Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
School Name: A. Philip Randolph Elementary School
School Mailing Address: 5320 Campbellton Road, S.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30331
LEA Name:
LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Name:
LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Signature:
LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Mailing Address:
Email Address:
Telephone:
Fax:
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 1 of 23
Date:
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
Planning Committee Members:
NAME
Carlene Millen
Greg Russell
Andrea Lewis
Willie Davis
Harold Johnson
Nicole Pass
Shannell Brown
Kathleen Scott
Kathleen Stamper
Latosha Gray
Victoria Grubbs
Latosha Gray
POSITION/ROLE
Principal
School Governance Council Chairperson - Parent
Parent
School Governance Council Vice-Chairperson Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Counselor
Curriculum Support Teacher
Data Support Specialist
Assistant Principal
Data Support Specialist
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 2 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
SWP Components
*1.
A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that addresses all academic areas
and other factors that may affect achievement.
Our Vision
Our vision is for all students to learn to their full potential.
Our Mission
We are on a mission to educate every student to be a responsible, productive citizen.
We Believe In
 R – Reaching and teaching all students
 A – Achieving academic excellence
 N – Nurturing the whole child
 D – Delivering rigorous instruction based on data driven decisions
 O – Owning our commitment to continuous improvement
 L – Learning in a student-centered environment, led by competent and committed educators
 P – Partnering with all stakeholders to promote parental involvement
 H – Having a healthy, nurturing, and a safe learning environment
Our Motto
 Randolph Elementary School
“An Awesome Place To Learn”
The school’s vision and mission support the district’s goals, which are:
 Graduation Rate – 90% of Fulton students will graduate on time
 College Readiness – Proper preparation so that 85% of Fulton’s high school seniors will meet the
next average SAT score of the 25th percentile of students accepted to University System of
Georgia colleges or universities
 Career Readiness – An aggressive percentage of students (as measured by state standardized
test) will meet the objective standard for work readiness in the areas of math, reading, science,
and social studies
We currently have 647 students enrolled for the 2014-2015 school year. A more detailed student
enrollment subpopulation breakdown is listed below:
Federal Ethnicity
Enrollment %
American Indian/Native
0%
Asian
.30%
Black/African American
99%
Haw/Pac Islander
0%
Hispanic
.30%
Multi-Racial
.20%
White
.20%
Grand Total
100.00%
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 3 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*1.
A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that addresses all academic areas
and other factors that may affect achievement.
Lunch Plan
Free
Full Pay
Reduced
Unknown
Grand Total
Enrollment %
62%
30%
7%
1%
100.00%
Instructional Setting
Both Gifted and Special Ed
Both Remedial and Special Ed
General Education
Gifted
Remedial
Special Ed
ESOL
Grand Total
Enrollment %
0%
1%
57%
7%
28%
7%
0%
100.00%
Gender
Female
Male
Grand Total
Enrollment %
49%
51%
100.00%
We have developed our schoolwide plan with the participation of individuals who will carry out the
comprehensive schoolwide/school improvement plan. Those persons involved were:
 Members of our Title I Planning Committee
 Members of our Leadership Team
 Parents
 Faculty and staff members
The ways they were involved is summarized below.
 Our administrative team met with the faculty and staff to analyze our school’s 2013-2014 data.
Faculty and staff members provided input on how the budget should be aligned to support our
plan, and provided suggestions for school-wide strategies that should be implemented to
improve student achievement.
 The principal met with parents during the summer to solicit input on the next steps for the
school year.
 The principal conducted a leadership retreat to review and analyze our school’s 2013-2014
academic data.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 4 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*1.
A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that addresses all academic areas
and other factors that may affect achievement.
We have used the following instruments, procedures, and/or processes to obtain this information:
 We reviewed and analyzed our 2014 CRCT scores, 2013 ITBS scores, 2014 Fifth Grade Georgia
Writing Assessment scores, 2013-2014 accelerated classes data, and our 2013-2014 course
failure data.
 The Title I Planning Committee, members of our Leadership Team, and faculty and staff
members brainstormed ideas for the implementation of school-wide strategies.
We do not have any migrant children currently enrolled at our school. However, we would follow the
following procedures if we had migrant students in attendance.
 Student enrollment sheets are distributed and the Occupational Survey section of the form is
checked by the data clerk.
 All new students receive an Occupational Survey form, as well as the registration form. This is
checked and verified by the data clerk.
 If we had migrant students, we would work closely with our counselor, school social worker, and
our central office liaison to ensure that the student’s needs are met for any students identified.
 We would provide intervention programs and additional assistance for any migrant student who
might be identified and is experiencing academic deficiencies.
 We would consider our migrant students for additional services based on formative data and
classroom assessments.
 Students who may be homeless will be referred to the Fulton County Schools Homeless Liaison
for possible services.
We have reviewed and analyzed current achievement data that will help the school understand the
subjects and skills in which teaching and learning need to be improved. For example . . .
