School Improvement Plan

Implementation of Benchmark Advance Literacy

Training

• All staff will participate in ISD district training
• All teaching staff will meet on a determined schedule with the school implementation specialist
• Training parents through a literacy event in the fall to learn about Benchmark Advance and how they can support literacy at home

Teaming

• Grade-level teams will meet monthly to analyze data from week 2 e-assessments. Students will be assessed in metacognition, comprehension, vocabulary, writing, grammar, language, word study, and fluency.
• Students should be able to score 70% in all areas assessed by end of the school year, which will indicate mastery in each category.  Teams will look at students who fall below this score in any one or more categories and will discuss possible Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions (i.e. Benchmark small group, i-Ready, whole class lesson). 

Integrity of Delivery

• Use of implementation goals provided by Benchmark Teaching & Learning Services
• Collaboration in planning the literacy blocks

Resources Allocation

• Implementation specialist (district)
• Dedicated staff meeting time to training & collaboration
• Commitment of team meeting time
• Grade levels will meet at least monthly to discuss the implementation of Benchmark. The team will discuss the strengths and weaknesses occurring.  Additionally, conversations will occur about pacing to ensure that all instructors are within 2-3 lessons of each other.
• Tier 2 team members will also be offered an invitation to the meeting to help guide discussions on pacing, Special Education, ML, and the social emotional needs of the students.

Intended Impacts

• Increase in reading decoding, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension
• Increase in proficiency with grammar, writing structure, and effective communication of ideas in writing
• Acceleration of achievement in key gap areas including phonics, overall reading, written expression

Key Data

• i-Ready Phonics & Overall Reading
• Achievement of stretch growth goals / accelerated growth for students scoring below standard in fall/prior spring.
• Maintaining proficiency for students scoring at standard (level 3) in fall/prior spring.
• Progress as monitored through embedded assessments:
  • Benchmark Performance Tasks
  • Benchmark week 2 assessments for each unit
  • Benchmark QPA/QSA for grades K and 1
  • RFS Assessments and Title/LAP progress monitoring

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Teacher Collaboration

• Build inclusive grade level and vertical teams for PD and Staff Meeting discussions and learning opportunities
• Grade level and vertical teams are to be diverse, and include support staff, specialists, SPED, and other school professionals

Implementation of UDL Best Practices

• Form an Ignite Team, led by admin, teaching staff, and TOSAs, to model and support implementation of UDL best practices. The team will focus on providing support to teachers in the form of PD presentations, providing examples, and providing opportunities for classroom observations.

Leadership Team

• Leadership Team will identify best practices as they overlap with research-based strategies, UDL, and school improvement goals
• The Leadership Team will review school achievement and other data to support their choices of best practices to support student learning
• The Leadership Team will develop a set of standard Tier 1 classroom supports to support the use of research-based instructional practices in every classroom 

Intended Impacts

• Diversify teams and connect educators at different levels and in different roles
• Encourage collaboration between support staff, teachers, and specialists to further diversify thinking and problem-solving
• Support a culture of best practices in every classroom
• Provide a leadership structure to lead learning and share learning with staff

Key Data

• Classroom walkthroughs and observations
• Staff participation in offered PD and Opportunities for learning
• Student behavioral and achievement data
• Grade level / Vertical Team products and feedback
• Student attendance data
• Student and family survey data

• Data Analysis
• Develop process to analyze student data in the areas of Behavior, Academics, and Social Emotional needs
• Analyze data from multiple points three times a year
• Share data and provide support to classroom teachers
• Train classroom teachers to pull student data from a variety of platforms and analyze their student data
• Use data to form small groups and provide intervention in the general education setting during regular instructional time

Tiered Teams Structure

• Leadership Team includes subcommittee for Tier 1 team
• Tier 2 team assigns roles for team members to act as coordinators, providing support to teachers
• Grade level teams will include all teachers and support on staff (general education teachers, special services, support services, paraeducators)

Tier 1 Compliance

• Increase family engagement to include input from community for Tier 1 practices
• Monthly team meetings to review data and ensure compliance for Tier 1 practices

Intended Impacts

• School wide Tier 1 system that is consistently implemented to support student academics, behavior, and social emotional needs
• Decrease in student maladaptive behavior
• Acceleration of achievement in key gap areas of math, literacy, and writing

Key Data

• SBAC
• i-Ready Math and Reading scores
• SWIS Data
• SAEBRS Data
• Attendance Data

Additional School Improvement Plan Components

Family engagement

ISD Priority 4

Equity Talks

• Open discussion for families to share strengths and needs regarding equity at Apollo
• Survey students and families to assess equity and a sense of belonging on campus
• Collaborate with Apollo Equity Team to improve practices and systems school wide

SITE Council

• Monthly meetings
• SITE council consists of staff and parents reflecting the various programs at Apollo
• Information and input shared to assist in decision making for the school
• Platform for questions and concerns to be brought to school administration

PTSA

• Shared vision promoting inclusion and positive community involvement
• Monthly meetings
• Monthly meetings between PTSA President and admin
• Teacher Liaison

Family Liaison

• Support to immigrant students or new families to the US public school system
• Support in meetings, not as an interpreter, but as a cultural broker to provide context and information regarding rights and responsibilities.
• Assist families with navigating school.
• Help families with registration when they encounter difficulties.
• Refer families to services such as outside resources as needed (Food bank)

Intended Impacts

• Families and students consistently feel a sense of belonging and have equal access
• Families and students feel that their voice is important and is included when school decisions are made
• All families have a variety of opportunities to take part in their child’s education
• Partnership with school community to bring resources, funding, and opportunities to our students

Key Data

• Student Attendance Data
• Volunteer Rate
• Family Attendance at school events
• Family and Student Survey Data
• Meeting Agendas/Minutes
• Annual school budget

Technology Integration

Personalized Learning                

Teachers use district technology tools such as Seesaw, Book Creator, Microsoft tools, and Canva to present content in multiple ways and to allow students to demonstrate mastery using multiple means of expression. These adaptive learning platforms enable teachers to utilize Universal Design for Learning principles, which in turn help close gaps for students disproportionately impacted by one-size-fits-all instruction. 

Access to Resources                

Teachers use tech tools to provide widespread access to learning materials, including standards-aligned online lessons via Zearn, Benchmark, Amplify, or i-Ready, e-books via Learning Ally or Sora, or age-appropriate digital research databases such as Pebble Go or World Book Online. Access to these resources continues outside the school day, removing barriers for families and allowing students opportunities for additional review and practice of new skills and concepts. 

Assistive Technologies                

Teachers use tools like speech-to-text, screen readers, and customizable user interfaces to help students with disabilities or language barriers to fully participate in learning, promoting inclusivity and equity. 

Project-Based and Creative Tools                

Apollo teachers utilize multimedia creation tools (Seesaw, Book Creator, Canva, Microsoft tools), coding environments (BrainPOP coding, code.org), and collaborative software (Microsoft Teams, Book Creator) to give students varied ways to express learning. This will foster creativity and give students from diverse backgrounds more opportunities to succeed beyond traditional methods.

Intended Impacts

• Increase student engagement in learning. Reduce barriers and provide access to learning.

Key Data

• Track data on learning platform/digital tool usage through Clever          
• i-Ready and Benchmark Assessments to track the impact on student learning             
• Tracking academic outcomes for students who are using technology as part of a Tier 2 intervention