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Somerset: Three-Year School Improvement Plan Fall 2015 to Spring 2018

Fall 2017 (Year 3)

Bellevue School District Mission: To provide all students with an exemplary college preparatory education so they can succeed in college, career and life.

Preparing students for academic success in core content areas through achieving proficiency in literacy, math, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) as measured by state assessments. Preparing students for college and career success by meeting college academic distribution requirements (CADR) and earning at least 20 (quarter) college credits and/or professional certification. Preparing students for a positive and productive life through the development of interpersonal skills and a commitment to the community.

District Goals All students will reach or exceed academic proficiency ♦ Eliminate the achievement gap ♦ All students,

including those who already meet or exceed academic proficiency, will show measurable progress Somerset School Goal

Together we foster a Positive and Productive life to ensure academic growth for all students. School Purpose & Mission Statement

Somerset will provide every student with support and challenges needed to prepare students socially, emotionally, and academically for the rigorous expectations of secondary education and

instill the characteristics of lifelong learners.

Characteristics of Successful Schools The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction identifies the following nine characteristics of successful schools: clear and shared focus ♦ high standards and expectations for all students ♦ effective school leadership ♦ high levels of collaboration and communication ♦ curriculum, instruction and assessments aligned with state standards ♦ frequent monitoring of learning and teaching ♦ focused professional development ♦ supportive learning environment ♦ and high levels of family and community involvement.

Through the framework of Professional Learning Communities, our school will use the nine characteristics as a guide to refine our work. The specific strategies we are implementing this year that embody the nine characteristics of successful schools are incorporated in our plans detailed throughout this document.

Contents School Profile School Background Progress Towards Goals School Improvement Plan Highlights Appendices

2 4 6 8 12

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BACKGROUND

Instructional Program Overview

Somerset is a high achieving elementary school serving approximately 720 students. Students receive a cohesive academic curriculum aligned to the Common Core State Standards in kindergarten through fifth grade. The core instructional program includes reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and social emotional learning. In addition to the 30 homeroom classes, students attend a specialist period four times per week: art, music, library, and physical education. This year Somerset is in its fourth year of Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) implementation. Students work in teams to problem solve while engaged in engineering design projects, such as bridge building. Somerset is one of four schools in the district that houses a self-contained program for students receiving gifted services. Somerset staff is committed to student success and do so through an equity lens. We support an inclusion model through our Special Education, English Language Learning (ELL), and our Learning Assistance Program (LAP) programs. In addition, VIBES mentors, after school enrichment programs, and our ELL Homework Club further support students. Though students in our school have different learning needs, we avoid labeling to ensure all students see themselves as part of ONE Somerset.

Over the last 10 years, our student body has shifted from predominately White to predominately Asian. In response to the growing number of our bilingual students, Somerset partners with Vibes (Bellevue School District’s volunteer program) and Newport High School students to offer a weekly homework club. High school mentors support students who speak their same language.

A committed and generous parent community supports Somerset. Our Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) fundraising helps with curriculum enhancement such as field trips and assemblies related to grade level curriculum. They pay for Instructional Assistants who support students academically during the school day, organize enriching activities for students, and plan family evening events.

Key Successes This Past Year

• Smarter Balanced Assessment scores for the spring of 2017 in third grade ELA and fifth grade math were above district and state averages (3rd ELA: Somerset 93%, district 74%, state 53% and 5th math: Somerset 94%, district 73%, state 49%), and show growth from 2016 scores (3rd ELA: from 92% in 2016 to 93% in 2017; 5th math: from 92% in 2016 to 94% in 2017).

• Somerset’s focus on Positive and Productive Life continues with its Bucket-Filling campaign and putting school-wide systems in place (PBIS). The bucket filling campaign has continued to grow, with students completing two incentive charts in the 2014-2015 school year, three in the 2015-2016 school year, and four in the 2016-17 school year. Evidence from the Somerset School-wide Evaluation Tool (SET), conducted by an external organization (PBIS Northwest) in February 2017, showed that Tier 1 is in place with solid evidence supporting fidelity of implementation and that

Though students in our school have different learning needs, we avoid labeling to ensure all students see themselves as part of one Somerset.

