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Summative Evaluation Report
2015-2016
Pulaski County Schools
21st Century Community Learning Center
72 Warren Street
Hawkinsville, Georgia
June 15, 2016
Pulaski County Elementary School
Pulaski County Middle School
Hawkinsville High School
2
Table of Contents
FY15 Common Data Elements 3-4
Overview and History 5
Student Attendance and Enrollment 6-8
Program Operation 9
Quality of Staffing 10-12
Objective Assessment 13-15
Other Observations 16
Progress towards Sustainability 17
Overall Recommendations 18
Appendix A – External Evaluator Site Visit Reports 19-24
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Georgia Department of Education
21st Century Community Learning Centers
FY 16 Common Data Elements Form
Subgrantee: __Pulaski County Schools_ Date: ___June 15, 2016
1. Attendance
Total Number of Students Targeted
Registered Students Regular Attendees (attend ≥ 30 days)
Total Number of Parent Opportunities
Total Number of Parents Attending
Number: 133 Number: 164 Number: 117 Number: 15 Number: 46
2. Objectives
Total Objectives Met Not Met Other
Number: 12 Number: 2 Number: 10 Number: 0
3. Standardized Testing
3A. English Language Arts – Regular Attendees Achievement Levels
Beginning Developing Proficient Distinguished
Number: 49 Number: 24 Number: 0 Number: 0
Regular Attendees without scores who took standardized test Number: 0
Regular Attendees who did not take standardized test Number: 44
Retake Data (If applicable) Number of Retakes: N/A
Beginning Developing Proficient Distinguished
Number: N/A Number: N/A Number: N/A Number: N/A
3B. Math – Regular Attendees Achievement Levels
Beginning Developing Proficient Distinguished
Number: 43 Number: 29 Number: 1 Number: 0
Regular Attendees without scores who took standardized test Number: 0
Regular Attendees who did not take standardized test Number: 44
Retake Data (If applicable) Number of Retakes: N/A
Beginning Developing Proficient Distinguished
Number: N/A Number: N/A Number: N/A Number: N/A
Georgia Department of Education June 15, 2016 * Page 1 of 2* All Rights Reserved
4
4. Report Card Grades
4A. English Language Arts – Regular Attendees
Regular Attendees without Grades
Regular Attendees with grade increase (1st to
2nd Semester)
Regular Attendees with grade decrease (1st to
2nd Semester)
Regular attendees who maintained a specific grade all year
Number Number Number “A” or “B” “C” “D” or “F”
0 25 42 21 23 6
Identify if subgrantee utilized numeric (preferred) or letter grades Numeric
4B. Math – Regular Attendees
Regular Attendees without Grades
Regular Attendees with grade increase (1st to
2nd Semester)
Regular Attendees with grade decrease (1st to
2nd Semester)
Regular attendees who maintained a specific grade all year
Number Number Number “A” or “B” “C” “D” or “F”
0 39 36 17 20 5
Identify if subgrantee utilized numeric (preferred) or letter grades Numeric
5. Surveys
5A. Student Surveys
Number of Student Surveys Completed
Behavior Homework Completion Satisfaction
Strongly/ Somewhat
Agree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Strongly/ Somewhat
Agree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Strongly/ Somewhat
Agree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Number Number Number Number
111 83 11 97 8 94 6
5B. Parent Surveys
Number of Parent Surveys Completed
Behavior Homework Completion Satisfaction
Strongly/ Somewhat
Agree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Strongly/ Somewhat
Agree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Strongly/ Somewhat
Agree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Number Number Number Number
101 70 21 88 3 89 5
5C. Regular School Day Teacher Surveys
Number of Teacher Surveys Completed
Behavior Homework Completion
Significant/ Moderate/Slight
Improvement No Need to Improve
Significant/ Moderate/Slight
Improvement No Need to Improve
Number Number Number
117 39 25 73 13
6. Partners
Number of Partners Total Amount of Contributions
44 $28,483 Georgia Department of Education June 15, 2016 * Page 2 of 2 *All Rights Reserved
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Overview and History Pulaski County School System was awarded its first 21st CCLC grant in July 2010, and that award funded the program for the following three years. During those three years, Pulaski County Schools worked diligently to comply with 21st CCLC regulations and continuously made changes to the program in an effort to improve services offered to parents and students. In February 2013, Pulaski County Schools were notified of the opportunity to receive funding for another year of after school/summer service. The purpose of this funding was to allow successfully performing FY11 sub grantees the opportunity to continue services in the absence of a new round of application funding. In January 2014, Pulaski County Schools submitted a grant application for five more years of 21st CCLC funding and were awarded the funding in July 2014. Improvements have been made to the program over the years based on feedback received from parents, students, teachers, other 21st CCLC staff, external evaluators, stakeholders, and GA DOE 21st CCLC ERES and Budget Analysts. Some of these improvements are listed below:
- Every year we have fine-tuned our program goals and objectives to better reflect our program’s
mission and serve our students’ needs. (2110-2016) - Changed teacher schedules at the elementary school giving them a little extra time for planning and
classroom set-up before the students arrive at the end of the school day. (2010-2011) - Revised weekly schedule at PCES and PCMS to set aside 3 days for Math instruction, and teachers
who specialized in Math worked those days. The remaining 2 days were focused on Reading instruction and teacher specializing in Reading worked those two days. (2011-2012)
- Our external evaluator came and taught a staff development class on the evaluation expectations for the end-of-year report. (2011-2012)
- We revisited and tightened our attendance policy several times in an effort to reach our targeted average daily attendance as specified in our original grant. (2011-2012, 2012-2013,2013-2014)
- A special drive/directory on the school computer network was set aside for the after school program in an effort to improve communication between regular day and after school teachers. (2013-2014)
- Students were given the opportunity to offer input on activity choices so they would feel ownership in the learning process. (2014-2015)
- The regular after school program was extended for 12 days (three days a week) for the high school students because they needed more time to work on their assignments and get ready for the End of Course tests. (2014-2015)
- An extra third grade after school class was opened at the elementary school to serve more students in that “gateway” grade. (2015-2016)
- Another computer lab was opened at the elementary school giving more after school students access to technology each day. (2015-2016)
The Pulaski County 21st CCLC program is truly dedicated to extending learning and enrichment activities to our students. Our staff has matured over the years to become a unified team that is consistently searching for the best practices to ensure student academic success.
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Student Attendance and Enrollment
Site Name
Days
Open
Total
Number
Enrolled
Average Daily
Attendance
Number of
regular
attendees
Percent of
Regular
Attendees
Pulaski County
Elementary School
110
79
43
64
81%
Pulaski County
Middle School
110
48
22
36
75%
Hawkinsville High
School
110
37
14
17
46%
Totals
N/A
164
79
117
71%
Student Demographics
The following student demographic information was taken from Pulaski County School System CAYEN files.
Pulaski County Elementary School
Seventy-nine students were enrolled at the Pulaski County Elementary School site. 100% (79 or 100%) of students served received free lunches. Forty-three students (54.4%) were female and 36 (45.6%) were male at the elementary school site. Eleven (13.9%) of the students participating in the after school program at this site received Special Education services.
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
Black
59.5%
White
27.8%
Hispanic
7.6%
Other
5.1%
Ethnicity of Pulaski Elementary school
CCLC Students
Source : CAYEN
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Pulaski County Middle School
Forty-eight students were enrolled at the Pulaski County Middle School site. The majority (45 or 93.8%) of students served received free or reduced lunch, and three (6.2%) students paid full price. Twenty students (41.7%) were female and 28 (58.3%) were male. Twelve (25%) of the students participating in the after school program at this site received Special Education services.
PCES Grade Level of
Students
Total Number of Student
Attendees
First Grade 13
Second Grade 15
Third Grade 24
Fourth Grade 12
Fifth Grade 15
Total 79
PCMS Grade Level of
Students
Total Number of Student
Attendees
Sixth Grade 10
Seventh Grade 23
Eighth Grade 15
Total 48
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
Black
77.1%
White
14.6%
Hispanic
2.1%
Other
6.2%
Ethnicity of Pulaski Middle School CCLC
Students
Source: CAYEN
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Hawkinsville High School
Thirty-seven students were enrolled at the Hawkinsville High School site. The majority (32 or 86.5%) of students served received free or reduced lunch, and five (13.5%) students paid full price. Seventeen (45.9%) were female and 20 (54.1%) were male. Twelve (32.4%) of the students participating in the after school program at this site received Special Education services.
