Web viewHimitsu Teriyaki, Ixtapa Redmond Ridge, Sorrentos Coffee Co, Subway, Tony Maroni’s...

VLA MALLORY KNEELAND

PART 1

Description of the SchoolNeighborhood/Attendance Area Redmond Ridge, WAStudent/Parent SES, ethnicity Free/Reduced Lunch 3.3%

Asian 45.4%African American 1.3%Hispanic 6.3%Native American 0.4%Caucasian 42.3%Pacific Islander 0.3%Two or More Races 4.1%

Staff & Faculty Information Bachelors 4Bachelors +45 credits 5Bachelors +90 credits 1Bachelors +135 credits 1Masters 14Masters +45 credits 19Ph. D. 1

Businesses in the attendance area Himitsu Teriyaki, Ixtapa Redmond Ridge, Sorrentos Coffee Co, Subway, Tony Maroni’s True Italian Pizzeria, Allstate Insurance, Alpine Integrated Medicine, Bank of America, Marketplace Cleaners, Redmond Ridge Chevron and Carwash, Redmond Ridge Eye Care, Redmond Ridge Family Dentistry, Sorella Salon & Spa, Fantastic Sams, WA State Liquor and Wine Store, Family Cleaners, Raining Cats and Dogs, Novelty Hill Dentistry, Ethos Ins. Partners, Premier Chiropractors, Loyal Companion Animal Care, Redmond Ridge Physical Therapy, The Wine Shoppe, Redmond Ridge Nails, Majesty Shop, Children’s Consignment, Kumon of Redmond Ridge, Coyote Creek Pizza, Ming’s Garden, McDonald’s Miyako’s Teriyaki, Pap Murphy’s Take n’ Bake, Silver Spoon Thai Restaurant, Starbucks, Quizno’s Classic Subs, Emerald City Smoothie, Great Clips, Ness Family Dentistry, Novelty Hill Physical Therapy, Paper Trail, QFC, Ridge Cleaners, UPS Store, The Goddard School, Wells Fargo Bank, DVDNow, Edward Jones Investments, Curves, Olive, Designer Tan, H&R Block, Coldwell Banker Bain, Suburban Blue, Rapid Refill Ink, Redmond Ridge Chiropractic, Ultra Spa Nail Salon, Anytime Fitness, Pediatric Associates

Mission & VisionList the district mission and vision Mission: Each student will graduate prepared to lead a rewarding,

responsible life as a contributing member of our community and greater society.

Vision: Every Student Future Ready - Prepared for College, Prepared for the Global Workplace, Prepared for Personal Success

List the school mission and vision Mission & VIsion: Academic Rigor - The Arts - Laughter & Joy

1


School-wide Visioning ProcessesDescription of how the mission/vision/goals were developed

Who is involved? Principal and pre-selected group of teachers who would join principal at the school once it opened

Level of collaborative decision-making? High level of collaborative decision-making from the inaugural staff. There is strong buy-in from current staff as the majority of staff chooses to come work at our school knowing it is an arts-focused school and are on board from the get-go.

Level of engagement? High level of engagement from inaugural staff, and continued support of vision and mission from the current staff. All staff participates in staff development around the arts and arts infusion and believes it is a powerful way to enrich student learning.

Survey on Infusion of Arts in Classrooms (2014):0% said they have no idea how to infuse drama into their classroom24% said they have tried to infuse drama into their curriculum (mainly coming from new teachers)40% said they have tried to infuse drama, but usually when they have an extra few minutes16% said drama is built into their lesson plans for certain subjects, but are still working to integrate into more “tricky” subjects 8% said drama is integral to the units they teach and they consider drama infusion while planning lessons

Description of how general decision are made

Who is involved? Principal and Certificated staff follow an agreed upon decision-making model/protocol.

Level of collaborative decision-making? Depending on the issue and who is impacted, various levels of collaboration are sought. Sometimes the entire staff is involved, while at other times an Advisory committee made up of the principal and one member of each grade-level are involved, and sometimes it is just a grade-level team involved if no other grade-levels are impacted.

Level of engagement? Level of engagement varies depending on the issue/situation.

Description of how the vision/goals are sustained over time

PLC meetings center around what’s best for students including how to hold all students accountable to high standards as well as how to enrich students’ learning through the use of arts infusion.

