Arrowhead Elementary School

Introduction

Arrowhead Elementary was identified as a local reconstitution school in February of 2002 due to declining scores on the Maryland State Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP).   In the fall of 2003, a new principal and assistant principal were appointed.  Since this appointment academic achievement has increased significantly as shown by the 2004 and 2005 Maryland School Assessment (MSA) results.  Trends over two years continue on an upward spiral with 2005 MSA scores released.  It should be noted although we met or exceeded the annual measurable objective (AMO) in all academic areas, our special education subgroup did not meet the attendance requirement under the safe harbor provision in 2004.  As a result we did not achieve our Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) for 2004.  All subgroups met or exceeded the AMO for 2005, and consequently AYP was achieved for this year.  For 2005-2006, a new administrative team, including a principal and assistant principal, was appointed to continue to improve, sustain, or accelerate student achievement.

Arrowhead Elementary is a comprehensive K-6 elementary school located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.  Included in the educational program is a Comprehensive Special Education Program (CSEP) for students in K-6.  The academic program teaches all content areas fully aligned to the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) performance goals and with the school system’s Quality Schools Program Strategic Plan (QSPSP) with a focus on the Balanced Reading Program and the 5 E’s lesson planning for mathematics and science.  In an uninterrupted block of time (grades K-5: 120 minutes and grade 6: 90 minutes) reading groups are taught daily with differentiated instruction for small groups inclusive of proficient and advanced learners. A daily 90-minute uninterrupted block of time is designated in our master schedule for mathematics instruction inclusive of differentiated small groupings, cooperative learning and use of computers for reinforcement. The CSEP students follow the grade level curriculum with appropriate modifications and accommodations.  CSEP students with appropriate social skills benefit from inclusion opportunities in classes for reading and mathematics.  Grades 3 through 6 are organized in two blocks of time:  a language arts block and a math/science/social studies/health block.  Arrowhead’s school vision is that all stakeholders are committed to establishing and upholding high academic standards while meeting the needs of all types of learners.  We are also committed to providing an effective educational program that prepares our students to be lifelong learners.  In addition to our academic gains, Arrowhead Elementary was nominated for The Maryland Center for Character Education as the elementary school in Prince George’s County that has excelled in implementing a character education program during the 2004-2005 school year.

Consistent with No Child Left Behind, in February, 2005 parents and community stakeholders were notified in writing of the school’s status under school improvement.  Information included the school’s designation, an explanation of the identification, how the academic achievement levels in the school compare to other schools in the school system and state, the reason the school was identified, how the system will address the problem of low proficient, and an explanation of how parents can become involved in addressing the academic issues that led to the identification.

School Demographics

The total population for Arrowhead Elementary is 446 students, with 104 students in the Comprehensive Special Education program.  The racial composition of our school is 92% African Americans, 6% white students, and 2% Hispanic students.  Special education students comprise 26% and 48% of Arrowhead’s students participate in the Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS) program.  The CSEP has 12 age-appropriate classrooms of an average class size of 8. 

The staff of Arrowhead consists of 72 personnel:  3 administrators, 42 professional staff, and 17 paraprofessionals and 10 support staff.   Within the Arrowhead Elementary professional staff 12.0% hold an advanced professional certificate, 76.0% hold a standard professional certificate, 4.0% hold resident certification, and 8.0% hold conditional certification. 

We have developed business partnerships with Columbia Bank, Ritchie Land Reclamation, Westphalia Civic Association, and Full Circle Martial Arts Academy. The Columbia Bank partnership has a bank representative who works with 6^th grade math classes utilizing a check and balance system.  In brief, students had “checking accounts” established and were rewarded with deposits into their accounts based on math performance and behavior incentives.  The representative from the bank, who also served as our Principal for the Day, came in monthly to work with the students.  An end of the year celebration was sponsored by the bank. We will continue this program with the 5^th grade for 2005-2006. The Ritchie Land Reclamation is working to help improve the physical plant this year.  They are working to help build a new fence around the school and to pave the parking lot.  The Westphalia Civic Association provides mentoring support to several of our students in the building.  The Full Circle Martial Arts Academy gave ten 6-week scholarships to deserving students in our building.   

Major initiatives and how these efforts will improve, sustain, or accelerate student performance

The data presented represents preliminary grade level data for 2005.  Our special education students’ tests were reviewed during a state audit and consequently the number of students scoring proficient was higher than originally reported.  Current data on the MSDE website includes updated information for all students and individual subgroups.  The data for individual grade levels does not reflect the post-audit gains.

An analysis of our 2005 MSA data indicates that continued progress was made in reading for grades 3 through 6 and in mathematics for grades 3, 4, and 6.  In grade 3 the number of students scoring advanced and proficient levels increased to 59.7% for reading and 58.1% in math.  Fourth grade students scoring advanced and proficient increased to 66.7% in reading and 61.5% for math.  Fifth grade indicates the number of students scoring advanced and proficient increased to 59.1% in reading and a decrease to 50% in math.  In grade 6 the number of students scoring advanced and proficient increased to 66.3% in reading and 67.5% for math.  All subgroups for 2005 met the annual measurable objective (AMO) for both reading and math.  The subgroup of special education met AMO academically through safe harbor. A more in-depth analysis of data and trends is discussed in the Evidence of Need narrative.  The analysis of data continues to support reading and mathematics as our priority needs in addition to science.   These needs are in alignment with the QSPSP goals and the Maryland Content Standards. 

