Fairview Elementary School has established a culture of collaboration, using structure, systems, and accountability to become a successful PLC.

Our master schedule is designed to allow classroom and resource teachers common plan time each week for literacy and math. Teachers use purposeful planning templates, which are stored as shared documents. The templates guide staff discussions about how a lesson will be delivered, the expected student response, and how students will be assessed throughout the lesson and the unit. This structured plan time allows for maximum productivity and effectiveness.

We utilize a balanced instructional model, which allows for whole-class instruction and small group, guided instruction in both literacy and math.  Our teachers teach the curriculum with fidelity, but are given autonomy with loose/tight expectations. This allows them to the creativity to deliver engaging lessons that target the essential outcomes while meeting student needs. Teachers continually monitor student understanding by utilizing exit slips, anecdotal notes, and running records in between common formative assessments. They hold themselves accountable for student growth.

Thirty minute curriculum-aligned acceleration blocks are used address the needs of our approaching, on, and beyond learners in both literacy and math. Grade levels are flooded with resource teachers and support staff during the acceleration blocks to provide small group instruction for students requiring intervention. Students who have mastered the concepts, skills, and strategies receive enrichment, but in a larger group setting.

Fairview teachers have embraced working collaboratively and holding themselves accountable for student growth. We believe that all children are capable of learning, and maintain high expectations for our students. We ensure student success by utilizing the structures and systems that we have in place.

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

We utilize multiple data points to monitor student learning and make instructional decisions, including Fountas and Pinnell benchmarking, running records, anecdotal notes, common formative assessments, exit slips, student self-assessment, MAP, and PARCC.

 

In literacy, teachers gather information at the beginning of each year using a formal assessment measure, Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment, to determine reading levels by analyzing accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. These are compared to levels from the previous spring to ensure that students who may have slipped over the summer are soon caught up. Throughout the year, teachers take running records and anecdotal notes during Tier I guided reading and Tier II guided reading in the acceleration block. This information provides real-time problem-solving around what we need to do to determine what is holding a student back if they’re not making expected progress.

 

Common formative assessments are created collaboratively by grade-level teams, including resource teachers, in both reading and math. These assessments are administered about every three weeks or at the end of an instructional unit. The data is analyzed so teams can make instructional decisions for the acceleration block. Students who have yet to master concepts and the essential outcomes receive curriculum-aligned intervention, and students who are proficient receive curriculum-aligned enrichment. Between common formative assessments, teachers frequently check for understanding, which also plays a role in determining acceleration blocks. This ranges from a simple student self-assessment during a lesson to an exit slip immediately following a lesson.

 

In September, December, and May, all students take the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test, a computer-adaptive skills assessment for literacy and math. The data is used to measure student growth over time. It is also one data point that teams use with classroom data to determine which students needs acceleration to catch up and which students would benefit from enrichment.

 

At the end of a school year, we receive our PARCC data, and this is used to assess whether our systems are effective over a year of instruction. We examine at our overall proficiency and whether cohort performance is improving over time.

 

Each assessment provides us with significant information as we reflect on the effectiveness of our instructional practices and the work being done in our PLCs.

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

 

Fairview teachers are grounded in the belief that all children are capable of learning, and that it is our responsibility to ensure they are given the time and support needed to do so. We hold high expectations and maintain a growth mindset, recognizing the power of YET.

 

Our district and school uses Response to Intervention (RTI), which is an approach of providing early, systematic, and appropriate support to students who have yet to master grade-level essential outcomes. We have three levels of tiered support.

 

All students receive high-quality Tier I instruction utilizing research-based curriculum. Learning activities are differentiated with small-group guided instruction. Teachers use classroom assessments, common formative assessments, and MAP results to determine if a child needs Tier II intervention or enrichment during the acceleration block.

  

We utilize a Tier II acceleration model where intervention and enrichment take place simultaneously. Acceleration blocks occur daily for 30 minutes each for literacy and math. Students who are approaching grade-level standards work in a small group of no more than six students, receiving an extra layer of curriculum-aligned support using the balanced instruction model. Those performing on or beyond grade-level expectations are placed in a larger group to receive enrichment by working on higher order concepts and discussions. To manage this model, grade levels are flooded with support from resource teachers and support staff. It is important to note that whether students are receiving acceleration or enrichment, no new instruction is taking place. Student progress is monitored so groups ae flexible; students are moved to higher groups as they advance.