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
Black
64.9%
White
21.6%
Hispanic
0.00%
Other
13.5%
Ethnicity of Hawkinsville High
School CCLC Students
HHS Grade Level of Students Total Number of Student
Attendees
Ninth Grade 10
Tenth Grade 13
Eleventh Grade 11
Twelfth Grade 3
Total 37
Source: CAYEN
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Program Operation
Parent Events
15 Total Events 46 students had parents attend
Family Involvement Events - # students with parents attending – 34
Family Literacy Events - # students with parents attending – 12
Site Name
# of Days in
Operation Hours of Operation
Weeks in
Operation
Pulaski County
Elementary
School
110
3:30 – 6:00 P.M
Monday -Thursday
3:30 - 5:30 P.M Friday
22
Pulaski County
Middle
School
110
3:30 - 6:00 P.M
Monday - Thursday
3:30 - 5:30 P.M. Friday
22
Hawkinsville High
School
110
3:30 - 6:00 P.M
Monday - Thursday
3:30 - 5:30 P.M. Friday
22
Name of Event
Type Event
# students having
parents to attend
Parent Orientation Family Involvement 21
Free Adult Computer Class Family Literacy 2
Fall Festival Family Involvement 7
Parent to Parent Family Literacy 2
Health Fair Family Involvement 5
Family Science Night Family Literacy 7
Enhanced Food and Nutrition Education Program (7 sessions)
Family Literacy
No one attended
College Preparedness – CGTC Family Literacy 1
Teen Maze Family Involvement 1
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Quality of Staffing The following staff demographic and certification information was taken from Pulaski County School System CAYEN files. Pulaski Elementary School: 21st CCLC staff included 19 (90.5%) White/Caucasian teachers and 2 (9.5%) Black/African American teachers. Of the 21 staff, 19 were certified staff. Twenty (95.2%) were female and one (4.8%) was male. The student teacher ratio for academic instruction was a minimum of one teacher per 10 students and for enrichment a minimum of one teacher per 15 students.
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
Black
9.5%
White
90.5%
Hispanic
0%
Other
0%
Ethnicity of Pulaski Elementary School 21st
CCLC Staff
Pulaski Middle School: 21st CCLC staff included 11 (78.6%) White/Caucasian teachers, and 3 (21.4%) Black/African American teachers. Of the 14 staff, 13 were certified teachers. Ten (71.4%) were female, and four (28.6%) were male. The student teacher ratio for academic instruction was a minimum of one teacher per 10 students and for enrichment a minimum of one teacher per 15 students.
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
Black
21.4%
White
78.6%
Hispanic
0%
Other
0%
Ethnicity of Pulaski Middle School 21st
CCLC Staff
Source: CAYEN
Source: CAYEN
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Hawkinsville High School: 21st CCLC staff included 3 (30%) Black/African American teachers, 6 (60%) White/Caucasian teachers and 1 (10%) Hispanic teacher. Of the 10 staff at HHS, 7 were certified teachers. Seven (70%) were female and three (30%) were male. The student teacher ratio for academic instruction was a minimum of one teacher per 10 students and for enrichment a minimum of one teacher per 15 students.
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
Black
30%
White
60%
Hispanic
10%
Other
0%
Ethnicity of Hawkinsville High
School 21st CCLC Staff
Professional Development for 21st CCLC Staff
Throughout the 2015-2016 year, the Program Director participated in:
- 21st CCLC Annual Sub grantee Training—July 20-21, 2015
- A series of online compliance modules covering Sexual Misconduct, Mandated Reporting, Code of Ethics, Social Media, and Suicide Awareness and Prevention - Fall Brown Bag—September 15, 2015 in Albany, Georgia
- Winter Brown Bag—January 7, 2016 in Dawson, Georgia
- Spring into Summer Clinic—May 11, 2016 in Macon Georgia
- DAILY on the job training and encouragement from past Program Director
Source: CAYEN
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Site Coordinators and After School Program staff participated in the following training at some point during the 2015-2016 year:
- Employee Orientation—September 2, 2015—Topics included: FY15 Wrap-up ( Summative Assessment
Report, Success Stories, Lessons Learned, and Best Practices) and FY16 Orientation: Program Goals and Objectives, Policies and Procedures: Behavior Management Plan, Emergency Preparedness Plan, Child Abuse and Sexual Harassment, and Reporting Fraud, Waste and Abuse
- All 21st CCLC staff completed a series of online Compliance modules covering Sexual Misconduct, Mandated Reporting, Code of Ethics, Social Media, and Suicide Awareness and Prevention.
