Campus Improvement Plan 2021-2022

Comprehensive Needs Assessment

Demographics

Demographics Summary

We are a PreK School in Spring Branch Independent School District and truly consider it a privilege to develop the whole child. Since we are a PreK School the majority of our families are new to us every year and our enrollment at times fluctuates. What has remained consistent is that every year we have a high percentage of a classified at-risk and economically disadvantaged population.

At our PreK campus, we have the opportunity to mold young minds and strengthen their young bodies. We understand the importance of connecting the mind and body to have a healthy whole child. We continue to strengthen our students’ social, emotional, and physical wellbeing. We do not have a PTA and the funds from the numerous fundraisers we have each year is used for educational items that are needed in the classroom.

We continue to be in a high poverty community with most of our students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. The majority of our students speak Spanish as their first language, however we are seeing a slight decrease in that percentage as the communities around our school are changing (many multi-family homes are being replaced by high-end single-family homes). Most of our students qualify as "at risk" of not graduating from high school.

Due to low enrollment in August of 2019-2020 school year, one ESL/Mainstream teacher and teacher assistant were moved to another campus. Due to low bilingual enrollment in August 2019, one bilingual Spanish teacher and teacher assistant were also moved. We started in 2017-2018 school year a PK-3 year old program. We will have two instead of one Early Childhood Special Education class for the 2020-2021 school year. Due to some unexpected retirements and resignations, SBISD did some changes with campus assignments to meet the special education needs of the district. Mary Serrano-Martinez will be the campus diagnostician for Tiger Trail 2020-2021 school year. Mary is bilingual, experienced and has been in the district so she is familiar with Spring Branch. Her other campus will be HBE 4 days a week.

In the fall of 2020, after the initial virtual learning requirement for all students, we transitioned into a combination of virtual and in-person classrooms. PK4 began with two bilingual virtual teachers and three in-person teachers, as well as two ESL/Mainstream virtual teachers and three in-person teachers. In the spring of 2021, we have transitioned to one virtual teacher and four in-person teachers for both ESL/mainstream and bilingual classrooms. Due to low enrollment for PK3, one bilingual teacher was moved to another campus. The remaining PK3 biligual teacher and PK3 ESL teacher have an in-person class in the morning and a virtual class in the afternoon.

The school-wide 2020-2021 classes will be:

1. Two PK3 classes:
   1. One ESL/Mainstream Teacher (2 sections)
   2. One Bilingual Spanish Teachers (2 sections)
2. Five ESL/Mainstream PK4classes ( One virtual)
3. Five Bilingual Spanish PK4 classes (One virtual)
4. One Early Childhood Special Education class

Demographics Strengths

Tiger Trail School recognizes the critical role families play as our partners in the education of EveryChild. Our campus expectations ensure all Tiger Trail School families, including non-English speakers, is provided proper translation and interpretation services, so they may be engaged participants in their child education. Family engagement programs, processes, procedures, meetings, and other activities is provided to families in a format and in a language they understand. These include, but not limited to:

• Registration and enrollment in school
• Parent-teacher conferences
• Student discipline policies and procedures
• Report Cards
• Special education and related services, and meetings to discuss special education

The parent representatives for the Campus Improvement Team is made up of two male Hispanics, two White females, and one Hispanic female. Two of our fourteen teachers have two-three years experience to Tiger Trail School this year. All the rest of our teachers are experienced early childhood teachers and met highly qualified status. Our families experience crises that would be expected of those living in high poverty, but we have family support from our Communities In Schools student support specialist. We continue to have a parent center in our school and have increased parent participation on campus.

The Cut and Paste Volunteer Station is one example of activity operating in our Parent Center. Our Parent Volunteers pick up work in the morning in specially made bags located in Rm. #17 only for this purpose.

1. Grab a bag and Instruction Sheet
2. Put your items to be worked on in bag with sheet.
3. Drop your bag in “Pick Up” Container

* Pick up and Drop off are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
* Teachers, send supplies needed to complete work. For example, Glue, tape, etc.
Tiger Trail School continues to have a robust parent volunteer program and a number of community partnerships.

Problem Statements Identifying Demographics Needs

Problem Statement 1: The majority of our families continue to experience crisis associated with our demographics. Root Cause: Poverty

Comprehensive Needs Assessment

Student Learning

Student Learning Summary

2020-21:

Rapid Letter - 86%

Rapid Vocabulary Naming - 77%

Writing 84%

SEL 85%

Math 86%

Goal 1: In order to achieve T-2-4, students will consistently meet appropriately ambitious academic growth targets.

End-of-year CIRCLE Assessment in the area of Rapid Vocabulary Naming.

End of Year Data 2018-2019: * Rapid Vocabulary -78%

End of Year Data 2017-2018: * Rapid Vocabulary -74%

Goal 2: In order to achieve T-2-4, students will feel connected to their school community as both an individual and a learner.

