Spring Road Elementary School’s Improvement Plan Essay

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Specific Needs for Improvement
Goals to Achieve the Improvement Plan for the Black Students
Interventions/Strategies
Equity Considerations
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Spring Road Elementary School provides a student-centred learning environment that aims to improve academic performance and student’s social and emotional well-being. The school has an enrolment of 274 and an additional 4% space left for new enrolment (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 2021). The 2020-21 annual report indicates poor performance from both the summative and formative assessments. The continued lower performance will likely jeopardize the school’s enrolment by ruining its reputation. Although there are notable improvements in Mathematics and English, the increased absenteeism and lower graduation rates put the school in the limelight and require a feasible plan to improve. This school improvement plan focuses on all the key areas of improvement and lays down strategies for improving the school’s score.

Specific Needs for Improvement

Spring Road Elementary School’s initial step is to conduct a need assessment. The report was evaluated on a two-pronged strategy to determine how the summative and formative assessment results displayed the unique improvement needs. A need assessment is an indispensable tool that institutions can use to understand a specific problem and offer an amicable solution to it (Klein & Schwanenberg, 2022). Spring Road Elementary school’s absenteeism rate is a formative assessment result which rose from 4.6% in 2017 to 10.2% in 2020 (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 2021). The increased absenteeism is a unique need that must be addressed for the school to achieve its goal. The goals aim to eradicate all the causes of absenteeism and encourage students to have a 100% attendance rate.

Academic performance is an important summative assessment result that determines how well a school performs. The graduation rate is an important parameter that parents and sponsors can use to determine whether to take their children to school or not. Spring Road Elementary school report shows a graduation rate of 52.4% (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 2021). The rate insinuates that almost half of the students perform dismally and do not achieve the required graduation threshold. The formative and summative assessment results complement each other and explain why graduation rates are low. The strategy to improve must address all the root causes of poor performance. The need assessment outcome is summarized in the graph below.

Figure 1: Summary of Absenteeism and Graduation Rate (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 2021)

Goals to Achieve the Improvement Plan for the Black Students

The poor performance at Spring Road elementary school is attributed to absenteeism especially the blacks and the economically disadvantaged students. The higher rate of absenteeism may be due to student’s inability to be involved in school activities. Lack of student involvement in school schedules, poor or inadequate social activities, poor academic performance and health are the major causes of school absenteeism (Butler et al., 2021). The antidote to the absenteeism challenge is getting the students involved in school activities and work. Once the students fully participate in school activities, they will likely enjoy attending school. Engaging students in the learning process and other school activities motivates and increases their performance by expanding their critical thinking capacity. Students’ engagement increases the degree of curiosity, passion, optimism, interest, and attention when taught (Jie et al., 2019). Consequently, the knowledge transfer rate increases and the students perform better as absenteeism is reduced. The key SMART student engagement goals for Spring Road Elementary schools are:

In the 2022/2023 academic year, student-teacher interaction will be increased inside and outside the classroom by developing platforms to increase communication.
Students will be involved in personal engagement and SWOT analysis to understand themselves in relation to the world and find their place.
In the 2022-2023 academic year, the school will increase the social activities and bonding between the students and their class attendance rate.

Interventions/Strategies

The management and staff of Spring Road Elementary School will work together to ensure that the absenteeism rate is reduced to 0% to improve school performance. The key interventions are broken down into the key areas of improvement, the people accountable for each action, the time frames for achievement, and the monitoring and evaluation to ensure all targets are achieved. Tables 1, 2, and 3 offer a breakdown of the three key smart goals to be implemented for improving school performance. Each intervention is broken down into key activities and the people in charge of the implementation plan. Further, the evaluation and monitoring process is described in detail. After the implementation of the three strategies in the 2022/2023 academic year, student improvement will be recorded.

Table 1.First Smart Goal to Improve Class Attendance for Black Students

SMART Goal: Increasing teacher-student interaction inside and outside the classroom.
Rationale: Student-teacher interaction is key in the process of increasing student engagement in school activities. Through student-teacher interaction, positive relationships are developed, and the students will not miss school to maintain a positive relationship with teachers (Butler et al., 2021). The positive relationship improves school attendance as any reasons for absenteeism will be communicated and resolved.
Key target 1: Ensure that interaction improves relationships for students to open up to teachers whenever there is a problem. Key target 2: To encourage students to partake in activities that improve performance and feel free to ask questions whenever they need clarification.	Key strategies/interventions to ensure school target is achieved				Benchmarks the school will use to monitor the success of the intervention toward achieving the goals: The key benchmark for the strategy is internal assessment to compare result with previous performances. Success will be achieved when success rate improves with time. The class teacher will record all the games and interactive sessions in class and their progress. The teacher will assess how the students know each other based on the games they play. Teachers evaluate students’ ability to take charge of the games and report any challenges they face.
	What needs to be done for the target to be achieved?	The people accountable for the action	The timeline for completion.	Professional Development or resources used to complete the strategy.
	The teacher-created games during lessons and break time.	Class teachers are in charge of all the games.	Continuous process for the entire academic year	No additional resources are required to achieve the objective.
	Allowing Students to make ground rules	Every teacher responsible for teaching a subject ensures that students set the ground rules.	At the beginning of the term, to set the pace.	Whiteboard and permanent marker to have the ground rules visible.
	Allow the students to lead in the class tasks.	Subject teachers.	Continuous process ensuring that all activities have the students as leaders.	No additional resources are needed; teachers must be trained in team-building activities.
	Journaling and Ice breaks	Class teacher	At the beginning of each class, ensure all students know each other.	Basic training on team building and development.

