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Ocean Breeze Elementary School

School Information

School Name: Ocean Breeze Elementary School
School Address: 1101 Cheyenne Drive, Indian Harbour Beach, FL 32937
School Phone: 321.779.2040
School Fax: 321.779.2045
Principal:  Mrs. Laurie W. Hering
Principal E-Mail: hering.laurie@brevardschools.org
Web Address: http://www.edline.net/pages/Ocean_Breeze_Elementary_School

Demographics

Number of Students: 536
Number eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch: 19.4%
Percent of Limited English Proficient: 0.6%
Percent of Special Education: 17.2%
Racial/Ethnic Percentages:

  • White: 90%
  • Black: .2%
  • Hispanic: 2.8%
  • Asian/Pacific Island: 1.5%
  • Other: 5.5%

 

Present Student Achievement Data

 

Grade 3
Math
Reading
2005-06
93/80/72
95/81/75
2006-07
99/81/74
92/78/69
2007-08
94/83/76
89/81/72
2008-09
92/82/78
91/79/71
2009-10
99/81/78
96/79/72

 

Grade 4
Math
Reading
Writing
(3.5 and above)
2005-06
88/78/67
90/76/66
82/79/76
2006-07
92/77/69
88/78/68
82/81/60
2007-08
94/79/71
92/89/70
75/78/77
2008-09
94/80/75
96/84/74
95/86/85
2009-10
90/80/74
88/80/72
98/94/94

 

Grade 5
Math
Reading
Science
2005-06
86/66/57
96/77/67
92/57/35
2006-07
86/70/59
94/82/72
81/64/42
2007-08
80/71/61
89/78/67
69/61/43
2008-09
90/70/62
95/80/71
78/62/46
2009-10
83/69/63
89/79/69
75/64/49

 

Grade 6
Math
Reading
2001-02
84/61/43
84/66/51
2002-03
83/67/47
90/72/53/
2003-04
82/68/46
86/77/54
2004-05
88/69/47
85/74/56
2005-06
88/70/53
91/78/64
2006-07
89/68/50
93/78/62
2007-08
94/74/53
94/80/63
2008-09
85/73/55
92/82/66
2009-10
91/76/57
93/81/67

 

 

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

Ocean Breeze Elementary School was named a 2010 National Blue Ribbon School.  Yearly Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) data shows that our students consistently score above both the state and district averages in reading, math, science, and writing.  Overall student achievement continues to improve over the course of the years as reflected in the assessment data above. Based on the overall student achievement on the 2010 FCAT, Ocean Breeze Elementary ranked eighth in the district based on points awarded for school grade and was among the top 100 elementary schools in the state of Florida.  Of special note is our overall state ranking of 39th for third grade students and 34th for sixth grade students.

Our National Blue Ribbon award was based on consistently high levels of student achievement in recent years along with the consistent growth in the percent of students making annual learning gains in Reading and Math. Those learning gains were particularly noteworthy in our subgroup of Students with Disabilities. 

An analysis of 2010 FCAT data shows that Ocean Breeze Elementary student perform at the highest levels on annual academic achievement measures. Ninty-four percent (94%) of our students are performing at or above grade level in reading and 91% of our students are performing at or above grade level in math. Specific strength is reflected in our 3rd grade results (96% on or above in reading and 99% on or above in math) and in our 6th grade results (93% on or above in reading and 91% on or above in math). Overall, 77% of our students made an annual learning gain in reading and 63% made an annual learning gain in math.  Ninty-eight percent (98%) of our 4th grade students scored at proficiency in writing (3.5) and 75% or our 5th grade students scored at proficiency in science.

An analysis of subgroups revealed that 75% of our of our lowest 25% made annual learning gains in reading and 66% made annual learning gains in math. Students with disabilities had similar results with 77% and 64% making annual learning gains in reading and math respectively. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of our economically disadvantaged students made annual learning gains in reading and 90% made annual learning gains in math. The results for our highest performing students (levels 4 and 5) revealed annual learning gains of 78% and 62% for reading and math respectively.