Responded favorably on the SEL portion of the CIRCLE assessment. 

End of Year Data 2018-2019: * Social/Emotional - 95%

Goal 3: In order to achieve T-2-4, students will demonstrate college-ready academic performance.

Performance at post-secondary-ready levels on all benchmarks in CIRCLE. 
End of Year Data 2018- 2019:

• Rapid Vocabulary -78%
• Rapid Letter - 91%
• Writing - 92%
• SEL - 95%
• Math - 81%

Goal 4: In order to achieve T-2-4, students will receive equitable opportunities resulting in the closing of existing achievement gaps.

Closed existing achievement gaps on the CIRCLE assessment between English Learner and non-English Learner students in Mainstream. 

End of Year Data 2018-2019:

*    English Learners - 70%    VS     * non- English Learners - 82%

End of Year Data 2017-2018:

*    English Learners - 63%    VS     * non-English Learners - 82%

Student Learning Strengths

Each day students participate in three learning workshops: literacy, math, and projects. We maintain a balanced approach to literacy learning by taking each child where they are and building on their strengths to help them reach their full potential in early reading and writing. Our mathematics program concentrates on growing children’s understanding of math concepts by laying a concrete foundation for later abstract thinking. Finally, our students participate in class projects that allow them to apply their recently acquired literacy and math skills in authentic situations. We take an interdisciplinary approach to our instruction. We believe this better prepares students for life outside of school. Social Studies and Science concepts are integrated into the curriculum. There is an instructional focus on higher level thinking skills and problem-solving. Students also participate in daily gross motor instruction and recess. Each day also includes a healthy dose of play, because we know "play is the work of young children."

Problem Statements Identifying Student Learning Needs

Problem Statement 1: By May 2022, PK4 Mainstream/ESL will close existing achievement gaps by at least 50% (from 23% to 11%) on CIRCLE "Rapid Vocabulary Naming" component between non-English Learner and English Learner students. Root Cause: The constraints that poverty often places on people's lives, particularly children's, and those conditions influence learning and academic achievement.

Comprehensive Needs Assessment

School Processes & Programs

School Processes & Programs Summary

The Tiger Trail School has been in existence since August 2001. We have 13 PreK classes. Each classroom has a certified teacher and an assistant. We also have several support staff members on-site to provide additional services to the children as needed. The campus serves three and four-year-old students in Prekindergarten from 4 Elementary feeder schools. Each classroom is led by a certified teacher and a teacher assistant. Campus languages of instruction are English and Spanish. Free bus transportation is provided to all four-year-old students. Breakfast and lunch are provided to students at no cost.

2020-21:

Rapid Letter - 86%

Rapid Vocabulary Naming - 77%

Writing 84%

SEL 85%

Math 86%

Campus goals:

By May 2021, pre-kindergarten students will increase benchmark cut score by 5% from the prior year on the end-of-year CIRCLE 
Assessment in the area of Rapid Vocabulary Naming.

End of Year Data 2018-2019:    * Rapid Vocabulary -78% 

End of Year Data 2017-2018:    * Rapid Vocabulary-74%

By May 2020, PK4 Mainstream/ESL will close existing achievement gaps by at least 50% (from 12% to 6%) on CIRCLE "Rapid Vocabulary Naming" component between non-English Learner and English Learner students.

Closed existing achievement gaps on the CIRCLE assessment between English Learner and non-English Learner students in Mainstream.

End of Year Data 2018-2019:
*    English Learners - 70%    vs. * non- English Learners - 82%

End of Year Data 2017-2018:
*    English Learners - 63%    vs. * non-English Learners - 82%

Each day students participate in three learning workshops focused on higher level thinking skills and problem solving: literacy, math, and projects.

1. We maintained a balanced approach to literacy learning by taking each child where they are at the beginning of the year, using our CIRCLE and Observation Survey (OS) data to building on their strengths. Throughout the year, using middle of the year CIRCLE and OS and classroom assessments to ensure that all students are meeting end of year expectations.
2. Our Kathy Richardson Math Program concentrated on growing understanding of math concepts by laying a concrete foundation for later abstract thinking.
3. Students participated in class projects that allowed them to apply their recently acquired literacy, math, science, and social studies skills in authentic situations. In addition, students participate in daily gross motor instruction and recess.

