Closing the Achievement Gap and Improving your School Through the CommunitySchool Model

Desiree Margo- Principal M.A. Lynch/Coordinator District Community School InitiativeLeslie Westendorf- Lynch Title I TeacherTom Wrightman- Lynch Instructional Coach

THE M.A. LYNCH STORYTHE THREE YEAR JOURNEY FROM A SCHOOL IN IMPROVEMENT TO A SCHOOL RATED “OUTSTANDING”

•In 2006-2007 due to state assessment data M.A. Lynch was given School In Improvement status•This designation provided SIG funds (School Improvement Grant funds)•This designation created the opportunity in 2007-2008 for the M. A. Lynch staff to take a close look at the teaching and learning occurring at the school.•John Hartford , M. A. Lynch Principal at the time, led the staff as they worked to create programs and academic interventions to improve the achievement of their students•Lisa Flora, a second grade teacher at M.A. Lynch, coordinated the creation of an intensive academic after school intervention program

How the Redmond Community School Initiative began

With the experience of developing a successful after school program, The M.A. Lynch principal and staff exhibited a readiness to further develop programming and with the support of the Commission on Children and Family were awarded a Community School Grant.

Program Growth2008-2009

This grant provided the critical resources needed to take the next steps to develop a “Full Service “ Community School

CCF provided:•Funds for a site coordinator•Funds to support partner programming

Critical Resources

In 2009 -Due to the early success of M.A. Lynch , the readiness the district exhibited , and the community REV document in addition to the leadership of Superintendent Vickie Fleming, The Redmond School District was awarded a 5 year 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant.•Lynch•Terrebonne• Elton Gregory Middle School•Obsidian Middle School

Readiness

In 2010 Vern Patrick was awarded a three year Oregon Community Foundation Community School Grant

The Redmond School District now has five community schools

The Redmond School district guided the community through a collaborative community process to determine district priorities. The result of this process is the REV (Redmond Educational Vision) One of the clear and urgent themes was Community Schools

Essential for the success of a community school- Start with a strong Foundation

“Redmond public schools belong to the community. It is important to provide opportunities for enrichment, extended learning, and before -and after-school programs. Schools must be welcoming, safe, and foster a culture that embraces differences and encourages understanding.”

Community Schools- REV

The REV provides the foundation for the growing Community School Initiative and honors the collective recommendation and priorities of our Redmond community.

What is a community school?

A community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other

community resources. It has an integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development and community engagement that leads to improved student

learning, stronger families and healthier communities. Schools become centers of the

community and are open to everyone – all day, every day, evenings and weekends.

-- Coalition for Community Schools

•Community Connection

•Parent Connection

•Learning Connection

What Are The Building Blocks to a Successful Community School?

Community Connection

• Boys and Girls Club• Redmond Area Park & Recreation

Department• Oregon State University Extension Office- 4-

H• Oregon Rush Soccer• Kobukan Karate & Kung fu• Redmond School of Dance• Redmond Youth Soccer Association (RYSA)• Art VanGo• Chess for Success• CampFire USA• Redmond Gymnastics Academy• Start Making A Reader Today (SMART)• All-Star Academy Basketball• La Clase (Spanish Literacy Program)• Community Members

Supporting our StudentsCollaboration not simply co-locating or

cooperating

Parent Connection

• Parent University• Monday and Wednesday evenings

• Family Resource Center – Parenting Classes • One time workshops

• Stress Management• Helping your child with math Homework

• ESL and Spanish GED Classes• Padres Latinos de Lynch (PLL)• Financial Aid Classes• Deschutes County Health Services

• On site Mental Health• On site Health Clinic

• Neighbor Impact – On site Head Start• Family Access Network (FAN)

Supporting our Families

Learning Connection

Snack and check inBlock 1- Academic•Intensive academic interventions for identified students•Homework club for non identified students•Academic enrichment for TAG and high achieving students who do not demonstrate a need for homework club•Block 2- Enrichment•Sports•Chess•Tech•Arts•Science•Leadership•Service Learning•Mentoring

Cub Club After School Community School Schedule“Students Shouldn’t have to choose between the sports they want to play and the interventions they need”

Academics play the central role in the before and after school programming that occurs at Lynch. Though the needs of the whole child are met through leveraging our partnerships, academic success for all is at the core of the community school.

Supporting the Academic needs of our students

•Before school programs•After School Programs•Push in small group during the day•Instructional coach support with use of data to inform decision making•Title I support before school and during the day•Coordination and delivery of interventions by school staff

The KEY To Our Success:Targeted Intensive Academic Interventions before school , during the day, and after school

1. Supports creation of master schedule2. Organizes and supports school wide

assessment3. Assists with school wide assessment

analysis4. Supports before school program 5. Helps inform after school program6. Supports and assists in planning for

small group literacy Interventions and push in support

7. Team Collaboration- Title I teacher is an integral part of the academic leadership team and is a resource to staff

Title I Teacher Support

• Facilitates Data Teams• Supports data analysis• Supports and coaches staff• Ongoing resource to staff• Supports all school assessment planning

and implementation• Supports all school assessment analysis• Is an integral part of the academic

Leadership Team• Supports Before and after school

intervention planning• Supports during the day intervention

planning• Supports before school program planning

Instructional Coach Support

•Master Schedule- an intentional plan that maximizes effective instruction•Collaborative effort- all specialist support small group literacy Push in time from 9:00-10:30•Grade Level Curriculum Maps

• Maps developed with priority standards as driver “Safety Net”

• Maps are used in many ways:• Inform Special Education Support (Preview)• Inform before and after school programs (Preview and Review)• Inform Data Team focus• Supports Teacher Evaluation• Informs Walk Through Protocols• Supports integration