5TH Grade Writing Assessment
5th Grade Georgia Writing Assessment Data
Percentage of Students Meeting
Year
and/or Exceeding the Standards
2014
90%
2013
70%
2012
67%
We have based our plan on information about all students in our school and identified students and
groups of students who are not yet mastering the State Academic content standards, the Common Core
Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS), and the State student academic achievement standards
including:
 Economically disadvantaged students
 Students from major racial and ethnic groups
 Students with disabilities
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 5 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*1.
A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that addresses all academic areas
and other factors that may affect achievement.
CRCT 2014 Data For All Our Students:
CRCT 2014 Data For Our Economically Disadvantaged Students:
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 6 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*1.
A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that addresses all academic areas
and other factors that may affect achievement.
CRCT 2014 Data For Our Students With Disabilities:
CRCT 2014 Data For Our African-American Students:
We don’t have ELL students:
*Note: Results not reported for groups of 10
students or less
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 7 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*1.
A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that addresses all academic areas
and other factors that may affect achievement.
The data has helped us reach conclusions regarding achievement or other related data.
The major strengths we found in our program were . . .
 Writing, Reading and Language Arts are our strongest content areas.
 For our students with disabilities, math is a strong content area.
The major needs we discovered were . . .
 While, we had increases in math, our teachers’ inadequate knowledge of best mathematical
practices, progress monitoring, and the inability to focus on “how” math standards and concepts
will be taught, as opposed to “what” math standards and concepts will be taught. Numbers and
Operations was the weakest domain.
 Consistently across grade levels, Science and Social Studies content areas scores reflected poor
instructional strategies and pacing.
 Differentiation and rigor needs to occur consistently within the classrooms to increase students
mastering and exceeding standards.
 We have a need to grow the number of students taking accelerated classes in math.
 We lack the basic technology tools. We currently have teachers teaching using chalk and
chalkboards.
The needs we will address are . . .
 increasing the number of students mastering math, science, and social studies standards.
 increasing the number of students qualifying for accelerated math classes.
 increasing the integration of technology, after securing the needed technology tools.
The specific academic needs of those students that are to be addressed in the school-wide program plan
will be . . .
 mathematics (measurement, geometry, algebra, and numbers/operations)
 closing the achievement gap with students with disabilities in science and social studies.
 science and social studies concepts
The root causes that we discovered for each of the needs were . . .
 inconsistency with differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all students.
 inconsistency with monitoring instruction and providing quality feedback in a timely manner.
 failure to engage students in science experiments consistently.
 lack of rigorous instruction being implemented consistently.
In order to meet the needs of all students, including our at-risk students, economically disadvantaged
students, students with disabilities, and our homeless students, the data was disaggregated and
reviewed for all students, subgroups, and content areas.
Major Strengths Discovered:
The major strengths we found in our program were:
 Our students with disabilities had a major increase in their CRCT math performance, with 45%
exceeding the standards and 63% meeting and/or exceeding the standard.
 Our 5th grade students made a 20% gain in students meeting and/or exceeding the standards,
moving from 70% to 90% of the students meeting and/or exceeding the standards in writing.
 Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students showed they mastered their reading standards, with 95% of
the students meeting and/or exceeding the standards.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 8 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*1.
A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that addresses all academic areas
and other factors that may affect achievement.
In order to continue to strengthen our students in these areas we will:
 Continue to hold teachers responsible for providing rigorous math learning experiences that will
include specific skills activities to reinforce skills taught in guided math skills group as directed
by common core units of study.
 Continue to implement writing across the curriculum.
 Continue to implement the five elements of reading while using best practices daily.
Major Weaknesses Discovered:
The major needs we discovered were in the areas of:
 implementing effective instructional strategies, as well as consistently providing rigorous
instructional activities that are differentiated to meet the needs of all learners in the subjects of
math, science and social studies.
As a result of the needs, we will:
 establish more emphasis on interdisciplinary and project-based learning.
 increase emphasis on the implementation of the Common Core Standards via use of curriculum
guides to direct instruction and assessment.
 we will make sure teachers provide rigorous math learning experiences that will include specific
activities to reinforce skills taught in guided math skills group as directed by common core units
of study.
 we will implement the Standards of Mathematical Practice and Number Talks.
 we will use our common assessments data to drive our plans for re-teaching standards when
needed.
 we will provide professional development opportunities every Tuesday afternoon at 2:45 p.m. –
4:00 p.m.
 we will provide teachers with support on differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all
students.
 we will engage students in on-going STEM activities.
 we will integrate social studies with the five elements of reading.
 we will seek the support from our South Learning Community Lead Math Specialist to support us
on implementing Standards of Mathematical Practice and Number Talks.
 we will provide students with the opportunity to participate in our Flexible Learning Program.
The root cause that we discovered for the weakness are:
 inconsistency with differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all students.
 inconsistency with monitoring instruction and provided quality feedback in a timely manner.
 failure to engage students in science experiments consistently.
 lack of rigorous instruction being implemented consistently.
