1. education
2. school

Appendix H-SCHOOL COVER SHEET - Transformation Model
School Name: Dalewood Middle
Address: 1300 Shallowford Road
Chattanooga, Tenn. 37411
District Point of Contact (POC)
Name & Position: Le Andrea Ware – Innovation
Zone Director
Phone#: 423-209-8421
Email Address: [email protected]
School Number: 0055
Title I Status:
__X___ School-wide Program
_____ Targeted Assistance Program
_____ Title I Eligible School
Year the school entered Priority status: 2010
Principal's Name SY 2012-13:
(Indicate TBD if unknown at this time.)
Chris Earl
Waiver Request(s):
Phone # 423-493-0331
__X___ Not Requested for this School
_____ Requested for this School
Email Address: [email protected]
Amount the LEA is requesting from SY 2012-13 School Improvement Funds for the next three
years for this school*:
* Each year--not to exceed $2 million
Pre-Implementation Activities Year 1
Year 1: SY 2013-14 excluding preimplementation
Year 2: SY 2014-15
Year 3: SY 2115-16
Three Year Total Budget
$44,000
$330,960
$400,000
$400,000
$1,174,960
1
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
School Level Descriptive Information
1. School Comprehensive Needs Analysis:
Using the analysis of the data in the areas below, provide a summary and conclusion for each of the areas as indicated.
Using the needs assessment, each LEA is required to select an intervention for each school.
School Name: DALEWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL
Intervention Model – TRANSFORMATION
Provide a minimum of two years of data where indicated.
Provide a summary and conclusion of the analysis of each area.
1. Student Profile Data
2010-11
Total student enrollment
Grade level enrollment
6th
7th
8th
Number of students in each subgroup
(List applicable subgroups below.)
African American
Hispanic
White
Other
Mobility (%) - Entrants, Withdrawals
Attendance %
Suspensions (#)
Expulsions (#)
AP, IB, and Dual Enrollment (#)
Graduation Rate
2. Staff Profile Data
Principal:
Chris Earl
Length of time in position:
2 months
2011-12
323
289
112
103
108
98
92
99
297
5
20
1
257
5
26
3
41.1
91.7
143
27
41.4
92.9
270
14
The Research and Accountability Office of the Hamilton County Department of Education
provided student enrollment information based on end of the year data from the2010-11and
2011- 12 school years.
Dalewood’s student enrollment began to spiral downward three years ago when parents
exercised their right under NCLB to transfer their child to a school paired with Dalewood that
had higher levels of student achievement. From 2010-11 to 2011-12, the total enrollment
decreased by 99 students. During the same time period, the number of African American
students decreased and the number of Hispanic students rose slightly. The average daily
attendance average increased from 91.7% in 2010-11 to 92.9% in 2011-12. However, the
number of suspensions almost doubled from 143 in 2010-11 to 270 in 2011-12. A probable
cause is teacher weaknesses in classroom management leading to an increase in discipline
referrals (and thus suspensions) between the two years.
Needs: Determining the root causes of student discipline issues by conducting surveys,
interviews, and researching the types of infractions that led to suspensions. Establish a schoolwide disciplinary code of conduct that will be enforced consistently. A system to support
students with high numbers of discipline infraction, those who enroll during the school year
NA
NA
(note the high mobility rate), and those who are at risk of being retained. This is essential since
NA
NA
retentions result in students entering high school overage which places them at risk of becoming
a drop out
Provide a summary and conclusion of the analysis of each area.
Dalewood’s current principal has been in his position for two months. Prior to coming to Dalewood Middle School, he
was a high school Assistant Principal for 8 years. During his previous administrative assignment, Mr. Earl focused on
developing interventions to close the achievement gap between African American male students and their peers.
2
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Teaching Staff
Number of years experience in profession
1. 1 to 3
2. 4-10 years
3. 11-20 years
6 / 25%
10 / 41.7%
5 / 20.8%
4. 21+ years
3 / 12.5%
Dalewood Middle School has 21 full-time teachers and 1 half-time teacher. There are 13 core teachers, 6 exploratory
teachers, 2 special education/inclusion teachers, and 1 CDC teacher. One hundred percent of the teaching staff is Highly
Qualified. In addition to the 22 classroom teachers, there is also 1 Dean of Students and 1 Literacy Coach for a total of
24 staff members. Of the total staff, 54% is Caucasian, 42% is African-American, and 4% is Other.
The staff is primarily comprised of teachers who are in the early stages of their career - 67% percent have ten years or
less experience and 25% have three or less years experience.
Need: Job embedded professional development that meets the needs of early career teachers such as well as the needs
of veteran teachers.
Teaching Staff
Number and % of experience in the
school
1. 1 to 3
2. 4-10 years
3. 11-20 years
4. 21+ years
11 / 45%
10 / 42%
3 / 12.5%
0 / NA
Teacher attendance rate
Of the twenty-two teachers at Dalewood, eight (36%) are new to the school this year. Almost half the faculty (45%) has
been at Dalewood three or less years and only 12.5% of the faculty has been at the school more than 10 years. This type
of faculty turnover makes it difficult to sustain a positive and imbedded school culture and climate.
Needs: Strategies to increase teacher retention including financial incentives, meaningful job-embedded professional
development, collaborative planning time, and school leadership opportunities.
2010-2011
2011-2012
There was a sharp decline in teacher attendance between the 2010-11 and
2011-12 school years. In 2011-12, Dalewood Middle School had the second
93.8%
86.1
lowest teacher attendance rate (86.1%) in Hamilton County. The high number
3
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
of teacher absences is a serious source of concern due to the negative impact
on student achievement. Even with the best plans, substitutes are not truly a
substitute for the expertise of the teacher. Every day a teacher is not present
results in a loss of instructional time that cannot be replaced. In addition,
when a substitute teacher is not available the students are often “split” among
other classes on the grade level. In this case, the teacher absence has a ripple
effect where instruction is negatively impacted in all the classes at the grade
level. Teachers must be held accountable for their attendance.
Teacher evaluation data by levels
2011-2012
Level 1 2
Level 2 2
Level 3 5
Level 4 3
Level 5 1
Needs: A focus group to determine the root causes of low teacher attendance
and strategize supports to increase teacher attendance. Also, to incentivize
high attendance, an annual bonus of $500 will be granted through the HCDE
Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) to teachers who attain a 97% or better
attendance rate.
In 2010-11, 12% of the teachers had a teacher effectiveness score of Level 1 or
2, however, in 2011-12, the percent of teachers with a teacher effectiveness
score of 1 or 2 more than doubled to 30%. Although this suggests a large shift,
the source was actually only one teacher at each effectiveness level
(increasing from 1 to 2 teachers). Teacher attendance may have been a factor
in this shift since the teachers who earned a lower effectiveness level between
the two years had higher levels of absenteeism in 2011-12 than in 2010-11. In
order to increase student achievement, there must be an increase in the
percentage of highly effective teachers.
Needs: A two-tiered approach of capacity-building professional development
(led by administrators and Instructional Coaches). This includes support in best
practices, management techniques, data usage, monitoring and checking for
understanding, and professional collaboration through the Professional
Learning Communities Model. Also, pay incentives would assist in recruiting
and retaining highly effective teachers.
3. Student Achievement Data
2010-2011
2011-2012
Provide a summary of existing status and current needs.
10.4% P/A
9.6% P/A
The overall Reading/Language Arts achievement on TCAP continues to be
under 15% Proficient and Advanced, and declined slightly from 2010-2011 to
2011-2012. Therefore, it is essential that an effective program is in place for
Reading/Language Arts
“Every test taker” (ETT) category
4
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
the ELA courses and that literacy is a focus within every course. This includes
student access to reading materials at various Lexile levels.
EXPLORE data from 2011 and 2012 indicates that our eighth grade students
are below the national average in the English and Reading sections. The 2011
national average for English was 14.2 and the average for Reading was 13.8.
Dalewood’s average score for English was 11.0 and the average score for
Reading was 11.2. The 2012 national average EXPLORE score for English was
14.7 and the average score for Reading was 14.6; Dalewood’s average score
for English was 11.8 and the average score for Reading was 12.4. In 2012, our
female students had a higher level of achievement on the English and reading
sections than the male students (a trend that is seen across the country). The
average English score for females was 12.5 and the average score for males
was 11.0. The average reading score for females was 13.4 and the average
score for males was 11.3.
Dalewood Middle School has shown continuous improvement on the State
Writing Assessment with the overall percentage of students scoring at a 4 or
higher increasing from 78.5% in 2010 to 89.4% in 2012. However, both the
content and the format of the writing assessment are changing. Students must
be prepared to respond to informational texts. Therefore, we will continue to
focus on writing across the curriculum to respond to the changes and to build
upon the success we have had on this assessment in the past.
Needs: A focused, research-based language arts program such as
Reader’s/Writer’s Workshop; an online reading program to address the needs
of students reading significantly below grade level; an after-school tutoring
program for students who are not served by the Gear Up program; Summer
Reading/Writing Program; a Literacy Coach to oversee the implementation of
the school-wide literacy plan; stipends for after school and Saturday
professional development in effective literacy and writing instructional
strategies.
Subgroups:
African American
Hispanic*
White*
Economically Disadvantaged
* Starred subgroups had less than 45 students.
9.3% P/A
50% P/A
22.2 P/A
10.0% P/A
8.5% P/A
50% P/A
15.4% P/A
9.9% P/A
There are gaps among subgroups in reading/language arts proficiency. The
current population of Dalewood Middle School is 91% African American and
93% economically disadvantaged. The performance of these two subgroups
5
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Students with Disabilities
Males
Females
0.0% P/A
8.1% P/A
12.8% P/A
0.0% P/A
9.3% P/A
10.0% P/A
represents the overall Reading/Language Arts achievement of the school.
Therefore, over 90% of the school population scored at the Basic and Below
Basic levels.
While female performance decreased from 2010-11 to 2011-12 by 2.8% and
the male performance increased during the same time period by 1.2%, females
still outperformed males during both years.
Although there seems to be a significant increase in the percentage of
students with disabilities who were proficient/advanced between 2011 and
2012 (from 0% to 22%), this data is misleading since most students with
disabilities take the MAAS version of the TCAP and the illustrated data does
not include the MAAS. In fact, according to the Tennessee State Report Card,
in 2011 students with disabilities met the federal benchmark in
Reading/Language Arts. We will continue using the inclusion model for this
population of students. In addition, the special education teachers will work
directly with selected students during the daily activity period.
Although it seems that Hispanic students greatly outperformed all other
subgroups, this was a very small group in both 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Therefore, the apparent high percentage of proficient/advanced in comparison
to the other subgroups represents only a few students and is not statistically
significant. Needs: A focused program such as Reader’s/Writer’s Workshop that
targets the needs of students in the various subgroups to increase achievement
in Reading/Language Arts and decrease the number of students scoring Basic
or Below Basic; on-going training to regular education and inclusion teachers
to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
School performance on value-added
student achievement
2011 (3 yr. avg.)
Status: F
Mean Gain: -3.4
2012 (3 yr. avg.)
Status: F
Mean Gain: -3.0
2011 (yr. & grade)
6th: .3
7th: 1.0
8th: 3.6
2012 (yr & grade)
6th: -1.7
7th: -4.5
8th: 4.2
The 8th grade language arts showed positive value-added student achievement
for both 2010-11 and 2011-12. The 6th and 7th grades experienced negative
value–added student achievement between 2010-11 and 2011-12. The
positive results in 8th grade may be attributed to the successful
implementation of the Reader’s/Writer’s Workshop Model.
Needs: Continued implementation of Reader’s/Writer’s Workshop and
professional development to support the program; additional implementation
support for the 6th and 7th grade language arts teachers from the Literacy
Coach; teacher effectiveness financial incentives for teachers scoring a 4 or 5
6
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
