Our school began the PLC process journey in the 2018-2019 school year. That year, we designated a PLC room for all teachers to utilize for working through the PLC process. Teachers were provided with common planning during their schedule to meet and work through the four questions. At that time, teachers had limited access to data and assessment creation tools. Teachers worked with Case 21 benchmark assessment data as well as school level teacher-created CFA's to identify students needs and work to support all students. CMS' scores were well higher than the state's and achievement scores were quite high; however, there were clear indications of disproportionality between the scores of our historically underserved groups and our school level scores. This became the focus of our PLC time.

The following year, CMS continued the PLC work-becoming more intentional in student data tracking and student data conferencing. We also began to implement and research restorative practices to support the needs of our high risk students. Local data showed significant student growth especially among historically underserved student populations. However, COVID pandemic shutdowns precluded students from taking end of year assessment to showcase the progress that they had made throughout the year.

During the 2020-2021 school year, CMS continued with the PLC process at a social distance. However, virtual and hybrid learning did create a number of barriers to student success especially among our underserved students. Just like the classes that teachers were teaching, PLC meetings were held virtually via Teams and/or 6 feet apart. Student followed a virtual learning or hybrid learning model. This created a number of barriers in supporting high needs students. It was clear at the end of the year that the pandemic had major negative impacts on achievement especially for high needs and high risk students. The growth and achievement that had been exhibited during the 2020 school year in the local data had taken a major hit. Learning from a distance clearly highlighted and exacerbated the needs of our most high risk students. CMS saw a major regression in achievement and growth in every subject area.

Because of the evident learning gaps and learning loss attributed to the COVID pandemic, CMS implemented a Data/PLC coach role in the 2021-2022 school year. PLC teams also began utilizing the Mastery Connect platform to create assessments and intentionally track individual student data and needs. CMS also continued work to support our students with the most needs by working through book studies on disproportionality, equity, culture, and effective instruction. CMS reintroduced an after school support program for high needs and high risk students. This program provided school support, SEL support, after school snacks, and transportation. Achievement data at the end of the year showed that ED disproportionality levels were decreasing-achievement scores in the building doubled for our ED students-but there was still a good deal of work to be done. 

Therefore, during the 2022-2023 school year, in additions to the Data/PLC coach role, the school implemented a STARS team for at-risk students. This team included a behavior solutions coach and an at-risk counselor in addition to the two established counselor roles. CMS implemented learning walks to facilitate best instructional practices and teacher capacity building school-wide. CMS continued its pursuits to always learn and grow by doing book studies and presentations on "Closing the Attitude Gap." At the end of the school year, 6th Grade was top in the state in Math. All ELA sections were top 5 in the state. Admins started the summer by attending district and school leader PLC training and studying the Solution Tree District PLCs at Work handbook. 

To begin the 2023-2024 school year, CMS facilitated a presentation for teachers with a Solution Tree speaker-presenting on improving in the areas of question 3 and question 4 in the PLC process. Additionally, CMS implemented a new data-informed RTI block that will utilize PLC practices to provided additional targeted and individualized interventions to all students in the building. Also, to start the school year every faculty member received a copy of Learning by Doing and Letting Data Lead. These will be a major focus of study for our school's growth this year.

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

Equitable and consistent access to HQIM with fidelity is one of our core focus areas as a school. At CMS, we believe that ensuring access to HQIM consistently is one of the major components of student success. To ensure this, teams meet weekly as PLC's with an admin to discuss curriculum, plan lessons, create assessments, and analyze the data. 

Additionally, instructional leadership teams in conjunction with school and district admins do bi-monthly learning walks using the IPG and school created rubrics to ensure fidelity to the curricula as well as best instructional practices are being utilized in the classroom. The data from these learning walks are aggregated and utilized to plan monthly PD sessions based on school level needs. 

Also, the SRTI teams meets bi weekly to identify at risk students and ensure that their individual needs are being met via interventions. 

Finally, the entire school this year is working to reboot the RTI program in order to improve reading levels of every student in the building. This is done via weekly data monitoring in Mastery Connect so that RTI teachers can meet students where they are-helping them learn if they dont yet understand; and providing extension if they have mastered the concept

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

On top of lessons planned during the PLC process to ensure that students who don't understand are supported and students who have mastered the content are enriched, we offer a number of intervetions within our school building.

Our school provides Intervention classes in Math and ELA for all Tier 2 and Tier 3 students. These classes take place daily for 50 minutes in a small group setting.

Our SRTI team meets bi-weekly to identify and support high risk students who need additional intervention support. During the meetings, all students' (who have been recommended by teachers for intervention) needs are reviewed using assessment data, grade data, attendance data, behavior data and teacher feedback. Students' (who are in intervention currently) needs are also reviewed to track their progress and their ROI. 

Additionally, our school offers gifted classes for students who have a gifted IEP and have exhibited that they have already mastered grade level content. THis period allows students to further explore concepts and ideas already introduced in the gen ed classroom via project based learning. 

Our school has implemented a STARS Team, a solutions room, and a solutions coach to better support high risk students who are in need of behavior and SEL support. This team meets monthly to review behavior and attendance data in order to support the whole child.

Finally, all students take part in Tier I intervention via the RTI FOCUS period. The period is devoted to improving reading levels across the school via data informed instruction. RTI teams meet and plan lessons for their students based on the weekly data points that they procure via RTI instruction

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

Every PLC team meets weekly to work through the four questions and plan supports for all students via data informed collaboration. This provides teachers with a weekly opportunity to collaborate on best practices for intervention and extension as well as instruction. This process is facilitated by the PLC/Data coach and is supervised by the PLC admin. Additional supports are provided by district curriculum supervisors who meet with PLC teams monthly.

In addition to PLC's, instructional leadership teams in conjunction with school and district admins do bi-monthly learning walks using the IPG and school created rubrics to ensure fidelity to the curricula as well as data-informed best instructional practices are being utilized in the classroom. The data from these learning walks are aggregated and utilized to plan monthly PD sessions based on school level needs. 

Every school year, the faculty takes part in a book study for the school year. This year, the faculty is reviewing and discussing Letting Data Lead. Last year, the faculty read Closing the Attitude Gap. The year before the faculty read The Knowledge Gap. These books are read and discussed in small "book club" style groups. Then teams give presentations and provide PD on the topics they found most important in their book study.

 

Achievement Data Files

• 68-eoe-data-template-032620-8834.xlsx
• cms-school-assessment-file-2021_2023.xlsx
• ela-8-case-21-data-tracker-2020.xlsx
• case-21-data-2020-q1.xlsx

Additional Achievement Data

The attached Case 21 data provides insight into scores across the building on the first benchmark assessment from the 2020 school year. The shutdown of schools due to the COVID pandemic precluded the school from assessing in the Spring via benchmarks and/or state assessments.

A sample is also included of PLC level data trackers during the 2020 school year. It goes until March when schools were closed for the year.

2021 District Teacher of the Year

2022 District Principal of the Year

2023 District Teacher of the Year

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Files

• plc-process-form.pdf
• science-plc-team-unit-plan-template.docx
• learning-walks-info.pptx
• rti-focus-period.pptx