The measurable goals to address our needs are:
 Increase the percentage of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students meeting and/or exceeding math,
science, and social studies standards.
 Increase the number of students qualifying for math accelerated classes by 5% by May 2015.
 Increase the level of technology integration by 20%, after securing the needed technology tools
by May 2015.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 9 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*2.
Schoolwide reform strategies that are scientifically researched based, directly tied to the
comprehensive needs assessment and academic standards.
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As a school, staff and administration need to analyze the strategies employed to instruct the
Students With Disabilities and Economically Disadvantaged subgroup.
Implement best strategies which focus on the numbers and operations concepts in mathematics
needs to be agreed upon by the staff. Although our math scores are consistently improving,
students are only getting on average around 75% of the questions correct in this strand.
Numbers and operations comprise the largest portion of the mathematics CRCT component.
Increase the percentage of correctly answered questions on the Numbers and Operations
domain of the Criterion Competency Test (CRCT) by third through fifth grade students (75% to
80%)
Implement performance task common assessments every six weeks in kindergarten through
fifth grade. These tasks challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills while responding
to complex real-world problems.
Implement the RTI process with fidelity.
2(a). Schoolwide reform strategies that provide opportunities for all children in the school
to meet or exceed Georgia’s proficient and advanced levels of student performance.
The ways in which we will address the needs of all children in the school, particularly the needs of
students furthest away from demonstrating proficiency related to the state’s academic content and
student academic achievement standard, are listed below.
 We will provide students with the opportunity to participate in our Extended Day Tutorial
Program.
 We will hire an additional Title I teacher in 5th grade to support the implementation of
integrating social studies with the 5 elements of reading to increase the mastery of social
studies standards.
 We will provide students with the opportunity to participate in our Flexible Learning Program,
which focuses on improving mathematics achievement.
 We will provide students with daily practice of math skills using our IXL math program.
 We will engage students in daily small group instruction that is differentiated to meet the
specific needs of the student.
 Teachers will use current student data to create flexible groups, which meet the specific needs
of students.
 We will engage students in Number Talks.
 We will ensure the master schedule includes a Response to Intervention block, where students
engage in tutorial and/or enrichment activities.
 We will integrate social studies instruction with the 5 elements of reading.
 We will provide students with on-going STEM activities.
 Students will have weekly opportunities to participate in writing workshops, within our balanced
literacy block.
 We will implement common assessments and analyze the data in a timely manner to identify
students who need additional support.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 10 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
2(b). Are based upon effective means of raising student achievement.
Here are examples of the scientifically based research supporting our effective methods and
instructional practices and strategies for raising student achievement.
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Learning Focused Schools Strategies is a comprehensive continuous school improvement model
that, provides schools with consistent learning, uses exemplary strategies instruction, and
integrates research-based exemplary practices. This model is implemented daily by all teachers
and embedded in our 7 step lesson plans.
Number Talks
Standards of Mathematical Practice
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Closing the Achievement Gaps in Urban Schools: A Survey of Academic Progress and Promising
Practices in the Great City Schools. (1999). Available at http://www.cgcs.org.
http://www.learningfocused.com/references.php
Guided Reading is a strategy that helps students become good readers. The teacher provides
support for small groups of readers as they learn to use various reading strategies. Each student
participates in guided reading for at least 15 minutes a day.
National Reading Panel (2002)
Duke, N.K., & Pearson, P.D. (2002). Effective Practices for Developing Comprehension
Small/Flexible Groups ensures that students are receiving instruction that is tailored to their
individual needs. The groups change according to the results of informal/formal assessments.
This model of instruction emphasizes intervention rather than remediation.
http://www.fcrr.org/assessment/pdf/smallgroupalternativelessonstructures.pdf - Florida Center for
Reading Research
Jeanie A. Box "Cooperative small-group instruction combined with advanced organizers and
their relationship to self-concept and social studies achievement of elementary school
students". Journal of Instructional Psychology. FindArticles.com. 17 Aug, 2011.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCG/is_4_30/ai_112686162
Math Journals allow for writing across the curriculum. Students are able to respond to various
prompts that appeal to the conceptual and procedural processes of mathematics. Students will
participate in math journals daily.
Burns, M & Sibley, R. (2001). Math Journals Boost Real Learning: How Words Can Help Your
Student Work with Numbers
Writing Across the Curriculum allows us to integrate all subjects. It helps to increase the
understanding of content while learning the specific vocabulary of the disciplines. We will train
all teachers in the use of 6 + 1 traits. This approach will be used daily by all teachers.
Alvermann, D. & Phelps (2005). Writing Across the Curriculum: Content Reading and Literacy:
Succeeding in Today’s Diverse Classroom (pp. 292 – 333)
Portalupi, J. &Fletcher, R. (2001). Nonfiction Craft Lessons: Teaching Information Writing K-8.