TVAAS to supplement the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF).
Mathematics
“Every test taker” (ETT) category
6.6% P/A
5.5% P/A
The overall Mathematics TCAP scores continue to be under the district target
of 10% Proficient and Advanced. EXPLORE data from 2011 and 2012 indicates
that our eighth grade students are below the national average in Mathematics.
The 2011 national average was 15.1 and Dalewood’s average was 12.1. The
2012 national average was 15.5 and Dalewood’s average was 13.0. In 2012,
our female students had a higher level of achievement (13.5%) on the
mathematics section than the male students (12.3%).
Needs: Intensive professional development in a research-based program such
as Best Practices in Mathematics Instruction to increase knowledge of content
and pedagogy; Math Interventionists to work with students scoring
significantly below grade level; an assessment system that will allow for
periodic measurement of student progress such as Discovery Education
Assessments; a Numeracy Coach to coach teachers in effective classroom
assessments and instruction; after school mathematics tutoring; stipends for
after school and Saturday professional development in effective math
instructional strategies.
* Starred subgroups had less than 30 students.
Subgroups:
African American
Hispanic*
White*
Economically Disadvantaged
Students with Disabilities
Males
Females
6.1% P/A
0% P/A
22.2% P/A
6.4% P/A
0.0% P/A
5.2% P/A
8.0% P/A
5.0% P/A
25% P/A
7.7% P/A
5.4% P/A
0.0% P/A
3.7% P/A
7.3% P/A
The current population of Dalewood Middle School is 91% African American
and 93% economically disadvantaged. Therefore, the performance of these
two subgroups represents the overall Mathematics achievement of the school.
While both female and male performance in math decreased from 2010-11 to
2011-12, females outperformed males during both years.
The Hispanic and white subgroups have very few students each. In 2011, there
were 20 white students and 5 Hispanic students. In 2012, there were 26 white
students and 4 Hispanic students. Thus, the percentage changes (+25% for
Hispanic students; -14.5% for white students) in achievement that seem
significant are actually a result of only a few students.
According to the Tennessee State Report Card, in 2011, students with
disabilities met the federal benchmark in mathematics. We will continue using
7
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
the inclusion model for this population of students.
Need: An intervention that targets the needs of students in the various
subgroups to increase achievement in Mathematics and decrease the number
of students scoring Basic or Below Basic; on-going training to regular education
and inclusion teachers to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
School performance on value-added Math
student achievement
2011 (3 yr. avg.)
Status: F
Mean Gain: -3.3
2012 (3 yr. avg.)
Status: F
Mean Gain: -2.3
2011 (yr. & grade)
6th Grade: -3.6
7th Grade: 1.1
8th Grade: 5.4
2012 (yr & grade)
6th Grade: -3.1
7th Grade: 2.5
8th Grade: 2.7
The 7th and 8th grade showed positive value-added student achievement for
both 2011 and 2012 meaning that on average students gained more than a
year’s growth in mathematics. However, the 6th grade showed negative valueadded student-achievement for both 2011 and 2012, meaning the students did
not gain a year’s growth in mathematics.
The three year average was an F for both years due to very low value added
scores in 2010.
Needs: A rigorous, comprehensive mathematics program and professional
development to support the program; additional implementation support for
the 6th and 7th grade language arts teachers from the Numeracy Coach; teacher
effectiveness financial incentives for teachers scoring a 4 or 5 TVAAS to
supplement the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF).
ACT scores (if applicable)
N/A
N/A
Graduation rate (if applicable)
N/A
N/A
4. School Culture and Climate
Provide a summary of existing status and current needs.
TELL Survey Analysis
Information attained from the TELL survey results revealed that only 52% of the teachers surveyed feel that Dalewood
is a good place to work and learn. However, 65% responded that they work in an environment that is safe. This
percentage is close to 30% less than the teachers surveyed throughout the state regarding the safe operation of their
work environment. According to data provided by the TDOE, during the 2011-12 school year, there were a total of 845
disciplinary infractions, 68% of which took place in the classroom. Of the 845 disciplinary infractions, 112 of the
infractions fell into the serious categories including but not limited to fighting, bullying, and vandalism. Currently there
is no school resource officer and one campus monitor.
School Safety
Student Health Services
Attendance Support
Social and Community Support
Parent Support
Needs: Increased adult supervision in the cafeteria and corridors may help deter negative student behavior occurring in
these high-traffic areas (Including teachers being at their doors during all transition times, related arts teachers helping
to monitor the cafeteria, and parent volunteers); an effective In School Suspension (ISS) program and ISS Monitor to
8
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
allow for the removal of disruptive students from the classroom and to address their behavior issues; a solid school-wide
positive behavior intervention that provides student incentives for good behavior (components include a recognition
ceremony, out of uniform opportunities ,incentives from community donations, and celebrations) ; a 6th grade transition
program to help students adjust to the social and academic needs of middle school.; offer professional development in
classroom management; develop a school-wide positive behavior plan that includes clear policies and is consistently
enforced.
Currently eligible students receive health screenings through Dalewood Middle School’s nurse. Vision and dental
screening was also provided through Hamilton County Health Department. Qualifying students have access to mental
health support provided by Centerstone Counseling Services.
Student absenteeism is a problem at Dalewood. Absences and interruptions to the students’ school day impact student
achievement. Daily parental contact for student absenteeism and/or to encourage punctual attendance to school
would greatly improve student attendance rates. Providing incentives for perfect attendance would also deter student
absences.
Needs: A program to provide contact and support for students who are chronically absent; an incentive program to
reward students for excellent attendance. Components of the incentive program include a recognition ceremony, out of
uniform opportunities, incentives from community donations, and celebrations.
Parent and community involvement are important aspects that support student learning. However, TELL survey results
show that only 27% of the faculty at Dalewood agree that parents/guardians are influential decision makers in the
school. Currently, parents have a voice in the decision making process by being a part of the school’s leadership team
and by joining the PTO. Dalewood also has a Family Partnership Specialist that coordinates parent involvement
activities. Parents have been invited to attend several events at Dalewood this year, but, attendance has been low.
School sponsored events such as PTO meetings, Family Nights, athletic events, report card pick up nights, and district
mandated parent-teacher conference days offer different opportunities for parents to interact with the faculty.
Although parents are also given the opportunity to volunteer at any time during school hours and during school
sponsored events, parent support is minimal.
Need: An intervention to increase parent support that includes opportunities for volunteering at school, instruction on
how parents can support their children academically at home, a variety of school events that parents can attend
(performances, recognition programs),and connecting parents with available social services.
Dalewood Middle has a variety of community partners that assist our students in the community as well as during
school hours. The following community partners provide social support: OnPoint (helps teens avoid risky behaviors),
Delta Sigma Theta (provides female adult mentors for female students), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (spiritual
support for athletes), YCAP (after school program for at risk students), Stop the Madness (provides male adult mentors
9
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
5. Rigorous Curriculum- Alignment of
curriculum with state standards across
grade levels
Curriculum Intervention Programs
for male students), and TRIO (promotes college readiness). In addition, Dalewood has several community partners that
provide academic support: GEAR UP (after school literacy, mathematics, and enrichment program), Junior Achievement
(educates students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy), and the Hazel-Bowles
Foundation (provides school supplies), and Vulcan (provides student incentives for academic achievement). These
partners are essential in helping us to prepare well-rounded students to ensure they will have an opportunity to be
successful in the future.
Provide a summary of existing status and current needs.
The Gates McGinnitie test is administered during the 3rd week of school to identify student reading levels so that
remediation and enrichment opportunities can be provided for students. Students will be administered regularly
scheduled Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) testing throughout the year to monitor growth in reading abilities. The
Styles Reading Inventory will also be administered to students to help them identify the reading environment that best
suits them individually when they are reading. We are implementing Power Reader to 20% of our overall student
population that have the lowest reading level in their current grade. This will be used for roughly 20 students per grade
level. District bench mark testing will be administered in math at the end of each quarter to provide data that will
support areas of strengths and deficiencies for students so their academic needs can be addressed during class time as
well as after school. We are continuing to explore different computer based avenues in math so that teachers can
receive data with a quick turnaround that is aligned with TCAP and common core standards. We are looking into
computer based programs that would allow teachers to get more feedback as opposed to waiting for benchmark testing
at the end of each quarter. TCAP Coach books are also being used in core content areas to support instruction as well as
prepare our students for the test when it is administered this spring.
Extra help opportunities are provided for students during after school tutoring and an extended day program we have
developed through the use of the 21st Century Grant.
Enrichment Programs
Needs: An online diagnostic tool such as Discovery Education Assessment that will allow for ongoing monitoring of
student academic progress.
Enrichment opportunities are provided through our Gifted and Talented Program during school hours and students that
have documented strong math skills are being offered Algebra I for a high school credit. Higher performing math
students will have the opportunity to participate in an after school Algebra I course to gain high school credit. We will
identify 10 students to participate in this program and we are still exploring other opportunities to provide enrichment
opportunities in other areas for our high performing students.
Needs: A 6thgrade summer transition program; academic enrichment activities offered during the daily activity period
and after-school programs.
Dual enrollment (if applicable)
N/A
10
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Advanced Placement (if applicable)
N/A
6. Instructional Program
Provide a summary of existing status and current needs.
Planning and implementation of research
based instructional strategies
The instructional program at Dalewood Middle School is aligned with the Tennessee standards which are reflected in
teacher-generated curriculum maps, instructional units, and daily lesson plans. Teachers are expected to use a variety of
research-based teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs of their students. These include cooperative learning,
small group instruction, visual aids, graphic organizers, and technology-based instruction. Teachers are expected to use
common grade level planning to meet weekly in teams to plan instruction and develop cross-curricular lessons as well as
to collaborate on student behavior, academic progress, and to hold parent conferences. In addition, they meet monthly
in subject-area teams to vertically align the curriculum. The school administrators review lesson plans weekly and give
teachers feedback. In addition, they regularly observe classroom instruction in order to monitor the instructional
program.
Needs: The instructional program would benefit from a reform model program such as Making Middle Grades Work that
would provide professional development in the areas of differentiated instruction, project-based learning, and higherlevel thinking strategies. In addition, content specific professional development in literacy and math provided by
Reader’s/Writer’s Workshop and Teacher Development Group. Additional personnel, such as a Literacy Coach and a
Mathematics Coach, would strengthen the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the instructional program.
On the 2011-12 TELL survey, only 19% of the teachers at Dalewood agreed they have sufficient access to instructional
