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Mills Park Elementary (2018)

Cary, NC

Closing the Gap

The gap in academic achievement data was found when looking through the School Improvement Plan and school profile data where observed that hispanic students were underachieving in reading proficiency when compared to other subgroups at Mills Park Elementary. We then identified K-3rd grade students who were far-below proficiency based on their beginning of the year Text Reading Comprehension (TRC) scores. Fourth and fifth grade students were identified by looking at below proficient scores on English/Language Arts End of Grade tests from the previous year. We chose to focus our closing the gap goal on supporting hispanic students with reading proficiency because it is our role as school counselors to support both the school improvement plan and students’ academic achievement, in addition to socio-emotional development and career readiness. We chose to work with these students due to knowledge gained in professional development workshops which have stated, “It takes eight years to bridge the gap of language.” This small group intervention time allows us to build experiences and vocabulary with the English language. We implemented our goal through providing multi-tiered interventions of support including: incorporating literature into classroom lessons to all students (Tier I level of support), through weekly reading small groups (Tier II level of support), individual student counseling and check-ins (Tier III), teacher collaboration surrounding student progress and areas of concern (Tier II), and a parent informational session which provided resources to support academic growth over school breaks (Tier II). Modeling delivery of support through a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) model is supported through NC Department of Public Instruction and used statewide to support students academically and behaviorally within the school system. A typical reading group involved reading level-appropriate text, asking questions about the text, and discussions. We conducted weekly reading small-groups because research shows consistently engaging students in conversation about literature can improve standardized test scores, regardless of the student’s reading level or family background (Nystrand, 2006). We felt collaborating with teachers regarding student progress and needs was essential to effectively support students because collaboration is one of the four major components of the ASCA National Model (The Education Trust, 1997). We collaborated with the reading coach to access TRC scores, mClass stem questions and other reading resources to support student success. In May of 2018 we held a parent event with a county representative from the Family Academy, who spoke spanish, to support parents with information and resources regarding how to support their child’s academic growth, specifically reading growth, over summer break. By June of 2018, 21.7% of targeted students were labeled as proficient readers based on TRC and EOG scores. Additionally, 10 1st-3rd grade students improved by 4 or more TRC levels and one 4th grader went up 20 points on their EOG scale score. K-5 student post-perception data revealed that 96% reported positive feelings related to reading and 100% reported positive feelings related to school. Within grades 1-5, 95% of students felt they could understand level-appropriate books. In the future, we will improve our efforts to support hispanic students’ reading proficiency by building upon our methods. Oral discussion was a consistent component in our groups, but encouraging more written responses on the social-emotional aspects of the literature may further the students’ understanding of text, further support school counseling-related growth and allow students to further practice literacy skills. In order to collect data more accurately, with regards to 4th and 5th graders, we would like to assess their reading level independent of the EOG test to assess progress and proficiency throughout the year. We would like to communicate student progress with teachers and parents more frequently. ASCA Mindsets targeted through this intervention were Mindset-2: Self-confidence in ability to succeed and Mindset-6: Positive attitude toward work and learning. These mindsets were targeted through supporting student learning and were reflected in students’ academic progress and students’ positive feelings towards reading ability and school likeness. To implement these mindsets more next year, we can implement student goal-setting and the celebrating of accomplishments. ASCA behaviors that were targeted were: B-LS8: Actively engage in challenging coursework, B-SS1: Use effective oral and written communication skills and listening skills, and B-SMS6: Demonstrate ability to overcome barriers to learning. These behaviors were targeted through increasing the level of difficulty of text as students’ reading abilities progressed, discussing with and listening to others, and through students demonstrating tremendous growth. By building relationships with these students through weekly book clubs, we strengthen their relationships with adults in school and will continue to advocate for their success.

Goal: By June 2018, the percentage of Hispanic students who are proficient in reading, based on TRC scores for K-3 students and EOG scores for 4-5 students, will increase by 15% from 41 students to 50 students.

Target Group: Hispanic Students in grades K - 5 who are not proficient in literacy.

Data Used to Identify Students: Grades K - 3 - mclass TRC scores, Grades 4 - 5 EOG Scores

School Counselor(s): Nancy Stavrakakis, Rachel Miller

ASCA Domain, Mindsets & Behaviors Standard(s): M 2, M 6, B-LS8, B-SS1

Type of Activities to be Delivered in What Manner?: Tier 1: -Counselor will incorporate literature and discussions around literature into classroom lessons at each grade level. Tier 2: - Small group lessons led by counselors focusing on reading and understanding literature while emphasizing the social and emotional development of the characters. Discussion will focus on selected grade level standards. -Counselor will collaborate with grade level or grade level representative to determine targeted grade level standards. -Parent Session - Collaborated with Y-Learning, ESL Teacher at Mills Park Elementary and Wake County's Family Academy. Parents participated in a meeting where they learned what they could do to support academic growth over school breaks. -Teacher Collaboration surrounding student progress and areas of concern. Tier 3: -Counselor will celebrate academic milestones through individual student planning sessions. Data used to show milestones: increases in TRC scores and/or report card grades for targeted students.

Process Data (Number of students affected): 23 K-5 students Kindergarten - 4 1st - 3 2nd - 6 3rd - 6 4th - 1 5th - 3

Perception Data (Surveys or assessments used): Pre Survey: Grades K-5 74% of students felt positive about reading 87% of students felt positive about school Grades 1 - 5 68% of students felt they could understand books when they read them Post Survey: Grades K-5 89% of students felt positive about reading 95% of students felt positive about school Grades 1-5 89% of students felt they could understand books when they read them

Outcome Data (Achievement, attendance, and/or behavior data): Grades K-2 7 1st-2nd grade students improved by 4+ levels Kindergarten: 0% proficient, 100% showed growth by 1+ TRC levels 1st Grade: 33% proficient, 100% showed growth by 2+ TRC levels (1 student improved by 7 TRC levels) 2nd Grade: 50% proficient, 100% improved by 1 or more TRC levels Overall: ~31% proficient, 100% showed improvement Grades 3 - 5 3rd Grade: 17% are proficient, 100% showed growth 4th Grade: 0% proficient, 100% showed growth 5th Grade: 0% proficient, 67% showed growth 3-5th Overall: 10% proficient, 90% showed growth K-5 Overall: As of June 2018, 21.7% of Hispanic students are proficient in reading, based on TRC scores for K-3 students and EOG scores for 4-5 students.

Implications: Based on the data collected in grades K-2, the most improvement was seen in 2nd grade and the least in Kindergarten. Many 1st and 2nd grade students knew how to read but needed the extra guided practice to improve their skills. The Kindergarten participants; however, were still learning letters and sounds and were still well off reading phrases and sentences. To improve how I work with Kindergarten students in the future, we will use flashcards and games to practice letters and sounds for the first half before moving on to books. In grades 4 & 5 the EOG is a large measure. I think working with test taking strategies would be a good idea to work into this group. The students need to build stamina in their reading as well. For grade 3 I would like to work on different genres of reading instead of just sticking to fiction.

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