In addition, a review of grade specific data revealed that sixth graders demonstrated the largest percentage of students making annual learning gains in both reading and math (83% and 74% respectively). While fourth graders were near the school average for annual learning gains for reading (75%), the percent making annual learning gains in math was 54%; significantly below the school average. Similarly, fifth graders making annual learning gains were slightly below the school average for both reading (74%) and math (58%).

Further analysis of instructional data using Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) results, running records, Florida Assessment for Instruction in Reading (FAIR), and District Required Assessments indicates that 91% of our current first through third grade students are working on or above grade level in reading and 95% are working on or above grade level in mathematics.

 

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.

The Professional Learning Community at Ocean Breeze Elementary is a systematic process which supports teachers in determining results-based goals, implementing strategies and interventions, and identifying the academic progress made within the school. Our master calendar is prepared during the spring of the prior school year with teacher teams to ensure dedicated and protected time for professional development and collaboration between teachers as we tap into the instructional strengths of our own resident expert, catalyst teachers.  Professional Learning Communities have two different looks, and two different functions.  The function of our school-wide PLC’s is to enable the Ocean Breeze instructional staff to participate in professional development that applies to all and is driven by school-wide needs.  Grade level PLC’s, made up of teachers within a specific grade level, enable each team to customize professional development to meet that grade levels’ unique data-driven needs. Each group develops specific SMART goals and has a definitive function within the larger professional learning community at Ocean Breeze Elementary School. 

In addition to PLC’s, each grade level team also serves as a Teacher Intervention Planning Team (TIP Team).  The function of TIP Teams is to, “work on the work” of disaggregating individual student and class data, discussing high-yield instructional strategies to meet the student’s or classroom’s needs, developing and analyzing formative assessments, and assisting team members through the formal Response to Intervention (RtI) process in ensuring that each student’s unique learning needs are met.  Decisions on professional development needs come from the dynamic process of the work accomplished through TIP Teams.

Curriculum teams, including the Reading Leadership Team, Math Curriculum Committee, and Science Curriculum Committee are also an integral part of the professional learning community as teachers examine content-specific data, make instructional decisions and develop goals which are monitored by the administration and staff.

Through our PLC’s, the Ocean Breeze Elementary School instructional staff engages in a continuous process of collaboration and professional growth.  Notable through this process is:

  • Over the last four years, to focus of our school-wide PLC’s has included Differentiated Instruction, Multiple Intelligences, Marzano’s Classroom Instruction That Works, Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures, and Thinking Maps.  The focus of our school-wide PLC’s for the 2010-11 school year is B.E.S.T. (Brevard Effective Strategies for Teaching).  This district initiative encompasses all of the areas of focus or our prior PLC’s, it enables Ocean Breeze delve deeper into each of the focus areas and to utilize catalyst teachers to present learning modules to our staff.  This has not only fostered continued professional growth, but opportunities for collaboration.
  • Teacher leaders facilitate grade level Professional Learning Communities which are scheduled monthly to share best practices and instructional strategies. The specific areas of focus for the grade level PLC’s is determined through the work the team engages in through TIP Teams.  TIP Teams, also comprised of grade level team members and resource staff, meet on alternate Mondays for a minimum of two times per month.
  • Grade level teams have a common, 40 minute planning period which provides additional time for collaboration.  Grade level teams meet regularly with administration to analyze data, determine instructional goals and strategies, to examine areas of growth or concern for academic success, and to monitor student progress, especially subgroups including those students working below grade level or in the lowest 25%.

