Hickman County Learning Academy Export Export
Goals
G 1 Academic Instruction K-12: Mathematics
High-quality instruction and engaging curriculum will positively impact student learning and achievement in math. During the 2023-2024 school year, the district will focus on effectively implementing newly adopted math materials and providing effective and quality math instructional strategies during Tier I instruction, and student growth. HCSS will increase numeracy achievement and TVAAS growth across all grades.
Performance Measure
Hickman County will show improvement in the math Success Rate for grades 3-5 from 35.1% in 2021-22 to 40.1% by Spring of 2024, for grades 6-8 from 17.3% to 22.3%, and for grades 9-12 from 8.0% to 19.4% as measured on the State achievement assessment. In addition, each school grade band with grades 3-12 will show student growth at a TVAAS level of 3 or higher. And, achievement on the grade 2 State achievement test for math will continue to show higher than state average (HCSS success rate 2022 was ??? vs. state success rate of ???).
All subgroups will improve the percentage of students scoring on-track or mastered on the math state assessment on the Spring 2024 State assessment.
Classroom documented walk-throughs will show that by March, 2024, 80% of K-10 grade classes will be implementing new math adoption materials and math Instructional Focus Documents with fidelity, with walk-through documentation used for Tier I instructional planning purposes.
Sections
- Academic Achievement & Growth
- Other Needs
S 1.1 High Quality Instructional Materials
The district will adopt new math materials and begin implementation in the Fall of 2023-2024. HCSS will purchase math materials including manipulatives for teachers to have resources available at their ready to effectively use lessons to their fullest.
The district will work with a vendor during the 2023-2024 school year to implement newly adopted math materials in grades K-12, to ensure that all teachers and students have access to the resources and instructional practices they need to improve achievement and growth on grade level. Materials will be aligned to the new TN Math Standards that will begin being implement in the 2023-2024 school year.
Benchmark Indicator
Leader Preparation: Principal/Academic Coaches/Math Coaches will feel comfortable providing teachers feedback on math Instructional Planning Guides. District instructional supervisors will also observe walk-throughs and discuss feedback at least twice per semester with principal to monitor leader support of materials and adjust training needs.
Positive teacher perceptions of high quality materials and of implementation support (collected from surveys completed in November and February). Surveys will include category for educators to indicate their feelings of materials and the support provided to implement new materials. Survey results will be collected by the district supervisor of PD and will be reviewed with district and building administrators to determine district as well as building level supports that are necessary.
Schools will have a plan to meet twice per month in PLCs to collaboratively plan and discuss walk-throughs. Administrators will monitor implementation to those plans for consistency and quality of PLC meetings. District instructional supervisors will monitor implementation of these meeting plans for consistency and quality.
A 1.1.1 Mathematics Course Audits
High quality instructional materials will be implemented digitally with at least 80% fidelity as evidenced by mathematics course audits in grades 6-8, Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2. The administrator will conduct course audits in October 2023 and February 2024. Courses not aligned with materials will be edited to achieve a rate of at least 80% alignment.
| Person Responsible | Estimated Completion | Funding Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Delaney | 2024-03-01 |
S 1.2 School Support
The district will work with a vendor during the 2023-2024 school year to implement newly adopted math materials in grades K-12, to ensure that all teachers and students have access to the resources and instructional practices they need to improve achievement and growth on grade level. Materials will be aligned to the new TN Math Standards that will begin being implement in the 2023-2024 school year.
Benchmark Indicator
Increased number of students performing On-Track or Mastered on TNReady with data discussions occurring at the district level, then with building principals in June. Student subgroups will show an improvement in TVAAS each year at each grade level. Building administrators will monitor Aimsweb Benchmarks in the Fall, Winter and Spring, and use this measure to predict students performing below On-Track, and discuss these groups of students with teachers during PLC meetings.
Data tracker sheets will be maintained at the school level for benchmark assessments (Fall, Winter, Spring) and local formative assessments, and updated throughout the year. Building administrators will report information to district supervisors during monthly staff meetings.
Stakeholder surveys completed in October and February, and will be reviewed by the district leadership team, with results shared with building administrators to plan for teacher PD.