Our school runs a Drama program, which is set up similar to other specialists (P.E., music, library) but staff attend with their classes. Teachers are also given the opportunity to attend arts trainings such as Bringing Theater into the Classroom to learn ways to infuse arts education into academic learning.

We hold Courage Assemblies throughout the year to celebrate and recognize students to exemplify our school motto, Be Nice, Work Hard

2


Test Result Trends

Reading Current Grade 4 Cohort Current Grade 5 Cohort Current Grade 6 Cohort2012 2013 2014 2012 2013 2014 2012 2013 2014

By Ethnicity

Asian African American

Hispanic Native American

Caucasian Pacific Islander

Two or More Races

97.9%100%83.3%

92.3%

66.7%

95.6%100%80%

94.1%

100%

100%100%100%

93.3%

100%

96.8%

87.5%

96.2%100%75%

95.2%100%87.5%

93%100%100%

100%100%100%

100%100%100%

By SES (AYP Low Income - Yes) 100% 100% 100% 75% 100% 100% (AYP Low Income - No) 93.5% 94.5% 97.4% 96% 93.8% 100%ELL 66.7% 100% N/A 40% 80% 100%Sped 62.5% 55.6% 75% 85.7% 54.5% 100%By Cohort 93.7% 94.6% 97.4% 95.4% 94.1% 100%

Test Result Trends

Writing Current Grade 4 Cohort Current Grade 5 Cohort Current Grade 6 Cohort2012 2013 2014 2012 2013 2014 2012 2013 2014

By Ethnicity




Two or More Races

94.7%100%100%

90%

75%

88.7%100%50%

82.5%100%60%

By SES (AYP Low Income - Yes) 100% 80% (AYP Low Income - No) 92.1% 83.1%ELL N/A 80%Sped 50% 63.6%By Cohort 92.2% 83%

3


Test Result Trends

Math Current Grade 4 Cohort Current Grade 5 Cohort Current Grade 6 Cohort2012 2013 2014 2012 2013 2014 2012 2013 2014

By Ethnicity




Two or More Races

93.8%100%50%

92.5%

66.7%

95.6%50%60%

86.3%

100%

100%100%100%

93.3%

100%

96.8%

62.5%

92.3%100%100%

93.5%100%75%

80.7%100%100%

100%100%66.7%

95.7%100%100%

By SES (AYP Low Income - Yes) 75% 50% 0% 50% 60% 50% (AYP Low Income - No) 90.7% 90.6% 98.7% 94.4% 88.5% 96.6%ELL 66.7% 100% N/A 60% 80% 66.7%Sped 55.6% 55.6% 75% 71.4% 54.5% 90%By Cohort 90.2% 90% 97.4% 93.1% 87.4% 95.8%

Test Result Trends

Science Current Grade 4 Cohort Current Grade 5 Cohort Current Grade 6 Cohort2012 2013 2014 2012 2013 2014 2012 2013 2014

By Ethnicity




Two or More Races

100%100%77.8%

100%100%100%

By SES (AYP Low Income - Yes) 50% (AYP Low Income - No) 99.2%ELL 100%Sped 90%By Cohort 98.3%

4


Relevant Specialized Program that may be housed or assigned to the school (Special Education, Advanced program, ELL, etc.)Enrollment % ELL 9.4%

Special Education 7.7%Achievement % ELL *See data in tables above

Special Education *See data in tables aboveImpact on educational processes My school has a resource room where students are pulled to receive

additional support in both ELL and special education services. Students in the special education program are placed on individual education plans (IEPs) that allow them to participate in their least restrictive environment. This looks different for students as some may only be pulled for 30 minutes a few times a week, while others are pulled for a couple of hours each day.

