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Tillicum’s approach to reading instruction follows a “Response to Intervention” model. All Tillicum students receive ninety minutes of core reading instruction. Core instruction is delivered through a walk-to-read model. Screen and diagnostic assessments are administered to place students in reading groups with peers similar to their instructional level. Within each reading group instruction and materials are differentiated to meet the specific learning needs of each student. Reading groups are flexible. Progress monitor data is regularly reviewed by teachers and Reading Coach to determine if a student’s placement is appropriate for their needs. If data shows the need to move to a group with more or less support, those moves are made immediately. Data also informs Tier II and Tier III intervention eligibility for all Tillicum students, even those also receiving ELL or SPED services. These interventions occur inside and outside of core instruction and focus on specific gaps in student learning shown in progress monitor data. Like core reading groups, intervention groups are flexible with student movement happening frequently.

Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.

Tillicum has a long running partnership with Communities in Schools to provide an after school program. This program includes reading instruction. Students are invited to attend when data indicates they need additional reading/intervention support. Tillicum teaching staff work alongside Communities in Schools staff to collaborate on instructional planning, teaching materials and progress monitoring assessment. Communities in Schools also provide community mentors for our students who will benefit from an adult role model. Teachers and students share reading goals and student progress with mentors so they may also support reading achievement. To ensure we meet the basic needs of our students, we coordinate with St. Leo’s food kitchen to provide weekend food backpacks to students who do not have sufficient food at home. Comprehensive, free, dental services are offered on campus each month. The TREE program builds a community garden connected to campus grounds where the children assist in growing produce. Greater Lakes Mental Health provides a counselor to support students and their families on campus.

Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.

Tillicum has a long running partnership with Communities in Schools to provide an after school program. This program includes reading instruction. Students are invited to attend when data indicates they need additional reading/intervention support. Tillicum teaching staff work alongside Communities in Schools staff to collaborate on instructional planning, teaching materials and progress monitoring assessment. Communities in Schools also provide community mentors for our students who will benefit from an adult role model. Teachers and students share reading goals and student progress with mentors so they may also support reading achievement. To ensure we meet the basic needs of our students, we coordinate with St. Leo’s food kitchen to provide weekend food backpacks to students who do not have sufficient food at home. Comprehensive, free, dental services are offered on campus each month. The TREE program builds a community garden connected to campus grounds where the children assist in growing produce. Greater Lakes Mental Health provides a counselor to support students and their families on campus.

Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.

Strategic leadership is based on long-term planning. It involves establishing and maintaining systems, allocating resources, and communicating vision. Maintaining the clear focus on the central vision for the school. There are NO EXCUSES

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

Continue the work in place.

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

Tillicum’s approach to reading instruction follows a “Response to Intervention” model. All Tillicum students receive ninety minutes of core reading instruction. Core instruction is delivered through a walk-to-read model. Screen and diagnostic assessments are administered to place students in reading groups with peers similar to their instructional level. Within each reading group instruction and materials are differentiated to meet the specific learning needs of each student. Reading groups are flexible. Progress monitor data is regularly reviewed by teachers and Reading Coach to determine if a student’s placement is appropriate for their needs. If data shows the need to move to a group with more or less support, those moves are made immediately. Data also informs Tier II and Tier III intervention eligibility for all Tillicum students, even those also receiving ELL or SPED services. These interventions occur inside and outside of core instruction and focus on specific gaps in student learning shown in progress monitor data. Like core reading groups, intervention groups are flexible with student movement happening frequently.

Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.