Tiger Trail School encourages parent participation and community involvement in a variety of ways throughout the school year. The parent center has engaged parents in a variety of classes to support their health and wellness. Some of the ways we currently support our community include:

• Parent meetings (i.e. Donuts for Dads, Muffins for Moms, Principal’s Coffee, Parent conferences,)
• CIS worker on campus to support families 
• Constant communication with parents (school and classroom newsletters, Remind, Homeroom, marquee reminders/announcements, phone calls, conferences)
• Volunteer Reception
• Super Smiles Dental Program
• Northbrook High School Students (Aspiring future education teachers)
• ReadyRosie

School-Wide Attendance Support Tiger Trail monitored students who needed support and work with parents to ensure they attended school regularly. School-wide prevention and intervention efforts to increase school attendance and curb unexcused absences were implemented.

Address Non-Academic Barriers Parents and families are invited to participate in a variety of meetings and activities over the course of the school year. Orientation is held in August and Open House is held in early October. In October and February, parent conferences are held to inform about grade level expectations and their child’s specific progress. In addition, strategies are shared to help their child practice skills at home. Our campus Parent Center is available as a resource for parents to include books, computer, and videos. Formal trainings are schedules throughout the year guided by parent input and survey data and vary in date.

School Processes & Programs Strengths

One of the keys to our success is our extensive professional learning model that focuses on the adult learners in our school. We have established professional learning communities lead by experienced team leaders. The campus mission and vision will be re-evaluated to ensure that we are all working toward a common goal

• Daily Campus Professional Development for Teachers 2:45 - 3:30
• Monthly Campus Professional Development for Teacher Assistants 1:00 - 1:45 & on early dismissal afternoons 
• Teachers engage in whole campus planning, quad partner planning, & individual planning
• Teachers share Math & Literacy instructional strategies related to campus goals throughout the year
• Teachers engage in Professional Learning Community (PLC) collaborative instructional reviews related to campus goals throughout the year

There is a strong commitment by our staff to providing a balanced literacy program. Our teachers differentiate instruction teaching most of the day in smaller focused groups. Instruction is based on assessment data to ensure it is matched closely to student need.

Some of the strengths of our instructional program that our staff, parents and community shared are:

• We consistently differentiate instruction and all classrooms are using technology in meaningful ways
• Data is used to facilitate and guide instruction 
• Teachers collaborate to best meet the needs of all students
• The full day program allows us to thoroughly implement all content areas
• Small Group instruction

Additionally, to enhance anytime, anywhere opportunities for our youngest learners we are providing ReadyRosie access to parenting videos that help them engage students in learning at home.

Teachers are encouraged to reflect on their practices and are constantly striving to increase their skills not just in Literacy and Math but in Social and emotional Learning (SEL). This is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. Teaching young children appropriate social skills is critical in early childhood. Student behavior generally meets age appropriate expectations. However, students that are in crisis receive immediate support. These students receive classroom support in the form of focused social skill development, behavior intervention plans, and frequent contact with a variety of adults to support the appropriate behavior. We are able to access support from Project CLASS (Children Learning Appropriate Social Skills), Communities in Schools (CIS) and the district's System of Care department. This support helps teachers to target specific student behaviors and provide a variety of data-based interventions.

There were no office referrals for the 2018-2019 school year. We believe it is not developmentally appropriate to send young children to the office when behavioral challenges arise; but rather it provides us with a learning opportunity to guide the student toward better behavioral choices within the context of the classroom. When needed, teachers called for additional assistance to come to the classroom to help teach through a behavior. This additional assistance was provided in a consultative nature to the teacher by our CIS, Speech Therapist, and/or Director. This year, we will also add an Intervention Specialist who will focus on behavior and academic interventions to support student achievement. She will support student growth through hands on interventions in classrooms and through professional development for our staff members. Professional learning sessions were held for both Teachers and Teacher Assistants before and throughout the school year focusing on teaching routines and procedures and positive behavioral supports.

We meet as a staff and focus on academic and behavioral support strategies for struggling students. These general strategies (i.e. Tier I RtI) are shared in a collaborative fashion to build capacity and support. A teacher needing individual student specific support would request a Pre-SSC conference to review Tier I documentation of interventions and plan forward for support. As indicated from Pre-SSC documentation, a formal SSC meeting(s) was held. The campus Behavior Intervention Specialist, Speech Therapist, Diagnostician, and Director provided additional support/guidance/observations related to the area of need and their expertise when formal SSC meetings were held. System of Care and/or LSSP were included in SSC process when appropriate.

Problem Statements Identifying School Processes & Programs Needs

Problem Statement 1: Requiring educators to spend valuable time and effort assembling the necessary supporting materials and making them work together. 
Root Cause: Curriculum materials, assessments, and technologies to support personalized learning are not fully develop, fragmented, and of uneven quality.

Comprehensive Needs Assessment

Perceptions

Perceptions Summary

At Tiger Trail School, our goal is for all children to enter school with the foundational knowledge and skills to be curious, confident and successful learners. We provide access to high-quality 3- and 4- year-old prekindergarten. Our campus provides resources for parents of children in our PK3, PK4, and ECSE classes as stated in our school’s core values. Parents are encouraged to apply to be an approved volunteer to assist in classrooms, on study trips, and across the campus.