- Professional Development session held December 9, 2015 covering the following topics: Question and
Answer time with teachers (questions chosen by Director to hear the good, bad, and needs improvement ideas from teachers with emphasis on best practices, suggestions and feedback; Goals and Objectives (New and Improved Goals, Objectives not Met in FY15), Enrollment and Attendance (what we have now and what we need), Discipline, Parent/Family Activities and Suggestions; Time Sheet reminders, Monitoring Visit, and site coordinators were given time with their staff to discuss program operation at their site.
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Objective Assessment
Goals and Objectives for the
21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) Program
Goal 1: Participating students will reach high standards at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in
Mathematics.
Objective 1.1: 50% of regularly participating 1st and 2nd graders (those attending 30 days or more) will meet their individual growth target on SLO for Math. Pulaski County 21st CCLC did not meet this objective with 39% (9 out of 23) of the first and second graders meeting their individual growth target on SLO for Math. There were 24 1st and 2nd graders, but one student had only post test scores – no pretest or target. Objective 1.2: 55% of regularly participating students (attending 30 days or more) in grades 3-8 will meet or exceed standards on the Math portion of state mandated testing. Pulaski County 21st CCLC did not meet this objective with 41% (30 out of 73) regularly participating students scoring as Beginning Learners on the English Language Arts portion of the Milestones test. Only 73 of the 117 regularly participating students took this test. Twenty-four students are first and second graders who are not required to take the test. Seventeen are high school students who do not take the Milestone test, and 3 students withdrew from the school system prior to testing time. Please note: Scoring in the Beginning Learner Achievement means you will not be promoted and you must retest. Therefore, for evaluation purposes, we counted that the same as “not met”. At the beginning of the FY17 21st CCLC year, we will prepare a program amendment to align the wording of this objective with current testing terminology. Objective 1.3: 70% of the regularly participating students (attending 30 days or more) will maintain or increase their grades in Math during the academic year. Pulaski County 21st CCLC did not meet this objective with 69% (80 out of 116) of the regularly participating students maintaining or increasing their grades in Math during the academic year. One student moved and did not have third semester grades. Please note: In our calculations, a student maintained his grade for the academic year if he stayed within the same letter grade when comparison was made between the first and third semester grades, and a student increased his grade if he/she went up a letter grade when the comparison was made between the first and third semester grades. Calculations were made this way in order to be in line with how increases and decreases are calculated on the Common Data Element Form. Goal 2: Participating students will reach high standards at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in
Reading/ELA.
Objective 2.1: 50% of the regularly participating 1st and 2nd graders (those attending 30 days or more) will meet their individual growth target on SLO for Reading/ELA.
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Pulaski County 21st CCLC did not meet this objective. Only 33% (8 out of 24) of the first and second graders met their individual growth target on SLO for Reading. Objective 2.2: 75% of regularly participating students (attending 30 days or more) in grades 3-8 will meet or exceed standards on Reading and ELA portion of the state mandated testing. Pulaski County 21st CCLC did not meet this objective with 33% (24 out of 73) regularly participating students scoring as Beginning Learners on the Math portion of the Milestones test. Only 73 of the 117 regularly participating students took this test. Twenty-four students are first and second graders who are not required to take the test. Seventeen are high school students who do not take the Milestone test, and 3 students withdrew from the school system prior to testing time. Please note: Scoring in the Beginning Learner Achievement means you will not be promoted and you must retest. Therefore, for evaluation purposes, we counted that the same as “not met”. At the beginning of the FY17 21st CCLC year, we will prepare a program amendment to align the wording of this objective with current testing terminology. Objective 2.3: 70% of the regularly participating students (attending 30 days or more) will maintain or increase their grades in Reading and ELA during the academic year. Pulaski County 21st CCLC did not meet this objective with 64% (74 out of 116) of the regularly participating students maintaining or increasing their grades in Reading/ELA during the academic year. One student moved and did not have third semester grades. Please note: In our calculations, a student maintained his grade for the academic year if he stayed within the same letter grade when comparison was made between the first and third semester grades, and a student increased his grade if he/she went up a letter grade when the comparison was made between the first and third semester grades. Calculations were made in order to be in line with how increases and decreases are calculated on the Common Data Element Form. Goal 3: School involvement of adult family members of participating students will increase.
