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Title I funds are used to proved a full time Instructional Coach to assist teachers in learning and increasing their repertoire of instructional practices that build student student performance tasks, which align to standards, and that promote independent reading and writing across all subject areas. Title I funds also provide a part time Technology Coach to show teachers what our technology resources are and how to use them in order to integrate technology into the instruction in a relevant, student-centered manner.

What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?

Dickson Elementary’s top goal every year is to make AYP. Specifically, Dickson’s two top goals for the 2012-2013 school year are:
--to increase the reading proficiency score by 10% and to close the achievement gap in reading between all students and the economically disadvantaged students.
--to increase our positive pattern of growth for students with IEPs.

What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?

The single most important factor in the success of Dickson Elementary is providing collaborative release time for teachers to align the curriculum with the eligible content/common core and to plan unit lessons, using Understanding by Design.

Explain how Title I funds have supported your improvement efforts.

At Dickson Elementary, Title I funds are used to proved a full time Instructional Coach to assist teachers in learning and increasing their repertoire of instructional practices that build student student performance tasks, which align to standards, and that promote independent reading and writing across all subject areas. Title I funds also provide a part time Technology Coach to show teachers what our technology resources are and how to use them in order to integrate technology into the instruction in a relevant, student-centered manner.

Identify the professional development activities you use to improve the teaching portion of the teaching and learning process.

Dickson Elementary School has a professional development plan that is based upon teacher needs as determined through a survey and based upon student needs as determined by data. Over the past few years, the professional development has focused on Marzano’s high-yielding instructional practices, higher-level thinking questions and performance tasks, and integrating technology in instruction. Professional Learning Communities are a part of the weekly faculty meetings for the 2012-13 school year and focus on four areas: Student Engagement, Instruction and Assessment, Student Support including Parental Involvement, and Classroom Management & Equity in Education.

Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.

At Dickson Elementary, student and class data from a variety sources -- PSSAs, PVAAS, DIBELs, CBMs, G-Rade, 4Sight Benchmarks, and theme tests -- is used by the teachers to plan the daily intervention period to address specific skills and concepts. Flexible grouping is used during the Intervention periods to meet the individual needs of each student. The data is also used to write Personal Educational Plans for every student to plan intervention and enrichment as needed.

• Category 2

  Selected in 2012

• Grades: k - 6
  School Setting: suburban
  Town Population: 8,983
  Student Enrollment: 335
  Student Demographics:
  

  Black/African American: 77%
  White/Caucasian: 17%
  Hispanic: 2%
  Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
  Asian: 1%
  Native American: 0%
  Other: 3%
  

  Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:12
  % Reduced Lunch: 83%
  % ELL Learners: 0%
  Founded: 1981
• PRINCIPAL:
  Allison Kline
• CONTACT:
  7301 Schoyer Avenue
  Swissvale, PA 15218
  412-731-5816
  klinal@whsd.net