Abram Lansing 2021-22 School Comprehensive Education Plan

To view this plan as a PDF, please click this link.

District: Cohoes CSD
School Name: Abram-Lansing Elementary School
Grades Served: K-5

Collaboratively Developed by:

The Abram-Lansing SCEP Development Team
- SCEP Team Members: Jackie Skidmore, Melissa Lowden, Erin Terrizzi, Christina Kella, Jennifer Crucetti, Cliff Bird in partnership with the staff, students, and families of Abram-Lansing Elementary School.

Guidance for Teams

Commitments and Strategies

After completing the Student Interviews, discussing the Equity Self-Reflection, and reviewing recent data, including survey data, school teams should discuss what was learned and the review the document “How Learning Happens,” particularly page 3. Then the team should ask, “What should we prioritize to support our students and work toward the school we wish to be?

The team should take the answers to this question and identify 2 to 4 commitments for the 2021-22 school year. For each commitment, the team will identify strategies that will advance these commitments.

School teams have a lot of flexibility when selecting the commitments that are identified. There is no requirement that commitments must align with specific subject areas, as was required in the past. Any of the full statements that appear on page 3 of the How Learning Happens framework, such as “Every child can see themselves reflected in teachers, leaders, curriculum, and learning materials” could serve as a commitment. To be meaningful, it is important that the commitments be informed by the Student Interviews, Equity Self-Reflection, and review of recent data, and the commitments should connect to the school’s values and aspirations.

After school teams identify their commitments, they should consider strategies that will allow the school to advance that commitment. School teams will need to identify how they will gauge success with this strategy, what the strategy entails, and any resources that are necessary to implement that strategy.

Resources for the Team

NYSED Improvement Planning website: http://www.nysed.gov/accountability/improvement-planning

Commitment 1

Our Commitment

What is one commitment we will promote for 2021-22?
- We commit to strengthening our ability to provide cohesive, relevant, standards driven instruction to meet the needs of all students.
Why are we making this commitment?Things to potentially take into consideration when crafting this response:
- How does this commitment fit into the school’s vision?
- Why did this emerge as something to commit to?
- In what ways is this commitment influenced by the “How Learning Happens” document? The Equity Self-Reflection? Student interviews?
- What makes this the right commitment to pursue?
- How does this fit into other commitments and the school’s long-term plans?
  - The school’s vision speaks to personal growth and academic achievement.Through a thoughtful curriculum, teachers will be able to plan for instruction that meets the needs of all learners.
    Ensuring that instruction is relevant will help to promote development of future ready creative thinkers, lifelong learners, and communicators.
    
    During the student interviews, students expressed a desire to be engaged and make learning fun. Students also articulated a need for more collaboration, and communication. Additionally, they suggested that teachers be aware of what students find interesting and notice when kids already know the lesson. The SCEP committee linked these findings to student engagement and connectedness, understanding that well planned instruction takes into account the needs of the whole child.
    
    Teachers expressed that the professional development with standards in the 2020-21 school year improved practice and created an environment of teacher efficacy. Furthermore, they felt that the work enabled teachers to have collaborative conversations about effective instruction and evidence of student learning. Clarity of learning intentions for students was also improved. Students knew what they were learning and why they were learning it.
    
    The foundation is set and the administrators and teachers are on the right path, but the teachers recognize the work that still needs to be done.

Key Strategies and Resources

Strategy: Structured grade level collaboration
Methods: Grade level collaboration will be scheduled for 75 minutes 2x per month after school on Tuesdays. The agenda for these collaborative meetings will be structured to include planning for the upcoming units. Teachers will
- identify priority standards
- determine the knowledge and skills.
- create learning targets and intentional outcomes.
- gather and analyze evidence of student growth
- Determine interventions to support all learners.
  For 15 minutes, the team will discuss a predetermined topic from the culturally responsive framework to ensure planning is responsive to the uniqueness of each individual learner.
Gauging Success: Teachers will gather evidence of student growth with respect to the learner targets and intentional outcomes identified.
Teachers will participate in student centered coaching.

Adaptive Diagnostics performance will show student growth with respect to the identified standards.
Resources: Adaptive Diagnostic assessments
Instructional Coach

Planning for meeting agendas and protocols.

