Keys to Success:  Assessment, Data Analysis, Staff Collaboration, & Focused Instruction

South Elementary School
Des Plaines, Illinois
Mary Ellen Bleeden, Principal 
Beatriz Cruz-Bradley, 1st Gr. Bilingual Teacher

Slide 2 - School Facts
•	Type: Elementary School
•	Size: 304 Students, Pre-Kindergarten-5th Grade 
•	Location: Suburban School with Urban Characteristics
•	Staff Characteristics: 1 Administrator, 17 Classroom Teachers, 12 Specialists, 12.5 Paraprofessional, 3 Support Staff 
•	Assessments: 
	-Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT)
    -Illinois Measure of Academic Growth in English (IMAGE)
    -Measure of Academic Progress (MAP)

Slide 3 - Educational Issues
•	Changing Demographics

•	Data 1999 - Present
	-Limited English population increased by 20%.
	-Hispanic population more than doubled.
	-Low income families increased by 15%.

•	Test scores were dropping especially in reading.

Slides 4, 5 - Common Academic Focus
•	Developed Building-Wide Reading Recommendations
	-Reading Fluency
		 •Snapshots in September, January, and May
		 •Struggling readers are monitored monthly.
		 •Each student sets a trimester goals. 

	-Word Study: Provide students strategies & opportunities to   		    learn words independently.

	-Writing Across the Curriculum
 
•	Comprehension Skills
	-Common reading comprehension strategy taught monthly:
		•connecting • predicting • imaging •inferencing 	  	•questioning •summarizing
•	Flexible guided reading groups
•	Increased the amount of non-fiction reading taught.
•	Reduced the amount of fiction reading taught.
•	Increased time spent on reading instruction.

Slide 6 - Common Planning Time
•	Grade level teams meet 3 times a week 
	for about one hour.
		-set academic goals 
		-design common instructional units
		-share effective teaching strategies
		-formulate common assessment 
		- analyze performance data
		- develop flexible groups
		- monitor performance

Slide 7 - Frequent Assessments
•	Illinois Snapshots of Early Literacy - ISEL, Primary Gds

•	Measure of Academic Progress - MAP, Gds 3-5

•	Reading Fluency Snapshots - Gds 2-5

•	Illinois Standards Achievement Test-ISAT, Gds 3-5

•	Illinois Measure of Academic Growth in English
	(IMAGE) - Gds 3-5

Slide 8 - Measure of Academic Progress - MAP
•	Achievement test taken on a computer.
•	Students assessed in reading, math, and language.
•	Immediate scores upon completion of the test.
•	Performance data within one day.
•	Scores indicate a student’s instructional level.
•	Instructional focus on exact area of learning that will help the student can make greatest academic gains.    

Slide 9 - Interventions
•	Project Prevent
•	Title I Reading
•	Special Education-SRA Reading, Math, & Writing Programs
•	 Wilson Reading Program
•	Flexible Ability Groups
•	ELL Resource 
•	Read Naturally
•	Reading Mentors
•	Before/After School Reading Groups
•	OASIS Tutoring

Slide 10 - Bilingual Education
Philosophy: Students must be literate in their first language to be academically and cognitively proficient in the second language.

Model: Transitional Bilingual Education 
–	Bilingual
–	Sheltered English
–	Total Main Streaming into Regular Education

Slide 11 - Special Classroom Programs
•	State-At-Risk Preschool
•	Special Education Preschool
•	Special Education Kindergarten
•	Special Education Intermediate Self-Contained LD
•	Special Education Intermediate Self-Contained ED
•	Primary Bilingual Classrooms (3)
•	Intermediate Transitional ESL

Slide 12 - Additional Literacy Activities
•	Reading Olympics
•	Breakfast Program Reading
•	Bear Facts Student Newspaper
•	Family English
•	Translation provided daily in the office
•	Newsletter and all other school communications are provided in Spanish.
Slide 13 - Summary Points
•	Key Learning:  
	-Set Common School Wide Goals
	-Administer Common Assessments
	-Analyze Data Frequently
	-Implement Flexible Grouping

•	Challenges Still Ahead          
	-Ability to Hire Highly Qualified Bilingual & ELL Staff
	-To Provide Support Services to Primary Bilingual Student in Spanish
	-Ongoing Staff Commitment to Working Collaboratively