Disaggregated Data

Ladies who Lunch
Education 414
May 6, 2016
Disaggregated Data Project

Trace Crossings Elementary School Observation Chart
Strategy Observations
Trace Crossings utilizes problem based learning to teach across the subject areas. PBL
projects are used to reinforce strategies in math, reading, social studies, and science.
Strengths and
Weaknesses
Trace Crossing is a STEAMpowerED school. They have many resources to use in regards
to STEAM. A weakness is there is not a lot collaboration between the teachers.
Initiatives for Increase in

Student Achievement
Teachers are giving students practice questions in reading to prepare for the ACT Aspire.
Tier II and Tier III intervention are commonly used as ways to bring students up to grade
level by clarifying areas of concern.
Parent Involvement
Parents that are on the PTA are the only ones ever up at the school volunteering. When
meetings are requested, parents show up but no involvement takes place beyond that.
Accountability
Resources
Trace uses Global scholar at the beginning of the year to determine Tier II and Tier III
students.
Role of Support
Personnel
Counsels are available at Trace for students. There is one school counselor. There is two
instructional support staff members. There are special teachers that they see once week.
Teacher Collaboration
The teachers sometimes collaborate about what they should teach next but that is it. There is
little to no collaboration for strategies, ideas, or lessons. Teachers meet with administration
once a quarter to discuss data but only for Tier II or Tier III students.
Avondale Elementary School Observation Chart
Strategy
Observations
None
Strengths and
Weaknesses
Avondale is an established school because it has been around for so long. There are several
students there who have had many members of their family go there before them. However,
there has been a recent shift in the school culture with the appointment of a new principal.
The school environment is not necessarily conducive to learning.
Initiatives for
Increase in Student
Achievement
There was a pep rally prior to ACT Aspire testing to try and boost student morale. There
have been attempts to get parents more involved through parent nights and
Parent Involvement
Avondale is working on increasing parent involvement by allowing parents the opportunity

to visit the school. In April, Avondale hosted its first-ever Online Registration Night.
Students and parents could come for pizza and to work through the registration process with
the help of school faculty and staff. Family dance night is set to take place at the beginning
of May.
Accountability
Resources
ACT Aspire testing is used to hold students and teachers accountable. There are report card
meetings at the end of each nine weeks. Teachers are also required to keep lesson plans
posted on their door as to allow administration to come by and look at them for approval.
Role of Support
Personnel
Counselors are available to meet with students who have trouble. There are two men on staff
who work with boys that have trouble with anger management. The specials teachers see
the students once a week.
Teacher
Collaboration
Each grade level meets with the administration once a week for Instructional Focus.
Reading Data
2014-2015
Trace Crossings
Avondale
All Students
All Students
Percent tested: 95.12
Level I: 28.21
Level I: 52.83
Level II: 20.51
Level II: 33.96
Level III: 23.08
Level III: 9.43
Level IV: 28.21
Level IV: 3.77
Black
Black
Level I: 50.00
Level I: 52.50
Level II: 20.00
Level II: 35.00
Level III: 13.33
Level III: 10.00
Level IV: 16.67
Level IV: 2.50
White
White
Level I: <1
Level I: NO DATA
Level II: 23.33
Level II: NO DATA
Level III: 33.33
Level III:NO DATA
Level IV: 43.33
Level IV: NO DATA
2013-2014
Hispanic
Hispanic
Level I: 60.00
Level I: NO DATA
Level II: 30.00
Level II: NO DATA
Level III: 10.00
Level III: NO DATA
Level IV: <1
Level IV: NO DATA
Poverty
Poverty
Level I: 28.21
Level I: 52.83
Level II: 20.51
Level II: 33.96
Level III: 23.08
Level III: 9.43
Level IV: 28.21
Level IV: 3.77
All Students
All Students
Percent tested: NO DATA
Level I: 31.58
Level I: 45.16
Level II: 17.54
Level II: 38.71
Level III: 34.21
Level III: 8.06
Level IV: 16.67
Level IV: 8.06
Black
Black
Level I: 39.53
Level I: 44.64
Level II: 20.93
Level II: 41.07
Level III: 34.88
Level III: 8.93
Level IV: 4.65
Level IV: 5.36
White
White
Level I: 16.28
Level I: NO DATA
Level II: 18.60
Level II: NO DATA
Level III: 34.88
Level III: NO DATA
Level IV: 30.23
Level IV: NO DATA
Hispanic
Hispanic
Level I: 75.00
Level I: NO DATA
Level II: 8.33
Level II: NO DATA
Level III: 16.67
Level III: NO DATA
Level IV: <1
Level IV: NO DATA
Poverty
Poverty
Level I: 31.58
Level I: 43.64
Level II: 17.54
Level II: 41.82
Level III: 34.21
Level III: 9.09
Level IV: 16.67
Level IV: 5.45
Math Data
2014-2015
Trace Crossings
Avondale
All Students
All Students
Level I: 8.75
Level I:13.21
Level II: 38.75
Level II: 60.38
Level III: 32.50
Level III:22.64
Level IV: 20.00
Level IV: 3.77
Black
Black
Level I: 6.67
Level I: 50.00
Level II: 50.00
Level II: 62.50
Level III: 40.00
Level III: 20.00
Level IV: 3.33
Level IV: 2.50
White
White
Percent tested:10.71
Level I: <1
Level I: NO DATA
Level II: 30.00
Level II: NO DATA
Level III: 36.67
Level III: NO DATA
Level IV: 33.33
Level IV:NO DATA
Hispanic
Hispanic
Level I: 41.67
Level I: NO DATA
Level II: 41.67
Level II:NO DATA
Level III: 16.67
Level III:NO DATA
Level IV: <1
Level IV:NO DATA
Poverty
Poverty
Level I: 18.92
Level I: 13.21
Level II: 54.05
Level II:60.38
Level III: 27.03
Level III: 22.64
2013-2014
Level IV: <1
Level IV: 3.77
All Students
All Students
Level I: 10.53
Level I: 15.15
Level II: 35.96
Level II: 63.63
Level III: 43.86
Level III: 16.67
Level IV: 9.65
Level IV: 4.55
Black
Black
Level I: 11.63
Level I: 15.25
Level II: 53.49
Level II: 62.71
Level III: 32.56
Level III: 16.95
Level IV: 2.33
Level IV: 5.08
White
White
Level I: 9.30
Level I: NO DATA
Level II: 25.58
Level II: NO DATA
Level III: 53.49
Level III: NO DATA
Level IV: 11.63
Level IV: NO DATA
Hispanic
Hispanic
Level I: 16.67
Level I: NO DATA
Level II: 33.33
Level II: NO DATA
Level III: 50.00
Level III: NO DATA
Level IV: <1
Level IV: NO DATA
Poverty
Poverty
Level I: 9.43
Level I: 13.56
Level II: 47.17
Level II: 64.41
Level III: 41.51
Level III: 18.64
Level IV: 1.89
Level IV: 3.39
Avondale Elementary School Plan of Action

