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5703
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Mathematics
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Apr 3, 2024
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School Improvement Action Plan Improving Math Proficiency American College of Education EL5703 School Improvement March 10, 2024
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School Improvement Action Plan Improving Math Proficiency A school improvement plan aims to address areas in need of improvement to create a better educational setting for students to succeed. At Central Elementary School, data analysis indicate that Math scores are the area in need of improvement. To address this area, the school improvement team created a SMART goal: Central Elementary School will improve Math scores by 5% as measured by the NJSLA Mathematics assessment by the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Taking steps to achieve this goal will help Central Elementary School close the gaps in student academic achievement. SMART Goal Central Elementary School will improve Math scores by 5% as measured by the NJSLA Mathematics assessment by the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Rationale The school improvement action plan goal was created to address current shortcomings at Central Elementary School. After data analysis of academic achievement, discipline, attendance, and curriculum, it was clear that improving upon Math scores was of the utmost importance. The school’s Math scores have declined school-wide across all subgroups. Data also show that fewer students are meeting expectations than ever before, thus indicating an issue in Math instruction and learning. The data analysis of Central Elementary School echo the findings of the U.S. Department of Education (2008) in that the delivery of mathematics education is “broken” and in need of fixing. Math fluency is one of the most important skills students will learn in their academic careers. Although the students are only in elementary school, these early math skills and growth are highly associated with later achievement in high school and research has linked high school math skills to job selection, salary size and health care choices (Watts et al., 2014). Thus, proficiency in Math can lead to a better quality of life. By implementing interventions designed to improve math skills, Central Elementary School is setting students up for a successful life.
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Alignment This SMART goal was chosen due to its alignment with the school’s vision, state standards, and the gaps identified during data analysis. The SMART goal directly aligns to the school’s vision of providing an environment which cultivates individual abilities. To cultivate ability means to take steps in improving a skill. Therefore, the goal of increasing Math scores aligns with the school’s vision of cultivating student abilities. The SMART goal also aligns with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Mathematics. In striving to improve scores on the NJSLA Mathematics assessment, Central Elementary School is aligning practices with grade level skills, knowledge and concepts outlined in the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Mathematics, such as building fluency in addition and subtraction, as well as extending understanding of base-ten notation. Improving student scores on the NJSLA Mathematics assessment will show that state standards have been learned proficiently. Finally, this SMART goal is directly aligned to the gaps identified during data analysis. Data showed a school-wide decrease in Math scores from year to year, as well as inequitable scores for different subgroups. As a result of this data, the school improvement team collaborated to create a goal that would close the student achievement gap in Math. Overall, this SMART goal will guide the improvement plan on a path of success because it is aligned with the school’s mission, state standards and student achievement data. Addressing Gaps in Student Achievement The school improvement team is confident that this SMART goal will address the learning gap in Mathematics. The data show that the school fell short of its target for the percentage of students to meet expectations on the NJSLA Mathematics assessment by approximately 20%. Additionally, data demonstrates a school-wide decline in Mathematics scores in all student subgroups. Finally, the data show an inequity in the scores for students of different subgroups. To address these learning gaps, the school improvement team set a goal of improving scores on the NJSLA Mathematics assessment by 5% by the end of the 2023-2024 school year. The goal to increase Math scores by 5% directly addresses the gaps in student
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performance outlined by the data. The school improvement action plan aligns with these learning gaps because it focuses on the implementation of two research-based best practice strategies for improving student proficiency in Math. Both the goal and action plan were created based on the information gained during data analysis. Therefore, the plan is data-driven and will put the school on a path to successful improvement in Math proficiency for all students. School Improvement Plan To achieve the goal of increasing student Math scores on the NJSLA assessment, the school improvement plan outlines two new strategies focused on Math proficiency. The instructional strategy of math manipulatives and creation of an after school tutoring program are research-based strategies that will lead to improvements in Math proficiency. To effectively implement these strategies, a School Improvement Action Plan was created, as seen below in Figure 1. The action plan is detailed and specific to ensure successful implementation. If this action plan is followed and monitored as outlined, it will lead to improvements in academic achievement in Math at Central Elementary School. Figure 1 School Improvement Action Plan SMART Goal
Alignment
Impact
Central Elementary School will improve Math scores by 5% as measured by the NJSLA Math assessment by the end of the 2023-2024 school year.
The school improvement plan aims to focus on student-
centered learning and teaching and implements research-based best practices to improve academic achievement, thus aligning to the school’s mission and state standards.