technology. There are currently 8 classrooms with interactive boards. Two of these are special education classrooms
and one is a related arts technology classroom. In addition, every academic teacher has an Elmo projection camera. One
computer lab with 35 computers is designated for the related arts technology classroom. There are also 2 computer labs
available for student work with a total of 50 desktop computers. Several classrooms have two desktop computers that
have been designated for student use. Graphing calculators are available for all students to use in their mathematics
classrooms. Dalewood currently has 5 Promethium Boards throughout the school and every academic teacher has an
Elmo in the classroom.
Use of instructional technology
Use of data analysis to inform and
differentiate instruction
Needs: Panaboards to increase student engagement and technology-embedded instruction
Although instructional data is reviewed by the administration, teacher observations have revealed that data from
teacher-created assessments, common formative assessments, or TCAP, is not present in individual classrooms. This
year, each teacher maintains a data notebook. These notebooks contain School-Level TVAAS scores, Teacher
Effectiveness graphs, Literacy scores, TCAP for the prior year and current students. District benchmark tasks and PARCC
constructed esponses assessments are also included in the notebook for mathematics courses. Teachers also collect,
maintain, and monitor classroom-level data using the notebooks. They will use them to adjust instruction and
determine pacing. The notebook use will be monitored by instructional coaches.
11
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Subject-area teams use EXPLORE data to determine areas of eighth grade students’ strength and weakness when the
data from the test becomes available in November. Curriculum maps and lesson plans are adjusted accordingly.
Each student takes the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) test three times during the school year. Teachers use this test
to determine appropriate reading-level texts for independent reading and to track student reading progress.
Teachers will participate in TVAAS training in order to access, understand, and use the Tennessee Value-Added
Assessment System. Teachers will understand how their instruction has an effect on student academic growth.
Predicted scores will be used by teachers in order to differentiate instruction.
Needs: Computer-based academic intervention programs, such as Discovery Education Assessment, with immediate
feedback in identifying areas of deficiencies for students to enhance student preparation for state mandated test; and
professional development for teachers on how to use assessment data to drive instruction.
Number of minutes scheduled for core
academic subjects
6th Grade :
Reading/Writing - 100 minutes/day (18,000 minutes/year)
Math, Science, Social Studies – 50 minutes/day (9,000 minutes/year)
7th & 8th Grades:
All Core Subjects – 65 minutes/day (11,700 minutes/year)
Needs: Extend the school day; adjust master schedule to increase instructional time for core subjects.
7. Assessments
Use of formative, interim, and summative
assessments to measure student progress
Timeline for reporting student progress to
parents
Dalewood Middle School uses the reading assessment, Scholastic Reading Inventory, for all students and the Reading
Styles Inventory for the lowest quartile of students. PowerReader is also being implemented for the 20% of students
with the lowest reading scores. The mathematics department administers quarterly Benchmark Assessments that are
developed by Hamilton County. Eighth grade students take the State Writing Assessment and the EXPLORE test. All
students take the TCAP or the MAAS at the end of the year. Additionally, all teachers conduct formative and summative
assessments to guide their instruction and these assessments are included on their weekly lesson plans.
Needs: Diagnostic assessments to provide immediate and ongoing data for teachers; professional development to assist
teachers with the effective use of data to drive instruction.
The school provides progress reports every three weeks and report cards quarterly. Report Card Pickup/Parent
conferences are held after school and all parents are encouraged to attend. In addition, all teachers use an online
gradebook through the program PowerSchool which gives parents ongoing access to student academic progress.
Teachers are required to submit at least two grades per week. The computers in the library are available for parents
who do not have home Internet access.
12
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Needs: A monitoring system for tracking teacher communications with parents.
8. Parent and Community Support
Social, health, and community services to
students and families
Provide a summary of existing status and current needs.
Dalewood Middle School uses a site-based council to promote collaboration between the school, parents, and the
community. Seven community/business groups provide services to our students and families. Vulcan Materials donates
money each year for special student projects such as a Christmas shopping trip to Wal-Mart for selected students. The
Hazel Bowles Foundation donates school supplies to all students at the beginning of the school year, including uniforms
for selected students. On Point, Big Brothers/Sisters, Urban League, Junior Achievement, and Better Tomorrow assist
Dalewood through mentoring programs and classroom instruction. Other community volunteer/mentors are used to
read along with students who read below grade level.
Dalewood Middle School needs to increase community involvement to ensure that students are receiving all
information and services necessary to come to school ready to learn, and to ensure that parents are informed to
support their child’s learning.
Needs: More strategic use of community health and mental health services for students and their families; community
outreach events with fine arts focus (highlighting student talents); student community service learning activities.
Parent support to students and school
Currently we have a Family Partnership Specialist on staff to conduct special programs for parents, connect parents with
community agencies, facilitate parent communication, and implement student incentive programs and field trips.
Parents have an open invitation to join their students for lunch at any time. During the previous school year, parent
support to students and the school was very limited. The Parent- Teacher Association only had twenty-five members in
2011-2012, and attendance was low at the few meetings that were held. Some parents volunteered at a few sports
activities.
Dalewood will continue to use ConnectEd message to provide parents with information regarding the school. We will
generate a monthly newsletter to parents and flyers to keep parents abreast of the happenings within the school. The
guidance counselor will continue to conduct family information sessions on testing data (Explore).
This year we plan to provide more parent-focused events with incentives such as dinners and door prizes. The Family
Partnership Specialist will continue to invite parents to join their child for lunch and will plan academic nights and
parenting seminars.
There is a need to increase parental involvement at Dalewood Middle School. Our specific needs are: (1) An active
Parent Teacher Association with continual, positive presence in the building; (2) Parent volunteers in classrooms and at
athletic and academic events; (3) Ongoing, positive communication between parents, teachers, and administrators to
build a climate of trust and mutual support via newsletter, email, website, teacher web pages, etc.; and (4) Training
programs to empower parents to support academics at home and become savvy advocates for their children.
13
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
2. School Improvement Plan
Attach an electronic copy of the school’s comprehensive plan for school improvement that will be implemented in conjunction with the
Transformation Model. (Label as Attachment School Name School Improvement Plan)
You may use the “streamlined” improvement plan developed in Fall 2011, “Revised Tennessee School and District Improvement Planning document
or one of your choosing.
14
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Transformation Model
School Name:
Rationale for selection of intervention model: Explain how the LEA will use the turnaround intervention model to address the root causes of the school’s
low-performance as identified in the school’s needs assessment.
Dalewood Middle School will implement the transformation model to address the root causes of low-performance at the school. As mentioned in the
needs assessment, eight of Dalewood’s twenty-two teachers (36%) are new to the school building this year, and six of the twenty-two (25%) have only 13 years of total teaching experience. With such a high number of teachers brand new to the school, it could be detrimental to select the turnaround model
and replace 50% of the teaching staff.
The new administration has already seen promising improvements to the school culture so far this year, and the transformation model will provide the
opportunity to build upon that momentum. With many staff members new to the school and to the teaching profession, we strongly believe that with the
right professional development, supports, culture of feedback, and level of accountability, our staff can become highly effective teachers.
The transformation model’s emphasis on preparing teachers in effective instructional strategies and using data to drive their decision-making in the
classroom is the right fit for our needs. Our low Math and Reading/Language Arts test scores speaks to the need for our staff to know our students as
individual learners, to have the skills and tools to bring them quickly up to grade level, and the systems to monitor performance and course correct as
necessary.
This process will require strong leadership, a reformed culture of high expectations and a safe learning environment with a system to incentivize positive
behavior. The transformation model emphasizes these elements by replacing the principal, implementing a rigorous evaluation system, coupled with
rewards for high-performers, providing staff with meaningful professional development, and promoting a culture of data and continuous improvement.
Coupled with the support from the iZone, Dalewood’s School Improvement Plan provides a framework for successful implementation of the
transformation model.
If the LEA has begun in whole or in part a turnaround intervention model within the past two years, and wished to continue, describe the actions that
have been taken up to the present that are relative to the turnaround requirements. Cite evidence of the impact of the model on the school to date.
The only action that has been taken in the past two years as part of the transformation model requirements is that Chris Earl was newly appointed to serve
as principal of Dalewood Middle School at the beginning of SY 2012. Since his appointment, there are promising signs of a strong vision for school
improvement and an improving school culture.
15
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Annual Goals for Reading/Language Arts on State assessments for “all students” group and for each subgroup.
SY 2013: The percentage of students scoring proficient and advanced on the Reading/Language Arts section of the TCAP state assessment will increase a
minimum of 10 percentage points from the SY 2012-2013 baseline percentage. The following percentages are based on the SY 2011-2012 TCAP results and will
be updated upon receipt of the SY 2012-2013 TCAP results and approval of the School Improvement Grant. The goals exceed the Annual Measureable
Objective (AMO) Achievement and Gap Closure Targets as set by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and the Hamilton County Department of
Education (HCDE).
SY 2014: The percentage of students scoring proficient and advanced on the Reading/Language Arts section of the TCAP state assessment will increase a
minimum of 10 percentage points from the percentage obtained in SY 2013-2014.
SY 2015: The percentage of students scoring proficient and advanced on the Reading/Language Arts section of the TCAP state assessment will increase a
minimum of 10 percentage points from the percentage obtained in SY 2014-2015.
Dalewood Middle
Reading/Language Arts
% Proficient/Advanced
All Students
SY '11-'12
13.8%
2013
23.8%
2014
33.8%
2015
43.8%
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
12.6%
13.5%
14.3%
22.6%
23.5%
24.3%
32.6%
33.5%
34.3%
42.6%
43.5%
44.3%
African-American
Hispanic
White
Asian
12.4%
13.3%
19.0%
n/a
22.4%
23.3%
29.0%
32.4%
33.3%
39.0%
42.4%
43.3%
49.0%
Limited English Proficiency
Economically Disadvantaged
Students with Disabilities
n/a
14.6%
28.2%
24.6%
38.2%
34.6%
48.2%
44.6%
58.2%
Female
Male
8.9%
15.6%
18.9%
25.6%
28.9%
35.6%
38.9%
45.6%
16
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Quarterly Milestone Goals for Reading/Language Arts on interim assessments for “all students” group and for each subgroup for ( to be updated annually
upon renewal of the grant)
Four interim assessments will be used to monitor student progress toward annual achievement goals:
The HCDE District Literacy Quarterly Benchmark Assessment will be utilized to determine students’ performance levels and mastery of
Reading/Language Arts standards. The goal is for all students in grades 6, 7, and 8 to demonstrate a minimum of a 2.5 percentage point gain on each
Reading/Language Arts quarterly benchmark assessment.
