Disaggregated Data Project

Trace Crossings Elementary & Robinson Elementary

4th Grade
PLC 4: Ashley Staarmann, Mary Gaither, Meredith Wright, Claire Wilgus

Robinson Elementary
School

Trace Crossings
Elementary School

Reading Scores: Alabama Reading and

Percentage of
Mathematics Teststudents that met 2011-2012: 73.68%
or exceeded the
(State average: 88.16%)
standard
2012-2013: 77.94%
(State average: 88.42%)

Alabama Reading and

Mathematics Test2011-2012: 85.58%
(State average: 88.16%)
2012-2013: 92.52%
(State average: 88.42%)

ACT Aspire2013-2014: 18.33%

(State Average: 38.28%)

ACT Aspire2013-2014: 50.88%

(State Average: 38.28%)

Alabama Reading and

Mathematics Test2011-2012: 77.2%
(State average: 85.24%)
2012-2013: 64.71%
(State average: 82.1%)

Alabama Reading and

Mathematics Test2011-2012: 54.29%
(State average: 85.24%)
2012-2013: 86.92%
(State average: 82.1%)

ACT Aspire2013-2014: 33.33%

(State average: 45.1%)

ACT Aspire2013-2014: 53.51%

(State Average: 45.1%)

-Uses Scott Foresman

Reading Street for
Reading Instruction and
Go!Math school-wide for
Math Instruction
need assistance.
-Professional

-Uses Investigations for

Math Instruction
-Comprehension Toolkit
by Harvey and Goudvis
-Professional
Development: OGAP
Training which provided

Math Scores

Observations
(strategies,
reading/math
programs,
professional
development,
resources used)

Development: weekly
grade-level meetings

the teachers with different

strategies to use to teach
Math in a new way to
improve their scores on
the new tests.

School
Strengths

- Focus on reading
programs
-abundance of initiatives
to motivate students to
read

- heavy emphasis on
technology: coding,
robotics, etc.
-lots of support staff

School
Weaknesses

-Heavy reliance on math

program
-Lack of parent
involvement/ opportunity
for parent involvement
-Lack of science or social
studies instruction
-Uninformed about
testing

-need a technology
support person
-Enrollment is decreasing
due to rezoning and test
scores
-poor reputation because
of decline in recent test
scores

Initiatives for
Increasing
Student
Achievement

-Accelerated Readercomputer based reading

program. Students have
yearly goals to meet and
the tests identify skill
areas where the students
need assistance.
-Book It! - National
reading incentive
program to motivate
children to read. Students
who meet their monthly
reading goals receive a
gift certificate for a free
personal pizza.
-Read to Succeed

-Samford Partnership Samford School of

Education students hold
Morning Intervention,
small-group instruction,
professional
development, school
improvement projects
(Google 20%) and hosted
field trips for students.
-- Engaged Learning
Initiative offered 24/7 to
increase students
experiences with
technology
-Maker Camp

Program- students that

read for at least six hours
will receive a one day pass
to Six Flags.
-Move Book Club for
3rd-5th graders.
-BRAB Book Club for 1st
and 2nd graders.
-AMSTI

-Student Interest Clubs-

Movie-making, Robotics,
Scrapbooking, Gaming,
Wild About Worms,
Jewelry Making, Ultimate
Frisbee, Balls and Ramps,
Creative Paint, Track,
Cooking

Ways School is
Informing
Parents in
Student
Achievement

-Parent-Teacher
Conferences
- Report cards sent home
for parents to review and
sign
-Teachers leave the
communication for
parents to call or text
their cell phone or
classroom phone at any
time.

