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All Halloran family stakeholders, students, parents, staff and community members, play active roles in student achievement. With the feeling of one community and one family, students, and parents work together to ensure success through the strength of the Parent Teacher Association, a Halloran Husky Facebook page, and a school website that keeps all stakeholders connected.

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

All Halloran family stakeholders, students, parents, staff and community members, play active roles in student achievement. With the feeling of one community and one family, students, and parents work together to ensure success through the strength of the Parent Teacher Association, a Halloran Husky Facebook page, and a school website that keeps all stakeholders connected. We understand that in order for all stakeholders to work toward a common goal, all must be informed as to how students are assessed and how these results are used to inform instruction, as well as, all the wonderful things happening at our school.

Halloran has an active PTA that works closely with administration and staff throughout the year. The PTA has initiated and sponsored school productions/activities, such as Suessical the Musical, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, Hair Spray and Shrek, Tricky Tray, Bake-Offs, Field Day, Fun Day, Family Movie Nights, regular monthly PTO meetings, and summer workshops for our students; all activities which bring families and community members together.

Some of our most successful activities include the following:

• Blue Ribbon Recipient 2014- Halloran was awarded the prestigious honor of Blue Ribbon status for the third time in its history. It is being recognized for outstanding achievement, coupled with a vision of excellence and expectation of high standards.
• HAArP (Halloran Academy of Arts and Performance) - The Halloran Art and Performance Academy initiative is dedicated to promoting excellence in all our art components. This includes our school wide performance of Hairspray and Shrek (in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy), as well as our newly defined afterschool programs dedicated to implement creative approaches to learning, while recognizing that the arts are critical and essential to education.
• Healthy Huskies- the Healthy Huskies initiative is an attempt at health promotion with a vision towards a healthier School 22 community. Our goal is aimed at improving health and offering healthy activities which engage students, families, and staff. Some activities include Zumba, 5K Family Walks, Healthy Staff Luncheons, and Fitness Fridays.
• Back to School Night when administrators and teachers share the school’s goals, vision, and expectations with families.
• American Education Week where families observe and participate in classes by volunteering time and talents.
• Read Across America Week, Family Math Night and Family Literacy Night, which invite families to participate reading activities or math problem solving activities that students do daily.
• Monthly Student Advisory meetings which afford students the opportunity to offer feedback to educators on classroom practices and rigorous instruction.
• Student performances and presentation, where parents and community members have the opportunity to experience student learning first hand; activities ranging from science fairs, living wax museums, Native American Exhibition, dinosaur displays, to award winning choral and band performances.
• Monthly Parent Teacher Organization meetings where parents have the chance to share in the schools’ future activity planning.
• School sponsored community events where ‘Halloran Huskies’ show their school pride such as the Family Fun 5K where monies are donated to help the less fortunate, Blue Ribbon Excellence Week, and Excellence Award Night where students share their academic excellence.
• Students and families participate in the St. Jude’s Math-A-Thon where, over the past 5 years, the Huskies have donated over $25,000 to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
• Student Council contributions of our $10, 000 to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society by participating in the “Pennies for Pasta” campaign, 125 Thanksgiving baskets to families in need, Annual Christmas baskets, approximately 1,100 pairs of socks to ‘Socks for Solders’, and writing/sending over 300 Christmas Cards to Soldiers.
• Annual musical sponsored, directed, and produced by community led organization.

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 our school that others should try to replicate is the countless opportunities provided for all students to achieve excellence in education at William F. Halloran School #22. Halloran’s high expectations fosters success for every student. These expectations are internalized by all; administrators, teachers, students and parents. To achieve our vision, Halloran’s teaching methodologies are intentional and deliberate as part of our Instructional Core, which defines the relationship between three essential elements to student success; the teacher, student and content. Success is fostered through articulate curriculum including stimulating and challenging academic tasks aligned to meet the demands of the Common Core State Standards. Analysis of student performance data informs every aspect of instruction.

