Standard 5: Using Results for Continuous Improvement

Standard 5:  The school implements a comprehensive assessment system that generates a range of data about student learning and school effectiveness and uses the results to guide continuous improvement.

5.1 Stewart Street's culture is one that establishes and maintains a clearly defined and comprehensive assessment system. Evidence of this is shown through various assessment tools utilized by educators to measure student achievement and as a means of progress monitoring instruments in order to make data driven decisions for enhancing instruction. Standardized tests such as FCAT 2.0, FAA, and FAIR ensure consistent measurement across all classrooms and courses. Assessments designed and utilized in the adopted core curriculum programs such as Imagine It Reading, Interactive Science, and Go Math for Florida, provide various forms of assessments to ensure reliability and eliminate biases. As a result, educators are able to create tests which support the individual learning style of each student. The school regularly evaluates test and data to focus on student achievement and support for continuous learning.

5.2 SSES uses systematic processes and procedures for collecting, analyzing, and applying data from all data sources. This data is then documented and used consistently by the entire professional and support staff. In an effort to form a consistent and cohesive learning community, the administration provides several learning activities that promote collaboration and feedback for the improvement of best practices and student performance. Weekly school-wide grade level meetings (with support staff present) and in-service training days are scheduled with the purpose of analyzing data and allowing it to "drive instruction". In addition to the use of data to "drive instruction", all school personnel must evaluate continuous improvement plans to improve student learning as it pertains to the preparation of the Common Core Standards in 2014. In an effort to get ahead of the change in curriculum, we have used data from FCAT Reading and Math (2011-2012) and found that a school curriculum with more focus on higher level thinking domains (analytical, synthesis, and problem solving) showed more growth than years when the lessons weren't as rigorous. Therefore, the test data results were used to guide the school's improvement plan.

5.3 Our culture is in alignment with professional and support staff training. Evidence of this is shown through training materials specific to evaluation, interpretation, and use of data from individualized professional development programs. Sign-in sheets at various trainings from district and school will be documented.

5.4 Our policies and procedures clearly define and describe a process for analyzing data that determines verifiable improvement in student learning and readiness for middle school and adolescence. Our academic performance as a whole over the last three years indicate significant improvements in student learning even though we dropped one Adequate Yearly Progress letter grade in 2012. Our school's personnel systematically and consistently analyze a variety of academic data in three year increments to design, plan, implement and evaluate the results of our educational programming. We work year in and year out to improve teaching and learning in every classroom at Stewart Street Elementary School. Our entire administration, faculty and staff consistently and continuously work together to ensure that our students are academically and socially prepared to be successful in middle school and beyond.

5.5 School leaders communicate data to leaders on a weekly basis. The data is shared in weekly faculty meetings and during grade group meetings. As a team, strategies are shared so that all students have an opportunity for academic success. Parents are also informed about students' performance through email, online grade books, progress reports and parent-teacher conferences. Data is also analyzed to determine the area of refinement that has been defined in the School Improvement Plan. Various strategies are put in place to reinforce the refinements.