After reviewing the data and discussing our experiences, we, as a PLC, have determined
that the best plan of action for Avondale Elementary School includes the addition of a parentteacher conference day to the school calendar. We believe that an increase in parental
involvement would lead to better standardized test scores because that increased involvement
would lead to more consistent expectations across school and home environments.
Avondale Elementary School was established in 1923 as a neighborhood school to serve
children in kindergarten through fifth grades. Because of Avondales rich history, many of its
current students have parents and grandparents that once attended the school. The school is
located in the middle of the Forest Park community, which was established in the early 1900s.
The community is home to many of Birminghams most historic sites. Forest Park is made up of
historical homes inhabited by the upper-middle class. However, many of the communitys
homeowners are older, and therefore, they do not have children that attend Avondale School. The
population of children coming to Avondale School from other, less affluent areas of town has
increased, meaning that the poverty level of the school has increased as well. With poverty,
comes limited parent involvement, as many of the students parents work multiple jobs to keep
their families afloat.
There is not a day set aside on the Avondale Elementary School calendar for parentteacher conferences because the Birmingham City school district does not require it. Jamie
Harris, a first grade teacher at Avondale School, has held fewer than five parent-teacher
conferences in her two years at the school. Ms. Harris says that this is the case because, even if a
parent-conference day were to be held, only the parents of those students who did not necessarily
need a conference would come. We feel, as a PLC, that there are ways in which the school can
provide the opportunity for parents to come speak with teachers, regardless of their childs
reputation at the school.
We have decided, as a PLC, that there needs to be one day in each semester set aside as a
parent-teacher conference day. We feel that this conference day should be held on a Friday, and
that teachers should be present at the school from 7 oclock in the morning until 7 oclock at
night. While this may seem extreme, we feel that it is necessary to provide all working parents
with a twelve-hour time frame of which they can allot a thirty-minute increment to come to the
school and have a conference with their childs teacher. Students should not have school that day,
but childcare should be provided for them and their siblings while their parents conference is
taking place. It will be important for each teacher to be equipped with each students
standardized test scores, progress reports, and work portfolios. It will be necessary for teachers to
begin the first of the two set conferences with an introduction and then a classroom tour. In the
first conference, the childs previous school year can be discussed, and the teacher should give
parents three goals to work toward with their child at home. The second conference can be a
review of the students school year, and can include a discussion of what needs to be
accomplished before the next school year begins. Three goals can be set for parents and students
to work toward at home over the summer, as well.
We believe that this conference day will lead to better standardized test scores because
studies have shown a direct relationship between parent involvement and student achievement in
schools. In 2011, a study on parent involvement was conducted in Finland: a country that has
held consistently high rankings in the areas of education and child development worldwide. The
study surveyed fourth grade students and their parents in hopes of gaining a better perspective of
what could be done to better student wellbeing across the home and school environments.
Ninety-percent of Finnish parents agreed that parent-teacher conferences should continue across
grade levels as a way of keeping them involved in their childs education. The study concluded
that school systems should emphasize parents responsibility in their childs education in order to
achieve the desired results: healthier students, and higher test scores.
As with any plan of action, Avondale School would face challenges when adding a
parent-teacher conference day to their school calendar. Firstly, this conference day would have to
be added by the school district, as individual schools cannot set their calendars for themselves.
Secondly, many parents, when given the opportunity to be involved, would decline the invitation.
It would be a necessity to make the conference day mandatory; and quite frankly, we are not sure
that the school or the school system has the authority to do that. Finally, the addition of a
conference day to the school calendar might not be welcomed by many members of the schools
faculty and staff who have been there for several years. If the school has done just fine without
parent-teacher conferences in the past, teachers and administrators might not welcome this
change with open arms.
Again, we feel, as a PLC, that the best way to increase student achievement at Avondale
Elementary School is through the addition of a parent-teacher conference day to the school
calendar. The research we have presented here, along with many studies found elsewhere, shows
the direct correlation between parent involvement and student achievement in schools. Not only
do we feel that student achievement can be increased, but we feel that relationships between
students and parents, students and teachers, and teachers and parents can be improved immensely
through this plan of action. Those improvements just might lead to Avondale Elementary
Schools success in the many years to come.
References
Birmingham City Schools. (2013). Avondale Elementary School: About Us. Retrieved from
http://www.bhamcityschools.org/domain/179
Birmingham Historical Society. (n.d.). Birminghams Listings in the National Register of
Historic Places. Retrieved from
http://www.bhistorical.org/things_to_do/historic_districts.html
Sormunen, M., Tossavainen, K., & Turunen, H. (2011). Home-School Collaboration in the View
of Fourth Grade Pupils, Parents, Teachers, and Principals in the Finnish Education
System. The School Community Journal, 21(2), 185-212. Retrieved from
http://www.schoolcommunitynetwork.org/SCJ.aspx
Trace Crossings Elementary School Plan of Action