5


PART 2

Advancing a School-Wide Shared Vision for Learning

When plans for a new elementary school to be built in the Redmond Ridge community

was set into motion back in the early to mid 2000’s, an opportunity presented itself for a group of

educators to come together to develop a unique mission and vision that could be carried out

through the opening of the new school. Several groups, each consisting of a principal from

another school within the District and several teachers employed by the District, vied for the

opportunity to shape the school based upon a particular mission and vision. After considering

multiple and varied mission and vision statements, the District accepted a mission and vision that

came from a group of educators who wanted to establish an elementary school with a specific

focus on the arts. The mission and vision statement they developed was “Academic Rigor - The

Arts - Laughter & Joy”. This statement aligns with that of the school district’s mission and vision

statement in that they both stress the importance of academic rigor. Furthermore, both mission

and vision statements address the desire for students to be well-rounded individuals, prepared to

take on any challenge in our ever-changing world. Although, my school’s mission and vision

statement does not explicitly state that students will be “prepared for college, prepared for the

global workplace, prepared for personal success”, it is the belief of our staff and the majority of

our school community that through the pursuit of arts education and arts integration the District’s

mission and vision can also be achieved. A recent survey was given to the staff regarding how

often drama is infused into their curriculum. The Likert scale was used to gather the data, which

was then presented to our staff at a meeting several weeks later. 0% of the staff said they have no

idea how to infuse drama into their curriculum, 24% said they have tried to infuse drama into

their curriculum, 40% said they have tried to infuse drama, but usually when they have an extra

few minutes, 16% said drama is built into their lesson plans for certain subjects, but are still

6


working to integrate the arts into more “tricky” subjects and 8% said drama is integral to the

units they teach and they consider drama infusion while planning lessons. At the center of our

conversations and decision-making when determining what is best for students is how we can

use our school’s vision to support student success and achievement. The message my principal

has sent to the community when questions arise concerning whether or not the arts will prevent

other subjects from being taught is, “We hold high expectations for our students in the areas of

math, science and literacy. We plan to pursue the arts in creative ways to enhance the academic

achievement of all of our students.” This statement can be accessed on our school website.

My school develops an inclusive shared vision that promotes success for each student

through its develop of a drama program. The drama program is organized similarly to other

specialists, such as P.E., library and music, and students attend for thirty minutes a week.

Through the participation of this unique program, each student is provided the opportunity to

learn by accessing a variety of modalities. For those who may not be able to express themselves

as easily in a classroom using more traditional means of communication can do so in this

alternative environment. For example, many of our special needs students and English language

learners (and even those without identified special needs) often struggle to communicate their

thinking in writing, but can present their knowledge more effectively through drama, whether

that be by creating a piece of art, developing a song, or using movement to display their

understanding of the content. Furthermore, to help classroom teachers more successfully

integrate the arts into classroom learning, our drama specialist trains the staff roughly three times

per year on concepts and ideas related to the arts and creativity. With the support of our amazing

drama specialist, we are well supported as we venture to enhance student learning and

achievement through the use of arts integration. Our principal further supports our school’s arts

7


focus by providing funds that can be used to provide staff with the opportunity to attend

workshops centered on the arts and art infusion such as Bringing Theater into the Classroom

(BTiC). Many teachers on our staff have taken advantage of this opportunity. The trainers of

BTiC were also brought out to our school last year to help support the entire staff in more

seamlessly infusing the arts into our curriculum.

My principal builds a shared understanding and commitment among stakeholders by

providing various stakeholders with the opportunity to voice their opinion through the form of

annual surveys. Each year, the staff is provided the opportunity to provide input on a number of

issues and concerns related to school climate and student achievement. Some of the questions

pertain specifically to our vision and mission statement with a consideration for how effective

our drama program is in helping to enrich student learning and achievement. Parents are also

provided the opportunity to give input on a community feedback survey each year. The data from

these annual surveys are collated and then shared with respective stakeholders. Although the

results of staff surveys are shared internally among the staff itself, the community input survey is

presented in an Annual Report and is accessible on our school website. My principal opts for a

participative decision-making process when setting the agenda for the following year because

just as it is stated in Organizational Behavior in Education, our school is able to “develop greater

harmony and consistency between the goals of the organization and the human needs of people

who work in them (Owens & Valesky, 2015).” The information gathered on these types of

surveys help to inform the decisions we make collaboratively as a staff the following year.

Vision Implementation

My school’s vision and mission statement has served to shape the systems we currently

have in place. As mentioned previously, we run a drama program at my school. This program

plays an integral role in many of the system-wide decisions we must make as a staff. For

8


example, since our drama program is run similarly to other specialist in that students go for thirty

minutes a week, we have to have a teacher who is in charge of that program. Per district

requirement, the position must be pulled from a grade-level staffing position. This means that a

position at one of our grade-levels is eliminated in order to run the program. Because of this, the

affected grade-level will have slightly larger classes due to the loss of a teacher position.