The school improvement plan is a student-centered approach focusing on the needs and strengths of the student population, therefore, the plan will foster effective learning that will lead to gains in academic achievement for all students. Closing the achievement gap in Math will increase Math fluency. Achieving this goal will ultimately give students the tools they need to lead a successful life.
Strategies
Strategies
Timeline
Roles and Responsibilities
Resources
Progress Measures
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Math Manipulatives By May 2024
Principal -
Schedule PD specific to using manipulatives -
Order materials - Create collaborative planning time among grade level teams -
Distribute materials Staff -
Attend PD -
Take inventory of current manipulatives. Compare with what will be needed as learned from PD -
Create grade level lists of instructional activities that will use manipulatives
•
Current manipulatives •
New manipulatives as learned from PD •
Collaborative Meeting Time
•
Frequency of use of strategy in lesson plans/
observations •
Grade-wide formative assessments •
Grade-wide summative assessments •
NJSLA test results
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After School Tutoring Program
By April 2024
Principal -
Send out survey to families regarding interest in attending program -
Send out survey to staff regarding interest in tutoring in the program -
Appoint a Leadership Team for the tutoring program Leadership Team -
Organize students into small groups, maximum of 5 students per group, by grade level and subject for tutoring -
Analyze data to determine what topics/concepts students need improvement in (word problems, trick words, etc.) -
Assign teachers to groups based on teacher strengths and student needs Staff -
Respond to survey -
Collaborate on instructional strategies & materials Families - Respond to survey
•
Classroom space •
Classroom materials (whiteboard, paper, pencils, etc.) •
Supplemental materials of curriculum (worksheets, books, etc.) •
Stipend funds for staff
•
Formative assessments •
Summative assessments •
NJSLA results
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Math Manipulatives A strategy the school improvement plan will implement to improve student achievement in Math is the use of math manipulatives. Math manipulatives are physical objects “that are used as teaching tools to engage students in the hands-on learning of mathematics” (Boggan et al., 2010, p. 2). Manipulatives can be used to teach topics that are critical to math proficiency such as problem solving, reasoning and estimation (Boggan et al., 2010). Classroom examples of manipulatives include buttons, base-ten blocks, anagrams, pattern blocks, cubes and more. Although teachers at Central Elementary School do sometimes use manipulatives to teach math concepts, most teachers only use these manipulatives to make accommodations or modifications for students who are struggling. Research indicates that regular use of math manipulatives can lead to gains in student achievement. Specifically, a recent study shows that over a four week math unit, elementary students who were taught through math manipulatives scored substantially higher on the post test than students who were taught with the traditional method (Iqbal et al., 2020). Additionally, other research supports the claim that manipulatives are effective tools to improve student fluency in math. A study focusing on a diverse group of first grade students found that manipulatives positively affected student achievement on all students regardless of socioeconomic status, academic level and disability (Ojose & Sexton, 2009). The effectiveness of manipulatives in improving math achievement is well documented and well researched. Due to the effectiveness of manipulatives to improve math proficiency in elementary students and in students of varied ability and backgrounds, the school improvement team is confident that the implementation of manipulatives on a regular basis will help close the learning gap in Math at Central Elementary School. To effectively implement the use of math manipulatives as an instructional strategy, the improvement plan outlines the timeline, stakeholders and their roles and responsibilities, the resources needed and how progress will be measured. The timeline for the full implementation of math manipulatives on a regular basis in instruction is by May of 2024. The principal is
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responsible for finding and scheduling a professional development training on strategies for math manipulatives, creating common planning time for grade level teams to collaborate, and ordering the resources and materials needed to implement the strategy adequately. The responsibilities of staff members include attending the professional development training, taking inventory of current materials, creating a list of new materials that are needed, and collaborating to create activities in lesson plans that use math manipulatives in a productive way for learning. The resources that are essential for successful implementation of this strategy include manipulative materials, both current and new, and collaborative planning time. Finally, progress of the strategy’s implementation will measured by the frequency of the use of this strategy in teacher lesson plans, effectiveness of facilitation of the strategy during classroom observations, and students assessments. The action plan for this strategy ensures successful implementation of the use of math manipulatives to ultimately lead to improvements in Math proficiency. After School Tutoring Program A second strategy that the school improvement plan will implement to improve student achievement in Math is an after school tutoring program. Tutoring has long been seen as an effective strategy for improving Math proficiency. In fact, research indicates that tutoring is among the most