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Eldon South Elementary

School Information

School Name:                Eldon South Elementary
School Address:            1210 South Maple
                                      Eldon, Missouri 65026
School Phone:               (573)392-8030
School Fax:                   (573)392-9152
Principal:                       Erin R. Rentfro
Principal email:             Erin_Rentfro@mail.eldon.k12.mo.us

Demographics
Number of Students:                                                     682
Number Eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch:            347
Percent of Limited English Proficient:                         .01%
Percent of Special Education:                                       21%
Racial/Ethnic Percentages:            

    • White                                 98.53%
    • Black                                    .43%
    • Hispanic                                .87%
    • Asian/Pacific Island              .14%

     

    Present Student Achievement Data in at least three points to demonstrate trends –

    Adequate Yearly Progress Target-Missouri
    Communication Arts- Missouri Assessment Program (MAP)
    Eldon South Elementary- % proficient / State Target- No Child Left Behind Required % proficient

    Communication Arts

    Year Eldon
    		State
    2002 30.9 18.4
    2003 40.3 19.4
    2004 30.6 20.4
    2005 39.6 26.6
    2006 46.6 34.7
    2007 55.1 42.9

    Missouri Assessment Program (MAP)
    3rd Grade Communication Arts
    Eldon South Scores/ State Scores

    CS- 1 Speaking and Writing Standard English

    CS-2 Reading-Ficiton/Poetry/Drama

    CS-3 Reading Nonfiction

    CS-4 Writing Formally and Informally

    CS-5 Combined Reading from Standards 2&3

     

    Grade 3 CS-1
    		CS-2
    		CS-3 CS-4 CS-5
    2001 60%/71% 63%/67% 48%/54% 46%/52% 58%/63%
    2002 65%/71% 61%/64% 62%/65% 68%/72% 63%/66%
    2003 73%/71% 61%/61% 66%/66% 71%/68% 63%/63%
    2004 67%/72% 60%/61% 61%/61% 73%/72% 61%/62%
    2005 71%/72% 66%/66% 67%/65% 66%/62% 67%/66%
    2006 67%/67% 75%/74% 76%/75% 88%/79% *
    2007 71%67% 79%/77% 77%/73% 84%/80% *

     

    Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA Data)
    End of the Year Data Over Time- Six-Year Span for 1st Grade

    % on Grade Level

    School 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
    % On 58.3% 57.2% 50.3% 54.7% 64.2% 70.5%

     

    Please feel free to comment on any aspect of the data that you feel is particularly significant. 

    • South School showed a 24.1% increase by moving students into the proficient and advanced levels from 2001 to 2005 resulting in South Elementary making the Top Ten Most Improved School List in Missouri for Communication Arts.
    • South School met all benchmarks of AYP in 2006 and 2007.   

                             School Total     F/R Lunch        IEP                  Annual Proficiency Target
    2006 CA              46.6%             41.7%           41.7%                          34.7%
    2007 CA              55.1%             43.1%           33.3%                          42.9%

    • We have four literacy coaches at South Elementary serving all grade-levels helping teachers focus on Communication Arts needs.
    • DRA data shows evidence of marked improvement in reading achievement since implementation of the PLC model.
    • At South Elementary, we have master teachers that help embed professional development within our school.  We are all learners. 
    • We believe the district’s proactive approach to early childhood education has significantly impacted the increase in student achievement at South Elementary.  Since the 2004 school year, we have added two early childhood classrooms.  Presently, five early childhood classrooms serve the district’s neediest children ages three through five. We also recognize our district’s Parents as Teachers (PAT) program that serves our Birth to age 5 population for their efforts to help identify these needy students.  As a result, many of the children enter kindergarten on an equal level with their peers.  This program received recognition from Missouri Governor, Matt Blunt. 

     

    Please present any additional information that indicates your efforts to build a professional learning community have had a positive impact upon students and/or teachers.

    • Eldon South Elementary promotes and fosters a sense of learning for all students and staff.  Teachers live by their shared mission, vision, and commitment statements.  During collaborative team meetings teachers share their concerns, reflect on their teaching strategies, and make decisions based on data.  The four critical questions of PLC drive the conversations.  South School has four literacy coaches who embed professional development by modeling effective practices in all classrooms, debriefing with teachers, and initiating deeper conversations about learning with students and staff.  Teachers and administrators participate in walkthrough observations in all classrooms to continue to learning and improve instruction.  South School serves as a host PLC model school for other districts to observe the PLC practices at work.  Several staff members have shared their successful practices at district and state conferences. 