Additionally, the program is held in our Commons area where students have lunch. In order to

successfully run this program, some grade-levels have to eat in their classrooms so that the

Commons can be used for drama classes. This then impacts our bell schedule as we try to create

a fluid schedule for staff and students going to recesses and having lunch throughout the day.

Another aspect of this program includes two school-wide performances that students of all ages

participate in annually. In preparation for these performances, students who participate are pulled

from class during the days of the final performances. We also hold frequent assemblies, often

twice as many as typical elementary schools, because these present an opportunity for our school

to further fulfill our mission and vision. These assemblies, while taking away from classroom

instruction, serve a higher purpose. The assemblies are led by students, typically a specific

classroom, and focus on teaching important life skills such as work ethic, perseverance,

cooperation, and time management. By leading the assemblies, students are provided the

opportunity to learn public speaking skills, understand how to organize an event, and develop a

sense of teamwork and cooperation. Ultimately, because the drama program does affect so many

systems within our school, the decision to continue the program each year is decided by the

whole staff annually. Each year, we come together to evaluate the effectiveness of the program,

specifically in terms of what is best for students. Time and time again, our school demonstrates a

9


high level of proficiency on state exams such as the (Measurements of Student Progress) MSP

and is one of many indicators of the effectiveness of arts infusion.

Data, research and community input are used to shape our vision, plans, programs and

activities in a variety of ways. Our school uses professional learning communities and

emphasizes the importance of data and research as a means by which to make thoughtful and

informed decisions. Each month, grade-level teams meet with our principal to go over student

data related to specified academic standards. The standards each grade-level team selects

annually are based on what is learned from their cohort’s achievement data from the previous

year. This would include receiving input from the grade-level who worked with those students as

well as data gathered from programs as DIBELS and the MSP. Because our test scores have

typically been high as compared to other schools within the state and stay relatively consistent,

as grade-level teams, we have to dig into the specific categories tested in each subject. For

example, on the third grade math and reading MSP, there was a 93.7% pass rate for reading and

a 90.2% pass rate for math. So, the fourth grade team who is now working with these students

decided to build a specific goal around math, which was their weaker of the two subject areas

according to the MSP. Then, as a team, they looked at the specific categories for which students

were scored and noticed that their problem solving scores were lower than that of other math

categories addressed on the math MSP. So, the grade-level team developed a goal focused on

math problem solving and this will be at the center of conversation during their monthly

meetings with the principal. Between meetings, each grade-level team creates a plan for working

on their identified area and then develops ways to collect data to support their decision-making

and “next steps”. Community input plays a role in the decisions we make as well. When the

school was first built, the group who ended up getting the support of the district to shape the

10


school’s mission and vision around the arts sought feedback from the community that would be

in the school’s attendance area. Through community input at the time, it was very evident that an

arts-based school was what parents wanted for their children. So, the arts became a cornerstone

of the school and its vision was immediately accepted and hugely supported by the families.

Furthermore, many families specifically move into our attendance area just so their children can

attend our school. We have grown so much in the past few years that we now have to bus

students to nearby schools because our facility can no longer support all of the students in our

attendance area. In our district, we also have an arts-focused choice school for middle-schoolers

and many families from our school often try to send their children to that middle school to

continue their children’s arts-enriched education.

Developing Stewardship of the Vision

My school’s vision uniquely serves the needs of students, staff and the community in

many ways. Arts infusion integrated into classrooms and our unique drama program presents a

holistic approach to teaching and learning. Houston et al. state, “We are complex beings

composed of mind, body and spirit. For our best selves to emerge, we must nurture and balance

these three aspects (Houston et al, 2008).” Through the arts, students are taught invaluable life

skills. Students learn how to articulate their thinking, especially when presenting ideas in front of

an audience. The arts also allow students the opportunity to present their learning in more than

one way. They are able to learn skills and concepts in a variety of ways which allows for

students to access higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy. For example, many teachers will integrate

the arts into their curriculum so that students can explore music in math or develop their reading

comprehension through the use of tableaux. Students are encouraged to take risks and step

outside their comfort zone when they engage in art-related activities such as creating tableaux to

demonstrate their thinking or developing mime presentations to illustrate a concept they’ve

11


learned. Lastly, the arts allows teachers to reach those students who often “fall through cracks”

when only given the opportunity to learn in more traditional ways.

