REVIEW OF ACTIONS BY STEERING COMMITTEE

The Steering Committee began this cycle of school improvement in 1992 by continuing with the committee structure established in the prior cycle which focused on the three target areas of staff relations, student management, and classroom management. That committee structure continued until 1995 when some major revisions were made with the advent of a new administration. As reasons for changing the committee structure, the school report cites, "Inconsistencies in support of committee recommendations, increased time commitments, lack of directions, lack of ownership by staff, administration, board and administration, lack of data collection, assessment and reporting procedures which they believed impacted the learning environment and staff morale."

Based upon the recommendations of the previous team visit, and as earlier problems were resolved, the committee structure then moved to the four target areas of assessment, instruction, staff relations and student-teacher relations. Target Area Committees have been composed of teachers and administrators.

The committees have utilized outside facilitators to establish goals for the board of education and to conduct focused group inquiries among staff and parents to establish concerns and set priorities. The district has frequently utilized surveys of parents, students and staff in dealing with climate and attitudinal issues.

Study of best practices, begun with the McREL A+ Processes for School Improvement, has been a continuing component of the Laurel-Concord School Improvement Process throughout the current cycle. Since early in 1998, the school system has begun to utilize the APL Instructional Model, beginning with the training of board, administration, staff, and parents.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

While the current committee structure is common in the school improvement process, the performance of the Steering Committee members has been extraordinary. Among the outstanding results, the visitation team notes the following:

1. Board members have a clear understanding of their proper role and purpose. They are, in their own words, "leaders of the school governance and improvement process" who need to deal with the big picture issues, and to set district goals and priorities. They expressed a great deal of confidence in their administrators and teachers and trust is a characteristic of relations throughout the system. This trust and proper delegation has led to a great deal of teacher empowerment in the school improvement process.

2. The administration, in the words of the board and the teachers, has provided extraordinary leadership in setting high standards of professional expectations. They are people who model the talk and who walk the talk, and they have enlisted the respect and the support of a veteran staff.

3. Board, administrators, and teachers utilize a consensus model of decision-making which yields unified goals, and ownership of the school improvement process by all. There appears to be no fear, but rather pride, in being accountable. In the words of the superintendent, "we want the school's walls to become invisible." Both the school's accomplishments and its concerns should be public so they can be dealt with appropriately.

4. The community has been drawn into the school improvement process through the school's openness. First, through creating the community fitness center at the school and then through the creation of a joint community-school "learning center" which encompasses opportunities both for traditional library services and for current distance learning and Internet connectivity.

5. The school's openness to the community is exemplary. The library and the fitness center are both open from early in the morning until late afternoon. Afternoon supervision provides the opportunity for students to complete homework assignments, thereby removing the advantage which privileged students with more stable home environments might enjoy. The school has entered into a contractual relationship with Apple Computer which permits them to offer home computers at discount rates so homes can be linked with the school and the Internet for a variety of purposes. School schedules, handbooks, and a whole variety of school and district information are accessible on the District's home page. Future plans call for student records to be accessible by students and parents "on the net."

6. The school's internalization of the school improvement process and the demonstration of shared leadership are exemplary. Through the board and administration's empowerment of teachers, it is clear the process is no longer "person-dependent" which might change with a change in district leadership. The whole system believes in what they are about. One may expect only continued high (and higher) student performances in the future from the pieces that have been put into place.

NEXT STEPS - FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

1. The proposed new state accountability system will require schools to report student achievement in terms of state content standards. It would appear that Laurel-Concord has positioned itself well in terms of that new public reporting and accountability system. While Laurel-Concord will have multiple assessments in place, more than required for state reporting purposes, those additional assessments have been well conceived to provide the local school with formative information which will enable them to make further curricular and instructional decisions. The foundation is being well constructed for both guiding and directing student improvement and reporting the results to the public. We know the school has this in mind for its next steps and we strongly encourage continuation of the work that has already been so well begun.

2. Shorten the visitation cycle, making more frequent use of your Team Consultants and External Visitation Team members, in preparation for the next visit. Experience has shown that needing to meet time lines for external visitations, more than any other single factor, serves as motivation to effectively continue the school improvement process.

INSTRUCTION

Randy Jochum
Tim Sharer

SUMMARY/REVIEW OF PROCESSES/ACTIONS TAKEN:

-Staff completed Values and Practices Inventory in fall of 1996.

-Consensus building activities delimited goals and identified immediate needs in the area of instruction.

-Study, staff, and parent surveys conducted to gather data with respect to Goal 1.

-APL Workshops sponsored for the improvement of instruction in fall 1998.

-Correlating GLE's and CLE's to L.E.A.R.N. Standards.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

-Great administrative leadership/Shared governance with trust and ownership.

-Teacher-driven change in Instructional Practices which are student-centered.

-Board commitment to hiring practices which incorporate APL Philosophies.

