Fort Leavenworth USD 207

 

District Information

District Name: Fort Leavenworth USD 207
District Address: 207 Education Way
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 66027
District Phone: (913) 651-7373
District Fax: (913) 758-6010
Principals:
Dr. Marty Gill, Patton Junior High School
Mr. Charles Stillian, Assistant Principal, Patton Junior High School
Mrs. Marlene Black, Eisenhower Elementary School
Dr. Jeanne Berg, MacArthur Elementary School
Mr. Brian Schwanz, Bradley Elementary School
Contact: Professional Learning Communities District Contact:
Geri Parscale, Director of Professional Development and Instruction
(913) 651-7373   gparscale@ftlvn.com

 

Demographics

Number of Students      1, 703
Number of Eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch: 168
Percent of LEP: 12%
Percent of Special Education: 10%
Racial/Ethnic Percentages:

White:                                      66%
Black:                                       13%
Hispanic                                   3%
Asian/Pacific Islander                4%
Multi-Ethnic                              14%

 

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

Specific Subject Data by District

Data based on Kansas State Assessments

Reading & Math By Subject ( State Target/USD 207)

By grade	2005	2006	2007	2008
Grade 4 Reading	60.1/83.9	67.7/86.2	69.5/87.43	75.60/93.5
Grade 7 Reading	60.1/81.8	67.7/81.5	69.5/91.15	75.60/94.4
Grade 4 Math	63.4/85.8	63.4/86.4	66.8/88.1	73.4/95.5
Grade 7 Math	63.4/82.0	63.4/75.1	66.8/78.23	73.4/73.6

The Kansas State Math and Reading Assessment are administered for grades 4 and 7 prior to 2006. 

In 2006, the state began testing all children, grades 3-8, in accordance with NCLB.

Facts:

• Scores based on 100% scale
• Students score significantly above the average state score in the areas of reading and math
• Based on analysis of data, Patton Junior High teachers have begun to work as professional learning communities during the 2007-08 school year
• Kansas State Assessment Administered in the Spring each year in Reading and Math
• Writing, Social Studies and Science tests administered alternate years
• Testing all grades, 3-8, began in 2006 in compliance with “No Child Left Behind”

 

Data from Iowa Test of Basic Skills by District
(USD 207 District Core Scores)
*Testing of Grades 2-8 twice per year scores indicate fall/spring scores

By grade	2005	2006	2007
1st	na/2.3	na/2.3	na.2.3
2nd	2.3/3.7	2.5/3.6	2.4/3.6
3rd	3.8/5	3.7/4.8	3.6/4.7
4th	4.8/6.1	4.8/6.2	4.7/5.7
5th	6/7.3	6/7.2	6/7.2
6th	7.2/8.3	7.8/9.2	7.6/8.5
7th	9.2/10.5	8.1/9.9	9.2/10.7
8th	10.6/11.4	10.4/12.3	9.6/11.3

 

The Iowa Test of Basic Skills, a standardized, norm-referenced assessment, was administered grades 2-9 twice per year to show student growth (students in grade 1 took the test only in the Spring).  The test is no longer given, so there is no 2008 data to share. Fort Leavenworth had 65% turnover (Military Population) and the results of this test were used by our parents as they moved to different schools throughout the Country and overseas.

Facts:

 

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

The Fort Leavenworth story provides an excellent example of the ability of one school to impact practice across an entire district.  In 2002, Bradley Elementary School implemented "collaborative" time for each grade level, Kindergarten-6th grade.  State Assessments were given in the areas of Reading, Science, Math, Writing and Social Studies.  To say that our children did well is an understatement, with students reaching "the standard of excellence" (less than 5% of students scoring in the unsatisfactory range while more than 25% of our students scoring in the exemplary range) in Science, Math, Writing and Social Studies!!! 
  

Based on the data that we were able to glean from these assessments as well as "word of mouth", we had our two other elementary schools come "on board" with teacher collaborative time in 2003.  Based on working as PLC's, test scores continued to rise.  One example:  The data from the sixth grade social studies assessment that was administered indicated that we had NO CHILDREN in the unsatisfactory range and 68% of our children in the exemplary range!!! 
  

