K-3 Program Review

K – 3 Program Review

The goal of K-3 programs is to develop the whole child. In understanding some programs for students do not offer themselves to paper and pencil assessments, an annual self-assessment of a school’s K-3 program provides an opportunity for considering how well a school is meeting the different aspects of the program and formatively analyzing areas of strength and areas for growth.

The focus of the program review is on program improvement. Consider the program through the lens of its four purposes. The program review is intended to:

• Improve the quality of teaching and learning for all students in all programs.
• Allow equitable access for all students to provide experiences that contribute to becoming well-rounded, productive citizens.
• Allow student demonstration of understanding beyond a paper-and-pencil test.
• Ensure a school-wide natural integration of the program skills across all contents, beyond the program area.

The Program Review Rubric, for all five programs, is divided into four standards: Curriculum and Instruction, Formative and Summative Assessment, Professional Learning and Leadership: Support and Monitoring.

Each of the standards is marked by demonstrators that identify a strong, successful program. When reviewing a program, consider the demonstrators as the over-arching strengths of a standard within a program. The demonstrators comprise the focus of the program. Each demonstrator has a set of characteristics to assist schools in identifying the strengths and areas of growth related to the demonstrator. These characteristics assist in decision making for continuous improvement and in determining scores for the demonstrators.

Standard One: Curriculum and Instruction

Demonstrator One: Student Access/Aligned and Rigorous Curriculum– All students have equitable access to high quality, rigorous curriculum and instruction that is aligned to the Kentucky Academic Standards in the K-3 program.

Characteristic A: Students have equitable access to curriculum that is rigorous and addresses the intent of the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS).

Characteristic B: Students have equitable access to cross-curricular instruction that is culturally responsive.

Characteristic C: Students have equitable access to cross-curricular instruction that includes authentic learning experiences.

Characteristic D: The curriculum is reviewed annually and revised as needed.

The school is Meeting the Expectation for Demonstrator One: Student Access by – meeting 3 of the 4 characteristics, Must include A & B

Demonstrator Two: Kentucky Systems of Intervention (KSI)/Response to Intervention (RtI)* – A school uses an established systematic, comprehensive system that addresses accelerated learning, achievement gaps, highly-effective instruction, readiness to learn and student transitions. A school provides a seamless framework, using state and federal funding that addresses academic and behavioral needs and is accessible to all students.

Characteristic A: Support for early intervention is provided through a multi-tiered system of support including differentiated as well as targeted, intensive academic and behavioral interventions.

Characteristic B: Universal screening and diagnostic assessments are used to determine individual student needs and baseline performance. Multiple sources of data are used when determining the level of intervention services needed.

Characteristic C: Academic and behavioral Interventions are evidence-based and vary in intensity and duration to meet the needs and to maximize the achievement of the individual student.

Characteristic D: Interventions are implemented with fidelity and delivered by individuals most qualified to provide the intervention services.

Characteristic E: Advancement of the individual student is monitored through a comparison of baseline data collected prior to intervention and ongoing progress data, including documentation of assessments, measures of behavior, progress during instruction and evaluation, at regular intervals for continuous need analysis.

Characteristic F: individual student reports are shared with the parents/guardians of each student in kindergarten through grade 3 that summarizes the student’s skills in mathematics, reading and writing; the student’s behavior and any other intervention plans and services being delivered.

Characteristic G: The RtI process allows ease of student movement between tiers to meet student needs in a timely manner.

Characteristic H: The school effectively uses the intervention tab.

Characteristic I: Increased time with teacher(s) rather than computer based intervention.

The school is Meeting the Expectation for Demonstrator Two: RtI by meeting the 6 characteristics A-F required by House Bill 69 (704 KAR 3:095)

* House Bill 69 (704 KAR 3:095)

Standard Two: Formative and Summative Assessment

Demonstrator One: Assessments – Teachers use multiple assessment processes to inform, guide, develop and revise instructional strategies and curriculum to enhance student learning and achievement.

Characteristic A: Teachers embed day-to-day/week-to-week/informal assessments to monitor progress and to guide instruction (aligned to the school’s systematic plan/policy).

Characteristic B: Teachers use multiple and developmentally appropriate assessment methods (e.g., formative, screening, diagnostic, interim, benchmark, summative) to systematically gather data about student understanding of learning targets, reflect on instruction and make adjustments to instruction.

Characteristic C: Teachers provide regular and meaningful opportunities for students to revise and to apply new learning before summative products are assessed.

Characteristic D: Teachers, peers and others (principals, community members, support staff, etc.) provide timely and constructive feedback on students’ products as part of an on-going feedback process.

The school is Meeting the Expectation for Demonstrator One: Assessment by meeting 2-3 characteristics, Must include A & B

Demonstrator Two: Expectations for student learning – Teachers communicate high expectations and use common standards for student learning.

Characteristic A: Teachers use and share learning targets and objectives that are aligned to standards with students.

Characteristic B: Teachers use rubrics/scoring guides that are clearly defined; students have input on success criteria and/or rubrics when appropriate.

Characteristic C: Teachers and students collaborate to set goals that are informed by feedback and assessment.

Characteristic D: Teachers regularly share student progress toward meeting learning targets and objectives with families.

The school is Meeting the Expectation for Demonstrator Two: Expectations by meeting 2-3 characteristics Must include A & C

Standard Three: Professional Learning

Demonstrator: Opportunity/Participation – Professional learning opportunities are planned according to Kentucky Professional Learning Standards with the teachers’ learning needs in mind in response to data available about current teacher practice and student learning in the context of the components and indicators of effectiveness in The Framework for Teaching. Not only are professional learning opportunities planned, but teachers and school leaders participate in professional learning. In this standard, school leadership is defined as SBDM/principal/principal designee.

Characteristic A: School leadership ensures regular and consistent access to job-embedded and program specific (K-3) professional learning opportunities.

Characteristic B: School leadership allocates regular and consistent time within the school calendar for K-3 teachers to collaborate on programmatic improvements and to exchange ideas with other K-3 educators.

Characteristic C: School leadership regularly and consistently facilitates professional learning opportunities to support the K-3 program.

Characteristic D: Teachers choose and participate in relevant professional learning opportunities (e.g., content cadres, PLCs, workshops) or professional organizations to increase K-3 teacher effectiveness.

Characteristic E: School leadership participates in professional learning (K-3) alongside teachers.

The school is Meeting the Expectation for the Demonstrator: Opportunity/Participation by meeting 3-4 characteristics Must A, C & D

Standard Four: Leadership: Support and Monitoring

Demonstrator: Policies & Monitoring – School leadership establishes and monitors implementation of policies, provides adequate resources, facilities, space and instructional time to support effective instructional programs. In this standard, school leadership is defined as SBDM/principal/principal designee.

Characteristic A: School leadership ensures K-3 teachers have the opportunity to participate in planning the annual school budget.

Characteristic B: School leadership ensures K-3 teachers receive equitable planning time (and travel time for itinerant teachers).

Characteristic C: School leadership ensures K-3 teachers have access to necessary resources to implement the program.

Characteristic D: School leadership ensures that decisions related to K-3 programs are based on student needs and interests.

Characteristic E: School leadership communicates and involves the school staff, parents and community in making decisions about the school’s K-3 programs.

The school is Meeting the Expectation for the Demonstrator – Policies/Monitoring by meeting 3-4 characteristics Must include C, D & E