  

For some children, Tier II intervention is not sufficient for closing the gap. These children receive Tier III instruction during either social studies or science three days per week. We also add an another progress monitoring tool, AimsWeb. During this additional layer of support with a resource teacher, the group size does not exceed three students. Instruction is tailored to the specific skill deficits of the student.

 

By using this multi-layered RTI approach, students receive instruction that aligned throughout the day and throughout a unit. This has made it more efficient for Fairview staff to plan collaboratively around student success.

 

Many in our population are available to come to before- and after-school clubs, and we also use this time to access student learning in literacy and math. Breakfast With Books provides an opportunity for students to receive homework help and learn literacy and math skills through games and activities. Students are also provided a healthy breakfast. Less formally, teachers in fifth and sixth grade are available two days per week to offer math help before school. We have two invitation-only clubs after school. Students in special education who need assistance with homework completion are invited to the Targeted Assistance Program and can attend up to three days per week. English Learners who scored a 2.0 or high in writing on the ACCESS test, an English proficiency measure, are invited to the Writing Club from October through January two days per week.

 

3. Building teacher capacity to work as members of high performing collaborative teams that focus efforts on improved learning for all students.

Teachers are empowered by leadership opportunities in the school and in the district. At Fairview, the School Leadership Team has oversight of data analysis and determining professional development needs. Informal opportunities are also available for coaching and leading out subcommittees for PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) and Spread the Spark, our happiness initiative.

 

Additionally, teams are given a half-day sub release twice a year to analyze data, plan for student acceleration groups, and discuss how to assess, teach, and monitor students. The entire grade-level PLC, including classroom teachers, literacy coach, gifted enrichment coach, EL teachers, and special education teachers are present, as well as an administrator. We take ownership of the education of and meeting the needs of all students at Fairview.

 

After our first round of MAP testing in September, teacher leaders use a full-day release to analyze literacy, math, and cultural data. We set school-wide goals in these three areas to develop our School Improvement Plan (SIP). The SIP is shared with our superintendent and cabinet by administrators and teacher leaders, utilizing a 90-day review cycle. The SIP is also shared and discussed with staff during each 90-day review cycle.

 

Teachers are invited by the district to work on task forces each year, and Fairview staff have taken advantage of stepping into those roles. These teacher leaders are able to come back to the school, armed with new knowledge and provide information and support to their teams and to the whole building through professional development. Their work on the task force drives curriculum development, social-emotional learning, and technology.

Additional Achievement Data

Grade 3	Math			ELA
	School	District	State	School	District	State
2016-2017 PARCC	75.9%	62.3%	39.2%	80.2%	62.6%	36.2%
2015-2016 PARCC	75.3%	63.3%	39.6%	75.3%	61.1%	35.5%
2014-2015 PARCC	66.3%	59.5%	34.5%	73.2%	59.8%	35.3%

 

Grade 4	Math			ELA
	School	District	State	School	District	State
2016-2017 PARCC	71.8%	55.1%	30.8%	76.9%	63.4%	37.1%
2015-2016 PARCC	61.7%	54%	30.5%	73.9%	59.6%	36.9%
2014-2015 PARCC	72.4%	55%	27.9%	77.9%	65.3%	39.5%

 

Grade 5	Math			ELA
	School	District	State	School	District	State
2016-2017 PARCC	63.7%	53.4%	29.6%	76.9%	63.4%	36.6%
2015-2016 PARCC	65.4%	52.7%	31.7%	71.2%	61.1%	35.3%
2014-2015 PARCC	66.7%	55.6%	26.9%	79.1%	65.6%	38.3%

 

Grade 6	Math			ELA
	School	District	State	School	District	State
2016-2017 PARCC	71.4%	58.7%	28.1%	72.9%	67.6%	34.9%
2015-2016 PARCC	72.7%	59.1%	28.7%	78.6%	69.8%	34.9%
2014-2015 PARCC	82.7%	61.1%	27.2%	82.7%	67.3%	35.4%

 

Fairview Elementary School is the recipient of the National Blue Ribbon 2014 for Academic Excellence

 

We were ranked 8th out of the Top 20 Suburban Cook County Public Schools, Chicago Magazine, 2016