Portland: Stenhouse Publishing
Professional Learning Communities will allow us to focus on interventions rather than
remediation. Through our professional learning communities we will focus on results, create a
culture of collaboration, and ensure that students learn. We will use this model of planning to
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 11 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
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discuss student work and results.
DuFour, R., (2004). Schools as Learning Communities, Educational Leadership, Vol. 61 No. 8 pg.
6-11.
Marzano, R., (2003). What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Action. Alexandria, VA
ASCD
Differentiated Instruction recognizes that student’s background knowledge, readiness, language,
and preferences in learning interests all vary. Differentiated instruction is a process approach to
teaching and learning for students of differing abilities in the same class. The intent of
differentiating instruction is to maximize each student’s growth and individual success by
meeting each student where he or she is, and assisting in the learning process. We will use
informal progress monitoring to determine the needs of students through summarizing
strategies and common assessments.
Kasten & Howe (1989). Students at Risk in Mathematics: Implications for Elementary Schools.
Tomlinson, Carol Ann and Imbeau. (2010).Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom
Brassell, Danny. (2010). Dare to Differentiate, Third Edition: Vocabulary Strategies for All
Students: Guilford Press
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000)
http://www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_diffinstruc.html
Data Utilization informs our instruction and allows us to make the best instructional decisions
for our students. At the end of each lesson teachers will record the results and use the
information to make decisions about the next day/lesson instructions.
Progress Monitoring – we use progress monitoring in between benchmarks to provide
information about our students.
Fuchs, D. (2003). What is Scientifically-Based Research on Progress Monitoring?
Bernhardt, V. (2003) Using Data to Improve Student Learning.
School-wide Professional Development allows for cohesiveness among the entire staff.
Everyone understands our common goals and we all move in the same direction.
MCREL (Mid-Continent Research for Education Learning Newman and Wehlage (1995)
2(c). Use effective instructional methods that increase the quality and amount of
learning time.
We will increase the amount and quality of learning time by:
 providing protected planning time for special area teachers and general education teachers to
collaboratively plan interdisciplinary lessons on all grade levels. For example, when the general
education teacher is showing students the relevance of fractions, the music teacher will
reinforce that same lesson when teaching the lesson on quarter and half notes.
 providing students with the opportunity to gain additional support for mastering mathematics
standards by participating in our Flexible Learning Program on Mondays from 2:45 p.m. – 4:45
p.m.
 providing students with the opportunity to gain additional support for mastering reading and
mathematics standards by participating in our Extended Day Tutorial Program two days a week
for 2 hours after school.
 providing protected planning time for our special education and general education teachers to
collaboratively plan together.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 12 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
2(c). Use effective instructional methods that increase the quality and amount of
learning time.
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allowing our EIP teachers to meet with students and provide them with instruction that allows
the student to preview upcoming academic content.
creating co-taught, inclusion classrooms on 4th, and 5th grade levels.
implementing the push-in EIP model for 5th grade students.
Ensuring the master schedule will include a school-wide Response To Intervention block of time,
which allows teachers to use data to plan tutorial and enrichment opportunities for students.
monitoring the implementation of each teacher’s daily schedule.
providing teachers with opportunities for peer observations to gleam best practices for effective
delivery of instruction.
limiting the number of interruptions during instructional time.
2(d). Address the needs of all children, particularly targeted populations, and address how
the school will determine if such needs have been met and
are consistent with improvement plans approved under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).
We will monitor the progress of all students and address their needs by doing the following:
 Teachers will review student work and data during their weekly Professional Learning
Community meetings. They will discuss strategies for supporting students who are not meeting
grade level expectations. They will implement the Response To Intervention with fidelity.
Student Support Team meetings will be conducted by our school counselor to include the
teacher, parent, and curriculum support teacher.
 The principal will create a new template to be used for recording minutes/notes during
Professional Learning Communities meetings. The teachers will use the template to record the
minutes/notes and send it to members of the grade level and members of the administrative
team.
 Members of the administrative team will monitor grades entered in the Teacher Access Center
for students.
 Teachers will create action plans to support students who continue to struggle with meeting
grade level expectations for achievement.
2(e). Must include documentation to support that any educational field trip used as an
instructional strategy is aligned to the comprehensive needs assessment found in the
schoolwide plan and must be connected to the support of assisting students to
achieve proficiency or advanced status in relation to the State Academic content
standards. Documentation must be provided during the budget approval process.
Required based on FY12 US ED monitoring.
N/A
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 13 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*3.
Instruction by highly qualified professional staff.
Dr. Avossa, our Superintendent, and Dr. Fennoy, our Area Superintendent, clearly communicated their
expectations for all principals to hire teachers who are highly qualified in all content areas of instruction
and retain 100% of our teachers who are highly qualified. Should a teacher not have the status of highly
qualified, a plan will be developed and signed by both the teacher and principal. The plan will reflect
steps, which may include professional development that will occur to correct the status of the nonhighly qualified teacher. This may include testing or change of placement. Title II-A provides
reimbursement for the teacher taking and passing GACE testing in order to become highly qualified. The
Principal Verification and Attestation Form contains the names of the teacher who are not highly
qualified. We have 98% of our teachers as highly qualified teachers.
