School Improvement Plan 2007

Introduction
Perrywood Elementary School is beginning its eleventh year as a neighborhood school. During the last school year, Perrywood students had the opportunity to enter various competitions. The students were able to earn a number of awards and recognition for their County and State academic skills, as well as their community service to various charities. Perrywood offers students a strong scholastic program that is in line with the “Quality Schools Program Strategic Plan”. Computer-assisted instruction for all grades, K-5, is an integral part of the instructional program.

The data from the Maryland State Department of Education indicates that Perrywood Elementary met Annual Yearly Progress in all subgroups.

School Demographics
Student enrollment for the 2007-08 school year is projected to be 715. Students represent the communities of Upper Marlboro, Kettering, Largo, and Mitchellville. 25% of our students are enrolled in the Free and Reduced Meal Program (FARM). The student population is comprised of 0.4% White; 97.1% African American; 0.4% Hispanic; 1.7% Asian; 0.4% American Indian. Perrywood employs 54 Staff members, including one Principal, one Assistant Principal, one Media Specialist, one Reading Specialist, one Guidance Counselor; two Vocal Music teachers, two Physical Education teachers; one Instrumental teacher; one Reading Recovery teacher/ Literacy Coach, and 29 classroom teachers. The support staff includes six (6) custodial staff; two (2) secretaries; four (4) food service personnel; three (3) Para-professionals; one (1) School Nurse. The Certification of the teaching staff is varied. There are nineteen (19) staff holding an Advanced Professional Certificate; one (1) Board Certified Advanced Professional Certificate; eleven (11) staff holding a Standard Professional Certificate; three (3) teachers holding a Conditional Certificate; seven (7) teachers new to Prince George’s County Public School not evaluated. Perrywood Elementary School has a partnership with Maryland National Capitol Park and Planning Commission and the First Baptist Church of Glenarden, a soon to be neighbor.

Perrywood is organized to create a culturally enriched instructional program that enhances the diverse learning styles of our students. The Primary Grades, Pre K-3, are self-contained classrooms. Students in grades four (4) through five (5) are organized as two-man teams, with a self-contained class at each of the grade levels. Perrywood is wired for Internet access and each classroom has five computers for student use and a dedicated workstation for teacher use. The Technology Plan implemented during the 2003-04 school year and revised during the 2005-06 school year, will continue during the 2007-08 school year. The plan identifies a technology committee comprised of students, staff, and parents. Monthly staff-development opportunities for teachers will be offered, focusing on infusing technology into the instructional program and the “Standards for Excellence: A Framework for teaching in Prince George’s County Public Schools”; offering general assistance with computer applications; purchase of approved software. Perrywood’s mission is aligned with the mission of PGCPS: To ensure that all students acquire information, skills, and the ability to apply that knowledge to become lifelong learners and productive citizens in a diverse/global society.

Major initiatives and how these efforts will improve student performance.
Student progress in reading and math as measured by the Maryland State Assessment (MSA) indicates that Perrywood students may have met the Annual Yearly Progress in all subgroups. The preliminary proficiency levels show that 78% of our students scored in the advanced or proficient categories of reading. MSA data for mathematics indicates that 78.8% of students scored in the advanced or proficient categories.

To ensure the success and inclusion of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students with Individual Education Plan (IEP’s) and/or students identified as Basic on the MSA, classroom teachers, and special educators will use the co-teaching model during Reading, English Language Arts, and Mathematics. Classroom teachers and special educators will meet to plan student programming of lessons, share lesson plans and analyze data. “Basic” students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will be provided the opportunity to work in an after school program, focusing on Reading and Mathematics that extends beyond the curriculum. Perrywood will seek the assistance of the FOCUS office to provide Extended Learning Opportunities for identified students. The program will focus on raising the achievement levels of the identified students in the Middle Band on MSA, in Reading and Mathematics.

Grade Levels will meet weekly to collaborate about curriculum and the level of implementation of the School Improvement Plan. In addition, the School Planning and Management Team (SPMT) will meet monthly to monitor the implementation of the School Plan, and to analyze data from benchmarks, assessments, and school accountability sheets. Quarterly Pacing meeting will be held at the end of each grading period, by grade levels, to assist teachers in the pacing of the curriculum, to address concerns for student performance, and to offer strategies for the implementation of the curriculum with special needs students. Assemblies will be held quarterly to recognize student achievement – Honor Roll and Citizenship.

The preliminary results of the 2006-07 MSA indicate that all subgroups made AYP.

Safe and Orderly Environment
Perrywood staff and parents will continue to work together to raise the achievement levels of all students and to provide them with a safe and orderly environment for teaching and learning. Students and parents will be provided a Student-Parent Handbook in the form of a Perrywood folder. A discipline committee, made up of classroom teachers and specialists, will be formed to examine the School Wide Discipline Plan and make changes, as needed, to address the PGCPS Student code of Conduct, and to revisit the weekly incentive program used to promote good citizenship and behavior – “I Got Caught”. The committee will identify strategies teachers should use to reduce the number of Discipline Referrals and Suspensions. Citizenship certificates will remain a part of all Honor Roll Assemblies. The “I Got Caught” and “Citizenship Certificates offer students the opportunity to display good citizenship throughout the year. The Guidance Counselor will meet with all students to ensure that they are familiar with the Student Code of conduct, and will follow-up throughout the school year with selected grade level lessons

Parental Involvement
At the first back-to school meeting and the first PTA meeting, the PTA will solicit parents to help students and teachers in individual classrooms. Perrywood staff will provide parents with workshops. The workshops will focus on writing and math. Sign-In sheets will be provided at all parent events, in order to track the amount of support for school events. All parents are expected to attend one or more parent-teacher conferences. These conferences will provide parents with opportunities to address academic and social needs and to discuss ways to strengthen school and home cooperation to increase student learning. Other conferences may include those relating to students’ adjustment, student program planning, and individual education planning. Parents will be invited to attend activities throughout the year. Some of the activities are The Family Literacy Circle, Science, and Math Presentations, and workshops focused on the use of Vocabulary in all subject areas. Families will be asked to support the school by attending special programs featuring students; volunteering; field trips; School Planning and Management Team (SPMT); parent workshops; attending monthly PTA meetings. Parents will also assist students with their homework and see that it is completed and returned to school, along with signing the agenda book, grades 2-5, and behavior sheet, grades K-1. The "2007-2008 School Improvement Plan at a Glance," which is issued to every parent, focuses on the following points: active involvement in the PTA; ensuring punctuality of their child(ren); and monitoring their students' behavior and homework.