Discovery Education interim benchmark assessments will be utilized to monitor student achievement in Reading/Language Arts. The goal is for all
students in grades 6, 7, and 8 to demonstrate a minimum of a 2.5 percentage point gain on each Reading/Language Arts quarterly assessment.
The Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) will be utilized to evaluate and monitor students’ reading ability. The assessment will be administered at the
beginning, midpoint, and end of the school year. The goal is for all students to demonstrate a minimum growth of 3 months in their reading ability per
assessment round.
Annual Goals for Mathematics on State assessments for “all students” group and for each subgroup.
SY 2013: The percentage of students scoring proficient and advanced on the Mathematics section of the TCAP state assessment will increase a minimum of 10
percentage points from the SY 2012-2013 baseline percentage. (The following percentages are based on the SY 2011-2012 TCAP results and will be updated
upon receipt of the SY 2012-2013 TCAP results and approval of the School Improvement Grant. The goals exceed the Annual Measureable Objective (AMO)
Achievement and Gap Closure Targets as set by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and the Hamilton County Department of Education (HCDE).
SY 2014: The percentage of students scoring proficient and advanced on the Mathematics section of the TCAP state assessment will increase a minimum of 10
percentage points from the percentage obtained in SY 2013-2014.
SY 2015: The percentage of students scoring proficient and advanced on the Mathematics section of the TCAP state assessment will increase a minimum of 10
percentage points from the percentage obtained in SY 2014-2015.
17
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Dalewood Middle
Mathematics
% Proficient/Advanced
All Students
SY '11-'12
10.8%
2013
20.8%
2014
30.8%
2015
40.8%
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
10.3%
9.0%
4.4%
20.3%
19.0%
14.4%
30.3%
29.0%
24.4%
40.3%
39.0%
34.4%
African-American
Hispanic
White
Asian
9.6%
10.1%
19.1%
n/a
19.6%
20.1%
29.1%
29.6%
30.1%
39.1%
39.6%
40.1%
49.1%
Limited English Proficiency
Economically Disadvantaged
Students with Disabilities
n/a
11.4%
28.1%
21.4%
38.1%
31.4%
48.1%
41.4%
58.1%
Female
Male
6.5%
7.8%
16.5%
17.8%
26.5%
27.8%
36.5%
37.8%
Quarterly Milestone Goals for Mathematics on interim assessments for “all students” group and for each subgroup for (to be updated annually upon
renewal of the grant).
Three interim assessments will be used to monitor student progress toward annual achievement goals:
The HCDE District Mathematics Quarterly Benchmark Assessment will be utilized to determine students’ performance levels and mastery of
Mathematics standards. The goal is for all students in grades 6, 7, and 8 to demonstrate a minimum of a 2.5 percentage point gain on each Mathematics
quarterly benchmark assessment.
Discovery Education interim benchmark assessments will be utilized to monitor student achievement in Mathematics. The goal is for all students in
grades 6, 7, and 8 to demonstrate a minimum of a 2.5 percentage point gain on each Mathematics quarterly assessment.
18
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Annual Goals for Science on State assessments for “all students” group and for each subgroup.
SY 2013: The percentage of students scoring proficient and advanced on the Science section of the TCAP state assessment will increase a minimum of 10
percentage points from the SY 2012-2013 baseline percentage. (The following percentages are based on the SY 2011-2012 TCAP results and will be updated
upon receipt of the SY 2012-2013 TCAP results and approval of the School Improvement Grant.)
SY 2014: The percentage of students scoring proficient and advanced on the Science section of the TCAP state assessment will increase a minimum of 10
percentage points from the percentage obtained in SY 2013-2014.
SY 2015: The percentage of students scoring proficient and advanced on the Science section of the TCAP state assessment will increase a minimum of 10
percentage points from the percentage obtained in SY 2014-2015.
Dalewood Middle
Science
% Proficient/Advanced
All Students
SY '11-'12
18.8%
2013
28.8%
2014
38.8%
2015
48.8%
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
13.8%
26.1%
16.5%
23.8%
36.1%
26.5%
33.8%
46.1%
36.5%
43.8%
56.1%
46.5%
African-American
Hispanic
White
Asian
15.8%
0.0%
57.9%
n/a
25.8%
10.0%
67.9%
35.8%
20.0%
77.9%
45.8%
30.0%
87.9%
Limited English Proficiency
Economically Disadvantaged
Students with Disabilities
n/a
27.1%
16.7%
37.1%
26.7%
47.1%
36.7%
57.1%
46.7%
Female
Male
16.9%
20.6%
26.9%
30.6%
36.9%
40.6%
46.9%
50.6%
19
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Quarterly Milestone Goals for Science on interim assessments for “all students” group and for each subgroup for (to be updated annually upon renewal of
the grant).
Discovery Education interim benchmark assessments will be utilized to monitor student achievement in Science. The goal is for all students in grades 6,
7, and 8 to demonstrate a minimum of a 2.5 percentage point gain on each Science quarterly assessment.
Annual Goals for attendance rate in middle schools.
SY 2013: The student attendance rate for Dalewood Middle School will meet or exceed 95%
SY 2014: The student attendance rate for Dalewood Middle School will meet or exceed 95%.
SY 2015: The student attendance rate for Dalewood Middle School will meet or exceed 95%.
These student attendance goals exceed the attendance rate requirement established by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE).
Quarterly Milestone Goals for student attendance rate.
Administrators and teachers will use the HCDE Dashboard (IBM Cognos) to monitor student attendance.
The quarterly milestone goal for student attendance is 95%
20
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Transformation Model
Requirements
Action Steps for Model Requirements.
LEA Design and Implementation
of the Intervention Model for Each
Year of Grant
Note: Pre-implementation activities for Year One must be
included in the chart at the end of this model.
Implementation
Timeline
Name and Position of
Responsible Person(s)
Requirements for the Transformation Model (LEA must implement actions 1-11.)
A transformation model is one in which the LEA must implement each of the following strategies to develop and increase teacher and school leader
effectiveness:
1. Replace the principal who led the
In Spring 2012, the HCDE iZone conducted a rigorous nationwide Spring 2012
 Rick Smith, HCDE
school prior to commencement of the
recruitment and selection process to identify, recruit, and place
Superintendent
transformation model
proven effective administrators in Dalewood Middle school. Chris
Earl was selected, a former high school Assistant Principal, due to
his track record of closing achievement gaps.
2. Use rigorous, transparent, and
equitable evaluation systems for
teachers and principals thata. Take into account data on student
growth (as defined in this notice) as a
significant factor as well as other factors
such as multiple observation-based
assessments of performance and
ongoing collections of professional
practice reflective of student
achievement and increased high-school
graduations rates
b. Are designed and developed with
teacher and principal involvement
Teacher and leader evaluation is a critical component of school
reform. Research has consistently shown that teachers are the
primary drivers of student learning and achievement (Marzano,
2007).
Ongoing 2013-2016
Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model
 Le Andrea Ware,
Innovation Zone
Director
 Steve Holmes, Middle
School Operations
Director
By state law, the Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model (TEAM)
is utilized to evaluate teacher and principals. TEAM requires a
minimum of 50% of the evaluation be tied directly to student
achievement for teachers and administrator. 35% is generated from
the TVAAS data with the other 15% being the selected AMW
(Achievement Measurement Worksheet). TVAAS is available for
all core content teachers. Non-content specific teachers and
administrators have their scores derived from school-wide data.
 Christian Earl,
Principal
 Elaine Harper,
Assistant Principal
The other 50% of the evaluation measure for teachers is based on
HCDE’s Project COACH model. Hamilton County received
permission from the state department of education to implement its
own teacher developed evaluation instrument. Project COACH
was designed in collaboration with multiple stakeholders including
21
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
teachers, LEA, union reps, and administrators. COACH operates
from a coaching stand point where administrators work
collaboratively with teachers to improve teacher effectiveness.
Tenured teachers are observed a minimum of 6 times per year and
non-tenured teachers, 8 mini-observations per year. Closely
monitored are the following domains that are directly tied to
student achievement: Planning and Preparation for Learning,
Classroom Management, Delivery of Instruction, Monitoring,
Assessment and Follow-up. A mid-year conference is followed
by a summative review. Scores are then converted to the TEAM
state scale.
Project COACH and TVAAS Alignment: Administrators will
receive intensive training in effectively evaluating and supporting
teachers to ensure Project COACH results are appropriately
aligned with TVAAS results.
School-wide Professional Development Plans (PDP):
Due to the bottom five percent status of the iZone schools, all
iZone principals and teachers are required to collaboratively
develop a school-wide professional development plan for all
teachers.
Performance Improvement Plan (PIP): It is expected that all
iZone teachers will maintain an effectiveness level of 3 or above.
Throughout the year, ample opportunities will be provided to
certified staff members to improve their professional practice.
Following year one, teachers receiving an effectiveness level
below 3 will be placed on a monthly PIP that is collaboratively
developed with the administration. Failure to maintain an
effectiveness level of 3 or higher after year two will result in
removal from the iZone or dismissal from HCDE.
Teacher Attendance
Since high rates of teacher absenteeism is a problem at Dalewood
and it is imperative that students receive consistent instruction
from their teachers on a daily basis, focus groups will be held to
22
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
determine the root causes of low teacher attendance. Based on the
findings, the administration will determine the best course of
action to both incentivize teacher attendance and hold teachers
accountable.
3. Identify and reward school leaders,
teachers, and other staff who, in
implementing this model, have
increased student achievement and highschool graduation rates and identify and
remove those who, after ample
opportunities have been provided for
them to improve their professional
practice, have not done so
A critical component and resource to recruit and retain highly
SY 2013-2014
effective teachers for Dalewood Middle school is the participation
in the strategic compensation models developed through the
Tennessee-Teacher Incentive Fund Grant (TN-TIF). Currently,
DMS participates in the TN-TIF grant. The strategic compensation
models, designed for elementary, middle, and high schools,
provide individual, team, and building performance awards for
teachers and principals based on the following criteria:
 Dr. Kirk Kelly,
Director of
Accountability and
Testing
There is a need to supplement the existing HCDE Teacher
Incentive Fund (TIF) to allow DMS administrators and Success
Rate teachers to receive monetary incentives for signing/retention,
achieving the annual goals as stated in the SIG, and attaining a
TVAAS Effectiveness Level 4 or 5.
 Penny Murray, Human
Resources Coordinator
 Le Andrea Ware,
Innovation Zone
Director
Reading/Language Arts Teachers (Grades 6-8)
Funding
# Funded
Description
Source Each by SIG
R/LA: Level 4 or 5 (TVAAS)
TIF
R/LA Grades 6-8 (achieve SIG goal)
SIG
4
TCAP Writing (10% decrease in scores 0, 1, 2, 3s) TIF
Individual Teacher Attendance = 97%
TIF*
Signing and Retention Bonus
SIG
$12,600
Amount
$ 5,000
$ 2,000
$
100
$
500
$ 5,000
Mathematics Teachers (Grades 6-8)
Funding
# Funded
Description
Source Each by SIG
Math: Level 4 or 5 (TVAAS)
TIF
Math Grades 6-8 (achieve SIG goal)
SIG
3
TCAP Writing (10% decrease in scores 0, 1, 2, 3s) TIF
Individual Teacher Attendance = 97%
TIF*
Signing and Retention Bonus
SIG
$12,600
Amount
$ 5,000
$ 2,000
$
100
$
500
$ 5,000
23
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Science Teachers (Grades 6-8)
Funding
# Funded
Description
Source Each by SIG
Science: Level 4 or 5 (TVAAS)
SIG
Science Grades 6-8 (achieve SIG goal)
SIG
3
TCAP Writing (10% decrease in scores 0, 1, 2, 3s) TIF
Individual Teacher Attendance = 97%
TIF*
Signing and Retention Bonus
SIG
$12,600
Amount
$ 5,000
$ 2,000
$
100
$
500
$ 5,000
Literacy Coach
Amount Description
5,000 Signing and Retention Bonus
3,000 R/LA Grades 6-8 (achieve SIG goal)
500 Individual Teacher Attendance = 97%
SIG/LEA
SIG/LEA
TIF*
$8,500
$
$
$
Funding
# Funded
Source Each by SIG
1
Numeracy Coach
Amount Description
5,000 Signing and Retention Bonus
3,000 Math Grades 6-8 (achieve SIG goal)
500 Individual Teacher Attendance = 97%
SIG/LEA
SIG/LEA
TIF*
$8,500
$
$
$
Funding
# Funded
Source Each by SIG
1
Assistant Principal
Amount Description
SIG
$10,000
$ 10,000 Signing and Retention Bonus
Funding
# Funded
Source Each by SIG
1
Principal
Funding
# Funded
Source Each by SIG
$ 15,000 Signing and Retention Bonus
SIG/LEA
$15,000
Amount Description
1
24
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Additional criteria for receiving full TIF award includes:

Attendance: 95% or better

Must be employed (unless retired or promoted) in the incentive
eligible position at the scheduled time of payout. Teachers who
leave the District before the time of the payout will be deemed
ineligible for a payout.

Employees must be in “good standing” (all licensures and
certifications are up-to-date).

Employees must be supervised and evaluated by the principal
or supervisor of the campus where they are serving students.
Performance evaluation ratings for teachers must be highly
effective or effective in order to receive a pay-out. Teachers
receiving a rating of improvement necessary or does not meet
standards will be ineligible for an award payout.
In order to retain a highly effective teaching staff:

All tenured and non-tenured Dalewood Middle school
teachers will be evaluated annually

All Dalewood Middle school teachers will be required to
maintain a minimum annual overall composite score of 3 or
above

Teachers scoring a 3, 4 or 5 will receive a satisfactory
evaluation and continued iZone employment

Tenured or non-tenured Dalewood Middle teachers who fail to
score a 3, 4 or 5 will receive an unsatisfactory evaluation and
will be reassigned to a non-iZone school or recommended for
district dismissal.
25
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
4. Provide staff with ongoing, highquality, job-embedded professional
development (e.g., regarding subjectspecific pedagogy, instruction that
reflects a deeper understanding of the
community served by the school, or
differentiated instruction) that is aligned
with the school’s comprehensive
instructional program and designed with
school staff to ensure they are equipped
to facilitate effective teaching and
learning and have the capacity to
successfully implement school reform
strategies
Dalewood Middle School will conduct the following school-based Ongoing 2013 –2016
professional development support:

Involve all staff in an orientation to the Making Middle Grades
Work (MMGW) whole-school improvement framework.

Conduct a two-day workshop for a team of teacher-leaders
(subject and grade-level leaders) and administrators to analyze
data and further evaluate school needs.

Visit high-performing urban middle schools that have made
significant progress using the MMGW framework/design to
learn strategies for improvement that are transferrable to
Dalewood.



 Le Andrea Ware,
Innovation Zone
Director
 Jamie Parris and Stacy
Roddy- HCDE Math
Directors
 Kathy Pagano & Julie
Legg- HCDE Literacy
Directors
 Christian Earl,
Principal
Train cadre of teacher-leaders from ELA, science, social
studies and related arts to develop school-wide Literacy Plan.
Provide job-embedded Rigor Workshops by content area that
train teachers to utilize research-based protocols to identify
levels of rigor and of student engagement in assignments and
assessments, then develop a plan to raise the level of rigor of
assignments and assessments.
 Elaine Harper,
Assistant Principal
 Literacy and Math
Content Instructional
Coaches- Sylvia
Davis, TBD
Provide job-embedded support to teachers and the guidance
counselor to energize the current advisement program and
ensure it engages all faculty members in connecting to students
and helping students and their parents plan for high school and
post-secondary education or job-training.
 Dalewood Teaching
Staff
 iZone SIG Facilitator
(TBD)
Ongoing, job-embedded math and language arts professional
development facilitated by the literacy and numeracy coaches.
 Battelle for Kids
Trainers/ Tenn. Center
of Regional
26
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Excellence (CORE)
Sharon Harper
 Various approved
vendors/external
providers via RFP
5. Implement such strategies such as
financial incentives, increased
opportunities for promotion and career
growth, and more flexible work
conditions that are designed to recruit,
place, and retain staff with the skills
necessary to meet the needs of the
student in a transformation school.
Dalewood Middle will emphasize the following areas as they work Ongoing 2013-2016
to recruit, place, and/or retain quality staff to ensure continuous
school improvement and increased student learning:
 Le Andrea Ware,
Innovation Zone
Director
Support and Guidance
 Brent Webb,
Innovation Zone Data
Analyst

Administrative Support: Dalewood administrators will
continue to maintain a safe and orderly environment and
ensure that maximum instruction time will occur in
classrooms, operate under an open-door policy with strong
lines of communication and value input and involvement from
the staff in the decision-making process, provide feedback in a
timely manner, seek to address the individual professional
needs of the staff, and provide staff with the appropriate tools
for promoting engaging instruction to occur in the classroom.
 Christian Earl,
Principal
 Elaine Harper,
Assistant Principal
 Dalewood Teaching
Staff

Mentors: New teachers and teachers identified as needing
assistance will be partnered with a lead teacher mentor to
ensure support in all phases of the professional growth process.
 SIG Coordinator
(TBD)

Support Personnel: The content specific coaches, and family
partnership specialist will work in their respective roles to
ensure improved student achievement; relevant parent and
community involvement; increased professional learning; and
frequent monitoring and analysis of data.
 Battelle for Kids
Trainers/ Tenn. Center
of Regional
Excellence (CORE)
Sharon Harper

Professional Development: These activities will provide the
opportunity for continued development of a community of
learners; will provide the content-specific and school-wide
instructional support that ensures the effective, continued,
 Various approved
vendors/external
providers via RFP
27
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
successful implementation of the school improvement design
model; promote teachers in their career growth (National
Board Certification; career advancement) and offer
opportunities to expand their professional knowledge; and
offer time for collaboration to occur while building a sense of
unity toward achieving common goals.