*3(a).
Strategies to attract highly qualified teachers to high-needs schools.
Our district attracts highly qualified teachers by participating in recruitment activities at colleges and
universities. Candidates are screened through our Talent Department and school principals. This
provides assistance to principals and schools within the initial hiring process in the selection of highly
qualified teachers.
Here at A. Philip Randolph Elementary School, we do the following to attract and maintain highly
qualified teachers.
 We support and show we value the current teachers we have, who also help us recruit other
highly qualified teachers for our school.
 Our administrators are transparent, and lead by example.
 The principal visits the school of teachers interested in working at Randolph Elementary School
and observes the teacher teach a lesson.
 We continue to make academic gains.
 We provide candidates who are interested in joining our teaching team with the opportunity to
visit our school in May. They observe classrooms, and meet with current teachers to get a feel
for our school and our expectations for teaching and learning.
 We create a student centered culture of high expectations for teaching and learning, while
providing the needed support for professional growth.
 We provide our new teachers with a teacher mentor, conduct monthly new teacher meetings,
opportunities for peer observations, differentiated professional development, one-on-one
sessions to support the delivery of effective instruction and “pulse check” meetings with the
principal.
 We provide total “wrap around” support for our teachers.
 Our competent and committed teachers help us recruit other teachers that are competent and
committed to doing what is best for all students.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 14 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*4.
Professional development for staff to enable all children in the school
We are including teachers, administrators, and paraprofessionals in our staff development sessions that
address the root causes of our identified needs.
 To address the need for rigor in our daily delivery of instruction, we have designated Tuesday
afternoons (2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.) as our protected time for engaging in professional
development. Teachers are offered professional development in areas that reflect a need from
the student data and past data from previous years. We offer training on data analysis, progress
monitoring and support in the curricula subject areas. We differentiate the professional
development provided for faculty and staff members by allowing opportunities for “Go and
Grow” sessions. During “Go and Grow” sessions, faculty and staff members select two areas
they’d like to grow in, and every Tuesday they attend a professional development session for
two areas of their choice. The “Go and Grow” sessions are conducted by members of our
faculty and staff, central office staff members, and members of our South Learning Community
support team.
 We have set aside funds for teachers to attend conferences or professional development
courses held outside of our school.
 We will provide training sessions on the evaluation tool used to evaluate teachers.
 Members of the South Learning Community will conduct training sessions during grade level
meetings every month to support the professional growth of our teachers, especially in the
areas of implementing effective math instruction, integrating reading and social studies
instruction and implementing inquiry based instruction for science.
We have aligned professional development with the State’s academic content and student academic
achievement standards and devoted sufficient resources to carry out the professional development
activities that address root cause for academic problems.
 We will utilize a portion of our Title I funds to purchase the position of Data Support Specialist to
support employees with analyzing data to plan for instruction that leads to an increase of
student achievement.
 We will utilize a portion of our Title I funds to purchase science materials to improve the
mastery of science standards and increase student achievement.
 We will utilize a portion of our Title I funds to purchase site licenses to improve student
achievement (IXL Math and Learning A-Z), and provide teachers with training for the successful
use of these programs.
 We will utilize a portion of our Title I funds to purchase materials teachers will use when
engaging in professional development for the implementation of best practices to improve
student achievement.
We will include teachers in professional development activities regarding the use of academic
assessments to drive the planning for effective instruction. This will enable them to provide information
on, and to improve, the achievement of individual students and the overall instructional program in the
following ways.
 They will be able to plan differentiated activities for students to engage in.
 They will be able to engage students in flexible grouping, ensuring they are meeting the specific
needs of all students.
 They will be able to properly place students in the appropriate tutorial and/or enrichment
groups during the Response To Intervention block each day.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 15 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*4.
Professional development for staff to enable all children in the school
Here in our district, professional learning opportunities are provided to teachers, principals,
paraprofessionals in Fulton County based on needs assessment surveys provided to all stakeholders.
Professional Learning is also provided based on other data, such as student assessments and district
initiatives determined by student needs. Many educators in Fulton County are involved in on-going
professional learning through endorsement programs such as reading, gifted and ESOL. The
endorsement programs are yearlong endeavors with 150 or more hours. School Improvement activities
at the district and school levels align to the stated goals and priorities. Each school has a School
Leadership Team, and members of the team are trained to guide educational growth and development
for the school. Continuous, on-going training is provided to teachers, principals and paraprofessionals in
order to develop a clear understanding and consistent implementation of standards-based classrooms
to enable students to meet and exceed performance standards.
*5.
Strategies to increase parental involvement.
We will do the following to increase parental involvement here at A. Philip Randolph Elementary School.