Equity Considerations

The school is multicultural as it has students from different races, and its equity policy requires that all the students benefit from the programs. Each student, regardless of race, is given an equal opportunity to participate in the games and other activities to improve student-teacher interaction. It is prudent to note that all the games played in class must first be discussed by the teachers to ascertain that all practices and proposals are culturally responsive. Once teachers develop a positive relationship with students, the rate of absenteeism will reduce, and the teachers will have a chance to develop a positive relationship with the teachers (Galindo et al., 2022). Consequently, academic performance will increase, and the graduation rate will improve. Further, all games must be designed to meet the needs of the students and promote their well-being.

Table 2. Second Smart Goal to Improve Students Personal Engagement among the Blacks, Whites, and the Economically Disadvantaged

SMART Goal:Personal engagement and SWOT analysis to help students realize their set goals and plan to achieve the goals.
Rationale: Personal engagement is a unique way in which individuals understand their surroundings about the world around them. One of the main reasons why the absenteeism rate is increasing is because the students do not know the implication of their actions. When students undergo self-development and SWOT analysis, they will learn about their strengths and weaknesses and strategize the best way of improving their lives (Fernandez-Rio et al., 2020). The motive behind personal engagement is to increase the student’s awareness.
Key target 1: To improve the behavioural outcome, students can follow instructions, participate in all discussions, and attend all classes without missing them. Key target 2: To improve students’ emotional well-being so that they feel they are at the right school place and that their presence is valued in the school. Key target 3: To improve students’ cognitive abilities to think deeply about any matters before committing to answering them.	Key strategies/interventions to ensure school target is achieved				Benchmarks the school will use to monitor the success of the intervention toward achieving the goals: The key benchmarks used to monitor progress is data records from other schools that are performing well. When the comparison is made with other schools that are performing better than Spring Road Elementary. The success factors in the target will be evaluated based on the ability of the students to carry all the needed tools in class and partake in all discussions without fear. Teachers will know they are succeeding when all the students do not forget to carry the needed belongings in school, The target will be achieved when students acquire unique emotional well-being when they feel part of the classroom and feel that their presence matters in class. Success in the required field will be achieved when the teachers set critical thinking questions, and the students get the questions correctly.
	What needs to be done for the target to be achieved?	The people accountable for the action	The timeline for completion.	Professional Development or resources used to complete the goals.
	Set flexible sitting positions in class for them to remain blank when a person misses school. Increase personalized learning in class where lessons are designed based on students’ abilities.	The academic affairs manager sets a sitting arrangement for the entire school with a class teacher’s aide. Respective subject teachers and course advisors.	At the beginning of every term, the class teacher can adjust whenever there is a need. Every lesson ensures that the students are connected to the lessons they learn in their respective classrooms.	A software tool to group students based on their abilities to ensure they help each other with the class work. Technology devices help students understand their unique class abilities and therefore improve learning.
	Teamwork and cooperative learning	Academic affairs director.	A continuous process throughout the academic year for success.	Teacher training on team building and conflict resolution to help students achieve the best grades in their respective lessons.
	Inquiry-based learning to improve students’ outcomes in their critical and creative thinking.	Respective subject teachers note students’ cognitive abilities and record additional actions whenever a student performs dismally.	The continuous process throughout the term for improved learning outcomes.	No resources are needed for inquiry-based learning. However, teachers need to be trained on the best way to provoke students to think critically and be able to solve problems in class.

The smart goal aims at improving students’ behavioural, emotional, and cognitive abilities. However, equity is key to ensuring that all students have equal opportunities to develop their well-being in the discourse. Students from different backgrounds may have different beliefs, and the practice in achieving the strategy must therefore be culturally aligned. Before implementing the target objective, the teachers must impart cultural awareness and competence. The learning techniques and strategies should focus on students’ beliefs and relate to their racial identity. The games and classification must never discriminate against students based on race, gender, or background (Galindo et al., 2022). Further, the teacher must hold every student in higher esteem and diversify the curriculum to meet the needs of the students. When students feel that they are part of the class and that their presence is valued, absenteeism will be reduced, and their performance will improve in the discourse.