-Parent-Teacher
Conferences
-Links on the school
website giving parents
data of grade level data
achievement scores
-The teachers leave the
option open for parents to
email the teacher at any
time for questions, or
concerns.
-Volunteering to
chaperone on field trips
-Volunteer as a teachers
assistant

Accountability
Resources Used
to Track
Student
Progress

-They use the Star Report

to track the students AR
records and to see how
the students are
progressing towards their
goals

-Hoover City Schools have

Edmodo, a balanced
scorecard listed on their
website for all of their

Support
Personnels
Role

-Speech Pathologist
-Gifted teacher
-Reading Coach
-Math Coach
-Counselor

-ELL teachers
-Math coach
-Reading coaches
-Gifted Teacher
-Counselor

-Title I Coaches
-Occupational Therapist
-Speech Therapist
-Utilized for struggling
students and tier II or III
students
Teachers
Sharing Data

-Weekly grade level

meetings
-Time allotted for
meeting and planning
period

-Constantly collaborating
between teachers
-Meetings to discuss
individual students and
evaluating what tier of
instruction they need
-Different teachers teach
groups of students in
different tiers

DataAnalysis/ActionPlanforRobinsonElementary:

AfterspendingafewweeksinRobinsonElementarySchool,analyzingthedata

th
fromtheirreadingandmathscoresfor4
gradestudentsoverthepastthreeyears,andobserving

whattheschoolhasbeendoingtobettertheirtestscoresandoverallstudentachievementlevels,
wehavecometorealizethestrengthsandweaknessesoftheschool.RobinsonisaBirmingham
CitySchool,andasofthe20132014schoolyear,thepercentageofstudentsinpovertyis
93.33%oftheschoolpopulation.Mostofthestudentsattendingthisschoolfacethechallenges
oflivinginalowsocioeconomiccommunity,whichaffectstheschoolsoverallacademic
achievement.

th
Inbothreadingandmathematics,4
gradestudentsatRobinsonElementaryhave

testedbelowtheoverallstateaverageoverthepastthreeyears,withaslightincreaseinreading
scoresfromthe20112012schoolyeartothe20122013,andaslightdecreaseinmathematics
scoresfromthe20112012schoolyeartothe20122013schoolyear.Forthe20132014school
year,AlabamaintroducedtheACTAspiretest,whichloweredtestscoresdrasticallyatRobinson
Elementaryaswellasschoolsacrossthestate,mostlyduetothenewformattingofthetestand
theoverallshiftinfocusfromgeneralideastospecificcontent.Oneweaknessthatwesaw
regardingtestingatthisschoolwasthefactthattheteacherswereuninformedaboutwhattheir
studentswouldbetestedonandhowtoproperlypreparetheirstudentsforthetests.Some
teacherswerenotawarewhatteststheirstudentswouldbegiventhatyearorwhenthetests
were,whichcouldbeareflectionontheadministrationoroveralltestingsystemasawholefor
notmakingthisinformationreadilyavailableforteachers.

FromwhatweobservedinourtimeatRobinsonElementary,itisclearthatoneissuethat
theschoolfacesisalackofparentalinvolvement.Whendealingwithhighpovertycommunities,
thisisadifficultissuetoaddress,astherearemoresingleparenthouseholdsandworkingparents
thaninmiddleandupperclassareas,soparentsarelessabletogetinvolvedattheirchilds
schoolorspendtimeworkingonacademicswiththeirchild.Onestrengthwenoticedwhileat
theschoolwastheiremphasisonreadingprogramsandinitiativesfortheirstudents,which
helpedtoexcitestudentsaboutreadingandrewardedthemfortheirwork.Oneareathatwas
lacking,however,wastheschoolsfocusonscienceandsocialstudies.Someteacherseven
admittedthattheyhadnottaughteithersubjectatallthatyear.

Inordertoaddresssomeoftheseissues,wehavecreatedaplanofactionthatwillhelpto

improvestudentachievementoverallandhelpteachersbetterpreparetheirstudentsfortesting.
Firstly,atthebeginningoftheschoolyear,therewillbegradelevelmeetingsheldwith
administrationtoclearlylaythetestingplanfortheirstudentsthatyearandinformation
regardingtheACTAspiretesting.Inthismeeting,theteacherswilldiscusswhatsubjectstheir
studentswillbetestedin,whattheformatofthetestingwilllooklike,whatinformationstudents
willbeexpectedtoknowforthetesting,andbestpracticestrategiestouseintheclassroomin
ordertorelatetheinformationtotheirstudents.Teacherswillalsoberequiredtoattend
gradelevelmeetingsweeklytodiscussmaterialcoveredandwaystocollaborateinorderto
bettertheirclassroominstruction.

