Fouke Elementary School (2020)

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

The leadership at Fouke Elementary realized that one of the most significant ingredients in improving student achievement was to create daily professional learning communities with every staff member being included on a weekly PLC throughout the school year. These strong professional learning communities have increased student achievement where by our staff takes complete ownership of all students’ learning as they all work in collaborative teams. These PLC teams share best practices, review student learning, align the standards and curriculum, participate in classroom walkthroughs, disaggregate data to drive instruction, share resources, observe other teachers instructional strategies, broaden technology skills and align lesson plans with the pacing guides and Arkansas State Standards. Our school always considers itself to be a PLC. Fouke Elementary has been featured in the December 2008 issue of the Four States Living Magazine; in the 2010 issue (Volume 17, No. 2) of The Instructional Leader in an article titled, "Changing the School Culture;" and, the April 16, 2013 ASCD Whole Child Blog, "Principals: Reach Beyond the Walls of your School." Our staff has been presenters at state, regional and national conferences from Charleston, South Carolina to Seattle, Washington to Anchorage, Alaska. For example, our staff has presented at the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Arkansas Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (AASCD) Summer Conferences. Plus, our staff continues to share our model for professional learning communities, our master schedule and best practices with other educators in Arkansas and other states. In 2017 the Mountain Home and Blevins, Arkansas school district employees visited our campus to observe our collaborative teams and other curriculum issues. Some of these sharing opportunities have assisted struggling academic schools to implement effective PLC’s which have witnessed these schools to be removed from academic distress.Our staff definitely has complete buy in with 100% ownership of the PLC process. Because of the staff's strong support for PLC's they will never return to the past where teachers worked mostly in isolation.

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

PLC teams create common formative assessments by examining the state standards, unpacking the standards so they align with the student learning expectations and essential elements to be mastered.

  • PLC teams use the data from the interim target tests to monitor student learning and to compare the gains for each student to chunk tests, DIBELS, grade level exams, Moby Max, Early Literacy Assessment, STAR Math and STAR Reading and other frequent common assessments.
  • In 2012-13 Fouke Elementary has implemented online testing for interim target tests in math, literacy and science as our campus continues integrating the State Standards. Throughout 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 at least three ACT Aspire interim assessments were administered to allow teachers to fully understand what learning skills have been taught and mastered, what skills have been taught but not mastered, and what skills still need to be taught.
  • The grade level teams use a wide variety of instructional practices from differentiated instruction, formative assessments, utilization of graphic organizers and implementation of technology while adjusting the complexity and pace for all students to be successful.
  • Formative Assessments are part of our daily routine as all teachers use these daily formative assessments to get a reliable snap shot of every student’s individual progress. These formative assessments assists the teachers to effectively progress monitor their students. Formative assessments are also a crucial part of the Response to Intervention process by which teachers have a good understanding of which students need extra remediation and which students have mastered the learning expectation.
  • A data wall is located in a room where all teachers can visually see the progress of individual students, classrooms, grade levels and trends of our schools’ combined population and sub-populations over a period of three years or longer.
  • Finally, vertical alignment curriculum meetings are scheduled throughout the school year with the literacy, mathematics and science teachers breaking down the essential standards at least with the teachers in the grade levels directly below and above their grade level.

 

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

The vision at Fouke Elementary states, “Fouke Elementary School will engage all students in learning and equip them for college and career readiness in order to demonstrate integrity and pursue healthy lifestyles.” This vision provides the foundation for our staffs planning during their daily Professional Learning Communities (PLC's) and any additional preparation time that is available.

