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School Improvement Plan

What is a School Improvement Plan?

A School Improvement Plan (SIP) is a strategic blueprint that schools use to enhance student learning and improve educational practices. It outlines specific goals for improvement, actions to achieve those goals, and methods for measuring progress.

Key Points of a SIP:

  • Goals: Clear objectives the school aims to achieve to enhance student outcomes.
  • Actions: Steps and strategies the school will implement to reach its goals, based on research and effective practices.
  • Monitoring: Regular review of progress with adjustments made to ensure the school stays on track toward its improvement objectives.
     

The purpose of a SIP is to provide a clear roadmap for schools to improve educational outcomes for all students, particularly focusing on eliminating disparities and ensuring equitable opportunities for every student.

Every school in Washington State is required to have a School Improvement Plan.
 

Monitoring and Adjusting:

A SIP is not set in stone. It's reviewed regularly, with progress monitored against the set goals and activities adjusted as needed to stay on track toward improvement.

Visit the Issaquah School District SIP website to learn more about SIPs.

District - School Improvement Plans

 

Front of Creekside Elementary School

Achievement Goals

  1. By the spring of 2023, student achievement for all Creekside students in the area of reading will increase from 73.6% (as measured on the 2022 i-Ready Reading Assessment) proficiency to 80% as measured on the 2023 Spring i-Ready Reading Assessment.
     
  2. Each year of the SIP, 75% of students scoring below grade level on i-Ready Reading will be on track to exceed their Typical Growth Goal and 67% will be on track to meet or exceed their Stretch Growth Goal, or equivalent in SBA growth.

Guiding Questions

Reflecting on previous action plans

Backed by Data

Schools use multiple data sources to inform their planning. Progress toward school improvement in overall achievement and disproportionality is monitored using state and district measures using a common School Improvement Data Dashboard.

Data Workbook for Elementary School

School-Based Action Plan

Action Implementation Impact: Evidence/Monitoring

Integration of High Leverage Practices

Reviewing, adjusting and training on current curricular and teacher support materials to ensure high leverage practices are effectively integrated and explicitly linked to class structures and instructional routines promote a clear and consistent implementation of our instructional program while empowering teachers to use their professional judgement in applying evidence-based practices to strengthen teaching and learning.

  • Commitment by grade level teams (grades 2-5) and professional development around teaching, integrating, and applying academic vocabulary and comprehension strategies for informational text in whole group and small group instruction. Academic vocabulary and comprehension of informational text are two areas of growth for our students as identified in our i-Ready reading data from spring 2022 and fall 2022 administrations.
  • Commitment by grade level teams (grades K-1) and professional development around explicit instruction in phonics, phonemic awareness, and phonological awareness.
  • Provide Professional Development on small group instruction including:
  • Structure
  • Planning
  • Collecting Data
  • Using i-Ready data, reports, and lessons to inform small group instruction
  • Commitment by our librarians to provide Specific vocabulary instruction in K-2 based on WCCPBA read alouds.
  • Commitment by our librarians to increase our selection of informational texts in our library to provide students with a greater variety and access to engaging nonfiction texts.

  • Commitment by our librarians to provide targeted instruction on narrative/expository nonfiction in grades 2-5 and targeted instruction on the 5 types of nonfiction. Commitment by our librarians to provide targeted instruction and co-teaching of comprehension of informational text and text features in grades 1-2.

 

  • Evidence of Implementation

  • Increase in Winter and Spring i-Ready Reading Assessment Data (overall scores as well as scores in the vocabulary and comprehension of informational text domains)

  • Professional Development implementation and feedback

  • Observations of lessons taught by general education teachers and specialists utilizing strategies to teach and integrate academic vocabulary and strategies to comprehend informational text.

  • Library collection analysis data

Comprehensive Assessment Planning

The use of screeners, progress monitoring and benchmark assessments, along with strengthening our use of curriculum embedded formative and summative assessments empowers teachers to identify specific learning needs and match instructional approaches and materials to the needs of groups and individual students and empowers data-based decision-making.

  • Utilize the ISD data protocol to analyze student data to inform Student Growth Goals and grade level goals based on F&P, Words Their Way, and i-Ready assessments.

  • Provide professional development, time, and guidance for staff to review data each trimester and adjust groupings (Words Their Way, Really Great Reading, and small groups) and instruction based on students’ current needs.

