Evening Star Elementary (2023)

  1. PLC Story
  2. PLC Practices
  3. Achievement Data
  4. Awards
  5. Resources

Anyone who works at Evening Star Elementary (ESE) would simply tell you our professional learning community (PLC) is the way we do business. It's our way of life!

When we opened our doors at ESE in Aug. 2019, we established our core beliefs (values) based on input from various stakeholders (staff, parents, & community members). In 2021, with input from stakeholders again, we developed our mission and vision.

When establishing our teams, we used Mattos' 1-5-10 Are We a Group or A Team? rubric to identify our growth areas. This process has continued for the past 5 years. As soon as teams are established, the initial team meeting focuses on identifying each group's 1-5-10 PLC SMART Goal based on Mattos' Are We a Group or A Team? rubric and the development of their norms and collective commitments. Our staff develops norms and collective commitments focused on the essentials they need to maintain a level 10 and work together as a team to hold each other mutually accountable. Each of the six components of Mattos' Are We a Group or A Team? is evident in our daily practice. Our grade level and auxiliary teams work collaboratively to identify essential standards, unpack these standards, and develop common formative assessments to frequently gather evidence of student learning. Our master scheduling team ensures our schedule includes a protected planning time, a designated time for Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 small group instruction, as well as extension. Teachers use data to provide a responsive approach with interventions and extensions. They also use their Common Formative Assessment (CFA) data and evidence of student learning to inform and improve their individual and collective practice. Quarterly, our teams review their action plans in order to determine their next steps for continued student achievement.

When the 2020 pandemic hit, we restructured our current systems to ensure continuous learning for staff and students throughout our school. We shared instructional strategies across the building through spotlight instructional videos. We continue to facilitate a culture of improvement in our school by utilizing video technology to highlight teachers' instructional strategies to improve our pedagogy.

Once we returned to the building in 2020, we continued our horizontal and vertical learning through monthly learning walks/classroom walkthroughs with academic coaches and teacher teams. Our classroom walkthroughs focus on improving professional practice, student learning, and the 4 PLC driving questions. We utilize a Google form to monitor identified look-fors, building-wide Professional Growth Plan (PGP) goals, and application of our building-wide focus on hands-down speak-out conversations.

Our Guiding Coalition team guides the work of our entire building, monitors our progress including - student and adult learning data, and identifies additional professional learning needed to ensure high levels of learning for all. This team is committed to co-creating processes and solution-minded problem-solving that results in a commitment to action. Our Guiding Coalition implemented a Learning by Doing book study, and each professional throughout the building is reading the book Hands Down, Speak Out by Wedekind & Thompson in order to open up academic dialogue amongst our students in each educational setting. 

We have a rigorous professional development schedule centered around PLC practices and research-based instructional strategies, which align with our mission and vision. Our commitment to the PLC at Work process is a model for schools across the district and state. Over the past 5 years, numerous educators, administrators, individuals from the Arkansas Leadership Academy, state leaders from the Arkansas Department of Education, and state legislators have observed our PLCs and instruction in action.

Our PLC 1-5-10 SMART goals, PLC academic SMART goals, the structure of our team agendas with the 4 PLC driving questions along with the data-driven focus, our collectively created master schedule, building systems, and action teams drive our work as a PLC, and set a clear and compelling direction for our staff. This systematic approach ultimately allows us to be a high-performing school that meets the needs of our students and staff.

Collectively, our staff will share that they can't imagine doing their job without the individual members of the entire Evening Star team. They have seen firsthand how their individual teams have impacted our building professional learning community as a whole.

Staff members serve on action teams focused on improving the learning for all - students and educators alike. The focus on student and staff learning, the collaborative culture and collective responsibility, as well as the results-oriented actions through the PDCA cycle (plan, do, check, and act), is the foundation of the building professional learning community we have collectively developed.

Over the past five years, we have attended multiple Solution Tree institutes. In the summer of 2022, we sent teachers to Culture Keepers and PLC Institutes, and these teachers shared their learning during our back-to-school professional development days to kick off the school year. Jeanne Spiller, with SolutionTree, visited our building on four different occasions last year. She facilitated training and attended and observed our grade level and auxiliary PLCs in action, as well as our Guiding Coalition. Jeanne provided feedback and celebrated our successes. Moreover, she witnessed firsthand the purpose and priorities of the individuals at ESE, which are evident in the everyday behavior of the individuals throughout our building.