As a PLC, we feel as though test scores at Trace Crossings Elementary school could be
increased by increasing teacher cooperation throughout the school. As it currently stands, there is
very little teacher cooperation at Trace Crossings. Any cooperation that does take place is at a
very basic level, focusing only on what standard is being taught at what time. We believe that if
teacher cooperation were to be increased throughout the school, ACT Aspire scores would rise.
Trace Crossings Elementary is a STEAM focused school that has spent the majority of
the year finding ways to integrate STEAM into curriculum in the classroom. This has been
widely successful for the school and has led to many initiatives throughout the school that are
STEAM focused. The main figures leading the STEAM train have been Traces Assistant
Principal, Amanda Stone, and their STEAM Coach, Dana Joyner. Something that our entire PLC
observed at Trace was the lack of true collaboration between teachers and administration in
producing STEAM related learning. We observed a lot of telling from higher up- administrators
telling teachers what they should be doing in their classrooms with teachers then doing just that.
This lack of collaboration, we believe, is leading to lower test scores from Trace.
Collaboration between teachers forms the bridge that takes great ideas and makes them
accessible to all students. Since research shows that instructionally focused, transformational
leadership affects teachers instructional practices, true collaboration initiated by teacher leaders
at Trace would affect instruction which would, in turn, affect test scores. Collaboration allows for
knowledge diffusion and innovation, two ideas that are strongly supported by the STEAM
philosophy. As collaboration clearly goes hand in hand with STEAM, it surprises our PLC that it
is not a more common practice at Trace. Research indicates that school leaders influence
teachers practice which we believe to be the source of the lack of collaboration at Trace. We
believe that with the support of teacher leaders and administration, Trace will become the place
for collaboration (Miller, 2015)
Our plan for Trace to institute more collaboration amongst teachers begins with mandated
team meetings with more structure than they have now. We would like to see each grade level
team working towards the same goals and instituting similar methods of test preparation. Our
PLC observed that some 4 grade classes did test preparation every day while others did it once
th
and week and some not at all. We think it would be beneficial to put teachers on the same page
regarding test preparation. We believe that through collaboration, teachers will be able to focus
more on test preparation for their students since the work will be done in collaborative groups as
opposed to individually.
Our PLC also believes it would be beneficial for the math and reading coaches to
participate in this test preparation collaboration. Through the participation of the content
coaches, teachers will be provided with practical strategies and skills to take back to their
classroom to use to prepare students for the ACT Aspire test. Currently, the reading and math
coaches are mainly utilized for and Tier III instruction. The only real collaboration that takes
place between the classroom teacher and the support staff is in regards to determine which
students should be receiving Tier III instruction. Our PLC has found that by adding the support
staff into the team meetings just one time per month, teachers will receive guidance and support
to help prepare for testing.
Again, we as a PLC feel as though one reason Trace currently struggles to have higher
test scores on the ACT Aspire is due to a lack of collaboration between teachers as well as a lack
of utilization of resources such as the support staff. Our plan corrects both of these issues and
allows for higher test scores throughout the school.
References
Kelley, J. (2015). COLLABORATION, COLLEGIALITY, AND COLLECTIVE
REFLECTION: A CASE STUDY OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR
TEACHERS. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, (169), =.
Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1063374.pdf
Miller, R. J. (n.d.). Instructional Leadership: A Pathway to Teacher Collaboration and
Student Achievement. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED528591.pdf
Trace Crossings Elementary School. (n.d.). Retrieved May 07, 2016, from
http://tracecrossingselem.al.hce.schoolinsites.com/
Avondale Elementary School Parent Letter