During the past six years, we have continued to grow as professional learning communities at our elementary schools.  Fort Leavenworth students score significantly above the state average in the areas of Reading and Math (testing at grades 3-9 began in 2006 in conjunction with No Child Left Behind) and during the 2007 administration, met the level of “Standard of Excellence” in 21 out of 28 areas.
  

Fort Leavenworth experiences an approximate 65% student turnover rate each year.  Our teachers understand the need to assess and deliver quality instruction based on the needs of the child in the short time they are with us.  PLC’s make it possible for teachers to have weekly collaborative time.  The scores on the state assessments directly reflect this collaboration, helping each teacher meet the needs of each child. 

Our 7-9 grade students attend Patton Junior High School.  Until this year, Patton has not operated as a PLC.  As the professionals at Patton Junior High school began to look at the data from our elementary schools and examining the data from grades 7 & 8, teachers have begun to work as professional learning communities at these grade levels during the 2007-08 school year.  We are anxious to administer the Kansas Assessment in the spring, 2008.  We anticipate great gains as we move forward with Professional Learning Communities at Patton.

 

 

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.

We have been operating as a Professional Learning Community at Fort Leavenworth Elementary Schools for the past six years.  At Patton Junior High School, based on our data analysis, we have begun working as a PLC during the 2007-08 school year.  During this time, we have had the opportunity to grow and change each year as our military population changes each year.  As we have progressed, our professional development council has created several opportunities for on-going professional learning.  Included in these opportunities are:

• Book Studies offered each semester, using books addressing the PLC concept (such as Learning by Doing and Professional Learning Communities at Work by Richard and Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker & Thomas Many ) and Assessment (such as Classroom Assessment for Student Learning:  Doing it Right-Using it Well by Richard J. Stiggins, Judith A. Arter, Jan Chappuis and Stephen Chappuis).
• All district professional development days are used to support Professional Learning Communities.  Included are opportunities for horizontal team as well as vertical team learning.
• Each grade level (K-6) participates in PLC collaborative time weekly.
• Junior High School teachers meet weekly in PLC collaborative time (using like plan times).
• During the 2008-09 school year, Patton Junior High School will implement a master schedule, allowing for teachers to have a common plan time daily.  In addition, this schedule will allow for students to have an advisory period for extra academic support.
• Each staff member new to the USD 207 district receives Learning by Doing (DuFour, Eaker & Many) as well as instruction on the Professional Learning Communities concept as part of their first year professional development.

As we operate as professional learning communities at Fort Leavenworth, the teachers work as a team.  As we build the culture of collaboration at different grade levels, all teachers, while they bring different opinions and strengths to the table, are there to work for and benefit children.  Teachers view their teams as vital to powerful instruction and student achievement.  As one group collaborates, one teacher might shines as the organizer, another might be the “creative” one, another’s strength is monitoring addressing the standards and still another’s strength is the delivery of instruction.  They use these differences as strengths to help in addressing the needs of the students, helping them to reach the high standards set.

Prior to operating as a PLC, data, while it existed, was not used.  Now, collecting data truly helps teachers to see where children are operating and helps the teachers in designing what additional instruction needs to take place.  Teachers analyze the data from common assessments and switch the groupings of children based on their needs.  Without collaboration and the focus on learning, this would not happen.

 

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

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

Common assessments are administered to students for standard/benchmark taught (given as a pre- and post-assessment format).  Teachers then collect that data and, in weekly collaborative time, analyze it to see where students are performing.  Students are then placed in different instruction groups, based on their needs.  This “flexible grouping”, based on data, allows teachers to instruct specific to the child’s needs, to closely monitor student progress and the need for additional interventions. 

During monitoring student learning, it is important to look at student achievement rather than teacher achievement.  USD 207 teachers never allow their collaborative time to turn into a “blame” situation.  “Leave your ego at the door” is often used as one of the norms that have been developed by the group.  In doing this, the teachers are allowed to look at the children as their grade rather than just by their class.
Teachers use common, formative assessments for learning, teachers look at the data in collaborative sessions to see exactly where students are performing.  It is at that point that teachers make informed decisions about what the student needs to know, where the “holes” in learning come and instruction changes for that child.  Teachers use flexible grouping as the norm, based on what the data is telling them.   

