Courthouse Road ElementarySchool Improvement Plan

2019-2022Mrs. Marcie Fields, Principal

Miss Diane Muldowney, Assistant PrincipalSchool Leadership Team

Erica SmithJennifer Winfree-Harbour

Allison EltringhamKatie Tulloss

Sara JettKaty Cicholski

Rebecca EgelandKathy Dyson

Erin ShaffermanMelissa Kuty

Kristina WelshKim Ragaini-Smith

Brittany VickLisa Malik

Marsha DameronSarah ShermanJessica CookGretchen StottAbby Hayden

Tony NaccaratoCourtney Simmons

Tiffany BogdenKristian Sullivan

Sean PetersJessica Hofer

Kristal Ellsworth

School Planning TeamsPlanning teams included guided and specific feedback from the faculty and staff facilitated by the school improvement team.

COURTHOUSE ROADMISSION * VISION * CORE VALUES

We, Courthouse Road Elementary School, are committed to maximizing student potential.

We build RIGOR, RELEVANCE, RELATIONSHIPS and RESULTS.● High Expectations (RIGOR)● Meaningful Learning Experiences (RELEVANCE)● Family and Student Engagement (RELATIONSHIPS)● High Quality Instruction (RESULTS)

Definitions DEVELOPED by CHRES STAFF:Courthouse Road Definition of Problem Solving as developed by 2016-17 Faculty:PROBLEM SOLVING is a fluid process where our Courthouse Road students take risks and use their critical thinking skills toarrive at solutions to authentic cross curricular tasks in a variety of ways.

Courthouse Road Definition of Inquiry Based Instruction as developed by the 2015-16 Faculty:INQUIRY BASED INSTRUCTION is a process in which teachers facilitate critical thinking through posing questions and/orproblems that engage students in their learning. Students learn to use their schema, ask questions, investigate, gatherevidence, observe, analyze, draw conclusions, and solve real world problems. Students are then empowered through deeperunderstanding as shown through their communication and opportunity to share their thinking.

COURTHOUSE ROAD EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Courthouse Road Elementary is a centrally located elementary school in Spotsylvania County. Our Core Values include astrong partnership of teachers, administrators, parents and community that believe in RIGOR, RELEVANCE,RELATIONSHIPS and RESULTS. At Courthouse Road, we believe that Cardinals should be “Respectful, Responsible, andProductive”, and we believe that we should “Always GO the Extra Mile” to do what is right. All staff are expected to modeland promote the practice of citizenship through OUR CARDINAL ESSENTIALS. As these are the expectations for our schoolcommunity. The expectation for our staff is to effectively engage our school community. All staff members are to focus onpromoting effective communication within the classroom and within the community. Teachers are to know the curriculum andto teach it in effective and engaging ways in an effort to promote critical, flexible thinking skills.

Our School Improvement Plan is our lesson plan for success. It is developed as a part of our shared leadership model by ourSchool Improvement Team. The Planning Teams that provided key information to our School Improvement Team consist ofFaculty Professional Learning Communities, This is a continuous process as our Professional Learning Groups will continue toprovide specific guided feedback to our School Improvement Team in an effort to continuously develop this fluid document.

After careful analysis of our school’s student performance data from 2020-21, school faculty teams determined the following tobe areas of focus through the incorporation of our School Improvement Goals and Action Steps.

SOLs Areas of Focus from the 2020-2021 School Year

Kindergarten

Math Reading History Science

● Identify the number before, without counting,when given any number between 1 and 10.

● Recognize and describe with fluencypart-whole relationships for numbers up to 5;and investigate and describe part-wholerelationships for numbers up to 10.

● Model and solve single-step story and pictureproblems with sums to 10 and differenceswithin 10 - focus on missing addend

● Recognize the attributes of a penny, nickel,dime, and quarter and identify the number ofpennies

equivalent to a nickel, adime, and a quarter.

● Investigate the passage of time by reading andinterpreting a calendar. - They seem tostruggle more with the days of the week.

● Phonological Awareness- ID, segment, blend,speech sounds - Need lots of help withsyllables

● Basic Phonetic Principles - Major lack oftracking print / Demonstrate a speech-to-printmatch

through accuratefinger-point reading infamiliar text that includeswords with more than one syllable.