    Please elaborate upon strategies you have found to be effective in any of the following areas:

    1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

    • Through the use of frequent common assessments, teachers identify who needs additional time and support and who already knows the essential learning.  Grade level teams meet twice weekly to discuss each at risk learner and to identify the instructional practices getting the best results.  Several common assessments are used for monitoring reading achievement such as the DRA, DIBELS and SIPPS progress monitoring tools.
    • DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment) is given to all kindergartners twice a year and all other grades three times.
    • DIBELS (Dynamic Indicator of Basic Early Literacy Skills) is administered to all kindergartners and all identified at-risk readers in other grades three times per year.
    • SIPPS (Systematic Intervention in Phonics, Phoneme Awareness, and Sight Words) assessment tool is given to all kindergartners in January, all first graders in the fall, and any struggling reader in second and third grade.  Progress monitoring is done after every ten lessons for all students.
    • Collaborative teams meet three times per year with the administration.  The first meeting is to look at results of common bench mark assessments, identify the at-risk students, and write SMART goals and action steps to achieve the goals.  The following meetings are used to monitor progress, discuss concerns, brainstorm interventions, and celebrate successes.  Progress is monitored student by student.  The results of all assessments determine the type and intensity of interventions as well as monitoring progress of student goals.
    • For example, one group of teachers commented: "Collaboratively as a team we construct common assessments.  Along with the common assessment we also construct a rubric.  Each assessment has its own rubric specific to that assessment.  The rubric is discussed with the students before the assessment is given.  As a team we come to a consensus on when the assessment should be given.  As we give assessments it is not unusual to make changes.  We understand that common assessments are an ongoing project.  We will tweak them or sometimes change them completely based on the knowledge level or needs of our students."

     

    2. Creating systems of intervention to provide students with additional time and support for learning.

    • Each grade level team sets targets based on grade level expectations, a guide for pacing the curriculum, and common assessments with scoring guides to determine proficiency. 
    • The teams establish a daily 45 minutes block of time for intervention when no new curriculum objectives are taught.  The time is spent using leveled interventions for struggling learners and enrichment/extension activities for others.  All grade levels have interventions at the same time so flexible grouping is possible across grade levels.
    • During intervention time, classroom teachers, Americorp tutors, literacy coaches, special education staff, medial specialist, a technology instructor, and para-professionals work as a team to meet the needs of all children.

    3. Building the capacity of teachers to work as members of high performing collaborative teams who focus the efforts of their team on improved learning for students.

    • Teachers have a weekly Wednesday early release (one hour) to meet in collaborative teams.
    • All grade level teachers have daily 45 minute common plan times.
    • All meetings are focused on the four critical questions about student learning.
    • Each team maintains a notebook with all meeting agendas, lists of at-risk students, common assessments, grade level expectations and data used to monitor progress.
    • Teachers share responsibilities for weekly collaborative meetings.
    • Collaborative teams give agendas, minutes from meetings, and common assessment results to the administrator.
    • The administrator rotates attendance during weekly collaborative plan time.
    • Professional development is provided throughout the year to improve the practices of highly effective collaborative teams.
    • PLC Leadership Team plans and facilitates all staff meetings.
    • We have master teachers that provide and embed professional development within our school.
    • We are all learners.

    List any Awards and Recognition Garnered by Your School

    • Eldon South Elementary has been named as a Missouri Model PLC school for two consecutive years in a row.
    • Eldon South Elementary made the Missouri Top Ten Most Improved Schools List in Communication Arts ranking fourth.
    • Eldon South Elementary PLC Leadership Team presented at the Powerful Learning Conference on the topic of collaboration
    • Deanna Boyd, principal and Patti Raynor, teacher have received the PLC Service Award at the Missouri Powerful Learning Conference
    • Superintendent, Dr. C.J. Huff, received the PLC Central Office Award at the Missouri Powerful Learning Conference
    • Eldon South Elementary was awarded the Comprehensive School Reform Grant in conjunction with Developmental Studies Center to improve comprehension strategies
    • Many Missouri teachers have visited Eldon South Elementary to observe the effective practices of the PLC Model at work.