Europe South Ms. Allison Peltz, Administrator Unit 31401 Box 11 APO09630-0005 Document Generated On May 1, 2017
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 3 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 6 Additional Information 8
Introduction Every school has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and learning takes place influences the processes and procedures by which the school makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way a school stays faithful to its vision. Many factors contribute to the overall narrative such as an identification of stakeholders, a description of stakeholder engagement, the trends and issues affecting the school, and the kinds of programs and services that a school implements to support student learning. The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and challenges it encounters. By doing so, the public and members of the school community will have a more complete picture of how the school perceives itself and the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement. This summary is structured for the school to reflect on how it provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis. Page 1
Description of the School Describe the school's size, community/communities, location, and changes it has experienced in the last three years. Include demographic information about the students, staff, and community at large. What unique features and challenges are associated with the community/communities the school serves? (VES) is located in Vicenza, Italy on the site of the Villaggio Housing Area. Caserma Carlo Ederle and Caserma Renato Del Din, two additional Italian Army installations in Vicenza, make up the home base for United States Army Garrison (USAG) Vicenza. Our students are dependents of United States (US) service members and Department of Defense (DoD) civilians serving overseas working for USAG Vicenza. USAG Vicenza supports several units, including the U.S. Army Africa Headquarters, elements of the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), the 21st Theater Sustainment Command-Italy, the 509th Signal Battalion, the U.S. Army Health Clinic Vicenza, the Vicenza Dental Clinic, AFN Radio and Television and other units and organizations. USAG Vicenza also supports U.S. military units located in Livorno, Italy as part of the Darby Military Community. Vicenza is a city in northeastern Italy in the province of Veneto. A medium sized community of more than 100,000 people, Vicenza has a beautiful historic downtown area and a modern, metropolitan area with many smaller towns closely surrounding it. It is located between Venice and Verona and borders both Austria and Germany. This unique location provides students with many exceptional opportunities to further enrich learning experiences. VES opened our new state of the art facility in 2010. Through close cooperation between the school and community, the 825 students in prekindergarten through fifth grade are able to learn in a safe, nurturing and caring environment. Our school employs 102 staff members. Of the 102 staff 61 are certified teachers. Credentials held by our staff include 49 Masters Degrees, 1 Doctorate, 3 certified counselors, and two administrators. Our staff members have a diverse range of experiences and cultural backgrounds that enhance our students' educational development. The school's enrollment mirrors the DoDEA Europe trend; student population fluctuates in accordance with families' change of duty stations. Our population reflects the diversity of the base, including a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds and multi-national stakeholders. We find that our students and families bring to VES a multitude of experiences, which enrich the school's atmosphere for learning. The continued drawdown of US forces elsewhere in Europe has directly affected the Caserma Ederle community. As troops and families are redirected from closing bases to the Vicenza area, our school and the surrounding support services have experienced challenges related to an increase in population. In spite of these challenges, our school community continues to be supportive and consistently strives for excellence. The level of commitment of our educational professionals is evident in our vision, as we make every effort to put the needs of our students first. The families in our community are often subject to deployment with short notice which places a great deal of stress on all family members. The VES community understands the special challenges children in these circumstances face and works towards providing an atmosphere that embraces high expectations while still providing an environment in which our students feel safe, supported and valued. Page 2
School's Purpose Provide the school's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values, and/or beliefs. Describe how the school embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students. The (VES) purpose statement, VES= Values, Excellence and Success - Building a strong foundation for life-long learning is consistently embraced and embedded in our interactions with students and families. Vision, Mission and Purpose Statement signs and banners are displayed in the hallways, classrooms and other public areas. The school's purpose statement began as its vision. DoDEA South adopted DoDEA's vision across its schools. The faculty felt so strongly about the school's current vision statement, they decided unanimously to repurpose it as our Purpose Statement. The development of the school's purpose statement involved stakeholders from the school, community, and Command, such as teachers, parents, and members of the School Advisory Committee (SAC). One of the major goals was to select a student friendly purpose that would be shared by and accessible to all stakeholders. All participants studied DODEA's vision and mission statement and reviewed vision and mission statements from other schools that have proven records with