Table 3. Third Smart Goal to Improve Social Interaction for the Blacks and the Economically Disadvantaged

SMART Goal:Increase social activities in school to make students enjoy school sessions and lower absenteeism rates to improve their academic performance.
Rationale: Some of the reasons students lose morale for school is the inability to communicate their feelings to their teachers and colleagues, which makes them lack the motivation to go to school. However, when social activities that enhance social skills are improved, learners can set individual goals, share their feelings and emotions with peers and teachers, and improve the school climate (Tsai et al., 2020). Social activities are key to developing active listening, persistence, and emotional management skills.
Key target 1: Improve students’ self-confidence and ability to communicate with their peers and adults, enhancing learning and sharing of information. Key target 2: Train students to set individual goals and implement strategies to achieve the given goals by interacting with the people around them effectively. Key target 3: Help students develop persistence and emotional management skills to make correct decisions on school attendance for improved academic performance.	Key strategies/interventions to ensure school target is achieved				Benchmarks the school will use to monitor the success of the intervention toward achieving the goals: Internal benchmarks are the internal benchmarks where teachers consider the success of the students and compare it as they progress. The key monitoring tool is the progress report that shows the performance of all the student’s scores as they played the different games. The top performer will be awarded, while the low performers will be taught and given a second chance to prove their talents and abilities. Constant cognitive assessment tests are used to monitor students’ success, and teachers will realize that students have understood the concepts when they can set personal goals and improve confidence.
	What needs to be done for the target to be achieved	The people accountable for the action	The timeline for achieving the target.	Professional Development or resources used to complete the goals.
	Starring contest improves students’ ability to maintain eye contact, build conversations and increase self-confidence. Improvised stories to boost creativity and make students have fun.	Class teachers and respective subject teachers. Guiding and counselling masters for the special sessions and follow-up.	Every week for the entire term makes school life more appealing to the students. Once weekly, ensure students are creative and develop stories in the correct context.	No resources are needed, but teachers must be trained on the most effective rules to make the games more productive. Special training is given to trainers to develop activities meant to improve life skills which helps the students to develop creative and critical thinking.
	Play pretend to help students identify their innate skills for improvement.	Subject teachers for the specific subjects and cultural teachers during break time.	Once a month and on special occasions, parents or teachers request the activities.	No specified resources are required.
	Periodic talent shows encourage students to showcase their talents.	Extracurricular development master in conjunction with the cultural master.	Once every term, the rest of the term is used to prepare for the talents day. As students prepare for the talent shows, they will not miss classes to encourage daily attendance.	The school has a special budget to form the committees and subcommittees to ensure that the preparation and implementation of the talent shows are student-centred and help students develop their key talents.

Equity in the classroom and the school is key to eliminating the barriers facing students and making them achieve their specified targets. When conducting social activities, equity must be addressed to ensure students are not disadvantaged by their race, immigration status, culture, religion or ethnicity. The implementation of social activities to improve student engagement. Unlike equality, where students are treated equally and given similar tests, equity investigates the special needs of students and offers specialized tests which are key to making the student succeed (Galindo et al., 2022). The activities conducted must therefore be scrutinized for cultural competence to improve students’ performance without jeopardizing the student’s well-being. Student participation is key from the start of the events to get them involved. When seeking responses, the teachers must use random strategies to ensure all students feel equal and be more productive in class and other activities. Further, the assessment strategies for social activities should not be fixed on one method. Instead, multiple assessment strategies must be used to ensure that different styles of learning are accommodated.

Conclusion

Spring Road Elementary school has not recorded positive results in the previous years. The analysis of the reports proved that the key cause of poor performance is absenteeism. As students miss school, their academic performance declines. The antidote to improving students’ performance is to increase student engagement at school. Student engagement is a unique way of ensuring that students participate in the activities involved in the school’s day-to-day running. The three key goals are geared towards increasing student engagement by improving the interaction between students and teachers, amongst students themselves, and personal engagement to make students understand their weaknesses and seek remedies for the same. The plan will be successful as all the teachers are trained on their respective duties, and the plan includes evaluation.

References

Butler, M. G., Church, K. S., King, G. H., & Spencer, A. W. (2021). Do Your Students Know What They Do not Know? An Accounting Competencies Strategy. Issues in Accounting Education, 36(4), 207–230.

Fernandez-Rio, J., de las Heras, E., González, T., Trillo, V., & Palomares, J. (2020). Gamification and physical education. Viability and preliminary views from students and teachers.Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 25(5), 509-524.

Galindo, C. L., Brown, T. M., & Lee, J. H. (2022). Expanding an Equity Understanding of Student Engagement: The Macro (Social) and Micro (School) Contexts. Handbook of Research on Student Engagement, 383-402.

Jie, Z. L., Ying, Z., & Zhao, M. Z. (2019). The correlation between students’ mathematics learning engagement and their academic performance in junior high school.Journal On Education, 2(1), 205–219.

Klein, E. D., & Schwanenberg, J. (2022). Ready to lead school improvement? Perceived professional development needs of principals in Germany. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 50(3), 371-391.

Tsai, M. N., Liao, Y. F., Chang, Y. L., & Chen, H. C. (2020). A brainstorming flipped classroom approach for improving students’ learning performance, motivation, teacher-student interaction and creativity in a civics education class.Thinking Skills and Creativity, 38, 100747.

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (2021) Spring Road Elementary Neenah Joint Report Card, 2020-21. Neenah Joint, Wisconsin: Public Report.

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