effective interventions for students struggling in Math (Pellegrini et al., 2021) Small group tutoring allows the tutor to adapt instruction for students’ individual needs (Harper & Anglin, 2010). Additionally, in a small group setting, tutors are more likely to build close relationships with students which can give those students attention and praise to prompt motivation in learning (Pellegrini et al., 2021). The tutoring program at Central Elementary School will take place twice a week for 90 minutes each session, and the tutors will be the school’s teachers. This design of the tutoring program is modeled after a successful program in an ethnically diverse elementary school in New Jersey that had the same format. The research study conducted by Henderson and Rothman (2011) examined the pre-test and post-test Math assessment result on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK), a
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standardized state exam. The results indicated that students who received tutoring from district teachers in the after school program performed higher on standardized Math test scores than students who did not participate in the tutoring program (Henderson & Rothman, 2011). Specifically, the group of students who participated in the tutoring program had a mean score that was 10 points higher than the mean score for students who did not participate in the program (Henderson & Rothman, 2011). Further research in the form of a meta-analysis that evaluated 87 experimental studies in elementary grades found that tutoring had the “largest and most robust impact” on student achievement in Math (Pellegrini et al., 2021, p. 22). As a result of the vast research conducted on the effectiveness of tutoring in improving math achievement, the school improvement team is confident that an after school tutoring program identically designed to evidence-based programs will help close the learning gap in Math at Central Elementary School. To effectively implement the after school tutoring program, the improvement plan outlines the timeline, stakeholders and their roles and responsibilities, the resources needs and how progress will be measured. The timeline for the full implementation of the tutoring program is by May of 2024. The principal is responsible for creating and sending surveys to families and staff regarding their interest in participating in the program and creating a Leadership Team for the program. The survey to families will include questions about what subject or topics their students need tutoring in. The Leadership Team will make decisions about the ins and outs of the program. Responsibilities of the Leadership Team include organizing students into groups, maximum of five students per group, based on grade level and subject. The Leadership team is also responsible for assigning teachers to groups of students based on data analysis. Staff members will be responsible for collaborating on the use of instructional strategies and supplemental materials. The resources that are essential for successful implementation of the tutoring program include classroom space, classroom materials, supplemental curriculum materials and stipends for participating staff members. Finally, progress of the strategy’s implementation will measured by formative assessments, summative assessments and results
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of the NJSLA assessment. The action plan for this strategy ensures successful implementation of the after school tutoring program to ensure students receive the instruction they need to improve their fluency in Math. Conclusion In conclusion, the school improvement action plan is designed to improve upon Math scores on the NJSLA assessment at Central Elementary School. The school improvement team unanimously decided that focusing on Math proficiency was of the utmost importance. Rigorous data analysis exposed shortcomings in Math achievement on a school-wide scale. To address this problem, the school improvement team concluded that implementing the use of math manipulative and creating an after school tutoring program would help get Math scores back on track. The strategies outlined in the plan were chosen because research supports the claim that they lead to improved Math scores. Increasing students’ Math proficiency will give the students the tools they need to lead a successful life. Therefore, the school improvement action plan is designed intentionally to align with students needs.
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References Boggan, M., Harper, S., Whitmire, A. (2010). Using Manipulatives to Teach Elementary Mathematics. Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, 3
(1), 1-6. Harper, S., & Anglin, M. (2010). Narrowing the gap in academic achievement. Canadian Teacher, 15
. Henderson, M., & Rothman, T. (2011). Do school-based tutoring programs significantly improve student performance on standardized tests? Research in Middle Level Education, 34
(6), 1–10.
Iqbal, M. Z., Shams, J. A., Nazir, M. (2020). Effect of Using Mathematics Manipulatives on the Student’s Academic Achievement. Journal of Science Education, 2
(1), 1-15. Ojose, B., Sexton, L. (2009). The Effect of Manipulative Materials on Mathematics Achievement of First Grade Students.
The Mathematics Educator, 12
(1), 3-14. Pellegrini, M., Lake, C., Neitzel, A., Slavin, R. (2021). Effective Programs in Elementary Mathematics: A Meta-Analysis. AERA Open, 7
(1), 1-29. U.S. Department of Education. (2008). Foundations for success: The final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel
. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/report/final-report.pdf Watts, T. W., Duncan, G. J., Siegler, R. S., & Davis-Kean, P. E. (2014). The groove of growth: How early gains in math ability influence adolescent achievement.
Evanston, IL: Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED562825.pdf