● Expand vocabulary/word meanings

● Print in manuscript - Lots write from bottom totop and need help with letter formation,especially virtual students

● Write in a variety of forms - need morepractice with this

● Conduct research to answer questions or solveproblems - just not a lot of practice with this

● Demonstrate skills for historical thinking,geographical analysis,economic decision making,and responsible citizenshipby - viewing artifacts /gathering and classifyinginformation, sequencingevents / asking appropriatequestions to solve aproblem / comparing andcontrasting people, places,or events / recognizingdirect cause-and-effectrelationships / using adecision-making model tomake informed decisions /developing fluency incontent vocabulary andcomprehension of oral,written, and visual sources;

● Local community

● Demonstrate an understanding of scientific andengineering practices

**Experiments and investigations were lacking due tolimited time with students.

1st Grade

Math Reading History Science

● Fact fluency● Place value and grouping● Story problems (missing addend, comparing-

how many more)● Using addition/subtraction strategies● Communication of math thinking● Coins- identifying the coin and its value

● Writing- usage/mechanics, descriptive words,Narrative/stories/how-to, stamina

● Spelling high frequency words● Fluency● Vowel teams and diphthongs● Reading stamina

● Skills Standard (1.1)○ Using and create graphs and

pictures○ Using artifacts○ Asking appropriate questions to

solve a problem○ Developing fluency and content

vocabulary

● Skills Standard (1.1)○ Planning and carrying out

investigations○ Asking questions and defining

problems○ Constructing and critiquing

conclusions and explanations○ Developing and using models

2nd Grade

Math Reading/Writing Social Studies Science

fact fluencycomputation/double digit (regrouping)multi step story problemsingle step( deciding addition or subtraction)growing number patternsequality and inequality

vowel teamssilent estaminamain ideaaffixessentence constructionediting and adding detailreading fluency

Famous AmericansNative American Tribesvocabulary

Vocabularyscientific method process

3rd Grade

Math Reading History Science

● Fact Fluency (addition, subtraction,multiplication, and division)

● Multi-step word problems● Subtracting 4 digit numbers with

regrouping and across zeros● Naming polygons based on number of

sides.● Fractions on a number line, mixed

numbers/improper, comparing fractionswith unlike denominators.

● Money-Subtracting across zero/makingchange, multi step money problems.

● Rounding a number to three differentplace values.

● Reference materials (guide words)● Suffixes● Main Idea/Supporting Details● Nonfiction Text features (headings,

captions)● Inferencing and making predictions● Sentence structure with correct grammar

and punctuation.● Editing/revising● Stamina when reading.● Research writing

● Social studies topics were taught throughexposure and less application.

● Students need practice with applyingvocabulary vs. memorizing vocabulary.

● Needs additional practice with human,natural and capital resources vocabulary.

● Scientific method● Science topics were taught through

exposure and less application.● Students need practice with applying

vocabulary vs. memorizing vocabulary.

4th Grade

Math Reading History Science

● Fractions are always a weakness,especially due to lack of manipulativesthis year.

● Fraction/Decimal equivalents● Decimal Place Value● Place Value● Factors/multiples (more the concept)● Critical Thinking Skills

● Stamina is a continued need for growth.While it is not an SOL it is lacking.Students focus for a limited time.

● Richer discussion about text in smallgroups is needed in all areas ie: contextclues, inferencing, drawing conclusionsand author’s opinion.

● Writing proved to be a major deficit forstudents this year. The students workedprimarily on computers and struggledwith remembering capitals andpunctuation. Handwriting proved to be abetter source of practice, however,writing proves to be a weakness withinthis year's grouping.

● The students did very well on Historyassessments. They needed more time toapply the higher thinking skills questionsthat were asked for example, quotesabout roles and who might have saidthem.

● They also needed more time to processvocabulary within the content and applyit rather than memorize it.

● A deeper understanding and time toexplore the Civil War, Reconstruction,Civil Rights Movements, and the20th-21st century.