Onekeyaspectofstudentsacademicsuccessisparentalinvolvementintheireducation,

soRobinsonElementarywillworktoprovidemoreopportunitiesforparentstogetinvolved.
Becauseparentalinvolvementcanbeparticularlychallenginginhighpovertyareas,teachers

shouldprepareaparentletteratthebeginningoftheyearthatinformsparentsabouttheirchildat
thatspecificageandwhatwillbeexpectedofthemthroughouttheschoolyear.Teachersshould
continuetheopencommunicationwithparentsandshouldmakeapointtoinformparentsabout
thehappeningsintheirclassroomthroughouttheschoolyear.

Finally,studentsandteachersshouldworktointegratescienceandsocialstudiesinto

othercontentareastoensurethatstudentsaregettingthatinstruction.Theschoolshouldbegin
havingweeklytimesforclubmeetings,inwhichstudentscanhavetheopportunitytojoinan
academicgroup,mainlyfocusingonscienceorsocialstudies,andlearncontentinanengaging
andstudentcenteredmanner.Teacherswillbepairedandaskedtoleadacertainclubmeeting,
wheretheywillneedtoprovideahandsonandinteractivelessonrelatingtothecontentortheme
oftheclub.

Overall,thesefewkeyactionswillhelpRobinsonElementarySchooltoimprovestudent

achievementoverall.Byworkingtoincreaseparentalinvolvement,informingteachersabout
testingfromthebeginningoftheyear,havinggradelevelcollaborationmeetings,andsettingup
clubsthathelpstudentstoexploredifferentareasofinterest,thestudentsatRobinsonwillbe
givenmoreopportunitiestosucceed.

Data Analysis/Action Plan for Trace Crossings Elementary:

TraceCrossingsislocatedinthesuburbsofBirminghaminHoover,ALandisthelargest
schoolincapacitywithinthecity.EventhoughTraceCrossingsislargeincapacity,itstillsits
withmanyemptyclassroomsandisnearlyhalfempty.Overthepasttenyears,TraceCrossings
ElementarySchoolhasexperiencedatremendousamountofchangeandcontroversyoverfalling
testscoresandashiftindemographics.Afterspendingseveralmonthsobservingandworking
withthestaffandstudentsatTraceCrossings,itwasevidentthatthesechangesindemographics
playedaroleintheoverallachievementandenvironmentoftheschool.WhenHooversschool
systemwasrezoned,TraceCrossingsreceivedmajorityofthechildrenthatlivedinthe
apartmentbuildingsintotheschool.Withthisshift,TraceCrossingsbecametheschoolwiththe
highestamountoffreeandreducedluncheswith51%ofstudentsontheprogram.Also,there
wasahugeincreaseofHispanicandlowincomestudentsasaresultoftheshift.
Duringthe20112012schoolyear,TraceCrossingshitadifficultyearacademically.The
averagescoreinreadingwas85.58%and54.29%inMathontheAlabamaReadingand
MathematicsTest.BothscoresfellbelowtheStateAverageforReadinginMath.Itwasduring
theyear2012thattheschoolalsofailedtomakeAdequateYearlyProgress(AYP).These
disappointingtestsscoresraisedobviousconcernsforfacultyandparentsassociatedwithTrace
Crossings.Sincethosetest,TraceCrossingshasmadetremendousimprovementsintestscores.
In2012,studentsexceededthestateaverageof88.42%byreceivinga92.52%onthereading
portionoftheAlabamaReadingandMathematicsTest.Also,Traceexceededthemathportions
stateaverageof82.1%byreceivinganoverallscoreof86.92%.Forthe20132014school
year,TraceCrossingsswitchedfromusingtheAlabamaReadingandMathematicsTesttousing