Students are afforded limitless opportunities across the four components of our school program: academics, visual arts, performing arts, and physical education. Each week, our elementary students take part in an extended course of study including one period of visual arts instruction, two periods of physical education and health, as well as instruction in recorder, music theory, Spanish, media literacy, Portuguese, and specialized bands and choral programs specifically in grades four and five. As students transition into the upper elementary grades, they may participate in advance studies in their designated component. The shift to middle school brings the opportunity to participate in two daily electives while also meeting all core academic requirements. Over 30 electives, including an elite Jazz band and choir, are offered across the four components Halloran’s instructional methods are adjusted for academic differences and enrichment opportunities which in turn increase student achievement, student engagement, creativity, and an overall attitude towards school and learning.

In addition to providing opportunities for students to achieve academically, Halloran also provides opportunities for all learners to excel in visual and performing arts. The Halloran Visual Arts department focuses on the basic elements and principals of art which are applied in the areas of drawing, painting, sculpture, fiber design, printmaking and more. Students in the Visual Arts program experience concentrated art classes daily with advanced skill development in all areas, as well as art history and advanced critique. The program offers advanced students the opportunity to develop their skills on an individual level as well as within groups. After school arts program is offered for those students that need development in targeted areas of growth.

The Performing Arts department offers an array of programs for students at all levels. As early as second grade, students are introduced to the recorder and by fourth grade can enroll in choral and instrumental classes to be followed throughout eighth grade. Students of all academic diversities have the opportunity to achieve in the arts with the introduction of the Little Kids Rock program. The program affords the opportunity of a modern band experience to a targeted group of students to enhance their school experiences regardless of previous musical capabilities or high achievement. As students’ progress through the grades, they have the opportunity to partake in three highly selective ensembles which include Jazz band, Jazz Choir, and Wind Ensemble.

At Halloran, students are given many performance opportunities to demonstrate their appreciation for the arts and academics. Student have received invitations to perform alongside the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, at Jazz for Young People Concerts at Lincoln Center in New York City, as well as performing for and alongside community establishments such as a joining of Kean University and the Elizabeth choir. School established events illustrating students’ abilities include such things as an adaptation of a story as an opera, history of New Jersey presented through rap song, excellence night, a science fair, and our annual musical.

Students at Halloran also compete locally and nationally in numerous competitions such as Teen Arts Competitions, Destination Imagination, and Music in the Parks. Students have placed in high superior rankings at national, and local competitions and have been featured in statewide platforms. Through Halloran’s extensive academic and arts program, students learn essential skills of being responsible for their craft and through hard work and persistence, they can achieve great things.

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

During both the development and coordination of the Title 1 application and implementation of programs, annual consultation with a wide range of constituents is essential. At the district level, the Division of Staff Development-Office of Grants schedules meetings and technical assistance sessions conducted with principals and selected staff members regarding the development and implementation of their respective Title I School-wide Plans/Target Assistance Plan. At the school level, William F. Halloran established a school improvement panel committee of stakeholder groups to collaborate, analyze, develop, design, and implement the Title I Targeted Assistance Plan, which is our first step to implementing a Title 1 School-Wide plan. The Targeted Assistance Plan is a comprehensive document designed by our school team for the purpose of enhancing the entire educational program as a Title I School. Each school establishes a team, conducts a needs assessment to determine the strengths, weaknesses, and areas of critical need and formulates a plan to address those needs. The purpose of the plan is to ensure that every child at William F. Halloran School obtains a high quality education and achieves, at minimum, proficiency on the challenging Common Core State Standards as measured by state assessments such as the PARCC. Furthermore, the plan supports core academic programs by providing professional development opportunities to our team members which will address the needs of all students.

The Elizabeth School District demonstrates a consistent commitment to increase student achievement and prepare every student to pursue college and post-secondary success. William F. Halloran’s Title I plan is coordinated with district programs to support the Elizabeth District Keys to Excellence Strategic Plan. William F. Halloran is continually identifying resources to maximize the learning opportunities for teachers and students. These resources are utilized to create and support learning so that every student will succeed and achieve. A great example was hiring a Title 1 Writing Teacher under Title 1 funds, who services students in grade 2 through 8th in writing. The focus and goal of the Writing Teacher is to improve writing skills by addressing the needs of students who are deficient in writing. A weakness that has been identified by several pieces of data including MAP scores, benchmarks, standardized tests and MyAccess writing program.