Teacher Leaders: Dalewood will provide and encourage
opportunities for leadership positions (i.e., committee
chairpersons, team leaders, department chairpersons,
Leadership Team) to increase involvement of more staff
members in school improvement decision-making and
implementing the action plans with the appropriate
professional learning and administrative support.

Collaboration: This transformation model demands increased
on-going collaboration to effectively and efficiently implement
school improvement strategies and programs (i.e.,
interventionists, data analysis, common planning, common
forms of assessment, instructional strategies, mentoring) and
appropriately incorporate technology in the curriculum.
Collaboration will also ensure that the professional
development is embedded in classroom instruction and is
sustained through support, practice, and applicable revisions.

Stipends: Offered through Title I funds to encourage and
compensate teachers for active and productive participation in
extended day opportunities (i.e., professional development,
school improvement programs, collaboration) that further
school improvement efforts.

Teacher Incentives: This transformation model will allow
certified teachers to receive monetary incentives for achieving
the annual goals as stated in the SIG. (Indicator 3-Financial
Incentives)

The state approved evaluation system (Project COACH and
28
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
TEAM) will ensure a fair and thorough evaluation process
through self-assessment and reflection, multiple observations,
feedback, data analysis of student performance, and
assessment of other duties and responsibilities.
Resources

Technology: Through SIG funds and local grants, classrooms
will be equipped with up-to-date technology devices that will
enhance instruction, and students will be provided with
technology tools that will increase their engagement and
achievement.
Parental and Community Involvement

Partnerships with Businesses: Dalewood will support teachers
through increasing the meaningful involvement of business
partners in the educational process (i.e., providing job
shadowing, work-based learning, and apprenticeships for
students; volunteering for school programs and activities;
offering expertise as classroom speakers; providing
supplemental funding for student incentives; providing
information to teachers about entry-level job requirements).

Parental Support: Dalewood will support teachers through
increased, relevant parental involvement through full-time
Family Partnership Specialists who will establish and maintain
open lines of communication, coordinate volunteer
opportunities, and provide learning opportunities to aid parents
to better serve their children and support teachers in the
educational process.
Culture and Climate

Public Relations: Dalewood will work with local college
teacher preparation academies to target prospective qualified
teachers; will continue to communicate through local media
outlets, newsletters, and websites (iZone, school, national),
29
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
sharing quality program information, successes, and
information concerning school improvement; and elicit input
and staff involvement on public relations.

Sense of Community: Dalewood teachers will develop positive
working relationships with co-workers through collaborative
activities and professional development opportunities that
promote and/or require teamwork. A sense of belonging,
partnerships, and loyalty will enhance continued school
improvement efforts and teacher retention.

Recognitions and Celebrations: Dalewood will continue to
demonstrate their awareness and commitment to iZone
teachers by utilizing motivational tools/strategies to recognize
staff members‘ accomplishments and/or their successful
programs and to celebrate school improvement successes (i.e.,
hospitality committee, teacher of the week, teacher of the year,
personal awards/recognitions)

Building Positive Student Relationships: Teachers will be
provided with learning opportunities to increase their ability to
engage students and get them excited about learning; build
rapport, respect and positive classroom atmospheres; and guide
students to become independent learners.
Teachers will also be provided leadership and flexible growth
opportunities (i.e., serving as Clinical Instructors, Mentors,
Content Experts, Department Heads)

A transformation model is one which the LEA must implement each of the following comprehensive instructional reform strategies.
6. Use data to identify and implement
an instructional program that is
research-based and “vertically aligned”
from one grade to the next as well as
aligned with State academic standards
Data Support

Train staff on data usage to support instructional and
school wide decisions.

Teachers will maintain data notebooks throughout the
 Chris Earl, Principal
Fall 2013
 Elaine Harper, AP
 Sylvia Davis, Literacy
30
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
school year that they will use to plan, adjust, and
differentiate instruction.
Coach
 TBD, Numeracy
Coach
Curriculum Alignment


Ongoing vertical and horizontal alignment of the
curriculum content in grades six through eight to assure
vertical and horizontal alignment to the CCSS and
Tennessee State Standards.
Ongoing 2103-16
Alignments will be reflected in teacher curriculum maps
and lesson plans.
Teaching Practices and Rubrics

Implement research-based middle grades school and
classroom teaching practices that align with grade-level
standards throughout the three years of support in this
proposal. Train teachers using job-embedded staff
development as needed so that all teachers can use a
protocol for analyzing student work.

Provide training for teachers on Utilizing High-Quality
Rubrics for assignments requiring student work products
such as projects or written assignments.
7. Promote the continuous use of
Data Support
student data (such as from formative,
 Train staff on data usage to support instructional and
interim, and summative assessments) to
school wide decisions.
inform and differentiate instruction in
order to meet the academic needs of
Assessment Development
individual students

Collaborate with The instructional coaches and the
MMGW consultant will support language arts and
mathematics teachers to develop assessments (formative,
interim, and summative) to guide and differentiate
Ongoing 2013-16
 Chris Earl, Principal
Summer 2013
 Sylvia Davis, Literacy
Coach
 TBD, Numeracy
Coach
Monthly 2013-16
31
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
instruction.

Utilize ongoing formative assessment to immediately
intervene when students who fall behind academically.
Offer these students additional learning opportunities
during the daily Activity Period or with after-school
academic programs.
Ongoing 2013-16
Data Workshops

The MMGW consultant will train teachers and
administrators on methods of evaluating data to determine
areas of need and drive instructional decisions.

Conduct annual data workshops that allow the leadership
team to re-evaluate the data yearly and use it to make
adjustments to instruction as needed.
Monthly 2013-16
Annually 2013-16
Ongoing Diagnostic Assessments


Determine student reading lexile using the Scholastic
Reading Inventory assessment (SRI)

Conduct online assessments using Discovery Education in
language arts, mathematics, and science.
Quarterly 2013-16

Data will be used to inform and differentiate instruction.
A transformation model is one which the LEA must implement each of the following strategies to increase learning time and create community oriented
schools.
8. Establish schedules and implement
Extended Learning Plan for Students and Teachers
strategies that provide increased
Ongoing 2013-2016
learning time as defined in the SIG final Dalewood will extend selected school days and restructure daily
schedules
to
embed
additional
time
and
support
for
teacher
and
requirements.
student extended learning opportunities. Additionally, students will
be provided intervention and/or enrichment opportunities before

Christian Earl,
Principal

Elaine Harper,
32
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
and/or after school, Saturdays, summer sessions and/or
intersessions.
Assistant Principal
Extended Learning Opportunities for All Students- 300 Hours

Senta Dixson,
iZone Family
Partnership
Specialist

TBD, iZone
Innovation
Projects
Coordinator

Lakweshia Ewing,
HCDE Family
Engagement and
Partnerships
Director

Senta Dixon
Family Partnership
Spec
Extended Day Schedule:
o
Dalewood will implement an extended day schedule of 32
select days, 16 in the fall of 2013 and 16 in the spring of
2014. Students will attend for an additional 1.50 hours per
day during this time.
Restructured School Master Schedules:
o
Dalewood will restructure the master schedule to add in 90
hours per year to core classes. This will be done in
collaboration with elective classes in-house to extend
learning in core subjects (English, math, sciences, foreign
languages, history, etc.) on selected days throughout the
year.
Dalewood After school and Summer Options
o
Sessions will be conducted for Transition Camps,
Intervention/Credit Recovery or Enrichment.
o
Twenty-First Century Learning Grant- Dalewood will also
utilize this new grant to provide 15 hours per week of
academic support in math, reading and science through
this after school program. Students are also provided
cultural enrichment (art, music) and technology
opportunities to expand their knowledge base and
experiences. Families of these students also benefit from
GED preparation program and other adult focused
educational opportunities.
33
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Extended Professional Learning Opportunities for Teachers:
116 Hours
9. Provide ongoing mechanisms for
family and community engagement

iZone Mini-Retreat – 16 hours- June 24-25; Time: 84p.m. (2 days)

Summer Collaborative Planning – 28 hours- Time: 83 (4 days)
o Credit recovery, assessment, pacing,
alignment, mapping

Quality Circles – 18 hours- 1 hour bi-weekly after
school sessions

Content Teams – 36 hours – weekly after school
sessions

Department Teams – 18 hours – bi-weekly sessions
Dalewood Middle school will utilize a Family Partnership
Ongoing 2013- 2016
Specialist to promote parental and community involvement that
positively improves external perceptions and external partnerships.
The specialist will serve as a liaison and advocate for parents,
students, and school administration, coordinate volunteer activities,
form a link and facilitate commitment and communication between
school and home and school and community. Increase student,
parent and community activities that work on improving the school
culture and climate. Also each school will have community
partners committing to provide funds, volunteer hours and a
variety of expertise to support whole school/community
transformation efforts.
We believe that family and community support is an essential
component of student success. Therefore, our school reform effort
contains activities aimed at increasing family and community
engagement.