● Due to lack of hands-on experiments,vocabulary for the scientific method wasweak. (4.1)

● In general they understood the concepts,but struggled with higher level thinkingand vocabulary skills.

Instructional Strategies

Complete with the strategies that your team wants to ensure the team before you is teaching.

1st Grade (to share with kindergarten)

Math Reading

● Money- identifying coins● Part-part-whole/working number● Place Value/Grouping- by tens (hands on activities)● Counting forward orally by ones to 100● Writing numerals (reversals)● One to one correspondence

● Structured Literacy● Continue to use Heggerty/Phonemic Awareness- segmenting and blending● Sound Walls● Firm Concept of Word● Writing- Usage/Mechanics (capitalization, always capitalize the word I,

punctuation)● High frequency words (read and spell)● Fundations verbal pathways

2nd Grade (to share with 1st grade)

Math Reading/Writing

We think that 1st grade does a wonderful job at introducing the concepts so that we can build upon them.

Things to concentrate on:Fact fluency strategiesplace value with manipulativesvocabulary for subtraction words

1st grade is such a huge year of growth for reading, we are thankful when students come to us on grade levelbut we understand you have to get them from D-J (sometimes an A)

Things to concentrate on:HeggertyStructured literacytapping out strategieswrite more often in all content areasusage and mechanics (editing a sentence)

3rd Grade (to share with 2nd grade)

Math Reading

● Escalator/Tree/Number Line Method of rounding THEN rhyming.● Addition and subtraction fluency● Addition and subtraction with regrouping.● Common vocabulary (sum vs. difference, estimating, about)● Telling Time (hour and minutes hands, times that are closer to the next hour ex. 3:45-where

should the hour hand be?)● Place Value - place value vs. value (worth)

● Breaking down paragraphs or pages to visualize and summarize what is going on. (Doodle story)This would be a good intro to help us with hashtagging.

● Justifying answers by finding the evidence in the text.● Four square model for planning writing.● Parts of speech vocabulary● Test taking strategies (introduce slash the trash-crossing off obvious wrong answers)

4th Grade (to share with 3rd grade)

Math Reading

● Box Method for multiplication● Regrouping (not borrowing) (*across zeros)● Improper/mixed fraction visuals● Telling Time● Word Problems (multistep and with extra words)● Key words (sum, difference, product)● Fractions with unlike denominators (how do you do this?)

○ Benchmark of ½○ Multiples (using set model)

● Hashtags for titling paragraphs for main idea and inferencing practice.● Work on a variety of passages and text (poetry, flyers, fiction, nonfiction, etc)● Visualizing and discussion of paragraphs to assist in re-telling● Daily Phonics Lessons/Structured Literacy● Exposure and instruction to grade level curriculum as well as leveled readers for independent

reading.● Practice building passage length to build stamina

5th Grade (to share with 4th grade)

Math Reading

● Egg Carton Fractions (Models to represent the different fractions)● Models to represent sum/difference of fractions when given numbers● Ratio Tables (To find the Numerator and Denominator in order to add/sub unlike denominators)● Traditional Algorithm and Box Method for multiplication● Traditional Algorithm and Big 7 for Division● Line up places/decimals (Vertically) to compare numbers● Multiplication Facts

● Highlighting text proof● Higher level questioning (inferencing, author’s viewpoint, visualizing, summarizing, drawing

conclusions)● Structured literacy● Using many different types of texts to teach skills (functional text, poems, fiction and nonfiction)● Sticky note thinking while independent reading (metacognitive strategies)● Building stamina with reading passages (yes 4th grade!!!)

Rigor, Relevance, Relationships, ResultsKEY OBJECTIVES IN THE SCHOOL PLAN :

● All staff will build and foster positive relationships with their students and effectively engage our Courthouse RoadFamilies.

● All staff will set and communicate high expectations for students in all areas (to include: high level instruction andbehavior).

● All staff will develop and implement instructional strategies to address various levels of underperforming standards whileincorporating solid communication strategies.

LONG TERM: All students will feel safe, happy and have the desire to learn.

