Disaggregated Data

Trace Crossings

Tarrant Intermediate

Reading Scores
(State Average: 38%)

2014: 51%
2015: 51%

2014: 18%
2015: 11%

Math Scores
(State Average: 48%)

2014: 54%
2015: 53%

2014: 32%
2015: 33%

Subgroup Scores

We looked at the reading and

math scores for the following
subgroups in each system:

We looked at the reading and

math scores for the following
subgroups in each system:

Hispanic
Reading: 10%
Math: 17%
Black
Reading: 30%
Math: 43%
Male
Reading: 46%
Math: 59%
Poverty
Reading: 23%
Math: 27%

Hispanic
Reading:15%
Math: 44%
Black
Reading: 11%
Math: 25%
Male
Reading: 5%
Math: 23%
Poverty
Reading: 11%
Math: 33%

Observations of Strategies,
PD, and other resources
used to teach these areas.

Trace used a program called

istation to help raise math
scores. Students practiced
often using this program
which offers instruction and
formative assessments.
Studies show that Istation
raises student test scores.
Students also use this
program with reading
throughout the week.

Tarrant Intermediate has a

reading coach and a math
coach. However, these people
are often inconsistent with
pulling their groups of
students. Many instructional
support staff throughout the
school also have other jobs in
the school which limits the
amount of time they can
spend supporting students.

Strengths

The Problem Solving Team

works to evaluate any
students who are showing
concerns of dyslexia.
Classroom teachers are then
notified and work to support

The principal at Tarrant sets

high expectations for his
students and is extremely
supportive of his students and
staff. He sets the tone of
respect in the school. His

each students academic

growth. Response to
Intervention (RTI) is offered
for students who need
assistance when getting back
to grade-level expectations.

students can see the respect

he has for them, and they
have respect for him as well.
The counselor is very
involved in the life of the
school and is quick to respond
and handle a variety of
situations.

Weaknesses

Only 50% of students are

proficient in math at Trace
Crossings.

Many students are not at a

proficient level in math and
reading. Instructional support
staff have a lot of
responsibility, and cannot
effectively support students.
Tarrant also does not have the
amount of resources that
Trace Crossings has.

Improvement Plan

Trace Crossings offers a

Readers Theatre club that will
help students improve their
reading comprehension and
reading with expression.

Tarrant has a new principal

who is trying to make
changes to the school. One
thing he hopes will improve
next year is not leveling the
classes. He also wants to
improve the use of data at the
school.

Parent Involvement

PTO is available at Trace for

any parents who wish to
volunteer their time to help
the teachers at the school.
This organization participates
in at least one event a month,
and helps to fundraise for
these specific events. Other
volunteer opportunities are
also posted online for parents
who are interested in assisting
this organization at a specific
event.

There is a lack of parental

involvement at Tarrant
Intermediate. Due to the
amount of poverty present in
the community, many parents
are working full time jobs and
do not have the ability to be
involved in school life.

Accountability Resources

Istation is used for math

across all grade levels to help
students keep track of their
progress. For reading Trace

Tarrant uses the IXL program

to monitor student progress in
math.

uses the Next Step Guided

Reading Assessments.
Support Personnel

An LTI blog is posted on the

schools website, which
includes encouraging and
helpful information about
student learning. Parents have
access to this blog if they
wish to be informed about
improvement plans for their
child.
Trace teachers hold regular
data meetings.

Tarrant intermediate has a

variety of instructional
support staff including a
gifted specialist, counselor,
math coach, reading coach,
and an ELL teacher. However,
they share some instructional
support staff with Tarrant
Elementary school. The
amount of responsibilities that
instructional support staff
must take on prevents them
from working as much as they
should with students. Tarrant
also does not have Title 1
teachers.
Tarrant has data meetings
during faculty meetings after
school.