Recruit parent volunteers for classrooms and athletic and

Christian Earl,
Principal

Elaine Harper,
Assistant Principal

Senta Dixon,
iZone Family
Partnership
Specialist

TBD, iZone
Innovation Project
Manager

Lakweshia Ewing,
HCDE Family
Engagement and
34
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
academic events.

Partnerships
Director
Maintain positive communication between parents,
teachers, and administrators to build a climate of trust and
mutual support via newsletter, email, website, and
ConnectEd.

Provide programs to empower parents to support
academics at home and become savvy advocates for their
children.

Curriculum Nights: Allow parents the opportunity to
attend each class, meet the teacher, examine textbooks and
other materials, learn ways teachers contact parents,
receive a syllabus, and register email addresses, contact
information.

Utilize Joyce Epstein’s Six Types of Parent Involvement
to begin discussions with staff on ways to improve family
involvement in their student’s education.

Develop a mentor program for students without parents at
home.

Host Family Move Nights and Report Card Pickup
Evenings to promote parental involvement in the school.

Records of activities will be maintained by the school’s
Family Partnership Specialist and reviewed by the school
administration.

Senta Dixson FPS
A transformation model is one which the LEA must implement each of the following strategies to provide operational flexibility and sustained support.
10. Give the school sufficient
HCDE has committed to providing the resources needed to support Ongoing 2013-2016  Le Andrea Ware,
operational flexibility (such as staffing, the Dalewood transformation, including altering those policies that
Innovation Zone
calendars/time, and budgeting) to
could impede the success of School Improvement initiatives.
Director
implement fully a comprehensive
Highlights include:
approach to substantially improve
 Support the hiring of additional support/resource personnel
35
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
student achievement outcomes and
increase high school graduation rates
necessary to sufficiently implement the school
improvement plan in each school (Literacy and numeracy
coaches, academic interventionists, behavioral specialists,
data coaches, Family/Community Coordinators and
technology support technician, etc.).

The District will grant approval to allow Dalewood to
utilize the expertise and resources of the educational
organizations and improvement consultants to provide onsite training in the delivery of effective research-based
instructional strategies and programs.

The District will continue to allow the alignment of
additional funding sources (including School Improvement
Grant funds, if approved) to implement school
improvement initiatives (i.e., technology enhancement,
hiring of additional personnel to support program
implementation, extended learning opportunities, summer
programs, professional development, data assessment and
analysis).

The District and Board of Education support continued
partnerships with parents, local businesses, post-secondary
institutions, and service organizations to strengthen the
commitment to and engagement in all iZone schools.

The District will continue to (1) ensure all hired teachers
are properly certified in their area of instruction, and (2)
document that teachers maintain satisfactory yearly
performance evaluations as set forth in the approved
evaluation system.

The District will support the process of allowing the
flexibility to hire, retain and/or remove staff as specified in
the SIG transformational and turnaround models, upon
approval, by rewarding and retaining teachers who
36
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
increase student achievement, identifying and supporting
those who are in need of improvement, and removing from
Dalewood Middle , teachers who, after being provided
ample opportunities to improve their professional practice,
have failed to do so.
Other “above and beyond” district supports for iZone schools
include:
 Priority hiring timelines
11. Ensure that the school receives
ongoing, intensive technical assistance
and related support from the LEA, the
SEA, or a designated external lead
partner organization (such as a school
turnaround organization or an EMO)

Omission from district placements of displaced teachers

Reduced pupil/teacher ratios

Structured autonomy regarding operational matters such as
accessibility to funding for school needs and opportunities
for faculty and staff

Revised negotiations relating to SIG requirements, if
approved, regarding teacher expectations, work hour
requirements and compensation
The iZone Director and her team are responsible for coordinating
the work of all central office divisions to ensure that Dalewood is
fully supported and any needs that arise are addressed as
efficiently and effectively as possible. This cross-divisional
coordination is accomplished through two venues: monthly iZone
Steering Committee Meetings and the Superintendent’s weekly
cabinet meetings.
Ongoing 2013-2016
The iZone Steering Committee is led by the iZone Director and is
comprised of the heads of the Elementary Education, Secondary
Education, and Human Resources Divisions, as well as the leaders
of the Federal Programs and Special Education Departments. The
members of the committee have committed to a standing schedule
of monthly meetings that are exclusively focused on iZone-related

Le Andrea Ware,
Innovation Zone
Director

Brent Webb,
Innovation Zone Data
Analyst

TBD, iZone Project
Manager
37
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
issues. These steering committee meetings provide the iZone Team
with the opportunity to regularly focus and coordinate the work of
the various divisions on the needs of the school The steering
committee also serves as a forum where the Director can bring
iZone-related issues or questions to other senior district leaders for
guidance and advice, as well as to build consensus around iZone
plans or changes.

TBD, iZone
Instructional
Supervisor

Le Andrea Ware,
iZone Director

Brent Webb, iZone
Data Analyst
As a senior member of the HCDE district staff, the iZone Director
also participates in the Superintendent’s weekly cabinet meetings.
At these meetings, the Director provides the Superintendent and
her fellow cabinet members with updates on iZone successes and
challenges and seeks the Superintendent’s input on various policy
issues.
The iZone district office will frequently monitor leading indicators
and provide appropriate, timely, and ongoing guidance and support
to ensure continuous progress of school improvement efforts.
Permissible Strategies for the Implementation of the Transformation Model
A transformation model is one which the LEA may implement any of the following required strategies to:
(Strategies #12-26 are not required.)
 Develop and increase teacher and school leader effectiveness
 Provide comprehensive instructional reform strategies
 Increase learning time and create community oriented schools
 Provide operational flexibility and sustained support.
12. Providing additional compensation See indicators #3 and 5
to attract and retain staff with the skills
necessary to meet the needs of the
students in a transformation school
13. Instituting a system for measuring
 Create an informal observation checklist to monitor
changes in instructional practices
implementation of instructional practices resulting from
resulting from professional development
professional development.

Ongoing 2013-2016
Conduct focus walks to monitor implementation of
instructional practices resulting from professional
38
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H

development.

Chris Earl, Principal
Develop teacher and student survey to analyze the
effectiveness of teacher practices and garner students’
reflections on the opportunities they have had to complete
rigorous, engaging assignments.

Elaine Harper,
Assistant Principal

TBD, SIG Coordinator

Le Andrea Ware,
iZone Director
Chris Earl, Principal
Human Resources
Personnel
14. Ensuring that the school is not
required to accept a teacher without the
mutual consent of the teacher and
principal, regardless of the teacher’s
seniority
Dalewood will receive priority from the HCDE Human Resource
Department, iZone Project Manager, and iZone Director to ensure
high quality teachers are recruited and retained for each campus.
No teachers, regardless of seniority will be placed in Dalewood
without the mutual consent of the principal, teacher and iZone
director.
15. Conducting periodic reviews to
Administrators:
ensure that the curriculum is being
 Conduct ongoing classroom observations.
implemented with fidelity, is having the
 Meet monthly with curriculum coaches to discuss
intended impact on student
curriculum implementation and review formative
achievement, and is modified if
assessment data
ineffective
 Recommend changes based on meeting outcomes.
Instructional Coaches:
 Conduct numerous classroom observations
 Meet with teachers during planning periods to evaluate
unit development, lesson plans, and daily learning
objectives
 Evaluate lesson plans and student work to determine if
they meet grade-level expectations and show proficiency
to the state and CCSS standards.
 The instructional coaches will tier their support based
upon particular teacher needs.
16. Implementing a schoolwide
“response-to-intervention” model
Ongoing 2013-16


Ongoing 2013-16

Le Andrea Ware,
iZone Director

Brent Webb, iZone
Data Analyst

Chris Earl, Principal

Elaine Harper,
Assistant Principal

Sylvia Davis, Literacy
Coach
Monthly 2013-16
Ongoing 2013-16
 TBD, Numeracy Coach
 Teacher Leaders
All teachers will provide additional support based on formative
Quarterly 2013-2016  Le Andrea Ware,
assessments and the need for additional credits. Student academic
iZone Director
and behavioral performance will be reviewed weekly by grade1st Quarter: Julylevel teams, identifying students by tiers in terms of need for
Sept
39
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
intervention. Intervention plans will be developed by the academic -Schedule of
and School-wide Behavioral Support teams for each tier of
interventions and
academic and behavioral need.
student list
2nd Quarter: Oct-Dec
-Schedule of
interventions and
student list

Brent Webb, iZone
Data Analyst

Chris Earl, Principal

Le Andrea Ware,
iZone Director

Brent Webb, iZone
Data Analyst

Margaret Abernathy,
Director of
Exceptional Education

Chris Earl, Principal

Sylvia Davis, Literacy
Coach

TBD, Numeracy
3rd Quarter: JanMarch
-Schedule of
interventions and
student list
4th : April-May
Schedule of
interventions and
student list
17. Providing additional supports and
professional development to teachers
and principals in order to implement
effective strategies to support students
with disabilities in the least restrictive
environment and to ensure that limited
English proficient students acquire
language skills to master academic
content
Professional Development
 Include special education teachers in the Reading and
Mathematics training that will be necessary for all content
area teachers.


Ongoing 2013-16
Work with Special Needs and ELL teachers through jobembedded training in specific teaching and learning
strategies and specific differentiated learning strategies
necessary for their students to meet the proficient level of
TN and CCSS standards.
Identify MMGW Sites that have been successful in
increasing student achievement of their special education
and ELL populations to gain strategies that are transferable
to Dalewood.
40
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Coach
18. Using and integrating technology- Technology Upgrades
based supports and interventions as part
 Purchase Panaboards and Apple TV convertors to increase Summer 2013
of the instructional program
student engagement and technology-embedded instruction.
 Purchase additional computers and ipads through funding
sources outside of SIG.