 We will keep all the designated parking spaces near the front door as visitor parking spaces.
 We will provide a sitting area for parents, to include a table and chairs for parents to complete
paperwork for registration and a section for parents to retrieve important documents.
 We will clearly communicate all of the ways in which parents can volunteer in the building or at
events sponsored by the school.
 We will send home bi-weekly newsletters that include information for parents to come to the
school and participate in school events.
 Our Title I Parent Liaison will conduct monthly workshops for parents and work with parents in
our Title I Parent Resource Center to support the use of instructional manipulatives at home
with students.
 We will hold family spirit nights one evening a month at local restaurants that have partnered
with us.
 We will send home a parent survey soliciting input from parents on what areas they feel they
need support in.
 Our principal will have “Coffee and Conversation” sessions with parents four times during the
school year.
 We will support the plans and activities sponsored by our PTA.
We value parental involvement. Each year as we begin to review and revise our Parent Involvement
and School Improvement Plans, we select parents to be involved in this process. They participate as we
evaluate the previous year’s plans, giving their input on ways to improve our Parent Involvement and
School Improvement Programs. We also include our parents who are members of our School
Governance Council. They review the plans during development and after completion.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 16 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
*6.
Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs to
local elementary school programs.
We will do the following to assist our preschool students in the transition from their early childhood
program to our elementary program.
 During the month of May, the local preschool programs in the community, as well as the
preschool students here at A. Philip Randolph Elementary School, will be invited to spend time
in our kindergarten classes. They shadow kindergarten students in the classroom as well as in
the cafeteria during lunch.
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We will also provide tours for students interested in coming to our school from a private school
setting.
We will do the following to support a smooth transition for our fifth grade students transitioning from
elementary school to middle school.
 Fifth grade students will take a field trip over to Sandtown Middle School during second
semester and will be engaged in orientation, which highlights expectations for learning. They
also are taken on a tour of Sandtown Middle School.
 Parents and students will be invited to an Open House for rising 6th grade students during
second semester.
 Our 5th grade level is departmentalized, to mirror the middle school framework.
*7.
Measures to include teachers in the decisions regarding the use of assessment to provide
information on, and to improve, the performance of individual students and the overall
instructional program.
We have structured how we’ll implement Professional Learning Communities. All teachers will commit
to protecting and reserving 2 sessions reserved for the implementation of Professional Learning
Community meetings with members of their grade level. Also included in these meetings are members
from the administrative team and one special area teacher to support the collaborative planning process
and interdisciplinary planning across the curriculum. Teachers designated a portion of every meeting to
analyze student work or data to make informed decisions when planning their lessons, creating common
assessments, and seeking professional development.
*8.
Coordination and integration of Federal, State, and local services and programs.
Title I funds are a major resource we depend on to help us successfully implement our school-wide Title
I plan. This is how the funds will be used to improve student achievement school-wide:
 Purchase of science materials to improve the mastery of science standards and increase student
achievement
 Purchase of site licenses to improve student achievement (IXL Math, A-Z Reading, A-Z Science)
 Purchase of instructional materials, housed in our Parent Resource Center, parents can use at
home to support their child with mastering standards taught in school.
 Purchase of materials teachers will utilize when engaging in professional development for the
implementation of best practices to improve student achievement.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 17 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
Title I staff members also play a major role in how we are able to increase student achievement while
implementing our school-wide Title I plan.
 Purchase the position of Parent Liaison to promote parental involvement.
 Purchase the position of Data Support Specialist to support employees with analyzing data to
plan for instruction that leads to an increase of student achievement.
 Purchase the position of a General Education Teacher to increase student achievement in the
content area of Social Studies.
8(a). List of State and local educational agency programs and other federal programs that will be
included.
School Improvement funds are provided, although the actual amount is not provided at this time.
8(b). Description of how resources from Title I and other sources will be used.
Our school received the following funds to support our efforts for improving student achievement. Also,
School Improvement funds are forthcoming.
Fund: Title I
Amount: $189,318
This is how the funds will be used to improve student achievement school-wide:
 Purchase of science materials to improve the mastery of science standards and increase student
achievement
 Purchase of site licenses to improve student achievement (IXL Math and Learning A-Z)
 Purchase the position of Parent Liaison to promote parental involvement and support parents
with implementing effective instructional strategies at home.
 Purchase the position of Data Support Specialist to support employees with analyzing data to
plan for instruction that leads to an increase of student achievement.
 Purchase the position of a General Education Teacher to increase student achievement in the
content area of Social Studies.
 Purchase of instructional materials, housed in our Parent Resource Center, parents can use at
home to support their child with mastering standards taught in school.
 Purchase of materials teachers will utilize when engaging in professional development for the
implementation of best practices to improve student achievement.
8(c). Plan developed in coordination with other programs, including those under the School-toWork Opportunities Act of 1994, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology
Act, and National and Community Service Act of 1990.