Another strength of the implementation process of the Title 1 Targeted Assistance Plan was funding allotted to provide professional development to our instructional staff by outside consultants in various content areas and regarding various topics. It helped us identify the number of students in need of improvement and to group them appropriately according their identified areas of need. This year we successfully tapped into the expertise of our own staff members to provide valuable professional development in various areas. We were able through the use of various pieces of schoolwide data to identify 199 students who were reading below grade level. These students were then further assessed and provided lunchtime tutoring and afterschool tutoring and provided with a remedial reading program that teaches phonological awareness, fluency, phonics, spelling, and comprehension in a structured learning plan. The consistent implementation of PLC meetings provided an opportunity for teachers to work with their teams, collaborative, and share best practices.

In addition to our tutoring program, funding also helped with the identification of professional development needs for our team members and providing them with various workshops that helped to improve instruction and best practices. Professional development needs were also coordinated with the Division of Staff Development to provide high quality professional development activities for teachers, principals, para-professionals, and other support staff that address the needs of the school. In addition, technical assistance to help schools analyze data from assessments, identify and address solutions, implement professional development and effective instructional strategies is offered by the Division of Research and Accountability. All efforts are coordinated to maximize student achievement between the school and district.

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

Halloran has a strong focus on creating a professional learning community conducive to a positive school culture. Professional development involves everyone from the principal, district leaders, instructional coaches, program consultants, and teachers working collaboratively to focus on creating excellence in rigorous instruction. Halloran focuses on promoting teacher collaboration to maximize effective practices and increase student achievement. To this end, professional development experiences are correlated to teacher’s individualized needs and targeted goals around student achievement. Our professional development system and commitment to success has produced one of the highest achieving schools in New Jersey, earning three National Blue Ribbon Titles, two within the last ten years. This year’s focus will be our percentage of students who were identified Below Reading Level in every grade.

Professional development occurs throughout the year through observations, walkthroughs, feedback, district and internal instructional rounds, and district workshops. These professional development opportunities have been essential in preparing and strengthening teachers’ skills and knowledge and consequently, that of our students. Through the fusing of formative and summative assessments, teachers evaluate student data and utilize results for purposeful planning of lessons. Professional learning is emphasized on differentiated instruction and promoting alignment between assessment and instruction.

Our school-based professional development committee, School Improvement Panel, is comprised of teachers and administrators to assess school-wide needs and support planning. To this end, the committee has instituted internal instructional rounds to maximize effective teaching practices where reflection is a critical component to strengthen teaching and increase targeted skills. Descriptive and specific feedback is also given to teachers to enhance lessons. In addition, all teachers are involved in a Professional Learning Community (PLC) to articulate strategies being implemented in the classroom and reflect on their impact on student learning on a monthly basis. We are able to invite consultants to give workshops based on our build’s needs and provided teachers with onsite professional development opportunities.

Our school district has embedded two days within the calendar to provide professional development. In addition, Halloran gives teachers time to work together on professional growth plans, with common preparation periods. Teachers have the opportunity to keep abreast of current education initiatives by attending numerous professional development opportunities provided by the district’s staff development through a web-based program, My Learning Plan. Additionally, teachers utilize Blackboard and EdConnect, a support system that allows teachers to access and share resources to enhance classroom instruction.

Halloran uses teacher, district, state, and national assessments not only as guidelines for implementation of best practices, but as tools to pull our instructional team together to work collaboratively to help students reach their highest levels of achievement. Teachers are motivated to maintain their knowledge and skills to reflect current educational practices. Many of our teachers participate in workshops outside of the district, attend summer institutes, network with other teachers, and seek advanced degrees or certifications. Fifty-five percent of the instructional staff has attained a masters or doctoral degree while many teachers are currently engaged in graduate studies. Our professional development program has enhanced teacher practices and student learning as seen through informal/formal observations, PLC communication logs, and documentation of student growth through teacher data binders. The collaborative and productive learning experience for all teachers is also supported through the use of district generated evaluation sheets, peer teacher observations, and discussion threads. The findings from these numerous venues drive the constant cycle of in-school professional development offerings.