• Arts• Music

Systems Support

1. Assessments are used to identify at risk students

1. OAKS2. DIBELS3. DRA4. Houghton Mifflin Resources5. Teacher assessments

2. Using these assessments, students are identified3. Students and their families are sent invitations to

the before and after school academic interventions. Staff follow up with phone calls when needed

4. Growth targets are set for each student and ongoing formative assessments occur

Intensive Academic Interventions for Identified Students

Before School ProgramRHS Students earn credit for being a part of the Before School program. Title I staff provide support for the morning program as well

•LLI- Leveled Literacy Intervention•ERI- Early Reading Intervention•Houghton Mifflin Resources•Rocket Math•Rewards•SMART Reading program•Interactive learning using Smart Boards•Curriculum based interventions•*We are currently using the RTI model to organize our interventions and programs :extended/ universal/strategic/intensive with this additional filter: before school/during the day/after school

Before and After School Cub Club Interventions

What are the benefits to students and families?

Results

In three years:Increased achievement for all students

Closed the achievement gap

Changed Status- from a School in Improvement to a school rated “Outstanding”

Reading 2000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

All Students

80% 60% 61% 79% 68% 81% 88% 93%

3rd Grade 92% 76% 79% 81% 80% 85% 80% 92% 96% 92%

4th Grade 72% 86% 73% 77% 78% 93% 92%

5th Grade 83% 67% 80% 74% 79% 77% 67% 75% 76% 95%ELL 17% 41% 16% 43% 58% 81%Special Education

18% 46% 17% 25% 38% 34% 50% 55% 75%

SES 91%

Math 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

All Students

70% 76% 54% 80% 81% 63% 75% 85% 87%

3rd Grade 69% 78% 71% 67% 68% 78% 77% 65% 81% 92% 92%

4th Grade 62% 89% 79% 71% 63% 89% 83%

5th Grade 64% 80% 67% 85% 75% 79% 82% 79% 75% 75% 86%

ELL 20% 29% 41% 29% 22% 58% 88%

Special Education

49% 57% 19% 0% 42% 33% 50% 60% 72%

SES 85%

All Students 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade ELL Sp Ed0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

68

8077

67

16

34

81

92

7875

4350

88

9693

76

5855

93 92 9295

8175

READING The Percentage of Students Meeting

or Exceeding the OAKS Reading Assessment

2007 2008 2009 2010

All Students 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade ELL Sp Ed0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

63 6571

79

2933

7581

63

75

22

50

8592

89

75

58 60

8792

8386 88

72

MATH The Percentage of Students Meet-

ing or Exceeding the OAKS Reading Assessments

2007 2008 2009 2010

M.A. Lynch has an on site Health Clinic and an on site Head Start. In a addition Lynch students and families have the support of a full time FAN (Family Access Network) advocate to help our most at risk students and families weave through the often confusing world of social services to ensure that all students come to school ready to learn.

Increased opportunities for Health and Social Services

M.A. Lynch provides opportunities for parents and community members to build stronger families and healthier communities by offering a variety of classes and services

Increased Parent and Community Engagement

Grants•21st Century Community Learning Center 5 Year Grant•Oregon Community Foundation Community Center 3 Year Grant•CCF (Commission on Children and Families grant)•CCF- Friendly PEERsuasion Grant•Art s Central Support and grantLeveraged Funds•TAG (Talented and Gifted)- enrichment classes•Title IA set aside (McKinney Vento )- after school tutoring for homeless students•Title I Staffing- Educational assistants support before and after school programs•Special Education- Special Education Educational Assistants support after school programs•Other Classified staff support- Library Media Managers, etc…

Funding

•Corporate Sponsors- adopt a school•Private Sponsors- support individual students through scholarships•Program fees based based on a sliding scale using Free and Reduced data•Non Profits• Non Profits obtain grants and provide programming for students and parents in your school•State and County Organizations• These organizations have their own funding source and provide programming in for students and parents in your school

Funding continued…

•Strong Superintendant support•Strong Principal support•Staff buy in and support•Collaborative school culture•Strong belief that EVERY STUDENT CAN SUCCEED•Initiative Integrated into the district strategic plan and site initiatives- not an add on•Highly Effective coordinator•Networking opportunities for coordinator•Collaboration with partners NOT Co-Locating or simply cooperation•Strong, effective partners- must be a “win/win”•Integration of school day with after school- not simply an add on•Site staff support•Leverage resources throughout the community and district

What are the lessons learned?What does it take?

•Start to sustain in year one- otherwise when the grant or when funds are gone, the program is gone•Choose effective AND engaging intervention materials- not more of the same•Empower site staff as leaders•Listen to student and parent voice- and then use their input to develop and refine programming•Welcome and leverage your community resources•Continuously look for and apply for grants from various sources•Develop corporate sponsors•Develop ways for a variety of people to financially support programming and students thorough sponsorships

More lessons learned

•Use data to inform decision making•Collect data consistently•Use the data to tell a story•Share the story•APPRECIATE all those who are a part of the Community School work•Continuously add new partners•Create systems and document them

More…

IF READINESS exists- THENWhat is required is :•Effective Coordinator•Some funds to support intensive interventions•Everything else can be leveraged

How can this approach be replicated in other communities? 

Questions?

•Websites:• Redmond School District Community School Webpage• The Coalition for Community Schools Webpage• The SUN Schools Webpage (Portland)• Oregon Community Foundation Webpage• National Center for Quality Afterschool • The Children’s Aid Society

• Redmond School District• Coordinator Job Description• Coordinator Evaluation Tool

Resources

Thank You!