theACTAspire.Initiallylookingatthescorescouldraisesomeseriousconcerns.However,the
stateasawholescoredpoorlywiththenewtestsandsoitiscrucialtolookatwhereTrace
Crossingsstudentsscoredinrelationtootherschoolsinthestate.Comparedtothestate
averages,TraceCrossingsstudentexceededthestateaveragesinbothreadingandmathdespite
thefactthattheirscoreslookedextremelylow.
OneofthemainstrengthsofTraceCrossingsincludethelargesupportstaffavailablefor
additionalinstructioninallareasforstudents.After2012whenTraceCrossingsdidnotmake
AYPandhadfailingtestscores,theschooltookactioninprovidingthebestsupportforstaff
possibleandthetestscoresbegantoriseonceagain.MembersofthesupportstaffincludeELL
teachers,amathcoach,readingcoaches,giftedprogramteacher,schoolcounselor,TitleI
Coaches,anoccupationaltherapistandaspeechtherapist.AnadditionalstrengthofTraceisthe
strongemphasisthattheyplaceontechnologythroughchromebooks,roboticsandcoding
opportunitiesforstudents.
WeaknessesofTraceCrossingsincludethatwithsuchaheavyemphasisontechnology
thatatechnologysupportpersononstaffisneededsothatteacherscanfocusmoreonbettering
instructioninsteadofsomeofthestressorsthatcomealongwithnewtechnology.Also,another
weaknessisthatastheschooldealswiththecontroversyofrezoning,newdemographics,and
poortestscores,theschoolisgainingabadreputationandthatcanbegintotakeatollonstaff,
parents,andstudents.Whiletherearereadingcoachestoprovidestudentswithadditional
readinginstruction,therecouldbeadditionalreadinginstructionthatmotivatesstudentstoread
throughaschoolwidereadinginitiative.

Inordertoaddresssomeoftheseweaknesses,wehavecreatedaplanofactionto
improvetheoverallachievementofTraceCrossingsandthereputationsurroundingit.First,itis
ofextremeimportanceforthecommunityandparentstounderstandthatTracehasexceededthe
stateaveragesforthepasttwoyearsandwhatalltheschoolisdoingtoimprovestudents
academicachievement.Inordertodothis,administrationwillcommunicationwiththeHoover
NewsStationtodoaspecialontheimprovementsthattheschoolhasmadedespitetheirrecent
struggles.Also,anewsletterwillbesenthometoparentstoeducatethemontherecentacademic
achievementsoftheschool.Bycreatingapositivereputationfortheschool,theteachersand
studentscanbeencouragedandmoremotivatedtoputforththeirbesteffort.
Inadditiontoimprovingthereputationoftheschool,aplanwillbeputinactiontoadd
anadditionalmembertothesupportteamtofocusontechnologyandmoretrainingfortheACT
Aspirewillbeputinplace.
We feel it necessary to provide multiple in depth sessions where
teachers are provided with deeper instruction of the contents of the test and how to teach its
contents to the students. We will also provide the teachers with a discussion time to learn
effective strategies to use in their daily lesson curriculum of how to implement the contents of
this test.

Letter to Parents of Trace Crossings

Dear Parent,
On behalf of the administrative staff at TCES, we wanted to take the time to inform you
about our school testing data in reading and math that weve collected over the past 3 years.
These scores include both boys and girls, all ethnicities, and all special groups.
On the Alabama Reading and Mathematics test in the school year of 2011-2012,
85.58% our 4th grade students score at or above grade level for Reading. The state average
that year was 88.16% of students that scored at or above grade level in Reading. In 2012-2013
for the same test, 92.52% of the 4th grade students scored at or above grade level for Reading.
The state average that year was 88.42% of students that took this test scored at or above grade
level for Reading. These percentages show a significant increase from the 2011-2012 school
year to the 2012-2013 school year in the area of Reading for the Alabama Reading and
Mathematics test. On the same test in the area of Mathematics in the year 2011-2012, 54.29%
of 4th grade students scored at or above grade level. The state average that year was 85.24%
scoring at or above grade level. In the year 2012-2013, 86.92% of 4th grade students scored at
or above grade level in Mathematics. The state average was 82.1% of students that scored at or
above grade level. These scores show the same positive results and have increased from the
year of 2011-2012 to the year 2012-2013.
As Im sure you are aware, we did not give the Alabama Reading and Mathematics test
last year and are now administering the ACT Aspire test to analyze Reading and Mathematics
scores for the 4th grade students. Last year from 2013-2014, 50.88% of the 4th grade students
scored at or above grade level in Reading. The state average last year was 38.28% of students
scored at or above grade level in Reading. In 2013-2014, 53.51% of students scored at or above
grade level in Mathematics. The state average this year was 45.1% of students scored at or
above grade level. Both of these areas show that our 4th grade students were above the state
average. But the results also show that our test scores have dropped from how many students
scored at or above grade level for the Alabama Reading and Mathematics test to the ACT
Aspire test. The ACT Aspire test is still relatively new to us and we are taking initiative to
provide instructional meetings to learn more about the contents of the test. We also are
making arrangements to incorporate this new testing content into our 4th grade curriculum to
provide optimal academic success for your child.
We also wanted to inform you that we, as the administrative staff, have evaluated
TCES strengths and weaknesses. We want you to be well informed of the areas we are
progressing in, and the areas that we need to draw more attention to for improvement. The
areas that we have noticed need improvement after intensive evaluation are listed as the
following below. One 4th grade class in particular does not have as much instructional
teaching time as the other 4th grade classes because she is valued as a leader to support other
teachers in the area of technology. We view that it would be appropriate to hire a teacher to fill
her position as the technology expert so her time is not split in half doing two separate jobs.
We have also noticed that enrollment is decreasing due to rezoning and the results of test

