Split Rock Elementary began engaging in the Professional Learning Community (PLC) process in 2016. The start was a testament to a commitment to ensuring that all students learned at high levels. In the fall of 2021, the district decided to reevaluate the PLC and Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) model to ensure efficient collective and systematic efforts to support students.

In the first year (2021-2022) of this revitalization, we recognized that our efforts had good intentions but needed a more collective approach, ensuring accountability by all, when looking at how the building was meeting all students' needs and that students were learning at high levels. Split Rock took the first steps toward transforming our educational practices by forming a Guiding Coalition Team (GCT) to engage in professional learning to facilitate change and align the school with proven practices and mindsets. 

The GCT led the full staff in reviewing and revising our building’s mission and vision statements, setting a clear direction for our work and sending a consistent message to ourselves and the community about what we are and want to become. We continued to re-establish the foundational work through numerous faculty and GCT meetings as we established collective commitments in instruction, culture, and community. The "Split Rock Shield" symbolizes these commitments, now serving as a visual representation created via Wordle. Posters of the shield have been displayed throughout the building, serving as a daily reminder of our commitment to one another. From there, each grade level team worked on learning and understanding the purpose of meeting norms. With the leadership of the Guiding Coalition Team, each grade level established team norms and relearned how to work collectively and responsibly. Once the foundation was set and staff felt prepared to complete our first year of the reboot process, we focused on the learning and understanding of SMART goals. 

Our work continued through year two (2023-2023) as we restructured our designated Student Learning Team (SLT) meeting time and structure within our master schedule. In addition to building collaboration, the West Genesee School District has Math and Literacy Institutes that meet monthly as a district-wide committee. Split Rock Elementary continues to be represented by a member from each grade level at these meetings. These gatherings focus on the essential standards and facilitate discussions about instructional strategies, student data, curriculum, etc. The information gathered was and continues to be shared with individual teams to further enhance the assessment and learning process. The building continued the work from year one on SMART goals to immediately act in the fall of our second year as we used our fall universal screening data to create two building-wide SMART goals. The constructed SMART goals pertained to academic achievement in literacy and social-emotional learning and implementing our new Second Step program. From there, each grade level created a SMART goal to be evaluated in the winter to show overall growth toward our end-of-year building-level SMART goal(s). The building's culture and climate work continued mid-year as Split Rock focused on our positive culture, climate, and collaboration. The administration conducted a staff survey (created by Panorama) to collect data, which informed their approach to strengthening the school's environment and PLC process. Following the survey, it was decided to develop a book study that would help support a positive, energized and collective working environment. With that, over 20 staff members participated in a book study on "The Energy Bus" by Jon Gordon, which aligned with our process of collective commitments and collaboration.

As Split Rock enters year three (2023) of the reboot, we are focusing on refining the process. Our GCT continues to meet every three weeks to discuss areas of improvement within the MTSS and PLC structures.  A perfect example of this would be tweaking our master schedule and pushing our SLT time back 20 minutes, which allowed 20 more minutes of instruction. In addition, we adjusted to make the best use of instructional support staff. All three team members now work within each grade level's Team Time block, providing targeted interventions and extensions. 

We continue to have a continuous improvement mindset and have organized opportunities for growth. Our ENL teacher now provides monthly professional development on English as a New Language (ENL) support due to an 8% increase in our ENL population. Another opportunity for all staff is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) professional development sessions scheduled throughout the year, ensuring that the entire staff actively fosters a more inclusive school environment. To promote positive student behavior, we have created and implemented a positive behavior incentive plan called "Wildcat Wows." Students receive tickets throughout the week and submit them to the office. Tickets are earned by meeting Split Rock’s building expectations of being; present, responsible, respectful and safe, as well as exemplifying the Positivity Project Character strengths introduced throughout the year. At the end of the week, a drawing is held, and five lucky students have the opportunity to select a book from the school's newly purchased book vending machine.

Throughout this journey, the vision of Split Rock Elementary remained steadfast: to become a nationally recognized building of excellence focused on continual growth and shared responsibility, where all students succeed. The three big ideas - a focus on learning, a collaborative culture, and a focus on results - continue to guide our efforts.

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

 

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

 

Split Rock Elementary has implemented a systematic approach to provide students with additional time and support for learning tailored to their specific needs. This initiative is built upon several  key principles:

Master Schedule Flexibility:The school's Master Schedule includes a dedicated 50-minute block (Team Time) for each grade level to address student needs based on data analysis. This block is initially structured with 25 minutes for literacy and 25 minutes for math support. However, it remains flexible to accommodate more intensive support and interventions when data indicates a requirement.

Collaborative Approach: Split Rock Elementary adopts an inclusive "all-means-all" approach by involving various stakeholders. Grade-level teachers, Instructional Support staff, Special Education teachers, teaching assistants, Early Literacy Teaching assistants, ENL (English as a New Language) teacher, counselor, psychologist, therapist collaborate and instruct to support students effectively.

Strategic Group Assignments: During SLT (Student Learning Team) meetings, the team collectively determines the most suitable instructors for specific student groups. These assignments are based on an individual's knowledge and comfort with a particular skill or strategy that requires intervention or extension.

Curriculum Alignment: As grade levels progress through the curriculum, the composition of the "Team Time" groups is adjusted to align with the evolving needs of students. This flexibility allows for targeted instruction on different skills and standards as they are introduced and mastered.