  • Professional Development implementation in the fall, winter, and spring

  • Increase in reading achievement scores as evidence on:

  • i-Ready Reading Assessment (winter, spring) (overall scores as well as scores in the vocabulary and comprehension of informational text domains)

  • F&P (fall, spring)

  • Words Their Way (fall, winter)

Technology Integration

Tech integration provides equitable opportunities to learn critical technology skills and tools while enhancing learning as students access, engage with, create, and produce using technological tools.

  • Commitment by teachers to utilize Book Creator as a way to integrate reading, writing, and technology.

  • Commitment by teachers to utilize Learning Ally for students with reading difficulties.

  • Commitment by teachers to utilize i-Ready during reading small group rotations.

  • Increase in teacher created libraries in Book Creator and use of Book Creator by students

  • Observation of students utilizing Learning Ally in the classroom during independent reading time and increase in student use of Learning Ally as part of the regular classroom structure.

  • Professional development to staff on Book Creator through district PD, school PD, and Tech TOSA support.

  • Professional development to staff on Learning Ally with support from our Tech TOSA and our librarians. Data from Learning Ally to show which eligible students are regularly accessing Learning Ally, indicating the number of books and pages students are reading, and date of book selection.

  • Increase in progress towards yearly growth or stretch growth through i-Ready during Winter and Spring administrations.

PBSES / Behavioral Supports and Interventions

PBSES is the application of research-based practices on prevention and intervention in the social-emotional and behavioral domains. 2022 marked the transition from a coaching centered model to a building managed PBSES system.

4 Core components

  • Proactive Classroom Management

  • PBIS Behavior Expectations and Acknowledgements

  • SEL / Second Step

  • Positive Relationships

As a result of the CR-TFI completed in Fall 2022, the following action steps will occur:

  • Create a flowchart including common definitions of behavior in Tier 1/Tier 2 teams.

  • For all staff, provide professional development around a common understanding of the functions of behavior and how to use the understanding of the functions to respond more effectively to behavior.

  • Continue to build solid Tier 2 PBSES systems by creating a handbook for Creekside-specific interventions that include information for classroom teachers and families in how to implement the intervention, monitor progress, and fade the intervention.

  • Commitment by Tiered Teams and grade level/content area teams to review SWIS data regularly and utilize the data to inform instruction around behavior expectations and acknowledgements.

  • Create a PBSES roadmap that includes PD for staff and specific skills teaching for students.

  • The refinement of our current Creekside behavior flowchart to meet Creekside’s specific and current needs.

  • A completed calendar for January-June of times to teach expectations to students (for example, after a break) and professional development topics/dates around functions of behavior, definitions of behavior, and proactively teaching expectations.

  • The development of a Creekside-specific handbook of PBSES Tier 2 interventions.

Family Engagement

According to the CDC, research shows that parent engagement in schools is closely linked to better student behavior, higher academic achievement, and enhanced social skills.

  • Commitment by teachers to highlight literacy in their newsletters.

  • Commitment by specialist staff and administration to highlight reading strategies to support families at home with academic vocabulary, comprehension of informational text, and reading foundational skills once a month for grade level bands (January – June)

  • Notify families of audio books supports available in the library (Playaways and Vox audio books for grades K-2 and specific instruction on Sora and Epic read alongs with dyslexia font).

  • Commitment by teachers to notify families personally when students have reading challenges and provide resources to families to support their students.

  • Family Reading Engagement Night in late January

  • Teacher newsletters
  • Resources shared at conferences
  • Reading resources for grade level bands will be shared by Clever and/or teacher newsletters
  • Library website and Skyward messages to families
  • Family feedback from Family Reading Engagement Night

SIP Team & Final Review

  • Principal: Amy Allison
  • Site Council/PTSA Review Date: November 14, 2022
  • Supervisor Review: Susan Mundell, January 6, 2023
  • School Board Review Date: February 15, 2023

Leadership Team:  

  • Nicole Min, Kindergarten

  • Leann Schumacher, First Grade

  • Bree Russell, Second Grade

  • Kelli Stonebreaker, Third Grade

  • Liz Yanev, Fourth Grade

  • Carrie Alexander, Fifth Grade

  • Sarah Moniak, Special Education

  • Makinlee Sellevold, PE

  • Maureen Walmsley, Fifth Grade, Equity Building Lead

  • Shaun Cornwall, Assistant Principal

Checklist