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Somerset is considered an exemplary Tier 1 School. In 2017, the SET showed Somerset jumped from 57% (2016) to 94% (2017) in tier 1 supports and 27% (2017) from 0% (2016) in tier 2 supports.

Highest-Priority Opportunities for Growth

Over the next three years, our highest priorities are to: • Reach 100% proficiency in 3rd grade reading (up from 93% in both 2016 and 2017 on the state

SBA exams) • Reach 100% proficiency in 5th grade math (up from 92% in 2016 and 94% in 2017 on the state

SBA exams) • Have 100% of students feel like they belong at school (from 70% in 2016 and 62% in 2017 on the

Panorama student perception survey)

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PROGRESS TOWARDS GOALS

Academic Success

Our goal every year is that every student meets state standards. We know that as a school community we may fall short of our goal, but that never diminishes our determination, our ability to learn from our mistakes, and our belief in our students, our parents, and our staff.

Measure 2015 2016 2017

3rd Grade English Language Arts STAR 94% 91%** 86%

STAR (without GESP scores) 91% 86%** 80% STAR (GESP only) 100% 100%** 100%

Smarter Balanced 90% 92%** 93% Smarter Balanced (without GESP scores) 85% 89%** 87% Smarter Balanced (GESP only) 100% 98%** 100%

5th Grade Math STAR 92% 85%** 90%

STAR (without GESP scores) 90% 77%** 84% STAR (GESP only) 100% 100%** 100%

Smarter Balanced 89% 92%** 94% Smarter Balanced (without GESP scores) 85% 88%** 90% Smarter Balanced (GESP only) 100% 100%** 100%

Notes: ** STAR is a nationally-normed exam that all our students in grades 2-8 take each fall and spring. The 2016 STAR assessment shifted its benchmark to more closely align with the Smarter Balanced Assessment. This resulted in our percentage proficient to drop though the students’ Smarter Balanced scores continued to grow.

2017 Smarter Balanced Results by Subgroup – Grades 3-5 Combined

% Meeting Standards

Category Subgroup

English Language

Arts Math Total #

Students Race/Ethnicity Asian 91% 93% 308 Race/Ethnicity Black 50% 50% * Race/Ethnicity Hispanic 73% 87% * Race/Ethnicity Multi-Ethnic 94% 83% 36 Race/Ethnicity White 89% 88% 85 Free/Reduced Price Meals

F/R 65% 50% 20 Not F/R 91% 92% 426

Gender Female 94% 91% 221 Male 87% 90% 225 ELL Status ELL 47% 63% 30 Not ELL 93% 93% 416

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Special Education Has IEP 73% 60% 15 No IEP 91% 92% 431 504 Status Has 504 * * * No 504 * * * Gifted/Traditional Program

Gifted 100% 100% 160 Traditional 85% 85% 286

Grade Level Grade 3 91% 93% 130 Grade 4 85% 85% 164 Grade 5 95% 94% 152 Total 90% 91% 446

*Data for small subgroups (<20) have been suppressed to protect student privacy.

Note: Data included for groups with 20 or more students to protect individual privacy. At the school level, we have analyzed performance for additional sub groups of students, such as ELL, but are not able to publish the data due to the low number of students.

Positive & Productive Life

Somerset is committed to supporting ALL students in achieving a Positive and Productive Life through implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Proactive Classroom Management (PCM) systems. We will continue to use our school-wide PBIS strategies from the last two years: One Somerset and Bucket-Filling. One Somerset is our commitment to create unity amongst staff and students. Our Bucket-Filling campaign supports and celebrates ways students and adults recognize the importance of social emotional support and work together to create a positive learning environment.

The 2016-17 school year was Somerset’s second year of DESSA Mini implementation, a tool designed to provide information on students’ social emotional well-being. Kindergarten through fifth grade teachers found this data useful in determining the need for targeted social emotional learning interventions. We plan to continue administering the DESSA Mini this year. In addition, we will continue the Check-In/Check-Out intervention system as a tier two support for students identified through our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) process.

Note: See Appendix A for a description of measures.