  • Each PLC establishes essential standards and focus skills per grade level.
  • Common pacing guides and formative assessments are tied to the Total Instructional Alignment Model and the State Standards that drives our instruction.
  • The Arkansas Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (ACSIP) is based on researched best practices and aligns our staff with our academic goals.
  • The PLC’s have created ownership for our entire staff where depth of student learning and sustainability of the best practices adopted continues to spread beyond our campus walls.
  • Students who do not meet academic gains or demonstrate continuous growth are given extra academic assistance during the day to achieve proficiency.
  • The Response to Intervention (RTI) daily time slot is built into our master schedule so students struggling in a specific academic skill will be learning that skill with their teacher and no more than 6 other students. The other students attend enrichment classes during this RTI block. Enrichment classes are in our library media center, computer lab and with the Gifted and Talented teacher. The students that receive remediation will do so during the RTI time slot with their individual homeroom teacher. If students master a specific skill they were receiving remediation for then those students may attend enrichment as a way of celebrating their mastery.
  • Students take ownership of their own learning with the teacher becoming the facilitator as student groups are arranged into flexible groups that creates authentic engaging classrooms.
  • Students that master specific content areas may be subject advanced to a grade above their grade. For example, if a third grade student is very advanced academically within a third grade math class then that student may attend a fourth grade math class as long as both grade level math classes coincide at the same time slot throughout the schedule.
  • Finally, every staff member from the superintendent to the secretary has adopted a young girl or boy identified in our Save One Student Program (S.O.S.), to create a positive adult role model. The implementation of our S.O.S. program addresses the emotional, social, physical and academic needs of these students.

 

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

Each PLC team documents their SMART goals, purpose for meeting, agenda, results, past work and next steps in their PLC binders which are facilitated by the lead teacher.

  • Norms guide the interaction of our PLC team members and identifies the roles and responsibilities of accountability that is expected.
  • The master schedule ensures that grade level teams meet each week for a common planning time of PLC collaboration. In addition to these weekly PLC’s all of these teams, including the specialty teachers, have a common lunchtime and at least four additional 40 minute weekly preparation periods. The students during the PLC's or Vertical Content Area Alignment meetings are in the specialty teacher classrooms. Specialty teachers also have a collaborative time each week to discuss how they can assist the homeroom teachers with student achievement. See our Master Schedule as an attachment under resources.
  • The strength of our team collaboration has been achieved by thinking outside the box while changing our school culture in order to stop accepting mediocrity.
  • The responsibility of the lead teacher is to establish clear goals for each PLC that links the standards and curriculum to what we want our students to master.
  • Throughout the year collaborative book studies are arranged to improve instructional practices.
  • Math and Literacy Vertical Alignment meetings are scheduled each week in addition to the grade level PLC's.
  • Six teachers were selected to attend the Teacher Institute organized through the Arkansas Leadership Academy.
  • All seven PLC lead teachers attended training on High Leverage Strategies in Professional Learning Communities presented by Dr. Tom Many.
  • Two teachers on our staff have attained National Board Certification.
  • Our science teachers have been attending workshops relating to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics). Our math teachers are attending a three year Professional Development/Research Study about Common Core Math at the University of Southern Arkansas and trained in Cognitive Guided Math Instruction (CGI).
  • Southwest Arkansas Educational Cooperative Math, Literacy and Science Specialists meet throughout the year with all grade level representatives during or after school to vertically align the standards and share resources.
  • Our Leadership Team realized our students began to flat line and not show growth in the Summative State ACT Aspire Assessments for 2018 and 2019. Our Leadership Team revamped our RTI (Response to Intervention) process. We also redid the Master Schedule in January 2019. Plus, Grades K & 1 rotated all students to specific uninterrupted Reading Level Groups during the AM schedule until lunch time. All staff were trained in the Science of Reading and implemented the Phonics First and the Structures Reading Programs to focus on the proven research of teaching Phonics and Phonemic Awareness with fidelity. In Math, all teachers were trained in Eureka Math prior to the start date of the 2019-2020 school year. Maybe, hiring 17 new staff members in 2018 due to student enrollment increases and employee attrition may have impacted our state scores. Or, possibly growing from 11 to 13% in our special eduaction population during this same time frame could have impacted our academic achievement. Whatever the reason, our staff was committed to make changes so every student was being taught to their best ability.
  • COVID-19 was very disappointing to us because all indicators leading up to the April 2020 State Summative ACT Aspire Assessments were leaning towards Fouke Elementary showing significant gains over the previous two years.