District supervisors and administrators will collaborate to complete teacher evaluations for all teachers. Collaboration will occur each semester in August and January, to ensure that every teacher has the required number of observations completed. Schedules for observations will be shared with district supervisors in order to schedule dates that do not conflict with school events or activities.
A 1.2.1 Benchmark Testing
Hickman County Learning Academy will administer local benchmarks in Fall, Winter, and Spring for mathematics. The school administrator will use this measure to predict students performing below On-Track. Mathematics and special education teachers will analyze the data and identify standards that students have not mastered. Identified standards will be taught or retaught. Item analysis on the next benchmark will show an improvement of at least 20% on those standards.
| Person Responsible | Estimated Completion | Funding Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Delaney | 2024-03-15 |
S 1.3 Strengthen Teacher Capacity in the Content
The district and schools will focus on training and developing math teachers' professional capacity. PD will be embedded and provided for math teachers to learn about their new materials, to improve instructional rigor and knowledge of the new standards. Training will also be planned for improving the application of effective instructional practices, especially to support educators on successful math strategies to impact student achievement gaps and improve results for: racial and ethnic groups, limited English proficient students, students with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged students.
Benchmark Indicator
Hickman County expects to see standards-aligned lessons, questions and tasks 60% of the time during the first round of instructional walks conducted by district-level administrators and will discuss feedback at least twice each semester with each principal to monitor leader support of instruction and adjust planning needs.
Building level principals review of lesson plans weekly providing feedback to teachers on alignment of instruction to state standards. During monthly meetings between district supervisors and building administrators, lesson plan feedback information will be shared with the group and discussion of what principals are seeing in lessons, what appears to be working, and areas for support. This information will be used to determine areas for district supervisors to support schools.
Improved TVAAS growth data on state assessments
Improved scores on standardized benchmark assessments in comparison to prior year.
Digitally recorded walk throughs will be completed two times each semester that will show that by March, 2024, 80% of K-12 classrooms are implementing math Instructional Focus Documents with fidelity for planning purposes during Tier I Instruction. Digital records will be kept by district instructional supervisors to monitor and adjust training needs.
A 1.3.1 Professional Learning
Hickman County Learning Academy mathematics teachers will participate in professional learning to make the most of the newly implemented instructional materials, including but not limited to sessions with the selected math vendor, Big Ideas Learning; the state implementation grant vendor, SchoolKit; and local professional development options. Local professional learning, provided by district leaders and instructional coaches, will focus on utilization of the Instructional Focus Documents for planning Tier I mathematics instruction.
| Person Responsible | Estimated Completion | Funding Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Delaney | 2024-04-12 |
S 1.4 Student Instructional Support Services
High quality services will be provided to students. Students should receive daily Tier I core instructions along with a continuum of support. The district will provide math tutoring and interventions to improve achievement and close gaps in mathematics; and will work to ensure that practices meet the instructional needs of all students particularly students receiving interventions, students with disabilities, ESL students and students receiving other related services. TN All Corps grant will provide high-dosage, low ratio tutoring that creates high-impact learning experiences, focus on reteaching missed or unlearned content, and connects missed learning to grade level content. Tutoring will be provided by teaching staff and paraprofessionals, with adequate training included for all tutors in the TN All Corps tutoring program.
Benchmark Indicator
TN ALL Corps tutoring will provide tutoring to 15% of HC students, at least 3 days per week for 30 minutes per session. District student support services coordinator will monitor timesheets and student enrollment each month to ensure that students are on track to receive at least 60 hours of additional math support between August and May.
Decrease the percentage of students receiving Tier II and Tier III instruction
Increase composite results on AimswebPlus benchmark assessments and Zearn progress monitoring checks by students showing positive Rate of Improvement in progress monitoring data. School data team meetings for students in RTI and TN All Corps tutoring will be held in conjunction every 4.5 weeks. The district RTI coordinator will attend all school level meetings. The district RTI Team will meet two times per year, and review school and grade level data to determine areas for teacher PD and/or support or revisions to district level procedures/scheduling/other needs.
District supervisor for TN All Corps will monitor school schedules and student tutoring data each month to ensure that high-dosage low ratio tutoring is occurring at each school. Additionally, school schedules will be evaluated to determine if tutoring schedules reflect the needs of the students, parents and tutors, with adjustments made as needed (adjustments may be made as needed monthly).
