MAYWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Improving Learning for Children with Disabilities

Target Improvenement Plan: Creating The Profile : 20192020

Identify the Connections the Targeted Improvement Plan Has to Other Plans the District is Implementing

1 Identify the Connections

Continuous Improvement Plan / NeMTSS Continuous Improvement Plan AQuESTT Progress Plan Support for Improvement Plan Title Plan Other

Data Analysis, Identification of Focus for Improvement and Evidence-Based Strategy - Phase I

Data Analysis - Impact Area I

1. Impact Area I Data Summary and Upload

In the 2017-18 school year, Maywood continued with it's Targeted Improvement Plan (TIP) goal of improving reading performance with a target group of 3rd-5th grade students with disabilities. The assessment tool used to measure progress is the MAPS test. There were only two students in the three grade elementary group, and both students did improve their MAPS reading scores in the 2017-18 school year from the fall to the spring. 2018-19: In the 2018-19 school year, Maywood continued with it's TIP goal of improving reading performance with a target group of 3rd-5th grade students with disabilities. The assessment tool used to measure progress is the MAPs test. There were only two students in the three grade elementary group, and both students did improve their MAPS reading scores in the 2018-19 school year from the fall to the spring.

2. Impact Area I Strengths Narrative

Some of the strengths that Maywood Public Schools has includes low class sizes where teachers can focus individual attention on ALL students. In fact, Maywood's child count percentage is less than 10% sped. This is due to a robust RtI/MTSS system that helps kids before they get too far behind on their grade level academic scores. There is one special education teacher in the K-12 district who has a low caseload size. She does have the assistance of a couple of paraeducators who can help her proctor the semi-annual MAPS test.

3. Impact Area I Challenges Narrative

Due to low numbers of students, if one student does not make improvement on their MAPS test, then the goal is not met. Also, Maywood has limited staff (for the low number of students), so if a student does have significant needs, it takes a toll on the amount of time given to work with the other children.

4. Impact Area I Description of the District's infrastructure (resources, supports and initiatives)

The district utilizes NWEA MAP individual student test scores to determine present level of performance and build their individual education plan. Students take the MAP reading assessment three times annually. Ample time is given to allow students to participate in the assessment. All students take the MAP assessment in their regular classrooms to keep the day as normal as possible. Students take the assessments on laptop computers. Teachers are trained in how to proctor the test and interpret the data and apply it to inform their instructional practice. Teachers set individual student goals based on results and the goals are shared with students and parents. Teachers also target the individual student's current RIT score and show stretch growth for overall target goal achievement. The school has developed incentives for meeting goals. Here is information about the incentive program called A-Team. The district of Maywood is in its third year of implementing our A-Team program. The “A” stands for Academics, Accountability, and Achievement, and “TEAM” stands for Tiger Excellence And Mentoring. Our school district is using all of our assessment testing to give each child a data-driven education. This program is ran at two levels, K-5 and 6-12. With grades 6-12, the students will be divided equally amongst the number of teachers. The students are divided as equally as possible using their fall MAP scores. The students meet with their A-Team members every Monday – Thursday. During this time the students will do online activities in IXL that are directly related to their RIT scores in Math, Reading, and Language Usage. The goals of the A-Team program include: • Individual Education Plans (Not sped IEPs!) for each child • Improved Nscas test scores • Relationship building amongst students and teachers • Positive mentoring amongst students and teachers AR is a supplemental reading comprehension program that is also geared to improve reading comprehension among all students. Here is information on how AR is used at Maywood Public Schools. Accelerated Reader Program The Accelerated Reader program is a guided reading intervention in which teachers are closely involved with student reading of text. It involves two components, the Accelerated Reader software and Accelerated Reader Best Classroom Practices (formerly called Reading Renaissance). The Accelerated Reader software is a computerized supplementary reading program. Accelerated Reader relies on independent reading practice as a way of managing student performance by providing students and teachers feedback from quizzes based on books the students read. Accelerated Reader Best Classroom Practices are a set of recommended principles on guided independent reading (or teachers’ direction of students’ interactions with text) that ensure Accelerated Reader is implemented with integrity. Research Two studies of Accelerated Reader meet the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards. One of the studies evaluated 572 students from grades K to 3 attending 11 schools in a southern school district in the United States. The second study included 32 students in grade 3 attending one school in the Pacific Northwest. Based on these two studies, the WWC considers the extent of evidence for Accelerated Reader to be medium to large for comprehension and small for reading fluency and general reading achievement. No studies that meet WWC evidence standards with or without reservations examined the effectiveness of Accelerated Reader in the alphabetics domain. Effectiveness Accelerated Reader was found to have no discernible effects on reading fluency, mixed effects on comprehension, and potentially positive effects on general reading achievement.

