Our claims for this portfolio focus on our students growing as learners, one sub-group of those students, and how Frank Elementary students demonstrate their learning.

• Mastery of Knowledge and Skills Claim 1, "Frank Elementary students continue to close the achievement gap and outperform schools with similar demographics." This claim highlights our student growth towards closing the achievement gap.
• Mastery of Knowledge and Skills Claim 2, "Frank Elementary students with IEPs consistently meet growth targets and match the complexity in writing of those students without IEPs." This claim shows how our students with an IEP are meeting their growth targets as a result of using differentiated instruction still aligned with expedition and academic targets for students without an IEP.
• Mastery of Knowledge and Skills Claim 3, "Frank Elementary students articulate their critical thinking and demonstrate ownership of their learning." This claim showcases the process of gathering information, synthesizing, and sharing their knowledge within their school and community.

Frank Elementary students were struggling academically prior to our transformation to EL Education in 2011-2012. Student scores were far below expectation and our students were not meeting growth benchmarks. We knew our students, staff, and community deserved a school that would better serve their needs. After exploring various school models, we selected EL Education for it's academic and character rigor.

The EL Education curricular structure of learning expeditions - interdisciplinary studies, usually lasting 6-12 weeks, which include case studies, projects, fieldwork, experts, service learning, and a culminating event that features high quality work, has provided the framework for our students to take ownership of their learning, think critically, and produce high quality products. Within expedition design, compelling topics are paired with complex text and tasks are aligned with the common core state standards to provide students with hands-on, rigorous daily instruction. Students transfer their knowledge and skills to produce meaningful products that support our community.

Deeper learning goes beyond just our expedition products. The EL model has strengthened our students ability to demonstrate their mathematical thinking both orally and in written format. Students investigate, discover patterns, make connections, determine the reasonableness of their solutions, think logically and present that reasoning to others. Tasks are designed to allow students to take responsibility for their own learning and build connections to their prior knowledge. Students transfer their mathematical thinking into other disciplines, assessments, and beyond the classroom.

Frank students are leaders of their learning and take pride in determining both literacy and numeracy goals that help them attain their academic growth goals. Students set goals, reflect on what and how they learned, and take ownership of their progress each day. Along with academic growth, our students grow in character and see the connection of how their character can positively or negatively affect their academic growth. Students have a deep understand of our character traits (CREST: Craftsmanship, Respect, Empathy, Self-Discipline and Trustworthiness). CREST is living all throughout our school and linked to academic learning Frank.

Today, Frank students continuously meet growth expectations and outperform peers from schools with similar demographics. Through our EL Education partnership, we have created classrooms that meet student academic growth goals, support all students, and engage students in deeper learning. We have made significant instructional and curricular shifts to help close the achievement gap for our students.