N/A for elementary schools
*9. Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering standards shall be
provided with effective, timely assistance, which shall include:
We are providing activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering proficient or
advanced levels of academic achievement standards are receiving effective and timely additional
assistance. Here are a few of the opportunities we will provide for our students.
 We will provide students with the opportunity to participate in our Extended Day Tutorial
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 18 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
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Program, which focuses on improving reading and math skills.
We will provide students with the opportunity to participate in our Flexible Learning Program,
which focuses on improving the mastery of math skills.
We will provide students will daily practice of math skills using our IXL math program.
Teachers will engage students in daily small group instruction that is differentiated to meet the
specific needs of the student.
We will provide students with the opportunity to engage in on-going STEM activities.
Teachers will use current student data to create flexible groups, which meet the specific needs
of students.
We will implement a master schedule to include a Response to Interview block, which allow
students engage in tutorial and/or enrichment activities.
Students will have weekly opportunities to participate in writing workshops, within our balanced
literacy block.
We will implement common assessments and analyze the data in a timely manner to identify
students who need additional support.
9(a). Measures to ensure that student weaknesses are identified on a timely basis.
The ways in which we will address the needs of all students and students in targeted subgroups are
listed below.
 We will monitor the implementation of our Response to Intervention block to ensure it is being
implemented with fidelity.
 Members of the Administrative Team will monitor the input of grades for students.
 All Professional Learning Community meeting minutes will be sent to all members of the
Administrative Team weekly.
 Each grade level’s Professional Learning Community will include a member of the Administrative
Team.
 We will monitor the results of STAR reading and math testing, which takes places 3 times a year.
 We will analyze our common assessment data regularly.
 We will provide tutoring services for our level 1 and targeted students.
 We will use a portion of our Title I funds to purchase software licenses to assist with increasing
student achievement (IXL Math and Learning A-Z).
 We will utilize Fulton Connect to monitor student assessment data.
 Members of the South Learning Community will provide differentiated grade level professional
development each month.
 We will monitor the implementation of our Early Intervention Program to provide our students
who are not performing on grade level with additional support.
 Learning Focused strategies will be implemented daily.
 Title I support will be provided.
 Teachers will engage students in flexible, small group instruction.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 19 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
9(b). Periodic training for teachers in the identification of weaknesses and appropriate assistance
for identified weaknesses.
The Fulton County Curriculum Department encourages teachers to meet before the start of the school
year to analyze student information/data from the previous year. Results are compared to previous
years and across the grade levels to look for trends and areas of concern. Teachers then collaboratively
plan as a team to emphasize those skills with a high degree of importance while covering the other
necessary skills prior to spring testing. At-risk students will be identified so that they can be provided
with additional educational opportunities (double dosing) for needed subject level support.
Teachers are offered professional development in areas that reflect a need from the student data and
past data from previous years. We offer training on data analysis, progress monitoring and support in
the curricula subject areas. Every Tuesday at 2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. professional development is
provided for all faculty and staff members. We differentiate the professional development provided for
faculty and staff members by allowing opportunities for “Go and Grow” sessions. During “Go and
Grow” sessions, faculty and staff members select two areas they’d like to grow in, and every Tuesday
they attend a professional development session for two areas of their choice. The “Go and Grow”
sessions are conducted by members of our faculty and staff, central office staff members, and members
of the South Learning Community support team.
There will be an in-depth focus on a balance of literature and informational texts, text complexity,
argument, informative explanatory writing, research, and speaking/listening skills. Model lessons have
been taught to train teachers on Common Core Standards and the use of standards throughout the
system. The Fulton County Curriculum Department has increased the purchase of supplemental literacy
and math materials to support Response To Intervention and the Tier process for all of the Fulton
County Elementary Schools.
Professional development to identify at-risk students is job-embedded. We use our pre-planning days
and specified collaborative planning time during the school year to analyze multiple types of data:
formative, summative, qualitative, and quantitative. The emphasis is on collaborative analyses that lead
to instructional improvement and differentiation. Using the data, at-risk students are identified and
scheduled into courses that provide tiered levels of intervention. This is as minimally intrusive as peer
collaboration or as restrictive as a self-contained classroom—and many things possible in between.
However, data drives instructional settings and strategies for students. We also provide professional
development for teachers in the areas of differentiating instruction, effective feedback, and Response to
Intervention with its tiered supports for student learning.
All Fulton County Elementary schools have access to and use the following interventions:
 Response To Intervention
 Renaissance Learning Intervention Math and Reading
9c). Teacher-parent conferences that detail what the school will do to help the student, what the
parents can do to help the student, and additional assistance available to the student at the
school or in the community.
Teachers conduct parent-teacher conferences a minimum of twice a year. During these conference
opportunities, teachers review strengths and weaknesses of each student. Parents are also provided
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 20 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
with appropriate student work samples and strategies to improve student performances. Parents can
utilize our Parent Resource Center for materials related to appropriate parenting and supporting student
performances. Funds are set aside in our Title I budget for ordering academic resources parents can use
at home to support the increase of student achievement. Also, please see our Flexible Learning Program
plan for further details regarding instructional intervention strategies being implemented to support our
students.