My school’s vision is used to facilitate effective communication, nurture and maintain

trust, and develop collaboration among stakeholders. The staff work together during LEAP days

and also attend professional development centered on arts infusion. Parents are invited and

encouraged to attend the school performances and assemblies lead by students. A sense of trust

is fostered through effective communication and collaboration. Furthermore, for our students to

engage meaningful in arts activities, there is an inherent need for trust on behalf of all staff,

students and greater community. Without that trust, students would be reluctant to demonstrate

their thinking and present their knowledge in a variety of ways. There seems to be a symbiotic

relationship between trust, communication and collaboration.

Achievements and efforts toward my school’s vision are celebrated both on a small and

large scale. In weekly bulletins, my principal gives “kudos” to staff that demonstrate or model

actions that support our mission and vision statement. Furthermore, at each staff meeting, the

staff is presented with the opportunity to provide “kudos” to other staff that have exemplified,

through their own actions, our school’s mission and vision. This frequent occurrence helps to

create a warm and supportive environment, building community among the staff. It is a perfect

example of the principle of gratitude as described in Spirituality in Educational Leadership.

“Enlightened leaders are grateful to the people around them and to life itself for the countless

gifts they have been given. They have an “attitude for gratitude” and show it both internally and

externally (Houston et al., 2008).” On a slightly larger scale, our school holds what we call

Courage assemblies. About every month and a half or so, our school gets together for this time-

honored tradition. The assembly is led by a group of students and often has a theme related to a

12


valuable life skill such as respect, perseverance, or demonstrating personal best. It is the

embodiment of our school’s mission and vision statement. At the end of each assembly, the

school holds two ceremonies. The first is a flower ceremony where staff, students, and even

parents can come up to the stage to give flowers to someone else. These flowers represent a

gesture and/or recognition of kindness and/or support that has been shown towards that

individual by another person. The second ceremony involves what we call courage awards. Often

connected to the theme of the assembly, teachers give out courage awards to students who have

done an exemplary job in, for example, modeling our school’s motto, Be Nice, Work Hard.

These Courage assemblies are an important part of my school’s culture and provide an

opportunity for our whole community to come together to celebrate one another’s achievements

as well as reinforce the importance of academic rigor, the arts, and laughter and joy.

Conclusion

It is a testament to my principal and the staff as a whole that our mission and vision has

not been lost or forgotten over the years. When our school first opened, there were people who

were skeptical and believed its arts focus could never be sustained and the school as an “arts”

school would fail. But, it has not. In fact, my school has continued to succeed and thrive in

fulfilling its mission and vision year after year. Furthermore, our students’ test scores according

to state standardized testing measures help to serve as evidence that all students can achieve at

high levels, and through arts integration we are able to better support the diverse learners in our

care. As a staff, we take time to continue our personal growth and understanding of how arts

integration can be successfully infused into classroom learning to better support our students and

their specific needs. In fact, all of our new teachers have set personal goals around developing

their ability to infuse art and drama into their curriculum.

13


Our success is also largely due to the ongoing efforts of both my past and now current

principal who have taken steps to ensure complete buy-in from a variety of stakeholders

including staff, parents and the students. Houston et al. states, “We trust leaders who are

authentic, leaders whose walk is aligned with their talk. We trust people who do what they say

and say what they really do (Houston et al, 2008).” It is because of the sense of trust, which my

principal has established through her authentic actions to engage faculty and the community as a

whole in meaningful conversation and collaboration amongst a variety of stakeholders that my

school has succeed. My principal and staff have never faltered in our belief that through arts

integration, we can make a positive difference in the lives of our students, helping them to fulfill

the District’s vision and doing our part to ensure students are prepared for college, prepared for

the global workplace, and prepared for future success.

Works Consulted

Houston, P., Blankstein, A., & Cole, R. (2008). Spirituality in Educational Leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Owen, R. & Valesky, T. (2015). Organizational Behavior in Education: Leadership and School Reform. 11 ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

14

Web viewHimitsu Teriyaki, Ixtapa Redmond Ridge, Sorrentos Coffee Co, Subway, Tony Maroni’s...

Documents

Transcript of Web viewHimitsu Teriyaki, Ixtapa Redmond Ridge, Sorrentos Coffee Co, Subway, Tony Maroni’s...