high levels of success. Contributors separated into various groups, developed drafts, and finally submitted various samples of vision statements to the group as a whole. Members involved in the process voted to determine which statement would be adopted. VES begins every school year with a review of our school's vision. During this year's review, stakeholders discussed the transition to DoDEA's Vision statement and came to a unanimous decision that the former VES vision continues to reflect our school's values and beliefs and would be repurposed as our Purpose Statement. Leadership uses the Purpose Statement to share the school's values. During parent orientation, the Purpose Statement is shared with all stakeholders. The student council shares the purpose every morning over the intercom. The VES Purpose Statement is the catalyst for the school improvement process and the formulation of school goals. The goals were based on data compiled from system-wide and local assessments. Our commitment to continuous school improvement compels us to review student data at regular intervals. A data review at the close of SY 13-14 indicated that a revision of the VES SMART Goal 1 was imperative in order to target student needs and facilitate effective instruction. Subsequent data reviews have indicated a need to continue with the goals as revised. The updated VES school goals are as follows: SMART Goal 1: By June 2018, all students at will increase reading comprehension as demonstrated through increased proficiency in system-wide and locally administered assessments; SMART Goal 2: By June 2018, all students at will increase understanding of Number Sense as demonstrated by increased proficiency in system-wide and locally administered assessments. Formative and summative assessments are used to measure the extent of student progress. Data is examined and discussed at grade level meetings, Professional Learning Framework (PLF) or Collaborative Team Meetings (CTM), and special meetings held with the principal. One regular meeting day each month is devoted to data review and analysis at the staff level. This year we have worked with the District Superintendent's Office to implement the use of the ORID protocol as a framework for data analysis. Scheduled assessments, such as the new CCRSM BoY, MoY and EoY, in all grade levels, the BAS in kindergarten through third, and the SRI and BAS2 in 4th and 5th are used to measure student progress. Great care was used in determining which appropriate local Page 3
assessments would best assess learner outcomes and evaluate the needs of our students. Progress monitoring is conducted systematically, school wide, and at scheduled intervals. Teachers also use formative assessment data at each grade level to consistently ensure that appropriate instructional strategies are being implemented in order to differentiate learning experiences and to help maximize individual student achievement. As we grow in our use of data to drive instruction and measure learner outcomes, our discussions center on improving our local assessments. Careful reflection has been employed by the staff to determine which assessments might best reflect the DODEA College and Career Readiness (CCRS) standards and our Smart Goals for mathematics and reading. The staff elected to utilize the assessments that are embedded in our CCRS Mathematics (CCRSM) curricular materials as our local assessment. The Curriculum Embedded Performance Assessments (CEPAs) are incorporated in every CCRSM unit and serve as benchmarks for learning. They are utilized in all grades from kindergarten through fifth. In an effort to collect reliable data, all grade levels have worked toward utilizing and further developing assessment norms and procedures found within the CCRSM units. These norms can be found in each grade levels' CCRSM or Continuous School Improvement (CSI) binder and are reviewed and adjusted as needed. Data from a variety of assessments is gathered and analyzed throughout the school year to determine if our school effectively meets our Smart Goals for reading and math. Specifically, results from Running Records in first grade, Fresh Reads in second through fifth grade, Benchmark Assessment System (BAS) in Kindergarten through third grade, Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) in grades two, four, and five, and BAS-2 in grades four and five are utilized for reading. Results from periodic curriculum assessments in Kindergarten through 5th grade are utilized for math. Students in grades three through five also participate in TerraNova language arts and math testing. Finally, our Sure Start students are assessed using the Creative Curriculum Checklist. In response to our staff's request, various professional development opportunities with a focus on the use of formative assessment to drive instruction have been provided. Targeted resources and research are continuously shared with staff members and discussed during CTM and PLT meetings. Strong support programs are in place for students needing special assistance. Inclusion is the standard in the areas of special education, math, reading and gifted education. This year our school has the added benefit of implementing the Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) reading program. LLI supports students performing in the lower reading quartile. Counselor led character education occurs in both small and large group settings and Military Family Life Consultants (MFLC) provide additional support. The Department of Defense (DOD) funded MFLC program offers licensed and credentialed clinical providers to supplement existing programs. Other programs include, Special Education, English as a Second Language (ESL), Homework Club, parent volunteer assistance, advanced academic enrichment groups, and instructional interventions from resource teachers used to maximize student achievement. The school is committed to offering a variety of educational and extracurricular programs for the students. Several