10.
Description of how individual student assessment results and interpretation will be
provided to parents.
We receive two copies of student test results. We give one copy to parents through the mail, in student
packets, or during parent/teacher conferences. The interpretation of the test results is also provided to
parents during conferences and upon request. Our Title I Data Support Specialist also provides
opportunities for parents to meet and be engaged in a detailed conversation regarding our student
assessment results. We are a Focus school. Therefore, parents are notified by letter explaining the
Flexible Learning Program (FLP) and what intervention strategies are in place to improve our status.
11.
Provisions for the collection and disaggregation of data on the achievement and assessment
results of students.
Our data was disaggregated by subgroup, grade level, and content areas for analysis. The student’s past
and present year teachers collaborate to analyze student data and make informed decisions. Members
of the Administrative Team use the data to make decisions regarding the completion of the Title I
budget, the creation of the A. Philip Randolph Strategic Plan, our Short Term Action Plans, and the
completion of our school’s budget.
12.
Provisions to ensure that disaggregated assessment results for each category are valid and
reliable.
The Georgia School Report Card and the reports are posted on the Georgia Department of Education
website. Our school improvement plan, including data, will be posted on the school website. Our data is
shared with the members of the Leadership Team, School Governance Council members, PTA officers
and parents. It is reviewed regularly with the School Governance Council which is comprised of parents,
community members, administrators, and teachers. We publish our results on our school website and in
our school newsletters. Our data is discussed with our faculty and staff members during Professional
Learning Community meetings, parents during our annual State of the School Address, Coffee with the
Principal chats, conferences and Title I meetings.
13.
Provisions for public reporting of disaggregated data.
14.
Plan developed during a one-year period, unless LEA, after considering the
recommendation of its technical assistance providers, determines that less time is needed to
develop and implement the schoolwide program.
We have developed our school improvement plan, and we will revise it every year. We will continue to
have the participation of key stakeholders (faculty, staff, community members and parents) to support
us as we implement our comprehensive school improvement plan.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 21 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
15.
Plan developed with the involvement of the community to be served and individuals who
will carry out the plan including teachers, principals, other school staff, and pupil service
personnel, parents and students (if secondary).
Our plan was developed with the input from many stakeholders. Here are the steps we took to ensure
key stakeholders played a role in developing our plan.
 Members of the administrative team reviewed and disaggregated the data.
 Our principal scheduled a two-day leadership retreat for the school’s leadership team during the
month of July 2014. During the leadership retreat, everyone reviewed the data, discussed
implications, possible plans of action to increase student achievement.
 During the month of July 2014, our principal held a Title I Committee meeting. During the
meeting, she shared her vision for improving student achievement, shared salient data points
regarding the school’s progress, and solicited input from parents for increasing student
achievement and overall improvement for the school.
 Our principal scheduled a welcome back retreat for all certified employees on July 31, 2014.
During the retreat, everyone reviewed the data, discussed implications, possible plans of action
to increase student achievement.
 Our principal met with members of the School Governance Council, which is made up of
community members, teachers, parents, and administrators. During the meeting, everyone
reviewed the data, discussed implications, possible plans of action to increase student
achievement.
 All information was compiled and members of the administrative team began making the final
draft of our school improvement plan. Once the final draft was made, everyone met to align the
Title I budget with the needs of students as outlined in our school-wide improvement plan.
16.
Plan available to the LEA, parents, and the public.
Once the draft of our plan was completed, it was shared with our faculty and staff members during
faculty, leadership, administrative and grade level meetings. We used the feedback provided to make
final revisions to our plan. After completion, our plan will be made available to all of our stakeholders.
Our school improvement and parent involvement plans will be sent home with all of our Title I students.
We will also post our plans on our school website and distribute copies at our PTA members, School
Governance Council members, and to any interested stakeholders. Additional copies of our plans will be
available in our front office for distribution to newly enrolled students, or upon request.
17.
Plan translated to the extent feasible, into any language that a significant percentage of
the parents of participating students in the school speak as their primary language.
The primary language of 100% of our students here at A. Philip Randolph Elementary School is English.
We don’t have a need to translate our documents to another language. Our school improvement and
parent involvement plans, as well as our School-Parent Compact, are written in English. After it is
written and reviewed with the assistance of parents and community members, copies of these plans are
distributed. Copies of these documents are also housed in our front office and our Parent Resource
Center. Copies of the documents are available to parents of new students when they register.
18.
Plan is subject to the school improvement provisions of Section 1116.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 22 of 23
Georgia Department of Education
Title I Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan
We are currently identified as a Focus school, and we participate in all requirements according to state
and federal guidelines. We offer the Flexible Learning Program (FLP). We work with the State DOE and
our district to complete all requirements for improvement.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
May 2012 ● Page 23 of 23