Disaggregated Data Analysis

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PLC Group 6
Taylor Biedermann
Hannah Cole
Abby Conner
Abby Diamond
Elizabeth Smith

Data Analysis
Category

Trace Crossings
Elementary School

J.H. Phillips

Reading Scores

See Attached Charts

See Attached Charts

Math Scores

See Attached Charts

See Attached Charts

Strategies, Professional
Development,
Programs, Resources

Trace Cross Elementary

school is incredibly
explicit and
instructional with their
reading and math
programs. They have
both a math and
reading coach that
works with students
who seem to be
struggling in those
areas.
Trace uses
the Investigations
math program
Trace has a
reading coach
and a math
coach.
Trace has
several Title I
teachers to assist
students who are
struggling in
reading and math
In terms of
technology, Trace
utilizes Smart
Boards, iPads,
chromebooks,
and computers in
the classroom

Phillips Academy is not

explicit in their reading
and math programs.
They do not currently
have a math coach and
their reading coach is
only there part time.
However, they do have
an emphasis on reading
throughout the school.
Phillips
recently let go of
their math coach
so they do not
have a specific
math coach.
They do
have a reading
specialist;
however, she is
spilt between two
schools so she is
only at Phillips
Academy for
some of the week
The basal
reading series
used at Phillips
was Scott
Foresman
Reading Street
Phillips has
a Promethean
board and access
to only one or two
computers in the

classroom
The reading
block for
elementary K-5
students is
protected for 90
minutes to allow
teachers to focus
on reading skills
and other
strategies to
improve reading
Schools Strengths and
Weaknesses

Trace test
scores decreased
in all areas from
2010-2011 to
2011-2012

Phillips had
low scores in
math
High
reading scores
across
elementary
grades

Initiatives/School
Improvement Plans

State
department of
education
provides training
for school
personnel who
train remaining
faculty and staff
in assessment
practices
School has
multiple Title I
teachers in an
effort to help with
math and reading
Title I
teachers pull
students during
small group
instruction time
in math

Philips
strives to use
data to further
instruction.
School
personnel use
this information
to design,
implement and
evaluate
continuous
improvement
plans
Data used
in professional
learning
communities at
faculty, grade
level, and
planning
sessions- but
more data driven
grade and faculty

level planning
should be used
Faculty and
support staff
members are
trained and
assessed under a
professional
development
program
Informing/Involving
Parents In Student
Achievement

Informs
parents in parentteachers
conferences of
schools
Assessment
results are
communicated to
parents at PTA
meetings
Trace is
always trying to
involve students
in the school
Dr. Seuss
week activities to
promote reading
and motivate kids
to read

Written
results of
disaggregated
data is provided
to the faculty,
parents and
community
Presented
to parents at PTA
meetings,
parent/teacher
conferences and
written reports

Accountability
Resources

progress
monitoring
through a variety
of assessments

Phillips
tracks student
progress test
results from the
Common Core
State Standards
Phillips
tracks progress
through STAR test
scores

Role Support Personnel

ELL
teachers
Math coach

Reading
coach that is
shared between

Data Sharing Between

Teachers

Reading
coach
Special
Education
teachers

two schools
Special
Education
teachers and
support

Trace
Crossings
implements data
meetings for
every grade level
once week
There are
grade level
meetings with
both the reading
and math coach
where the
teachers share
and analyze data

Teachers
have weekly
grade level
meetings, but do
not collaborate
with reading and
math coaches
Faculty
consistently
analyze and
evaluate data

Data Conclusions and Reflection (Trace Crossings)

Trace Crossings Elementary has had a decrease in their test scores for
math and reading. Math scores dropped significantly at Trace Crossings,
especially in black and poverty areas, even to single digits. There is a current
pending lawsuit on the discrepancy around the sudden drop in Math scores
for the fourth grade in particular. The school board claims that it is due to the
teachers failing to adhere to the proper curriculum in preparation for the
test. However Former Principal Litaker claims that there was error in
administration. The Superintendent has reviewed the test scores and has
stated there there are no apparent irregularities. It has been taken into

account that they are going through some major intervention concerning
differentiated instructions across the board for every grade level. While math
scores decreased, reading scores also decreased. Reading scores decreased
over the two years in all categories of students, white, black, poverty and
non poverty. In 2010-2011, the reading scores for Trace were higher than the
system, but in 2011-2012 the systems scores were significantly higher than
Trace. Overall, 2011-2012 saw an increase in reading scores through Hoover
City System. Across the board, in both reading and math throughout the
system and in Trace Crossings, scores in reading and math score decreased
from 2010-2011 to 2011-2012. The scores for blacks and poverty students
were lower than scores for non blacks and non poverty. They are using a
Math and Reading coach that will pull students out need intervention time.
This strategy is highly effective and seems to benefit the school greatly.