 

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

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

Student progress is monitored throughout the year using a variety of formative and summative assessments. Students are administered inventory assessments for reading and math at the beginning of the school year or upon entering the school. They also complete a Scholastic Reading Counts online test to determine their reading level. Quarterly assessments are administered, in conjunction with Florida Assessment for Instruction in Reading (FAIR), an ongoing, progress monitoring tool that assesses the components of reading.  These common assessments provide data for teachers to use to determine areas of strengths and needs. They are used to formulate individual instruction for students. Teachers and administrators keep an ongoing data notebook to monitor progress of students. Meetings are held with parents to communicate their progress throughout the year.  Administrators work with basic classroom teachers and exceptional education teachers to produce detailed, informative progress reports for each child. The Reading Leadership team is led by teacher leaders, and a plan is created each year which includes disaggregated data, SMART goals and strategies to the meet the goal. Essential elements of the curriculum are identified, and non-negotiable are developed for school-wide implementation. The plan is communicated to all teachers through staff meetings led by teacher leaders and school administration. Teachers are held accountable to the goal and meet on a monthly basis to determine academic progress.

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

Teacher Intervention Planning (TIP) Teams:

TIP Teams are comprised of grade level team members and resource staff.  Each team meets twice a month to focus on specific concerns for student performance or behavior. Interventions are suggested and then implemented by the classroom teacher or resource and support staff.

Interventions:

Tier two interventions are provided by the classroom teacher or through additional resources of exceptional education teachers working with small groups. The interventions are timely and specific to meet the individual needs of the students. These interventions are in addition to the 90 minute reading block scheduled for all students. Each grade level has a daily, dedicated Intervention Time.  During this time, teachers work together as a team and share students which allows for the provision of a very small group tier three interventions for students working significantly below level, and for enrichment activities for the balance of students.  After school tutoring through our Academic Support Program provides an additional 2 hours of instruction per week for our 3rd through 6th graders needing reading or math instructional support.  Mentors and volunteers also work with instructional personnel to provide additional support for basic skills as part of the intervention program.

Inclusion:

Instruction by exceptional education teachers is provided in basic classrooms as appropriate. Students receive the interventions by both the classroom and support staff. Students with disabilities are mainstreamed or fully included in basic programs.

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.

All instructional teachers and administrators are members of a Professional Learning Community team. The PLC teams are led by teacher leaders. Through using both school-wide and grade level PLC’s, our efforts on ensuring relevancy of professional learning is optimized.  This composition of PLC teams also facilitates a high level of collaboration between teachers and communication on instructional strategies, and strengthens the staff by learning from peers, resident experts, catalyst teachers, and working together in a collegial atmosphere. SMART goals are developed by each PLC team, and the progress of the goals is monitored throughout the year. The structure of TIP Teams and grade level PLC teams work in concert to ensure that professional development is geared to the specific needs of each grade level team. Instructional strategies are shared, as well as successful implementation within the classroom of discussed interventions. Non-negotiables and essential learning elements are identified.

Common planning time, TIP Teams, and grade level PLC’s ensures for dedicated time for teams to collaborate, process on-going student performance data, generate intervention strategies, share teaching strategies and best practices, and direct professional development activities to their grade level needs. This structure has supported the opportunity for teachers to engage in the cyclical process of analyzing, planning, implementing, and monitoring in collaborative groups, then engage in targeted learning activities to build the capacity of our high-performing instructional teams.

 

List awards and recognitions your school has achieved

--Named a 2010 National Blue Ribbon School, U. S. Department of Education.

--Ocean Breeze Elementary has been an "A" school based on Florida School Recognition Program for the past eleven (11) years.

--Recipient of the Florida Music Demonstration School Recognition.

--Recipient of the ATTAIN award for outstanding technology integration.

--Recepiant of the Florida Power Library designation.

--Ocean Breeze Elementary has over 9,000 volunteer hours for the 2009-10 school year, and has received the Golden School Award for 15 years.

--Ocean Breeze Elementary has received the Five Star Award each year for business partnerships, parent volunteers, and communication.

--Recipient of the Five Star Cafeteria recognition for proper management of food service.

--Recipient of School Age Child Care Gold Key Award for excellence in program offerings, safety and management of the program.

--Ocean Breeze Elementary School has seven teachers who are National Board Certified.