activities are offered to students including: Italian Immersion classes, Host Nation classes, Student Council, Student Ambassadors, Robotics Club, Marco Polo Club, Running Club, Walk across Italy Club, PE Club, Etiquette Club, Spanish Club, Hand-Craft Club, Honors Music Clubs, Italian Cooking Club, Spanish Club and Homework Club. At VES we place an emphasis on three core values: Respect, Responsibility, and Compassion. Students are introduced to these values at the beginning of the year. Displays in classrooms and hallways throughout the school serve to remind students of these values. Students follow VES values by treating others the way they prefer to be treated (respect), taking responsibility for their actions, and learning from their mistakes (responsibility), showing empathy for others by getting involved, helping others and taking leadership roles (compassion). The Values program supports the VES Vision statement, which emphasizes our school wide values: Respect, Responsibility, and Compassion. The goal of the Values program is to have all stakeholders become familiar with these values, and support and promote them as contributing factors to the positive climate of VES. Students struggling with positive problem solving also complete a Reflection Sheet. Page 4
This data is used to determine if students would benefit from additional counseling services: groups, individual counseling, classroom guidance lessons or school wide programs. Our Values Program empowers students and allows them to take ownership in their school community and contribute to a fair, safe environment that is conducive to learning. The VES STARS program for problem solving - Stop, Think, Act, Review and Succeed - is implemented school wide to support the Values program and to build positive student behavior. The counselors conduct student needs assessments in each classroom. Students are asked to anonymously answer questions about their safety and success within the school. The STARS Student Recognition program identifies students who model our school values and demonstrate positive decision-making. These students are selected weekly and celebrated in their classroom. On Friday mornings, they use their STAR as currency to select an item from the STARS store. VES Student Council members take pictures of these STAR students and post them on the STAR Student Recognition Board located by the entrance to the counseling suite. At VES, we believe it is important to maintain consistency in the lives of our students and their families. To that end, we have developed deployment support activities that ensure our children are nurtured and supported during difficult times. After careful study it was noted that our school was undergoing an increase in counseling referrals. We attribute this to the frequent, multiple deployments and relatively young parents. Counseling services are available to students through the school and the Military & Family Life Counseling (MFLC) Program. VES takes pride in its long-standing tradition of close collaboration between school staff and community stakeholders. Community members are always welcome at the school where they often share their expertise with the students and staff. Our Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) organizes many events and activities that build and fortify relationships between the community and our school. VES welcomes many community volunteers who deliver presentations to our student body. Soldiers, pilots, firefighters, engineers, meteorologists, and entomologists are among those who have shared their talents with our school. Our community volunteers are vital to supporting school events, including Family Math/Literacy Nights, Guest Readers Events, Book Fairs, Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) night, Spelling Bee, and Music/Art events. In the Fall and Spring all families are invited to attend parent-teacher conferences. Many of these conferences are student-led. Additional conferences are arranged for students as needed throughout the school year. During conferences, parents and teachers work together to discuss the intellectual, social, and emotional growth of our students and to set goals for future progress. Parents are also in attendance at weekly Special Education Case Study Committee (CSC) meetings. Other support is provided through the Student Support Team (SST), meetings with the classroom teacher, parents, guidance counselors, administration, as well as other conferences, presentations, and workshops. Page 5
Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement Describe the school's notable achievements and areas of improvement in the last three years. Additionally, describe areas for improvement that the school is striving to achieve in the next three years. VES developed a new vision statement in the Spring of 2013 and, based on a review of the data, selected a goal in reading and a goal in math. During SY 2013-2014 the faculty worked together to review and select strategies to support both goals. The focus in SY 2013-2014 was on implementing our reading and math strategies and on exploring/agreeing on assessments and an assessment schedule. During SY 2013-2014 grade levels met with administration on a regular basis and began looking at student data with a focus on underachieving students and trends across grade levels. In SY 2014-2015, with more than twenty new faculty and staff members, we felt that it was necessary to make certain that everyone was aware of our agreed upon approach in order to progress as a school. Therefore the faculty worked together to develop protocols for our assessments. Faculty members volunteered to begin a mentor program for our newcomers. At the onset of the school year pertinent information about policies, procedures, common assessments, and norms was provided for each faculty member in both digital and hard copy (CSI binders). This helped to ensure continuity, efficiency, and fostered shared values. Staff development