Perception survey data about TN All Corps tutoring will be collected each December and May, from parents and tutors to determine if growth and confidence in math is occurring. Students will be asked to complete verbal survey with their teachers, to obtain data to accompany the parent/tutor feedback. District supervisors will use feedback to support tutors with PD or other supports as needed.
A 1.4.1 Tutoring for Targeted Support
One-to-one tutoring will be provided for mathematics students who are below grade level based on data from standardized testing, local benchmarks, and formative assessments. Tutoring will be available after traditional school hours and provided by highly qualified mathematics teachers.
| Person Responsible | Estimated Completion | Funding Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Delaney | 2024-05-17 |
G 2 Academic Instruction K-12 : Literacy
High-quality instruction and engaging curriculum will positively impact student learning and achievement in literacy. During the 2023-2024 school year, the district will focus on effective literacy instructional strategies during Tier I instruction, effective interventions performed with fidelity in Tier II and III, using quality curriculum aligned to grade level expectations of rigor, student growth on standardized and local assessments. HCSS will increase literacy achievement and TVAAS growth across all grades.
Performance Measure
Hickman County will show improvement in ELA Success Rate for grades 3-5 from 30.4% in 2021-22 to 35.4% by Spring of 2024, for grades 6-8 from 22.1% to 27.1%, and for grades 9-12 from 36.2% to 41.2% as measured on the State achievement assessment. In addition, each school grade band with grades 3-12 will show student growth at a TVAAS level of 3 or higher. And, achievement on the grade 2 State achievement test for math will continue to show higher than state average (HCSS success rate 2022 was ??? vs. state success rate of ???).
All subgroups will improve the percentage of students scoring on-track or mastered on the ELA state assessment on the Spring 2024 State assessment.
Classroom documented walk-throughs will show that by March, 2024, 80% of K-12 grade classes will be implementing grade level content materials and IPG to plan lessons for Tier I instruction.
80% of students in grades K-8 Tier II and Tier III will have a positive Rate of Improvement by the April universal screening window.
At least 50% of 3rd grade students will achieve the benchmark for promotion by achieving a passing score on the ELA TCAP.
Sections
- Academic Achievement & Growth
- Other Needs
S 2.1 Rigorous Tier I Instruction
HCSS will provide rigorous instruction to ELA students. Rigor will come from the use of complex texts, higher-order questioning, explicit and purposeful instruction in comprehension strategies, explicit instruction in the foundational reading skills in elementary grades, and instruction with more sophisticated texts and skills in secondary grades. Teachers will differentiate instruction with LEA adopted materials to increase student reading fluency and comprehension, using the adopted materials to scaffold the understanding of the complex text both for all subgroups of students (i.e., SWD, ELL, Gifted, etc.).
Benchmark Indicator
Benchmark assessments: student performance on end of module tasks from Wit and Wisdom and Learn Zillion curriculum. Grade levels will collect data at the end of module. Based on this information, school level teams will target the gap in student learning and create a plan for reteaching during each nine-weeks grading period. District instructional supervisors will meet with building administrators in monthly staff meetings to review these benchmark results in combination with other instructional data collected, to determine PD offerings and instructional support to provide in the classroom.
Using the Core Office literacy walk-through tools, administration and grade-level teachers will analyze digital data for student/teacher engagement, rigor, questioning, and work samples from what students were able to show. The Instruction Practice Guide walk-through tool for 3-12 and the Foundational Skills IPG for K-2, will be used by district administrator and building administrators to gather data as well as strengthen teacher practices at least two times per semester for each teacher of ELA/Literacy.
A 2.1.1 Benchmark Testing
Hickman County Learning Academy will administer local benchmarks each semester for English Language Arts. Data for subgroups such as SWD, EL, and gifted, will be evaluated to determine content not mastered and re-teaching that is necessary. Data will be reviewed in December and March to determine areas for re-teaching to occur between benchmarks and prior to state assessments.
| Person Responsible | Estimated Completion | Funding Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Delaney | 2024-03-22 |
S 2.2 Job Embedded Professional Learning
Job-embedded professional development will occur in principal/supervisor observation and feedback sessions with teachers, PLCs, faculty meetings, and coaching opportunities from NIET. Specific TEAM refinement areas will also be addressed during these opportunities by principals. The IPG will help identify snapshots of action steps to guide improvement practice and rigor.
