School Board Meeting: Student Achievement at Arroyo Vista

At the  Board meeting Tuesday, principals of all five schools presented 2010-2011 plans for student achievement. 

Here's a look into what Principal, Brent Noyes, of had to say. 

Goal No. 1

To have students in second through fifth grade to increase overall proficiency in English and Language Arts to 88 percent. 

What they've done:

• Specialized instruction was developed and implemented to help those students who were identified at-risk or lacking critical skills.
• A watch list of at-risk students was made. This gave teachers an understanding of students' particular ability levels when presenting lessons. 
• Weekly and monthly collaboration was implemented to discuss best practices for students on the watch list.
• Staff carried out ongoing student assessment to monitor student performance.  
• Explicit and systematic instruction as well as diagnostic support were performed. 
• Maximum time was allocated to language arts instruction.
• Group size and composition was adjusted to accommodate and reflect student progress.
• Centers and independent activities were used and aligned with instructional goals. 
• Forth- and fifth-grade students utilized The Academy to share instruction across grade levels. 
• Students with reading difficulties were provided with opportunities for more systematic teaching using resources such as Imagine Learning, which is a technology-based program that gives customized feedback. Imagine learning services 23 first graders, 17 second graders and 22 third graders. 
• Fifteen first-grade students participated in five-student Language Arts groups four days per week.  

Future goals:

• Collect statistics in the fall to determine how students in various groups have improved. 

Goal No. 2

To have students in second through fifth grade increase overall proficiency in math to 85 percent.

What they've done:

• Staff development at a district and site level has been implemented to discover best practices and monitoring of students. 
• Teachers have used the four-set lesson plan.
• Parents and staff have used Pearson SuccessNet to monitor homework online.
• Staff at each grade level have developed and shared new strategies. 

Goal No. 3

For fifth grade students to reach the 90th percentile in science. 

What they've done:

• Discovered strategies for English learners and Spanish students that required them to make sense of what they have seen and done. This, in turn, improved comprehension and motivation.
• Teachers collaborate across grade levels to share ideas and material.
• Staff worked with a science consultant in teams and individually to improve teaching. 
• This year's science fair had the highest amount of entries in years.  

Goal No 4. 

To implement programs to support school subgroups. 

• Students and teachers used the Reading Academy, which is a research-based methodology of phonics and fluency especially useful in subgroups of students such as those with disabilities.
• Purchased five MacBooks to trail the program.  

Future goal:

• To collect and report findings in the fall.

Goal No. 5

To ensure a positive, respectful and safe school environment.

What they've done:

• Two fifth-grade students championed the formation of the peace team to speak out against bullying and mentor fourth graders. This was carried out across all elementary schools. 
• Used Character Counts to deliver positive messages. 
• Included preschool and daycare students because "We are one family," said Noyes. 

Ongoing challenges:

• To balance how funds are allocated.
• Continue to enhance technology through new equipment and software. 
• Collect timely data to monitor best practises.

"To me this is the strength of our staff and our district," said Noyes. "I look forward to the work we have to do and celebrate the successes."