-Continued commitment to APL by entire staff, administration, board of education, and community.

-Finding a high degree of correlation between GLE's and CLE's and L.E.A.R.N. Standards.

-APL Model has provided a great deal of Instructional and organizational consistency from discipline to discipline (teacher to teacher) and students know what to expect.

EVIDENCE OF GOAL ACHIEVEMENT:

GOAL 1:

-Evidence of moving toward the accomplishment of Instructional Goal 1 found in Focus Group Report.

GOAL 2:

Evidence of moving toward the accomplishment of Instructional Goal 2 found in the consensus building with respect to identifying the need for instructional improvement, sponsoring APL training and implementing the APL Instructional Model in the fall of 1998.

-Evidence of accomplishment of Goal 2 evidenced in the:

a. Setting of Teacher Job Targets providing goal setting and self-evaluation.

b. Use of Job Targets in the Observation/Conferencing/Improvement of Instruction.

c. Use of Duolog Accelerated Reading Program, PLATO to improve and enhance instruction in regular education, special education, and at-risk students.

NEXT STEPS - FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

1. We recommend that you begin to correlate APL Instructional practices to student outcomes and report the evidence with respect to:

a. Increases in student achievement

b. No changes in student achievement

c. Decreases in student achievement

d. Anomalies in the data

2. We recommend that you continue to follow your own recommendations with respect to instruction:

a. Continue implementation and monitoring and expansion of APL strategies.

b. Implementation of district-wide student information system.

c. Expand instructional practices to embrace additional APL Strategies not currently in use.

d. Continue concentration in improvement of Reading (K-12).

e. Further work to improve student achievement in Language Arts.

SUMMARY REVIEW OF PROCESS/ACTIONS TAKEN:

GOAL 1: Improve System-Wide Assessment

-District uses multiple assessment systems including CUBS, STAR, Terra-Nova, Plato, and Chapter/Unit Test Portfolios.

-District has met GOAL 1.

GOAL 2: Improve Classroom Assessment

-Assessment tools adopted for the core subject areas including CUBS, Terra-Nova, Star, Plato, and Chapter/Unit Test Portfolios.

-District has met GOAL 2.

GOAL 3: Improve Communication About Assessment

-District has aligned Nebraska (LEARNS) to Elementary Grade Level Expectations and 7-12 Course Level Expectations.

-A professional library has been established.

-A student information system is identified and planned to be implemented in the spring of 1999. Through this system parents will be able to access student assessment information. District will complete Goal 3 upon adoption of the student information system.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

- All assessment goals will be accomplished by the spring of 1999.

-A wide variety of assessments have been used.

-Staff members are held accountable for constructing as well as using multiple assessment tools.

Teachers are making decisions based on assessments.

-High expectations are understood by all involved.


NEXT STEPS - FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

-Goals that have been accomplished in the previous section should be maintained and monitored.

-High expectations are held by the Board, Administration, and Staff. Continue the communications necessary to maintain high expectations.

-The multiple assessment tools, used by the District to assess the state and local standards, should be related to student performance goals.

-Continue to align curriculum to meet or exceed State Standards (Nebraska LEARNS).

-Continue identification and adoption of assessment instruments.

-Expand use of alternative assessment practices.

STAFF - TEACHER - STUDENT RELATIONS

Dave Hawkins - Jess Wolf
Brad Connor - Barb Mills

SUMMARY/REVIEW OF PROCESSES/ACTIONS TAKEN:

-Various activities have allowed students a variety of input opportunities with teachers and administrators.

-Increased extra-curricular activities, and before and after school offerings have allowed for additional teacher/student contact hours.

-The school provides social and work activities for community members, parents, and staff on an extended basis.

-The focus group activities reflect an interest in gaining the opinions of community, staff, and students.

-Values and Practices, as well as the Climate Survey data reflect comparisons of teacher, student, and board opinions.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

-Alternative school was established (spring 1996).

-APL training and strategy meeting conducted (1998-1999 school year).

-PLATO training conducted (spring 1999).

-Elementary activity center developed (spring 1998).

-Learning Center constructed and extended hours provided (spring 1998).

-Professional library established in central location (fall 1997).

-After-school study-program established (fall 1997).

-School/community technology labs completed (summer 1998).

-Adult/senior citizens volunteer reading program begun (fall 1999).

-Common planning time for all staff established (fall 1996).

-Annual Board sponsored staff events initiated.

-Climate surveys confirm positive perceptions of the school climate.

- Values and Practices Survey reflect agreement between staff and board.

-Staff comments were very positive, supportive of the process, and committed toward continual improvement.

-Trust level of entire staff, community, and board has increased over five-year period.