 

 

Achievement Data Files

Additional Achievement Data

Comparison Data: Augmented State Benchmark CRT Exams Grades 3-5 Combined Populations/Economically Disadvantaged

3rd Grade Benchmark            Math            Literacy

2011-2012                             88/87            87/82

2012-2013                             83/82            81/82

2013-2014                             98/98            82/81

4th Grade Benchmark            Math            Literacy

2011-2012                             93/82            87/82

2012-2013                             83/81            86/84

2013-2014                             79/78            78/77

5th Grade Benchmark            Math            Literacy            Science

2011-2012                             82/76            89/85                75/60

2012-2013                             80/79            91/89                81/79

2013-2014                             82/74            92/91                82/80

2014-2015                               N/A                 N/A                 86/85

 

In 2014-2015 Grades 3-5 were administered the PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) State Assessment in Mathematics and Literacy. The AMO (Annual Measurable Objectives for Mathematics was 12.09% for Grades 3-5. The AMO for Fouke Elementary was 30.77%. In Literacy the State AMO for 2014-2015 was set at 21.47%. Literacy for all Grades 3-5 at Fouke Elementary was 29.33%.

 

In 2015-2016 & 2016-2017 the PARCC State Assessment in Grades 3-5 was administered the ACT Aspire Summative Assessments.

3rd ACT Aspire    English       Math       Science       Reading       Writing

2015-2016               80             62             36              40                8

2016-2017               77             67             32              33              14

4th ACT Aspire     English       Math       Science       Reading      Writing

2015-2016                82             59             50              54                7

2016-2017                86             64             55              58              28 

5th ACT Aspire     English       Math        Science       Reading      Writing

2015-2016                86             64             38              59                 0

2016-2017                82             51             47              37               28

State & National ACT Aspire Comparisons: In 2017 Fouke Elementary was above the State & National ACT Aspire averages in English by 9%; In Math we were 6% above the State & National scores; In Science Fouke was 4% above both the State & National. In Reading our elementary was 5% above the State & 1% above the National scores. In Writing we were 8% below the State, yet 2% above the National data. 

Fouke Elementary was higher in all five ACT Aspire content areas tested when comparing 2015-2016 to the 2016-2017. Below were the percentage increases.

 English was up 1.5%; Reading up 3.4%; Writing up 16.5%;

 Science up 3.4%; and, Math was up 1.5% from 2016 to 2017.

 

Comparison Data: ITBS Exams Grades 1 & 2

1st Grade ITBS            Math             Reading

2011-2012                      72                    76

2012-2013                      66                    74

2013-2014                      60                    64

2014-2015                      61                    54

2015-2016                      50                    53

2016-2017                      61                    60

2nd Grade ITBS           Math              Reading

2011-2012                      60                    62

2012-2013                      60                    60

2013-2014                      68                    72

2014-2015                      60                    62

2015-2016                      69                    69

2016-2017                      70                    77

 

Fouke Elementary has shown steady academic growth in all grade levels since fully implementing PLC practices beginning in the 2008-2009 school year. Our school has always been a PLC that has allowed our school to achieve academic success without having a math or curriculum specialist employed in our building. Fifth grade science has witnessed significant growth during 2011-2014. Our science proficiency scores during those three consecutive years have been over 20 percentage points higher than the state average that allowed Fouke Elementary to be recognized in 2011 and 2012 as a Higher Performing School by the National Center for Academic Achievement. In 2014 only 2 students out of 207 students in grades 3, 4 & 5 scored Below Basic in Mathematics on the Augmented State Benchmark Exams. In addition, in 2014 all grade levels 1 through 5 were above the state average in Mathematics and Science. Literacy in 2014 witnessed every grade level except 4th grade having a higher average of proficiency above the state average. The norm-referenced tests, ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) were administered to grades 1, & 2 for the past six  years from 2011-2017. During the 2018 - 2020 schhol years Grades K, 1 & 2 were administered the State approved iStation assessmnets. In 2012 all grades 1-5 scored above the state and regional averages in all content areas: reading, mathematics, literacy and science on the high stakes state exams which was either the ITBS or the Augmented Benchmark Exams. In 2014 and 2016 Fouke Elementary was recognized by the University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy as a top three high performing school in the Southwest Arkansas region and for Beating the Odds in English Language Arts. Fouke Elementary fully understands that our school will not be completely satisfied until 100% of our students are achieving at or above their grade levels. One of our Core Beliefs at Fouke Elementary is ' Whatever It Takes,' and our staff understands how important that belief is for every student to be successful.