Benchmark Indicator
Feedback from a Professional Development survey completed by teachers in the Fall of 2022, indicated that teachers would like to receive PD on curriculum planning and integrating technology in the classroom. Teachers express the desire to gain new ideas of how to increase rigor, differentiated instruction, and motivating students. Teacher attendance at PD offerings, teacher implementation of new ideas, and student performance on benchmark assessments will be measured to determine effectiveness of PD.
PLC meetings will be utilized by 100% of the schools in the district on a twice monthly basis; the district reading specialist will attend PLC meetings at each school to support schools and determine which teachers/grades/schools are in need of support and what supports are requested. Agendas, discussions and lesson plans developed will be monitored for consistency and information to inform PD needs. The district reading specialist and school academic facilitators will meet every 2 weeks to discuss supports/needs of each grade level as evidenced from the PLC information gathered.
A 2.2.1 PLC Meetings
ELA teachers will actively lead and/or participate in PLC Meetings twice a month to discuss formative assessment data and student work. Teachers will revise existing or create new Unit Preparation Guides and develop lesson plans according to standards-aligned district pacing guides. Collaboratively planned learning activities will be of appropriate text complexity and regularly incorporate extended writing activities.
| Person Responsible | Estimated Completion | Funding Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Delaney | 2024-05-17 |
S 2.3 Strengthen Standards Alignment
Training will also be provided to improve the knowledge base and application of effective instructional practices to support educators (including Special Education and EL teachers) on successful literacy and ELA strategies to impact student achievement gaps and improve results for: racial and ethnic groups, limited English proficient students, students with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged students.
Benchmark Indicator
Hickman County expects to see standards-aligned lessons, questions and tasks 80% of the time during the first round of instructional walks conducted by building-level and/or district-level administrators that will be completed two times per semester, and data reviewed by district supervisors and school administrators at January and May staff meetings, to be used to plan for principal PD that supports coaching conversations with teachers.
Observations of PLCs by principals, academic facilitators, district reading specialist and district instructional supervisors will be used to assess the quality of the use of IPG in supporting implementation of the materials. District facilitator and supervisors will provide feedback at least once quarterly, to teacher leaders to strengthen the planning of lessons.
Building principals will review and provide weekly feedback on lesson plans regarding alignment of instruction to state standards. Concerns with a teacher or grade level planning that trends will be communicated to district instructional supervisors and the reading specialist on a monthly basis, in order for the district to assign and/or provide school support to intervene with that teacher or teachers.
Improved TVAAS data on state assessments.
Improved scores on standardized benchmark assessments as comparison from Fall to Spring.
Student work produced in the classroom will meet the expectations of the grade-level standards 80% of the time based on the results of the first instructional walk through conduced in October 2023 by building administrators and district supervisors. Student work will be collected by district instructional supervisors and used to provide each principal with feedback on the teachers' implementation of IFD at least two times each semester.
A 2.3.1 ELA Course Audits
TN Standards for English Language Arts will be addressed fully in virtual courses. In collaboration with ELA instructors, the administrator will conduct course audits for ELA courses in September 2023 and February 2024. Lessons, questions, and tasks are expected to reflect the level of rigor required for each grade level. Courses not aligned with standards will be edited to achieve a rate of at least 95% standards alignment.
| Person Responsible | Estimated Completion | Funding Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Delaney | 2024-03-01 |
G 3 Culture of High Expectations
During the 2023-2024 school year, HCSS will reduce the percentage of students experiencing chronic absenteeism, provide early opportunities for students to experience success at the post secondary levels, and provide opportunities to build new teachers capacity, develop teacher leaders at all levels, and build instructional leadership capacity.