At ESE, we celebrate our achievements, ensure the staff, resources, budget, and time align with our building priorities, and refine our systems to ensure success. Our commitment to the PLC at Work process aligns perfectly with our mission at ESE - "Where owls empower each other to be our best selves by soaring for the stars in every way."

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

District specialists and building coaches review state standards aligned with the Science of Reading and cognitively guided instruction. Input is sought from teachers across the district to identify essential standards for our district standards-based report card. Over the past seven years, a team of coaches and classroom teachers have collaborated to determine the district’s essential standards to create a comprehensive curriculum to be utilized as a resource for teachers.

Due to the LEARNS Act 237, the Arkansas Department of Education required every school in Arkansas to adopt a state-approved curriculum for the fall of 2023. With the guaranteed and viable curriculum our district utilizes, our teachers ensure this curriculum is taught with fidelity while student learning is carefully monitored in a timely manner. Grade-level PLCs meet daily to plan instruction, discuss the essential standards, and create learning progressions to guide teachers in meeting student-specific needs within the building. These learning progressions allow teachers to address the correct needs of each student by identifying the skills that are missing or needing extension.

Each grade level team has created SMART goals for Literacy and Math. Teachers utilize common formative assessment (CFA) data to monitor achievement. After analyzing the midpoint data, teachers use that information to determine which children need the content retaught or extension. Teachers utilize the weekly agenda documenting the targeted essential standard while answering the 4 PLC Critical Questions.

Administrators and academic coaches also meet weekly with each grade level and auxiliary team. The administration and staff consider these weekly meetings a sacred time that is not interrupted or canceled. During these weekly meetings, teachers will record themselves teaching a lesson and share it with their peers. This allows teachers to learn and grow together, ensuring the curriculum is implemented at the highest standards.

With specific days built into each month, teachers are given the opportunity to visit other teachers’ classrooms. These classroom visits are intentionally built based on what teachers want to see and grow in. At the end of these classroom visits, the groups debrief with coaches and administrators in order to provide feedback to the classroom teacher as well as action steps for the observers.

In 2021, our Guiding Coalition and academic coaches worked to develop a PLC extension schedule. PLC extension days provide teachers with 100 minutes of uninterrupted time to dig into CFA data, write CFAs, unpack standards, collaboratively score student responses, and discuss instructional strategies to improve our individual and collective instructional practices. They also identify learning targets to extend the learning of students who have demonstrated proficiency. Additionally, they meet with our intervention teacher, ESL teacher, and special education teacher to ensure our response is timely and effective for our striving learners who may need additional time and support to show mastery of the identified essential standards.

Moreover, ESE Literacy and Math coaches complete coaching cycles with teachers and grade-level teams to observe Tier 1 instruction and ensure teacher comprehension of the curriculum and student understanding of the concepts. Prior to the unit, teams break down the unit to plan out pre-, mid-, and post-assessments, reteaching and extension days.

Evening Star teachers, coaches, and staff progress monitor students every two weeks for review of Tier 2 and weekly for Tier 3 groupings to assess adequate progress. Literacy progress monitoring utilizes NWEA MAP Reading Fluency, which tracks student progress over time on various grade-level skills. Students monitor their progress on various assessments including: NWEA MAP Reading Fluency progress monitoring, NWEA MAP Growth Math and Reading, Adapted Phonological Awareness Screening Test Assessment, and an Adapted Quick Phonics Assessment.

Evening Star Elementary has been utilizing the strategies from Hands Down, Speak Out (HDSPO) by Wedekind & Thompson, where students lead discussions without raising their hands. This requires and allows students to provide immediate feedback to their peers. Students hold one another accountable through these conversations. Each grade level has identified specific HDSPO micro lessons to teach to mastery by the end of the year. With the use of HDSPO strategies and a focus on Depth of Knowledge (DOK) levels, the level of questioning and student engagement increases student ownership and achievement. This, in turn, allows students to monitor their own learning while also gaining valuable feedback in a timely manner from their peers. 

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

Our schoolwide systematic process for interventions and extensions guarantees a focus on every child, every day! 

Our master scheduling team ensures our schedule includes a protected planning time, a designated time for Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 (multi-tiered approach) small group instruction, and extension. Teachers use data to provide a responsive approach with interventions and extensions. They also use their CFA data and evidence of student learning to inform and improve their individual and collective practice.

Quarterly, our teams review their action plans in order to determine their next steps for continued student achievement. Our Mattos PLC 1-5-10 SMART goals, PLC academic SMART goals, the structure of our team agendas with the 4 PLC driving critical questions along with the data-driven focus, and our collectively created master schedule, building systems, and action teams drive our work as a PLC. This systematic and intentional approach sets a clear and compelling direction for our staff and ultimately allows us to be a high-performing school that meets the needs of ALL of our students and staff. 