Objective 3.1: A minimum of 25% of regularly participating students’ (attending 30 days or more) parents will participate in family involvement activities at least one time during the program year. Pulaski County 21st CCLC met this objective with 29% (34 out of 117) of the parents for regularly participating students attending a family involvement activity at least one time during the program year. Objective 3.2: A minimum of 25% of regularly participating students’ (attending 30 days or more) parents will participate in literacy or educational activities at least once during the program year. Pulaski County 21st CCLC did not meet this objective. Only 10% (12 out of 117) of the parents for regularly participating students attended a literacy or educational activity at least once during the program year. Goal 4: Increase the Graduation Rate.
Objective 4.1: 50% of the regularly attending students (those attending 30 days or more) in Credit Recovery will earn at least one unit of credit.
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Pulaski County 21st CCLC did not meet this objective. Two regularly attending students were enrolled in the after school program for Credit Recovery and neither of them (0%) finished their course. They will be working on it during summer school. Objective 4.2: 50% of the regularly participating high school students (those 9th-12th graders attending 30 days or more) will pass all their Math and ELA classes having state mandated tests. Pulaski County 21st CCLC met this objective. Sixty-five (65) percent (11 out of 17) of the regularly participating high school students passed their Math and ELA classes having state mandated tests.
Goals 5: Participating students will increase in positive behavior.
Objective 5.1: 85% of the regularly attending students (those attending 30 days or more) will not miss more than 10 regular school days in any of their academic classes. Pulaski County 21st CCLC did not meet this objective. Only 72% (84 out of 117) of the students enrolled in the program did not miss more than ten regular school days in any of their academic classes. Objective 5.2: 65% of regularly participating students (attending 30 days or more) will have one or less discipline referrals for the year during the regular school day hours. Pulaski County 21st CCLC did not meet this objective. Only 62% (72 out of 117) of the regularly participating students have one or less referrals for the year during the regular school day hours.
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Other Observations
Satisfaction with the 21st CCLC After school program is high.
Student Survey – 88.1%
Parent Survey – 84.7%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Satisfied
Neither satisfied nor
dissatisfied
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Satisfied
Neither satisfied nor
dissatisfied
17
Progress towards Sustainability The Partnerships listed below have helped to enhance the services offered to the students and families in our 21st CCLC program during 2015-2016. The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
For seven weeks, the Hawkinsville High School 21st CCLC students participated in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Program (EFNEP). EFNEP is federally funded and conducted through Cooperative Extension in every state and U.S. territory. In Georgia, it is offered by the University of Georgia and Fort Valley State University. EFNEP reaches adults and youth through educational programs on food safety, healthy eating, and stretching the “food dollar”. Hawkinsville High School students were taught how to: - Save money on food - Plan quick and easy meals for their families - Prepare delicious and nutritious recipes - Keep foods safe to eat During each session, one or two simple, healthy dishes were prepared and the students were given the opportunity to taste the dishes. Students learned about salt intake, reading food labels, safe storage of foods, and cost-saving shopping tips. The students were also given small, inexpensive kitchen items throughout the course; and at the end of the course each student received a certificate of completion and a calendar full of healthy, easy-to-prepare recipes. Volunteer Macon, through a grant from the Governor’s Office for Children and Families Every Tuesday throughout the after school session, a representative from Volunteer Macon would come to middle or high school class to teach the following topics: -Second Step: Substance Abuse Prevention (Tobacco, Marijuana, Alcohol, and Inhalants) -Second Step: Bullying Prevention (Cyber Bullying, Bully in Friendships, etc.) -Second Step: Labels—Stereotypes and Prejudice -WAIT (Why Am I Tempted?) Training -Life Skills (The Value of Good Health and Decision Making for Health)
Pulaski-Bleckley Baptist Association In the spring of the year, Pulaski-Bleckley Baptist Association hosts a Health Fair for the entire community and special invitations are sent out to all 21st CCLC families. The Health Fair offers free dental services and health screenings for those individuals without medical or dental insurance. Local doctors, nurses and dentists volunteer their time to run this event which lasts for three days. These partnerships along with 41 other partners have enable us to leverage resources, staffing, facilities, snacks, and utilities, to the tune of $28,483 during the 2015-2016 school year. Pulaski County 21st CCLC will continue to work toward establishing new partnerships to help us sustain the services we provide for our students and their families long after 21st CCLC funding runs out.