Dear Parent or Guardian:
I am writing to tell you about an addition to the school calendar. We will be adding a parentteacher conference day to the school calendar.
In the past there has not been a day set aside on the Avondale Elementary School calendar for
parent-teacher conferences because the Birmingham City school district does not require it. The
parent-teacher conference day would provide the opportunity for parents to come speak with
teachers. The conference day will be held on a Friday. Students will not have school that day but
childcare will be provided during time of conference time. Conference time will be a time to
discuss your childs standardized test scores, progress reports, work portfolios, and goals for your
child. We believe by adding this conference day that it will lead to better standardized test scores,
better parent- teacher communication, increase in student achievement, and strengthen the
relationship between parents and teachers. As Bob Beauprez said, Education is a shared
commitment between dedicated teachers, motivated students and enthusiastic parents with high
expectations. You will be receiving further information about sign-up times! We look forward
to seeing you soon!
Sincerely,
Avondale Elementary School Teachers
Trace Crossings Elementary School Parent Letter

Dear Parent or Guardian:
I am writing to tell you about a recent change in preparation towards standardized testing.
As a grade level team. we will be focusing on more test preparation in grade level meetings. We
will also be adding the reading and math coach to these grade level meetings. We believe that it
is very beneficial for all teachers and supporting staff to be on the same page. Through the
participation of the content coaches, teachers will be provided with practical strategies and skills
to take back to their classroom to use to prepare students for the ACT Aspire test. As Robert John
Meehan said, The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other. Without
collaboration our growth is limited to our own perspectives. For it is our primary goal to have
your student do the best they can and with the perspectives of all of us we believe we can help
raise test scores.
Sincerely,
Trace Crossing Elementary School Teachers

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Ladies who Lunch

Disaggregated Data Project

Initiatives for Increase in

Avondale Elementary School Observation Chart

Avondale is working on increasing parent involvement by allowing parents the opportunity

Percent tested: 95.12

Percent tested: 94.64

Level II: 20.51

Level II: 33.96

Level III: 23.08

Level III: 9.43

Level IV: 28.21

Level IV: 3.77

Percent tested: 36.59

Percent tested: 71.43

Level II: 20.00

Level II: 35.00

Level III: 13.33

Level III: 10.00

Level IV: 16.67

Level IV: 2.50

Percent tested: 36.59

Percent tested: 10.71

Level II: 23.33

Level II: NO DATA

Level III: 33.33

Level III:NO DATA

Level IV: 43.33

Level IV: NO DATA

Percent tested: 12.2

Percent tested: 10.71

Level II: 30.00

Level II: NO DATA

Level III: 10.00

Level III: NO DATA

Level IV: <1

Level IV: NO DATA

Percent tested: 95.12

Percent tested: 94.64

Level II: 20.51

Level II: 33.96

Level III: 23.08

Level III: 9.43

Level IV: 28.21

Level IV: 3.77

Percent tested: 95.00

Percent tested: NO DATA

Level II: 17.54

Level II: 38.71

Level III: 34.21

Level III: 8.06

Level IV: 16.67

Level IV: 8.06

Percent tested: 35.83

Percent tested: NO DATA

Level II: 20.93

Level II: 41.07

Level III: 34.88

Level III: 8.93

Level IV: 4.65

Level IV: 5.36

Percent tested: 35.83