Training
Summer 2013
 Panaboard Professional Development
19. In secondary schools-(a) Increasing rigor by offering
opportunities for students to enroll in
advanced coursework (such as
Advanced Placement or International
Baccalaureate; or science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics courses,
especially those that incorporate
rigorous and relevant project-, inquiry-,
or design-based contextual learning
opportunities), early-college high
schools, dual enrollment programs, or
thematic learning academies that
prepare students for college and careers,
including by providing appropriate
supports designed to ensure that lowachieving students can take advantage
of these programs and coursework
(b) Improving student transition from
middle to high school through summer
Monitoring
 Frequent administrative observations of classroom practice
to determine if technology is being effectively embedded Ongoing 2013-16
in teaching practice.
 If necessary, require teachers to develop an Action Plan to
increase classroom technology usage.
Early Warning System: Design an Early Warning Intervention and Ongoing 2013-16
Monitoring System that includes conducting diagnostic
assessments throughout the school year to strategically place
students into academic groups and identify for targeted
interventions.


Utilize the COGNOS data dashboard, county benchmark
assessments, and ongoing formative assessments to
identify students at risk of failure.
Assign responsibility to the coaches and counselor for
oversight and monitoring of data; Ensure they report out
on student progress regularly at Leadership Team meetings
and during collaborative planning time with teachers

Offered identified students additional instruction based on
specific needs during the daily activity period, after school
programs, and the extended day.

Monitor contact with families of students identified for


Chris Earl, Principal
Elaine Harper,
Assistant Principal

Chris Earl, Principal

Elaine Harper,
Assistant Principal

Ashley Medley,
Counselor

TBD, Literacy Coach

TBD, Numeracy
Coach

Dani Morris, Science
Department Chair
41
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
transition programs or freshman
interventions
academies
(c) Increasing graduation rates through, High School Credit Courses
th
for example, credit-recovery programs,
 Provide 8 grade students the opportunity to earn credits in
re-engagement strategies, smaller
Algebra I (though a partnership with HCDE Virtual
learning communities, competencySchool) and Spanish.
based instruction and performancebased assessments, and acceleration of
basic reading and mathematics skills; or
(d) Establishing early-warning
systems to identify students who may be
at risk of failing to achieve to high
standards or graduate
20. Partnering with parents and
Partnership Program
parent organizations, faith- and
Ongoing 2013-16
 Continue to strengthen partnership with various
community-based organizations, health
community organizations (Vulcan, GEAR UP, On Point,
clinics, other State or local agencies, and
Stop the Madness, Junior Achievement, Delta Sigma
others to create safe school
Theta, YCAP, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Hazelenvironments that meet students’ social,
Bowles Foundation, FREE Chattanooga, and TRIO) in
emotional, and health needs
order to provide resources and support to Dalewood
students both during and after school hours.

Develop a partnership with Leadership Chattanooga that
will provide student testing supplies and uniforms, grant
writing assistance, and resources for student incentives.

Senta Dixon, FPS

Ashley Medley,
Counselor

Chris Earl, Principal

Elaine Harper, AP
Advisory
 Train Advisory Teachers to include units of instruction on
health-related subjects including personal hygiene,
personal and family health, coping mechanisms, emotional Fall 2013
well-being, dealing with bullies and other problematic
social relationships.
Faith-Based Organizations
 Build partnerships with local churches and other faithbased organizations to provide mentors and counseling for Ongoing 2013-16
42
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
students experiencing problems with relationships, those
whose parents are undergoing breakups, students whose
relatives are in jail or prison for various crimes that
negatively affect the students, or other situations that could
benefit from regular counseling from clergy members.
21. Extending or restructuring the
Weekly 2013-16
House Program
school day so as to add time for such
 Conduct student advisory periods one day per week where
strategies as advisory periods that build
staff will meet with students to build relationships, discuss
relationships between students, faculty,
issues pertinent to middle school students, and ensure that
and other school staff
every student has at least one adult advocate in the school.
22. Implementing approaches to
improve school climate and discipline,
such as implementing a system of
positive behavioral supports or taking
steps to eliminate bullying and student
harassment
Summer 2013
In School Suspension Monitor
 Interview and hire ISS Monitor
 ISS Monitor will provide supervision and support for
students who must be removed from the regular classroom
due to behavior issues
School-Wide Positive Behavior Support
 Implement the SWPBS model with an emphasis on
teaching and reinforcing important social skills.
 Develop clear school-wide rules and consequences for
behavior.
 Provide alternatives to student suspension.

Elaine Harper, AP

Ashley Medley,
Counselor


Advisors
Chris Earl, Principal

TBD, ISS Monitor

Senta Dixon, Family
Partnership Specialist
Summer 2013
Habits of Success
Begin
 Implement SREB’s Habits of Success using the
implementation Fall
publication: Skills for a Lifetime: Teaching Students the
Habits of Success as the primer for several units to be used 2013
in Advisory class.
23. Expanding the school program to
offer full-day kindergarten or prekindergarten
24. Allowing the school to be run under
a new governance arrangement, such as
a turnaround division within the LEA or
SEA
The Hamilton County Board of Education established the HCDE
Ongoing 2013- 2016
Innovation Zone and appointed Le Andrea Ware as the iZone
Director. The iZone Director and her team will provide the focused
support and hands-on assistance for the five HCDE schools that

Le Andrea Ware,
Innovation Zone
Director
43
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
will now operate under their direct supervision.

Brent Webb, Data
Analyst

TBD, Innovation
Zone Project
Manager

TBD, Innovation
Zone Instructional
Supervisor
25. Implementing a per-pupil schoolbased budget formula that is weighted
based on student needs
Pre-Implementation Activities:
Please note: The activity categories listed below are not an exhaustive or required list. Rather, they illustrate possible activities that the LEA may list, depending
on the needs of the school.
Pre-Implementation allows the LEA to prepare for full implementation of a school intervention model at the start of the 2013-2014 school year. To help in its
preparation, an LEA may use federal FY 2011 SIG funds in its SIG schools after the LEA has been awarded a SIG grant for those schools based on having a fully
approvable application consistent with SIG final requirements.
To help in its preparation, as soon as it receives the funds, the LEA may use part of its first-year allocation for SIG related activities in schools that will be served
with federal FY 2011 SIG funds.
Activities must align to schools’ needs assessment and requirements of the intervention model; represent change; be reasonable, necessary, and allowable; be
researched-based; and be implemented prior to the beginning of the 2013-2014 academic school year.
Activity Categories with Sample Activities:
Family and Community Engagement: Hold community meetings to review school performance, discuss the school intervention model to be implemented, and
develop school improvement plans in line with the intervention model selected; survey students and parents to gauge needs of students, families, and the
community; communicate with parents and the community about school status, improvement plans, choice options, and local service providers for health,
nutrition, or social services through press releases, newsletters, newspaper announcements, parent outreach coordinators, hotlines, and direct mail; assist
families in transitioning to new schools if their current school is implementing the closure model by providing counseling or holding meetings specifically
regarding their choices; or hold open houses or orientation activities specifically for students attending a new school if their prior school is implementing the
closure model.
Rigorous Review of External Providers: Conduct the required rigorous review process to select a charter school operator, a CMO, or an EMO and contract
with that entity (see C-5); or properly recruit, screen, and select any external providers that may be necessary to assist in planning for the implementation of an
44
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
intervention model.
Staffing: Recruit and hire the incoming principal, leadership team, instructional staff, and administrative support; or evaluate the strengths and areas of need of
current staff.
Instructional Programs: Provide remediation and enrichment to students in schools that will implement an intervention model at the start of the 2012-2013
school year through programs with evidence of raising achievement; identify and purchase instructional materials that are research-based, aligned with State
academic standards, and have data-based evidence of raising student achievement; or compensate staff for instructional planning, such as examining student
data, developing a curriculum that is aligned to State standards and aligned vertically from one grade level to another, collaborating within and across
disciplines, and devising student assessments.
Professional Development and Support: Train staff on the implementation of new or revised instructional programs and policies that are aligned with the
school’s comprehensive instructional plan and the school’s intervention model; provide instructional support for returning staff members, such as classroom
coaching, structured common planning time, mentoring, consultation with outside experts, and observation of classroom practice, that is aligned with the
school’s comprehensive instructional plan and the school’s intervention model; or train staff on the new evaluation system and locally adopted competencies.
Preparation for Accountability Measures: Develop and pilot a data system for use in SIG-funded schools; analyze data on leading baseline indicators; or
develop and adopt interim assessments for use in SIG-funded schools.
45
TDOE SIG Application
Appendix H
Pre-implementation activities:
To prepare for the implementation of the transformation model as detailed in this School
Improvement Plan, the remainder of the school year and the summer of 2013 will be focused
primarily on Staffing, Professional Development, and preparing the Instructional Program.

Recruitment and selection: Leadership will project vacancies for next school year over the
winter months, and will prioritize recruitment of highly effective teachers who demonstrate
the competencies and skill set that will make them a good fit for the school’s transformation
plan and teaching needs. Leadership, with the support of iZone staff, will also recruit and hire
the Numeracy and Literacy Coaches and ISS Monitor, as described in the plan. Prior to the
receipt of the School Improvement Grant, the leadership team will develop job descriptions
for these positions and upon receipt of the grant, will advertise strategically to ensure a highquality crop of applicants.

Professional development planning: During Spring of 2013, the leadership team will plan
for the following year’s professional development offerings. Based on the school’s needs, the
district will issue an RFP to approve vendors for professional development opportunities.

Implementation of summer professional development: Set high expectations for teacher
attendance and effectiveness during summer PD. Roll out transformation plan and clearly
explain what additional supports are available to teachers, as well as how they will be held
accountable for results. Describe instructional strategies and professional development
opportunities that will be required over the next school year.

Leadership Training: All leaders will go through summer leadership training through the
iZone on implementation of the teacher evaluation system, developing leadership skills, and
the supports they will receive as an iZone school.

Development of curriculum maps, pacing guides, and common formative assessments.

Pursue focused community partnerships aligned with Dalewood’s school improvement
goals.

Plan focus groups to identify root causes and establish a plan of action to address
teacher attendance and morale.