Closing the Achievement Gap in Park City School District

1. Closing the Achievement Gap in Park City School District Tom VanGorder, Student Services Director Tom Burchett, Data Manager Nicole Todd, Special Education Coordinator

2. Summit County’s Changing Demographics This represents a 638% increase in the Hispanic population since 1990

3. Changing Demographics…

4. Are we happy with our data? • District-wide (3rd- 5th grade) proficiency rate: 91% • Disaggregated data • 2009 proficiency rates by subgroup: • Caucasian= 95% • LEP= 55% • Sped= 67%

5. Why? Core Literacy Instruction varied widely from school to school and even from classroom to classroom within a school School Improvement Plans and District Goals were not in alignment Competing Initiatives and Goals

6. Coordinated and focused efforts • Initiated bi-weekly meetings including Curriculum, Student Services, and Elem Principals to formulate a plan (ongoing to implement the plan) • Plan presented to the school board • Created “us” instead of “them”

7. Where to start? • Tier 1 Instruction (Language Arts) • 80% proficient? Not by subgroup • 2009 proficiency rates by subgroup: • Caucasian= 95% • LEP= 55% • Sped= 67% • Role of support personnel (Reading Specialists, ELL, Coaches, Special Education Teachers) This highlighted that we weren’t teaching ALL students

8. The mentality had to shift so that all students were seen as first the responsibility of the grade level team

9. Tier 1 Instruction • Comprehensive SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) PD for every elementary staff member • One Friday afternoon per month mandatory training • Comprehensive SIOP PD for every district administrator and coach • Admin focus-accountability, coaching focus-support • SIOP Model teacher cohort established • 20 teachers, in-depth training and coaching on the model • Comprehensive SIOP PD for every secondary staff member later

10. Tier 1 Instruction • Data collection system created (Student Detail Report) • Mandatory weekly grade-level tiered instruction meetings • Involved only grade level team to begin with • Shift from Sped Evaluation to problem solving and interventions • Response to Intervention decision making for interventions as well as LD eligibility. • Superintendent/cabinet weekly school visits • Latinos in Action at PCHS and TMIS • Trained to provide tutoring in reading and math at Title I elementary schools • 2010-11: New Language Arts Core and 180 minutes of LA instruction (doubled)

11. Tiers 2 and 3 • The problem with available interventions and the problem solving model • Standard Protocol Committee: • Early Steps and Next Steps- Grades 1-3 • Reading Mastery- Grades K, 4, 5 • Language!- Grades 4 & 5 intensive- 90 min/day • Some interventions require missing specialists

12. Tiers 2 & 3 After School Program 6-week Summer School Family Literacy Classes Preschool

13. Our Results…

22. Where are we now? • 2009 proficiency rates by subgroup: • Caucasian= 95% • LEP= 55% • Sped= 67% • 2010 rates • Caucasian= 96% • LEP= 59% • Sped= 69%

23. Other Results • Shift in “my students/your students” mentality • Fewer initiatives being implemented more thoroughly • School Improvement plans are now aligned and consistent • Fewer LD referrals to special education

24. Initial Referrals to Special Education

25. Student Detail Report

28. What we’ve learned • Critical Pieces: • Leadership buy-in/support is critical school board- building principals • Required participation and implementation • Accountability for administrators as well as teachers • The role of the building principal is critical • Coaches and model SIOP teachers provide the support necessary to ensure continued growth in our ability to teach ALL students.

29. What we’ve learned Scheduling Getting interventions started earlier in the school year Ordering new materials Dibels Next Meeting protocol developing- current kids of concern and discussion about tiers 1 and 2.