scores. We are trying to do the best we can with the circumstances presented to us by the
Board of Education of Hoover school systems. Moving towards a more positive note, the
administration as well as staff at TCES are pleased with the increasing uses of technology in
each classroom as well as in each area of our school. There is also a large amount of support
faculty for students that need accommodations in and out of the classroom. No child will go
without accommodations needs met. You can rest assured of this, that your child will receive
every and any type of support to help them improve their academic success.
After reviewing our test results from the ACT Aspire test this past year in reading and
math, we noticed the percentage of students that achieved a test score for at or above grade
level. These scores were increasingly lower in percentage than the scores of the Alabama
Reading and Mathematics test. Again, we want to emphasize the action plan we will
implement this coming summer after this spring semester has ended. We feel it necessary to
provide multiple in depth sessions where teachers are provided with deeper instruction of the
contents of the test and how to teach its contents to the students. We will also provide the
teachers with a discussion time to learn effective strategies to use in their daily lesson
curriculum of how to implement the contents of this test.
After evaluating all of this, we want to make sure that you, as the parent of these bright
and knowledgeable 4th grade students, know ways in which you can be involved in your
childs learning. Our 4th grade faculty wants you to remember to take advantage of scheduling
parent teacher conferences to receive updates and feedback on your childs progress. Also,
dont forget to check out our parent resource links on the TCES website. There are many
technology resources that you can try out with your child at home. You may also be interested
in signing up to volunteer as your childs teacher assistant on the days that you have worked
out with the teacher. You may also decide to volunteer to chaperone on grade level field trips
and experience an engaging trip to the many locations around Birmingham that our students
get to travel to.
Please feel free to email or call any of the administrative faculty or 4th grade faculty for
specific questions that you may have. Thank you for your time and support that you have
given to provide your child with the opportunity to receive a quality education. We value your
feedback, input, and support as we move forward to create the necessary changes needed in
the upcoming months for our Action Plan.
Sincerely,
The Trace Crossings Elementary School Administrative Faculty