Arrowhead Elementary will continue with differentiated staff development to assist teachers in developing effective teaching strategies.  We will provide teachers with a bi-weekly opportunity during grade level meetings to gain information from professional dialogues through learning communities held with the administration, resources teachers and colleagues.  In addition, teacher mentoring/coaching will be implemented to build teacher capacity by conducting learning walks to monitor and assess areas school-wide that need to be addressed based on criteria generated by all stakeholders.  Strengths and weaknesses will be reviewed and analyzed with the staff in order to enhance Arrowhead’s professionalism and impact student achievement.

Reading

One major strategy Arrowhead will implement for 2005-2006 is the continuation of a rigorous language arts program as prescribed in the Balanced Reading Program. To ensure the success of all students the following initiatives will be implemented:

·         Continuation of reading groups for differentiated instruction

·         Flexible groups for reinforcement

·         Mini-lessons to enhance daily instruction

·         Horizontal (bi-weekly) and vertical (monthly) planning meetings to review and analyze student work  for instructional decision-making

·         Continuation of the Read First program for struggling students with additional intervention support

·         Extended day after school program providing small group instruction and individual tutoring for struggling students

·         Initiate a reading enrichment program for advanced and proficient students instructed by the administration

Mathematics

·         Continue writing opportunities in mathematics using BCRs and ECRs

·         Analyze student work in horizontal and vertical planning meetings focusing on writing

·         Develop a school-wide program for mastering basic facts

·         Provide professional development in writing opportunities for students and math learning centers

·         Extended day after school program as a cohort to the extended day opportunity in reading

·         Challenge of the Week (COW) program to promote higher-order thinking in problem-solving

Science

·         Align the VSC with Science Plus tasks to ensure all assessment limits are taught

·         Continue to integrate math and science 

·         Continue to utilize Science Plus tasks to generate BCRs.

Special Education

In an effort to increase the number of special education students scoring at the proficient and advanced levels, the following actions will be implemented to achieve AYP: 

·         Differentiated instruction and hands-on learning in math and science 

·         Flexible grouping, cooperative learning, and small group instruction using leveled reading materials in reading

·         Technology to extend and refine reading and math skills

·         Learning centers to reinforce basic skills and enhance concepts

·         Collaboratively plan weekly with special educators and general education counterparts to discuss issues, concerns, and/or strategies

·         Co-teach in grades 4 and 5 for language arts

·         Monitor student achievement to drive instructional decision-making and groupings from data sources

·         Inclusion in reading (when appropriate leveled groups exist within the general education classes) 

·         On-going staff development opportunities for special education teachers for making appropriate modifications and accommodations to regular curriculum

·         Attendance monitored for special education students 

Free and Reduced Meals Program (FARM)

In an effort to increase the number of FARM students scoring at the proficient and advanced levels, the following actions will be implemented to achieve AYP: 

·         Continue extended day learning opportunities to focus on FARM group.

·         Continue and enhance co-teaching programs for all students to include FARM group

·         Provide individual support through differentiated instruction in all grade levels.

English Language Learners

The school does not have a limited English Proficient (LEP) subgroup at this time.

Safe and Orderly

Through the leadership of our Safe and Orderly Environment Committee, Arrowhead will seek to maintain an environment that encourages learning and emotional/social well-being.  We will continue the use of Second-Step to teach all students the skills of empathy, impulse control, and anger management.  In addition, the school will initiate a Character Education program for this year.  A focus for this program will begin with building relationships among the staff.  The program will continue character building for students with the monthly recognition of appropriate character traits for individuals exhibiting those characteristics.  In addition, a school-wide behavior system will assist students in making appropriate behavioral choices.  Students demonstrating appropriate behavior are recognized and encouraged through quarterly incentive rewards. Our special education students will participate in our school-wide behavior program as well as being rewarded with specific attendance incentives.   Both the classroom teacher and CSEP coordinator will monitor the trends and patterns of student absenteeism.  As patterns are identified, parental contact will be made.  In addition, as part of the behavioral point system utilized in the CSEP program, points will be issued on a weekly basis for those students with perfect attendance for the week.  In an effort to assist students displaying negative behavior, the counselor will meet with suspended students to design a behavior plan targeting areas for improvement.  For the 2004-05 school year, we made significant progress in lowering the number of suspensions and referrals.   We recorded 10 suspensions and 79 referrals, a continued decreasing trend from the 2003-2004 school year which had 23 suspensions and over 96 referrals. Our emphasis for 2005-06 will be to encourage an environment that is safe for all students and conducive to learning.

Attendance

To improve the overall attendance rate at Arrowhead, particularly our special education population, will be the inclusion of an attendance initiative.  Daily reminders and recognition over the PA will be used to encourage daily, timely attendance.  Teachers will be required to record the contacts made for students who are absent.  A phone/meeting log book will be maintained by every classroom teacher which will indicate the phone contacts and conferences held specifically for attendance.  We will involve appropriate personnel utilizing the Region IV Truancy checklist steps as indicated: Telephone contacts, letter to parents, conference with parents, administrative/discipline intervention, guidance counselor intervention, certified letter, joint conference (principal, teacher, guidance counselor, parent), recordation and notification to parents if absences are unlawful, PS41 completion, referral to SST, and referral to PPW.     

Parent Involvement