After school curriculum writing funding for grade level collaboration

Strategy: Data Driven Instruction
Methods: Teachers will receive training with instructional reports in Adaptive Diagnostic Assessment. This will require release time for the data analysis necessary to
- identify grade level, class and student needs.
- identify student readiness
- group students
- plan for scaffolded entry points in instruction
  Teachers will work with a data coach to unpack data during the release time after the fall and winter administrations of Adaptive Diagnostic Assessment. These sessions will be 2 hours in duration.
Gauging Success: Improved scores on Adaptive Diagnostic Assessment
Resources: Substitutes (4 teachers/ grade level- 4 subs x 2 days)
Adaptive Diagnostic Assessment Data Coach services (4 days)

Strategy: PLCs will include Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices
Methods: Teachers will have PLC time 1x/month. During those meetings, teachers will spend 30 minutes of this time considering predetermined topics from the Culturally Responsive Framework. This will help to ensure that culturally responsive practices are embedded into lesson planning and instruction.
BLT Team will review the CR framework and determine the bullet points that will be assigned for the PLC discussion points.

PLCs will use a book study to set a foundation for discussion on culturally related topics. BLT team will work with teachers to determine the book.
Gauging Success: When students feel connected, attendance will increase and referrals will decrease.
A student survey can also help determine a sense of belonging and connectedness.
Resources: Books for book study.
Outside presenter.

Strategy: Instructional Coaching Support – Coaching Cycles
Methods: An instructional coach will be assigned to the school one day per week on Tuesdays. This will allow for embedded support to continue the standards work with a focus on student growth and effective practices.
The coach will set up student centered coaching cycles to review student performance, identify needs, align instruction and evaluate growth in collaboration and partnership with teachers.

Cycles will be designed to use student performance data as the foundation for coaching conversations and action planning. Teachers will engage in identifying problems of practice and collaborate with the coach to determine impactful practices.

Coach will support teaching and learning in class and during structured meeting time.

Conversations will also focus on scaffolding instruction using progressions of skills withing prioritized standards.
Gauging Success:
- formative assessments
- improved scores on Diagnostic Assessment
- evidence of proficiency on summative assessments
Resources: Instructional Coach
PD on student centered coaching

Principal support for the process and planning

Follow through in faculty meetings and grade level collaboration

Strategy: Establish RTI system
Methods: Special education teachers and Reading specialists/AIS teachers will meet with the Principal biweekly to discuss student needs based on classroom performance and diagnostics.
Instructional Support Team meetings will start in October where teachers will present data related to interventions that have been put in place for specific students with identified needs.

The team will articulate Tier 1 and Tier 2 definitions to the faculty/staff to develop common understanding and expectations.

The team will create a process and protocols for these meetings to ensure that student needs are isolated, appropriate interventions considered and evidence collection planned.
Gauging Success: Articulated definition of Tier 1 and Tier 2 with suggestions for interventions aligned to each tier.
Evidence collection from progress monitoring
Resources: RTI Support person
Data Coach to support IST team to review data and student needs

End-of-the-Year Desired Outcomes

School teams are invited to consider if the belief statements shared below connect to this commitment. Since each commitment is unique, school teams should decide how progress about this commitment might be noted. If the team’s answer to a “we believe” prompt is no, that section should be left blank.

We believe these survey responses will give us good feedback about our progress with this commitment:

Student Survey
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): The things I’m learning in school are important to me.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 98% (was 95%)
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): My teachers give me individual attention when I need it.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 92% (was 88%)
Staff Survey
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): The programs and resources at this school are adequate to support students’ learning.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 75% (was 40%)
Family Survey
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): This school has high expectations for students.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 96% (was 94%)
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): Attending school every day is important for my child to do well in his/her classes.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): Maintain 99%

We believe having the following occur will give us good feedback about our progress with this commitment:

Quantitative data and/or qualitative descriptions of where we strive to be at the end of the 2021-22 school year.
- All teachers will have participated in at least one cycle of student centered coaching with the instructional coach. These cycles will show evidence of student growth.
  Collaborative conversations at each grade level will produce explicit learning targets for students and horizontally consistent standards aligned instruction.
  
  Consistent meetings of the specialists will provide a baseline of students requiring Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions.
  
  Teachers will begin to feel comfortable discussing and planning for culturally responsive learning opportunities.

Commitment 2

Our Commitment

What is one commitment we will promote for 2021-22?
- We are committed to ensure that every child feels they belong and has intentional opportunities to practice and build social, emotional and cognitive skills and strategies.
Why are we making this commitment?Things to potentially take into consideration when crafting this response:
- How does this commitment fit into the school’s vision?
- Why did this emerge as something to commit to?
- In what ways is this commitment influenced by the “How Learning Happens” document? The Equity Self-Reflection? Student interviews?
- What makes this the right commitment to pursue?
- How does this fit into other commitments and the school’s long-term plans?
  - The school vision promotes a belief in a positive school climate and culture and is committed to promoting caring relationships.
    In addition, teachers and the principal will support each student to become effective communicators and collaborators.
    