18
Overall Recommendations We have noted on the Pulaski campuses that the teachers and students alike seem happy with the programs offered, and we noted that even at this time of day there is a concerted effort to engage students in programs that fit their age and make the offerings fun as well. The Coordinator, Debbie Brown, seems to be everywhere. We shadowed her on our visits and she has a grasp on what is happening on all three campuses at any given time. She pointed out to us that while Pulaski had a child/youth on their campuses the program was going to address as many points as possible to help that young person including not only educational programs but recreational activities, arts and music, as well as taking a stab at eventually gearing programs more toward general health, fitness and wellness of students by keeping them active as well as providing knowledge related to nutrition and health practices. Recommendations for possible input by the community:
Invite the mayor and/or law enforcement personnel to speak to the students about their role in helping them succeed;
Invite several individuals to come in and talk about their professions, i.e., nurses, business owners,
librarian, veterinarian, banker, secretary, receptionist, customer service representatives, home inspectors, etc.
Let the students ask questions and take notes regarding the information provided. Ask if the students
can visit some of the sites such as a nursing home, a hardware store, the fire department, Chamber of Commerce/City Hall, Historic Properties, etc.
Overall, we all need to understand that the landscape of learning continues to change at a rapid pace. With more digital media and a growing emphasis on anywhere, anytime learning, students are adapting quickly to opportunities that were non-existent just a few years ago. With connections to family and community, 21st Century programs can continue to flourish. The fact that 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding does not support any one model or approach to afterschool programs and activities, the initiative has stimulated the evaluation of a wide array of program models and approaches operating in diverse communities and conditions.
19
Appendix A
External Evaluator Site Visit Reports
20
Pulaski 21st Century Site Visit Report
Third Party Grant Evaluation
December 3rd
2015
Brandon Lovett
Marsha Tyson and I arrived at the Pulaski County Elementary School and were greeted warmly by the entire staff. We met with Debbie who is the new program director for the county and she presented us each with a copy of the weekly schedule detailing each segment of time and providing us with classrooms and teacher’s names. She them gave us a tour of the area utilized by the 21st century program and we then broke off individually to begin our evaluations. The following classes were observed for a substantial length of time and notes were made of my assessment:
• First grade-Mrs. Long’s class had just finished their snack and was getting ready to practice their reading skills when I joined the class. The students were sitting in pairs and sharing their reading books and Mrs. Long had them reading the story aloud and in unison. Long would encourage the students to use their pointer fingers and whenever their reading got off, she would stop them and they would start the sentence over. She reminded them that, “when we read together, we stay together.” Mrs. Long was also great at pausing frequently to ask questions about what the students had just read to check for comprehension. She was constantly walking from station to station and kept the students actively involved. Mrs. Long also reminded the students when they came across one of their spelling words for the week. At the end of the day children can be rather rambunctious, but Mrs. Long did an excellent job keeping them focused on their reading and making sure they understood what they had just read.
Fourth grade-Mrs. Burroughs’s class was working on their math homework. She was tutoring them in multiplication as they had a test the next day. The students appeared to be merged from two different math classes and had different homework assignments. Mrs. Burroughs explained to me that this was rather unusual but the students handled it rather well. Because of the upcoming test, she explained how they could all benefit from going over the two assignments as a review. Mrs. Burroughs did a great job of keeping the students on track and focused on the assignments. Students who were caught up with their homework and didn’t feel that they needed the review were allowed to draw quietly at their desks. Mrs. Burroughs was very encouraging and helped them to think through the more difficult math problems. Brandon Lovett, BS
21
Pulaski 21st Century Site Visit Report
Third Party Grant Evaluator(s) Visit
December Third, 2015
As a component of our evaluation process of the above after-school program, two of our evaluators visited the Pulaski County Elementary School on the above date. We were welcomed by the office staff, as well as the Project Coordinator. We were told that there are no para-pros utilized in the afterschool program this year. The site visit was designed to provide our evaluation team the opportunity to assess ongoing activities in the afterschool program. Evaluators chose the observed classrooms at random – First Grade, Second Grade, Fourth Grade and Fifth Grade. The following classes were observed and notes were made by each individual evaluator:
First we visited the second grade class of Robbie Rozier. She introduced herself and offered us a seat. There were 13 students in the room. Georgia Performance Standards were displayed in the classroom, as well as the vision and mission statements of the school. Mrs. Rozier was working with the students on math problems, and moved about the room to assist as needed. The students seemed very comfortable in asking for help and raised their hands if they needed additional assistance. The students were fully engaged, and the teacher seemed energized, moving from student to student to insure that everyone was clear on the subject at hand. Mrs. Rozier praised the students for following directions. The students seemed to be comfortable and at ease in this classroom and they seemed to be enjoying the work they were doing.