 

 

  

 

     
     
     
     

                   

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     
     
     
     
       
       
       
       
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
       
  • 2010 - Fouke Elementary was highlighted in a federal report and was named a Healthy Model School of Arkansas by a regional SNAP Ed committee.
  • 2010 – Fouke Elementary was featured in a tool kit on a national template featuring success stories in the nation about Coordinated School Health (CHS) programs that have improved academic performance.
  • 2011 – Fouke Elementary was selected to partner with the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems Evaluation Team from New York to research and document how our school uses data to improve student achievement.
  • 2011 – Fouke Elementary was recognized by the National Center for Educational Achievement as a Higher Performing School in Science.
  • 2011 – National Distinguished Title I School for Closing the Achievement Gap in Literacy and Mathematics.
  • 2012 – Fouke Elementary’s principal has successfully completed four years of the Master Principal Institute Program within the Arkansas Leadership Academy and was selected as the 26th Designated Master Principal for the State.
  • 2012 – Fouke Elementary was recognized as a Higher Performing School by the National Center for Educational Achievement.
  • Fouke Elementary was recognized in the January 2012 Arkansas Medical News online publication.
  • Principal Ken Endris was elected in June 2012 to the State Board of Directors for the Arkansas Association for Supervision and Curriculum.
  • Fouke Elementary was highlighted on September 2012 as a School Success Story published on the online Sparks Blog newsletter.
  • Principal Ken Endris has been a keynote speaker and presenter at state and national conferences. Example: Anchorage, Alaska October 2012.
  • 2013 - Fouke Elementary was highlighted in a federal report and was named a Healthy Model School from a 5 state region (Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico, Louisiana & Oklahoma).
  • 2014 - Fouke Elementary was recognized as a Higher Achieving School for their 5th Grade Literacy Scores and their 3rd Grade Mathematic Scores by the University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy.
  • 2015 - Fouke Elementary was one of two schools in the state awarded a Whole Child - Whole Community Grant on how the 5 tenants of the Whole Child Initiative (Healthy, Engaged, Supported, Challenged & Safe) are embedded within the daily schedule.
  • 2016 - Fouke Elementary staff presented at the State AASCD Conference.
  • 2016 - Fouke Elementary was recognized by the University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy - Beating The Odds: High Achieving ELA School based on the ACT Aspire Examinations, Serving Low-Income Communities.
  • 2017 - Principal Ken Endris appointed to the AAESP (Arkansas Association of Elementary School Principals) Board of Directors. This position will expire on June 30, 2021.
  • 2017 - Fouke Elementary presented at the State Health Conference.
  • 2017 - Fouke Elementary School was recognized as a 2017 Model PLC at Work School for its exemplary work in establishing a high-achieving professional learning community.
  • 2019 - Principal Ken Endris mentored six newly hired administrators for the 2019-2020 school year.
  • 2020 - Principal Ken Endris selected to present two breakout sessions   titled," Reflect on New Insights and Changes that can Reform your School's Culture of Achievement," at the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators Summer Conference on August 4, 2020.
  • 2020 - Principal Ken Endris selected once again to mentor newly hired administrators within the state for the 2020-2021 school year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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