Research-Based Instruction: Tillicum staff understand that intentional planning and execution of highly effective instructional strategies leads to accelerated achievement in reading. The strategies used are founded in research and proven through Tillicum achievement data. Strategies to highlight include: High levels of student engagement. This is achieved through brisk pacing, and varied methods of eliciting student response. Students rarely raise hands and respond one voice at a time. Teachers require students to choral respond, partner share, or small-group share. Students know they are responsible for thinking when asked generative questions. They are expected to make their thinking visible to teacher and peers. Immediate corrective feedback – Tillicum staff are keen to notice individual student errors (verbal or written). Staff reacts quickly to these errors, coaching the student with specific, actionable feedback followed by providing a new opportunity to correct the error in the moment. Goal setting – Teachers regularly set data-specific SMART goals for their students in reading. Through the data-team process, teachers use common formative assessment data to identify learning deficits within a standard or skill. They set goals for individual students to improve. These goals are shared with the students, making the target clear. Students commit to the active role they will take in their learning in order to reach the goal. Student goals are posted in classrooms in various displays. These displays allow students to physically move markers towards goals as they progress. Rewards and Recognition -As students reach their goals they are recognized formally through class celebration, by earning necklace charms, personal affirmations at monthly school-wide assemblies, and teacher-parent communication.

Explain how Title I funds are used to support your improvement efforts.

Reading Coach: This position is filled by a highly-qualified, certificated, national board certified teacher who shares her full-time status with another Clover Park School District elementary school. Working with the principal, the Reading Coach oversees all components of systematic reading instruction in Kindergarten through Fifth grades. Duties include: *Scheduling and student placement in core reading, Tier II and Tier III intervention groups. *Overseeing progress monitor data and maintaining flexible instructional groupings in core and intervention groups. *Supervising the design and data collection of common formative assessments and managing data banks. *Leading teacher and paraprofessional training of core and intervention reading materials. *Conducting coaching cycles with teachers and paraprofessionals. *Modeling instructional strategies. *Facilitating professional development seminars on reading standards, pedagogy, assessment literacy and instructional strategies. *Co-facilitating reading data team meetings with Principal *Supporting teachers in personal goal setting.

Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.

Much of Tillicum’s reading professional development is facilitated by the Reading Coach and Tillicum Mentor Teachers. Teachers commit to grow their practice through actively participating in individual coaching cycles, grade-level and grade-band PLCs and K-5 vertical teaming. Focus of reading professional development includes; deep understanding of standards and standards progression, examining student work/performance for evidence of understanding, assessment literacy, and calibration of scoring student response. Additionally, Tillicum staff regularly attend professional development opportunities sponsored by the district. These opportunities support their learning around use of core and intervention materials and grade-level curriculum guides. To continue our high level of reading achievement our professional development is currently focused on increased rigor and text complexity as outlined in the ELA Common Core State Standards.

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

All staff: Classroom teachers, Specialists and paraprofessionals are paid through title funds to participate in monthly Reading Data Team Meetings. These structured meetings guide teachers through a deep analysis of standards-based, common formative assessment data. In grade-band and grade-level teams, staff use the data analysis to identify specific successes and challenges. They isolate instructional strategies that led to student success, share those strategies and generalize them to new goals. Standards which the data has shown as challenging are isolated through formal analysis. Staff create SMART goals (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Timebound) to address these deficits. The SMART goals are written to standards and include the identification of individual students needing to improve. Again, staff commit to implementing high-yield instructional strategies to reach their goals. Additionally, staff name and commit to the methods they will use to communicate their goals to the identified students. The process of data-driven instruction is continued at the following reading data team meeting when staff report on their progress in meeting the previous goal and use current data to create new goals.

Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.

The school culture is simple and that is NO EXCUSES for teachers, students and parents. At Tillicum we PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION, everyday---TIGER PRIDE!

• Category 1

  Selected in 2014

• Grades: k - 5
  School Setting: urban
  Town Population: 58
  Student Enrollment: 321
  Student Demographics:
  

  Black/African American: 10%
  White/Caucasian: 33.3%
  Hispanic: 35.8%
  Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 6.2%
  Asian: 7.5%
  Native American: 0%
  Other: 7.2%
  

  Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:24
  % Reduced Lunch: 95.2%
  % ELL Learners: 19%
  Founded: 1910
• PRINCIPAL:
  Taj Jensen
• CONTACT:
  8514 Maple Street SW
  Lakewood, WA 98498
  253-226-9009
  tjensen@cloverpark.k12.wa.us