Letter to Parents at Robinson Elementary

Dear Parent,
On behalf of the administrative staff at Robinson Elementary, we wanted to take the
time to inform you about our school testing data in reading and math that weve collected
over the past 3 years. These scores include both boys and girls, all ethnicities, and all special
groups.
On the Alabama Reading and Mathematics test in the school year of 2011-2012,
73.68% our 4th grade students score at or above grade level for Reading. The state average
that year was 88.16% of students that scored at or above grade level in Reading. In 2012-2013
for the same test, 77.94% of the 4th grade students scored at or above grade level for Reading.
The state average that year was 88.42% of students that took this test scored at or above grade
level for Reading. These percentages show an increase from the 2011-2012 school year to the
2012-2013 school year in the area of Reading for the Alabama Reading and Mathematics test.
On the same test in the area of Mathematics in the year 2011-2012, 77.2% of 4th grade
students scored at or above grade level. The state average that year was 85.24% scoring at or
above grade level. In the year 2012-2013, 64.71% of 4th grade students scored at or above
grade level in Mathematics. The state average was 82.1% of students that scored at or above
grade level. These scores show our results and have decreased from the year of 2011-2012 to
the year 2012-2013.
As Im sure you are aware, we did not give the Alabama Reading and Mathematics test
last year and are now administering the ACT Aspire test to analyze Reading and Mathematics
scores for the 4th grade students. Last year from 2013-2014, 18.33% of the 4th grade students
scored at or above grade level in Reading. The state average last year was 38.28% of students
scored at or above grade level in Reading. In 2013-2014, 33.33% of students scored at or
above grade level in Mathematics. The state average this year was 45.1% of students scored at
or above grade level. Both of these areas show that our 4th grade students were below the
state average. The results also show that our test scores have dropped from how many
students scored at or above grade level for the Alabama Reading and Mathematics test to the
ACT Aspire test. The ACT Aspire test is still relatively new to us and we are taking initiative to
provide instructional meetings to learn more about the contents of the test. We also are
making arrangements to incorporate this new testing content into our 4th grade curriculum to
provide optimal academic success for your child.
We also wanted to inform you that we, as the administrative staff, have evaluated
Robinsons strengths and weaknesses. We want you to be well informed of the areas we are
progressing in, and the areas that we need to draw more attention to for improvement. The
areas that we have noticed need improvement after intensive evaluation are listed as the
following below. There is a heavy reliance on the math program curriculum instead of using it
as a guide to derive resources from. We have also noticed a lack of opportunities for parents to
be involved in the classroom and school as volunteers. After taking the ACT Aspire test for the
second year in a row, we have noticed that there is not enough science and social studies
content taught in the daily curriculum. These weaknesses will be addressed in the upcoming

paragraphs. Moving towards a more positive note, the administration as well as staff at
Robinson are pleased with the heightened focus on reading programs in the classroom. We
have also noticed an abundance of initiatives to motivate students to read.
After reviewing our test results from the ACT Aspire test this past year in reading and
math, we noticed the percentage of students that achieved a test score for at or above grade
level. These scores were increasingly lower in percentage than the scores of the Alabama
Reading and Mathematics test. Again, we want to emphasize the action plan we will
implement this coming summer after this spring semester has ended. We feel it necessary to
provide multiple in depth sessions where teachers are provided with deeper instruction of the
contents of the test and how to teach its contents to the students. We will also provide the
teachers with a discussion time to learn effective strategies to use in their daily lesson
curriculum of how to implement the contents of this test. There will be a greater emphasis on
science and social studies content implemented into the curriculum as well.
After evaluating all of this, we want to make sure that you, as the parent of these bright
and knowledgeable 4th grade students, know ways in which you can be involved in your
childs learning. Our 4th grade faculty wants you to remember to take advantage of scheduling
parent teacher conferences to receive updates and feedback on your childs progress. Also, we
will have the 4th grade teachers create a letter to send home to you throughout the school year
to inform you of ways that you will be able to get involved in your childs classroom. Email or
call your childs teacher as well to stay informed about what is going on in his or her classroom
and ways that you can be involved.
Please feel free to email or call any of the administrative faculty or 4th grade faculty for
specific questions that you may have. Thank you for your time and support that you have
given to provide your child with the opportunity to receive a quality education. We value your
feedback, input, and support as we move forward to create the necessary changes needed in
the upcoming months for our Action Plan.
Sincerely,
The Robinson Elementary School Administrative Faculty

Work Cited
(2015).
Trace Crossings faculty plead with Hoover school board to help remove 'black
cloud' now that rezoning is off table.
Retrieved from
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/02/trace_crossings_faculty_ple
ad.html
.

(2015).
Assessment Reporting System.
Retrieved from
http://www03.alsde.edu/accountability/accountability.asp
.

Anderson, J. (2014, September 28).

Trace Crossings Elementary School is at heart of
Hoover school rezoning debate.
Retrieved from
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2014/09/trace_crossings_elementary
_sch.html
Epstein, J., & Dauber, S. (1991). School Programs and Teacher Practices of Parent
Involvement in Inner-City Elementary and Middle Schools.
The Elementary School
Journal
, 91(3), 289-305. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1001715?seq=6#page_scan_tab_contents