to ensure consistency in assessments was offered both in the classroom by our Reading and Math specialists, by our district support staff, and during our CSI staff development days. In SY 2015-2016 and SY 2016-2017, the school worked to address our two improvement priorities. To ensure our paraprofessionals have the opportunity to grow as educators, specific professional development, tailored to their needs has been offered during all CSI PD Days. In addition, they are invited to attend any training given to the faculty during our CCRSM PD days. In SY 2015-2016, we began to look at and share models for student goal setting. In SY 2016-2017, each grade level was required to formalize a process for student goal setting in the areas of reading and math. In SY 2014-2015, there was much discussion about our assessments and whether they were the best tools for measuring student growth. We looked at assessments in math that would target specific skill needs for each child. At the beginning of SY 2014-2015, classroom teachers were provided with the end of SY 2013-2014 math data for all returning students. In an effort to assess the skill level of 3rd -5th grade students new to VES, the end of year test for their previous grade level was administered. All students scoring below 70% on the math assessment of the previous year were then given an additional diagnostic assessment to identify specific deficiencies. This ongoing process helps the classroom teacher and the Instructional Support System Personnel (ISSP) plan instruction to meet the needs of each child. This year students were administered Beginning and Middle of the Year Assessments in math and will be given an end of year assessment as well. We analyzed the BOY and MOY assessments using the ORID Process. The results of these assessments were discussed as grade levels, as well as in vertical collaboration with grade levels above and below to look at strengths and opportunities for improvement. We will continue this with our End of Year Assessments in both Math and Reading. There will be an opportunity for our fifth grade teachers to meet with the middle school teachers to ensure we are preparing our students to be successful in middle school. In SY 2015-2016, DoDEA initiated the College Career Readiness Standards for Mathematics. These are closely aligned with the Common Core Standards. The faculty spent time each Thursday in their PLTs looking at their Curriculum Embedded Performance Assessments (CEPAs) and using them to Backward Design lessons and as benchmarks for learning. This school year 2016-2017 we implemented a new resource, the Go!Math CCRSM aligned curriculum. Page 6
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Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. In SY2014-2015 VES was selected as one of the 16 pilot schools for the 21st Century Teaching, Leading and Learning program (CTLL). The 21st CTLL initiative recognizes that the most powerful vector for change in a school is the classroom teacher. It is in this vein that DoDEA, and VES, have worked to provide teachers with an effective and long-term professional development plan. Using the Professional Learning Framework (PLF), teachers engaged in a cycle of data reflection, professional learning, and real-world application. For 90 minutes each week teachers, specialists, and staff members collaborated during targeted workshops, exploring ways to modify teaching methodologies to include 21st century skills, unwrap standards, and implement best teaching practices. Each week teachers focused on reviewing student data and engaged in professional learning to improve student outcomes. Teachers were given choice about what they learned, the pace at which they learned, and how they implemented newly acquired knowledge into their everyday classroom practices. Teachers were given extensive support in the form of experts from the district office and a dedicated teacher who works with teachers on the implementation of their professional learning. Through the PLF teachers formed Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) and made great strides in the implementation of Curriculum Integration, Project Based Learning, and Blended Learning. The formation of PLTs that worked together in a focused and meaningful manner to improve student learning allowed VES to take the path of becoming a stronger professional learning community. Last year and this year, we worked together to explore additional best practices and the new College and Career Ready (CCR) Standards for Mathematics. This initiative enables us to continually improve teacher practices and student outcomes at VES, through critical analysis of our classroom practices and student data and real-world application. The selection of VES as one of the DoDEA 21st CTLL pilot schools brought about a significant change in the SY 2014-2015 calendar. Teachers utilized a portion of one school day each week for training in the implementation of the 21st CTLL program. This embedded professional development opportunity required an early release day each Thursday. In spite of this logistical challenge, our school community remained supportive. We are in the third year of this powerful practice as we work together as a school to implement the College Career Readiness Standards for Math (CCRSM). We recognize that communication with all stakeholders is vital. School-wide newsletters are distributed weekly via email and hard copies are also available. In keeping with current trends of global awareness our school shares a Facebook page with Vicenza community schools. Some of the many ways teachers communicate with parents and other stakeholders is through the use of individual classroom newsletters, email, phone calls, Gradespeed, and several teachers are using classroom websites. We worked with our School Advisory Council (SAC) to survey parents as to the most effective communication tool the school was using. The vote was overwhelmingly for the newsletter. Page 8