Section III: Step Six - Root Causes

Priority Performance Challenge:   STEM Teacher Conceptual Understanding
-Lack of understanding/comfort in integrating and implementing STEM cross-curricular lessons, activities... -Teachers have an opportunity to observe modeling of "Inquiry" structured, or Engineering Design Process lessons from peers to observe successful STEM integrated lessons.
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Root Cause (s) Associated with this Performance Challenge [  Add / Associate Root Cause ]

Collaborative planning time - Planning to integrate/embed STEM concepts into cross-curricular lessons
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Inquiry-based instructional strategies - Providing an instructional environment that supports student inquiry, collaboration and problem-solving.
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Teacher Observations needed in STEM based lessons - Teachers have an opportunity to observe modeling of "Inquiry" structured, or Engineering Design Process lessons from peers to observe successful STEM integrated lessons.
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Need for math Curriculum Based Measure to benchmark student performance - Math interventions are limited because the data on student math performance are limited as part of a universal screening measure.
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Priority Performance Challenge:   Building Culture and Community
Develop a culture of a collaborative community within Mountainside Elementary School.
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Root Cause (s) Associated with this Performance Challenge [  Add / Associate Root Cause ]

Significant influx of student enrollment - On base housing in the Mountainside attendance area has been rebuilt and families have been moved into our new neighborhoods. This has resulted in an increase of enrollment of more than 100 students over the past 12 months, and places a greater importance on creating a tight-knit school community.
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Student families transitioning into and out of Mountainside - Families are in a consistent state of flux as they soldiers are deployed and/or their Primary Change of Station is pushed through. This makes it difficult to establish and maintain a culture that is passed down from student to student over the course of years.
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Out of district/Out of zone student enrollment - To address declining enrollment, Mountainside Elementary School has opened up its attendance to students residing outside the traditional attendance area. This has diluted the traditional "neighborhood school feel" and requires the school to work to integrate students into what is expected of Mountainside Elementary School students.
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Priority Performance Challenge:   English-Language Arts
Teachers will implement the Colorado Academic Standards for reading, writing, and communication with evidence-based writing tasks, academic language, and cross-curricular literacy.
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Root Cause (s) Associated with this Performance Challenge [  Add / Associate Root Cause ]

Increase rigor in using the speaking and listening standards - Staff are working to calibrate grade-level expectations for communication using both the writing standards and the speaking and listening standards. Formative assessment/summative assessment opportunities need to be planned to allow timely feedback through both modes to drive instruction.
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Increase use of higher-level vocabulary - Students and teachers will apply appropriate, higher-level vocabulary in writing and classroom discussions.
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Student and teachers actively participate in examining student writing - Students will analyze text to support claims and conclusions with text-based evidence and language. Staff will work to calibrate scoring using writing rubrics to share strategies to advance student's writing proficiency.
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Prepare students for structure and format of assessment - Teachers will administer writing tasks similar to district and state assessments to prepare students for grade-level expectations.
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Instructional program for K-5 Reading instruction is no longer aligned to C.A.S. - The adopted instructional program for reading instruction was aligned to Colorado Model Content Standards of 2010, and not the Colorado Academic Standards of 2013. Teachers will work to supplement the instructional program to meet standards-based instruction needs.
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Unassociated Root Cause(s)