    The pandemic has had a profound effect on many students and families. Although the school has a visible strength in creating a culture of care, it will be even more critical to put explicit plans in place to support students as they return to the school and classroom environments. Many students were virtual learners in the past year and Covid regulations impacted in person learning environments as well.
    
    Students expressed that they feel a sense of belonging and that it can be improved be “helping students learn how to be kind and don’t judge.” This shows that there is still work to be done.
    
    The school plans to build on the strong culture of care by enhancing the programs that have helped to support students.

Key Strategies and Resources

Strategy: Utilize Second Step with a more comprehensive approach.
Methods: Teachers will engage in PLCs 1x/month in which they will research Second Step materials to plan for implementation in the upcoming month.
Social Worker and Principal will create a plan/workflow for the Second Step monthly topic/key concepts and platform use.

Teachers will weave social emotional learning strategies and modules into the instruction using the Second Step alignment tool to identify the key concepts that can be woven into instruction.
Gauging Success: Climate survey student responses.
Increased attendance
Resources: Climate survey administration

Strategy: Parent Square communication tool
Methods: Teachers will be expected to continue to use ParentSquare to communicate with parents in a two way loop.
BLT team will create a plan for expected use and applications.
Gauging Success: Climate survey parent responses.
Teachers will utilize Parent Square to communicate with 95% of parents weekly.
Resources: Parent Square

Strategy: Plan for peer interactions/relationships and collaboration opportunities for students
Methods: During the 30 mins of PLC time and/or team/grade level collaboration, teachers will collaborate and plan for building in opportunities for students to work purposefully together and problem solve.
Gauging Success: Climate Survey- student responses
Increased Attendance

Strategy: Utilize PBIS
Methods: Monthly assemblies will be scheduled and will highlight the PBIS Character Trait of the Month woven in with Second Step concepts. Formats will be modified as needed based on Covid regulations.
Two student council representatives from grades 3, 4 and 5 will identify character traits, create posters and participate in the assemblies.

Principal and grade five teachers will organize the assemblies, rotating schedules so the same time isn’t missed every month.

PreK will be invited and included.

Teachers will teach/reteach expected behaviors in classrooms, bathrooms, hallways, cafeteria, playground and assemblies.
Gauging Success: Monitor referrals
Increased Attendance

Climate survey – student responses
Resources: Poster supplies
Second Step Materials

PBIS supplies

End-of-the-Year Desired Outcomes

We believe these survey responses will give us good feedback about our progress with this commitment:

Student Survey
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): This school provides instructional materials (e.g., textbooks, handouts) that reflect my cultural background, ethnicity, and identity.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 92% (Was 91%)
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): I feel like I belong.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 90% (was 82%)
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): I feel safe at this school.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 90% (was 88%)
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): I am happy to be at this school.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 91% (was 89%)
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): Adults working at this school help students develop strategies to understand and control their feelings and actions.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 98% (was 96%)
Staff Survey
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): If a student has done something well or makes improvement, staff contact his/her parents.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 95% (was 90%)
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): This school provides the materials, resources, and training necessary for me to support students’ social or emotional needs.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 75% (was 50%)
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): This school provides instructional materials (e.g., textbooks, handouts) that reflect students’ cultural background, ethnicity and identity.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 80% (was 75%)
Family Survey
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): This school communicates how important it is to respect the practices of all cultures.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 95% (was 93%)
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): This school provides instructional materials (e.g., textbooks, handouts) that reflect students’ cultural background, ethnicity, and identity.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 82% (was 78%)
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): When my child does something good at school, I usually hear about it from the school.
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 90% (was 75%)
- Survey Question(s) or Statement(s): This school has enough programs that develop students’ social and emotional skills
  (e.g., self-control, problem solving, or getting along with others).
  - Desired response (e.g. % agree or strongly agree): 80% (was 74%)

We believe having the following occur will give us good feedback about our progress with this commitment:

Quantitative data and/or qualitative descriptions of where we strive to be at the end of the 2021-22 school year.
- During walkthroughs, it will be evident that students are working together, collaborating and problem solving.
- Students will demonstrate responsible and respectful behaviors.
- Students’ social emotional development will be supported and improved.
- All students will feel safe, supported and included.
- Families will articulate an appreciation for ongoing, relevant and individualized communication.

Evidence-Based Intervention

All CSI and TSI schools must implement at least one evidence-based intervention as part of its SCEP. The intervention identified must meet the criteria of a Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 evidence-based intervention under ESSA. More information can be found at: http://www.nysed.gov/accountability/evidence-based-interventions

Schools may choose one of three options for identifying their evidence-based intervention:

Option 1: Selecting a strategy from the State-Supported Evidence Based Strategies located at: http://www.nysed.gov/accountability/state-supported-evidence-based-strategies

Option 2: Selecting an evidence-based intervention identified in one of three clearinghouses: What Works Clearinghouse, Social Programs That Work, or Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development

Option 3: Reviewing research to identify its own evidence-based intervention that meets the criteria for ESSA evidence-based intervention Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 found at: http://www.nysed.gov/accountability/evidence-based-interventions

Directions: Place an “X” in the box next to the path the school has chosen for identifying its evidence-based intervention and follow the corresponding directions for that path.