Parent and community engagement are essential in promoting student achievement; The Tiger Trail School forms an alliance with parents in developing a home-school partnership. This is outlined in our Home/School Compact which was developed by parents, teachers and children. The instructional program, including the state guidelines for Prekindergarten, SBISD required assessments, and children’s progress is communicated throughout the year. Through special scheduled activities, parents will have numerous opportunities to participate and be involved in their children’s learning.

All Tiger Trail staff continues implementing the use of instructional technology throughout the daily routine using Promethean ActivPanels and iPads as a way to provide additional literacy and math skill practice. Staff uses bookmaking software to design readers for students to use at school and at home. Staff shares student technology use with colleagues during campus PLC meetings. All of our students are targeted for intense individualized case management services to improve in academics, behavior and attendance.

The staff Panorama survey provided some valuable information, however, with a limited number of staff members responding, the data is limited. Overall results indicated that staff members are concerned about “Faculty Growth Mindset 65% (78% PK Centers). This is an area of exploration for targeted professional growth. In addition, they indicated that an area of focus should be Student Mindset 80% (87% PKCenters).

9 of 15 respondents, Panorama 2018-2019 Teacher survey data reflected the following as “Favorable” compared to other SBISD PK Centers:

• Core Values 89% (85% PKCenters)
• Faculty Growth Mindset 65% (78% PK Centers) 
• Feedback and Coaching 80% (65% PK Centers) 
• Professional Learning 89% (81% PKCenters)
• Resources 70% (47% PKCenters)
• School Climate 95% (85% PKCenters)
• Staff-Leadership Relationships 95% (76% PK Centers)
• Student Mindset 80% (87% PKCenters)
• Teaching Efficacy 90% (89% PKCenters)

Campus Needs Assessment for Family E3 indicated these areas done successfully during 2018-2019:

• Partnering Agency: Amerigroup, Houston Food Bank, Daily Dose,
• Parent Volunteer Opportunities (front office, workroom, classrooms)
• Parent Education Classes (Nutrition, Exercise, ESL, Love & Logic etc.) 
• Parent Conferences, Open House, Newsletters
• Project CLASS and CIS social lessons and social story readings in classes 
• Character Without Question 
• Perfect Attendance Award each 9 Weeks 
• Visit to Feeder Schools

Case Management Intervention with a focus both academic support and supportive guidance (individual and/or group sessions) are offered by CIS project manager to meet the needs of targeted students.

Perceptions Strengths

Tiger Trail School has an instructional program for prekindergarten three and four-year-old’s. Our four- year-old program is a full day. We are pleased to have highly trained teachers and staff. Every one of our teachers has their certification in Pre-K, Elementary Education, and English as Second Language (ESL).

We provide a classroom culture that emphasizes in collaboration and encouragement where we create a safe space for students to work toward their goals. Classmates become a support system for one another, with the right foundation. We are moving forward with an implementation plan that calls us to personalize learning for our students by addressing the following pillars: Individualized Instruction, Student Agency, Whole Child Data, and Anytime, Anywhere Learning.

Tiger Trail provided a developmentally appropriate, integrated curriculum that enhanced the social/emotional, intellectual, aesthetic, and physical development of each child while nurturing autonomy, self-esteem, and success. In addition, many of our teachers are certified in Bilingual and/or Special Education. Our classrooms are privileged in having instructional Assistants that meet highly qualified standards for the position.

Through the assistance of a Prekindergarten Coach, Team Leaders, our teachers planned and implemented small group literacy instruction to include differentiation of leveled readers, interactive writing and peer observations. Teachers will continue implementing modeled/shared/guided/independent reading and writing.

At Tiger Trail, technology is used by students and staff to provide on-demand access to information, to increase student engagement, to provide opportunities for students to create products, and to practice skills and apply knowledge.

1. Through Title I funding, all classes use the recently purchased Promethean ActivPanel in each classroom.
2. Teachers use the internet to find research and resources to support their instructional content, planning, and implementation. Need to continue to build collaborative networks (i.e. blogs, google docs, campus web page, Skype, etc.) to share information across teachers.
3. Students use iPad to practice literacy and math skills; generate collections of stories/books; etc.
4. Students participate in electronic benchmark testing at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year (CIRCLE). Students engage with interactive and responsive software (iStation) to practice skills on a daily basis.
5. Parents have access to ReadyRosie app 24/7 to practice suggested skills with their child.

Problem Statements Identifying Perceptions Needs

Problem Statement 1: Need to restructure systems to provide more time and support for students not meeting desired expectation. Root Cause: PK3 Student Arrival/Dismissal Supervision demands on support staff.