Next, we visited the room of Ms. Edwards. Ms. Edwards seemed very energetic and in control of the
room. She was working with math problems when we entered the room, and continued with multiplication, which the students embraced. They raised their hands if they had a question, and the room seemed to be a safe and happy place for the students. Ms. Edwards also helped them with some reading homework, and walked them through the proper way to utilize grammar in their writings. She had the students provide correct examples of grammar and seemed to be emphasizing the use of grammar in helping students write better.
Next, we visited Ms. Long’s class where the week activities were listed on the board. The kids were
singing as we approached, and then went to work on reading and math. The teacher moved quietly about the classroom, stopping to help students when they needed assistance with homework problems. Students seemed at ease raising their hands to ask for help.
Following the observations, we met with the Project Director to provide a brief oral report. We shared that we were impressed with the diversity of learning techniques that we had seen at this school which included games/recreation, technology, charts, and other creative classroom activities. As our evaluation team met and made notes afterword, we described what we had seen in such terms as nurturing, positive, safe, respectful, relaxed and supportive. Due to the smaller classes in afterschool, students are able to relate to their teachers in a more personal way than is possible with so many students in a standard classroom. We were struck by the energy and enthusiasm the afterschool teachers displayed, particularly since they had been at school for over eight hours at this point. We were impressed with the way they handled their students and classrooms, while welcoming us at the same time. Marsha Ann Tyson, BS, MA
22
Pulaski 21st Century Site Visit Report
Third Party Grant Evaluation
February 18th
2016
Brandon Lovett, Evaluator
Georgia Cooperative Health Manpower Education Program
Marsha Tyson and I arrived at the Pulaski County Middle School and Hawkinsville High School and were greeted warmly by the entire staff. We met with Debbie, program director for the county, as she presented us each with a copy of the weekly schedule detailing each segment of time and providing us with classrooms and teacher’s names. She them gave us a tour of the area utilized by the 21st century program and we then broke off individually to begin our evaluations. The following classes were observed for a substantial length of time and notes were made of my assessment:
• High school (grades 9-12) - Mrs. Davis’s class was just finishing up their snack and beginning their
homework. Davis and Bowen were both present in the room and available to help with homework and
review for upcoming tests later in the week. The students were very well behaved and while some did
their work on computers, other sat at their desks or tables working on their assignments. Davis explained
that during their enrichment time, they’ve had a variety of lessons this year including healthy cooking
lessons and recipes from the extension service such as baking cookies, making tea, Buffalo wings with
sauce, and even learning to load, unload and operate the dishwasher. They also work on art projects;
utilize online quizlets to review for upcoming tests, and play board and word association games on days
that they can’t go to the gym during recreation time. They average around 10-15 students because at this
age, Davis explained that many others are involved in sports and other after school activities. Davis also
explained that smaller groups were pulled for one on one tutoring in math with Mr. Dykes.
• Algebra I small group Mr. Dykes - In this group, Dykes was reviewing sequences with two students and
going over what they had been tested on earlier in the day. He was writing examples of sequences on the
board and asking the students what type of sequence they were. The students were very knowledgeable
and very attentive.
• Sixth Grade Mrs. Porter - When I joined this class for observation, Porter explained that they were
reviewing for Georgia Milestone. She had the class working on a poem titled “The Carpenter”. Their
assignment was to write a paragraph on the poem, and she asked two students to read the poem aloud in
the group. Then she asked questions to see how well the students comprehended. Porter was very hands
on and engaging with her group. She had keywords written down that she went over with the students
and she also asked the students to explain the difference between an architect and a carpenter as
mentioned in the poem as well as the difference between a house and a home. She also asked the
students what they thought made a house a home. She asked for a few volunteers to read their
paragraphs aloud when they were ready and commended them for a job well done and for remembering
to restate the question they were answering in the form of a sentence in their paragraph. She explained
how this helps to stay on topic when writing.