Data Analysis/Action Plan for Trace Crossings

Trace Crossings Elementary school is districted in an area that has a
very diverse population of students from all different socioeconomic and
cultural backgrounds. Trace Crossings serves students who come from all
backgrounds including Whites, Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics. In addition,
there is also a large population of ELL students at Trace Crossings. Because
of the rapidly growing diverse population at the school, there needs to be a
strong focus on providing students from culturally diverse backgrounds with

an equal opportunity to learn. There are specific methods and approaches to

teach students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds that
have been proven to be effective. Meeting the needs of such a diverse group
of students is very challenging, but Trace Crossing provides students and
teachers with many resources and instruction to improve student
achievement. However, there are ways for the school to improve.
According to the test data, Trace Crossings has declined in student
achievement. Reading and math scores have decreased across all learners,
whether white or nonwhite, in poverty or not in poverty. However, there is
still a clear distinction between the achievement of learners from culturally
diverse backgrounds and students who come from English proficient
backgrounds. Calderon, Slavin, and Sanchez, in their article Effective
Instruction for English Learners, assert that the quality of education is what
matters most in educating students from diverse backgrounds (Calderon,
Slavin, and Sanchez, 2011). The article highlights some effective practices
for English learners which include school structures and leadership, language
and literacy instruction, integration of language, literacy and content
instruction, professional development, and parent and family teams, among
many others (Calderon, Slavin, and Sanchez, 2011). One of the most
important effective practices is school structure and leadership. Trace
Crossings already had many of these in place like constant collection and use
of ongoing formative data on learning and professional development
opportunities for teachers and administrators. For example, Trace had the

teachers and facilitators participate in a poverty simulation in an effort to

help the teachers understand where some of their students come from.
Implementing some of these effective strategies at Trace Crossings will not
only increase the achievement of ELL learners, but will directly benefit all
students. As the data shows, Trace Crossings could benefit from any
strategies and approaches to increase student achievement, especially in
reading or math.
Trace Crossings already does some of these methods and strategies
very well. According to an article about Title I School Improvement Plans by
J.C Isernhagen, the consistent use of data to drive instruction is key in
making sure the school is meeting the standards (Isernhagen, 2012).
Isernhagen states that without a good data collection and monitoring
system, schools lose track of students academic improvement and progress
in meeting the standards; they can also fail to develop a focus for their
school that is based on needs (Isernhagen, 2012). For one, Trace already
has in place a system of data collection and monitoring which include weekly
data meetings to discuss and track student achievement. Not only are areas
of improvement addressed, but also steps are established to move forward
to improve the issues addressed. Another thing that the article highlighted
was the importance of teachers and faculty at the school having a clear
understanding of their schools Title I Plan and goals. This is one area that
Trace could improve in. Communicating to teachers and ensuring that
teachers are aware of their schools improvement plan for all students is an

important aspect in increasing achievement for all students. One observation

from Trace is that the teachers are very conscious of how they are cultivating
an environment that is intentional of including diverse students, and
encouraging discussion and group work among the students. Test scores are
not always the best representative of student achievement, however they
can serve to identify areas that need to be addressed.
Due to the test scores decreasing between the past two years, it is
vital that a specific plan is made to improve reading and math achievement.
In order to improve math scores, a plan of action would be to have the math
coach more directly involved with students. This could look like Mrs. Puchta
coming to each grade level meeting once a month to inform teachers on how
to differentiate math instruction for all learners. With the help of the teacher,
the math coach would work one on one with students who are struggling. But
it is important that the math coach is addressing whole groups of students to
ensure that students are on the right track. The same approach should be
taken with the reading coach to ensure that all students are getting reading
instruction on their level. The reading coach can meet with the teachers at
each grade level on a consistent basis to identify students who are falling
behind in reading.
In conclusion, the data shows that Trace Crossings has seen a decrease
in both reading and math scores. With the diverse population of students and
the increase in students from culturally diverse backgrounds, Trace needs to
implement effective strategies and methods to increase achievement of

these students, some of which Trace is already doing and should continue to
do so. This is will in turn increase the achievement all students at Trace
Crossings. In order to increase the reading and math scores of all students,
Trace needs to take full advantage of the reading coach, math coach, and the
Title I teachers to identify the students who need extra instruction in reading
or math.

Parent Letter: Trace Crossings

Hello 4th Grade Parents and Guardians,
After the recent release of the newest test scores, we wanted to inform
you about the results regarding our school. Looking at the school wide
reading and math scores for the 4th grade, we are facing some challenges.
However, we are positive in our outlook and have developed a plan to
improve.
Upon reviewing the data, we have met as administration and grade
level teachers to put together a plan of action for the upcoming school year.
We are aware that are reading and math scores have decreased, and we
want you to know that we are looking out for the best interest of our
students and are striving to improve in both of these areas. We have outlined
a couple of key areas that we are going to work on improving in. For one,
Trace Crossings serves an increasingly diverse population of learners from
many different cultural backgrounds, so we plan to work towards
implementing instructional practices to promote learning and achievement
for all students. In addition, we are going to increase the presence of our
reading and math coaches in the classrooms. They will be active in meeting
with our grade level teachers and developing resources and lessons to
engage and improve our students learning. We have an abundance of
resources that we plan to utilize more in the coming year to hopefully
improve our test scores as a school.