NEXT STEPS - FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

The entire school/community should be commended upon their time, effort and energy in addressing a large number of goals for improvement. Some have been accomplished, and progress has been made specifically in the areas of Student/Teacher Relations and Staff Relations. The following suggestions would help move the process ahead:

- Celebrate your successes and your accomplishments: your progress is commendable.

-Concentrate efforts of staff and committees on your present goals.

-Reduce the total number of committees to just those necessary to address your goals (to prevent burnout).

-Continue your commitment to providing time necessary for staff to complete the process.

-Develop evaluation measures for all goals through evidence of increased student performance.

POSTSCRIPT

Both members of the Board of Education and faculty members mentioned there was some local concern about the way in which students treat one another. It is noted that currently the elementary principal is visiting every classroom to teach conflict resolution strategies. Some time might be provided to allow this intervention to bear fruit before further interventions are used. Before a great deal of energy is directed to this area, the visitation team would recommend that this concern first be validated with the collection of appropriate documentation (for example, first identifying the specific inappropriate behaviors of concern, and then following that with incidence counts). Based upon those findings, if there is, indeed, a problem the team would recommend the school consider utilizing the peer-mediation model as a possible method to deal with such a problem.

July 29, 1999
North Central Association
External Team Report Addendum
Laurel-Concord Public Schools
Title I Quality Program Review

A review of the Laurel-Concord Public Schools Title I plan was conducted on April 27-28, 1999 as a component of their NCA External Team visitation. This review included an interview with the Title I instructor as well as a review of the district's written supporting plan of improvement for Title I services. Documentation was provided to support the district's self-study in the required areas of:

A. Program Participation and Support
B. Student Learning
C. Staff Development

A. Program Participation and Support
The Laurel-Concord School district staff provide instructional services to eligible students in grades K-6 in the areas of Reading and Math through Title I funds. These services are supplemental to regular classroom instruction and are integrated into the district's curricular and assessment procedures. Eligible students are determined through two matrices, with slight modifications between K-2 and grades 3-6. Students identified most at-risk of failing, to meet district standards receive first priority for service. Services are delivered through a variety of instructional techniques, primarily within the general education classroom. Program coordination is accomplished through weekly meetings with teachers, joint IEP and parent-teacher meetings and joint in-service with staff.

Strengths: Overall coordination and district support of the Title I program appears very positive. This program is obviously an integral part of the learning process within the district and its goals are matched to the district's High Performance Learning model of school improvement.

B. Student Learning
Documentation of student performance indicated that Title IStudents are improving in theacademic areas of Reading and Math achievement. District and Title I goals for student performance have been set to move students out of the preemerging and emerging levels into the proficient level of performance.

As a component of the district's overall School Improvement Plan, a number of changes are in progress to improve and coordinate student performance assessment measures in Title 1. Beginning in the spring of 1999, the STAR reading assessment and STAR math assessment systems will be implemented to improve disaggregation of student results and analyze specific student strengths and weaknesses at the 2nd grade level. In addition, the Terra Nova program will be used to align district performance on a norm-referenced basis.

Strengths: Overall improvement of Title I student performance appears satisfactory. The district's commitment to improve assessment measures as a means of improving instruction for students at-risk of failure is commendable. It is reasonable to expect that such changes will result in improved instructional strategies for both Title I and classroom staff and will help "narrow the achievement gap" for Title I eligible students.

C. Staff Development
Laurel-Concord district staff have made a significant commitment to staff development though the integration of the APL training model, Reading Renaissance, Accelerated Reader, STAR training and technology support. Title I staff have been included in all district-wide staff development activities and are an integral part of the district's overall School Improvement process. Assessment and instruction top the list of School Improvement target areas and are directly related to an identified commitment to
improving student performance through staff development.

Strengths: The district's greatest asset is the comprehensive community-wide involvement in School Improvement. Staff development activities have included parents, all school staff, and community members who support the focus of services for lowachieving students. The inclusion of the Title I teacher in the overall School Improvement process is reflective of the district's comprehensive approach to serving students.

Recommendations: It is recommended that the district staff continue on their current path of School Improvement. Stated goals for Title I services are appropriate and the strategies outlined by school staff can be expected to result in improved student performance.

Within the area of assessment, as the staff increase and improve their ability to disaggregate scores and tie assessment more directly to the curriculum, it is recommended that attention be paid to any "pockets" of failure that this data makes evident. It is possible that improved assessment techniques can help identify specific curricular areas of weakness within Math and Reading instruction. These assessment techniques may also be tied to gender or family socioeconomic groups that could be targeted for further improvement.

Overall, the Laurel-Concord Title I program appears to be reflective of an integrated, well managed supplemental service for low-income, at-risk students. The instructional staff and building administrators are well versed in the Title I procedures and requirements. Their development of the Title I services are aligned very closely to the district's mission statement and overall plans for School Improvement. District coordination of the program, parent involvement, and communication among staff and community are commendable.

Respectfully submitted,

B.R. Conner