X State-Supported Evidence Based Strategy

If “X’ is marked above, provide responses to the prompts below to identify the strategy and the commitment(s) it will support:

Evidence-Based Intervention Strategy Identified: Instructional Coaching
- We envision that this Evidence-Based Intervention will support this following commitment(s) as follows: We commit to strengthening our ability to provide cohesive, relevant, standards-driven instruction to meet the needs of all students.

Our Team’s Process

Background

NYSED requires that the SCEP is developed in consultation with parents and school staff, and in accordance with §100.11 of Commissioner’s Regulations. All schools are expected to follow the guidelines outlined in the document “Requirements for Meaningful Stakeholder Participation” found at: http://www.nysed.gov/common/nysed/files/programs/accountability/scep-requirements-stakeholder-participation.pdf This section outlines how we worked together to develop our plan.

Team Members

Use the space below to identify the members of the SCEP team and their role (e.g. teacher, assistant principal, parent).

Christina Kellar – Classroom teacher, Grade 5
Jennifer Crucetti – Classroom teacher, Grade 1
Jackie Skidmore – Classroom teacher, Grade 2
Melissa Lowden – Special Education Consultant Teacher
Erin Terrizzi – Special Education Consultant Teacher
Cliff Bird – Principal
Theresa Billington – BOCES SCEP specialist
Sharon Swain – BOCES SCEP specialist
Melissa Drummond – Instructional Coach

Our Team’s Steps

Our plan is the result of collaborating to complete several distinct steps:

Interviewing Students
Completing the Equity Self-Reflection for Identified Schools
Reviewing Multiple Sources of Data and Feedback
Clarifying Priorities and Considering How They Connect to School Values
Writing the Plan
Completing the” Leveraging Resources” document

Meeting Dates (can be found on page 20 of the PDF)

Learning as a Team

Student Interviews

Describe how the Student Interview process informed the team’s plan
- Student interview groups at each grade level were created by the principal. Students articulated a desire for collaboration and working together. This was incorporated into the plan as an opportunity for grade level teachers to plan together for instructional instances where there would be purposeful interaction and learning. Additionally, students voiced a need for support upon reentry in the upcoming school year. This was woven into the plan using Second Step as a resource to intentionally weave SEL support into academic instruction. Additionally, PBIS will be utilized to ensure consistent communication of expectations across the school building.

Equity Self-Reflection

Describe how the Equity Self-Reflection informed the team’s plan
- Responses to the staff’s reflections were used to devise professional development with the goal of enabling teachers to create equitable learning opportunities for all students. Staff also voiced their need for professional development and support when planning culturally responsive learning opportunities. This was supported in the plan with instructional coaching and opportunities to dive into the Culturally Responsive Framework in professional learning opportunities.

Submission Assurances, Instructions and Next Steps

Submission Assurances

Directions: Place an “X” in the box next to each item prior to submission.

X The SCEP has been developed in consultation with parents, school staff, and others in accordance with the NYSED Requirements for Meaningful Stakeholder Participation to provide a meaningful opportunity for stakeholders to participate in the development of the plan and comment on the plan before it is approved.
X The SCEP will be implemented no later than the beginning of the first day of regular student attendance.
X Professional development will be provided to teachers and school leaders that will fully support the strategic efforts described within this plan.

Submission Instructions

CSI Schools: When your plan is ready for review, please share the plan with your NYSED liaison. Plans should be shared before July 30, 2021.

TSI Schools: When your plan is ready for review, please share the plan with your District, which will approve your plan. Plans will need to be approved before the first day of the 2021-22 school year.

Next Steps

In addition to having their plan approved by NYSED, CSI Schools will need to make sure that their plan has been approved by the Superintendent and the Board of Education (in New York City, the Chancellor or the Chancellor’s designee) before the first day of the 2021-22 school year.
The approved CSI and TSI plans will need to be posted on the District’s website.
Both CSI and TSI schools will need to complete the Leveraging Resources to Support the SCEP document and provide the document to their District. This document will be incorporated into the District’s DCIP Planning Document, which will inform the 2021-22 DCIP.
Schools should plan to begin implementing their plan by the first day of the 2021-22 school year. Schools should continually monitor their implementation and make adjustments to their plans when appropriate.