We want to acknowledge that student learning does not stop when

students leave the building. We feel that parental involvement is vital to
Trace Crossings and we want to keep this up. Your motivation helps to
motivate us! Thank you for all you do. We are working hard to ensure your
children are getting the instruction that they need. Please let us know if you
have any questions or comments and if we can be of any assistance to you
and your student! We will continue to keep you updated as we move forward
in these endeavors to increase student achievement.

Sincerely,
Taylor Biedermann, Hannah Cole, Abby Conner, Abby Diamond, Elizabeth
Smith

Trace Crossing Elementary School

Data Analysis/Action Plan for John Herbert Phillips Academy

John H. Phillips Academy is a Pre-K through eighth grade International
Baccalaureate school located in downtown Birmingham. Phillips Academy
encourages students across the world to become active, compassionate, and
lifelong learners through challenging programs of international education and
rigorous assessment. Approximately 720 students attend Phillips Academy;
students who are zoned for the school are not required to apply. Students in
grades K-5 outside the Phillips Academy school zone may apply for available
slots through placement testing. Placement tests at Phillips Academy is
highly competitive with a lengthy wait list for admission. J. H. Phillips
Academy is recognized throughout the district and state for excellence in
education.
Students at Phillips Academy come from many different communities
across the city. There is a vast amount of diversity in the socio-economic
status of the students at Phillips. Some students come from middle class
families while others live in subsidized housing in single parent homes. The
diversity of the student population is one of the main causes for the
achievement differences in elementary grades.
Phillips Academy believes that students should be actively engaged in
reading and writing in every classroom. This is one reason that the reading
scores at Phillips Academy were fairly high. A school-wide effort is also made
to assist students with mastering fractions and using basic mathematical

skills. Overall, Phillips Academys test scores in 2010 - 2011 were higher for
both reading and math tests than that of Birmingham City. Read and Math
scores were, on average, more than twelve percent higher than Birmingham
City as a whole. The exception being the population of white students due to
the fact that Phillips does not have enough white students enrolled in the
school to gather sufficient data.
Phillips Academy test scores in 2011 - 2012 were significantly higher
than they were in the 2010 - 2011 school year. In each demographic, the
students rose at least five or more percent than the previous year. Once
again, Phillips did not have enough white students enrolled to provide
sufficient data for comparison.
The African-American students at Phillips Academy improved two
percent in their reading scores overall. When compared to the rest of the
students whose test scores increased by four to five percent, this area
shows the least amount of improvement. The plan for improvement at
Phillips Academy is to continue with the current plan and supplemental
reading instruction with strategies to improve reading comprehension and
retention. Teachers will undergo professional development via webinars in
reading instruction. Professional Learning Communities will also be
established across grade levels to ensure that the reading expectations are
communicated and cohesive across all grade levels.
Parent involvement will be increased through a weekly school wide
newsletter written by a different class each week. Through the newsletter,

parents and students will be informed of different school events and

opportunities to get involved in the school. The newsletter will also include a
comment-box email address where parents may email any praises,
concerns, or observations they may have.

Parent Letter: Trace Crossings

Dear Parents and/or Guardians of Fourth Grade students,

Phillips Academy recently completed the Alabama Reading and Math Test
(ARMT). After analyzing the data we have discovered our schools strengths and
weaknesses. We find it necessary and beneficial to share our findings with the
parents and guardians of our students. The Phillips students are doing well in math
and reading.
We discovered that we need to focus on improving our scores in reading. We
have developed a plan to raise the reading scores for next year. This summer we
will be providing professional development to our teachers to demonstrate and
educate the teacher on research based strategies. Education is a constantly growing
field and we are always learning new ways to best teach our students. Then starting
in the fall we plan on enacting the new and refreshed skills that our teachers worked
on in the summer in order to enhance student achievement with supplemental
curriculum. Another change Phillips Academy will be making is the implementation
of a weekly, school-wide parent newsletter. This newsletter will be written by one
class each week, highlighting the events of our great school. On the bottom of the
newsletter will be a comment/concerns email for all parents to send any comments,
concerns, praises, or questions they may have to the school.
We are excited to continue working with you during this transitional process.
We will keep you informed on upcoming changes and implementations. If you have
questions feel free to contact us!

Thank you for your support of Phillips Academy,

Taylor Biedermann, Hannah Cole, Abby Conner, Abby Diamond, Elizabeth

Smith
John H. Phillips Academy

References
Isernhagen, J. C. (2012). A Portrait of Administrator, Teacher, and
Parent Perceptions of Title I School Improvement Plans. Journal Of At-Risk
Issues, 17(1), 1-7.
School Improvement. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2015, from
http://www.nassp.org/school-improvement.
Calderon, M., Slavin, R., and Sanchez, M. (2011). Effective Instruction
for English Learners. Future of Children, 21(1), 103-127.