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

Each school at Fort Leavenworth operates a student improvement team.  Prior to creating and operating as a PLC, teachers were quick to take the needs of students to the SIT and advocated for testing for further services.  As we have grown as PLC’s, pyramids of interventions have been developed and put into place in each of our schools.  The POI’s allow for teachers to know and understand what interventions are available for students dependent on his/her needs. 
When teachers began the process of putting together a pyramid, brainstorming sessions were held in each grade level to allow teachers to share all the interventions that were used at the school.  Teachers then developed these pyramids based two factors: 
1. The number of students to whom the intervention was available
2. The intensity of the intervention. 

Those interventions that have the least intensity and made available to the most students were placed at the bottom of the pyramid as the base.  Interventions with more intensity and are needed by fewer children were place at tiers II and III.  Once a grade level’s POI was completed, teachers had the opportunity to combine pyramids into one, based on grade groupings (example: grades 2, 3, & 4 grouped their interventions into one POI). 
Teachers now use this POI as a tool for providing timely and direct interventions to students based on their need.   If a professional in the classroom recognizes that a student is struggling in the classroom, no longer are they inclined to take the concern to the SIT but rather turn to the pyramid of interventions and look at the base interventions.  After gathering results as to the success of the intervention for the child, the teacher may move up the POI to the tiers above, as the teacher uses interventions to help the student be successful.

Prior to establishing and building Pyramids of Intervention, it was the norm for teachers who recognized a child having difficulty in academics or behavior to move immediately to the “Pre-Assessment” process and had an attitude of “someone else needs to do something for him”.  We realized that teachers, while good, may have different levels of understanding about the interventions available to students.  Teachers also realized that some needed additional training on different teaching strategies, additional training on the use of different interventions and ALL needed training on collection of data as to how recognize the success of the interventions for the child.  Creating these systems allowed for many learning opportunities for staff members.

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.

We believe that this area has been the most powerful for teachers and subsequently, creating better learning for our students.  During their time working collaboratively, best practices that happen in classroom are highlighted as ways to help students.  With time dedicated weekly to collaboration, teachers began to realize that best ways of delivering instruction were being discussed regularly and , through this regular collaboration, colleagues were there for each other to help implement those practices into the classrooms.

It has also been observed by teachers that after they have this opportunity regularly to speak about learning, they are able to build common language which is then noticed by students.  When flexible grouping happens, it has been noticed by students that teachers are “saying the same things”.  This is because teachers are provided the opportunity to collaborate and are able to present the information in a way that is united. 
Initially, collaboration was looked at as “one more thing to do” by many teachers at Fort Leavenworth.  Once this weekly time was established and used, teachers saw that they were all doing the same thing...but with collaboration, they only had to create it once!
Using collaboration, the teachers have changed the focus of the schools at Fort Leavenworth.  They work as a solid team toward student learning. They have noticed that in their weekly collaboration meetings, people do not use it to “sit and complain” about what is around them.  If this complaining begins, teachers are quick to look at each other and say “what are we doing to fix it?”

Another benefit to collaboration is repeatedly defining why we are asking students to learn specifics.  Pacing guides are used at all grade levels K-6 in reading and math, using the Kansas State Standards as the basis.  It was noticed that within collaborative time, teachers began discussions regarding “why are you teaching that if it is not part of the agreed upon curriculum?”  Some teachers had projects or lessons that had been taught because “we always do it that way”, even if it was not in the pacing guides and standards agreed to.  Through this culture of collaboration, trust levels are built so that one teacher can say to another “it is okay to give it up”.  In short, colleagues listen to one another.

 

List any Awards and Recognition Garnered by Your District

Met the “Kansas State Standard of Excellence” in 7 out of 16 areas tested(2005)
Met the “Kansas State Standard of Excellence” in 13 out of 28 areas tested(2006)
Met the “Kansas State Standard of Excellence” in 21 out of 28 areas tested(2007)