Data Analysis/Action Plan

Trace Crossings Improvement Plan
The classroom teachers in each grade level at Trace Crossings come together to form
Problem Solving Teams. During this time, the teachers meet with the reading coach, math coach,
and Title 1 teachers to discuss specific students receiving services in their classes and the next
steps that should be taken. Team leaders could be implemented within these Problem Solving
Teams to keep the small group accountable and prepared for these data meetings with the
schools special services teachers. Likewise, in order to make these meetings more efficient, the
school could also form an Intervention Assistance Team. This teams goal would be to develop
intervention plans to meet academic, behavioral, emotional, and social needs of the students who
are at risk. They can stay up to date on research and best practices and provide the teachers with
resources to implement in the classroom regarding at-risk students. This team would provide the
school another resource to improve reading and math scores, as well as ELL students and
students with behavioral problems.
Classroom teachers need to always be searching for professional development
opportunities. Trace Crossings can provide school-wide professional development for teachers
monthly or bi-monthly. The district instructional coach and school mentors will provide this
professional development for teachers, model effective instructional techniques in classrooms,
and provide one-on-one support to students and teachers. This will allow the teachers to grow
professionally as a whole and keep the school up to date on best practices of improving the
educational growth of the school. Teachers and staff will be required to attend two professional
development meetings a year, ensuring that they are working to better themselves and their
professionalism.

In order to improve students reading and math scores, the school can purchase practice
testing materials. The materials can provide the students with test tips, as well as get them
familiar with the format and demand of the standardized test format. This can help to prepare the
students for the test and result in better testing scores. These practice materials can be reviewed
bi-weekly or monthly by the classroom teacher and done in whole class, cooperative groups, or
individually. Through this practice, students can prepare for the end of the year test and yield
better scores.
In order to improve test scores, students must become more present in the classroom.
There are several ways that teachers and staff can assist the students in becoming more present at
school. For example, it is important that a parent or guardian is contacted and met with when
attendance begins to become a problem. Once this problem occurs, it must be addressed
immediately before it becomes a serious issue. Once the parents or guardians are aware of the
attendance issue, it is important to follow up with them when the student is absent from school.
This means that parents or guardians should be contacted by phone and/or email after each
school day that a student has missed. Although this will leave a reminder to the parents about
how important this issue is, it will also serve as a security method for their child. A third way to
assist students in attending school more regularly is by giving each student a mentor. The
mentors for these students will be an older student at the school who is well-rounded and has a
high attendance record. This student will be able to assist the younger student with transitioning
from schools or grade levels, giving them a support system while being at school, and holding
them as an accountability partner.
Parental involvement is an important part of a students life. If a parent is involved with
the student, some of these issues will not occur as frequently, such as low school attendance

numbers. However, parents can also become involved with their student in other ways. For
example, help is often needed in the classroom, and teachers greatly appreciate parental
involvement. Some parents want to be able to help the school to grow and develop, but they are
unaware of how they can go about assisting in this area. Another way that parents can be
involved is by providing their child with extra academic assistance in areas that they may be
struggling. To solve this problem, the district instructional coach and school literacy specialists
will develop a plan to conduct parent literacy nights. These nights will help the parents and
teachers to build a home to school connection, as well as provide multiple at-home reading
strategies for parents. These strategies will help parents through supporting and enhancing the
reading learning process for their children. While at these meetings, parents will also have an
opportunity to talk one-on-one with school staff about other ways to get involved with the school
and community, if they are interested.
By following this improvement plan, Trace Crossings Elementary will use these
strategies to benefit their school, as well as community. Through these steps, this school will
continue to strive towards improving math and reading scores, teacher effectiveness, school
attendance, and parental involvement.

Resources
Communicating Achievement Test Results with Parents. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2016, from
http://pdp.acsi.org/PDP/images/contentpageimages/TN Fall 2013
Information/CSE16.3_CommunicatingAchievementTestResults.pdf
Trace Crossings Elementary School. (n.d.). Retrieved May 07, 2016, from
http://www.greatschools.org/alabama/hoover/27-Trace-Crossings-ElementarySchool/details/#Students
2015 Aspire Results for Systems and Schools. (n.d.). Retrieved May 07, 2016, from
http://parcalabama.org/2015-aspire-results-for-systems-and-schools/
http://elementaryschools.org/directory/al/cities/hoover/trace-crossings-elementaryschool/10000700091/

