Orchard EL - School Plan 2000 - 2001 School LAND Trust Program

School:
Orchard EL

SCHOOL INFORMATION

The committee viewed the video "Using the Trust."

Yes

Duration of the plan:
Single year

Areas of academic need addressed by the plan:
 Fine Arts
 Foreign Language
 Health
 Technology Instruction
 Mathematics
 Science
 Social Studies

School Plan description:
After considering input from surveys, test results, and committee discussion, Orchard Elementary decided to use the entire amount this year toward the purchase of new library books. These books will complement recently purchased Accelerated Reader programs, and as additional grant monies or donations from business or private sources become available, such as those from Barnes Bank ($500) and Incentives for Excellence ($500), they, too, will be applied to this most critical academic need area.

Detailed description:
PLAN DESCRIPTION Based on high numbers of students scoring below 80% on our End of Level tests in 1998, Orchard Elementary School qualified for a full-time reading teacher under Davis District's new Reading Initiative. Language and Reading subtest scores on both SAT and End of Level assessments were weak, indicating an academic need for the nearly 600 students. Orchard Elementary was built in 1963 and recently experienced its very first library renovation. Outdated and obsolete books were removed from shelves, leaving just under 5,000 books, including all reference materials, for student checkout. Average numbers of library books available to students in schools of equal size within our district were found to be significantly higher. Improving academic performance on tests and encouraging students to improve their skills by reading at home, much less offering a competitive and quality educational experience, is extremely difficult when an exciting variety of books is unavailable in the school. Utah Trust Land monies for Orchard Elementary School total $4,965. Committee members surveyed teachers and parents and found an overwhelming desire for this money to be spent on current, grade-level appropriate library books which will also complement our recently purchased Accelerated Reader program. Committee Chairman and Principal Pamela Park (ppark@admin.orchel.davis.k12.ut.us) will work with Sandy Turner, Committee Treasurer, to purchase books through school library distribution sources. They will document expenditures totaling $4,965 and keep all accounting records on file in the school office. Average price of $10 per hardbound copy should result in the purchase of approximately 500 new books by September, 2000. Committee members and volunteers will help catalog and shelve new books as they arrive, and school media personnel will be responsible for care and safekeeping, as well as future student checkout procedures. Committee members will meet in October, 2001, for final accounting and evaluation of plan. Pre- and post-grant surveys, test score comparisons, and library checkout rates will be used for evaluation. Numbers of students enrolled in reading intervention programs should slowly decline as more opportunities to read challenging library books exist. Students, parents, and the community will be notified of Orchard's plan and its effectiveness through parent newsletters, flyers, and/or media publications. PROPOSED TIMELINE AND EXPENDITURES FOR UTAH TRUST LANDS GRANT September, 1999 - Orchard Elementary forms Utah Trust Lands Committee, including Principal Pam Park, two teachers (Susan McAdams, Cathy Williams), and four parents (PTA President Debbie Pope, Committee Treasurer Sandy Turner, Peggy Harding, and Wayne Christensen) as directed January, 2000- Committee meets to identify areas of academic need and discuss results of faculty survey. Plan prepared using information available to purchase approximately 500 hardbound, grade-level appropriate, library books for school use. Test results, library checkout rates and use, surveys, and student, parent, and teacher feedback to be used as assessment tools. Timeline published and parent survey distributed at SEP Conference. August, 2000- Committee has titles selected, purchasing and delivery procedures in place, awaiting funds of $4,965 from Legislature September, 2000- SAT tests administered to 5th grade. Committee members and volunteers will begin to catalog and shelve new books. Baseline levels become effective. January, 2001- Mid-program survey distributed to parents, and teachers. Committee meets for consideration of effectiveness to date, using input from surveys, library checkout rates and use, and kid-watching information from teachers. May, 2001- End of Level tests given schoolwide. End of program data collected from library, reading programs, and final surveys received from students. Fall, 2001- Test results received and first year findings evaluated by Committee. Publication of results by principal.

