VI. Fact Finding Survey
The subcommittee members for the interim
parent survey are Jay Westerlund, Mary Lou
Steincke, Marcia Parness, and Jodi Freed. The
survey will target the 4 most troublesome
areas. The dual questions can be separated out
on this survey. Ideas and questions can be
emailed to Jay and Mary Lou. Jodi and Marcia
will create the survey. The incentive will be
a pizza party for the class that brings back
100% of the surveys the fastest.
Survey questions will be based on the 2009
parent survey. We need to find out what we can
do to improve. There will be a comment section
to write suggestions for improvement.
Question 1: How often during the school year have you received
information about what your child is
studying in school?
Question 2: How often
during the school year have you received
information on services for your child or
for you, such as tutoring, after school
programs, or workshops you can attend to
help your child?
Statement 1: The school
contacts me to tell me about my child’s
achievements and successes.
Statement 2: The school has
high expectations for my child.
VII. Summary and Review of Science and
Social Studies State Tests
A. Fourth Grade Science Test
Eighty-five students were tested. Of the 85
students tested, 92% received a 3 or a 4. Of
the remaining 8%, 4% received a level 2 and
4% received a level 1. This 8% consisted of
IEP, CTT and self-contained students.
Science weaknesses:
1. Students struggle with vocabulary
2. Students had difficulty using a scale and
ruler
3. Students had trouble following the
written directions independently
To help students improve, cluster and
classroom teachers articulate monthly to
address key vocabulary.
These science weaknesses should be
articulated to next year’s teachers and for
teachers of the students in upcoming
classes.
SLT members suggested that the newsletters
need to send these items home to parents in
a “Helpful Hints to Parents” section.
Currently, there should be a vocabulary
section under each content area to help
parents.
B. Fifth Grade Social Studies Test
100% of the students tested passed with a
level 3 or 4. Forty-four of the 57 students
received a 4. Thirteen of the students
received a level 3. This is a two day test
with three parts. There is a multiple choice
part and document based essays. The
information on this test is derived from
Grade 3 and Grade 4 content and skills. The
tests are marked “in-house.” Much of the
information is provided on the test through
various documents.
In October, there was a parent workshop
concerning the Social Studies test at which,
Assistant Principal Capitulo, all fifth
grade classroom teachers, and Mr. Moss
showed parents the format of the exam and
gave helpful hints for parents to assist
their children at home.
VIII. Summary and Review of ELA State
Tests
A. Third grade ELA test
It appears the most troublesome questions
have the wording “most important” and ”most
likely” in the question. The strategy is for
the students to pick out and determine what
is the most important detail. They also need
to read ALL of the questions first
and then choose. For many of the questions
the students scored poorly on, had the
answer as choice “D”. Suggesting students
are not reading through answers and picking
the first one they read that sounds right.
Students also need to be able to make
predictions, draw conclusions, and make
inferences about events and characters.
(Third grade test scores are translated to
fourth grade teachers.)
B. Fourth grade ELA
test
Students need to use specific evidence from
stories to identify themes; describe
characters, their actions, and their
motivations. Students also need to be able
to relate a sequence of events. For the
extended responses they are scored according
to a 4 point rubric. The average score was a
2.8. The students needed to go back to the
story and complete the chart using details.
They need to take good notes on what is
important and then use these notes to
construct their answers. The average score
for the other writing item was a 2.6.
Students needed to listen to a passage and
then use details from the story to support
their answer. To help with these areas,
teachers need to expose the children to more
listening passages in the classroom. The
first time the students should just listen.
Upon the second reading, students should
take notes. .
C. Fifth Grade ELA test
Students need to use process of elimination.
The students are allowed and encouraged to
write in the test book and mark the passage.
There was a passage requiring students to
distinguish between a folktale and a fable,
they should know characteristics of genres.
Many questions require the students to read
between the lines and determine what is
implied and not stated. They should be able
to read nonfiction articles in order to read
and interpret data and ideas.
D. Sixth Grade ELA test
The troublesome passages were primarily
non-fiction. Students had to use context
clues, a dictionary, or a glossary to
determine unfamiliar words. Students needed
to identify missing, conflicting, unclear
and irrelevant information. They also needed
to identify information that is implied
rather than stated. Questions asking for
answers that were “most likely” require
evaluation and prediction.
We had included non-fiction as one of our
goals but were asked to broaden the goal.
One of the Action Plans are specific to
non-fiction. The Scantron tests will also
isolate non-fiction.
To address these issues teachers should pair
more nonfiction and fiction texts. Test prep
is also beneficial for students who test
poorly.
IX. Summary and Review of Math State Tests
A. Third Grade
The highest percentage of incorrect
responses were in symmetry (geometry).
Students also needed to show all work. If
students do not show all of their work they
cannot get full credit. Number Sense and
Operations as well as Measurement were other
areas of concern
B. Fourth Grade
Again Number Sense and Operation was an area
of difficulty. Statistics and Probability
was the second highest incorrect category.
C. Fifth Grade
Students had difficulty with reading,
writing and ordering decimals to thousands;
formulating conclusions and making
predictions from graphs; and classifying
quadrilaterals by properties of their angles
and sides.
D. Sixth Grade
Students had difficulty identifying radius,
diameter, chords, and central angles of a
triangle. Students also had difficulty
defining and identifying commutative and
associative properties of addition and
multiplication. Problems involving percent,
rate and base were also among the hardest.
X. Review of Updated Goals/Action Plan
SLT members reviewed Goals and Objectives
Template.
Goal Number 1: To improve
Literacy Instruction Across All Grades. To
improve literacy instruction by an average
of 90 points as measured by the Scantron
assessments administered three times during
the school year.
The Scantron tops out at an 8th grade level.
Some students are already at the cap. This
goal needs to include all students including
students with IEPs and in self-contained
classes. This is considered a realistic
goal.
Goal Number 2: To Strengthen
Ability to Analyze and Use Data to
Differentiate Instruction. It was noted that
accommodations need to be noted for clusters
because IEP modifications should be
available across all subject areas.
Goal Number 3: To Strengthen
Home Communication
Improving relationships foster
communication. We have a Parent Association
but not a Parent Teacher Association.
Goal Number 4: To further
increase the number of teachers
participating in Collaborative Inquiry Work.
It is a city mandate that by June 2010, 90%
of teachers participate in Collaborative
Inquiry Work.
XI. SLT Subcommittees
SLT members will look at CEP and Action Plan
and decide how we can create subcommittees.
This will be tabled for next meeting. SLT
members will brainstorm some possible
subcommittees, prior to the next meeting.
XII. Academic Planners
There is still time to order agendas for
students interested. These planners help
children keep track of daily, weekly, and
monthly assignments.
XIII. Agenda Items for Next Meeting:
a) School progress report (discussion of
student and teacher portions)
b) Formation of SLT subcommittees
XIV. Adjournment
Meeting was adjourned at 4:15 PM.
Minutes submitted by: Michelle
Trinchese
October 6th Minutes approved by:
Members of SLT