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SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN HIGHLIGHTS: How we are accomplishing our goals

Academic Success and Positive and Productive Life

This year, Somerset is continuing its focus on implementing school-wide systems in addition to individual supports for students. The Multi-Tiered System of Support team is key to this process. Somerset has the following in place:

One Somerset: Somerset is the largest of 17 Bellevue School District elementary schools; we serve students with various learning needs and from diverse backgrounds. At Somerset, we strive to ensure our Superstars feel they belong and are a part of our One Somerset community, our home away from home. One way we promote the feeling of inclusion in our student body is through common experiences across grade levels. We are in the fourth year of a tradition where Somerset principals kick off the year visiting each class to read a book that delivers an overarching message to students and staff. This year, principals read the book Ish by Peter H. Reynolds. The message conveyed was of growth mindset, perseverance, and the importance of encouraging others; as individuals we approach our work in different ways and it’s okay to do so “Ishly”. Books and messages from previous years are revisited during our One Somerset assemblies. Other examples of common experiences include reading buddies, spirit days, curriculum enhancement experiences, walk to read, and shared celebrations. We are also trying something new this year with our 5th grade, where students from all seven classes are mixed and assigned a homeroom teacher. Homeroom occurs each Wednesday and is being used to create community amongst our entire 5th grade.

In addition, students and staff gather Monday morning’s for a brief One Somerset assembly where we highlight successes, are reminded of common area expectations, experience read alouds, are entertained with grade level music performances, and learn about happenings across grade levels. Symbolic of our togetherness, students and staff add their name to our Superstar tree on a handmade star. This year our tree is growing and we are encouraging families to do the same.

Somerset families have multiple opportunities to gather through PTSA sponsored events and academically enriching opportunities offered by staff. Examples of these are our ice cream social, multicultural night, science engineering evening, and principal coffees where families join staff in learning about school initiatives.

Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Teams: Somerset is in our fourth year in the implementation of MTSS. The goal of this system is to meet the needs of each and every student academically and behaviorally while promoting inclusion. We initiated a new approach to our MTSS model where we have separated behavior from academics. Our academic core team consists of our principal, ITCL (Instructional Technology Curriculum Leader), ELL facilitator, LAP facilitaor, and our Special Education teacher. Our behavior core team consists of our assistant principal, counselor, and school psychologist.

2017-18 Goals 3rd grade ELA: 100% proficient * 5th grade math: 100% proficient* *or on track to proficiency based on individual plans

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MTSS Academic Team: Grade level teams, in collaboration with our core team, meet in six-week intervention cycles to review data and track student growth on Thursday mornings. What are we doing with students that get it and what are we doing with those that don’t? Prior to, and in preparation for grade level meetings, our core team analyzes student data to identify gap trends. Areas of focus are agreed upon and, the following day, presented to the grade level for the next intervention cycle. Our ELL, LAP, and Special Education teachers work in collaboration with classroom teachers to strive towards inclusion and to follow a push in model.

MTSS Behavioral Team: Each week, during the Thursday morning MTSS time, our Social Emotional/Behavior core team is available on an appointment basis to discuss behavioral concerns and identify tiered supports. Prior to meeting, the classroom or specialist teacher completes a referral form and data is collected through observation, a Student Intervention Monitoring System form (SIMS), and/or an ABC Chart (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence). Teachers leave the meeting equipped with specific tools and a plan to reconvene after a 6-week intervention cycle.

PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports): Somerset has initiated the implementation of PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) with the leadership of the school’s PBIS committee. Last year facilitation of the committee transferred to teacher leaders. The goal of PBIS is for students and staff to understand and follow behavior expectations in classrooms and common areas in order to foster a climate that is physically and emotionally safe. One strategy implemented two years ago that will continue is our “Bucket-Filling” campaign. Following the principals’ read-aloud of the book How Full is Your Bucket, students were challenged to fill each other’s buckets. Students receive random recognition stars for bucket filling and work as a whole school to earn celebrations. School-wide posters, behavior matrix, and lessons provide tools to support staff to teach, model, & reinforce the Social Emotional Skills (SES) standards. The PBIS team is focused on further strengthening Tier I supports in light of Equity and Inclusion and utilizing the Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI) to create a formal action plan to create Tier II and Tier III interventions.