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Data Analysis - Impact Area II

1. Impact Area II Data Summary and Upload

Maywood chose not to focus their improvement efforts on improving transition outcomes and parental involvement in the schools because they were not as big of a concern for the district at the time of selecting a focus for improvement. There's usually only one or two students with a disability in each graduating class because the average class size is only 12 students. Those one or two students with disabilities have a high rate of going onto some form of postsecondary education or receiving gainful employment. In the area of parental involvement, the vast majority of parents of students with IEPs attend their child's annual IEP meeting, and attend parent/teacher conferences. There is an active PTO that supports the school. Also, Maywood Public Schools and Hayes Center Public Schools have entered into a sports cooperative agreement that is working out well for both schools. There are students with disabilities that participate in the sports teams.

2. Impact Area II Strengths Narrative

Maywood Public Schools contracts with ESU 15 for transition counselor services. The transition counselor lines up career fairs, college tours, transition agency fairs for adults, and transition days for students annually. Students have ample opportunities to see what's available for them to do after graduating from high school. The past couple years, all of the students with disabilities have graduated on time.

3. Impact Area II Challenges Narrative

Since Maywood is such a small town, there are limited employment opportunities for students wishing to continue to live in Maywood after they graduate. The schools are the biggest employer in the community. Nearby Curtis does have Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, though, that does offer some employment opportunities.

4. Impact Area II Description of the District's infrastructure (resources, supports and initiatives)

Maywood chose not to focus their improvement efforts on improving transition outcomes and parental involvement in the schools because they were not as big of a concern for the district at the time of selecting a focus for improvement. There's usually only one or two students with a disability in each graduating class because the average class size is only 12 students. Those one or two students with disabilities have a high rate of going onto some form of postsecondary education or receiving gainful employment. In the area of parental involvement, the vast majority of parents of students with IEPs attend their child's annual IEP meeting, and attend parent/teacher conferences. There is an active PTO that supports the school. Also, Maywood Public Schools and Hayes Center Public Schools have entered into a sports cooperative agreement that is working out well for both schools. There are students with disabilities that participate in the sports teams.

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Data Analysis - Impact Area III

1. Impact Area III Data Summary and Upload

Maywood chose not to focus their improvement efforts in the area of behavior. This is because students with disabilities are not suspended or expelled at a rate higher than their non-disabled peers.

2. Impact Area III Strengths Narrative

Maywood has limited behavior problems, and there is a full time superintendent, a full time principal and full time school counselor to deal with issues that need addressed beyond the classroom teacher level.

3. Impact Area III Challenges Narrative

It hasn't been a problem yet, but in the future maybe, when there is one student with a disability that is suspended frequently, due to the low numbers of students, it could skew the numbers and they wouldn't meet the state's target goal on their sped performance report.

4. Impact Area III Description of the District's infrastructure (resources, supports and initiatives)

Maywood chose not to focus their improvement efforts in the area of behavior. This is because students with disabilities are not suspended or expelled at a rate higher than their non-disabled peers.

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