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

Data and other pertinent information is gathered and compiled at both the school and district levels. The Elizabeth Public Schools’ Division of Research, Evaluation and Assessment is the venue by which all data is transmitted and initially analyzed. Data is provided to the schools, where groups of stakeholders conduct deeper analysis in order to make sound decisions regarding the achievement of targeted performance goals. Data was collected from all student subgroups through the use of standardized instruments approved by the NJDOE. At the school level, parent and teacher surveys were conducted, data from Fall MAP assessment scores, DRA2 assessments and PARCC scores were reviewed as well. All stakeholders had access to the disaggregated data and were invited to take part in discussion groups, including the school’s School Improvement Panel, PLCs, Grade Level Team Meetings, Stakeholder Engagement Schoolwide Committee, and Parent Teacher Organization. A summer workshop was held onsite before school started to disseminate information received over the summer and to analyze pertinent student data for each individual classroom. Analysis continued at team meetings in September and on district provided ½ day Professional Development days. Student achievement data is used at the teacher level to drive instruction. Teachers are provided with data by their school administrators, instructional supervisors and instructional coaches. Data are used to identify student needs and provide individualized instruction (i.e. Guided Reading, SGI interventions, Title 1 tutoring) aligned to the Common Core State Standards.

At William F. Halloran School #22, as the year begins, student strengths and weaknesses are identified and analyzed to maximize achievement. Teachers work to analyze data through various formal and informal assessments and reflect upon the data to meet the needs of the students. Progress is monitored through analysis of student data to guarantee academic success. Individual learning goals for both the teacher and students are put into place. Strengths are identified and students are challenged through self-driven project based learning experiences. Throughout the year, teachers maintain a data binder with a plethora of student data, including but not limited to, district benchmark data, intervention tracking sheets, MAP scores, DRA levels, DRA progress monitoring sheets, and reflections on assessments. Furthermore, Quarterly Benchmarks are recorded on the School 22 shared server and analyzed by grade and class. In Math and ELA, this data generates student reports highlighting strengths and weaknesses in particular skill areas. Benchmark data also helps to project future standardized test results.

Teachers analyze strengths & weaknesses in order to plan targeted instruction in a small group setting. They also reinforce skills using differentiated center activities. Similarly, the DRA class profile sheets allow teachers to form groups based on reading strategies which need additional support and are a focus for instruction. Data becomes an ongoing conversation when planning instruction during weekly PLC meetings, and team level curriculum meetings. It is here where teachers utilize the data binder to discuss individual student needs and share instructional strategies that will enhance student learning. This data also helps teacher plan for their individualized small group lunchtime tutoring for Title 1 programs.

On a daily basis, the data binder is utilized to recognize areas of improvement for students and differentiate instruction. Through analyzing data and the use of progress monitoring tools, student learning is continuously driven forward. Identification of the lowest twenty percent of students creates a foundation for initiating academic interventions, resulting in intervention periods built into student schedules. In conjunction with intervention classes, children who are targeted in the lowest twenty percent, based on needs assessment and receive lunchtime tutoring. Determination of the highest ten percent of students creates a foundation for initiating enrichment learning opportunities. With careful analysis of data and concentrated instruction for students based on targeted needs, teaching and learning becomes customized to each individual and student centered.

• Category 2

  Selected in 2015

• Grades: pre k - 8
  School Setting: urban
  Town Population: 124,969
  Student Enrollment: 958
  Student Demographics:
  

  Black/African American: 13.9%
  White/Caucasian: 15.2%
  Hispanic: 66.2%
  Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.2%
  Asian: 4.6%
  Native American: 0%
  Other: 0%
  

  Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:14.5
  % Reduced Lunch: 75%
  % ELL Learners: 2%
  Founded: 2006
• PRINCIPAL:
  Michael Webb
• CONTACT:
  1014 S. Elmora Ave.
  Elizabeth, NJ 07202
  908-436-4860
  webbmi@elizabeth.k12.nj.us