Short Term Goal 1: All Staff will build and continue to improve an engaging environment with staff, families, and communitythat is based upon positive relationships and communication as evidenced through student tiered surveys and parent surveysgiven at the end of the first (October 8th) and third quarters (March 11th). Baseline will be established and data will bemonitored for growth. The goal is that 100% of our community feel that Courthouse Road Elementary school provides positiverelationships and communication that promotes success.

LONG TERM: All students will develop background knowledge through the content and experience opportunities tomaster all standards through the synthesizing of information and the communication of their thinking.

Short Term Goal 2: With All instructional stakeholders present, staff will 100% fully participate in collective learning throughPROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES in an effort to develop, utilize, and analyze well constructed plans andinstructional strategies that promote solid instruction and communication of student thinking in all content areas as evidencedby documented FLEX forms and pre and post survey information from our instructional staff.

LONG TERM: All students will read and comprehend on or above grade level.

Short Term Goal 3: All students will solidify literacy foundational skills specifically in the areas of structured literacy toinclude more advanced word analysis and morphemic structure and writing at the sentence level across the curriculumas evidenced by the following: We will decrease the number of students identified as needing tier 2 intervention in gradesKg - 2nd overall by 15%. 85% of students overall will be within the grade level range according to STAR by the end ofthe year. (The Special Education team is currently working on another tier of this goal for SWD students. This will beincorporated and added into this plan prior to quarter one review.)

LONG TERM: All students will master all mathematical concepts on or above grade level.

Short Term Goal 4: All Students will solidify foundational skills in numeracy specifically in the areas of addition andsubtraction, fact fluency, and problem solving as evidenced by 90% mastery on all three strands using the k-2 reportcard for primary. Grades 3-5 will demonstrate mastery on all three strands to include also multiplication as evidencedby 90% of students demonstrating mastery through REFLEX Math. Problem Solving mastery will be evidenced by90% mastery on the I Ready Assessment. SWD students will demonstrate math fact mastery using the On Cloud NineLadder. Growth will be measured using quick checks. (The Special Education Team is working on this tier of the goal forSWD students. This will be incorporated and added into this plan prior to quarter one review.)

Short TermGoal 1: All Staff will build and continue to improve an engaging environment with staff, families, and communitythat is based upon positive relationships and communication as evidenced through student tiered surveys and parent surveysgiven at the end of the first (October 8th) and third quarters (March 11th). Baseline will be established and data will bemonitored for growth. The goal is that 100% of our community feel that Courthouse Road Elementary school provides positiverelationships and communication that promotes success.

ACTION STEPS Goal 1:Actions Step Person

ResponsibleResources Needed Target Date for

CompletionEvaluation Review

10/21Review12/21

Review3/22

Review5/22

All Staff willpromote,

enforce, andincorporate the

CardinalEssentials as a

way forstudents to

demonstrate“Going theExtra Mile”

throughannouncements,

social skillgroups, and

morningmeetings.

All Staff Cardinal Essentials

The Announcements

Chapter resourcesfrom The Essential 5

Daily beginningAug. 07

StudentBehavior-

decrease inreferralnumbers

StudentEngagement

AssessmentResults

Staff willprovide all

students withtwo one week

sessions ofschool widestructured

group

Counselors

ClassroomTeachers

Cardinal Essentials

Zones of Regulation

Mindfulness Strategies

Games

May 27 StudentBehavior-

decrease inreferralnumbers

StudentEngagement

experience in“playing

games” topromote all

Goal 1initiatives.

AssessmentResults

All staff willutilize theresponsiveclassroommodel of

incorporatingmorningmeetings,greetings,

group activities,and morningmessages in

their morningroutines..

All Staff Lesson Plans August 07 StudentBehavior-

decrease inreferralnumbers

StudentEngagement

AssessmentResults

All staff willutilize and

incorporate theZones of

Regulation andutilize a

classroombreak space in

their classroom.

All Staff Counselor Support August 07 StudentBehavior-

decrease inreferralnumbers

StudentEngagement

AssessmentResults

Training on theZones of

Regulation fornew teachers.

Admin

Counseling

.

Scheduled smallgroup meetings in

August

All Staff willengage thecommunity.

Teachers willprovide parents

with specificinformation asto what to ask

their child(could be aboutessential of theweek or subjectmatter related).