Tarrant Intermediate School Improvement Plan

Based on the results from the 2014 and 2015 reading and math ACT Aspire scores, Tarrant
Intermediate School needs help. There are improvements that need to be made at the school. The school
needs to have higher expectations for their students that are consistent across the whole school, parent
involvement needs to increase, and support staff must be consistent with the students. If these things are
improved, students will have a better chance of success which will help improve the schools test scores
and overall school environment.
At Tarrant Intermediate, teachers do not have consistent expectations of students, which greatly
affects student performance. Many of the expectations that are set for students are not high expectations.
Studies show that the expectations set for students tend to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. If the teacher
consistently sets low expectations for students, students will, by default, never achieve all that they are
capable of. When teachers set high expectations for students, students are much more likely to succeed.
Studies show that teachers in low income school districts tend to set low expectations for their students.
Teachers are also often unaware of the biases that they hold. This leads to low expectations, which
manifests itself in things such as drop-out rates, not attending college, and other factors that represent
academic failure. Teachers need to be aware of the expectations they are setting for their students, both
directly and indirectly.
Furthermore, expectations are not consistent throughout the entire school. Teachers at Tarrant
Intermediate have different behavioral expectations and different forms of management systems. In order
to improve this, Tarrant Intermediate will implement a new system of teacher collaboration in order to
combat the inconsistency of expectations. In this new system, teachers will collaborate in grade level
teams to create a list of expectations for students both academically and behaviorally. Teachers will
outline how these expectations will be implemented in the classroom, and identify rewards and
consequences for students who meet expectations, or fail to meet expectations. They will also outline
instructional strategies that they will implement in their teaching in order to help students reach
expectations. After each grade level has created an outline, they will meet together as an entire faculty in

order to create a broad level of expectations that will be consistent throughout the school. Each teacher
will send a letter to both parents and students communicating both academic and behavioral expectations.
These expectations will also be posted in each classroom throughout the entire year. When expectations
are expressed both verbally and in writing, students will be more likely to meet these expectations.
Parent involvement is extremely important to any school, but especially to schools in poverty.
Tarrant Intermediate has 96.5% of its students on free and reduced lunch which places it high above the
states average of 60.8%. This means that Tarrant Intermediate is a Title I school and receives funding
from the government. Parent involvement is essential in the classroom. It has been found that students
with involved parents are more likely to earn higher grades, attend school more regularly, graduate, and
attend college no matter their income level or background. Therefore increasing Tarrant Intermediates
parent involvement will also increase student achievement.
In order to increase the parent involvement at Tarrant Intermediate, the school will begin to
provide on-site childcare. One issue that many parents of low socioeconomic status have is the need for
childcare. Often times these parents decide they cannot be involved at the school because they have other
children they need to care for at home or because they would have to pay even more for the child care
they already have. In order to eliminate this problem, childcare will be provided at the school during the
season of parent teacher conference. This will lead to an increased parent attendance to the conferences
which will help the parents be more aware of what is going on with their child at school and how they can
help their child read his/her potential. As this is going on, the parents will not need to worry about their
younger children and will not need to feel guilty about attending the conference.
Finally, to help students receive the support they need, Tarrant Intermediate will improve the
consistency of their support staff. Currently Tarrant Intermediate has a math and reading coach, as well as
a gifted teacher who pull students out for assistance. However these teachers are very inconsistent with
their pulling of students. The math and reading coach were supposed to pull the students every day,
however they tend to only come every 2 or 3 days instead. Additionally, the gifted students were supposed
to be pulled from the classroom once a week, however the teachers were unsure as to whether or not that

teacher would show up each week. Part of the problem is that some of these support staff personnel are
shared with the elementary school and are then too busy doing other things to get to the kids at Tarrant
Intermediate. In order to improve upon this, the support staff will be assigned to Tarrant Intermediate
every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and they will be with Tarrant Elementary on Tuesdays and
Thursdays. This will eliminate the issue of these teachers having to wrap up things with the other school
rather than assisting the kids at Tarrant Intermediate. This will increase the consistency that that students
receive which will positively impact their level of academic achievement.
In conclusion, Tarrant Intermediate will see improvements in their students academic
achievement by making these improvements to their school. The school will create teams to create
consistently high expectations across the school, provide child care to increase parent involvement, and
change the schedules of their support personnel to consistently meet their needs of their students. With all
of these adjustments, the students at Tarrant Elementary will have an increased rate of success which will
improve their schools overall achievement.

References
Back to school: How parent involvement affects student achievement (full report). (n.d.). Retrieved May
07, 2016, from http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Public-education/ParentInvolvement/Parent-Involvement.html
Ten Strategies for Creating a Classroom Culture of High ... (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2016, from
http://publications.sreb.org/2004/04V03_Ten_Strategies.pdf
The Power of High Expectations: Closing the Gap in Your ... (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2016, from
http://teachingasleadership.org/sites/default/files/Related-Readings/DCA_Ch2_2011.pdf
What Can Schools Do to Address Poverty? (2015). Retrieved May 07, 2016, from
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/what-can-schools-do-to-address-poverty-william-parrett-kathleenbudge