:
Both the School Improvement and the School wide Plan help students to meet state standards. All schools in the state of Georgia are subject to this school improvement provision. State how your Title I School wide and School Improvement teams work collaboratively with the leadership team to analyze assessment data to determine the strategies, programs and funding needed to help students meet state standards.