Instructional Leadership Team (ILT): Our ILT meets weekly to plan building PD (professional development). The team consists of administration, grade level and specialist reps, and our ELL facilitator. This year’s focus is Professional Learning Communities. Over the summer, our ILT read Professional Learning Communities at Work, Revisited by DuFour, DuFour, and Eaker. Prior to the start of school, the team engaged in two half-day retreats to discuss the reading and begin planning. Our goal is to build the capacity of our teachers to work in PLC’s where they analyze student data and improve overall learning, with an emphasis on balanced literacy. Each PLC is assigned and ILT member.

Equity and Inclusion Team (EI): Somerset is in our third year of identifying effective ways to ensure we are reaching students of all backgrounds and races. In our first year, a team of equity leaders formed and participated in a training to support a school community where multiple cultural perspectives and multi lingual experiences are valued. In our second year, team members participated in Beyond Diversity 1 (BD1) training where they explored Glenn E. Singleton’s book, Courageous Conversations about Race. Somerset staff also participated in TDPD (Teacher Directed PD) centered on culturally responsive teaching and learning. During this time, staff read texts and reflected on their own teaching

2017 - 18 Goals Feel they belong at Somerset: 100%

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practices to ensure rigorous cognitive development for all students. This year we continue on our equity journey and are digging deeper into our Panorama data. This data is derived from a survey students took last fall and spring, which gives us information on relationships and sense of belonging. As part of this work, we are piloting Panorama surveys that staff and families will take in conjunction with students in the fall and spring to better understand our school community. We are in the process of ensuring all of our ILT and EI members have participated in BD1 training and, ultimately, our goal is for all staff to have this training. Over the course of this year, our plan is to meld our EI and ILT teams to support our school efforts in guiding instructional practices to meet each and every student.

Panorama Questions Somerset Elem. School District Avg.

School Climate Survey

1. How much do you feel like you belong at your school? 62 69 2. How friendly are students at this school? 56 61 3. How connected do you feel to adults at your school? 46 55

Teacher Survey

4. How well does your teacher know you? 55 60 5. Does your teacher care about how you're feeling? 65 66 6. If you walked into class upset, how concerned would

your teacher be? 63 62 7. How comfortable are you asking your teacher questions

in class? 65 67

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APPENDIX A

3rd Grade ELA Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards on the third grade English Language Arts test. Third grade is a critical juncture in reading because after that, students need to read fluently in order to keep up with all their other subjects. Research has shown that students who are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade tend to struggle academically in later years.

5th Grade Math Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards on the fifth grade math test. Mastering fifth grade math provides students with a solid foundation for starting higher-level math in middle school.

Panorama Survey of student perceptions of teaching and learning given each spring to third through fifth grade students. This data helps guide our work toward supporting the Positive and Productive Life initiative.

APPENDIX B

Glossary and list of abbreviations/acronyms

BSD – Bellevue School District

CADR – College Academic Distribution Requirements per Washington Administrative Code (WAC 392-415-070)

ELA – English Language Arts

ELL – English Language Learner

DESSA - Devereux Students Strengths Assessment

GESP – Gifted Elementary School Program

GLAD – Guided Language Acquisition and Design

ITCL - Instructional Technology Curriculum Leader

LAP – Learning Assistance Program

MTSS – Multi-Tiered System of Support (see Tier descriptions below)

PBIS – Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports

PCM – Proactive Classroom Management

PTSA – Parent Teacher Student Association

SBA – Smarter Balanced Assessment

SIMS – Student Intervention Monitoring System

STAR – Renaissance Learning’s standardized measures of student skills in reading and math

STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (grades K-5 Curriculum)

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Tier 1: Instruction that is based on BSD’s common curriculum. All students in Tier 1 receive high-quality, scientifically based instruction differentiated to meet their needs, and are screened on a periodic basis to identify students not yet meeting standard who need additional support (i.e. Tier 2).

Tier 2: Students not making adequate progress are provided with increasingly intensive instruction matched to their needs on the basis of current levels of performance and rates of progress. Students who do not show adequate progress in Tier 2 are considered for more intensive levels of support (i.e. Tier 3).

Tier 3: Students receive individualized, intensive interventions that target the student’s skill deficits for the remediation of existing problems and prevention of more significant problems.