Performance Measure
HCSS will lower the Chronically Absent from School rate to 12% or less, as measured on the 2024 Climate and Access Data in InformTN. This target is an average of the previous plan’s goal of 21% and the % earned in 2022 data (18.9%). HCSS will challenge its schools to a higher expectation due to research that clearly supports student attendance as a major factor in a student’s success in school. HCSS’s district truancy supervisors will monitor attendance through a district tracking document and by holding truancy meetings for students who exceed 5 unexcused absences, in order to gather information for why a student is absent, identifying barriers for attending school, monitoring grades and developing an improvement plan with the student’s support team.
The Ready Graduate Indicator from the TN State Report Card will improve to a rate of at least 40%. The district's grant manager will develop a student tracker document to share with high school principals, guidance counselors and the district instructional supervisor and CTE director, to use as a method for tracking students that meet ACT, EPSOs, ASVAB milestones as part of the Ready Graduate requirement. District personnel will review this tracker each quarter, and meet with the high school principal and guidance counselor to review or develop strategies for students to earn this designation.
Opportunities to build the capacity of new teachers, teacher leaders and instructional leadership will be offered throughout the year in the form of PD, building observations of other leaders and opportunities to lead PD sessions in an area of their expertise. Feedback surveys will be completed at the end of each PD offering for the district supervisors to review and plan future learning opportunities. New teachers will complete end of the year feedback surveys and monthly reflection summaries regarding areas of training that was effective, areas to improve, and areas where additional support is needed as part of the teacher mentoring program. This feedback will be used to plan for the future cohorts. HCSS has set a goal of maintaining a teacher retention rate of 95% or higher, with new teacher (teachers with three years or less experience) to equal or surpass this same rate of retention.
Sections
- College & Career Readiness
- Climate and Access
- Other Needs
S 3.1 Ready Graduate
High schools will work to expand opportunities for all students to access CTE and EPSO opportunities that prepare students with the skills, knowledge and experiences to be well on their way to have several requirements already fulfilled for their post-secondary path. K-8 schools will begin exposure to CTE, EPSOs, careers, etc., by providing students with information regarding what opportunities are students have at each high school. Also, during the 2023-2024 school year, the CTE Department Director will be submit a grant that will generate funds for purchase of materials to promote the CTE fields of study in the HCSS district.
Benchmark Indicator
Ready Graduate Indicator rate of at least 45% at each high school by May, 2023.
College and Career Fairs offered at each K-12 school.
A 3.1.1 Ready Graduate Advisement
Hickman County Learning Academy will provide advisement on early-postsecondary opportunities in multiple formats throughout the school year. Rising ninth through twelfth grade students and parents will be advised on Ready Graduate indicators to college and career success. Each student will create or revise their 6-year plan in the Spring semester to reflect the path the student will take towards being a Ready Graduate.
| Person Responsible | Estimated Completion | Funding Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Delaney | 2024-05-03 |
S 3.2 Attendance Initiatives and Support
HCSS’s policy will be followed requiring Tier meetings and attendance plans being developed for all students who accumulate absences that may indicate the student is in danger of being identified as chronically absent. Additionally, the social-emotional piece and its importance to a student’s well being will be one area that is initially considered when examining student absences. Each school staff has received training on the practices that can reduce student absenteeism, and school administrators may as for additional training as needed.
Benchmark Indicator
The district instructional supervisor and building administrators will review attendance at the end of each funding period. District supervisors will use information to monitor for anomalies among schools and provide support to building administrators on strategies to improve as needed.
The Spring 2024, TN Educator Survey will show indication that students feel emotionally ready to learn and safe at school. Project AWARE District Coordinator asks that teachers for all grades complete surveys to get a pulse on the social emotional needs of students, and how to best support. Teachers will complete this feedback survey on the effectiveness of the Restorative Practices training and complete a checklist of how HC teachers are using strategies in their classrooms. Survey information will be collected in November and April and used for planning services and programs throughout the school year.
Attendance sign-in sheets to support training of new teachers.
A 3.2.1 Chronically Absent and Truant Attendance Tracker
Students who were chronically absent in 2022-2023 will be monitored in the 2023-2024 school year using an individual school spreadsheet tracker. Students who become truant will also be monitored using the tracker. The tracker will be maintained to show student names and each tier of intervention that has been completed. The administrator will monitor for absences every two weeks and will initiate intervention strategies after the 3rd absence.
| Person Responsible | Estimated Completion | Funding Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Delaney | 2024-05-17 |