The focus on student and staff learning, the collaborative culture and collective responsibility, as well as the results-oriented actions through the PDCA cycle (plan, do, check, and act), are the foundation of the building professional learning community we have collectively developed.

Our priority is to provide rigorous and reflective Tier 1 instruction by purposefully planning time for extension and reteaching. Teams regularly collaborate with interventionists and resource teachers to provide academic support for all students. Teams use data to sort students based on essential standards and share students across the grade level during literacy and math small groups. During this time, students may receive Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions without missing Tier 1 instruction. Others may receive extension instruction in which teachers deepen the rigor and complexity of a standard based on DOK levels. Groups are fluid based on the most current SMART goal data.

Teams utilize midpoint common formative assessments during a unit of instruction to provide additional support to students prior to the end of the unit. In addition to regular small group instruction, we have established the system of WISE Time - a time built into our master schedule that targets students’ needs based on a continuum of literacy skills. We analyze classroom data to determine teachers’ strengths and place students accordingly in WISE groups. During these data discussions, members of our SPED team are present to provide ideas and resources.

Our building also has a Building Response to Intervention (RTI) committee that is composed of teachers from each grade level, academic coaches, interventionists, counselors, support staff, and administrators.  They serve as an expert group of teachers that meet quarterly, or as needed, to make decisions that help students and teachers get the support they need. These decisions include what additional supports or extensions our striving and soaring students may need.

In our academic coaches’ room, we have a data wall and each grade’s SMART goal (achievement and growth) for NWEA MAP reading and MAP math. The data wall is used to specifically track individual student's progress three times a year. These two visuals provide our staff with a clear and compelling direction, insight into the performance of every single student in our building, and a reminder of the collective responsibility everyone holds the entire building mutually accountable as we progress through the school year. 

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

Since opening our building in August 2019, the pursuit of the highest academic achievement, rooted in systematic, explicit, and engaging instruction, has been our focus. As evidenced by continued Awards Recognition from the state of Arkansas, student academic success is a priority at Evening Star Elementary.

First and foremost, we developed a master schedule that ensures every grade level has sufficient instructional time built into their day for each component of the Science of Reading, mathematical practices, writing, science, and social studies. Our literacy and math instructional blocks include whole group, small group, and intervention/extension time. During our intervention/extension block (WISE time), students’ individual needs are met with a multi-tiered system of support early and often. WISE time addresses the need for additional instruction to meet grade-level mastery of standards or to enrich instruction for students who have shown mastery of skills. Intervention/extension support during WISE time is fluid and monitored frequently based on data and student needs. We use classroom data (common formative assessments, Lexia), district assessments (QPA, PAST, MAP Reading Fluency), state assessments (NWEA MAP Growth, ACT Aspire), and progress monitoring data to identify students needing additional support. No matter our students' ability, we provide intentional, deliberate instruction focused on research-based mathematical practices, hands-on science exploration activities, and the Science of Reading.

For our first three years, the Teacher Excellence and Support System (TESS) Domain 3c - Engaging Students in Learning, was a building-wide focus for professional growth. For students to be highly, intellectually engaged in significant learning, active participation must be present. To support the development of our teachers in this area, during the 2021 school year, two of our fourth-grade teachers provided training focusing specifically on increasing engagement. One training focused on the work of John Spencer and A.J. Juliani: What Happens When Students Own Their Learning~Empower. By empowering students, we give them the skills to prepare for an unpredictable world and assess and reflect on their learning while helping them find their voice. This training provided the foundation for our second professional development, Hands Down Conversations, centered around Peter H. Johnston’s book Hands Down, Speak Out: Listening and Talking. The role of the teacher changes with the Hands-Down Conversations approach. When students put their hands down and speak, the teacher takes note of who is talking, how they are responding to each other, and possible learner misconceptions. Through Hands-Down Conversations, a culture is created in the classroom where powerful discourse among students is possible. As teachers began applying their new learning during their oral-language lessons, building leaders saw clear evidence that this training needed to be continued and expanded upon. The next level of training helped our staff develop an understanding that engagement, discourse, and discussion can look different for some learners. This training was centered around the article, Do You Talk to Think or Think to Talk by Fast Company.