Tiered Instruction: The "Team Time" framework at Split Rock Elementary addresses both Tier 2 and Tier 3 levels of instruction, ensuring that students with identified needs receive appropriate interventions. Simultaneously, those students who require further extension on skills and standards are also supported.

Attendance Committee: The Attendance Committee convenes every five weeks to address student attendance. This vital initiative seeks to identify students needing additional support to ensure regular attendance. The committee's work contributes to creating a conducive learning environment for all students by addressing attendance-related challenges.

Split Rock Elementary's intervention system creates a dynamic, responsive, and collaborative environment where student progress is closely monitored and individualized support is provided to address their unique learning needs, ultimately enhancing the educational experience for all students.

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

 

Split Rock Elementary's approach to building teacher capacity is rooted in its mission, vision, collective commitments, SMART goals, Guiding Coalition Team, monthly faculty meetings, Attendance Committee, and the Data Inquiry Team. These interconnected components form a cohesive framework designed to ensure that all students are learning at high levels, ultimately advancing the school's mission and vision of educational excellence.

Mission, Vision, and Collective Commitments: During the 2021-2022 school year, Split Rock Elementary undertook a thorough review of its mission statement, crafted a vision statement, and established collective commitments. These critical foundational elements were developed through collaborative efforts involving the whole faculty and the Guiding Coalition Team (GCT).

SMART Goals: In pursuit of continuous improvement, Split Rock Elementary began building SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) Goals at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. These goals were initiated, and the work has extended through the 2023-2024 school year, serving as a roadmap for the school's improvement efforts.

Guiding Coalition Team (GCT): The Guiding Coalition Team was created at the commencement of the 2021-2022 school year to facilitate the work in partnership with Solution Tree and the Professional Learning Community (PLC) process. Comprising representatives from each grade level, an instructional support member, a special area teacher, a teaching assistant and a psychologist, this team has engaged in extensive professional development opportunities over the past two years and is responsible for leading Student Learning Team (SLT) meetings. GCT meetings are held every three weeks with the building principal, focusing on critical agenda items related to the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), SLT meetings, building initiatives, and more. This practice ensures that not only the GCT but the entire school community maintains a steadfast commitment to ongoing improvement to ensure all students achieve high levels of learning.

Student Learning Teams 

(composed of Grade level teachers, including Special Education Teacher)

Split Rock's Student Learning Teams (our collaborative grade-level teams)  represent a structured and collaborative approach to enhance student learning and instructional practices. The following key elements characterize the essence of these teams:

Regular Meetings: Student Learning Teams convene weekly for a minimum of 40 minutes, providing a consistent and dedicated forum for discussing and addressing student learning needs.

Alignment with DuFours Four Questions: The agenda-setting process for these meetings revolves around DuFours four essential questions:

• What are the students learning?

• How do we know they have learned it?

• What are we doing if they have not learned it?

• What are we doing if they have already learned it?

Documentation and Accountability: Rigorous documentation is a cornerstone of the Student Learning Teams' approach. The team ensures that comprehensive minutes are recorded and saved, fostering transparency and accountability in decision-making processes.

Data-Driven Decision Making: All decisions made within these meetings are rooted in data, emphasizing an evidence-based approach to enhance the quality of instruction and support for students.

Collaborative Best Practices: Beyond addressing immediate concerns, Student Learning Teams utilize their meeting time collaboratively to brainstorm and share best practices related to tier 1 instruction. This collective effort aims to continuously improve the overall quality of teaching and learning.

Success Sharing: The teams recognize the importance of celebrating success and fostering a positive culture. Team members actively share success stories throughout the week, creating a supportive environment and promoting a sense of accomplishment among staff.

In summary, Split Rock's Student Learning Teams offer a systematic and data-centric approach to address student learning needs. Through regular meetings, alignment with DuFours four questions, meticulous documentation, data-driven decision-making, collaborative best practices, and a culture of success sharing, these teams contribute significantly to the ongoing enhancement of instructional practices and student outcomes.

Data Inquiry Team (DIT): The Data Inquiry Team, which is Split Rock’s approach to a “Student Intervention Team,” comprises grade-level teams, the principal, counselor, psychologist, and other support staff members. This team meets as necessary to discuss students not responding to current interventions. The discussions encompass alternative approaches to address concerns and the possibility of conducting assessments or evaluations to support these students better.

Monthly Faculty Meetings: Monthly faculty meetings are pivotal in keeping the staff informed and aligned with the school's mission and vision. These gatherings serve as a platform for the building principal to provide updates, offer professional development opportunities, and reinforce the work initiated during Guiding Coalition Meetings. They ensure that all staff members understand the school's purpose and are actively involved in achieving the school's goals.

Achievement Data Files

• split-rock-literacy-data--portrait.pdf
• nys-data.xlsx

Additional Achievement Data

2009 National Blue Ribbon School 

2009 Blue Ribbon School

Images

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Files

• split-rock-smart-goals--winter-2023.pdf
• split-rock-s-dit-process-23-24.pdf
• 2023-2024-information-slide-deck.pdf
• split-rock-hyperdoc-photo.pdf
• master-schedule-23-24.pdf
• dit-form.pdf