Estimated School LAND Trust funds for 2000-2001:
$4,965

Other revenue sources:

Proposed Financial Plan

Computers / Equipment / Repairs / Maintenance
$0

Textbooks / Supplies / Software / Audiovisual
$0

Salaries / Benefits / Professional Development
$0

Travel / Admissions / Printing
$4965

Explanation:
Library Books

TOTAL
$4965

An accountability program has been developed for the school strategic plan?
Yes

Relationship of this plan to the school strategic plan.
Orchard Strategic Plan Sections: I. Shared Decision Making Within the School II. Instructional System Support IV. Media Center Improvements VII. Effective Educational Plan IX. Comprehensive Ongoing Evaluation

Accountability measures to be used.
 Stanford Achievement Test (SAT/9e)
 End-of-Level or End-of-Course Tests
 Performance Assessment
 Other Assessment or measurements

  Letters to your local school board, governor, state senator, representatives, congressional delegation, and State School Board
  Letter to the editor of the newspaper
  Local school newsletter
  School Assembly
  Articles in local newspaper
  Radio/TV
  Other - description
Chris Williams, Davis School District Media Coordinator

Committee: 

Chair: Pamela S. Park, Principal    
Treasurer: Dan Unger, Assistant Principal
Principal: Pamela S. Park  ppark@admin.orchel.davis.k12.ut.us
Teacher: Cathy Williams  cwilliams@admin.orchel.davis.k12.ut.us
Teacher: Susan McAdams  smcadams@admin.orchel.davis.k12.ut.us
Parent: Debbie Pope  
Parent: Mims Zimmerman  
Parent: Sandy Turner  sturner@admin.orchel.davis.k12.ut.us
Parent: Sue Titus  
Others: 

Name: Pamela S. Park

Email: ppark@admin.orchel.davis.k12.ut.us

School's identified most critical academic need.

How academic improvement was measured
Beginning measurements included school library checkout rates during September, 2000, before books purchased were shelved and Accelerated Reader programs began. End of Level test scores from May, 2000, were another measurement. SAT tests administered to 3rd and 5th grade students in September, 2000, will be used; however, comparable test scores will not be available until late autumn of 2001. Teacher, parent, and student surveys were completed mid-year, and 'kid-watching' by all staff members will help evaluate student academic improvement until official test scores are published.

Most successful part of the plan.
The Utah Trust Land money given to Orchard Elementary has made it possible for us to promote reading practice and celebrate good books. The implementation of Accelerated Reader has greatly increased the number of students reading books and the number of books students read. Parents and teachers have commented on the enthusiasm this program has generated. Trust Land monies have made it possible to purchase over 600 books and quizzes for our library. Students are borrowing more books from the library, reading more, and reading for comprehension in order to pass the AR quizzes. This reading and test-taking practice will help students score higher on class tests, grade level tests, SAT and End of Level tests. Students are more comfortable with test taking in general. This grant money has made it possible for our school and our community to focus on reading. The number of adult tutors in school has increased dramatically. Parents, retired citizens, and high school students have all signed on to help with this program. Our children are establishing good reading habits and they are learning that there are a significant number of adults who care about them.

What did not work as well as expected.
We have a 22% transiency ratio. This makes it difficult to get an accurate picture with regards to testing improvement. We need to look at the improvement with individual students, not the school population in general. Student A, for example, came to our school in October from California as a third grader, knowing only thirteen sounds and recognizing only seventeen letters. With reading classes and a wide variety of interesting and challenging literature from which to choose, this student now reads very near grade level. His parents credit the AR reading program,with its rewards and incentives, as well as the improved library book offerings and staff for his improvement and new excitement about school. Student B's previous End of Level scores showed a need for placement in a reading intervention program. At midyear, this student had increased reading speeds from 16 wpm last year to 72 wpm, and accuracy levels from 275 to 95%. Increased confidence levels and overall productivitiy in class can only be measured in a child's smile. Parents and teachers familiar with children before and after academic improvements are made can attest to the value choice and rewards make in reading programs.

How the plan was publicized.
Parent (PTA) newsletters and local newspaper articles have heralded reading achievements at Orchard Elementary. Students wrote letters to legislators thanking them for the support and Utah Trust Lands Money which provided their new books.

Letters about the impact of your program on your students are crucial to continued funding to your school. Please check and enter the last name of the individuals to whom you sent letters where a space is provided:

 Governor
 State Senators(s):   Hatchand Bennett
 State Representative(s):   Hansenand Matheson
 U.S. Senators
 U.S. Representative:  
 Local School Board
 State Board of Education

Name: LeAnn Unger

Phone Number: 801.402.1700

Email: lunger@admin.orchel.davis.k12.ut.us

Trust funds received by your school 2000-2001: $ 4193