With these three professional development trainings, it became evident that we were developing a strong community of learners at Evening Star. The collaborative learning environments, meaningful discourse between and among students, use of academic language and robust vocabulary, and increase in student engagement were evident throughout our building. Moreover, the alignment of the Hands-Down Conversation with our intentional talk moves transferred into all areas of the instructional day, including math instruction and activity classrooms! The emphasis on oral language throughout the school day resulted in the establishment and culture of language, literacy, engagement, and reading. At Evening Star, the presence of this rich language culture of reading is available to each child we serve.

In 2020, our special education team started digging deeper into our students’ primary disabilities, services, and the possibility of more inclusion services for our students receiving resource support. As of 2021, a proud data piece to share is that 19 of our 23 resource students received inclusion services. In addition, the students in our structured learning classrooms (SLC 1:10 and 1:6) started accessing instruction based on the Science of Reading in their literacy rotations. Furthermore, our speech teachers began collaborating regularly with our general education, intervention, resource, and SLC teachers to incorporate correct sound production strategies that correlate with classroom phonics instruction. Since opening our doors at Evening Star Elementary in 2019, our entire staff has had the mindset that every child who walks our halls belongs to every staff member in this building. This mindset has continued to develop and foster an inclusive learning environment throughout ESE. Every staff member holds each other mutually accountable for our student achievement. In 2019, our staff partnered with Easterseals to ensure high levels of learning for students in our structured learning classroom and throughout our building. Our building is one of two schools in our district that partnered with Easterseals Arkansas in order to implement Project Empower and Project Prepare. This partnership focused on strengthening instruction through coaching and professional development opportunities targeting the implementation of evidence-based strategies appropriate for students with autism and other intellectual or developmental disabilities, aligning their IEPs with state reading and math standards, ensuring the fidelity of various classroom structures, and guaranteeing inclusive practices.

Moreover, over the past five years, we have attended multiple Solution Tree institutes. Our training and practices have impacted not only our staff at ESE but also educators across our district and state. In 2020, our principal provided training to our District secondary specialists and administrators on action steps for developing sustaining, high-functioning PLCs. In 2021, staff attended all three virtual RTI trainings offered by Mike Mattos and Arkansas Leadership Academy brought teams of administrators from across the state to watch our teams in action. In the summer of 2022, a team of teachers attended Culture Keepers and another team of teachers attended a PLC Institute. During our back-to-school professional development days, these teams shared their learning with the staff. Additionally, we had teachers attend the Mattos RTI training in Rogers.

Throughout the 2022-2023 school year, Jeanne Spiller, with Solution Tree, visited our building on four different occasions. She facilitated training and attended and observed our grade level and auxiliary PLCs in action, as well as our Guiding Coalition. Jeanne provided feedback and celebrated our successes. Moreover, she witnessed firsthand the purpose and priorities of the individuals at ESE, which are evident in the everyday behavior and practices of the individuals throughout our building.

Our academic coaches, Special Education Lead, and principal attended the Solution Tree Amplify Your Impact Coaching Collaborative Teams in PLCs at Work in March of 2023.

This year, three members of our ESE team trained staff from across the district on how to write SMART goals. Our staff’s PLC agenda is centered around the 4 PLC Critical Questions and is also being used as an exemplary model in our district’s Leadership Network training.

Our commitment to the PLC at Work process aligns perfectly with our mission at ESE - "Where owls empower each other to be our best selves by soaring for the stars in every way." Furthermore, our ability to build a teacher's capacity to work as a member of a high-performing collaborative team focused on improved learning for all, students and adults, is impacting not only our students but students across the state.

At Evening Star, we are committed to continuing a legacy of excellence that impacts the world around us - a vision we have watched come to fruition as this team is unstoppable!

  • 2020-2021 Top 5% in Student Performance School Award for the state of Arkansas
  • 2020-2021 "A" Rating awarded by the Department of Education
  • 2020-2021 Foundation Grant Award for Inclusive Practices and Outdoor Learning
  • 2021-2022 Top 5% in Student Performance School Award for the state of Arkansas
  • 2021-2022 "A" Rating awarded by the Department of Education
  • 2021-2022 Foundation Grant Award for continued Outdoor Learning
  • 2022 RISE Model School Award
  • 2022-2023 Top 5% in Student Performance School Award for the state of Arkansas
  • 2022-2023 "A" Rating awarded by the Department of Education
  • 2023-2024 - NICHE Best Schools - #1 of 488 Best Public Elementary Schools in Arkansas
  • 2023-2024 - NICHE Best Schools - #373 of 50,783 Best Public Elementary School in America 

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