• Category 2

    Selected in 2018

  • Grades: pre k - 6
    School Setting: suburban
    Town Population: 6,772
    Student Enrollment: 403
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 6.3%
    White/Caucasian: 57.5%
    Hispanic: 29%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 7.2%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:24
    % Reduced Lunch: 45.4%
    % ELL Learners: 9.7%
    Founded: 1873
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Jennifer Woolever
  • CONTACT:
    4900 Parish Drive
    Roeland Park, KS 66205
    913-993-4700
    jenniferwoolever@smsd.org
Roesland Elementary School
Roeland Park, KS
Change cannot happen if “buy-in” is not created.
Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.
To ensure families are involved, we utilize several different communication methods. First, we have incorporated “touch-base Tuesday”. Instead of a traditional staff meeting, staff make phone calls home talking to families and giving updates on progress. This allows everyone dedicated time to ensure we are checking-in at home and connecting with families personally. Once a week, we also have a day dedicated to Student Intervention Meetings (SIT). The school psychologist and other personnel are involved meeting with teachers to discuss current students’ tier interventions. Parents are also involved in this process. We have face to face interactions at parent-teacher conferences, family nights and PTA meetings. Lastly, we use electronic communication such as our Skyward weekly preview, class newsletters, and apps.
Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.
Roesland Elementary has built successful partnerships with the community through the "Caring for Kids" organization and school Site Council (SSC). Several stakeholders within the community currently serve as participants (i.e. churches, businesses, and civic groups). The team works together to develop and monitor the school's improvement plan. The principal organizes a quarterly agenda that allows for a round-table discussion.
Activities:
• Bike, Walk, and Roll to School: Established Safe Routes to School.
• Quarterly Family School Events: Family Fun Night, Game Night, Art Fair, and Carnival.
• Community Lunches: Once a month the police, fire, and city council are invited to eat lunch at school with students
•Civic Community Outreach: City Hall Visit, Mayor, Fire & Police Department, Public Speakers
• Extended Tutoring: Members volunteer to tutor students in reading (MVP- My Volunteer Pal)
• Community Health Support: Student Dental Screenings, Flu Shots.
Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.
You first must understand your current reality and those new to the environment must gain an understanding/respect for what has occurred. Next, it is important to get everyone on the same page. Change cannot happen if “buy-in” is not created. At Roesland, we develop ideas and goals together. It is also important to understand that we cannot control everything. For instance, a district-mandated initiative. As a building we may have not been a part of that decision making process, but we do still have control over the most vital part... the implementation. It is important to look at it as an opportunity because we have the ability to develop a plan that works for the needs in our building yet still aligns with the goals set forth by the district. As the leader, it is important to lead by example, take a positive approach and be solution-oriented. If we have a positive attitude it creates positive relationships and then in return develops positive outcomes and results.
What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
1) By the Spring of 2020, Roesland Elementary K-6th grade students will increase their composite score in the area of mathematics and reading by having 65% or more students meeting/exceeding their projected growth goal on the NWEA MAP Assessment.