• Seventh Grade Mrs. Davis - We met up with this group as they were finishing up recreation outside. We
rejoined them in the classroom and Davis explained that they were preparing for a test on Friday and
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that she had prepared a game similar to Jeopardy. The test was over Southeast Asia and so the topics for
questions were divided into countries such as China, Japan, Vietnam, North Korea, South Korea, etc.
The questions were worth anywhere between 100 and 500 points and the students were divided into
groups where they could pick a topic, and then answer the question as a group for the points. The group
with the most points would receive extra bonus points on their test. Marsha and I were very impressed
with how knowledgeable the students were over the material and with how engaged they were in the
game. They thoroughly enjoyed it and it was a great way for them to review. They also liked the fact
that if one group got the question wrong, the next group could “steal” the points.
• Some suggestions for increased parent involvement and support: I know it has been mentioned in the
past to offer door prizes of some sort and I still believe that is a great way to bring people in as an
incentive when you hold parent/teacher meetings. I also think that for increasing enrollment into the
program, you should utilize the students and parents that you already have. The students who are in the
program seem to really enjoy it and I know that every age group has to have one or two parents that are
actively involved in their child’s education. Ask those parents and students to brag a little on social
media sites like Facebook. This is where social media can be a big help. Let the momma that’s involved
do what she does best-BRAG ABOUT HER BABY! Ask her if she would help promote the program
with other parents. Ask her to share on social media or with her friends how the after school program is
wonderful because she knows her child is safe, is being well taken care of, getting the extra attention and
tutoring he/or she may need, and is coming home with all of their homework done and ready to just be a
kid for a couple of hours before it is time to get ready for bed and do it all over again the next day.
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Pulaski 21st Century Site Visit Report Third Party Grant Evaluation - February 18th, 2016
Marsha Tyson, BS, MA, Evaluator Executive Director - Georgia Cooperative Health Manpower Education Program
My associate, Brandon Lovett, and I arrived at Pulaski County Middle School and met with Program Director Debbie Brown, who provided a quick tour of the facilities. She also provided a schedule and escorted us to the area where we were to begin our evaluation process. We first observed Mrs. Davis’ students who were finishing a snack and getting to their homework. Mrs. Bowen was also in the room and reminded the students that they were both available to help with homework and to prepare for upcoming tests. Some of the regular students in this class had gone to Mr. Dykes class for math tutoring. When we arrived at Mr. Dykes’ room he was reviewing items they had been tested on earlier that day. I was struck by how attentive the students were and that they were obviously serious about learning in this classroom. Next, we joined Mrs. Porter’s class. She was reviewing items concerning Georgia Milestone. The class was working on a poem, after which they were to write a paragraph regarding the poem. Several students then read poems aloud to the group. Mrs. Porter was very engaging and we enjoyed our time in her classroom. I then went to Elizabeth Simmons’ 8th grade class, and she was helping with homework and going over ‘Power Words’ with the students. Some were on computers, and some were at their desks. She was very involved with the students and encouraged them to THINK and read. After having visited this campus several times over the past two years, I feel that I am justified in saying that this group of professionals is very serious about the after-school program. Studies show that these programs succeed only if the programs are: Fun (where students find the experience interesting and enjoyable); Hands-On (where students physically participate in activities); Engaged (where students are mentally involved in activities); Tied In (where students’ afterschool activities are connected to regular school day lessons making activities relevant and more memorable). In conclusion: We have noted that on the Pulaski campuses, there is not only ongoing learning, there is also fun, where students look forward to the program and find their after school experiences both interesting and enjoyable. The students have hands-on experiences where they physically participate in activities. Because their Director and teachers have spent time creating new avenues of learning, they are mentally involved in activities and can connect their after school activities to regular school day lessons, making activities relevant and more memorable. It is our opinion that the Director, teachers and other staff at the Pulaski locations are making a concerted effort to make this project work. As we drove away, my colleague noted that almost everyone we encountered there was smiling. I then reminded him that we were as well. We will be meeting with the Advisory Board in a few weeks and hope to find ways to bring more parents into the process, which would also be a boost for the students, as well as the teachers and others involved with this program. Marsha G. Tyson - GA CHEP, Inc.