Thiscommunication

will beprovidedweakly tofamilies

InstructionalStaff

Begin first week ofschool August 7th

week

All Staffmembers willparticipate in

MorningAnnouncementsthrough Emojis

TeachSupport

All Staff

Begin inSeptember

Staff Memberswill utilize

positivereferrals for

students

All Staff

Admin forannouncements

Begin inSeptember

recognition ofEssentials

SpecialEducation Staffwill collaborate

to develop asession for

parents to meetwith special

education/general educationteacher teams

to sharescaffolding

strategies andschool/home

informationalsupports

All Staff

Sped TeamMeetings forideas

Begin inSeptember

Short Term Goal 2: With All instructional stakeholders present, staff will 100% fully participate in collective learning throughPROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES in an effort to develop, utilize, and analyze well constructed plans andinstructional strategies that promote solid instruction and communication of student thinking in all content areas as evidencedby documented FLEX forms and pre and post survey information from our instructional staff.

ACTION STEPS Goal 2:Action Step Person

ResponsibleResources

NeededTarget Date

forCompletion

Evaluation Review10/21

Review2/22

Review4/22

Review5/22

All InstructionalStaff will work

together quarterlyfor curriculum “big

picture”mappingwork noticing

patterns acrosscontent for all 4

quarters ofinstruction.

PLC TeamsAdmin

CurriculumFramework

QuarterlybeginningAugust 7

Walk thrusLesson Plans

PLC Teams will meetweekly to focus on

the “ 5 DrivingQuestions” to ensure

emphasis is put onbecoming an expert

noticer...lookingmore deeply at

student learning andexpert instruction.

Teams will have datacollection

conversations todrive instruction.

PLC TeamsAdmin

CurriculumFramework

CurriculumMaps

Weeklybeginning Aug

07

Walk thrusLesson Plans

PLC meeting minutes

PLC Teams willwork to develop

purposeful agendas.

PLC Teams CurriculumFramework/

Weeklybeginning

August 30th

Walk thrusLesson Plans

PLC meeting minutes

Facilitators andActivators will meet

with theInstructional Coach

weekly to reviewagenda and collectnecessary resources

to enrich thediscussion.

Activatorsand

Facilitators

InstructionalCoach

Admin.

CurriculumMaps

Short Term Goal 3: All students will solidify literacy foundational skills specifically in the areas of structured literacy toinclude more advanced word analysis and morphemic structure and writing at the sentence level across the curriculumas evidenced by the following: We will decrease the number of students identified as needing tier 2 intervention in gradesKg - 2nd overall by 15%. 85% of students overall will be within the grade level range according to STAR by the end ofthe year. (The Special Education team is currently working on another tier of this goal for SWD students. This will beincorporated and added into this plan prior to quarter one review.)

Action Step PersonResponsible

ResourcesNeeded

Target Datefor

Completion

Evaluation Review10/21

Review2/22

Review4/22

Review5/22

K-2 Vertical TeamCommittee has beendeveloped and willmeet with a focus onstructured literacy,spelling, handwritingand phonics.

InstructionalStaff

CurriculumFramework

Lesson plans

LETRSTraining

CurriculumMap

May 27th Walk Thrus

Observations

Lesson Plans

Assessment Data

3-5 Vertical Team Instructional Curriculum May 27th Walk Thrus

Committee has beendeveloped and willmeet with a focus onstructured literacy,word analysis, andmorphemicstructure.Writing Revolution

Staff Framework

Lesson plans

LETRSTraining

CurriculumMap

Observations

Lesson Plans

Assessment Data

Literacy PDs willmeet monthly tofocus on data and theapproach for datacollection andanalysis for use in thePLCs.

InstructionalStaff

CurriculumFramework

Lesson plans

LETRSTraining

CurriculumMap

May 27th Walk Thrus

Observations

Lesson Plans

Assessment Data

All instructional staffshould consistentlywork on explicitlyteaching handwritingand letter formationusing consistentverbal pathwaysfrom K-5.