2) By 2022, Roesland Elementary staff will implement 90% of the six social, emotional, and character development anchor standards to create a building-wide responsive culture.
What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
Actively review and assess data from daily work, tests, and observations. Have others join you in this process (i.e. principal, instructional coach, reading specialist, etc.). Use the data to guide your teaching and assist students with personal goal setting. When students are aware of their learning intentions (I-can statements) they begin to understand how they can achieve these goals and become more involved in their daily learning. Secondly, meeting frequently with your team to review data allows everyone time to know where students are in need of further instruction or enrichment and how we can support that from the building standpoint. This approach is done together and can make instruction more meaningful for all.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
The initiative that has had the greatest impact on our student achievement and closing the gap is our weekly grade level professional learning communities. These collaboration sessions are focused around four guiding questions: (1) What do we want our students to know?, (2) How will we know if they have learned it?, (3) What will we do if they have not learned it? and (4) What will we do if they have learned it?. Grade level teams then work to formulate a plan and chart it on the team’s agenda under one of the sections: (1) Assessment & standards, (2) Student data, (3) Engagement and instruction, (4) Student problem solving/BIST. These meeting notes are an integral part to the brainstorming process that allows everyone to focus on each individual student. Lastly, we continually goal set to keep moving forward with staff and student success. We never stop learning!
Explain how ESEA federal funds are used to support your improvement efforts.
At Roesland Elementary we utilize our Title I funds for staffing and family engagements. This is the second year, we have had a Title 1 Reading Specialist and Title Aide. Our Title I Specialist works with all of our support staff (ELL & SPED) to organize reading and math intervention schedules. They offer support in small groups so that it creates individualized instruction. The specialist also collaborates with teachers during PLC to monitor and ensure they are meeting students' specific learning needs. The other funding allocated from Title 1, is dedicated to our quarterly family engagement nights. This additional funding allows us to support our families at Roesland and provide "free" supplies, food, etc. which is a great way to increase attendance/participation at the events.
Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
To help identify the activities needed, we first survey the staff to understand their personal/professional needs. Next, we look at the district/building outcomes/goals. From those key areas, we develop our building’s professional goals for that school year (i.e. co-teaching, tier instruction, student engagement, priority standards). During the school year, the leadership team plans out monthly what instructional coaching/modeling will be facilitated. Having a month-to-month calendar allows us to make adjustments as needed to effectively maintain new and old initiatives. Lastly, reflection is needed to ensure we have hit the target/professional goal for that month. These staff reflections allow us as a leadership team to evaluate the professional learning and add appropriate measures/support as needed based on those responses.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
Data is what drives instruction! Staff receive professional learning about the various assessments and they are given time to examine the data. Then throughout the year, data discussions routinely occur to discuss benchmark assessments, common assessments, progress monitoring, interventions, etc.. Several staff members (i.e. SPED, Instructional Coach, Reading Specialist) join the teacher discussion to monitor students’ progress and support them in their learning. To increase accountability, student’s also participate in goal setting and parent communication/participation during the intervention process is vital.

Resources used for Decision Making:
• Priority Standards, Action Steps, Success Criteria
• Curriculum Maps
• Measurement of Academic Performance (MAP)
• State Assessments
• Benchmark and Progress Monitoring DIBELS
• Common Curriculum Assessments (Engage NY, Wonders)
• Tier Support: Reteach/Intervention
• Student Intervention Team and Parent/Guardian Communication
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
The culture at Roesland Elementary is very collaborative, positive, and supportive. Everyone (certified and classified) is active and plays an important role. They do whatever it takes to help students succeed. It is important to lead by example. The principal is approachable, involved, and can be seen all over the building. The instructional coach and reading specialist collaborate with teachers, work with students, facilitate professional development, co-teach and mentor. Teachers are not working in isolation, they too collaborate with their grade level colleagues, paras, and support staff. It is important that within these building committees all input is appreciated and the team is proactive in working together to find solutions.
• Grade Level Professional Learning Communities (PLC)
• Student Intervention Team (SIT)- Tier Interventions
• Building Leadership Team- Building Goals/Mission
• Social Team- Climate
• Panther Packs- Student Support Groups
• Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)
Stats
  • Category 2

    Selected in 2018

  • Grades: pre k - 6
    School Setting: suburban
    Town Population: 6,772
    Student Enrollment: 403
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 6.3%
    White/Caucasian: 57.5%
    Hispanic: 29%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 7.2%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:24
    % Reduced Lunch: 45.4%
    % ELL Learners: 9.7%
    Founded: 1873
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Jennifer Woolever
  • CONTACT:
    4900 Parish Drive
    Roeland Park, KS 66205
    913-993-4700
    jenniferwoolever@smsd.org