• Category 1

    Selected in 2013

  • Grades: pre k - 5
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 110
    Student Enrollment: 430
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 7%
    White/Caucasian: 43%
    Hispanic: 37%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 6%
    Asian: 6%
    Native American: 1%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:17
    % Reduced Lunch: 77%
    % ELL Learners: 33%
    Founded: 1947
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Mark Toland
  • CONTACT:
    616 Pecks Dr.
    Everett, WA 98203
    425-385-5990
    mtoland@everettsd.org
Madison Elementary
Everett, WA
We have participated in training on the 8-step cycle of continuous school improvement - Most of our staff has done this, or has read the book. This has led to systemic change over time, and significantly changed the manner in which we organize our assessments, data, interventions, schedule, and support staff.
Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.
Natural Leaders: We have solicited the partnership and collaboration of non-English speaking parents to become involved and connected with our school. This program is new, but those who participate find great reward and encouragement. We are meeting with them routinely to further enhance their connection with our school when they already have a natural language barrier that would otherwise disconnect them from school.
Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.
We have multiple evening family events throughout the school year, as well as an emerging PTA. We have a Natural Leader's group that is designed to connect with our non-English speaking parents. We have connections to our local churches and shelters that we partner with to help provide communication and services to those in need. We routinely utilize translators to better communicate to our families. Bi-monthly newsletters and automated phone calls are regularly used to connect to our families and the community at large.
Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.
"Work hard, be kind, inspire, learn", is our school mission statement. This sums it up. In addition to that, we have embraced collaboration, shared decision making, cultural awareness (including issues of working norms and staff working relationships) as well as highly structured systems that support our work and mission.
What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
1) Continue to improve upon our school culture. 2) Continue to enhance how we implement the 8-step cycle.
What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
1) The 8-steps of continuous school improvement, which focuses on strategies to close the achievement gap. 2) School cultural awareness - Both between staff members and how they work together, and an awareness of the diversity and needs of students and a families.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
There is probably no single program that has had the biggest impact. What has probably made the biggest difference is being honest with our current reality, and facing the challenges and requirements we face. We have participated in training on the 8-step cycle of continuous school improvement - Most of our staff has done this, or has read the book. This has led to systemic change over time, and significantly changed the manner in which we organize our assessments, data, interventions, schedule, and support staff. This is a collection of strategies over time that has change our culture as much as anything currently in place.
Explain how Title I funds are used to support your improvement efforts.
We use our title funds in the following ways: 1) Before school extended day. 2) Evening family events such as math and literacy night. 3) Title funds pay for certificated and classified extra instructional support. 4) Professional development activities. 5) Funds our school leadership team activities which are centered on our school improvement plan. 6) Funds parts of extra-curricular events in math and literacy.
Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
Within the last 2 years, the most critical professional development has been focused on: 1) The 8-steps of continuous improvement. 2) The new Washington teacher evaluation system. 3) 7 Strategies of Assessment for Learning. 4) Common core standards. 5) A new math adoption and curriculum. 6) District professional development on "rigor" and aspects of high performing teams.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
We give the DRA three times a year to monitor reading achievement. We give math unit tests approximately 16 times a year, with 4 benchmark tests. We give formative assessments, both teacher made and district made throughout the year. We use this data to place students into instructional groups, form the basis of our learning log meetings by grade level, as well as CAST meetings where we analyze grade level strengths and weaknesses. We also track and monitor attendance data. This is all reported out in a variety of ways school wide, and by grade level.
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
Madison has an increasingly diverse and challenging population. Our free and reduced lunch population has continued to climb, as has our non-English speaking population. We also have a veteran staff who has many years of experience. With the increasing demands of our population, we have had to make some shifts in our mind-set. We have conducted a comprehensive school review, implemented a high-functioning leadership team, and a culture and climate committee to better guide and lead our staff to new visions. We have also engaged in studies around poverty and the effects on student performance. Furthermore, we have taken strong steps to enhance collaboration among staff, focus on data, and implement systemic interventions for students who struggle to meet standard. We are in transition, and are making strong progress, but are still in the midst of this cultural shift.
Stats
  • Category 1

    Selected in 2013

  • Grades: pre k - 5
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 110
    Student Enrollment: 430
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 7%
    White/Caucasian: 43%
    Hispanic: 37%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 6%
    Asian: 6%
    Native American: 1%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:17
    % Reduced Lunch: 77%
    % ELL Learners: 33%
    Founded: 1947
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Mark Toland
  • CONTACT:
    616 Pecks Dr.
    Everett, WA 98203
    425-385-5990
    mtoland@everettsd.org