Major Improvement Strategies

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Directions: Describe the major improvement strategy(s) for 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 that will address the root causes identified in the data narrative. For each major improvement strategy, identify the root cause(s) that the action steps will address. (Each root cause should be addressed by at least one major improvement strategy.) Give each major improvement strategy a short, descriptive title (under “Name”), describe what the successful implementation of that strategy will look like, and identify the research supporting that strategy. Considering why the strategy is a good fit for your school and including an explanation in the narrative may provide additional precision in strategy implementation and alignment. Finally, if the major improvement strategy is addressing an accountability or grant requirement, indicate that by checking the relevant boxes in the section titled "Accountability Provisions or Grant Opportunities Addressed by this Major Improvement Strategy.” View the Quality Criteria for specific expectations in the Major Improvement Strategies section. These Strategy Guides provide a useful model for strategies, evidence base, and critical actions for successful implementation.


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Root Cause(s):

Collaborative planning time  Edit  

Inquiry-based instructional strategies  Edit  

Teacher Observations needed in STEM based lessons  Edit  

Significant influx of student enrollment  Edit  

Student families transitioning into and out of Mountainside  Edit  

Out of district/Out of zone student enrollment  Edit  

Increase rigor in using the speaking and listening standards  Edit  

Increase use of higher-level vocabulary  Edit  

Student and teachers actively participate in examining student writing  Edit  

Prepare students for structure and format of assessment  Edit  

Instructional program for K-5 Reading instruction is no longer aligned to C.A.S.  Edit  

Need for math Curriculum Based Measure to benchmark student performance  Edit  


Major Improvement Strategy:  STEM
Describe what success will look like:
Fully integrate and implement STEM practices throughout grade levels at Mountainside Elementary School.

Root Cause
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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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Collaborative planning time: Planning to integrate/embed STEM concepts into cross-curricular lessons

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Major Improvement Strategy:  ELA
Describe what success will look like:
Teachers will implement the Colorado Academic Standards for reading, writing, and communication with an evidence based writing task, academic language, and cross-curricular literacy.

Root Cause
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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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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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Collaborative planning time: Planning to integrate/embed STEM concepts into cross-curricular lessons

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Major Improvement Strategy:  Culture and Community
Describe what success will look like:
Develop the culture of a collaborative community within Mountainside Elementary School.

Root Cause
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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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