InstructionalStaff

CurriculumFramework

Lesson plans

LETRSTraining

CurriculumMap

May 27th Walk Thrus

Observations

Lesson Plans

Assessment Data

Instructional staffshould consistentlyreinforce instructionthrough writing sothat students candemonstrate

InstructionalStaff

CurriculumFramework

Lesson plans

LETRS

May 27th Walk Thrus

Observations

Lesson Plans

understanding,synthesis andapplication ofcontent.

Training

CurriculumMap

Assessment Data

Short Term Goal 4: All Students will solidify foundational skills in numeracy specifically in the areas of addition andsubtraction, fact fluency, and problem solving as evidenced by 90% mastery on all three strands using the k-2 reportcard for primary. Grades 3-5 will demonstrate mastery on all three strands to include also multiplication as evidencedby 90% of students demonstrating mastery through REFLEX Math. Problem Solving mastery will be evidenced by90% mastery on the I Ready Assessment. SWD students will demonstrate math fact mastery using the On Cloud NineLadder. Growth will be measured using quick checks. (The Special Education Team is working on this tier of the goal forSWD students. This will be incorporated and added into this plan prior to quarter one review.)

Action Step PersonResponsible

ResourcesNeeded

Target Datefor

Completion

Evaluation Review10/21

Review2/22

Review4/22

Review5/22

K-2 Vertical TeamCommittee has beendeveloped and willmeet with a focus onK-2 VerticalDiscussion ofassessment data andcommon vocabularyand instructionalstrategies.

InstructionalStaff

CurriculumFramework

Lesson plans

CurriculumMap

ON CLOUDNINE MATH

May 27th Walk Thrus

Observations

Lesson Plans

Assessment Data

3-5 Vertical TeamCommittee has beendeveloped and willmeet with a focus onsharing FACTS(FormativeAssessment Ideasthat promote athinking classroom)in addition tocommon vocabularydiscussions.

InstructionalStaff

CurriculumFramework

Lesson plans

CurriculumMap

Mathematics:FormativeAssessments

May 27th Walk Thrus

Observations

Lesson Plans

Assessment Data

Math PDs will meetmonthly to focus onthe explicit teachingof number formationand number senseusing consistentverbal pathways(visualizing/verbalizing) andnumber talks ( K-2)and with a focus (3-5)on formativeassessments/Productive talk tocreate thinkingclassrooms.

InstructionalStaff

CurriculumFramework

Lesson plans

On CloudNine Math

MathematicsFormativeAssessments

CurriculumMap

May 27th Walk Thrus

Observations

Lesson Plans

Assessment Data

All instructional staffshould consistentlywork on problemsolving opportunitiesthrough exemplarwork so that mathinstruction isreinforced through

InstructionalStaff

CurriculumFramework

Lesson plans

Training

Curriculum

May 27th Walk Thrus

Observations

Lesson Plans

Assessment Data

writing as studentsdemonstrateunderstanding,synthesis andapplication oflearning.

Map

Rubrics

Courthouse Road Cardinals “Go the Extra Mile” to be Productive, Respectful and Responsible.The Cardinal Essentials are specific expectations to achieve results!

CARDINAL ESSENTIALS

RESPECTFUL

*We are Humble!● Always congratulate and uplift others.● Never ask for a reward!● Go out of your way to make others feel better!● If you win, DO NOT brag! If you lose, DO NOT show anger!

*We are the Best we can be!● Know the names of your Cardinal Family and greet them appropriately● When meeting new people, shake their hands and repeat their name.● Hold the door for others! Never let a door close on them!● If someone drops something, pick it up!● Be a good listener and respect others' comments and opinions.● Make Eye Contact.● Always say thank you!

RESPONSIBLE

*We are the Best we can be!● Always be HONEST!

● Learn from mistakes and move on!● Always be POSITIVE!● Always pick up around you and be responsible for your space (to include cafeteria and bathroom)! It is a representation of YOU!

PRODUCTIVE

*We are the Best we can be!● In the Hallway, walk, quickly, quietly (voice level 0), and to the right of the hallway.● During conversations, ask questions and answer in complete sentences● During Transitions, be SWIFT, QUIET, and ORDERLY!● When another adult is present, all rules apply!● Take school-wide drills and precautions seriously!